The wind howled, sand and rocks flew!
Alan had to raise his hands to shield his eyes from the wind and sand.
The towering peaks seemed flattened by some supernatural force, leaving a flat and desolate plateau.
The wind howled all day long, the dust swirled, and everything was in chaos.
Looking around, there was not a trace of green, a symbol of life.
This desolate land, far from the hustle and bustle, was the hidden secret realm of the Trial Space—the Giant Beast Ridge.
The resting place of the ancient Behemoth!
Alan sacrificed a deep-sea squid heart at the altar beneath the Orc Fortress and was transported to the Giant Beast Ridge.
Before he could even get used to the surroundings, the sound of rocks breaking could be heard from behind the dim sand.
Alan followed the sound.
After walking a short distance against the wind and sand, they saw a hill cracking apart.
Boom!
The hill collapsed!
A giant beast slowly rose from the rubble, as if breaking free from its seal.
The beast shook off the sand, revealing a thick coat of fur and a ferocious face.
Alan dared to say that few people in the world today understood Behemoths better than he did!
In the Meditation World, when he had nothing better to do, he would activate his bloodline totem and summon a spirit Behemoth to wrestle.
However, compared to the real Behemoth before him, his spirit Behemoth was at best a cub.
A spirit Behemoth was only ten meters tall.
The one before Alan was estimated to be thirty meters tall, comparable to a ten-story building!
Allen activated his fifth-level Atavism and added the "Giant Transformation Technique," but he was still significantly shorter than the behemoth.
Because they were not in the same league, Allen had no choice but to give up the idea of a wrestling match.
He hooked his finger at the newly revived, still somewhat dazed Behemoth, and challenged it in standard Orcish!
"Little Behemoth, roll over here and die!"
The behemoth opposite him was indeed enraged, beating its chest and roaring.
The behemoth's roar was a form of mental attack known as the "Blood Roar."
For the enemy, it boosted morale and dispelled fear, but for the enemy, it had the exact opposite effect.
If one's willpower wasn't strong enough, hearing the Behemoth's roar from afar would instantly piss their pants, their fighting spirit shattered.
Alan deliberately provoked the behemoth, hoping to test its strength and rank using the "Blood Roar."
The sixth-level Soul-Calming Meditation technique could stably suppress the mental attacks contained within the beast's roar.
Alan felt reassured.
A true Behemoth was far more powerful than a Spirit Behemoth.
However, their fighting styles were closely connected.
It was essentially a three-pronged attack: roar, pounce, and stomp!
Alan was incredibly familiar with these tactics.
As expected, the beast roared furiously, only to discover that Alan wasn't frightened.
A hint of annoyance flashed across its scarlet eyes.
It suddenly leaped up, like a gray meteorite, crashing down towards Alan!
Even Alan had to be wary of the beast's power.
If it pounced on him, a frantic trampling and ripping claws would ensue!
The Behemoth's claws were equivalent to a Level 4 enchanted weapon, possessing terrifying armor-piercing properties!
Any physical armor, including Allen's beast armor, could only offer 50% of its defense against the Behemoth's claws.
Alan didn't want to suffer any consequences.
Before the Behemoth fell, he activated his three-phase phantom form, transforming into a cloud of light vapor.
Bang!
The shockwave from the Behemoth's landing blew Allen's vaporous form away, just enough to avoid the subsequent attack.
Neither the pounce nor the trampling could hit Allen.
The Behemoth, irritated, roared and lunged forward.
Amidst the air, a faint smile crossed the Steam Giant's face.
Hands, like smoke and mist, were slightly deformed by the air currents.
But that didn't stop him from making a series of hand gestures, using Kraken ink as a spellcasting material, and silently casting the "Poison Cloud Spell"!
Puff!
A dark, inky poisonous cloud erupted from Alan's body.
His gaseous form vanished into the black cloud, leaving no trace.
The Behemoth plunged into the black cloud, inhaling the toxin, its senses instantly becoming extremely dulled.
During the Great Flood, two great beast races, one on land and one on sea, clashed.
The Behemoth's defeat, in addition to objective factors related to the shifting landscape, was also due to the Leviathans' inherent biological weapons!
Countless Behemoths had perished at the hands of the Leviathans' deadly poison.
Ancient memories awoke fear in the Behemoth's heart!
It turned hastily, attempting to escape the cloud-shrouded area.
Alan, in his gaseous form, merged with black clouds, soared through the air, tightly entangling the Behemoth.
He continuously injected poisonous gas through its skin, mouth, and nose, until all five senses were numb and insensible.
The Behemoth finally collapsed.
A howl of resignation echoed through the mountain.
Alan strode forward.
His crystallized left arm, imbued with a steel rake, stabbed deep into the Behemoth's heart, delivering a fatal blow.
At the same time, bone spurs erupted from his palm, greedily sucking blood!
Beep—
"Consume special ingredients: Behemoth blood!"
"Potential +4!"
"Constitution +1!"
Current Attributes: Constitution 55, Agility 39, Spirit 58
Current Resistances: Virus Level 8 / Electricity Level 6 / Cold Level 5
Potential Reserve: 47 points
...
After obtaining the Behemoth's blood essence, Allen was forcibly teleported back to the altar in the Orc Fortress.
After eating and resting for a while, his strength was mostly restored.
Alan decided to strike while the iron was hot and sacrifice the Kraken's heart!
Seven animal-head-shaped lampstands surrounded the altar.
Each lampstand symbolized a different type of Behemoth.
In addition to the ordinary Behemoth Allen had just sacrificed, there were also six elemental Behemoths: Sky, Earth, Volcano, Glacier, Thunder, and Raging Wave! Alan only has one Kraken Heart and can only sacrifice one elemental Behemoth.
So, what choice should he make?
Alan fell into deep thought.
The six elemental Behemoths excel at different types of magic.
Furthermore, their stats grow differently.
Earth Behemoth and Volcano Behemoth have higher physical growth.
Sky Behemoth and Thunder Behemoth have excellent agility growth.
Glacier Behemoth and Raging Wave Behemoth have balanced physical and agility development.
Alan's physical and mental attributes are significantly higher than his agility!
Part of the reason for this disparity is that his initial agility attribute is relatively low, and his early awakening of the Ogre bloodline also has poor agility growth.
The more crucial factor lies in the unique ingredients!
Most of Alan's attributes come from unique ingredients.
After eating so much, he discovered that while there were many special ingredients that improved his physical and mental attributes, those that increased his agility were rare!
If this pattern continued, his agility would only become increasingly disadvantageous!
When facing a strong enemy, any weakness would become a fatal flaw in the opponent's eyes!
His own agility deficiency was seriously hindering his combat performance, and he needed to address this shortcoming as soon as possible.
From this perspective, Allen should choose the elemental behemoth with the best agility growth.
Between Thunder and Heaven, he ultimately chose Heaven.
For two reasons.
First, the Thunder Behemoth is a pure "electricity" type.
Similar to Brother Hogg's "Thunder Boar" bloodline, it is more likely to awaken lightning magic.
The Heaven Behemoth possesses both "electricity" and "wind" attributes. In addition to lightning magic, it also has a high chance of awakening wind magic!
As a gentleman with a broad vision, Allen preferred to learn from the strengths of many schools rather than specializing in a single discipline.
Elemental attributes: the more the better.
A wide variety of spell types offered a wide range of tactical options.
It also provided him with a richer palette of materials for blending martial arts.
Furthermore, Allen chose the Sky Behemoth because the name sounded more impressive.
It perfectly matched his own handsome demeanor!
After the sacrifice, Allen was transported back to the Giant Beast Absolute Ridge.
At the summit of Absolute Ridge, a mountain exploded with a bang!
The revived giant beast stood atop the mountain, its head held high and roaring!
Allen looked up at the Sky Behemoth with curiosity in his eyes.
Its size and appearance were similar to those of ordinary Behemoths.
However, the Sky Behemoth's fur was blue.
Like a clear blue sky!
Alan also noticed that the Sky Behemoth's fangs and claws were flashing with lightning.
This monster's claws were naturally enchanted with electricity.
As he was observing, the Sky Behemoth had already spotted him.
This volatile beast had actually leaped directly from the thousand-meter peak, swooping down through the air!
Fuck...you idiot, aren't you afraid of falling to your death?!
Alan grumbled inwardly, but his hands were busy too.
He skillfully executed a spellcasting gesture, silently unleashing the Expanding Poison Cloud technique!
Puff!
A thick cloud of ink emerged above Alan's head.
It quickly dispersed, cutting off the Sky Behemoth's leaping trajectory!
According to the laws of free fall, within ten seconds, the Sky Behemoth would plunge headfirst into the ink, inhaling the Kraken's toxins. Alan wanted to see how the Sky Behemoth, having lost all five senses after being poisoned, would land safely and avoid being smashed into a pulp.
The beast's roar in the air suddenly turned into the more penetrating, clear bird song!
The dark clouds overhead obscured Alan's vision.
He couldn't see clearly what was happening in the air, but he had a vague premonition of something bad happening.
He quickly performed the Phantom Step and moved to a more open area.
Looking up again, Alan's face changed slightly!
The giant beast in the sky was gone.
In its place was a roc!
The sky-blue feathers were enough to indicate its identity.
"The Sky Behemoth... can also transform into a roc?!"
Alan's face was filled with surprise.
Even the Ogre Wizard Ancestor didn't know this detail!
It was an eye-opener!
The Sky Behemoth's transformation into a roc boasted a wingspan exceeding fifty meters.
Its wings flapped, stirring up a storm that instantly dispersed the poisonous gas!
The blue roc, using bird calls instead of spells, summoned a thunderstorm and unleashed lightning like a strategic bomber!
The rumble of thunder shook the mountains.
Lightning bolts continuously pelted Alan's head!
There was nowhere to hide on the plateau.
Alan could only brace his head for the lightning strikes!
Fortunately, he had absorbed the sea monster's resistance to electricity while hunting the Kraken.
The lightning unleashed by the Sky Behemoth was unable to cause him fatal damage for the time being.
Enduring the numbness caused by the electric shock, Alan activated his fifth-level atavism!
The leopard-headed giant activated "Dancing in the Sky" and rode the wind!
The first step in hunting the Sky Behemoth is getting close to it!
The Sky Behemoth's sapphire eyes flashed with lightning.
As if sensing Allen's intentions, it flapped its wings, manipulating the atmosphere!
Above the Cliff, the wind and clouds suddenly shifted!
Roaring air currents surrounded Allen, forming a tornado!
The leopard-headed giant, trapped in the tornado, spun at high speed.
A strong sense of dizziness was eroding Allen's mind, and his consciousness gradually blurred.
Biting his lip hard, Allen struggled to stay awake in the storm.
A three-phase phantom, crystal form!
Flesh and blood instantly crystallized!
Body density tripled, almost diamond-like!
The greater density brought greater weight, helping Allen maintain his balance in the storm.
This wasn't enough!
Allen activated his "Vortex Dragon Claw" in both hands simultaneously, locking onto the ground and releasing his gravitational field!
The powerful gravitational force dragged him down from mid-air.
Bang!
The leopard-headed giant, seemingly carved from diamond, stamped its feet onto the ground.
The solid rock collapsed beneath his feet like mud.
A throwback to his ancestral self, Allen's legs sank to his knees in the earth.
From his crystalline lower limbs, countless root-like crystalline tissues sprouted, extending deep into the soil.
Firmly rooted in the earth, it stood unmoved in the storm.
The sound of birdsong echoed again in the air.
A blue roc swooped down on the wind!
A gigantic claw, shrouded in lightning, fiercely grasped Allen's head!
The Behemoth's claws are naturally armor-piercing!
The Sky Behemoth, in addition to armor-piercing, also deals electric damage. Alan expended a vast amount of magic power, stimulating the accelerated growth of his crystals to anchor himself to the ground and withstand the storm's onslaught.
However, this also meant giving up mobility.
Facing the fiercely swooping Sky Roc, Alan gritted his teeth, determined to fight head-on!
Slowly raising his crystallized arm, like a blade unsheathed!
Alan's fist, imbued with "Bone-Breaking Explosion," met the Roc's massive claws head-on!
The moment their fists and claws collided, time and space seemed to freeze!
Bang!
A violent blast of air shattered the frozen image.
Alan's crystallized legs could not withstand the impact of the Sky Behemoth.
With their knees buried in the mud, they snapped and broke off in unison.
With their upper body unstabilized, they flew a hundred meters, knocking down countless boulders along the way.
His right arm, which had directly confronted the bird's claws, was also violently torn off!
The Sky Behemoth had also paid a heavy price.
A single punch from Allen shattered his claws!
Amidst a mournful wail, blood fell like rain!
It looked as if Allen was more seriously injured, as if he had suffered a great loss.
However, when he transformed back into flesh and blood, within seconds, his crippled limbs had automatically regenerated!
Stretching his new limbs, Allen's lips curled up.
What does "mutual destruction" mean?
Everything was calculated!
His regenerative physique gave him the confidence to confront the clearly superior Sky Behemoth head-on, exchanging injuries for injuries!
Like beastmen, the Sky Behemoth also possessed a powerful self-healing physique.
Unfortunately, however, compared to regeneration, rapid self-healing can only mend wounds, not reshape severed limbs!
Losing a claw was a devastating blow to the Sky Behemoth!
Physical injury was less of a concern; the shattered confidence was even more devastating!
The overlord of the sky dared not swoop down for hand-to-hand combat again.
Circling in the air, he continuously thundered down with lightning.
However, this level of attack posed no real threat to Allen, who possessed a Level 6 electrical resistance.
Alan raised his right hand, spreading his fingers toward the sky.
A vortex of magical power in his palm transformed into a fiery red lotus!
The Flame Dragon Claw snatched up the Roc through the air!
Over a hundred tons of force were applied to the Sky Behemoth, forcing it to fall involuntarily.
Is the outcome already decided?
It's not that simple!
Just as Allen concentrated his strength, the Sky Behemoth suddenly transformed into a bolt of lightning and charged straight at Allen!
The lightning strike came too fast for Allen to dodge, and he subconsciously switched to his most defensive crystal form.
The twisted blue lightning slammed fiercely into Allen's crystal form.
It pierced through him, soaring a thousand feet away, transforming into a majestic roc in the air!
The lightning strike dealt both electric shock and collision damage.
Alan wasn't afraid of a simple electric shock.
However, the crushing impact that accompanied the shock put an unbearable strain on him.
Crack!
Crystal Alan exploded in mid-air!
His cracked body resembled a shattered mirror.
Before he could be shattered, Alan transformed into liquid form. The fragments of his limbs transformed into a raindrop, pattering across the bare rocky ground.
The droplets landed, coalescing into a pool, and then reconstituted into a human form.
Liquid Alan slowly rose and transformed back into flesh and blood.
His wounds healed on their own.
After continuous regeneration, Alan's physical strength was on the verge of exhaustion.
His face was filled with fatigue.
The roc in the sky was confident it had found a way to victory.
Folding his wings, he lowered his flight altitude.
Waiting only for Allen to enter range, he transformed into lightning and charged in unison!
Alan's face was solemn.
Using his right hand's Flame Dragon Claw, he unleashed a repulsive force field with all his might, delaying the Sky Behemoth's descent!
He concentrated his magic power in his left hand, as if holding up a silver full moon!
Swish!
A flash of moonlight!
The Sky Behemoth suddenly froze, involuntarily undoing its transformation.
The blue roc, transformed back into its behemoth form, plummeted from the sky!
"Huh..."
Alan breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, this last move had paid off!
When he first saw the Sky Behemoth transform into its roc form, Alan thought of the beastmen's transformation talent.
Beastmen could advance into Behemoths; the two belonged to the same broad bloodline. The Sky Behemoth's transformation into a roc likely wasn't due to transformation magic, but rather a transformational talent similar to "beast transformation."
Alan deduced that the "Moonlight" skills, which were effective against transformed subspecies like beastmen, could also seal the Sky Behemoth's transformation ability!
A Sky Behemoth was struck by a "Moonlight Cannon," sustaining severe damage.
Afterward, cursed by the Moonlight, it was forced to transform back into a giant beast. Wingless, it plummeted, its fate sealed.
With a resounding thud, the beast fell, creating a massive crater in the ground.
Alan stepped forward and delivered the final blow to the blue beast, its spine broken.
Puff!
A bone spur pierced its heart, ending its agony.
Alan was exhausted and desperately needed food to replenish his energy.
Next, it was time to savor the spoils.
Ding Ding—
"Consume Special Ingredient: Sky Behemoth Flesh!"
"Potential +4!"
"Agility +1!"
"Consume Special Ingredient: Sky Behemoth Heart!"
"Potential +4!"
"Constituency +1!"
Current Attributes: Constitution 56, Agility 39, Spirit 59
Current Resistances: Virus Level 8 / Electricity Level 6 / Sonic Level 5 / Cold Level 5
Potential Reserve: 55 points
…
Sky Behemoth has two resistances: Electricity and Sonic.
Alan's electric resistance is already quite high, so this time he chose to absorb the sonic resistance, raising it to Level 5 in one go!
This is perfect for counteracting the crystallized form's vulnerability to sonic bombardment.
…
After obtaining the Sky Behemoth's bloodline essence, Alan was teleported back to the orc altar.
Having secured everything he needed, Allen planned to return to Origin Castle and practice in seclusion.
However, a sudden thought struck him.
To test this sudden idea, Allen journeyed to the polar sea for the third time today.
Betting and Taffman had already departed, leaving the snow-covered coast in a dead silence, devoid of human life.
Alan transformed into liquid form and, with familiarity, descended into the deep sea.
Arriving at the underwater temple once again, Allen was disappointed to find the abyss open, devoid of the massive bubbles brimming with electricity.
The bottom of the abyss was also empty, with no sign of another Kraken.
"So, there are only so many monsters in the Trial Space. Killing one means one less, and they won't spawn again..."
Alan muttered to himself.
He had hoped that the Trial Space would be like a dungeon in his previous life, where monsters he killed would spawn again.
If that were the case, he could repeatedly solo the Kraken.
Get five hearts, sacrifice them one by one, and challenge the other five elemental behemoths as well.
That way, he could gather the bloodline essences of all six elemental behemoths.
Even if he couldn't use them himself, at least he could give them to friends and family, or sell them for other cultivation resources.
What's more, he could obtain unique ingredients from the other five elemental behemoths!
Alas, reality shattered his fantasy.
The Trial Space, after all, wasn't some game dungeon.
Repeatedly grinding monsters was a dead end.
Alan sighed, his interest waning.
Just then, a surging undercurrent could be heard in the distance.
A deep-sea squid, finally realizing its home had been stolen, swam towards the abyss.
Alan turned his head to look at the deep-sea squid. The disappointment in his eyes turned into blazing greed!
There was only one Kraken in the entire trial space.
But there were five lesser-tier sea monsters, like the deep-sea squid, in this area alone.
And that didn't even include the one he'd killed.
Since we were already here, we couldn't just go all in!
Killing a few deep-sea squid, extracting their blood essence, and selling them to the housekeeper, Miri, would be a small benefit.
With a single thought, a bloody storm erupted on the seabed.
Half an hour later.
Alan surfaced contentedly.
Five more deep-sea squid blood essences and five deep-sea squid hearts were in his storage bag.
From then on, this sea area was peaceful, free of sea monsters.
As for killing all the Kraken and deep-sea squid, would that cut off other trialists' paths to Behemoth advancement?
Alan had considered this question and acknowledged the possibility.
However, for him, it wasn't a bad thing.
If someone truly wanted to advance to Behemoth, why bother hunting sea monsters?
Pansus, a kind man, never did such unethical things as closing the door as soon as they got in.
For the right price, Alan wouldn't mind selling the deep-sea squid heart, along with a detailed guide to hunting Behemoths.
…
Returning to Origin Castle, Alan used a bone spur to extract a small amount of Behemoth blood, activated the Gluttony system, and analyzed it.
Soon, he received a system notification listing the prerequisites for advancing to Behemoth:
· Possessing Orc, Beastman, or Warcraft blood, with a purity of at least 7%.
· Warlock Rank ≥ Early Stage 5
· Physical Attribute ≥ 40
· Agility Attribute ≥ 40
· Hunt at least one Level 5 sea monster (of the Leviathan Clan) and perform a sacrificial ritual.
…
Seeing this list of advancement requirements, Allen couldn't help but recall the time at the beginning of his journey, when he used the Gluttony system to deduce what high-level bloodline his ogre bloodline could evolve into.
The system had suggested two branching paths.
One was an ogre wizard, the other a hill giant.
At the time, he felt that the thresholds for both advancement paths were too high.
Due to the pressure of survival, he needed to increase his strength as quickly as possible.
So, he gave up on the ogre wizard and giant advancements and instead chose the lower-threshold bloodline fusion, embarking on the path of a poison magician.
Looking back on the past, Allen had to admit that he had been a bit too eager for quick success. Of course, he didn't regret his original choice.
After all, the Poison Demon talent was most compatible with the Gluttony system. Changing his path might not have led to his current achievements.
Furthermore, he later successfully merged with the bloodline of the Ogre Wizard, a sort of "roundabout way out."
Compared to the Ogre Wizard and Hill Giant, the Behemoth's advancement requirements were far more demanding.
Next, he analyzed the Sky Behemoth's advancement requirements, and the results made him frown even more.