Chef in the Apocalypse

The surroundings trembled, filled with the terrifying roar of a dragon. It was as if their was a divine presence in the air, forcing a tangible pressure on anyone close by.

Jackie, Ben and Amber who was closest to Victor, felt their bodies get pushed to the ground with little resistance. It was as if the divinity would not allow those without strength to show it any disrespect.

As Victor’s figure continued to slowly rise, the air hummed in response. Rays of light flashed from his body as it underwent the final phases of the transformation.

Small explosions sounded as Victor’s bones were shattered from the inside, causing him to roar out in pain. However, the disfigured flesh healed almost an instant later, a result of the terrifying Dragon’s blood running through his veins.

The surviving humans and aliens alike could only watch from a distance as the transformation was nearing its zenith.

Garu who had been too absorbed in his berserker-like state, only now seemed to notice that something was amiss. No longer were the ants running around and screaming while trying to avoid his Warhammer.

His eyes which had turned pure white with rage, suddenly reverted back to normal as he began to calm himself. The first thing he felt was the thick atmosphere laden with a sense of oppression.

"No... It can’t be." He murmured, afraid to turn his head and witness the spectacle.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A final earth-shattering roar pierced the heavens, forcing everyone in the vicinity to lose their consciousness.

Garu felt his vision swim as he took the mental attack head on.

"Ughh" He let out a pained groan, feeling a splitting headache manifest instantly. Yet he still managed to stay on his feet, turning around to meet the threat.

Garu’s face fell as he gazed upon the form of Victor who was now floating in the air stably. The fact he was capable of doing so meant that he had indeed completed his breakthrough to the Core Formation realm.

Victor was covered in black scales from head to toe, giving him a sleek and almost metallic appearance. His eyes were red, yet it was not the red of madness. There was a cold and calculating light hidden beneath, adding to his mysteriousness.

He gazed upon Garu the way one would look at a pest that they intended to kill. There was no compassion, nor was there any hint of mercy within his eyes.

His mind had been filled with nothing but the thought of breaking through and assimilating the Dragon’s Blood which had been flowing through his veins. Victor wasn’t sure where it had come from, but he knew it only brought benefits.

Now that he had time to think, his thoughts moved back to before he began his breakthrough. The scene of Dave being skewered by Garu’s sword before his soul was turned to ashes replayed in his mind.

Victor’s face twisted and an expression of rage formed, causing his sharp teeth to be exposed. If looks could kill, his gaze would be enough to dispose of Garu hundreds of times over.

"You. Will. Pay."

He spat out those three words. It sounded gutterul, almost primal, causing Garu to shiver in response.

Garu was filled with trepidation, yet seeing as how things had come to this, he had little choice but to fight it out. If he had not been stopped by the human ants earlier, things would not have turned out like this.

Garu kicked off the ground hard, almost instantly appearing beside Victor who was still glaring at him dangerously. He had decided to take the initiative, hoping that the Dragonkin had not yet gotten accustomed to his newfound strength.

He swung down the Warhammer with practiced precision, aiming for the top of Victor’s head. A dull thud sounded out, brightening Garu’s features as he continued to pour strength into the attack.

However, no matter how much strength he added, Victor’s head would not move an inch. It was as if he was swinging down upon a red star, something which far outweighed the strength he could fathom.

’Not good!’ Garu shouted in his mind, feeling a grave sense of danger.

He quickly backpedaled, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. Yet he was not quick enough.

Victor slashed out with his right hand which had been turned into a razor sharp claw. The claw met no resistance as it tore through the aliens flesh as if it was cutting through air.

The sound of a large object hitting the ground rang out, filling Garu with confusion. After managing to create some distance, he noticed that his body had felt somewhat lighter, as if he had removed a burden.

It was then that he noticed his Warhammer not far in front of him on the ground.

’Ah shit, I must have dropped it.’ He thought inwardly.

"Go on, pick it up." Victor said, a vicious look planted on his face.

Garu kept his eye on Victor, unsure of what kind of trick he was trying to pull. Why would he be so generous as to gift him back his weapon, or was he underestimating him?

’Good... I might have a chance if he’s underestimating me.’ Garu thought as he went to bend down and collect his Warhammer. However, his eyes never left Victor, in case the bastard tried to trick him.

He tried a few times to feel the ground in front of him, yet something felt wrong. He frowned before deciding to take a proper look at the ground to find out what was impeding him.

It was then that he saw the Warhammer with his two right arms still gripping onto the shaft. Confusion struck his brain as he took in the sight, not understanding at first what he was looking at.

His gaze moved to his right arms, only to see they had been sliced through completely. The wound was made so cleanly that he had not felt a thing.

Garu’s face paled and he finally let out a scream of pain.

"ARGHHH"

He fell to the ground, using his two left arms to cover the wounds and try to stop the bleeding. His fearful gaze moved up to Victor who was still staring at him, yet there was a hint of amusement within his vicious expression.

"My bad. I was aiming for the Warhammer but your arms were in the way." Victor said, his tone dripping with venom.

"M-Monster... How can you be strong already. You’ve only just entered the Core Formation realm." Garu stammered.

"Monster? Weren’t you the ones who wanted to invade our home and kill us all? So nice of you to twist the facts." Victor snarled, feeling his anger rise once more.

For some reason the word Monster had made him feel disgust, as if that was a taboo word.

Without waiting for a response, he charged forward with ill intent. Garu had no time to react before he was pounced upon by Victor who began to pummel him with raining fists. Each strike produced a tiny explosion, sending waves of agony through his body.

The ground sank in with every punch, causing tremors to affect the surroundings.

Garu’s cries and screams of pain began to wane after some time, however not until Victor was satisfied. Only after ensuring that all of the bones in the alien’s body had been crushed did he finally step back and admire his handiwork.

The once imposing and destructive alien was now unmoving within the depths of a crater. His large build was now misshapen, almost as if he had been rolled and stretched out like pizza dough underneath a rolling pin.

He was still breathing thanks to the resilience of his cultivation realm, however he was merely inches from death.

"Any last words?" Victor said, his earlier vicious expression now replaced with one of indifference.

Garu’s face was twisted in pain, having suffered the brutal treatment of having all of the bones in his body destroyed. He froze for a moment before his expression turned into one of glee.

"HA HA. You’ve... done it now." He spat out, along with a mouthful of blood. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Huh?" Victor felt a wave of disgust after seeing such an expression on the soon-to-be dead foe on the ground.

"Interesting last words..." He said, before raising his foot and preparing to stomp on Garu’s head, ending his existence.

"DON’T YOU DARE!"

Suddenly the entire Earth seemed to radiate with killing intent, forcing Victor’s breath to stagnate in his throat. He felt that if he made another move, he would be instantly killed.

His gaze slowly moved towards the heavens where the breach was. The lightning within the clouds was popping off like crazy, sending brilliant lights outwards in all directions.

Victor felt a wave of uneasiness overcome him as he gazed upon a figure walk out of the clouds. The figure looked like an older man in his 50’s with a hunched back, yet just his aura filled him with dread.

"M-Master" Garu whispered, before losing consciousness.