Chapter 175 - Spirit Mode
Chapter 175: Spirit Mode
Nags, who was still standing on a tree branch spectating the fight could not believe his own eyes.
Was Moby the first person to ever wield 2 abilities or did his ability also include purple ice as part of its repertoire?
At this point, he was not able to tell. But, since Jason was swiftly defeated he knew that it was his turn and he could take his time forcing the information out of him. He did not care for saving Jason just like he promised, he brought it upon himself and now he was about to face the consequences.
Nevertheless, before he went down to Moby's location, he decided to verify Jason's theory of there possibly being someone that was in the forest before he had erected his barrier and that person was the one who used the ice ability to win by using a dirty tactic.
Yet, just like he expected, after hopping around from tree to tree around the area, he found absolutely nothing, meaning that Moby's claims were no bluff.
However, as he was ready to hop down from the trees to reveal himself, something even more unexpected happened, making Nags laugh like a mad man, clenching his stomach before once again sitting back to enjoy the show.
Moby's strategy of luring Jason into water where his ice powers were buffed was very risky in more ways than one, especially since he did not know how much better his basic ice manipulation skill had strengthened his ice powers as he did not have time to test it out due to the fact that he was searching for Ray all day.
It was his only choice since all he had left was his nearly full reserve of mana since his demon energy was all but depleted.
He took a massive gamble since this was his first-ever time testing out his ice powers after his boost and he would be lying to say that he was disappointed. It worked out much better than he expected. The ice, using the water as a means to strengthen it, was relatively easy to control and it was extremely difficult for Jason to break off as he was still in a very injured state, more than he could have ever dreamt of getting out of his ability from before.
Moby now stood up straight from his previous hunch and removed his arm that was clenched onto another one like it was broken as he had no more reasons to pretend or overplay his injuries in order to lure in his opponent since he already got him right where he wanted him.
As Moby approached Jason's frozen body to do what he had to do, he began to hear small cracks coming from his direction. At first, he thought that he must have stepped on a twig or that he must have just imagined it. However, when he looked back over at Jason, he noticed large cracks beginning to appear on the ice surrounding him, making it shake like crazy.
This made Moby panic as he knew what this meant, Jason was somehow about to free himself from the ice prison binding him. Moby threw away all of his previous plans and focused on just solely killing Jason before he was able to completely break out.
He sprinted straight towards him with all of his might, instinctively putting his hand out in order to blast his demon energy only for it to not work.
As he cursed his stupidity he shifted to using his other energy source that he was not used to having just yet, his mana.
He lifted his hands in the air and with the aid of the water surrounding him, he created 5 spears of ice, immediately throwing them towards Jason, aiming straight for his head in order to deal the finishing blow.
However, right before the spears could make impact, they were suddenly and abruptly blocked by wing-like, blue, unknown energy that almost seemed to be fuel by soundwaves that emerged from Jason's back.
"What the fuck is that!?" Moby blurted out in shock as he was unable to understand what had just happened, and what kind of power that was.
His attacks seemed to be ineffective, so the only thing he could do was try his best to hold Jason in place by strengthening his ice. He knew that it would undoubtedly waste a great chunk of mana doing so but he had to take the chance just in case that it worked.
He lifted both of his hands out in front of him as he began to strengthen his ice prison, sweat running down his face. Yet, despite all his efforts, he was still unable to keep up with the rate the ice was breaking, making him internally curse as he watched the scene he did not want to see unfold right in front of his eyes.
Before he knew it, Jason was now free, free to do whatever he wanted as he laughed maniacally, his wings flapping as he floated in the air above the river with a beyond crazy look on his injured, bloody face, a few visible veins popping out.
"Hahahaha! I'm free! You sly little fucking bug! I'm finally free! Did you miss me? You really thought you had me didn't you bitch!? But seems like all your little tricks have run out! You have no idea what I'm gonna do to your ass! Just you wait! I'll show you what true power looks like! I'll fucking tear you to shreds and piss on your remains before I feed them to the dogs! There's no getting away this time!" Jason shrieked like he had completely lost his mind, celebrating his newly acquired freedom with deranged laughter.
Blue, sound energy with what looked like musical notes surrounded his entire body. The energy formed more than just 2 wings that sprouted out of his back, but also 2 extra-long ears coming out of his head, a small, thin tail that protruded from his behind, short yet sharp claws, and the same kind of blue, sound energy glowing from his eyes.
He looked exactly like a bat… The connection was unmistakable.
Moby could not believe his eyes, what he saw was something that he had only seen on FireWatch when he was doing his ability research.
Spirit mode…
A mode that could only be activated by an ability user who had reached enough of a connection and bond with their inner spirit. When the mode was activated, a person's ability strength is greatly increased and the person begins to take on properties from their inner spirit's looks and attributes.
This meant that Jason's inner spirit was that of some sort of bat and he had strengthened and evolved his bond so much during their fight to the point that it now allowed him to tap into his spirit mode, something that Moby did not expect seeing in his current situation.
The only person he had ever seen possibly use such a technique was just the day before during the Griffith family party, when Mason Griffith, Jayden's father, used it to silence the crowd with his drowning, overwhelming strength.
Moby's streak of never-ending bad luck seemed to indeed truly be never-ending. No matter what careful planning he did, no matter how much effort he put, his plans seemed to always work at first only to be thwarted by some unknown mean that he could only describe as bullshit. He and Lady luck seemed to have never really been on good terms but he really wished that it would change in the future.
In his current injured and drained state, his only option for victory was to activate his sin mode and use those effects to heal, restore, and buff himself in order to combat and possibly even overcome Jason's spirit mode.
He was already forced to reveal one of his trump cards, his ice powers and he really did not want to reveal both, especially in front of Nags who he knew was no doubt spectating.
He really wanted to save sin mode when he needed to fight Nags since the 5-minute time limit would not allow him to fight both of them while it was active. But, despite his urges, even if he would lose the element of surprise that came from his 2 trump cards, his ice powers and his sin mode, survival was still his top priority.
"I'll make you pay for all the shit you made me go through… You have made a mockery out of me and the gang for the last time… You're dead… you're dead… you're fucking dead… YOU'RE DEAD!" Jason roared as he flapped his wings, flying straight towards the injured Moby at incredible speed, his tongue out with a disgusting look on his face as he put his fist out ready strike.
However, halfway in the air before he was able to reach Moby, he heard several cracks coming from his body enter his ears…
What followed was the most immense pain that he had ever experience before in his entire life as he felt all of his muscles and organs throbbing and his bones breaking, causing a huge splash as he dropped straight into the river.
His extremely injured body had already been pushed far beyond its limits. The entire time, extreme pain was ravaging through his entire system but due to his adrenaline and blinding anger, all that pain was simply ignored as it continued to pile up. Now that pain had gotten to the point where it would be impossible to ignore and where he had pushed his body to the point that it would not be able to properly function. The possible strain on the body from using spirit mode most likely also added onto that fact.
The human body could only sustain so much after all...
Jason's body was completely submerged in water, his eyes extremely blurry as he was about to pass out from everything that just happened. He cursed Moby along with his entire existence as he tried his best to move his body and stand up in the extremely shallow water. However, despite all of his efforts, he was not able to move or even do anything.
Why did his body have to shut down the moment he felt victory was so near and the moment he had finally unlocked his spirit mode...
He was really about to die in such a stupid, pathetic way… Drowning in shallow water that could only be described as a kiddie pool. In the end, he ended up being an even bigger disgrace than he first thought that he would be as his tears of anger and despair were taken away by the river surrounding him.
However, before he closed his eyes for the last time, right before he felt his life was about to slip away, he felt an immense grasp onto his big head as he was pulled out of the water using 1 hand, his body being lifted high to the point that his feet were only barely dipped into the water despite his massive stature.
When he looked in front of him with his dark, hazy vision, he saw a man's face, his smile wider and more ominous than any smile he had ever seen before in his life. The only words that could properly describe it was demon-like.
Yet, his mind was too cloudy and his body was too tired for him to show any reaction as he simply closed his eyes. In the next instant, he felt like his life energy was being sucked right out of his body, almost like he was a juice box being squeezed for every last drop.
He felt like his body was literally ageing several years in the span of seconds from the immense pain that was somehow even greater than that of his body shutting down all at once, making him want to scream out and squirm around in pain, something that he was not able to do with his tired, weak, numb body.
If he did not know any better, he felt like he was about to turn into dust from what he was feeling. However, right as he felt like he was about to die, he got sudden, unexpected light and relief in the darkness of his previous torture. The difference was like that of heaven to hell as he felt like he was at peace in his heart, his heart now full of light and comfort. He could not remember the last time he felt such a thing in his entire life. It seemed like he had died and finally entered paradise where he thought he would belong and live the rest of his existence in pure bliss.
However… that was far from the truth... That feeling did not last for long as it completely shifted into the most extreme, unbearable pain he had ever felt in his entire life, hundreds, no thousands of times greater than he had felt before... Now, he truly wished that that heavenly sensation had not happened and that he had truly turned to dust...