Boundless Cultivation-Chapter 82 - It was all an Illusion

Veyphara allowed Alaric to witness her form in its full glory, and he made full use of that opportunity, committing every detail to his memory. Not a single fluctuation in the ambient mana disturbed his concentration - the proud creature remained unbothered by the tiny human it surely considered insignificant in its presence.

So it hadn’t utilized any skill or techniques to eliminate him yet. He couldn’t help but wonder whether it was the soul of the woman stitched inside the chimera body that specifically craved his admiration.

After all, no ordinary beast would respond to an enemy in such a manner. Still, he could offer credit where it was due - her form was mesmerizing. Not a delicate, fragile beauty that required tender handling.

No, she was like a mountain - unshakeable, unbreakable, unbeatable. No…He shook his head, erasing the seeds of doubt creeping inside his mind. Even mountains could be shattered if one was strong enough. And I’ve destroyed my share of mountains in my previous life.

He locked gazes with the Sphinx, her eyes gleaming with pride. It was evident that she didn’t regard him as anything other than a prey.

Alaric leaped into action, launching a barrage of mana blasts - targeting her eyes, wings, and chest. Defying all common sense, Veyphara fluttered her crystal wings faster than his eyes could follow, generating a gale so intense that it obscured his vision.

The last few swirling blue balls of mana vanished into the storm. He didn’t dare inspect the aftermath with his eyes, instead relying on his [Mana Resonance] skill to take stock of things.

The Sphinx was completely unhurt - not a single scratch marred her body. Over the course of the next few minutes, Alaric and Veyphara were locked in a deadly battle of catch and chase.

However, try as he might, he wasn’t able to hurt the creature. She darted from one spot to the next, evading his chain of attacks like an elusive fish that slips through the trap of a fisherman.

“Do you like me so much, human - chasing after me with so much enthusiasm?” Velphara’s voice mingled with the wind. “I’m flattered, but you have to try harder to earn my approval.”

Something gnawed at his senses - he had faced enough strong enemies to discern when an opponent fought seriously and when they didn’t. So far, he had the distinct impression that the creature wasn’t taking him seriously.

He quickly stole a glance at the massive hourglass - the white sands slowly trickled to the bottom chamber. That was unusual. Why is the time running even though I haven’t managed to hurt her yet?

Vephara made no effort to attack him. Suddenly, a flash of insight pierced his mind. She’s stalling for time. It’s a trial with a time limit.

He couldn’t be sure about exactly what would happen when the timer ran out, but he couldn’t discard the possibility of him failing the trial. The chimera stood poised and self-assured, as if it could defeat Alaric at any moment.

So, I’m not even a prey. He chuckled. I’m just entertainment for you. Alaric felt rage boil in his chest as a crackle of yellow lightning surged through his body. In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared next to Veyphara, kicking her in the chin.

Veyphara’s massive face flicked to the side, blood spewing from her mouth as he landed on his toes.

“How dare you land your filthy feet on my face?” She snarled, indignation clear on her face. “You’ve lost your chance at mercy.” She cracked her mouth open, conjuring a stellar landscape blazing with the fury of a thousand stars.

Alaric flashed a charming smile. “Give me your best shot,” he taunted as he lunged to the side, just in time to evade the huge pillar of destructive light. The searing attack carved a red-hot scar on the polished, white-stone tiles.

Looks like I hit a nerve. He smiled as he attempted the same strategy - another surge of yellow lightning, followed by a kick to her chin.

However, he could already feel his rage - the fuel that powered his bloodline ability - subsiding. And, with it, the added speed and power he enjoyed.

Still, he wasn’t upset. Sooner or later, he would figure out how to ignite his bloodline power at will.

A pillar of stellar light erupted beside him, instantly shattering his layered mana shield just from being in its close proximity. He was amazed more than frightened by the sheer destructive power of the stellar light.

Veyphara flapped her wings and a blizzard assaulted him. But this time, the howling storm hid a shower of jagged crystal shards. Alaric remained untouchable as he masterfully wielded his [Mana Resonance], [Mana Empowerment], and [Zenflow] skills to their limits.

He danced, evading crystal shards as long as him by the barest of margins. After a while, the blizzard turned into a sandstorm.

He detected the presence of several creatures within it - sand golems, Anubian Death guardians, shadow jackals, and more. He cycled a drop of his root chakra for the first time in a long while and let loose.

If he had any hope of winning, he had to give his all. The shrieks and howls of numerous creatures formed a dark symphony as he turned into a reaper of death - smashing bones, severing limbs, caving torses.

There was no room for wasting mana. So, he utilized a tried and tested combination to kill the more powerful monsters - [Mana Scrambling] and [Mana Blast].

The grand hall had turned into an epic battlefield, submerged with the battle cries of numerous warriors and creatures alike. All fell victim to Alaric’s power and cunning.

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Within minutes, the floor - now laden with a thick layer of sand and ice - turned bloody red. An eerie silence swept over him as he halted, grasping for breath.

A series of disjointed images and sounds - the roar of monsters, the wails of defeated enemies, the growls of monstrous abominations advancing on a battlefield - swept over him. He shook his head, eliminating these visions - all ghosts of his previous life.

I…I have to focus. His body was like a squeezed lemon, almost out of juice. New enemies emerged - black skeletal soldiers clad in golden armor. There is no end to this.

He avoided their onslaught, dancing between their strikes, and advanced towards his main objective. The Sphinx loomed in the distance like an unavoidable beacon.

Preparing two condensed balls of mana, he leaped into the air. Subsequently, he cycled his solar-plexus chakra and enveloped the condensed balls of mana with multiple layers of disruptive waves.

The mana constructs he forged were the same he had used to defeat Therin. It was almost at the edge of what he could manage at his current skill level, threatening to spiral out of his control.

There it is! Spotting two burning orbs of energy - no doubt, Veyphara’s ruby eyes - he hurled the mana constructs screeching with power. A curtain of hail obstructed the approaching constructs, and for a while, Alaric wasn’t sure he would succeed.

However, the mana constructs carved a hole through the sheet of blizzard and embedded themselves into her eye sockets. The grand hall reverberated with her wail of agony, followed by a detonation of fire and shattered crystals.

He immediately followed up with his attack, using the shower of falling ruby shards as stepping stones mid-air to reach her back. Without mercy, he unleashed a barrage of mana blasts, ravaging her back with wounds.

Veyphara thrashed in agony and frustration, yet unable to dislodge him. A series of cracks raced across her crystal wings. Activating [Mana Empowerment] skill to its utmost limit, he redirected a significant portion of his strength to his limbs and spine.

Then, he planted his feet against her spine, grabbed the base of the crystal wings - too large to grasp fully - and pulled with all his might. Veyphara screamed, striving to flutter her wings, almost flinging him with sheer force. But he was relentless - he didn’t let go.

Something coiled around his waist and yanked him backward - it was the serpentine tail of the chimera - as thick as his torso. Alaric gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his hold of the crystal wings.

Any moment now, his strength would fade - his mana core had been almost depleted.

“Aargh,” he bellowed, refusing to surrender at the last moment when victory was knocking at the door. Moments later, the crystal wings cracked at the base and were ripped out.

The last remains of his strength evaporated as he was flung across the hall by the serpentine tail. Pain wracked his body as he slammed into the floor. His limbs had turned to dead weight and yet, he was happy.

He still wasn’t sure whether the last chain of attacks had been enough to defeat the final boss. But he had guessed that her eyes and wings were her weaknesses.

As the sandstorm faded into a light breeze, he witnessed the final death throes of the massive chimera. Blood flowed in rivers across her back and from her ruined eye sockets.

“Damn you, human,” Veyphara rasped in rage and frustration as her gigantic body finally collapsed to the floor with a thud, sending a wave of dust and blood surging outward.

Once the chaos settled, everything was drowned in silence. There were no more monsters aiming for his life, and he was grateful for that - he didn’t have the strength to fight one more.

So, it looks like I was right about her weaknesses. Indeed, the final boss had been slain. However, the victory rang hollow in his senses. Something was wrong, and he could almost taste it.

His gaze flicked towards the massive hourglass, the sands within still falling without pause. It was then that he realized what was wrong.

Alaric chuckled as a series of cracks ruptured through the grand hall, rending the very air itself. A melodious laughter echoed through space as his whole vision morphed into a mosaic of images.

His entire surroundings dissolved into an inky blank before morphing back to the pristine hall - where Vehphara was still poised nonchalantly at the center, completely unscathed.

It had all been an illusion! He strained to move his body, but it was futile. Well, not all of it, it seems. Alaric still lay sprawled on the floor, utterly exhausted and out of mana.

When was I caught in the illusion? I was so careful. He dismissed those thoughts - now was not the time to comb through his mistakes.

“Did you believe you had won?” Vephara clicked her tongue. “Aww, I simply granted you a taste of victory - I’m not heartless, you know.”

“I might have lost today, but I’ll -” his body was yanked and thrown to a far corner before he could finish his sentence.

“You don’t seem to get it, do you?” A tinge of anger laced Vehphara’s voice. “You never had a chance - no more than a snowflake has of surviving under the scorching sun in a desert.”

Alaric felt a bubble of defiance erupt in his chest, and he found the energy to summon one last attack. He condensed mana in his palm, ready to launch a mana blast. He knew he had no chance of defeating this creature today, but he simply wanted to annoy her.

Unfortunately, he was robbed of that chance. The swirling ball of mana fizzled out just as he was about to hurl it.

What the…He felt a foreign force take control over his mana and snuff it out. It was akin to his [Mana Scrambling] skill, only far more potent and executed from a distance.

“See, I told you,” Veyphara placed one paw over another, savoring his look of confusion and shock.

Alaric realized that the final boss wielded a far more powerful mana manipulation ability. It felt much more organic than his [Mana Scrambling] skill.

If she could completely disable his mana skills from a distance, he stood no chance of defeating Vehphara - at least not yet.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she cooed. “The difference between us is the weight of our burdens. While this is simply an opportunity to grow stronger, I’m forever bound by my oath - a solemn promise to never permit an invader to advance to the next stage.”

Alaric was elated. What an opportunity! His laughter filled the halls, twisting Vehphara’s face into a mask of indignation.

“Why are you laughing?” she spat. “Have you gone mad?”

“You have no idea how much you’ve helped me just now,” replied Alaric. “If you are bound by an oath, then it is my obligation as a gentleman to balance the rules of the game.”

Vehphara’s face paled as the weight of his words sank in.

Placing a closed fist over his heart, Alaric glanced at the massive hourglass - now halfway full - and declared. “By my honor as a member of the De Vermond family, I hereby swear an oath - I will defeat you - Veyphara, the Mirage Queen - before the last sand grains hit bottom.”

His throat constricted with every word he uttered as the oath took effect, but he wasn’t done. This was an opportunity to drastically accelerate the partial awakening of his throat chakra, and he wouldn’t let go of it - consequences be damned.

“And should I fail to uphold my oath,” he continued, “may my powers be snubbed forever.” He almost choked as the effects of the final condition took hold.

The massive Sphinx’s face morphed into anger, and he knew he was about to die. “How dare you take me lightly? I will kill you,” she slammed the tip of her massive black claw onto the floor as a series of cracks raced toward him.

With only moments to spare, he checked his notifications.

[Mana Resonance lvl 3 -> Mana Resonance lvl 8]

[Advanced Mana Sense lvl 2 -> Advanced Mana Sense lvl 7]

[Advanced Mana Absorption lvl 2 -> Advanced Mana Absorption lvl 7]

[Advanced Mana Control lvl 2 -> Advanced Mana Control lvl 7]

[Mana Scrambling lvl 20 -> Mana Scrambling lvl 23]

The next moment, his heart seized as his consciousness blinked out.