The World Cataclysm

Seeing how Richard was willing to forsake him in a crucial moment, Dave didn't any guilt for setting him up. Some people may say that he was heartless, but he wasn't as naive as Arthur to leave potential enemies alive.

Looking at how Richard put his life above others and was cruel enough to pit people against zombies, even though Richard's ability was quite useful, Dave never believed that he could change so quickly. But as a leopard can't change its spots easily, so Richard would still have his desire for power and authority.

Moreover, after what he did to Richard, Dave wouldn't believe that Richard wouldn't have a grudge against him. After all, he tripled his authority, took away his subordinates and robbed items from him. Dave wouldn't be surprised even if Richard considered him as his mortal enemy.

After all, he took one of his eyes!

Even if Richard was a saint, he would have never forgotten such a grudge against a person who made him blind for one eye. At least, Dave would have never forgiven anyone if someone did the same thing to him.

He would have hunted down that person!

Therefore, there was only one way for them; either Richard attempts to kill him as he grows strong or either Dave kills him first. The things between them had already grown far beyond the line where they could come to an agreement.

Therefore, when he proposed to Richard help him killing Devourer, Dave had never planned to let him live. He instilled fear into him, so Richard would be obedient for a short time, enough to find and kill Devourer. He chose Richard since Dave couldn't care less would Richard die during the battle or not.

He hadn't killed Richard right in the beginning because he planned to use one future university calamity to deal with another. Although he hadn't hoped that Richard would be able to contend with Devourer in equal qualms, the title of Future Tyrant was still a representation of his power, owning to his innate ability to make his skin as tough as steel.

Hence, Dave planned to use Richard to relieve some burden from himself while trying to kill Devourer. Also, despite knowing that Devourer could eat both zombies and humans, its ability to regenerate was still a great surprise for him. However, in a worst-case scenario, Dave based his backup plan on this special trait.

Furthermore, he put his life at risk when he pulled Richard to block Devourer's tongue. If there was even one mishap, one mistake in his calculations, then Dave would have been gravely injured if not died. Taking the nature of the wound into the consideration, Dave would have also been infected.

"So it's you and me," Dave tried to calm his palpitating heart. After all, this was the most dangerous battle he would have after his Regression. Devourer clearly understood that Devourer was stronger than him by a league.

But he had a chance to kill it! He couldn't let such an opportunity slip through his hands.

As he gripped tightly hilts of both swords, Devourer charged at him, trying to deal with him with its monstrous strength. Hurriedly avoiding it, Dave sent a Chop with one of his swords. As it got hit, Devourer felt a slight sting from the wound.

It tried to reach the pest bothering it with its claws, yet the latter swiftly evaded all its thrusts. Devourer's claws barely missed Dave as he moved as lightly as he was stepping on a cloud. He used Cloud Walk to dodge all of its attacks as he was perfectly dodging Devourer using only minimum movements to do so.

'Did it get faster than before? It's only slightly, but it seems true that Devourers could get respective stats from evolved zombies.' Dave's heart shuddered inwardly. He was using all of his concentration to dodge Devourer, and even then, he was barely avoiding them.

After the incident with Devourer in their university, Dave had heard lots of amazing rumours about it. Some said that acid flowed their blood vessels, while others even argued that it could breathe fire from its mouth. Of course, most of them were just story tales.

However, there was one rumour that made Dave hadn't much attention in particular. Some guy spread information that Devour could absorb the innate abilities of zombies and humans. Even though it may seem plain, Dave only later understood how terrifying it was.

Devourer could assimilate attributes like strength and agility from evolved zombies and Evolvers which was already scary on its own, yet it could obtain innate abilities from zombies and humans that mutated to have an innate ability. It was like humans awaken innate abilities, yet now it was zombies' turn.

Actually, it was just a cheat-like ability. Imagine Devourer eating Adam and acquiring his Telekinesis, or even Richard's innate skin to make its body tough. However, the most terrifying was the fact that if it ate enough humans, it could rise intelligence. Imagine such a monster acquiring intelligence. Even with basic intelligence, the difficulty of killing it would rise tenfold.

Fortunately, Devourers were quite rare that Dave hadn't met another one in five years. Hence, Dave didn't know was it fortunate that it was killed in their university or unfortunate that it had appeared on the campus. Imagine what disaster it could cause if it lived longer.

'Therefore, I need to kill it now without giving it time to grow even stronger.' Determination flashed in Dave's eyes as he continued avoiding Devourer.

Getting enraged that all of its attacks were missing, Devourer shot its tongue from its mouth. Since it was just right before Dave, Dave hardly had time to react to it. It was just like a cannon fired from a short distance.

Dave couldn't let it hit him!

Instinctively forming a mana barrier in front of him, he tried to delay its tongue, but as excepted, it pierced through it as it was nothing. Just when it was already close hitting Dave, he suddenly disappeared, making Devourer confused.

Flash Step!

"Wow, female zombies should be standing in a row to have a kiss with you. However, you have quite a deadly tongue, you know," Dave said, appearing two meters away from his initial place. At the last moment, Dave was able to barely dodge it with Flash Step, as he nearly stumbled from hastily using it.

Taking advantage of Devourer's confusion, Dave activated Muscle Expansion to gain additional 10 points of strength for a minute and used Cross Slash to attack Devourer as the skill boosted both his speed and attack power by 50% for a moment of attack.

Entering into momentary confusion, Devourer instantly spotted Dave two meters away from its initial place. As it intended to rush at him and finally deal with the pest bothering him, Dave disappeared from his sight for the second time.

The next moment, a huge wound in the shape of the cross appeared on its back. As Devourer was ignorant of pain since no one was able to deal damage high enough to cause it, it bellowed loudly from its sudden appearance.

It was already a second time!

However, Dave hadn't finished yet. Taking advantage of Devourer's sudden confusion, Dave sent a barrage of attacks to it from behind.

Double Chop!

Chop!

Dave sent Double Chop and Chop with both of his swords as another two wounds appeared on its back. Next, Dave sent several consecutive slashes as, with each swing of his sword, his attacks were only speeding up, leaving afterimages of his swords.

In a span of few moments, Dave was able to send 24 consecutive sword slashes as small cuts kept appearing on its back. Furthermore, with the effect of his Muscle Expansion, his attacks dealt more damage than when he attempted to kill it with Adam and others.

However, the next moment, Devourer turned abruptly and hit Dave with its hand. Dave was barely able to put his swords in front of him, and with additional points of strength due to Muscle Expansion, Dave was able to successfully block its attack.

Having gotten hit by Devourer, Dave had been pushed back by 3 steps. It felt like getting hit by a car as his hands holding the swords trembled a bit due to the impact. Both of his arms were in pain as he felt like his bone were close to crushing.

As for the swords in his hands, Steel Sword was more or less in a good state as its durability decreased by several points. However, the Rusty Sword that he borrowed from Dean Siphon snapped, getting completely useless.

Having pushed Dave away from itself, Devourer immediately dashed towards the only corpse lying on the ground. Its tongue slithered out of its mouth as it wrapped around Richard's corpse and threw it inside the mouth.

It was trying to heal himself from the injuries Dave had caused to it!

Seeing how Devourer was trying to heal itself, Dave smiled faintly in triumph. "Heh...How predictable."

In the next moment, the Devourer that threw Richard into its mouth was devoured in the ball of lightning, emitting a strong flash of light. However, it flashed only for the moment, followed by a loud sound of thunder rumbling right near him.