Chapter 1217: Lilo and Nova

With a final, desperate screech, the crane finally succumbed. Its furious struggles had sent it sprawling, the uneven terrain hindering every attempt to regain its monstrous footing. Arthur moved in, his movements precise and merciless. Nightmare scythed through the air, not slicing at flesh this time, but targeting the crimson eye, the beacon of the creature's malevolent intelligence.

The blade connected with a sickening squelch, and the creature's struggles ceased. Arthur stood over the monstrous corpse, panting, a strange mix of adrenaline and triumph coursing through him.

His victory, however, was immediately interrupted by a series of cascading messages:

[A new monster has been defeated.]

[Absorbing the monster's essence.]

[Analyzing its essence…]

[Rearranging the database.]

[Assorting genes into the known skills.]