BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

"Is that all you\'ve got?" Monica taunted from atop her monstrous mount. "I expected more from a man who defeated three Vindicators!"

Erik gritted his teeth as he was forced to use Time Freeze again. The world around him slowed to a crawl, giving him precious time to evade the wyvern\'s snapping jaws. But he felt the drain on his mana reserves with each use.

Erik didn\'t have neural links for this power and didn\'t even know how to use it properly. But he couldn\'t avoid it because the wyvern was too fast, too strong, and its brain crystal power was too deadly. The monster was releasing a torrent of flames, lighting the black skies, and illuminating the battlefield below, which showed a grim sight.

<I can\'t keep this up forever,> Erik thought, searching for an opening. <But how can I kill that thing? It\'s already dead!>

The most logical thing was in theory to kill the woman, but she was on top of the wyvern, and Erik couldn\'t get close to her. As time resumed its normal flow, Erik countered with a barrage of wind blades. They were faster than fireballs but slower than lightning. They weren\'t as deadly as the latter, but at least they weren\'t going to be neutralized by whatever the third division commander was using to prevent that from harming her. The wind blades sped towards the wyvern but weren\'t enough to cut the beast. <I need to use more mana…>

But Erik was reluctant to risk remaining without mana. He had many powers he needed to use, and some just to survive. If he spent all his mana attacking, without the Chimaeric Demons providing him more by killing the blackguards below, he couldn\'t replenish it, and he would end up powerless against the beast.

Monica\'s laughter rang out. But she said nothing.

Erik summoned a massive gust of wind, buffeting the wyvern and throwing it off balance. In that split second, he activated his Molecular Restructuring power, focusing on the air around the creature\'s head. Erik found out, in fact, that he could actually affect the surrounding area with that power up to a couple of meters. Restro could likely do the same, but there was a downside to this since the missing direct contact made the mana consumption increase. Yet Erik had no choice. Two meters were the closest he could get to that thing, and even that was awfully close.

The oxygen molecules began to separate and concentrate, creating a combustible pocket within the wyvern\'s mouth and throat.

"Let\'s see how you like this," Erik said, unleashing a focused burst of lightning into the wyvern\'s maw.

The result was explosive. Flames erupted from the creature\'s mouth and nostrils, the internal combustion tearing through its decaying flesh. The wyvern let out an ear-splitting shriek.

Monica, caught off guard by the attack, nearly lost her grip on the writhing beast. Her eyes blazed with fury as she locked gazes with Erik.

She raised her hand, mana swirling around her fingers. She was using her second brain crystal power. The wounds on the wyvern closed, necrotic flesh knitting itself back together. "You got a healing ability as your second brain crystal power?"

"It works well with my minions!"

Whatever she used, in fact, could be fixed in this way. This complicated things for Erik.

Most of the wounds on the wyvern\'s body disappeared. Its maws got fixed; the few cuts Erik created closed. The damaged leg even regrows, partially at least. But Monica didn\'t heal the wyvern\'s wounds in full.

<That\'s curious…>

There was also a hole in its chest. <That must be the wound that led to the wyvern\'s death. Monica didn\'t heal it despite how dangerous that wound was.>

That was instead puzzling.

The wyvern charged at Erik with renewed vigor. Its massive wings created gusts of wind that threatened to throw him off balance.

Erik activated his Force Bastion, the energy shields from Nathaniel\'s power forming around him just as the wyvern\'s talons raked across his chest. The force shield held, but Erik felt the impact reverberate through his body and a massive chunk of mana getting spent just to parry an attack.

There was too much weight behind it.

<I need to separate Monica from that thing. As long as she\'s in contact with it, she can keep healing it.>

Erik dove, weaving through the air with the wyvern in hot pursuit. He needed to draw Monica closer to the ground, where he might have a chance to isolate her.

As they neared the earth, Erik could see the chaos of the battle below. His clones fought valiantly against the blackguards, but the undead horde was posing too much of a problem. [ENEMY HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

[ALLIED CHIMAERIC DEMON KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

[ENEMY HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

[ALLIED CHIMAERIC DEMON KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

The undead below could not use brain crystal powers, or mana, since it already left their bodies. But these were still powerful, especially the corpses belonging to Erik\'s Chimaeric Demons. That was why his clones were slowly being overwhelmed.

<I need to do something,> Erik thought.

He spun in mid-air, facing his pursuers. Concentrating, he activated his Frostwind Fire Tempest power. The surrounding air swirled, a maelstrom of fire and howling winds forming. "You can\'t run away from me!"

Erik was targeting the enemy troops but was trying to not make it obvious because he knew that if the Third Division commander understood he was going to target her minions directly, she would do the same for Erik\'s clones. No, Erik needed to make it look like it was an accident.

Erik used a huge chunk of mana because this time, he wanted to kill as many enemies as he could. Burning them was going to neutralize the woman\'s powers, as the bodies would get destroyed completely, leaving her with nothing to use.

Besides, if he could free the Chimaeric Demons from their fight, they might be able to help him against the third division commander.

Monica\'s eyes widened as she saw the elemental fury building before her. "Brace yourself!" she said to her mount, who then ascended to the sky, avoiding a massive flame, more looking like a tsunami than a fire.

The torrent of fire missed the wyvern and its rider, but the wind-driven flames consumed the enemy ranks below.

[ENEMY HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

[ENEMY HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

…

[ENEMY HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

[ENEMY HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]

…

[LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.]

…

[LEVEL UP.]

<What the fuck?>

The amount of level-ups was insane; Erik got 16 levels. <Why?>

The biological supercomputer answered his question.

[These blackguards are powerful. The three Vindicators had around 100 Neural links, and you got millions of experience points, but these guys are no less strong. They have around 70, considering both brain crystal powers. Based on what you did now, you just killed around 5000 people. Well played, Erik.] n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om