Chaos' Heir Chapter 988: New limits

Chapter 988: New limits

The [Blood s.h.i.+eld] had no theoretical limit, but the reality was different. The alien technique weighed heavily on the heart and blood vessels, which even monsters with incredible bodies struggled to reinforce.

Khan's mutations and evolution didn't make him an exception. He had become a superior existence, but his physical functions didn't change. Some elements might bring a more drastic transformation, but Khan didn't experience anything similar.

Nevertheless, the evolution had still increased Khan's physical limits, and he had spent eight months on a planet full of valuable resources. Slaughtering hordes of Senerth's monsters had given him access to tons of mana-enhanced flesh, which was the [Blood s.h.i.+eld]'s key ingredient.

Khan had never slacked off improving the [Blood s.h.i.+eld], and pus.h.i.+ng it to his current physical limits had created something best described as monstrous. The alien technique could now cover his entire body, and its progress didn't stop there.

The blood vessels were brittle, and the [Blood s.h.i.+eld]'s side effects could easily make them burst. The technique's initial stages mainly relied on bigger and tougher veins, but that was before Khan obtained an evolved body.

Khan's skin was almost entirely pitch-black now. Even his tiniest blood vessels had clotted, creating gruesome b.u.mps over his face, torso, and limbs. Minute spots of unprotected flesh still existed but were rare and inconsequential to the ability's defensive capabilities.

That extensive, intricate, and comprehensive array of clotted blood vessels spoke for the ability's prowess. Khan's body set its limits, so its power was at least close to the evolved realm, and Brigadier General Meadrey couldn't hope to put a dent in it.

Of course, higher defensive power involved a heavier toll. The pressure on Khan's body was immense, putting a limit on how many times he could use the new [Blood s.h.i.+eld]. However, that had always been the nature of the alien spell, and its effects made its shortcomings more than worth it. After all, Khan had obtained an evolved-level spell.

Also, Khan had noticed something odd during the exchange. The dragon's head had begun to lose power before cras.h.i.+ng on him. That wasn't a mistake on Brigadier General Meadrey's side, leaving only one possible conclusion.

Brigadier General Meadrey couldn't help but be surprised. He tried his best not to show it, but his lips parted in amazement. Khan's fuming but intact figure was a sight to behold, and the quick disappearance of the clotted blood vessels revealed how ineffective the spell had been.

Khan's skin regained its natural color, showing occasional reddened spots in his otherwise healthy complexion. Smoke still came out due to the high temperature, but Khan's body quickly cooled down.

Brigadier General Meadrey couldn't notice a single minor burn, but Khan's hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes soon attracted his attention. The General could sort of accept the lack of injuries, but it seemed his spell couldn't even affect Khan's hair.

That was conclusive evidence for Brigadier General Meadrey. What Khan had revealed wasn't even close to being human. The General sealed his mouth as his resolve transformed, turning into something selfless and seemingly suicidal.

Khan had never cared about his appearance. His trousers were gone, and his tattered underwear had enough gaping holes to reveal his junk. It was a miracle that it was still hanging on his waist, but he paid it no attention.

The s.h.i.+ft in the General's mood wasn't surprising, but Khan dismissed it. He even turned, picking up his sheathed cursed knife and his phone. The device wasn't in a great state, but Khan threw it on the cape before kicking it off the stage. He would check it once the battle was

over.

Brigadier General Meadrey forsook honor in that situation and stomped his right foot. Yellow flames spread from it, covering the entire stage before Khan could turn. Those fiery tongues rose into the air, but Khan floated higher than them without making a single move.

The General didn't stop there. He joined his palms and closed his eyes, and the flames at his sides condensed. Detailed shapes rose from the fiery sea, turning into vast, leathery wings. Scales littered them, hinting at a connection with the previous spell.

The connection became apparent when another dragon's head rose between the wings, climbing through the air while a long neck formed at its bottom. The dense shapes fused, turning into a single spell that shot after Khan.

'Composite spell,' Khan immediately realized. He had read about such abilities, but that was his first time witnessing one.

People had limited mental capacity. Specific workouts existed, but even those could be inadequate, especially for extremely complicated spells. So, the Global Army had split those abilities into multiple, simpler ones, allowing the caster to fuse them afterward at half of the initial concentration.

'They must be part of a set,' Khan guessed as the winged dragon's head flew toward him. 'Wait. Don't I do the same when I nock my spears into my sling?'

Obviously, composite spells had clear weaknesses. They depleted vast mana reserves and were slow to cast. Brigadier General Meadrey probably had defenses in place to protect himself against preemptive attacks, but Khan didn't uncover them because he didn't bother to deploy that strategy.

The dragon was about to crash on Khan when he swung his free hand, cutting it into two. The spell's halves kept flying forward while Khan hovered between their gap, remaining unscathed.

Brigadier General Meadrey opened his eyes, and his joint palms turned into fist b.u.mps, causing a reaction in the severed dragon. The spell's halves shone brightly, detonating to unleash their scorching energy in their surroundings.

A yellow star appeared inside the fort, but a clicking cry disturbed its majestic radiance. Roaring purple-red mana waves rushed from inside the bright light, devouring it and creating a sphere of destruction. Those violent flares expanded, eventually dispersing the dragon spell's energy and revealing Khan's intact figure.

Brigadier General Meadrey stood among his sea of flames, staring at Khan's floating figure. A single drop of sweat flowed over his forehead, but his expression remained resolute.

Khan was in a similar situation. The exchanges had gotten him almost naked, but interest had yet to appear in his eyes. He would be bored if he weren't so angry, and a mocking question inevitably escaped his mouth. "Is that all?"