Chapter 305: The Cruel Trial
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Swamp Hydra’s huge body slid across the ground. As it got closer to the crater of the volcano, the heat became more terrifying.
A fishy smell came from the wound after the snake skin was seared. Swamp Hydra’s flesh was extremely poisonous. If this smell spread out, it could even poison some of the weaker Battle Beasts to death.
As Swamp Hydra closed in, the Six-winged Balrog seemed to sense danger. The crater began to become restless.
The dark red magma began to churn. It was as if a large hand was constantly stirring it. Then, huge bubbles appeared and then burst.
Swamp Hydra was still quietly climbing up. The nine huge snake heads raised, letting out unwilling hisses.
As if unable to resist, one of the snake heads quickly changed its direction. Once it entered the volcano, it would most likely mean death.
No matter how strong its regenerative ability was, it would not be able to do so. This was because Locke was suppressing its mana and even its regenerative power was weakened.
“Roar!”
The other snake heads soon discovered the traitor. They let out a loud roar and mercilessly bit it.
This was an unfair fight. Eight against one, the battle was quickly decided.
The defeated snake head was bitten off by its root. Its flesh and blood were eaten by the other heads to replenish their strength.
Blood splattered everywhere, causing a large amount of blood mist to rise. Under the blowing wind from the mountain, it quickly dispersed.
It only left behind a fishy smell, causing one to feel dizzy after smelling it. This was a sign of poisoning.
The huge wound quickly squirmed and scabbed. The blood no longer flowed out, but it also did not regrow.
It was as if the body had abandoned it due to betrayal and was no longer prepared to grow this head.
However, with the first, there would be a second. As Swamp Hydra continued to climb, soon, the second snake head that had rebelled appeared.
It was not willing to die like this, so it fiercely attacked the snake head next to it. After a fierce battle, the two snake heads were on the verge of death. Finally, they were eaten by the other snake heads.
Only a large amount of bloody mist and huge scars were left on their bodies. The Swamp Hydra had lost three snake heads before it had even climbed halfway.
Hathaway and Angela were by Locke’s side, hugging his arms tightly. There was an unspeakable nervousness in their eyes.
They had felt how powerful the Swamp Hydra was. Although it was not complete, it was at least at level 7 Battle Beast.
Moreover, the fusion of nine magic elements gave it a fighting strength that ordinary Battle Beasts could not match. Yet, such a powerful Battle Beast was injured to such an extent. This trial of evolution was really too difficult.
“Brother Locke, why don’t we give up! Swamp Hydra is already very strong. Even if we can’t obtain the power of the Six-winged Balrog, we’re still enough to take revenge.
“I know that you’re still taking to heart the the three-year pact of Mountain City including the dragon tooth poison in your body which started from that time. But it’s too risky.
“I’m willing to be your antidote in the future. Can you let Swamp Hydra go? When my fallen angel evolves into a complete form, it’ll have the strength of a level 8 Battle Beast. I’ll definitely be able to help you defeat that b*stard.”
Angela hugged Locke tightly, her eyes filled with unprecedented panic.
As Swamp Hydra was injured, blood trickled from the corner of Locke’s mouth. This was the backlash from forcefully suppressing Swamp Hydra’s instinct.
After all, it was a level 7 Battle Beast and the mana contained within its massive body was deeper and wider than the ocean.
In the face of danger, it would instinctively mobilize the mana within its body. Locke forcefully suppressed it and the pressure was too great.
“I’ll take revenge for myself. Even if I get rid of that old man, who knows what kind of enemies will appear in the future.
“I cannot place my fate on the kindness of my enemies. If I don’t want to be threatened, I can only become stronger.
“This is a tribulation that one must face when transforming from a mortal into a god. Not only Swamp Hydra but also mine.” Locke’s gaze was resolute.
Even though more than half of Swamp Hydra’s nine heads had already chosen to betray, it still gritted its teeth and persevered.
Finally, after a long period of suffering, Swamp Hydra finally climbed to the crater of the volcano. At this moment, its body was already covered in injuries.
Other than being burned by the earth fire, there were huge lacerations caused by the snake heads biting each other.
At this moment, only the last two snake heads were left. Swamp Hydra turned around and glanced at Locke. These were the two snake heads that had been with Locke since the beginning.
They were also the two that had followed Locke the longest. One was of the space attribute while the other was of the water attribute.
“Hiss!”
The snake heads looked up at the sky and roared. It seemed to be saying goodbye, but it also seemed to be angry.
The two snake heads fiercely bit each other. The intensity was far greater than before.
“What on Earth happened?” Hathaway also panicked.
There were only two snake heads left. If both sides were injured, then they would die here.
“This is the final test. If you want to fuse with the Six-winged Balrog, you can’t have two elements.
“The water element has always been very weak in all kinds of magic, but it’s Swamp Hydra’s main element. Compared to the dominance and strangeness of the space element, the water element is too plain.
“The value of the space element is far above that of the water element, but now it has to be abandoned. If we can’t defeat the last snake head, the fusion is doomed to fail.
“As long as we can maintain our original heart, Swamp Hydra will succeed half of the time. The remaining half will only be known once we enter,” Locke explained.
“Only half? Only half of the success rate to reach this point?
“Since the Six-winged Balrog is so powerful, shouldn’t it go all out? How can Swamp Hydra be a match in this state?”
Hathaway looked at Locke in shock.
“Although the Six-winged Balrog is a legendary beast, it’s still in its weakest state. If it wasn’t a coincidence, I wouldn’t have noticed it.
“If we want to completely fuse, we have to do it in a fair situation. If we don’t have the courage and awareness, we might be devoured by it.
“When a divine level balrog is born, let alone us, even the entire Hundred Thousand Mountains wouldn’t have a match for it.”
At this moment, Locke finally revealed the reason.
It turned out that if they failed, not only would they lose Swamp Hydra but they would also be devoured by the balrog. Instead, it would promote the other party’s evolution.
The Six-winged Balrog that had yet to be born was already a demigod-level Battle Beast. Once it took another step forward, perhaps only a god would be able to deal with it!
At the mouth of the volcano, the battle between Swamp Hydra’s two snake heads had already reached its climax.
The huge snake body kept rolling and countless millstone-sized stones were knocked down, rolling and falling into the magma.