The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

The five shadow guards stared at Karsha with eyes widened to the extreme—jaw-dropping disbelief etched across their faces. The Overlord, an entity even the bravest Purple Tail Anaconda wouldn't dare challenge, lay dead before them, and the one who slew it now sat nonchalantly on its head, smiling.

'He's a monster,' was the only thought that raced through their minds. These were beasts themselves, yet in Karsha's presence, they couldn't help but feel dwarfed. He was a monster among monsters, beyond any doubt.

Karsha glanced at the awe-struck guards and couldn't resist widening his smile. "What are you waiting for? Come on, climb up."

The shadow guards hesitated for a moment, but realizing the snake was dead, they leaped onto its back, still in a state of shock.

"Don't worry, we're inside my domain. No snake can enter," Karsha reassured them, studying their expressions for a moment before asking, "What did you discover after I left?"

When Karsha had used his domain to cover the 10km distance, he had sensed something but had been too preoccupied with enemy territory to investigate. Now, with the shadow guards present, he knew they might have found something significant if all had gone well.

"Nothing grand, but there are seven Tier 7 Dark Mutants guarding the entrance to this mountain. They could be the Overlord's personal guards, but I have my doubts," Dhaka replied.

"Oh, and why is that?" Karsha asked.

"Well, during the battle, they didn't budge. They just stood there. When you were fighting the Overlord, it seemed like they had a more pressing task, something more important than coming after us or aiding the Overlord," Dhaka explained. Karsha quickly connected the dots.

"Then there's only one possibility—they're guarding something crucial," Karsha concluded, though he briefly entertained the idea of investigating further, he dismissed it. There would be time for that later.

"What should we do then?" Dhaka asked. "We'll be moving to the next location soon after I finish a few things. You guys should rest and recover your strength."

"We didn't do much. Once your battle with the Overlord began, the snakes stopped attacking, so we had it easy," Ayarr admitted, accepting the reality that the ScaleCrusher was indeed dead.

"Alright then, while I focus on my tasks, use this time to retrieve the venom sacs from the snake for me," Karsha instructed. The shadow guards sprang into action, leaving Karsha to concentrate on his next objective.

He produced a reddish orb-like object, roughly the size of a tennis ball. Faint golden wisps escaped from it as Karsha closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain to come. With determination, he bit into the consumable blood of the ScaleCrusher, devouring the entire sphere.

Instantly, the system sprang into action, extracting the essence of the blood.

< The host has consumed the consumable blood essence of the ScaleCrusher >

< Essence extraction in progress: 10%, 20% ... 100% >

< Tempering commencing: 3... 2... 1... >

Karsha gritted his teeth as the system began using the blood to temper his body. Almost immediately, he was drenched in sweat. The process was excruciating; as the blood belonged to a Tier 7 Terror Mutant, its potency intensified the pain to new heights.

Karsha endured the intense pain for about an hour before a burst of bloodthirsty aura exploded from his body. The entire domain was instantly suffused with a stifling presence that nearly caused the five shadow guards to pass out, saved only by Karsha swiftly retracting his aura.

Simultaneously, the system began chiming with a series of notifications. Karsha let out a slight groan before shifting his focus to the system window. The pain had subsided, but the absorption process continued in the background.

< Ding! Requirement met. Your body has broken through to the first stage: Iron Body. >

< You have gained +100 years to your lifespan, +200 to all stats. >

< Your senses have significantly heightened. You can now perceive up to 10km around you. >

< Your skin has toughened, capable of withstanding direct attacks from weapons below Earth Grade. >

< Ding! Due to your body's breakthrough, Venom and Bloodline absorption speed has increased. >

< Ding! You have absorbed 40% of the Bloodline of the ScaleCrusher. >

< Your Berserker Swordsman Class has grown stronger. >

< Your Aura has evolved. +1000 Charm. Congratulations! >

"Sorry, guys. I didn't expect to make a breakthrough just now," Karsha smiled, noting the pale faces of the shadow guards. His aura had affected them, but more importantly, they were concerned for Karsha's well-being.

Seeing that he was perfectly healthy, they resumed extracting the venom sacs. Meanwhile, Karsha retrieved the next item. He had achieved an Iron Body, the first stage of body tempering—a milestone many spent their lives pursuing.

In the realm of body cultivation, there are numerous stages: Iron Body, Bronze Body, Silver Body, Golden Body, Diamond Body, Heavenly Body, Primordial Body, Celestial Body, Supreme Body, and finally God Body. There are records of other stages above God's body but they are mere records. Nobody has ever seen someone with such a body before, so most just focus on this stage.

Truth is, getting an Iron body isn't easy. But once you've got it, things start looking up. Of course, that's if you've got the cash to buy all those pricey herbs and treasures. Body tempering costs a fortune, so most folks just steer clear of it altogether.

But for the brave souls who do dive in and achieve that Iron body, it pays off big time. It's the ultimate boost, both physically and spiritually. Those who temper their bodies find it way easier to break through to higher stages.

But for Karsha, it's been a different story. Since day one, he's been tempering his body with blood, a method unique to his class that gives him an intense bloodlust few can match. While others absorb just a fraction of the essence from their kills, Karsha takes it all in.

The aura he emits is only the beginning of his power. As he absorbs more blood essence, his aura grows even more bloodthirsty. His current aura alone can disorient your average Saint. Just one kill of an Overlord has already boosted him significantly—who knows how far he'll rise after defeating all ten?

Karsha gazed at the orb-like object before him. It looked like rock or metal, yet somehow neither. It was one of his rewards for slaying an Overlord.

< Do you wish to absorb the Symbiotic Skin armor >

"Yes," Karsha replied eagerly, though inside he was overflowing with joy. According to the memory from the Divine Alchemist's legacy, symbiotic skin armor was a lifelike armor that could meld with a cultivator's body.

After absorption, it melds with the person's skin, granting unmatched defense. Karsha, sensing the ancient nature of this symbiote, couldn't contain his joy.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

With the system's aid, the process took under ten minutes before a message appeared.

<Ding! You have absorbed Symbiotic Skin Armor. +5000 added to defense. Your body now surpasses Heavenly grade armor.>

<Temper your body further to unlock its full potential>

"Now we're talking," Karsha grinned happily. He could feel his skin becoming so resilient that even a sword thrust couldn't penetrate it or leave a mark. Not that he'd let anyone stab him, but with his symbiotic skin, even sneak attacks while he slept wouldn't harm him.

With his skin gaining a literal sentience, it could react to attacks without his awareness. He was more protected than ever, all from slaying just one overlord.

He leaped from the snake's head and landed beside his five personal guards. Before them lay three basketball-sized Venom Sacs oozing poisonous gas. "They are even bigger than expected," Karsha grinned, waving his hand. He stored both the snake's body and venom in his spiritual space ring.

He retrieved the colossal shield. "Kilian, looks like you need an upgrade." He handed the shield to the muscular shadow guard, who broke into a wide smile as soon as it appeared.

"Go ahead, give it a try," Karsha said, nodding. Kilian stepped forward, took a deep breath, and activated [Spike Fury], slamming the shield into the ground. The entire mountain trembled, and then it happened: the ground erupted with 2-meter-long spikes coated in venom. Soon, they began shooting out.

Karsha and the others quickly backed away. The Spike Fury was terrifying. After a few moments, it subsided, and Kilian returned, grinning like a devil. "Thank you, Karsha."

"Alright, Alida, give me your hand." Karsha took her hand, and instantly, Alida's eyes lit up with excitement and shock. "An Emperor rank avatar."

"Yeah, you need more defense, so let's use our friend Mr. ScaleCrusher for that," Karsha replied with a smile, deactivating the domain. "Alright, time to go." With trembling hands, Alida swiftly summoned and floated the boat.

They jumped in, and with a flash, they departed, heading toward their next destination: Venom Swamp, the domain of the Acidcoil Overlord. Soon, the swamp would witness the downfall of its second Overlord.