CRACK~
While the two continued staring at him in a very speechless yet startled manner with their eyes wide open, all of sudden, a noise much similar to glass shattering apart resounded throughout the area.
This was the sign that the Rift was about to throw everything within itself outside!
Thud!
And indeed, after a brief moment of brilliance, everything from the unknown side of the world was expelled to ours. However, against the two Guardian’s expectations, instead of the usual army of monsters, a single enormous creature took shape in front of them.
“I-Is that… a butterfly?” Gun Mustache voiced, unable to take his eyes off of this nemesis of mankind.
Right now, the massive butterfly was about to flap its two pairs of transparent wings before ascending to the sky where it ruled.
“I-It’s not a horde of monsters… only one monster, which means… this rift… is a single monster Rift! A Concentrated Rift!” A terrible quake went through Tongue Woman’s body. And thereafter she couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
She was acting relieved because she truly felt comfort at the fact that Virus had bought out this hazardous Rift called the ‘Concentrated Rift’ from them!
And what are ‘Concentrated Rifts’?
Well, conceivably ninety-nine percent of the time, the Rifts usually possess and expel a group of monsters that have a strength similar to or even lesser than the estimated star given to that particular Rift. This type of case is considered a normal one where the respective Guardians will be able to handle without much difficulty.
However, the headache begins when the typical does not happen. Instead, the Rift reacts abnormally and only ejects one or two monsters. And this is where things start to get more complicated.
After a lot of experiments, discoveries, and deductions, scientists and experts hypothesized that each Rift seems to be able to contain a certain accumulated amount of energy and power within itself.
This meant that if a Rift bore a group of monsters rather than a single one, the overall energy will most likely be distributed among them, therefore the Guardians will be facing comparably weaker enemies in greater number.
On the opposite, if a single monster was dispatched, there was a high chance that the energy will be concentrated on that particular monster, thus forcing humanity to face a much stronger adversary. And that is what a ‘Concentrated Rift’ was all about.
Of course, at the end of the day, all of this was merely probable theories made by humans which could not be confirmed due to their current lack of knowledge. Furthermore, the fact that the Rifts didn’t always follow the same rules implemented behind these theories on many occasions also forced many doubts and shadows on the rationale of the experts.
Fwsh!
Meanwhile, watching the butterfly rise into the sky in all its grandeur, a brief grin came to be plastered on Virus’ face as he decided, ‘A great practicing dummy you are…’
“Do me a favor and live until I’m done determining and testing the limits of my 2nd level of Liberation, will ya?” Muttering this meaningful sentence which sounded nothing but nonsensical gibberish to the two by-standing Guardians, Virus wondered next, ‘I’m really curious though, will you be able to last to the point where I’m forced to release my energy externally?’
Subsequently shaking his head, a glint of determination went through his eyes. ‘Unlikely… but let’s give it a try.’
Following that, without paying any attention to his unwanted spectators, he jumped at the butterfly without any warnings.
Swish!
While in mid-air, his gaze also did not leave the creature at all as he lifted his left leg before continuing to descend with all his might and momentum focused behind that particular foot.
Bam!
Thereafter, a small crater appeared on the ground. Unfortunately, the butterfly had dodged the attack.
SCREEEECH!
“Hmm?” Raising his head upwardly and looking at the angered butterfly at some distance above himself, he could only admit, “You fly faster than I expected.”
“But that’s not going to save you.” Simultaneously, leading every ounce of energy within himself, he focused them all throughout the interior of his legs as the countless motes of energy began to pump through his feet pathways wildly.
JUMP!
Afterward, as he was right in front of the butterfly in what felt like even lesser than a single second, he sent a straight punch at its left eye.
Bang!
As his fist successfully landed on the monster’s eye, it was followed by a bursting noise. One of the butterfly’s eyes had just burst apart much similar to a bubble!
SCREECH!
Greatly enraged and even in some affliction now, after a short moment of struggling and adjusting, the butterfly no longer hesitated to charge in his direction.
Thereupon, just when it was in rather close proximity to him, the butterfly suddenly twirled around as it aimed one of its horrifyingly sharp wings at him while doing a slicing movement with it.
Meanwhile, watching the incoming sharp blade of wing in slow motion, Virus calculated and immediately knew he was capable of dodging it if he wanted to. Yet, for some reason, he refused to do so and instead allowed the attack to hit him head-on.
Swish!
A line was drawn in the air as blood started to pour down his right hand next.
And examining his bleeding arm which had been left somewhat injured, a thought of amazement flashed through his brain abruptly, ‘Oh? It’s able to injure me? That’s one hell of a sharp and thin wing.’
In fact, to Virus, the butterfly’s wing being able to injure his arm felt more like a situation of ‘paper cut’. Indeed, although paper cannot compare to the solidity of skin, due to it being extremely thin, it sometimes cuts through it while making it bleed.
At the same time, watching the scene of battle between what they could only call monsters, Gun Mustache and Tongue Woman were experiencing an even greater state of astoundment. While Gun Mustache’s straight mustache was shivering nonstop, the Tongue Woman’s tongue was hanging loosely from her mouth.
“T-that butterfly… it’s at the very peak of three stars at least! No… it might even be in the initial phases of four stars! But… apparently he’s able to fight that all by himself! W-What a monster…” Gun Mustache opened his mouth nervously. Droplets of sweat were also rolling down his face as he felt stressed at the sight of both monsters, one called a butterfly and the other… human.
