Chương 47: Black Wing of Lunacy

Levi's heart raced as he watched the cocoon crack further, dark tendrils of smoke seeping through the fissures.

He quickly wiped away the remnants of tears from his face, forcing the lingering emotions from his dream to the back of his mind. Now was not the time for sentimentality—a formidable opponent was about to emerge.

The cocoon split open with a sickening crack, and a creature unlike anything Levi had seen before crawled out.

It was vaguely humanoid, but that's where the similarities to anything normal ended. Its skin was a sickly, mottled gray, covered in pulsating veins that glowed an eerie purple. Multiple eyes, each a different size and color, dotted its face and torso, constantly shifting and blinking independently.

What caught Levi's attention most, however, were the massive, bat-like wings sprouting from the creature's back. They were easily twice the length of its body, covered in the same mottled gray skin, with veins pulsing beneath the surface.

Yet, despite their impressive size, the wings appeared underdeveloped, twitching and fluttering uselessly as the monster struggled to its feet.

Levi instinctively took a step back, his hand reaching for one of his makeshift spears before thinking better of it. There was no way that this stick would deal any damage to the monster in front of him when they were incapable of even piercing through normal cocoons.

Instead, he focused on the creature, and the familiar notification popped up.

[Black Wing of Lunacy]

[Rank: (---)]

"What the hell?" Levi muttered, his brow furrowing.

The rank was obscured, something he hadn't seen before. After a moment of contemplation, he realized what it might mean. "It's still evolving, isn't it? Even after emerging from the cocoon?"

It seemed like the monster was in the process of evolving from Vile rank to Fallen rank and if there was one thing that he realized now - it was that he had to kill it before it could evolve successfully.

The Black Wing of Lunacy's head snapped towards Levi, all of its eyes focusing on him at once. Without warning, it let out a bone-chilling shriek that echoed through the desolate landscape, causing Levi to wince and cover his ears.

The creature then lunged forward with frightening speed, and Levi made a split-second decision.

He discarded his crude spear, knowing it would be useless against this monstrosity. Instead, he clenched his fists and adopted a fighting stance. If he was going to have any chance against this evolving entity, he needed to rely on his own strength and agility.

"Alright, you ugly bastard," Levi growled, "let's dance."

The Black Wing of Lunacy closed the distance in an instant, its elongated arm smashing into the ground where Levi had been standing, leaving a small crater. Levi barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side and quickly regaining his footing.

He couldn't help but notice how the creature's movements seemed uncoordinated, almost as if it was still getting used to its new form.

Seizing the opportunity, Levi charged forward, aiming a powerful punch at what appeared to be the monster's torso.

But as his fist was about to make contact, the Black Wing's body seemed to ripple and shift. Levi's hand passed through harmlessly, as if striking smoke.

"What the—" Levi's exclamation was cut short as a powerful blow caught him in the side, sending him flying several meters. He hit the ground hard, the air knocked from his lungs.

Gasping for breath, Levi scrambled to his feet.

The creature was already upon him again, its form constantly shifting and warping. Levi tried to defend himself, throwing punches and kicks wherever he saw an opening, but each time he thought he had predicted its movements, the Black Wing would change shape, attacking from impossible angles.

Then a tendril of darkness lashed out, wrapping around Levi's ankle and yanking him off his feet. He hit the ground face-first, tasting blood in his mouth. The creature dragged him closer, its multiple eyes gleaming with malevolent hunger.

Levi however, managed to twist his body, using the momentum to kick at the tendril with his free leg.

The Black Wing recoiled, releasing its grip, and Levi took the opportunity to put some distance between them.

"This is dangerous"

His mind raced, trying to formulate a strategy. The Black Wing of Lunacy's ability to alter its form made conventional attacks useless. He needed to find a weakness, and fast. As he observed the creature, Levi noticed that its wings, despite their impressive size, seemed to be more of a hindrance than an asset. They dragged on the ground, occasionally causing the monster to stumble.

"Those wings," Levi thought, "they're not fully developed."

As if sensing his thoughts, the Black Wing's body began to undulate more violently. Suddenly, multiple tendrils shot out in all directions, creating a web of darkness around Levi.

He ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding being ensnared, but he was quickly running out of room to maneuver.

Levi's eyes darted around, looking for any advantage in the barren landscape. The only thing he found was the huge tree that previously held the cocoon of this monstrosity.

Then he thought of a plan!

The Black wing of Lunacy didn't seem to be adjusted to its body, then it is very unlikely that it could fly - wouldn't it be advantageous if he could fight it in a place where he could have higher footing?

He didn't have much time to think so he decided to go along with that.

With a burst of speed, Levi sprinted towards the rocks. The Black Wing of Lunacy gave chase, its massive wings flapping uselessly, creating gusts of wind but failing to lift the creature off the ground.

As Levi reached the tree, he quickly scaled it, using his agility.

The monster followed, but its bulky form and unwieldy wings made the climb difficult. Levi saw his chance. He leaped from a high point, aiming to land on the creature's back, between its wings.

His plan was to damage those underdeveloped appendages, maybe he could gain the upper hand then.

But the Black Wing was more aware than Levi had given it credit for.

As he descended, the creature's body shifted once again. What Levi thought was its back suddenly became a gaping maw, lined with razor-sharp teeth. He realized his mistake too late.

Pain exploded through Levi's body as the monster's teeth sank into his flesh. He cried out in agony, feeling the creature's jaw tightening around his midsection.

With desperate strength, Levi pounded his fists against the monster's head, trying to force it to release him.

The Black Wing of Lunacy shook its head violently, like a dog with a chew toy, before flinging Levi against the same tree.

Levi hit the tree with a sickening crunch, feeling ribs crack under the impact. As he slid to the ground, leaving a trail of blood on its bark, Levi's vision blurred.

He could see the Black Wing approaching, its form seeming to grow larger and more defined with each passing moment.

The obscured rank in his vision flickered, and Levi realized with dawning horror that the creature was completing its evolution right before his eyes.

As the monster loomed over him, Levi knew he had severely underestimated this evolved form. His normal abilities weren't enough to combat this monstrosity. With the taste of copper filling his mouth, Levi knew he had only one option left.

"Time for round two," Levi thought grimly and activated his demonic transformation.

---***---

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