The Glorious Evolution Chapter 431: No More Holding Back.

Fang froze instantly... and then, his pupils contracted to tiny points. In the next moment, a domineering, intrusive feeling erupted over his tongue, as though countless tiny parasites had suddenly stirred beneath its skin!

They gripped every nerve, heightening the perception rather than numbing it... the flavor slammed into him a fraction of a second afterward, all in one overwhelming rush!

It felt like his mouth was crammed full with decaying bodies marinated in filth, rancid vomit, and melted decay that had bubbled for ages!

The feeling slithered up into his nostrils, breached his sinuses, and merged flavor with odor until inhaling and gulping became indistinguishable.

The massive, terrifying Fang collapsed to his knees right away and scraped at his jaw like he wanted to rip out his tongue, yet the flavor wouldn't fade!

It renewed itself and grew fiercer, turning his superhuman senses—once his strongest asset—against him without mercy.

"GRAAAAHHH...!!"

He vomited wildly onto the rope, but the instant it happened, the parasites shoved the feeling back onto his tongue, like he was trapped in an eternal feast of dung he couldn't expel or flee!

His nostrils scorched, his throat spasmed, and his whole frame trembled from the onslaught of sensations.

Nothing remained but to howl and heave under the stunned gazes of the audience... even worse, his master and fellow fighters observed him too.

"... You... bastar... Graaah!"

Fang yanked out his tongue immediately and raised his razor-sharp claw to sever it... he had no clue what Levi had inflicted on him, nor any desire to learn right now.

His sole desire was to banish the foul reek disabling him and spare himself more humiliation.

Unfortunately, Levi hadn't unleashed the parasitic invasion just to let him slip away.

Before Fang could register it, his teary, red-veined eyes spotted Levi plunging directly at him amid the poisonous fog, his form outlined by the blood moon like a plummeting headsman!

"Explosive Aetheric Thunder!"

The shout thundered down alongside him... Levi’s Divine Starforged Skeleton ignited during the fall, multiplying his weight and momentum explosively in a flash, as the head of his chained staff ballooned with overloaded aether.

That was merely the beginning... simultaneously, frantic vibrational waves howled through the staff, squeezing the nearby air into a quivering void, causing the head to hum so intensely that reality warped around it!

Fang attempted to raise his arms in instinctive defense... but sadly, his reflexes and perceptions were already sabotaged.

The thrumming head descended like a heavenly hammer, smashing onto his cranium with a blasting aetheric thunderboom!

For an instant, there was defiance... the toughened skull, regal bloodline, and Fang’s beastly toughness fought to protect him.

Regrettably... Levi’s assault was designed for dodging, not withstanding.

The packed aether burst on contact as the infused waves tore apart the inner framework instead of the outer shell!

Fang’s skull burst open, unable to withstand the dual forces ripping it from inside and out!

Bits of bone, gore, and pelt sprayed in every direction amid a brutal blast wave... The colossal power of Levi’s enhanced body propelled the blow straight through, smashing his head to fragments and flinging the decapitated corpse limply onto the rope.

Levi absorbed the backlash through clenched teeth, his starforged skeleton unyielding and unbroken... although his flesh lacked such resilience.

The muscles in his arms tore from elbow to shoulder, inflicting excruciating agony and the sensation of bones floating in a slurry of blood and shredded tissue.

Still, Levi uttered no groan or yell... he tumbled a few rolls and rose, leaning on the staff like a crutch.

He was obviously severely wounded, yet nobody noticed the injury... their incredulous stares locked onto Fang’s headless remains tumbling into the void.

The Blood Moon wavered, its red radiance dimming amid the abyss's shadows, and finally, with one last quiet tremor, it dissolved; the final light ray was gulped down, consumed with its bearer into the gaping blackness beneath...

A thunderous quiet ensued...

"..."

-...-

For an instant, nobody uttered a word or exhaled audibly... then, naturally, every onlooker, Daywalker, and Nightcrawler's focus turned to Levi.

There he remained... Solitary, steadfast, invincible... the poisonous gale swirled about him, echoes of the ultimate blastwave hanging in the air.

Amazement filled the spectators' eyes as incredulity gripped their thoughts and dread twisted in the nightcrawlers' guts.

Levi pivoted gradually toward the nightcrawlers’ camp... and then, with a deep, icy tone laden with total dominance over survival in this deadly game, he declared:

"Any other fool daring to climb the rope?"

Viewers erupted in a deafening buzz, their faces flushed with thrill and frenzy... particularly the ones from the Raiders’ camp.

Could anyone fault them? As soon as Levi scaled the rope, he alone demolished the nightcrawlers’ base within their cursed Toxic Kingdom! Even their hidden ace, Fang, couldn’t halt him!

It seemed they were beholding the rise of a fresh Legendary Raider, destined to guide his homeplanet to triumph... a feat so immense, merely a handful in the cosmos had ever achieved it!

"Hahaha! That’s my big brother for you!"

Arthur bellowed with laughter as he charged toward Levi alongside his companions... Levi had warned them to stay away during his fight, lest they hinder him. Though it stung a bit, they had to admit the truth. Especially after Fang had effortlessly crushed them all alone.

In the meantime, nightcrawlers gnashed their teeth in fury, glaring at Levi’s stoic demeanor as he confronted them.

They figured Levi was mocking them... yet truly, he targeted the final member of Bishop’s elite squad.

Rain.

Levi observed that he barely reacted to his comrade’s death... actually, he yawned sluggishly and irritably, resembling a weary office drone starting his Monday grind.

That response clued Levi in... the biggest threat in this contest might not be Fang after all... He’d revealed nearly all his tricks, whereas Levi remained clueless about Rain’s identity or abilities.

And discovery loomed imminent.

Levi tilted his head upward, face grave upon the Giants’ blare signaling the third round’s close.

"The Fourth Round begins!" Gamemaster Envy exclaimed with fervor, "Raiders have overturned the story, reclaiming the lead via their captain’s insane feats and his teammates’ brilliant ploy to seize the Winged Horn... yet, can they hold onto that lead?!"

Upon hearing this, Daywalkers and Nightcrawlers craned their necks toward the display... anticipating selected names, but instead... their gazes widened slightly seeing every surviving name from both sides illuminated!

"No more restraint!!" Gamemaster Envy yanked the mic nearer and bellowed, "All of you... Climb the rope!"

Rain reacted first, striding to the rope with tiny, precise, hauntingly steady steps... hardly stirring the earth below, as if treading on wind. Next, he raised his gaze, exposing deep, shaded orbs that absorbed every nuance of Levi’s form.

Those eyes weren’t merely dim... they gleamed with hunter’s instinct, scheming depth, and adaptability, akin to a chameleon’s ever-adapting stare scanning its environment, but laced with a hyena’s sly, ruthless spark as it eyed its quarry pre-strike.

Such a mix lent his stare an odd, eerie dual nature.

’How annoying...’

Rain muttered to himself, and after that... nothing followed.