"Young Master, that last attack consumed 1.5% of the energy. We currently have 89% energy left!"
"What's the damage?"
"The right arm has slight wear and tear, already repaired."
"Got it."
Luke walked out of the church, coldly staring at the Hell Demon a hundred meters away. This creature was thick-skinned and tough, slow but incredibly resilient. Its skin was covered in an extremely hard, scaly substance; punching it felt like hitting steel.
However, that last punch, Luke had put almost all his strength into it. Forget steel, he could have punched through tungsten alloy. Judging by the sound of cracking bones, its abdominal bones should be broken, and its spine would also be affected.
"Ava, check its physical condition."
"Understood, Young Master."
The view shifted, and a holographic human diagram of the Hell Demon appeared on the internal display. Through the image, the huge wound on its side abdomen was clearly visible.
"It's not that strong, after all!"
Luke muttered to himself. Before his words fully faded, the wound healed at a visible rate, taking only a few short seconds for its abdomen to return to its original state.
"..."
"Young Master, the energy fluctuations on its body surface are increasing."
The demon shakily got up, its single, coal-like eye staring at them with venomous caution.
That last punch had left a deep psychological scar. If it weren't for the changes in its body, it might have died.
Thinking this, it reached out a claw and touched its stomach, its expression somewhat puzzled.
As a High Imp, the great Kapton possessed an incredibly handsome face, an indestructible body, strength comparable to an Abyssal Lord, and flames that could incinerate everything. These were all blessings from the Lord of Hell, and none of them included rapid regeneration.
Could eating human corpses grant new abilities?
Kapton was very confused and decided to try it out. He squinted, searching his surroundings, and soon found the storeroom beside the road.
Constantine and Caspar, hiding in the storeroom, both shivered simultaneously. Without a word, they turned and ran out.
Kapton excitedly licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with intense greed.
"Damn you, Constantine! The Endless Abyssal Lord has put a bounty on you. Bring him your soul, and you'll receive a generous reward."
"What a pity, such a delicious soul, full of the scent of corruption. What a pity, I can only devour your flesh and blood."
"Come on, give me your flesh and blood, grant me greater power!"
Kapton let out a roaring laugh and lunged at the two of them with all his might. One demon and two humans chased each other across the grass, having a grand old time.
They seemed to have forgotten that there was still another person nearby.
Luke's face was grim, and he said expressionlessly, "Ava, am I being ignored?"
"It appears so, Young Master."
"What do you think I should do?"
"The battlesuit has ample energy. We can test its combat performance in various forms."
"Very good. Activate long-range attack mode."
Ghost One began to transform. Its shoulders split open, revealing two energy cannon muzzles. Eight spider-like long legs popped out from its back, each leg a separate energy gun. These energy guns were Kryptonian in origin, a practical application of mass-energy conversion technology.
Luke leaped onto the roof of the storeroom, palms open, cannon muzzles aimed, and the eight spider legs locked onto the demon below.
A piercing hum suddenly filled the air. Twelve energy waves arranged themselves in sequence, converging into a thick energy beam that slammed into the Hell Demon.
Bang!
Its scaled arm exploded into a bloody mist. Kapton howled as its chest flesh ripped open, blasted by the violent energy beam and driven deep into the ground, sinking into the mud.
Luke soared into the air, blue flames erupting from his feet. He flew and fired freely.
Blue energy waves rained down like a storm, creating countless craters in the ground. Dust rose everywhere, spreading out like a thick fog.
From a distance, only a dense network of blue electrical flashes could be seen.
Constantine and Caspar both swallowed hard, too shocked to speak.
Where did this god come from?
He's too strong, actually beating the Hell Demon without it being able to fight back at all.
Constantine opened his mouth, as if to say something, but swallowed his words. To prevent the demon from causing widespread destruction, he had made a small modification to the summoning array.
Of course, magic is a very precise thing, and even a small change can lead to fundamental differences. For example, this High Imp's appearance time was limited to within twenty minutes, with the trade-off that it wouldn't die during that duration.
This was the so-called 'small modification'!
Which meant... Constantine swallowed again. Seizing the opportunity while no one was looking, he turned and slipped into the woods.
The Hell Demon was trouble, and the freak in the black battlesuit was even more trouble. Both were trouble, so it was best to escape first. As for the reward, that could wait.
As a notorious scoundrel, Constantine never worried about others not paying their debts... The Kryptonian energy cannons caused immense damage to the demon, almost turning it into a pulp. If it were an ordinary creature, it would have died long ago, but this one was different. Its soul did not dissipate; instead, it grew even stronger.
"What's going on?!"
Luke stopped, his brows furrowed, utterly bewildered.
The scattered pieces of flesh and blood on the grass seemed to possess consciousness, rapidly merging under the pull of some force. Soon, a brand new High Imp was born.
Luke's eyes widened, completely stunned. Ava displayed a series of question marks on the internal display, clearly also shocked. This scene had surpassed the scope of what science could explain.
He'd never heard of a body being smashed to bits and then recovering as good as new.
Kapton also clearly hadn't expected this to happen. He felt himself all over, his expression filled with confusion.
"Why am I alive again?"
"Could it be that the great Lord of Hell favors me, granting me the ability of eternal life?"
Kapton forcefully pounded his chest and couldn't help but burst into laughter, making various provocative gestures at Luke, who was floating in mid-air.
"Come on! Iron freak!"
"Even if you can smash me, what then? The great Lord of Hell favors me. I, Kapton, am invincible!"
Luke narrowed his eyes, suppressing his anger, and said, "I want a sample of its flesh and blood."
"Understood, Young Master."
"Activate Strike Mode!"
The shoulder cannons disappeared, and the eight spider legs retracted into the body. Dense blue currents emerged from his body. His limbs grew thicker and longer. Tiny scales combined with blue energy, forming a dense yet elastic semi-charged armor.
Ghost One still rose, growing from 1.85 meters to 2.6 meters. The arms, enveloped in blue electrical light, seemed to possess infinite strength, producing a thudding sound with just a slight touch.
The Hell Demon was 2.9 meters tall, not much taller than Ghost Battlesuit in Strike Mode. Their sizes were comparable.
Luke lifted his right leg and strode towards the demon, each step leaving a deep crater in the grass.
Kapton roared and charged forward. As a High Imp, it never feared close combat.
The two behemoths collided heavily, exchanging punches and kicks. Steel and flesh battled, each impact producing a deafening roar.