Beast Tamer Era: Capturing SSS-ranks with the Strongest Taming System-Chapter 130: Wild Assassination (Last)

Chapter 130: Wild Assassination (Last)
The Amethyst Blades hurtled through the air with such terrifying speed that Garnaga couldn’t even dream of dodging them.
They flashed through his body all at once, and it seemed like streaks of violet lightning tearing through his body. In the next instant, his grotesque form came apart with sickening squelches, splitting cleanly into pieces that scattered randomly onto the ground..
"Hmm?" Ray’s brows drew together in a frown. "Still not dead?"
If Garnaga had been killed, the system should’ve prompted him with a notification. Since none appeared, Ray immediately realized something was off.
Garnaga was somehow still alive.
As he looked closely at Garnaga’s remains, he saw that although his body had been split into multiple parts, the mangled limbs and chunks of flesh were twitching.
The faintest trace of life—if it could even be called that—still clung stubbornly to his remains.
"Let’s see if you survive this," Ray said coldly, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
In the moment that followed, wisps of black flames snaked out of his boots.
They slithered across the ground like snakes, pouncing on the body parts of the homunculus that were squirming towards one another at the pace of a snail, hoping to rejoin into one.
This was Garnaga’s speciality. It was immune to dismemberment.
One after another, the pieces ignited, burning violently as the eerie black flames devoured them whole. Within seconds, Garnaga’s remains were reduced to fine ash.
♦️ You have killed a Bronze Rank 3 Homunculus, a creature with a rank-8 artificial soul.
♦️ You have gained +100,000 EXP.
With the kill notification ringing out, it was confirmed that Garnaga was dead.
Ray’s eyes narrowed in thought.
The Bone Giant had only given him 10,000 EXP because its artificially created soul was of the lowest order. Garnaga, on the other hand, had given him ten times that amount, because his artificial soul was
a rank above that.
However, the difference in their threat level didn’t quite match the difference in rewards.
’Or perhaps he was that dangerous,’ Ray mused, a faint smirk forming on his face. ’I just killed him too fast for him to show what he was capable of.’
’Good riddance.’
Garnaga was among the Necromancer’s three strongest creations. He could hold his own against some of the toughest Bronze Rankers. Unfortunately, his opponent happened to be Ray, who was an all-rounder on top of being as terrifying as a Silver Rank expert. Otherwise, his death wouldn’t have been so meaningless. He hadn’t even managed to buy a second or two for the rapidly retreating figures.
Ray watched them leave with no intention of giving chase. So far, it had all been an act to threaten the Necromancer into retreating faster.
The reason was simple: the Necromancer had too many tricks up his sleeve. His trump cards came in many shapes and forms. Garnaga and the Satrap of Seven Shadows were merely two of them.
Some of his other trump cards were said to be powerful enough to preserve his life even against a Silver Ranker if he had enough time to use them. However, he would definitely die if he was killed before he could use them.
The next phase of the plan revolved around creating that very opportunity.
Ray already had the outline worked out, but to execute it, he first needed to solve the nuisance at hand.
A flood of undead closed in on him from all directions.
He started throwing punches.
Each punch was followed by a sharp shockwave that tore through the ranks of the rotting horde. Limbs flew, torsos burst, and the many horrors who dared bar his path were reduced to mangled scrap within moments.
Just as the last of them fell, the sound of something slicing through the air echoed faintly.
Ray’s ears twitched as he picked it up, but when he turned toward the direction it came from, he saw nothing.
For a brief moment, he thought maybe his senses were playing a trick on him.
Then, his expression changed as his sixth sense flared up violently, flooding his mind with a sensation akin to thousands of ants crawling across his face.
It was a grave warning, telling him that he was about to be struck, and that whatever was coming packed enough power to burst his head like a watermelon.
There was no visible projectile anywhere in sight, but the warning from his sixth sense was clear enough for him to determine where the attack would land.
His fist and head metallified as he activated his Fortification skill. Then, using the Purple Empyrean Winds technique, he layered on another level of defense.
By the time he was done, the unthinkable happened.
An arrow appeared right before his face, as if it had teleported.
Startled, he threw out a punch.
Bang!
Amethyst winds enforced metal met arrow.
The arrow burst apart into countless tiny fragments while the layer of amethyst skin covering Ray’s fist shattered like glass, and a thin crack formed on his metallified knuckles.
Once his transformation comes to an end, Ray didn’t know what kind of injury it would turn into, but he was certain it would be worse than what running the Fortification skill was making it out to be.
However, he had a fairly competent fairy under his command. With her help, he could recover from his injuries quite fast. So there was nothing to worry about.
Since it wasn’t severe enough, he decided to wait until after the battle to bother her. Besides, he would survive if he caught a stray attack. But she, with her tiny and frail body, would definitely ascend to the afterlife if she got caught in the crossfire.
In simpler words, bringing her out right now wasn’t a good choice. Especially when there was an unknown assailant out there capable of firing arrows that could teleport.
Ray couldn’t pinpoint their location. Whoever it was, they were exceptionally good at hiding.
"Whatever. I better leave or I will miss the chance to finish what I was up to."
Ray grabbed a nearby undead by the neck and hurled it over his shoulder like a sack of rice before vanishing from sight.
He wasn’t foolish enough to stick around and be fired at again. Whoever had launched that arrow could teleport their shots, and he had no intention of testing how many more he could endure.
As he left, he failed to notice an eerie figure staring at him in stunned silence from the shadow of the lifeless black trees unique to the misty Swamp Region.
The figure’s entire body was pitch black, blending seamlessly with the night and the deep shadows cast by the forest canopy. He stood in a place where not even the faintest glimmer of moonlight fell. I’m that spot, he was invisible to the naked eye.
This was the same shadow man who had informed the Flying Serpent of Jinvah’s death. Jinvah was the name of the Mad Chieftain.
"He... he died. I saw him die. So how he is alive? And why is he so much stronger than I know? He survived the freaking Bronze Slayer!" the shadow man spoke like a broken recorder, his voice trembling with disbelief. His wide eyes flickered with confusion and dread as he continued, "What devilry is at play here?"
The Bronze Slayer was a creation of the bloodsuckers designed specifically to counter hunters. It guaranteed death to anyone below the Silver Rank with a one hundred percent certainty. Even Silver Rankers, who could usually survive most types of assassinations, had a fifty percent chance of perishing to its devastating power as it was capable of piercing through their defensive force fields.
And yet... Jinvah, or rather the being who now wore his face, had shattered the Bronze Slayer’s arrow with a single punch.
The shadow man’s breath grew unsteady as he recalled that impossible sight. The arrow hadn’t deflected. It had been obliterated, reduced to nothing but fragments.
Only someone of monstrous strength could have done that.
He clenched his jaw. This was far beyond his pay grade. Whatever that thing was, it had to be ed to his higher ups immediately.
If he delayed even a moment, the consequences could spiral beyond control.
He melted back into the darkness, moving without sound, his only thought echoing like a curse in his mind.
If this problem isn’t handled soon, their grand plan will never come to fruition!
He couldn’t fix it himself. So he had to get those people involved who could!
******
Ray used the Devour skill on the undead so that he would be able to mimic its form. Absorbing its memories was a horrendous experience, but he had been through such torment a few times before, so he endured it grimly.
"This should be good enough."
Mimicking its form, Ray infiltrated the army of the dead that was accompanying the Necromancer back to his realm.
Moving through them, he came closer and closer to his target.
Soon, only a distance that could be instantly covered with Lightning Step separated them.
His sharp gaze cut through the sea of undead and locked onto the Flying Serpent’s back.
Sensing that familiar gaze, the Flying Serpent turned its head and spotted an undead whose eyes gleamed with unmistakable intelligence foreign for its kind.
"Master... is that you?" Its gaze spoke all that was needed to be said.
Ray gave a slight nod, as though reading its mind.
Then he tilted his head in a subtle motion, a singal that the two of them had agreed upon beforehand.
The Flying Serpent immediately understood the signal and lunged at the Necromancer.
Although the attack came from an unexpectedly close range, the Necromancer still managed to react in time.
The Flying Serpent felt as though a mountain had slammed into it before it was sent spinning through the air.
"How dare you betray me, you wretched beast? I’ll tear your soul apart and turn your remains into ash for your transgression!" the Necromancer roared, his skeletal finger glowing with a ghastly light as power gathered at its tip.
"You won’t get the chance," The Flying Serpent steadied itself midair with a beat of its massive wings and hissed back.
A sense of unease gripped the Necromancer’s heart, hearing its words. But it was already too late.
The shadow of death had crept up behind him when it was distracted. Ray had already made his move to claim the Necromancer’s life!
Using Lightning Step, he appeared behind the Necromancer in an instant. Then, with a calm and deadly motion, he unleashed the Black Flames of Annihilation.
A ring of black fire erupted outward with him at its center.
Everything caught within its reach was reduced to ash in an instant.
The Necromancer fared no better. His screams were swallowed by the sticky black flames, leaving behind nothing but drifting embers.