Limitless Summoner: Rise of the Soul God-Chapter 181: You didn’t kill it, did you?

[Ding! Level 50, Mutated Tusker]

"Level 50?" Ethan clenched his fists. This had to be the strongest beast he had faced so far. Even the Termite Queen hadn't carried such an oppressive aura. This thing didn't just radiate strength, it had an aura about it that made it absolutely clear who was the superior here.

Ethan knew there was no point in using his regular attacks. They wouldn't even land a dent on the beast. The best option was to simply use his minor teleportation skill to get the hell out of here. But he did not want to run just yet. There was still a skill that he wanted to test out, his third S-ranked skill.

[Elemental Dichotomy, S Rank Active Skill] - Harness two opposing elemental spells simultaneously, creating a powerful, unstable spell combination, dealing massive hybrid elemental damage with unique secondary effects.

Ethan did not want to take any chances. Another skill came up in his mind.

[Mana Surge Burst, A Rank Active Skill] - Temporarily overload your mana circuits, amplifying the power and range of your next spell dramatically, at the risk of temporarily weakening your mana regeneration afterward.

What if he combined both of these? Would he be able to take down that monstrosity standing in front of him?

Ethan did not know, but he badly wanted to find out. He wanted to push himself as a mage today, and that meant using everything he had in his arsenal.

He planted his feet firmly into the soil, the bark of a nearby tree at his back, shielding one flank. "Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what you're really made of."

First, he activated [Mana Surge Burst].

The effect was immediate.

His veins lit up like rivers of starlight beneath his skin, raw energy surging through him like a dam had burst. The air around him trembled as his power doubled, then tripled. He could feel the threads of magic straining against his will, barely contained. He was going to explode if he did not use some skill soon.

[Elemental Dichotomy].

Ethan's hands lifted, and twin orbs of raw elemental energy bloomed into existence—one a sphere of roaring, liquid fire, the other a pulsing orb of compressed water. This was the fourth or fifth time he was using the skill, and he still could only observe as everything happened automatically.

The two orbs shot forward roaringly towards the mutated tusker. The elephant roared in rage as it thundered towards Ethan. However, before it could reach him, the two orbs clashed in front of it, sending out a massive shockwave.

A compressed cyclone of superheated steam, fireflame streaks, and water-ice shards detonated directly against the beast's chest. The explosion was deafening. The mutated tusker screamed. Its tusks cracked and shattered to pieces. Its entire body trembled as it was lifted off the ground and flung backward like a rag doll.

The mutated tusker slammed into the earth with a force that fractured the ground, gouging a crater into the forest floor. Chunks of dirt and moss sprayed into the air.

Ethan dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. His vision pulsed at the edges, a telltale sign of mana depletion. The surge backlash was already setting in—his mana regeneration was plummeting like a rock, and every nerve in his body felt like it had been scraped raw with lightning.

But it didn't matter. He kept his eyes locked on the crater as he pushed himself to move forward. He reached the fallen beast in a matter of seconds and slashed the beast's burnt and injured head with his daggers, pulling every ounce of strength he had left in him.

There was a wet, tearing sound as the dagger sliced through corrupted flesh, and then—finally—the massive body of the Mutated Tusker gave one last shudder before going completely still.

Ethan stumbled back, chest heaving, his hands trembling from mana exhaustion and adrenaline. Then—

[Ding! You have slain a Level 50 Mutated Tusker.]

[Ding! Your understanding of elemental fusion magic has increased.]

[Ding! The entity Mutated Tusker has been added to your summoning list.]

Ethan grinned. For a moment, it was touch and go, but it looked like he won in the end after all. He shoved the beast into his spatial ring and tried standing up. He was completely exhausted, and his body was groaning in protest. It was time to head back to his room and call it a night.

However, just as he turned around, he heard a few footsteps. "Hey there! Wait a moment. Did you see a tusker run this way?"

Ethan stopped. He would have immediately used minor teleportation if it were not for the mana-exhausted state he was currently in. He did not want to deal with anyone at the moment, and these guys looked like they were not coming in for a friendly chat.

He turned around, looking as if he had no idea what they were talking about.

"You alright there? You look a bit wounded?" Another man asked.

"Ya. The howlers did a number on me." Ethan sighed. "Managed to deal with a couple before my mana ran dry. Was just about to limp back to camp."

The three figures eyed him skeptically. They were older—third years, maybe—and geared in a way that screamed seasoned wilderness teams. One had a gleaming spear strapped to his back, another had dual throwing axes, and the last was a woman with a long glaive and a wary glint in her eye. The one with the spear stepped forward.

"We're tracking a tusker that broke off from its herd," he said. "Massive thing. Corrupted. Blew through a squad up north. Real trouble."

Ethan blinked slowly. "Sounds nasty. Haven't seen anything like that."

The girl with the glaive narrowed her eyes and sniffed the air. "There was an explosion here not long ago. Mana traces are fresh." She tilted her head. "You didn't see what caused it? How is that possible?"

"You didn't kill it, did you?" the spear guy asked flatly. "A tusker doesn't just disappear."

Before Ethan could answer, the axe guy chuckled. "Come on guys, he wouldn't have stolen a kill from us now, would he?"