Divine Heritage: Only I Can Judge The gods-Chapter 42: Blue Tailed Manticore

A manticore...

Ark stared at the towering beast and he grabbed onto his bleeding chest.

It was the very definition of what an apocalypse beast should be, vile and twisted. It had the face of a lion and a voluminous mane that covered its entire neck.

Its fur was a mix of red and black making the creature look more menacing, it bore claws that were like those of eagles and a scorpion-like tail swayed behind it, its blue tip glistening in the moonlight.

The manticore took a step forward and I unfurled its large bat-like wings, obstructing the moon from view while Ark crawled backward.

His body felt on fire, it was like multiple pins were flowing through his bloodstream, rendering his body useless.

His breathing became hoarse and uncontrolled when the poison finally made its way to his lungs.

Ark was getting delirious, and suddenly, he lost control of his legs, and soon his entire body followed.

He could no longer move...

So he just lay there, blood dripping down his mouth as he stared at the moon above.

’A manticore...’

A profane beast was far above what fresh curse bearers could handle, it was a beast reserved for the more experienced curse bearers who had had time to develop their spirit cores.

There was no way the officials would have allowed a manticore to be added to the list of monsters.

They had also done a sweep of the mountain before the test so Ark was sure that it had not simply been slumbering here.

’Someone planted the manticore...’

A trap specially meant for him, and yet he had fallen right into it.

Ark did not need to think much to realize who it was, it was the same person who had locked him in his room.

It was Christopher.

He definitely had that level of authority and he had been far too upset when Ark arrived on time, meaning he did not want him to pass for whatever reason.

’It’s because I’m from the slums...’

Ark let out a shaky breath as his body suddenly spasmed under the effects of the venom, and then darkness slowly overtook his vision.

Badump—Badump—Thump

’Is this the way I die?’

’After everything I’ve been through?’

Ark forced himself to utter one more word, the only thing that might be his salvation.

"Silver..."

But all that greeted him was a terrifying silence, his last card was gone.

He tried to will himself up, his spirit was fighting, but his body was weak.

Badump—Badump—Thump

The venom had finally made it to his chest, it streaked closer to his heart ready to finally bring an end to his life.

But just as it made contact with his heart.

"Haaaa!"

Ark suddenly sprung up to his feet, his eyes wide open. His mind felt clear, crystal clear... with no trace of the venom in his bloodstream.

His legs were now filled with life, and his breathing was back to normal.

Then remembering he was still in a battle, Ark sprung to his feet ready to dodge only to be impaled once more by the manticore.

This time the stinger went deeper into his stomach, pumping far more venom than earlier into his bloodstream.

Ark felt that this time, he would truly die but then after waiting for a few seconds, he realized that nothing was happening.

He stared at the manticore and the manticore stared at him, tilting his head slightly.

"Any second now..."

They both patiently waited for the results of the venom.

"Hmm... am I now immune?"

’The chicken pox theory?’

It made no sense but that was the only explanation Ark had for what was going on, the venom was practically dripping from his wound and yet he was completely unharmed.

The manticore didn’t seem to like this conclusion because it flung Ark highly up into the air, right past the trees.

Ark immediately summoned his axe, a wave of sparks surrounding his frame as he descended upon the manticore, bringing calamity upon it.

Boom!

The axe collided with the stinger, batting it to the side as Ark landed on the forest floor. Seconds later, he was already moving, dashing from side to side to avoid the manticore’s direct line of sight.

He might have mysteriously gotten immunity from the venom but it was still a profane creature, a powerful one at that.

Ark bolted right to the side of the creature and lifted his axe high up, delivering a devastating vertical slash.

Clang!

The manticore met his axe with his stinger, the former sliding uselessly against the latter.

Ark darted back just as the manticore pounced, he was trying to evade the deadly claws of the beast but it was far faster than him.

Using its wings for balance, the manticore swung its paw towards his left side.

Ark brought his axe up to defend himself in time but both he and the weapon were blown away, his body rocking against a tree and rolling on the dead leaves.

His axe had been tossed from his grip but he was already resummoning it.

Just as his body finally stopped tumbling, he rolled to the side as the creature’s paw obliterated the ground he was just at.

He jumped backward once more as the stinger cut through the air, straight at his neck. But he was not able to fully evade its wing, the deathly sharp talon at the edge of it tore right through his face, leaving a bloody mark on his skin.

Pushing his strength to his legs, Ark leaped massively, jumping high up into the air to distance himself from the manticore.

He gritted his teeth as hot pain seared through his abdomen as he did so, reminding him of the nasty injury that was still there.

With one massive flap of its wings, the manticore closed the distance between them in a second.

He let out a curse as the creature barrelled into him, nearly ripping him apart with its talons.

Clang!

Ark tried to destroy its left wing, but only managed to dig his axe into the claw on it. The wings were undamaged, but it was more than enough to shake its balance and send them both to the ground.

The manticore rolled down the floor, curling its wings around itself to protect its body.

But by the time it rose to its feet, Ark was gone.