I kept in mind the Grand Assembly that would be taking place sometime later today as I made plans to go back to the Skypeak Nest.
The full information I received let me know that the last time a LEGENDARY beast arose in the nest and led an insurrection was decades ago when the kingdom was in its early beginnings. It took the strength of the powerful king along with the help of the EPIC Battalion Commanders to quell the beast's insurrection and slay the most powerful one, pushing the beasts back onto their floating landmass.
The only beasts currently propagating the dungeons were EPIC ranked, their numbers most likely not that high. The other two nests that were located further away from the kingdom were between frozen mountains that had a similar level of beasts, but were worried less about because of their locations.
Occasional checks were still made to be sure that no powerful beasts were rising and consolidating forces. Since I had already taken down one of the powerful beasts in this nearby nest, it would be easier to take down more of them, so this would continue to be my target. I would get as many EPIC skills as I could before all hell broke loose.
As for the assembly that I would most likely be missing, I could make better use of my time getting stronger than listening in. I'll know all about what was discussed when I got back anyways. Amassing more strength before the battle fully starts was crucial.
Now, my full focus was placed on how to utilize the EPIC ranked skills I had to efficiently and safely hunt down the beasts that I could sense yesterday. I had already absorbed the EPIC cores that the beast dropped, giving me a significant boost in my attributes. The skills I liked the most currently were [Corrupted Sword Saint's Incarnation] and [Absolute Zero]. This was simply because their combination was killer.
My body received a huge buff and became exceedingly huge after calling down the incarnation, and I couldn't even begin to explain the thrill of moving around in it. As for why the skill had the corrupted tag in front of it, this was likely due to the powerful jewel the mercenary absorbed before she was about to transform.
I was not at all hesitant to use the skill when I saw the red light and long horn pointing out from the head, as strength was strength, no matter which forms it came in. Now, with the addition of [Absolute Zero], a piercing layer of ice elements danced on the surface of the large body, with even more of them collected on the edge of the outstretched long blade.
[Iceberg] was another killer skill with a tremendous amount of damage, and would work best to clear large droves of enemies. With this in mind, I neared the Skypeak Nest with full concentration. The death of even a single EPIC beast should have put all the other ones on the island on the edge.
Sure enough, [Crisis Avoidance] showed me that there were multiple powerful figures waiting to strike not too far inland of the Nest. Well, the threat was not showing to be too high, just that it would take a significant amount of work. I could feel a smile forming on my face with this thought, this little bit of work was nothing to grab more EPIC skills!
Before even landing on the floating Nest, the poisonous Plague Bearer was summoned, and [Corrupted Sword Saint's Incarnation] was cast as my body began to be enveloped all around. I could feel the tremendous boost of power rushing in as the Incarnation fully formed, making me enjoy this feeling just a tad bit too much.
[Absolute Zero] was cast next as the air around me began forming cold crystals and my body gained a white layer on top of the red one. Hexagonal columns of icy white crystals spread all around me, snaking their way to the outstretched sword as well. A storm of ice elements then formed around me as the skill fully formed. My figure was striking as I floated grandly in the air.
I was fully prepared and began the fight by sending my summon over. The instant it landed on the Nest and attracted the attention of a few beasts, the dangerous auras I had been feeling all this time moved.
The three BOSSes that appeared varied in shape. The one standing at the forefront was a 6 meter tall [Emperor Penguin]. It had sleek black feathers on its head and back with a white-yellowish belly that shone in the light. A ferocious expression was on its face as it looked towards the Plague Bearer, and then to my figure hidden in the skies.
To the right of the [Emperor Penguin] was a large white wolf of exactly the same size. It seemed like an [Arctic Wolf] with its dangerously glowing yellow eyes and bared sharp teeth. To the left of these two was something even larger than them, a nearly 10-meter tall beast that seemed very similar to a walrus. It had powerful tusks pointing down from its mouth with an extremely ugly face that was looking at me angrily.
Among all of these three, the fat [Walrus] seemed to be letting out the most dangerous vibes. I felt the extended EPIC sword in my hands as I breathed out dense cold air, and my figure blurred down towards the beast. I tried to keep my excitement in check as I found myself fighting against beings as powerful as these in equal standing.
I didn't forget where I came from, and just how weak I was just a few weeks ago. From the dilapidated apartment in Outer Bank X, to the quick rise from rank F and above. There had been many changes and progress, and they all brought me here today. In a completely different world where beings of all powers were present, and I was closing in on those same levels.
My reminiscing came to a stop as the blade on my hands struck the thick skin of the dark walrus.
THUCK!
Like it met a layer of fat, the sword sank in just a bit, the Freezing Touch effect from [Absolute Zero] activating and causing a blooming flower of ice to bloom from the struck location, but its damage was reduced with the tough body of the beast that had the cold as its home.
The walrus retaliated with a quick swing of its hairless flippers that condensed cold spears as they smacked into my large body. Even with [Flash] still activated and my large body maneuvering in the air, the speed was too fast to evade.
BOOM!
The impact sent me to the side, where the large white wolf was waiting with its jaws spread wide open. Terrible energy was being collected in its mouth as a blue beam shot out towards me.
[Instant Transfer] was quickly activated as I faded away and appeared in the air, looking to the three beasts below. The Emperor Penguin that should have been kept busy with the Plague bearer had formed a hazy gray light on its flippers and smacked them into the body of my summon, and I watched with a surprised expression as the Plague Bearer disappeared from sight, the connection I had with it informing me it was now a few miles into the nest.
[Saint's Return] was already healing the damage my large figure received from the walrus and the blue beam of destructive energy that barely grazed me as I cast [Summon Plague Bearer] to call back the summon, when the Emperor Penguin on the ground shouted with a stern expression...and disappeared from my sight.
An alarm rang out as I felt [Flash] automatically activate to move my body out of harm's way as the large penguin appeared in the air. A hazy gray light was already covering its entire flipper as my body couldn't avoid it in time. The light just barely grazed me, but it was more than enough as I felt my body disappear, and it wasn't due to [Instant Transfer] this time.
When I reappeared again, I found myself in an extremely large and dark environment with barely any light. Ancient frozen and broken structures were all around me, but that wasn't the point that gave me the biggest surprise. The biggest surprise was in this large environment I was transferred into with that attack from the [Emperor Penguin], I was not alone. Multiple auras that were in no way less powerful than ones I had just been fighting honed in at my position.