WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom

For the first time since the fight started, Ben's confident smirk slipped away. 'It seem I'm fucked' But it doesn't mean he choose to backdown.

He barely had time to react before an attack surged toward him at point-blank range. Ben instinctively twisted, but it was too late.

SLASH!

A claw ripped across his back, sending a searing pain through his body. Ben staggered forward, hissing through clenched teeth. "You sneaky little shit."

They weren't just fast—they were everywhere, coming at him from every angle, striking at his blind spots with perfect precision. A thought clicked into place. 'Fine. If blind spots are the problem, I'll just get rid of them.'

His body shifted instantly. Muscles twisted, skin split, and new eyes burst open—on the back of his head, along his shoulders, even lining his blade appendages.

For a brief moment, the flood of new perspectives overwhelmed him. His vision fractured, the battlefield warping into a chaotic mess of conflicting viewpoints. 'Damn it—FOCUS!'

He took a deep breath, calming his nerves, forcing his mind to adjust. His Adaptive Muscles kicked in, syncing the new vision fields together almost instantly. A second later, clarity snapped into place. His entire world expanded—nothing escaped his sight now. And with that, he saw it.

The Phantom Ravager shimmered out of existence again, but this time, Ben didn't rely on his sight alone. He focused, observing it's movement, every ripple in the air, every distortion. 'It's not an illusion… It's bending light…' His eyes sharpened further. 'And sound.'

That was it. The damn thing wasn't turning invisible—it was manipulating mana to bend both light and sound waves around its body. The light refraction threw off direct sight, while the warped sound disrupted his sense of movement, making its location feel off even when it was right there.

Ben's grin returned, colder than before. 'So this is how you do it.' He twisted to the side, narrowly dodging a Brute Ravager's downward slam. The impact shattered the ground where he stood a moment ago. Ben barely had time to breathe before a venom-coated spine whistled through the air—he ducked, the projectile slicing a few strands of his hair.

His hands were full. But for Ben the situation is better now, he just need to calculate the movement on the phantom movement disregrading all it's illusion. This way he willk knwo for sure where they really werew.

A Brute jumped from the left, its massive jaws snapping shut inches from his torso. Ben kicked off the ground, vaulting over its head just as a Spine Ravager fired another round of barbed projectiles. Mid-air, Ben twisted his body unnaturally, his limbs bending at impossible angles to avoid getting skewered.

The moment he landed, another Phantom Ravager flickered out of sight. Ben didn't hesitate. His blade-arm lashed out to where his prediction told him it was—CLANG! A flicker of sparks erupted as his weapon clashed against something solid. The Phantom screeched, flickering back into visibility as it staggered from the surprise counterattack.

Ben's grin stretched wider, adrenaline flooding his veins. "Gotcha." He moved. His adaptive muscles flexed, fueling his speed as he exploded into action. His blade-arm whipped through the air, slashing at the Phantom Ravager before it could escape. The creature screeched, twisting midair, but Ben was already a step ahead.

He jumped forward, his free hand morphing into a jagged claw—SHHK! He ripped through its leg, severing muscle and bone. The Phantom tumbled back, its camouflage failing as blood splattered against the dirt. It hissed, trying to escape.

"Oh no you don't." Ben didn't let it. With a snarl, his hand transform into gaping maw—CHOMP!! The Ravager's body jerked violently, a strangled cry escaping its throat before it was ripped from the ground-dragged into the abyss .

[Phantom Ravager Consumed. Acquired 72 Biomass and Phantom Ravager body part: Mana Displacement Organs.]

Ben barely had time to process the message before another Phantom come from behind. His new set of eyes caught the movement instantly. He twisted, bringing his blade-arm up just in time to deflect the strike.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as the two clashed. But before Ben could counter, a Brute Ravager came barreling in from the side. He leaped backward, barely avoiding its crushing weight—only for a Spine Ravager to fire a hailstorm of projectiles in his direction.

STAB! STAB!

Two buried themselves into his shoulder. Ben hissed in pain but didn't stop moving. He ripped the spines out, black blood dripping from the wounds. His regeneration kicked in immediately, but before he could regain his footing—

SPLASH!

A glob of venom arced through the air. Ben's eyes snapped toward the source—the Venom Ravager, crouched low, its tail twitching as it prepared another shot.

Ben's instincts screamed. He dove to the side just as the toxic liquid hissed against the stone where he had been standing. The ground sizzled, melting into a bubbling pit of acid. Ben exhaled sharply. "Alright, you fuckers…" His blade-arms twitched. He slammed his foot down, launching himself toward the nearest Phantom Ravager. The beast flickered in and out of sight, trying to evade, but Ben had already adapted. He anticipated the distortion, twisting midair and driving his pickaxe through its chest before it could react.

CRACK!

It shrieked, convulsing as its mana bent wildly out of control. Ben ripped his weapon free and turned just in time to parry another Brute's incoming charge. The force sent shockwaves through his arms, but he gritted his teeth, holding his ground.

Another Spine Ravager fired—Ben kicked a fallen corpse into the air, using it as a shield to absorb the projectiles. The second it hit the ground, he rushed forward, closing the distance. His blade-appendage lashed out—The Spine Ravager's head hit the dirt before it even realized what had happened.

'Three down.' Ben exhaled sharply, his breath ragged. He could feel more venom still lingering in his bloodstream, his regeneration fighting to keep it at bay. His gaze locked onto the Venom Ravager, the real problem. It was still perched in the distance, watching, analyzing. Its tail twitched—waiting for the perfect opening. Ben wiped the blood from his mouth and grinned. "Alright, asshole… Let's see if you can keep up."