Bro, I'm not an Undead!

A Tier 9 Hobgoblin with a Advanced Class, one that Skullius had never seen before even as a normal one.

Elemental.

The ability to exist in the form of elements and have the natural capability to wield them at an extremely refined level!

This was shocking on so many levels, especially when considering...

Skullius grinned.

"This bastard isn't even the Cluster General!"

That's right!

This monstrous goblin wasn't the Cluster General!

As Skullius could sense its mana core very well, he found the creature to have an absurd amount of mana but it was relative to some of the stronger Generals from weaker Clusters he had seen.

For a Cluster like this, the General had to be terribly stacked in terms of mana and the Hybrid Luman expected a purple core as well.

Furthermore, Skullius already had a good idea about where the general was. With a glimpse through Crude Vision, he had seen a rising pillar of smoke hundreds of miles away. This pillar was the same one that masked the sky, meaning that it was caused by something far ahead.

That had to be where the General was.

"Master, beware. This creature might have a Territory. It's unlikely for creatures less talented to manifest one before Tier 10 but since Killin Max can do it..." Red Rage warned as he flew up.

"Got it," Skullius nodded.

The giant goblin hissed another humid breath, its eyes glowing bright as it focused on Skullius whose grin grew more and more wide.

"Red Rage. How about taking this one in? Surely with time you can tame him, right?" Skullius proposed.

The floating Apostle perked up with a giddy quiver.

"You honour my fetish, Master! I thought you would never ask!"

Right then, the giant goblin's hand, with a searing heat that started to melt the wall behind Skullius and Red Rage, swung fiercely towards its enemies with a terrible downward hook!

Skullius and Red Rage's figures zipped out of existence, both using Special skills that enhanced their capabilities to evade danger!

BOOOM!

When the hot fist pounded down, the ground shattered and leapt up, lava spewing hundreds of meters into the air only to rain down while a vile shockwave that was only deterred by the wall of flame erupted outward violently!

'That's some serious raw strength!' Skullius commented while flashing in the air.

The Imperial Elemental, with staggering speed, turned its head, locating him immediately!

Skullius had yet to land on the ground, a testament to the reaction of Elemental, but a happy smile, one that was expectant, could be seen on his face. He wanted to see what this monstrosity could do.

His mind and brain, the [Omniscient Thought Cracker], helped him think of various possibilities.

Given how large this Cluster was, were there actually bigger cities?

With how strong this opponent, Hobbu Gobbu, was compared to the other goblins in the city, did it mean he was some kind of City lord?

If that was the case, did every single city have a special goblin stationed there with similar powers?!

Ohohohohohoho!

Skullius laughed within!

He and Red Rage could harvest more combatants without relying on him summoning Apostles. After all, he still hadn't discovered a way to increase [Apostle Summon]'s level except for evolving. Right now, he only had one opportunity to summon another Apostle because of his evolution and he would save it for something unique.

Then again, with the experience he had accumulated, he and Red Rage were close to reaching Tier 3. Close was the wrong word though.

In the split of a split second Skullius took to think of all of this, Hobbu Gobbu formed a brilliant white chain made of crackling lightning which constantly wriggled and flung it at Skullius!

The lesser bolts this chain released streaked throughout the entire city woefully, destroying everything they touched with a shocking burst of mana!

Terrifying!

...!

The level of elemental power was powerful and fast!

The chain traced through the air immaculately to reach the Hybrid Luman whose white eyes showed awe and joy!

"Show me more!" Skullius exclaimed as instead of dodging, his hand whizzed with an even faster speed and extended forward as if to meet the chain!

Then...

[Undaunted Calamity]!

Another massively bright glow completely hid the surroundings in its glow before a stream of hyper condensed bluish energy erupted in a clear line, shattering the chains effortlessly before knocking point blank into the Elemental goblin!

Hobbu Gobbu was shocked by the display but then horrified when the force that exploded from this beam that reached him sent him flying, obliterating the wall and carrying him four miles away from the city!

Everywhere he passed, the dull surroundings fitted with poor vegetation and brown soils burnt and melted but he found his footing rather quickly.

The attack didn't harm him much as his Elemental body was very resistant to attacks like this but it certainly did give him a scare.

"Hey. I said show me more."

...!

Hobbu Gobbu's giant flame body turned behind him to find the figure of the Hybrid Luman looking at him with an unimpressed and impatient face.

How...

The Elemental struggled with the logic.

How the hell he get here so quickly?!

"Well. Don't just stand there!" Skullius barked while tapping his foot on the ground continuously.

"HAAAAAU KAKAAAAAA!!" Hobbu Gobbu roared angrily before his body turned into a stream of fire that exploded into the sky and circled above Skullius!

Then it came.

A literal hailstorm of fire!

Streams of quick rapid fire... fire, tore through the air and bombarded the ground without end!

To make them especially powerful, a howling wind assisted, adding whirling flame tornados that hungered for disaster!

The scale of destruction was daunting!

The noise, the scalding heat wave that blasted all the way to the city, further melting its walls and harming the remaining goblins, turning solid ground into a mile's long and deep crater full of boiling molten earth...!

An attack like this would have levelled Genhuis City in a few seconds, provided no one intervened that is!

It was awe inspiring!

Even Red Rage watching from a distance nodded his head, taking notes. He wanted this one. The first order of business would be to teach him tact.

Back at the scene of molten catastrophe, the streams of fire didn't seem to be coming to an end at all.

The Imperial Elemental was relentless.

He was definitely venting some frustration.

It felt good.

With this kind of attack, that invader would surely-

"Show me more! Try something else!"

...!

That voice again!

An unscathed Skullius called.

His figure couldn't be seen by the giant Elemental.

In his shock as to how his opponent was still alive, he found no comfort in the fact that he couldn't spot him also!

"RRAAAAAARRR!" Hobbu Gobbu roared in his floating flame state once more, his figure turning into a vapour instantly that released a shuddering blast of wind and then...

Without any transition, from this battle ground up to the city, everything froze in a ginormous block of ice!

Just like that!

Silence ensued.

The lava beneath bubbled but it could not lick the ice away instantly, especially while it battled against the heavy rain.

Surely...

This ridiculous show of power was enough!

Right?

The figure of a panting Hobgoblin, his form sculpted in ice but without the large frame could be seen over this 500 meter block.

Wisps of chill flirted with the air from above it, partially blocking the visibility.

Good. This should have definitely worked.

Seriously, this enemy had made him come up with radical solutions instead of carefully checking his options.

But for now Hobbu Gobbu could be assured that-

"Great diversity but you burn out quickly with moves like this, huh?"

....!!!

Hobbu Gobbu found Skullius standing behind him with a somewhat intrigued face.

...!

"Hau Ka...kak...?"

Seriously?!!!!

The Elemental was about to expend more of his burning mana to attack but the Hybrid Luman had seen enough.

"[Greatest Mana Crafter]," he called while pointing at Hobbu Gobbu.

DOOOOM!

It was as if all the mana in the world rushed over to the Elemental and squished his form so tightly that he crackled, trapping him in an invisible prison!

At the same time, Hobbu Gobbu felt his blue mana core being invaded and resisted by a callous force that refused to allow any of his mana into his mana channels nomatter how hard he struggled!

What on earth?!

A look of terror appeared on the icicle's face. This opponent...!

He was ridiculous!

None of his attacks touched him!

His speed was absurd!

He even commanded the mana to do his bidding, something that only his king and queen could do!

Who was this man?!

"Red bro," Skullius called to his Apostle whose brisk escape with altitude had saved him the trouble of being frozen up.

As he reached Skullius, he expressed his enthusiasm.

"His attacks are intense! Each one may actually breach my armour if he uses enough mana!" he chattered before tapping his foot on the ice. "This ice is laced in mana! Even you would have been restricted in it if it caught you right, Master?"

"That's true," Skullius said with a smirk.

This was a strong bugger, even though right now he looked pitiful while kneeling down with his icy form squished.

The Hybrid Luman pulled something his storage ring.

It was a glass box.

A seemingly ordinary one the size of two palms.

It was a Legendary grade object used to capture oddities such as these. With Skullius' missions for the past month, he had learnt to get as many of these as he could. They were excellent at containment, as they used the captive's mana to strengthen themselves against various means of escape.

In the case of Hobbu Gobbu, Skullius was sure the goblin didn't have any inventive ways of using his powers. He was... simple-minded.

He was muscle brain.

"Capture," Skullius gave a command to the object which drew on his target, fitting him inside as a miniscule exhibition that sorrowfully looked outside with a sullen face.

A Tier 9 creature was captured just like that.

The Hybrid Luman then flung the box to Red Rage.

"You can try taming him later. For now, let's split up. You go and explore the other cities while I head for the Generals. They are probably very strong so I will take a while," Skullius instructed.

"Yes, Master," Red Rage said in delight before chucking the glass box into the storage within his cape, extending the item to his side afterwards.

Hundreds of creatures started pouring from the cape, all of them looking moist but refreshed and excited, though only Red Rage could tell.

"Leave it all to us!"

Skullius manifested thin barriers made of [Just Light] for all of Red Rage's 'children' to shield them from the worsening rain.

"You better be careful. There are definitely worse monsters than that Elemental," Skullius said before he jumped down the block of ice, splitting up from his Apostle who went in another direction with his army.

The creeping of power made Skullius a bit anxious but he was sure he could power through.

His hopes tingled as he thought that this place had a lot of opportunity.

The runes.

The special creatures.

The artefacts.

Who knew what kind of natural treasures he would find?

However, what was the cost to get them?

"I guess we'll see," Skullius said as he darted towards the trail of smoke hundreds of miles away.