**Chapter 112: The Lord of the Demon Territory is Indeed Strong**
With a powerful strike against the back of the Subnock, Rest was sent tumbling to the ground, rebounding off its tough fur.
“Too shallow…!”
Thanks to **High Accelerator**, Rest managed to catch up to the Subnock, leaping onto its back to unleash **Star Devourer**. Although the Dark Star could consume everything and erase it from existence, it unfortunately did not deliver a fatal blow to the colossal beast. The Subnock bled from its back but remained standing defiantly before Rest.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?”
It seemed the creature felt pain. The Subnock halted, turning its gaze toward Rest. Its grotesquely distorted compound eyes loomed over him, radiating anger and murderous intent.
“Finally, you’re looking my way…!”
Rest swallowed hard, his nerves tightening, yet he mustered all his courage to glare back at the Subnock. Locking eyes with the creature, he was reminded once more of the sheer monstrosity before him. Its size was staggering, but even more alarming was the immense magical power it contained. Even Rest, who possessed a wellspring of infinite magical energy, could not hope to contain such a vast amount within his body at once.
(That’s why it’s the Lord of the Demon Territory… It’s no wonder it has never been defeated since the founding of this land.)
As sweat trickled down his back, Rest pondered how to defeat the enemy before him. The most powerful card in his hand was **Star Devourer**, the ability to consume everything. However, as he had just learned, even a couple of hits from **Star Devourer** would not be enough to pierce the Subnock’s life force.
(If I could strike its brain or heart, it would be a different story… but that’s easier said than done.)
Rest had intended to slam **Star Devourer** against the Subnock’s head. However, the beast’s speed as it charged across the plains had made it impossible for him to maintain his position after jumping onto its back. He had managed to land a hit on its back, but targeting its head was a near-impossible feat.
(**Star Devourer** is a powerful spell. That’s why I can’t use it in conjunction with other spells…)
That was the weakness of **Star Devourer**. Due to the nature of this spell, which constantly siphoned vast amounts of magical energy, it could not be layered with other spells. When he summoned the Dark Star, any body enhancement spells would be forcibly canceled, leaving him in a vulnerable state.
(Ten or twenty hits might bring it down, but… is that even a joke?)
Would Rest be able to control this giant beast long enough to achieve that?
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO！！！！！！”
“Ugh…!”
From its gaping maw, a scream erupted that surpassed the previous one. It was a sound missile. Without magical protection, Rest’s eardrums would have shattered, and he might have been blown back several dozen meters.
“GYAO!”
“…!”
Immediately after the deafening roar, the Subnock slammed its front leg down. For a fleeting moment, Rest considered countering with **Star Devourer** to snatch away its leg, but he quickly dismissed the reckless thought. He could not hope to absorb such a massive limb in an instant. While he could gouge a part of its body, his own would be crushed in the process.
“**High Accelerator**!”
He boosted his speed dramatically, dodging the Subnock’s massive leg. Moments later, a thunderous explosion echoed as a large cloud of dust erupted. A small crater formed where the leg had struck, leaving painful claw marks etched into the ground.
“**Fireball**, **Amplification**, **Compression**, **Accelerator**!”
Having evaded the front leg’s attack, he unleashed a quartet of spells. He compressed and accelerated a massive fireball, launching it toward the Subnock’s face. The fireball struck true, igniting a brilliant red explosion.
“GYAO!”
“Ugh…!”
However, the damage was minimal. The fur on its face merely singed. Even with a quartet of spells, Rest realized that standard magic could not inflict significant harm. The Subnock retaliated by spewing forth a torrent of corrosive saliva. While other Corruption Beasts had used similar attacks, the Subnock’s was on an entirely different level. It unleashed a deluge of saliva as if a dam had burst.
“**Wind Shield**, **Water Wall**, **Earth Shield**, **Fire Wall**!”
Rest constructed four elemental barriers to shield himself from the onslaught of saliva. The ground around him was splattered with the Subnock’s corrosive spit.
“GISHAAAAAA…!”
A nearby monster was unfortunate enough to be caught in the spray. Its body began to dissolve under the corrosive saliva, quickly rotting away until nothing but bones remained.
“…What a terrifying creature.”
Rest realized anew that such a monster could not be unleashed upon the plains. If it were to reach the Royal Capital… a chill ran down his spine as he grimaced. Visions of a town melted away by saliva and its residents turned to bones filled his mind.
“…I must stop it for sure. This is where the real battle begins.”
With a resolute determination, Rest focused all his energy on devising a means to hunt the monster before him.
(I can tell that its fur has a strong resistance to magic. Fire, water, wind, earth, ice, lightning… none of those will work. As for poison… I haven’t tried it, but given that it spews corrosive saliva, I doubt it would be effective.)
That said, landing **Star Devourer** in close combat would be challenging. While a surprise attack might work, hitting a foe that was fully alert would be nearly impossible.
(Using **Star Devourer** cancels my body enhancement, and a mere graze from its attack could be fatal. I need to think of another approach.)
“Then…!”
An idea struck him. It was a complicated method, one that would be impossible without infinite magical energy—something only Rest could manage.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
As the Subnock roared, Rest sprang into action.
In the magic territory’s plains, the battle to determine the new ruler was hurtling toward its climax.