Transcendent Being

Kudududud-!

The stopped black and white world shook violently.

The aftermath of the powerful energy swirled fiercely.

The Sand Titanoboa King was the center of the power.

“Kyiiiiii─────!”

Its sharp roar echoed in the stopped world.

I can feel the aura clearly different from everything before.

From just a large B-rank threat level, it immediately upgraded to S-rank danger level.

“Kyushak! Kyaaak! Krurururuk-!”

Surrounded by enormous power, it roared as if in ecstasy.

It was currently engulfed in complex emotions.

The rage of losing members of its group to me.

The desire to try out its new power.

These primal desires are directed at me.

Gudeuk-

Suddenly, orbs sprouted from its body.

These were additional foreign objects that appeared between the clocks embedded all over its body.

A white orb shaped like a cloud on its forehead, a blue orb shaped like the moon on its solar plexus, and a green orb shaped like a door on its tail appeared.

They were symbols of the Celestial Horse Tribe with the blessing of acceleration, the Lunar Demon Tribe with the blessing of regression, and the Evil Demon Tribe with the blessing of space, respectively.

Wiiing-

“Kyuhyaak-!”

The white orb embedded in the forehead of the roaring creature gleamed brightly.

Huuuung-!

In an instant, the form of the Sand Titanoboa King disappeared.

It was as sudden as teleportation.

Teoeong-!

Suddenly, a fierce shockwave burst from my body.

A heavy impact struck and passed by.

At the moment I staggered momentarily.

Teoeong-!

Again, a shockwave exploded from my back.

Something struck my back and passed by this time as well.

It was enough momentum to make me stagger.

“Kyiiik…!”

The form of the Sand Titanoboa King returned.

It snarled, sticking its tongue out between its fangs.

I could realize that it had exerted the blessing of acceleration.

“Kyiiiiii-!”

Intoxicated with power, it threw its head back and roared.

Tik tik tik tik tik-!

The clock hands turn on the clocks embedded throughout its body.

The spacetime magic’s characteristic dark blue magic crystals scatter around.

A vast flow of power gathers around it.

It lowered its head and body tightly.

Huuuung-!

The 30-meter Sand Titanoboa King was shot again like lightning with a rupturing sound.

It was an unbelievable instantaneous acceleration for such a large body.

From the start, it’s at least a 300km/h sports car.

Teoeong-!

Again, a heavy impact assailed near my head.

This time, I quickly gathered myself and recovered my posture.

Teoeong-!

Before I could do anything, it strikes and passes from the side again.

I simply couldn’t gather my wits.

Teong! Teoeong! Teoeong-!

The sight of a minimum 30-meter giant snake straightening its body and flying is spectacular.

Using the blessing of acceleration, it struck and passed me wildly.

It has enough power to topple even substantial buildings.

Teo teo teo teo teong─────!

Explosion sounds reminiscent of bombing overlapped consecutively.

I am very hard, and it is very fast.

Each of our characteristics were colliding.

“Kyu, hwaaaak-!”

I roared and tried to bite it.

Teoguk.

My bite missed spectacularly, biting only empty air.

Currently, I cannot react to its speed at all.

Even using all my skills, I can’t catch up.

I repeatedly tried to bite it.

“Kyurururuk-!

“Kyushak! Kyuhiiik-!”

It’s a monster battle full of wildness and roars that I haven’t had in a while.

Its bulging vertical pupils burned with fighting spirit.

It snarled while increasing its speed greatly.

Huuuung-!

“Kyuruuruk-!”

Now it’s approaching the 900km/h speed of an aircraft.

Like a whip where tremendous acceleration is applied to the tip, it’s about to break the sound barrier.

Its scales burned black from the tremendous friction heat of repeatedly piercing the atmosphere.

Teong! Teoeong-! Teoeong-!

Fierce impact sounds echoed from my body.

The accelerating creature struck and passed me wildly.

It feels like taking consecutive full-power punches from an elementary school kid.

It’s not painful enough to die, but it does sting a bit.

After all, it’s also a being upgraded to S-rank.

Momentum equals mass times velocity.

As speed increases, power also increases proportionally.

It’s the principle by which a bean-sized bullet penetrates an iron plate and kills a person.

Theoretically, infinitely amplified acceleration power can transcend spacetime, cross into the future, penetrate even black holes, and disrupt even the sun.

While there’s no ability that isn’t strong when taken to its extreme, this is essentially the strongest power.

Under that faithful scientific law, a mobile striking battle was being demonstrated.

The creature’s current specs are still lower than mine, but that’s why it can inflict somewhat meaningful damage.

But I too can employ unconventional tactics.

What if I just stand firm?

Teong! Teoeong-! Teoeong-!

“……”

I just stopped still, as if giving up resistance.

Wild hunters are also professionals of acting.

They thoroughly act to make prey complacent.

If I pretend appropriately, an opportunity will surely come.

At some point while constantly taking hits.

“Kyarrrruruk-!”

Its confident roar assails from my left diagonal rear.

From the previous headbutting mode, it tilts its head back and reveals its fangs.

It thinks I’ve completely given up.

Kwadeuk!

Indeed, it bit my left nape.

It chewed with all its might.

Bassssuk-

It was the first strike to break through my carapace and reach the muscle layer.

I had to admit it hurt a bit.

But I’ve been waiting for this moment all along.

“Kyushaaaak─────!”

I let out a thunderous roar accompanied by a shockwave and launched my head at the fixed prey.

Kwadeuk!

I immediately chewed on its right neck frill.

The technique of a beast giving up flesh to take bone is employed.

I implemented the Spin Bite, the unique style of sharks and crocodiles that I learned from Desert Megalodons.

Kwachwachwachwak─────!

Blue-gray blood spurted from the creature’s thick scales under the rotational bite infused with tremendous jaw strength.

I rapidly rotated my entire body like a crocodile that has bitten its prey.

It was enough to create a pale rippling shockwave.

“Kyahak-!?”

It immediately released its bite and screamed.

It can’t withstand the twisting bite pain from a carapace-muscled monster worm of at least 50 meters and 1,000 tons.

A jaw strength many times more intensely powerful than its own rushes forth.

Its muscle layer was torn apart, instantly revealing bone.

“Kyu, hiiik-!”

Teong!

It wailed in pain and struck the frozen spacetime ground with its tail.

It urgently separated from me who had buried my fangs.

I chewed the creature’s flesh that remained in my mouth.

Kujeok, kujeojeok-

I returned everything I had endured with one hot, substantial blow.

It realized it should never engage in biting with me.

“Kyuik! Shaaak-!”

Having fallen at a distance in front of me, it raised its upper body and entered a state of vigilance.

Wiiing-

The blue orb embedded in its solar plexus gleamed blue.

I immediately acted as something else was about to manifest.

Chwhaaaaak-!

I shot a blood cannon from my wide-open mouth.

Kung!

The creature also immediately bounced its body off the ground.

Kwassssss-!

It rapidly ran across the frozen desert sand, performing evasive maneuvers.

Dark blue spacetime magic crystals subtly bloomed from its wounds.

As the surrounding spacetime regressed, I could see its wounds healing.

It’s reversing damage to make it non-existent.

By the way, how far does the current range of time stoppage extend?

Could the entire world have frozen?

The information I have suggests that’s not the case?

While I was wrapped in pure doubt.

Wiiing-

The green orb embedded in its tail gleamed green.

Uuuuung-

Suddenly, subspace opened up in front of the charging creature.

It was a circumference large enough for even me to enter sufficiently.

It jumped in like a train entering a tunnel.

Uuuuung-

“Kyaaak-!”

A roar burst from my left rear.

I reflexively twisted my body into an S-shape.

Huuuung-!

Immediately, a dark blue flash with a heavy rupturing sound brushed past me.

Since I was somewhat prepared this time, I could avoid it easily.

The creature that crossed past me tumbled onto the ground in the distant beyond.

Kwassssss-

Amazingly, while performing recovery, it counterattacked through spatial distortion.

It was a typical predator’s method of counterattacking even in a dying state.

With this, the creature’s final power, the blessing of space, was exerted.

It was an S-rank transcendent being born with all three blessings fully instilled.

After tumbling for a while, the creature abruptly stood up.

“Kyu, shaaaaat─────!”

The creature that had recovered its wounds let out a long roar.

Tik tik tik tik tik-!

It began to draw out its spacetime magic with full power.

The clock hands on the clocks embedded in its body turned fiercely.

Spacetime magic’s characteristic dark blue magic crystals scattered from its entire body.

Wiiing-

The orbs embedded in its body all shone together.

Now it’s trying to use all powers simultaneously.

It lowered its head tightly towards me.

Teong! Teoeong-! Teoeong-!

The pitiful stalemate is repeated again.

It rams into me, and I try to grab it.

The difference is that it has become extremely cautious.

Now I can’t use the tactic of giving up flesh to take bone.

I have various means of attack besides sand cannons and blood cannons, but most are ineffective in the current situation.

No matter how strong an attack, it’s useless if it can’t hit.

That was the fraudulent nature of tremendous speed.

Huung! Kuuuung-! Hwaaaak-!

Its acceleration power was now approaching beyond the speed of sound.

The 30-meter giant snake wrapped in powerful shockwaves becomes a flash of light.

When a light beam of tremendous power rushes forth, a noise like an aftershock follows a few beats late.

Because matter cannot move at or faster than the speed of light, it’s approaching near-light speed, the maximum possible within the universe.

Even for me, who dodges by twisting my body into an S-shape in place, it becomes a level that cannot be ignored.

I can no longer deal with it casually.

It is firmly in the upper ranks even among S-ranks.

No, I wondered if there would even be such a being among Earth’s current S-rank speedster-type rankers.

The Spacetime Demon Tribe who created such a being could truly be seen as formidable entities.

However, with this, the pattern analysis is roughly complete.

I was relieved that the creature’s patterns were at this level.

For me, who is currently growing by collecting various skills, other blessings might have been more difficult to deal with.

I decided to handle it with the countermeasure I had prepared.

Though I’m not sure if it’s possible under the laws of physics with mass.

Before the creature reaches the terrifying realm of the speed of light.

“Kyarrrruruk-!”

When I judged the creature’s roar was heard from behind me.

I twisted my waist into an S-shape and opened my mouth wide as if yawning.

“Kyuhwaaak…”

Kusssss-

For a moment, gray mist was emitted from my mouth.

A lethal petrification breath that hardens everything into stone is ejected.

The Stone Breath was coated along the back of the creature that had passed through me after I dodged.

“Kyuhik?”

The creature that had been flying around suddenly flinched.

Bassssuk-

Its back was gradually being petrified and turning to stone.

The creature’s formidable speed dramatically decreased in an instant.

I immediately laid my body flat on the ground.

Kurrrrrr-!

I move forward quickly, breaking through the frozen desert surface.

Before the momentarily panicked creature could revert the situation with the blessing of regression.

“Kyu, hiik-!”

Its vertical pupils bulged with shock.

It urgently tried to twist its entire body and distance itself from me.

But it simply couldn’t.

Because the petrification that already covered 30% of its body had dramatically slowed its speed.

Having reached the creature’s rear, I opened my mouth wide again.

“Kyuhwaaak…!”

Kusssss-

I sprayed the dreadful mouth odor all over various parts of the creature’s body again.

Bassssuk-

Various parts of the creature’s body were additionally petrified.

Areas already coated with gas turn to stone more quickly.

The speed it was so proud of was being sealed away.

Finally realizing the seriousness of the situation, the creature screamed.

“Kyuhwak! Kyaaak-!”

Now more than 70% of the creature’s body was petrified.

It had become a crispy outside, tender inside dish cooked with truly exquisite skill.

No longer able to escape, it tumbled on the ground.

It’s impossible to accelerate with a body that has become heavy as stone.

How to stop tremendous speed?

The answer is as simple as flipping your palm.

Exert stopping power to halt it.

For me, that means the basilisk’s petrification gas.

I drooled as I looked at the creature that had become like a mermaid.

“Kyurook…”

I didn’t bother waiting for it to be completely petrified.

Even predators roaming the wild have their own business ethics.

But right now, there’s no need to cut off the prey’s windpipe and predate it.

Since it caused me trouble, I’ll eat it alive while it still has consciousness and can feel pain.

[Game over.]

I sent telepathy to the creature, unsure if it would understand.

Then I lowered my head to it and buried my circular teeth.

Kwachak!

I chewed fiercely starting from its head with the cobra-like developed neck frill.

I dug in with jaw strength that could crush even tanks.

Kwachachachachak-!

Like a leech embedded in a farmer’s side, sucking blood.

I quickly chewed up all parts of its form.

I predate its form with stone and flesh intermingled.

Flesh pieces mixed with blood and stone fragments came in.

I eat from head to toe without leaving anything.

Kwaddeuk… Chwachwachak!

The predation continued for quite a while.

I took the opportunity to have quite a lengthy meal.

The Albino Death Worm’s stomach was nearly empty.

The moment I finished completely consuming the transcendent Sand Titanoboa King.

[The power of the separated half-soul awakens. Spacetime Predation has been awakened.]

[3rd Blessing: Fragment of Acceleration has been acquired. 1% until restoration……]

[4th Blessing: Fragment of Regression has been acquired. 1% until restoration……]

[6th Blessing: Fragment of Space has been acquired. 1% until restoration……]

System messages of a completely new type appeared.

Normally, you should be able to use the power immediately?

What does “1% until restoration” mean…?

Jiiing-

A sudden sharp headache assailed me.

To experience a headache… in Death Worm state?

Fragmented images flashed through my mind like déjà vu.

“Kyuruut…!”

I groaned from the achingly intense headache.

It felt incredibly familiar and very accustomed.

Like seeing a familiar tool one used to use.

The strange sense of déjà vu eventually disappeared.

“……”

I calmed myself within the stopped world.

Today is truly a day of experiencing many strange things.

To think there’s even a case where I can’t immediately use a power I’ve gained?

Perhaps because it’s in the ranks of the strongest powers, it seems they don’t intend to let me use it right away.

I think if I eat many similar spacetime monsters and fill it to 100%, I might be able to use the blessings of the Spacetime Demon Tribe.

[By the way, how do I escape from here…]

Anyway, at the moment the Sand Titanoboa King was subjugated.

Pat. Papat-

The black and white that had descended upon the world rippled for a moment.

A flickering like a light bulb repeated.

Huung-

With a heavy wind sound, the world regained its original colors.

“It’s the final stretch! Let’s subjugate the remaining Sand Titanoboa King!”

“Glory to the Rashka, Akran, and the White Sovereign!”

“If we just catch it, now…! Huh? What?”

The Akran assassins, who had achieved overwhelming victory in the monster subjugation battle, shouted with zealous enthusiasm.

Eventually, everyone was simultaneously dumbfounded.

“Wh-What…? Where did the Sand Titanoboa King go?”

“Where on earth did it go? Suddenly vanished?”

“It… disappeared? Did it hide in the ground?”

Bajid looked around blankly.

Kasim and Nadia also examined the nearby desert with bewilderment.

Akran’s Great Warriors and Warrior Captains searched diligently for the disappeared target.

Their appearances were so dumbfounded that it made me laugh.

[What is this about…?]

None of them were aware that they had been affected by Lumiel’s spacetime stoppage.

Why was I the only one who could move properly?

…Was everything really stopped?

[White Sovereign? When did you move from the rear of the formation to there?]

Batar innocently asked me.

Even the worms were all stopped in the end?

[…Do you really not know?]

[Pardon? What do you mean?]

[The Celestial Horse Tribe appeared and stopped time.]

[Celestial Horse Tribe…? Do you mean the archenemies of both worlds, Gaia and Elzeria?]

I questioned Batar with frustration.

[In the stopped spacetime, I defeated the Sand Titanoboa King that had become a transcendent being on my own. The world and everyone have returned because the restriction was lifted.]

[…I don’t understand what you’re saying at all?]

Batar’s characteristically brusque and rough reply came back.

I sent telepathy to Nadia as a last resort.

[Nadia, don’t you remember? Everyone should have seen my battle.]

“What…? What do you mean?”

Even she tilted her head in confusion.

Finally, I decided not to inquire further.

They should have at least heard Lumiel’s triggering words that echoed across the battlefield like voice amplification, but it seems they didn’t hear that either.

There’s no point in me dwelling on something that no one else remembers; I’ll only seem strange.

For now, I’ll just mull this over and think about it on my own.

[Don’t worry about the Sand Titanoboa King anymore… it doesn’t matter now.]

Returning to my role as commander, I instructed the assassins and worms instead.

[…Now, proceed with enhancement and predation.]

As soon as I gave my instructions, everyone immediately moved.

They approached the prey scattered widely across the desert.

Pasuk, Passuk-

The Death Worms and Sand Worms began predation.

New powers from the sharing principle were immediately transmitted to me.

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[F-rank Trait: Sand Piranha has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[F-rank Trait: Dust Boar has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[E-rank Trait: Shaharraptor has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[E-rank Trait: Sand Dire Wolf has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[E-rank Trait: Desert Dolphin has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[D-rank Trait: Desert Orca has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[D-rank Trait: Yellow Teratornis has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[C-rank Trait: Desert Stingray has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[C-rank Trait: Cockatrice has been acquired.]

[Physical Predation has been activated.]

[C-rank Trait: Sand Titanoboa has been acquired.]

.

.

.

I also obtained traits numbering over dozens of species.

This is besides the traits I had already acquired.

It was a completely successful farming.

Pachang! Pachachachang-!

The assassins split the hearts of magical beasts and monsters and crushed the mana stones.

The enhancement ceremony took place as mana streams arose.

The prey was divided exactly in half.

The assassins power up, and the worms eat.

This is truly a win-win situation.

“…It’s my first time absorbing so many mana stones.”

Nadia was seen absorbing magic currents into her heart one after another.

Currently, she has not yet reached the A-rank Great Warrior Captain.

If we continue to nurture her like this, she’ll reach that realm at some point.

[Spacetime Demon Tribe…]

Looking around the scene, I pondered.

It was the first encounter with the archenemies of both worlds, the current Earth and Elzeria.

Based on the brief contact and assessment, they certainly qualified to be the archenemies of worlds.

I thought mass-producing A-rank intel worms was cheating, but they might be even worse.

I’m still not entirely clear about the time stop, but it’s probably not an absurd specification that stops the entire world at once.

Because during the time stoppage, I could still sense the presence of moving creatures in the distant far reaches.

I need to prepare for these creatures that I might encounter somewhere again in the future.

I felt determined to become even stronger than now.

When the work was finished, the Sand Worms moved last.

Kwassssss-

[Stack, store, and sell!]

[This can all be sold for money!]

[Think about the money! Money money money!]

The Sand Worms swallow and sweep up all the monster corpses along with sand.

Monster materials can be sold for money.

It would be wasteful to abandon them when there are means to transport them.

Thus, the grand hunt was roughly completed.

I sent telepathy to everyone.

[Now, it’s time to return to the village! We’ve earned plenty, so there’s nothing to hesitate about! It’s a festival as soon as we get back!]

“Waaaaa-!”

“Kyuhwaaak-!”

The assassins and worms all cheered in unison.

A major operation that would normally have required preparing a camp.

We had come out to an incredibly distant area that would normally be unreachable.

It was possible because everyone was riding desert-specialized biological trains.

After this type of operation, the return is also extremely smooth.

This is the true value of desert-specialized Worm Riders.

“The efficiency is absurdly good, isn’t it?”

[As planned.]

I responded to Nadia’s admiring praise.

Just as we were about to return.

Kusss-

Something rose from the very center of the site’s ground.

It was a group of five Death Worms.

[Wh-White Sovereign…!]

A form badly burned, with body fluids dripping from burst spots all over its body.

The severely injured Death Worm trembled and reported immediately.

“Kyuruuk…!”

“Kyuut…!”

“Shu, uuuu…!”

The nearby feral Death Worms, which I hadn’t yet given names to, also wailed faintly.

[A-An extremely dangerous being has appeared…! The worms in the area are being slaughtered! They might be completely wiped out!]

Chingge, a Death Worm with a male voice born relatively recently following the initial 10 named worms, urgently shouted.

[Who is slaughtering the worms?]

I was considerably shocked.

Who is killing the worms that will become my future army?

While showing interest in worms, which are monsters of not even high significance?

For what reason?

Above all, Tarkhan, who was excluded from today’s training, is currently out in the vicinity as a reconnaissance team.

He is gathering feral worms along with intel worms.

Does this mean it’s at a level that even A-rank Tarkhan can’t stop?

[What about Tarkhan?]

What came back in response to my question was a completely unexpected answer.

[The first Death Worm… Tarkhan is also in danger! You must go to rescue him immediately!]