Alien Evolution System

Chapter 167 - The Trial Of Strength

"If battle is inevitable, then it is battle you shall have," stated the Collector with equal calm as the tinkerer. "Yet, I shall say now that you should not withhold your strength against me. For doing so may well lead to a lethal end for yourself."

"An end I have been prepared to meet for the past twenty years. I advise you also to not stay your might, Strong One, for all must be bared within this trial." The tinkerer's toes curled, digging into the ice as he anchored his stance in. "I, Kui, shall test your worth.

Now come at me."

The tinkerer known as 'Kui' began to finally project his magical energy. It shimmered around him in thick green aura, indicating his mana affinity was that of Flow.

The density of the magical energy was intensive, such that it managed to warp the ends of space around the edges of the aura, and yet, the Collector knew this was not the full extent of this tinkerer's might.

However, the Collector had precious little information to off of regarding this specimen's true strength, for he seemed to possess the capacity to regulate the flow of his mana to such a fine tuned degree that it was impossible to see any fluctuations that gave hints as to his true power.

It was impossible to discern whether this was his mana output at 50% of his maximum strength, 70%, or 100%.

Kui's breathing was even. His stance solid and firm with no openings. His blue-scaled hand was extended forward, littered with scars and calluses.

The Collector unsheathed all four of its blades with metallic clicks. Two monomolecular, dark grey protein-cased blades from its upper two arms and its purifying light blades on its lower two arms.

It had no defined stance, but that made it all the more dangerous, for its wealth of knowledge, bodily coordination, and mana control allowed it to enter any form and stance at a given moment.

The wind howled between the two.

One, an alien conqueror that stood at the pinnacle of evolutionary might.

The other, a fighter of legend whose reputation and might had barely known equal in a thousand years.

The two did not know this of each other.

But they each recognized each other as strong, and what did the strong do?

They fought.

This, they understood on a deeply primal level.

From one warrior to another. From fighter to fighter. 

The Collector made the first move.

Chaos mana fluxed around its body in a raging pillar that extended a dozen meters into the sky, blowing away snow, ice, and chunks of rock.

Then, the Collector surged forwards in an impossibly fast [Dash], engaging its Coilboosters and flight capacities into the movement as well to easily surpass the speed of sound.

An instantaneous end to the fight was what the Collector desired, aiming its monomolecular blades at either of the tinkerer known as 'Kui's' arms to sever them, keeping him alive for information.

According to the Collector's calculations, there was no known humanoid on this world yet that could begin to react to this strike.

Not even the golden winged humanoid. Even the white maned Draconid would find itself hard pressed to easily avoid this strike.

Yet, in the next second, no, not even a tenth of a second, the Collector found its vision tilting as it was thrown and slammed into the ground at a speed that surpassed its capacity to react.

The impact of the throw was tremendous, shaking the entire mountain top as if an earthquake had slammed into it.

Huge fissures cracked outwards from where the Collector etched out a fifty meter wide crater, high geysers of snow erupting around its circumference, upraised from the mere shockwave of the blow.

Deep rumbles echoed throughout the mountain as the shockwaves traveled down its monumental length, causing multiple avalanche to start across several areas down the mountain. 

There had been absolutely no time for the Collector to effectively defend against the blow. It had only been able to put up a reflexive [Guard], utilizing Chaos mana to shield its back to break the fall as much as it could.

Even then, the damage had been massive.

The Collector instantly raised itself into the air, levitating with its two red energy wings flared out. Cracks lined the entirety of its back carapace, and chunks of ashen hyperalloy carapace fell and pattered on the ice.

Fractures across multiple vertebrae of the spine. Impact had also torn out large portions of the spinal muscles. Would significantly hinder mobility. 

Magical energy funneled into the Collector's back, triggering its Draconid explosive regeneration, immediately healing its wounds as they covered in bright blue mana.

"Draconic regeneration is it?" said the tinkerer known as Kui. He gazed up at the Collector. "But you are no Draconid. I have killed enough to know by now."

The Collector did not respond, instead attempting to analyze what had occurred. It had been thrown, and from the position at which it had landed, it determined biomechanically that it likely had been thrown from one of the tinkerer's arms with the tinkerer slinging the Collector over his head and into the ground. 

But how had the tinkerer generated so much speed? To execute such a series of motions against the Collector without even granting the Collector time to react?

Because the Collector could not observe the blow either, it could not adequately analyze it.

The Collector could use its Chronostasis psionic ability to slow down its time perception, but doing so was incredibly risky, leaving its reflexes slowed after usage. Preferably, it would analyze and break down this tinkerer's martial arts without it.

For that, the Collector needed more speed.

The Collector activated its Blood Boost adaptation. The sac containing a potent cocktail of stimulating hormones and chemicals by the Collector's heart pumped the mixture into its heart, directly spreading it throughout its bloodstream.

This would dramatically raise its reflexes, physical strength, and speed. On top of this, the Collector slammed its chest with its palm, using Higher Calling on itself to mimic the ability of the Amorak to massively accelerate their core and cardiovascular functions to further boost its power.

The Collector's blood vessels began to bulge as its muscles swelled and engorged with fresh, energy and chemical filled blood. It grew larger, its muscles more pumped, and its heartbeat became highly audible. Superheated steam vented out of its carapace pores, regulating its internal temperature.

"And the Heart Burst of the Amorak?" noted the tinkerer, no, the fighter known as Kui. Yet, despite witnessing a variety of powers from multiple species, he remained completely unfazed. "All things I have seen. Surprise me, Strong One, if you can."