BOOM!
The Manducater didn't give Ruminas any time to think as it immediately charged forward like an agitated wild beast, a giant arm swinging down with terrifying destructive force.
BOOM!
The ground cracked, dust and rocks flew everywhere.
But Ruminas dodged it, appearing a few meters away, her eyes still glued to the giant monster before her.
Whoosh!
Immediately after , long tentacles on Manducater's body extended out, lashing out like sharp whips. They came from all directions to surround Ruminas' escape route.
Squeeze! Squeeze! Squeeze!
Ruminas moved quickly, dodging each attack with pinpoint accuracy. She only used her normal movement because she feared that this monster could copy her teleportation ability.
"For an abnormal and copy-cat monster like this, the best way to defeat it is to use combat experience rather than flashy techniques. Even though it is big and strong, it is still like a child, so there will be many openings!" Ruminas analyzed.
Whoosh!
Taking advantage of the opening, she accelerated and charged into its attack zone, the blade of her weapon emitting a soft glow.
Swish!
A sharp cut appeared on the Manducater's torso, a thick stream of black blood oozing out.
But the monster seemed unharmed, only retreating slightly and then immediately counterattacking.
BOOM!
A giant punch aimed straight at Ruminas!
She jumped back, just in time to dodge, but—
Pinch!
From the side, a tentacle suddenly rushed out, much faster than the previous attacks!
"Tsk—!"
Ruminas raised her weapon to block, but the impact was so strong that she was pushed away. She somersaulted in the air and landed on the ground, the corners of her lips slightly raised.
"…Not bad"
Manducater did not completely dominate, but he was not overwhelmed either. The two sides fought evenly, each with their own strength and speed, neither of them able to easily overwhelm the other.
From the centipede's recent battle, Ruminas learned that he shouldn't stay close to this monster for too long because something might suddenly appear on its body to attack.
"This kind of unstable shape also has its advantages, doesn't it…?"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Attacks were exchanged continuously, each impact causing the surrounding ground to shatter into large pieces. Most of the attacks came from Manducater with terrifying destructive power.
It used its tentacles to sweep across, Ruminas dodged, then counterattacked with a slash that cut through its body, but with that giant body, it wasn't easy for her to do this at all.
The Manducater's body regenerated itself, and even minor injuries had little effect on it. This remarkable healing ability also made Ruminas frown.
She frowned.
"…What a pain."
"The system description says that it needs a powerful attack to destroy its entire body, but where can I find such an attack now…"
While she could deal damage, Manducater's healing ability was too strong—it didn't leave her with a big enough opening to exploit.
"Never mind, let's just fight it gradually to learn more about its weaknesses."
The battle was still even, but—
A big change began to happen.
The Manducater roared, its body suddenly moving in a strange way. This time, instead of just using brute force, it began to attack more strategically.
The tentacle sweeps became unpredictable, the punches were faster than before, it seemed to be gradually adjusting its way of fighting.
Ruminas felt the difference immediately.
"…Is it adapting to me?"
Manducater began to take advantage of the gaps between her strikes, forcing her to move more, slowly draining her stamina and mana.
Each blow becomes harder to dodge, and movement distance begins to be limited.
"…Not good"
While not yet completely overwhelmed, Manducater is slowly gaining the upper hand.
Ruminas could continue fighting this way, but—
She needed another way to fight back.
And that's when she decided—
Use "qi".
"There is still a difference between using weapons to fight and using "qi" to fight. This monster will gradually learn my movements and attacks, but if I add "qi" to it, I can create a difference that it cannot imitate!"
Ruminas put away her two large weapons and only held the dagger in her hand, then her body began to be enveloped in a white "air", including the dagger.
When the "qi" was added, Ruminas immediately had a different feeling about this battle. The "qi" covered her eyes, allowing her to clearly see the internal structure of the Manducater's body, but all she could see was the image of the monsters being stuffed inside.
"It turns out that it still hasn't completely merged, if a hole can be created and their combination can be separated, then there's still a chance. And to do that, 'qi' is what's needed."
Ruminas gave a slight smile.
"Come on, if you can, try copying this power!"
BOOM!
The Manducater continued to charge, but this time, Ruminas did not dodge the same way.
Whoosh!
She glided with a motion that was not entirely physical, her body enveloped in white qi creating an unpredictable trajectory.
The Manducater reacted immediately—tentacles reached out in the direction Ruminas moved, trying to surround her.
Squeeze! Squeeze! Squeeze!
But when it seemed like he would catch her—
Whoosh!
Ruminas disappeared from its sight in a flash, appearing beside it at an unpredictable speed.
Swish!
A sharp dagger tore through the Manducater's abdomen, this time, the cut was more than just a simple wound—
It couldn't heal itself immediately. The Manducater roared, its body starting to jerk slightly, as if trying to repair the damage but couldn't.
"So it's just as I thought…" Ruminas muttered.
"Qi" is not simply a source of energy—it interferes with the very essence of an opponent's existence. Using "qi" to attack an opponent can also disrupt the "qi" meridians within their body, creating the current irreversible state.
"This is indeed a formidable ability…"
Manducater sensed the danger immediately. It no longer charged recklessly, but retreated slightly, the eyes on its body focused on Ruminas, trying to analyze.
But Ruminas didn't give it time to think.
Whoosh!
She disappeared from the same spot, this time in a complex series of movements that even a creature with the ability to adapt quickly would have difficulty keeping up with.
Pinch!
"The best way is to attack in a rush and change tactics constantly so that it doesn't have time to adapt!" Ruminas analyzed.
Manducater swung a tentacle forward, but it only hit a blur of Ruminas. Another arm continued to strike towards Ruminas who had just appeared, it continued to be just a blur.
The monster roared in anger.
BOOM!
Just then, she appeared right behind it and delivered a stab straight to its back, causing the Manducater to roar in anger.
The white qi surrounding the dagger not only allowed it to pierce through the tough skin, but also created destructive vibrations inside, causing the Manducater's body to show signs of instability.
Swish! Swish!
Ruminas continued to unleash a series of attacks, her body now more flexible than ever thanks to the support of her chi. The feeling of fighting mainly with chi compared to using chi as a support tool was completely different!
Manducater responded immediately, sweeping a series of tentacles in a circle, creating a dead zone that even Ruminas couldn't charge straight into.
Whoosh!
But she jumped into the air, using the air current to change direction in mid-air, causing the Manducater's counterattack to miss completely.
"Too slow"
She swooped down like a bolt of lightning, this time aiming straight for another spot on the Manducater's body—its chest, where its main source of power was concentrated.
Swish!
A deep cut appeared, causing the Manducater to scream in pain.
For the first time during this battle, it was actually hurting.
But at that very moment—
The Manducater's body began to change once more.
"…OH?"
Ruminas frowned, her eyes still maintaining absolute focus.
Its skin began to change, no longer a mass of chaos as before, but gradually… restructuring into a more defined shape.
"It seems that when it senses danger, it tries to change to adapt to itself again."
Manducater looked up, this time, its gaze was no longer just that of a mindless monster charging forward—
It has begun to "learn" how to deal with Ruminas.
"It's not easy to learn!"
Ruminas charged again, Manducater retaliated but thanks to her "qi" she dodged its attack then she quickly dodged to the side and returned the favor with a stab to one of the eyes on her body.
She continued to cling to its body and move around, the knife continuously aiming at the eyes on its body. Along the way, many arms and tentacles appeared to block Ruminas but she was still able to dodge all of them.
The Manducater roared, and from its entire body it began to emit extremely hot breath in an attempt to drive Ruminas away, but she could simply cover herself with her "air" and avoid the heat.
However, on the Manducater's body, there were no longer just simple arms or tentacles, but also the shapes of monsters that had merged into it.
Parasites, parasitic dogs, chaos monsters… They appeared with only their upper bodies and ferocity, but with their inability to move, they were just meat targets for Ruminas to practice slashing at.
"Must continue to inflict wounds on it, just need to pressure it, force it to copy "qi" then my chance will come!"