Asher menyaksikan tendangan Isaac mengarah kepada Bayangan Pembunuh Rank 7 semente anak itu berusaha mencuri kill-nya. Namun ia tak bergerak sedikit pun. Sejak kapan seagum punya Makhluk Rank 7 begitu mudah dilintasi, seolah-olah tak berharga seperti lalu? Meski Asher sedang bermain-main dengan Bayangan Pembunuh Rank 7 seolah-olah itu monster biasa, hal itu hanya karena Bayangan Pembunuh memang tak menampung kekuatan destruktif. Ia sekadar monster cepat, tidak lebih dari itu.
Namun taklah penting. Akhir kata, makhluk Rank 7 tetap makhluk Rank 7.
Saat telapak tangan Isaac menghantam di kepala Bayangan Pembunuh, gerbang gelap dari bayangan dan kegelapan terbuka di jalan tendangannya. Telapak tangannya menghilang ke dalam gerbang itu sebelum ia sempat bertindak, sementara gerbang gelap lain terbuka di samping tempat duduk kepalanya sendiri.
Isaac bereaksi seketika. Meski ia tak sempat menghentikan tangannya yang masuk ke dalam gerbang gelap, bukan berarti ia tak punya cara lain untuk mencegah dirinya menyakiti dirinyu sendiri. Tangan kirinya langsung melesat ke atas dalam sebuah gerakan tajam dan memutuskan tangan kanannya di sendi pergelangan tangannya dalam satu potongan yang bersih.
Isaac langsung melompat mundur saat tangan kanannya yang terputus menghantam atap gedung dengan dentang pelan, darah yang mengalir menabur ke udara sebelum menebu di lantai beton di bawahnya.
Sunyi menaklukkan rerambat di panggung pertempuran saat semua orang menoleh ke arah Isaac, yang tak sekalipun bereaksi terhadap luka kejamnya sendiri, seolah-olah kehilangan tangan rasanya tak berarti sama sekali.
"Sepertinya menyelin sekutu pada seorang Rank 7 bukanlah hal yang mudah," katanya dengan senyum tegas di wajahnya, nada suaranya tak pernah berubah dari santaimu.
Ia mengangkat lengan tangannya, dan di detik berikutnya, daging di sekitar noda luka ternyata tumbuh menggembang ke luar. Tulang, pembuluh darah, otot, tendon, ligamen, dan daging berputar dan mendekat seolah hidup, menenun satu sama lain di mata semua orang hingga akhirnya sebuah tangan baru sepenuhnya menggantikan yang lama.
Asher tak berkata apa-apa kepada Isaac, tapi tak bisa menolak untuk memuji ketegasan remaja itu. Jika kanpa tangan Isaac benar-benar tepat di kepalanya, ia pasti akan menderita kerusakan signifikan dan kehilangan sejumlah besar Vitality Points. Sebaliknya, remaja itu cukup memotong sendi pergelangan tangannya sebelum serangan bisa terhubung, mengurangi jumlah Vitality Points yang akan ia kehilangan dengan dramatis.
Jumlah Vitality Points seseorang tak benar-benar penting. Bisa satu, bahkan 1.1. Tak seorang pun peduli asal mereka bertahan hingga akhir dan timnya mengumpulkan cukup poin demi lolos ke tahap berikutnya. Bertahan dan lolos — inilah yang sebenarnya penting.
Tak ada waktu bagi Isaac untuk bertindak lagi. Salah satu dari tiga Bayangan Pembunuh Rank 7 sudah di sisinya, sebuah pisau tajam meluncur ke dadanya dengan presisi menyeramkan, bersiap untuk menerbelahnya terbuka dan mengekspose jantungnya dalam satu serangan tanpa belas kasihan.
Padahal, Isaac tak berarti orang yang mudah dikalahkan. Ia tak akan dengan seenaknya menyerang makhluk Rank 7 jika ia tak yakin bisa setidaknya bertarung setanding dengannya sebelum melarikan diri bila situasinya memburuk. Saat pisau itu semakin dekat ke dadanya, ia melangkah ke samping dengan kecepatan mengesankan, seperti melewati kecepatan langkah monyet Rank 7 itu sendiri.
Di saat ia melompat ke samping, senjatannya melesat ke dada Bayangan Pembunuh dengan kekuatan mentah. Bayangan Pembunuhnya melewati serangan dengan sangat mudah. Begitu ia melakukannya, udara di atas atap gedung tinggi tiba-tiba runtuh dan hancur ke luar dalam sebuah dentang yang mengerikan, gelombang kejut tak terlihat menyebar ke atmosfer dan menyebabkan angin kencana di panggung pertempuran.
Sepanjang kejadian, Asher tak pernah bergerak. Ia hanya menyaksikan dengan senyum kecil sekaliber penonton yang menikmati pertunjukan menghibur. Soalnya Bayangan Pembunuh yang menyerang Isaac hanyalah klona bukan tubuh aslinya. Ia jelas lebih lemah dalam kecepatan dan kekuatan. Tapi fakta bahwa Isaac tetap bisa bertarung setanding dengan klona Bayangan Pembunuh Rank 7 meskipun dengan perbedaan yang melegit, sungguh mengesankan.
Asher menoleh ke samping. Karena Isaac ada di sini, timnya tentu ada di dekat sana. Ia sudah bisa merasakan Isaac timmate-nya menyembunyikan diri di sebuah tempat yang dipilih dengan sengaja oleh Isaac sebelumnya. Tanpa ragu lagi, Asher memperluas Omni Persepsi-nya hingga menjangkaui radius satu kilometer. Etc..
Tak lama kemudian, satu dekade gerbang-gerbang bayangan terbuka di sekitar tempat tersembunyi timmate Isaac, dan ratusan serangan menyembuhkan seperti sebuah air terjun yang tidak pernah padam.
"Kureng!!!" bisiknya sambil menyelinkeun diri untuk mempertahankan dirinya.
Meskipun ia tak sehebat Isaac, ia masih merupakan siswa yang pernah berada di dalam lima puluh besar, jadi reaksinya tak kurang bisa disebutkan.
Tapi di momen ia menyalurkan Astra-nya untuk mempertahankan diri, ia mendengar sebuah ledakan yang luar biasa ketika seluruh gedung tempat ia bersembunyikan runuh menggema di bawahnya, membuat ia kehilangan keseimbangan dan fokusnya sejenkai.
Asher telah menghancurkan seluruh gedung karena ia sudah memperhitungkan kemungkinan bahwa remaja itu akan bereaksi terhadap serangan yang akan datang.
Dan dengan begitu, remaja itu benar-benar tenggelam di bawah serangan-serangan dari Bayangan Pembunuh Rank 5 dan 6 sambil gedung runtuh ke atasnya.
Vitality Points-nya turun drastis dari seribu (1000) ke seratus (100) secara mendadak.
Dan dengan Asher yang bertanggung jawab atas sembilan puluh persen kerusakan, Isaac kehilangan sembilan puluh persen skor timnya. Di saat yang sama, timnya jatuh dari peringkat ketiga langsung ke dasar klasemen.
Isaac langsung memutuskan untuk tidak melanjutkan pertarungan dengan Bayangan Pembunuh klona. Begitu ia menyadari skor timnya anjlok sebesar sembilan puluh persen, mata emasnya langsung beralih ke arah Asher, yang masih bertahan dengan kedua tangannya dimasukan ke dalam saku dan tak bergerak sedetik pun.
Ia tak perlu berfikir atau menebak bahwa Asher adalah orang yang bertanggung jawab atas semua ini.
Isaac tak bisa tidak merasa kecewa dengan keberuntungannya yang buruk. Ia datang dengan niat untuk mencuri poin agar skor timnya bisa melampaui Asher dan tim Arianna, hanya untuk justru kehilangan sejumlah besar poin.
Asher telah menggunakannya. Bukan sebaliknya.
Isaac langsung menyerahkan gagasan untuk melanjutkan pertarungan dan beralih ke timmate-nya. Jika timmate-nya tereliminasi sepenuhnya, ia akan kehilangan poin lagi, hal yang sangat tidak bisa ia korbankan.
Tapi makhluk Rank 7 tak toleran. Begitu Isaac bergerak, Bayangan Klona langsung mengejarnya dengan kecepatan mengerikan. Bagaimana ia bisa menyerangnya dan lalu pergi tanpa konsekuensi?..
Isaac dengan cepat memutuskan salah satu jari-jarinya dan melemparkannya ke arah klona Bayangan Pembunuh yang mengejar. Di momen berikutnya, sebuah salinan baru dari Isaac dipicu dari jari yang terputus. Klona Isaac hampir tak terbedakan dari aslinya, dan ia segera melompat untuk menyerang Bayangan Klona tanpa ragu-ragu.
Klon versus klon.
Asher mengeluarkan desis Pendek saat menyaksikan pertunjukan itu, seolah-olah ia hanyalah penonton yang menikmati pameran.
Ini adalah pertama kalinya ia melihat seseorang menciptakan tubuh baru hanya dari sepotong daging.
“Aku penasaran dengan kemampuannya,” pikir Asher dengan serius.
Kemampuan Isaac Wrath Chillstorm disebut Biomansi.
Ini adalah kemampuan yang memungkinkan ia untuk mengendalikan setiap aspek biologi tubuhnya sampai ke tahap yang sangat tidak wajar. Ia sudah pernah menumbuhkan kembali tangan terpotongnya dengan cara mempercepat dan mengontrol proses regenerasinya secara alami secara melebih-lebihi lagi. Dengan cara yang sama, ia juga memiliki kecepatan yang mampu menyaingi klona makhluk Rank 7, hanya dengan cara mengendalikan saraf, otot, tulang, pembuluh darah, tendon, ligamen, dan setiap struktur biologis lainnya di dalam tubuhnya. Dengan cara ini, remaja itu juga bisa meningkatkan kekuatan fisik alami tubuhnya jauh melebihi batas normalnya.
Penguasaannya terhadap Biomansi telah mencapai tingkat yang tidak masuk akal sehingga ia kini dapat menciptakan tubuh baru dari hanya jari yang terputus.
Ia juga bisa tumbuhkan anggota ekstra jika diinginkan, menciptakan seluruh organ baru, mengubah jari-jarinya menjadi cakar tajam, mengendalikan strukturnya tulang sesuka hati, mengubah kepadatan ototnya, memperkuat tulangnya, atau bahkan mengganti bagian tubuhnya untuk menyesuaikan setiap situasi.
Asal hal itu secara biologis mungkin, Isaac Wrath Chillstorm bisa mencapainya.
Namun pada akhirnya, orang-orang seperti Bayangan Pembunuh yang bisa beralih antara konsentrasi dan ketidakberwujudan tetap menjadi kelemahnnya. Hampir seluruh kemampuannya bergantung pada kontak fisik. Dan jika lawannya tidak memiliki tubuh yang konkret yang bisa ia serang... Bagaimana ia bisa mengena tiparnya?
Bagian medis dari diriku ingin sekali mengeksprimasikan kemampuan ini.
Asher saw Isaac’s punch hurtle toward the Rank 7 Shadow Assassin as the boy moved to steal his kill. Yet he neither moved nor reacted. Since when were Rank 7 beings so easy to sneak up on, as though they were nothing more than flies? Although Asher was playing around with the Rank 7 Shadow Assassin as though it were some ordinary Monster, that was only because the Shadow Assassin wasn’t a destructive power-type Monster. It was merely a speed-type Monster, nothing more and nothing less.
But at the end of the day, it was still a Rank 7 being nonetheless.
As Isaac’s fist closed in on the Shadow Assassin’s head, a dark portal formed entirely from shadows and darkness immediately opened along the path of his punch. His fist disappeared into the portal before he could even react, while another dark portal simultaneously opened beside the temple of his own head.
Isaac’s reaction was instantaneous. Although he couldn’t react in time to stop his own fist from entering the dark portal, it didn’t mean he lacked another method of preventing himself from harming himself. His left hand immediately blurred upward in a streak of motion as he decisively severed his own right hand from his wrist in one clean chop.
Isaac immediately blurred backward as his severed right hand struck the rooftop with a gentle thud, crimson ichor splattering across the air before raining onto the concrete below.
Silence descended upon the battlefield as everyone’s eyes shifted toward Isaac, who didn’t even react to his own gruesome injury, as though losing a hand meant absolutely nothing to him.
"It seems sneaking up on a Rank 7 isn’t so easy," Isaac stated with a calm smile on his face, his tone remaining as relaxed as ever.
He raised his arm, and in the very next instant, the flesh around the severed stump grotesquely expanded outward. Bone, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and flesh twisted and surged forward as though alive, weaving themselves together before everyone’s eyes until an entirely new hand replaced the old one.
Asher didn’t say anything to Isaac, but he had to commend the boy’s decisiveness. If Isaac’s own fist had landed squarely against his temple, he would have undoubtedly suffered immense damage, resulting in the loss of a significant amount of Vitality Points. Instead, the boy had simply severed his own wrist before the attack could connect, dramatically reducing the amount of Vitality Points he would have otherwise lost.
The amount of Vitality Points one possessed didn’t truly matter. It could be one or even 1.1, no one cared so long as they remained within the Round until it ended and their team had accumulated enough points to qualify for the next stage. Survival and qualification were all that truly mattered.
Before Isaac could react, one of the three Rank 7 Shadow Assassins was already upon him, a dagger tearing toward his chest with terrifying precision, moving to rip it open and expose his beating heart in a single merciless strike.
But despite failing his initial sneak attack, Isaac wasn’t exactly a pushover. He wouldn’t have brazenly attacked a Rank 7 being if he wasn’t confident that he could at least keep up with it before escaping if things turned sour. As the dagger closed in on his chest, he stepped sideways with astonishing speed that seemed to eclipse even that of the Rank 7 Monster itself.
The instant he sidestepped, his fist rocketed toward the Shadow Assassin’s chest with brute force. The Shadow Assassin simply phased through the attack with effortless ease. The moment it did, the air around the rooftop of the high-rise building instantly collapsed before violently shattering outward in a screaming crescendo, invisible shockwaves rippling through the atmosphere and sending violent gusts across the battlefield.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Asher hadn’t even moved. He simply watched everything unfold with quiet amusement. After all, the Shadow Assassin attacking Isaac was merely a clone rather than its true body. It possessed noticeably inferior speed and considerably less strength. But the fact that Isaac could still keep up with a Rank 7 Shadow Assassin clone despite those overwhelming differences genuinely impressed him.
Asher’s eyes shifted toward the side. Since Isaac was here, then his teammate was undoubtedly nearby as well. He could already sense Isaac’s teammate hiding in a location that appeared to have been deliberately chosen by Isaac beforehand. Without the slightest hesitation, Asher expanded his Omni Perception until it covered a one-kilometre radius. The moment every single Shadow Assassin within that range entered his perception, he calmly opened multiple shadow portals before each one that was in the process of unleashing an attack of any kind.
Isaac’s teammate was stunned when he suddenly saw more than ten portals open around him, with numerous attacks pouring out from them simultaneously like an endlest torrent.
"Fuck!!!" the boy muttered as he hurriedly moved to defend himself.
Although he wasn’t as overpowered as Isaac, he was still a student who had finished within the top fifty, so his reaction was nothing short of instantaneous.
But the very moment he channeled his Astra energy to defend himself, he heard a deafening explosion as the entire building he had been hiding inside immediately collapsed beneath him, causing him to momentarily lose both his footing and his concentration.
Asher had destroyed the entire building because he had already accounted for the possibility of the boy reacting to the incoming attacks.
And with that, the boy was completely drowned beneath the barrage of attacks from the Rank 5 and 6 Shadow Assassins while the collapsing building crashed down upon him simultaneously. His Vitality Points instantly plummeted from one thousand (1000) Vitality Points to one hundred (100) Vitality Points in a single devastating exchange.
And with Asher being responsible for ninety (90) percent of the damage, Isaac immediately lost ninety (90) percent of his team’s score. In that very instant, his team plummeted from third place all the way down to last place.
Isaac immediately disengaged from the Shadow Assassin clone he was fighting. The instant he noticed his team score dropping by ninety percent, his golden eyes snapped toward Asher, who still stood with both hands tucked casually inside his pockets, having not moved even a single inch from where he had been standing. He didn’t need to think or even guess to know that Asher was the one responsible for all of this.
He couldn’t help but curse his own terrible luck. He had come here intending to steal points so that his team’s score could surpass both Asher’s and Arianna’s teams, only for him to end up losing an insane amount of points instead.
Asher had used him rather than the other way around.
Isaac immediately abandoned the thought of continuing the fight and rushed toward his teammate. If his teammate was eliminated entirely, he would lose even more points, something he absolutely couldn’t afford.
But Rank 7 Monsters weren’t so forgiving. The very moment Isaac moved, the Shadow Clone pursued him with wicked speed. How could Isaac attack it and then simply leave without suffering any consequences for his actions?
Isaac immediately tore off one of his own fingers and casually tossed it toward the pursuing clone. In the very next instant, an entirely new Isaac was formed from that single torn finger. The clone Isaac was virtually indistinguishable from the original as it immediately charged toward the Shadow Assassin clone and engaged it in combat without the slightest hesitation.
Clone versus clone.
Asher let out a low whistle as he watched the spectacle unfold as though he were nothing more than a spectator enjoying an entertaining show. This was the very first time he had ever witnessed someone create an entirely new clone by simply tearing off a piece of their own flesh.
’I wonder what his ability is,’ Asher thought to himself with genuine curiosity.
Isaac Wrath Chillstorm’s ability was called Biomancy.
It was an ability that allowed him to manipulate every aspect of his biological body to an utterly insane degree. He had regenerated his severed hand by simply accelerating and controlling his body’s natural regenerative process to an absurd extent. It was through this same method that he possessed speed capable of matching the clone of a Rank 7 being, simply by manipulating his nerves, muscles, bones, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and every other biological structure within his body. Through this method, the boy could also increase his natural physical strength far beyond its normal limits.
His mastery over Biomancy had reached such an absurd level that he could now create an entirely new body from nothing more than a single torn finger.
He could even grow additional limbs if he wished, create entirely new organs, transform his fingers into razor-sharp claws, manipulate his skeletal structure at will, alter the density of his muscles, reinforce his bones, or even reshape parts of his body to suit whatever situation he found himself in.
As long as it was something biologically possible, Isaac Wrath Chillstorm could accomplish it.
Because of this ridiculous ability, many people believed he was destined to become the next immortal like Cindralis. After all, if someone could manipulate their own biology to such an incomprehensible degree, weren’t they essentially immortal? Couldn’t they continue living throughout eternity by simply maintaining their body in its absolute peak condition forever?
But at the end of the day, people like the Shadow Assassin, who could freely shift between tangibility and intangibility, remained his greatest weakness, as nearly all of his abilities revolved around physical contact. And if his opponent didn’t possess a tangible body that he could actually strike... then how exactly was he supposed to land an attack?
____
The medical side of me is itching to go crazy with this ability.
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