The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

Having an offensive or movement technique is undoubtedly advantageous. You can easily evade or neutralize your targets without much stress. In fact, many prioritize offense over defense. However, while offensive and movement techniques are great, defense is extremely important.

Most argue that being fast enough or possessing flawless movement techniques can help evade any attack. But what if evasion is not an option? What if you find yourself in a situation where the only recourse is to raise your defense?

In such scenarios, having the best defense becomes imperative. Fortunately, Karsha has acquired one such technique. The Titan Defense Art is an immensely powerful defensive technique that can rival even the most formidable techniques employed by powerful shieldbearers, who are renowned for their robust defenses.

This technique originates from the Chaos Era—an era of power, war, and chaos. The danger was everywhere, and the only way to survive was to become the strongest. It was during this time that a race called the Titans emerged. These colossal beings wielded shields and weapons that towered several meters high.

They possessed such immense strength that a single blow from them was enough to level an entire moon. Known as behemoths in that era, they truly lived up to their name.

What makes them stand out in defense is the natural element every single Titan awakens—the Earth element. They are masters of bending the earth to their will. Their control over the earth element is unparalleled, and almost all their defensive and offensive skills revolve around it.

For Karsha to have acquired a defense technique from the Titans, he has indeed struck gold. However, this technique isn't one that simply requires the practitioner to follow a pre-set path and master existing forms. Instead, it is about understanding the Earth elemental and using it to shape one's own defense.

The first level is called Titan Wall. However, Karsha won't be able to access pre-made walls that he can summon by spending MP. Instead, he must comprehend the ways of the Earth's elements and use them to shape walls capable of withstanding powerful attacks.

However, that is easier said than done. To create something as formidable as the Titan Wall, Karsha must first gain a deep understanding of the Earth element. He needs to comprehend how it feels, how it is shaped, and how each grain of sand moves against the other. He must also understand how the earth responds to external influences.

Once he masters the basics, he can progress to the transformation phase, where he will learn to manipulate the earth into any shape or form. He must understand how to align each grain of sand to create a solid block or how to mold the earth into towering walls.

To delve deeper, he will need to revisit the fundamentals, focusing on the transformation of matter and learning how to transmute earth into other minerals. This means learning to transmute earth into gold, diamond, or even Vibranium.

It all depends on his understanding and creative abilities. Naturally, Karsha, ever ambitious, aims to craft a defense so formidable that many would deem it impenetrable. However, achieving this goal requires him to push the limits of his mind and unravel the intricacies of the Earth's composition, comprehending each atom and how they combine to form solid and powerful compounds.

"Ha, at the end of the day, it's just another challenge to overcome so I can rise higher," Karsha let out a weak laugh. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but a part of him kept urging him to follow that path.

"System, how far can the clone help me comprehend the ways of the earth?" Find your next read at empire

< The Subspace is only Tier 1, so the clone's affinity to the Earth Element is only Medium. This will allow it to transmute the Earth into Krystallos metal. >

"Great, but what is Krystallos?" Karsha asked, expecting this response. He wasn't disappointed—in fact, he had hoped for something like this.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

While having a clone with a near-perfect understanding of his technique and a space to learn it almost effortlessly sounded appealing, Karsha saw it as a cheat. He craved challenges and wanted to experience these things firsthand.

The clone was useful, but it could not exceed the SSE level when using a skill. For someone to rise above that level, they would need to gain enlightenment, and as a clone, it didn't possess such capabilities.

However, when it comes to elemental mastery, the clone doesn't have the same level of proficiency as it does with other skills and techniques. The subspace regulates the clone's abilities, and since the subspace rank is currently at Tier 1, the clone only has a medium-stage mastery of the elements.

This means it is limited to only a few things, one of which is the strange word the system had just introduced to Karsha.

< Krystallos is what you call a diamond in your world. Diamonds are minerals that can be used for various purposes. However, in transmutation, the created minerals bear different names to distinguish them from the real metals. >

"So after Krystallos, are there any other levels of metals I can learn to transmute?" Karsha asked.

< Yes. The order is as follows: Gold (Aurum), Diamond (Krystallos), Vibranium (Vibranus), Adamantium (Adamos), Celestium, Kyreum, Arkonite, Nexarion, and Eternium.

So far, these are all the metals I know that can be transmuted from the Earth element. Who knows, maybe there are many others out there. >

Karsha looked at the order and let a defeated sigh escape his lips. His imagination had been too limited. How could he think a diamond was the strongest metal of all? Perhaps it was because, on Earth, diamonds are regarded as the hardest natural material.

"How the hell are Vibranium and Adamantium real?" he muttered. Back on Earth, these two metals are purely fictional. Vibranium comes from the Panther god Bast, and Adamantium is from the remains of the Celestials—both are made-up things. So, seeing that they are real and knowing that one day he might comprehend them, Karsha couldn't help but ask rhetorical questions.

"Does it mean the superheroes are all real?"

"So Superman and the others are all real. Damn, does it mean I can one day meet Wonder Woman?"

"Damn, I'm getting too old for this shit," he grumbled, turning his focus back to the matter at hand. Karsha let out another sigh before asking the system one last question.

"How strong is a diamond defense, and what relation does it have with my Earth element?"

< A diamond defense is strong enough to withstand Tier 10 attacks and even lower the damage output of a Tier 11 attack. While that may not seem like much, imagine a 3,000-meter-tall mountain and visualize a spearman throwing their spear into the mountain. The spear strikes the base of the mountain and instantly crumbles. That's how strong a 10% attack from a Tier 10 individual is. >

"That sure is powerful. All the more reason for me to upgrade this Subspace," Karsha remarked. At its current tier, the place was merely a vast grassland with no mountains or rivers. Visualizing this would be meaningless.

< Regarding the connection between your element and diamond, there indeed is a connection. While your current mastery is limited, you have a strong affinity for the diamond mineral. This means your chances of successfully transmuting a diamond are extremely high. >

"That's what I like to hear," Karsha smiled happily. He allocated only 300 days for the defense, considering it the most important task. If after 300 days he wasn't able to create the diamond defense, he would consider extending the time. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Karsha then turned his attention back to the clone, and as expected, the clone began bending the earth. The initial process was very simple—so simple, in fact, that Karsha could instantly understand it.

It involved feeling the sand and how the grains interacted with each other. Much like the movement technique, where he could see the threads linking each connection to the next, this process had a similar framework.

All he needed to learn was how the earth felt, how it behaved, and how best to use that feeling and behavior to control it.

Days went by, and Karsha remained focused. The clone had run countless processes, providing Karsha with a wealth of perspectives to explore. He had different combinations to try and multiple connections to establish, but he wasn't in any rush.

He aimed to achieve what many considered an impeccable design. He sought to create a formidable defense that would serve as the foundation for his fortress. It wouldn't be easy, but for the first time in a long while, Karsha felt confident in his ability to construct something truly remarkable by understanding the fundamentals.

Ten days later, Karsha remained in the same posture, observing the clone at work. His comprehension had significantly improved. He could now sense the earth around him and even began to feel a peculiar connection with the sand as if he could communicate with it.

This connection seemed distant, yet just barely out of his reach. It drew closer, and for the first time, Karsha knew this was the way forward. If he could tap into that sensation, he would be able to bend the earth to his will, gaining a deeper understanding of its nature.

After all, the best way to truly know someone is to communicate with them. If Karsha manages to gain mastery over this skill, he will become an entity akin to the true Titans from the Chaos Era. He will become someone who can effortlessly interact with the earth around him and bend it to his will.

However, that is easier said than done. While the prospect of attaining such power is enticing, he must first establish an unbreakable connection with the Earth, allowing him to communicate with it.

Twenty days later, Karsha's comprehension of the earth's elements continued to soar. It was escalating so rapidly that even Karsha himself couldn't fully grasp what was happening. If only he knew he had an innate talent for communicating with anything, he would have realized he was much more extraordinary than he had thought.