Chapter 115: Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [115]

After all the surgical modifications of the Space Marines were completed, Rhodes took some time to visit the arena in Commorragh. The grand showdown of super-monsters that he and Lelith had prepared was scheduled to take place that very day. The first-ever super-monster battle was about to begin. "Lord Loki, all the matches have been arranged. How do you plan to participate in this battle?" Lelith asked. Over the past half month, the Ice Monster Warriors had become wildly popular in the various arenas. Whether it was the buying and selling of Ice Monster Warrior potions or the renting of these warriors, Lelith had been making a fortune. The highlight of it all, however, was this super-monster battle. Previously, Rhodes' giant beast had made an appearance in the territory of the Kabal Blackheart, and many members of the Drukhari had caught wind of it. Now, anticipation for the monster battle was at an all-time high. The Ice Monster Warriors had already piqued the audience's curiosity; all that was left was the grand unveiling. "Don't worry, everything is ready. This time, I'll be controlling one of the monsters, and you'll control another. The two of us will have a match in the arena," Rhodes said. "Lord Loki, are you saying you want to battle me in the arena?" Lelith asked with immediate interest, licking her lips with a bloodthirsty look in her eyes as she stared at Rhodes. Over the past few weeks, Lelith had been carefully disguising herself in front of Lord Loki, presenting herself as a strong and capable woman akin to Lady Malys. But in truth, at her core, she was still a bloodthirsty gladiator. If they truly faced off in the arena, she would not hold back. She couldn't help but fantasize about slicing open lord Loki's body with her blades and tasting his blood! Rhodes slapped Lelith on the head, snapping her out of her bloodthirsty daydream. "That's exactly why I don't dare mess with you," Rhodes thought to himself. "Who knows if you'll suddenly lose control and go berserk, giving me a fatal blow in the process?" These Drukhari were truly the chosen of Slaanesh, amplifying every one of the Dark Prince's vices to the extreme. Rhodes strongly suspected that Slaanesh kept these Drukhari around as a constant source of indulgence and sustenance. Otherwise, with their utterly depraved ways and lack of proper defense measures, their souls would have been instantly consumed by Slaanesh in the Webway, let alone in the outside world. Slaanesh probably allowed their existence purely for their twisted ability to provide entertainment. After all, pets as entertaining as these couldn't be found just anywhere. Even the Chaos Champions, Chaos Lords, and Slaanesh's Chosen preferred to hunt Aeldari from the Craftworlds rather than these Drukhari. That's because there was no need to hunt Drukhari—Slaanesh could devour them at any time. "Don't overthink it. We'll each control a monster to fight—it's not a direct battle between us," Rhodes clarified. "What a pity. I was hoping for the chance to spar with you," Lelith said, immediately showing a look of extreme disappointment. "You want to spar with me? Heh! Even without any protective gear, you wouldn't be able to break through my defenses," Rhodes replied confidently. After undergoing enhancements from two massive beasts, Rhodes' physical constitution had become ridiculously strong. Still, weapons like monomolecular blades, kinetic weapons, chainswords, high-explosive grenades, and melta weapons could easily kill him, so he couldn't afford to be careless. Without the kind of skin that Ultraman had—capable of resisting cosmic radiation and various beam attacks—he still had a long way to go. At the very least, he needed to reach the point where he could take a hit from a kinetic sword without injury before he could truly relax. "Here, take this. It's used to control a monster," Rhodes said, handing Lelith a capsule containing the monster Miclas. The best way to control a monster was through these capsules, as no one else could manipulate the system to control the creatures. "This? Is this the thing you use to control those monsters? How does it work?" Lelith asked curiously, examining the capsule in her hand. "It's simple. There's a button on the capsule. Press it, and the monster inside will automatically appear. Then, you can use the capsule to control the monster in battle," Rhodes explained briefly. The capsule containing Miclas had already been enhanced to its maximum potential. Now, not only could the monster remain active indefinitely, but if the user encouraged Miclas during a fight, the monster could unleash even greater strength. Miclas was a very powerful monster, but its timid personality was its biggest flaw. If it could overcome its timidity, it would become a true powerhouse. "That's all there is to it? Lord Loki, is this how your family controls these giant monsters? It's so simple! If someone else gets hold of your monster capsule, can they control your monsters too?" Lelith asked, holding the capsule and examining it closely. "Exactly! See how much I trust you? I went ahead and gave you the right to use the big monster without hesitation," Rhodes said with a smile. Of course, that wasn't entirely true. Rhodes still retained the highest level of control over the monster, but these monster capsules were something he planned to sell in the future. Naturally, he couldn't let buyers know he'd kept a safety measure in place. The capsules he planned to sell would allow summoning and controlling monsters but wouldn't enhance the monsters' abilities. ... A few hours later, spectators began to trickle into the arena. The Arena had several sub-arenas, with the largest capable of holding tens of millions of spectators—practically the size of a massive city. At this moment, the venue was plastered with giant posters advertising the Colossal Monster Battle. Virtual projections of two enormous monsters appeared on the screens. This event had drawn a massive crowd, including leaders from many sinister factions, such as Vect, the leader of the Kabal Blackheart, and Lady Malys. After a passionate and theatrical introduction by the host, the Dark Eldar audience erupted into thunderous applause. Rhodes and Lelith stepped into the arena. Rhodes made a show of pulling out an empty monster capsule. "Ladies and gentlemen! Esteemed guests! The first-ever Colossal Monster Battle in the history of Commorragh City is about to begin! Let us cheer! This epic clash will feature the monster creator, Lord Loki, and the Queen of the Arena, Lady Lelith, in a grand monster battle showcase. Let the match begin!" With the host's dramatic declaration, the Colossal Monster Battle officially commenced. "Come forth, Miclas!" Lelith shouted as she raised the monster capsule high, following Rhodes' instructions. A yellow beam of light shot out from the capsule, and the enormous Miclas appeared in the arena, letting out a loud "Waaah!" Miclas's design was a bit silly but also endearing—though perhaps not as cute as Birdon's. "Come forth, Gomora!" Rhodes called out. A flash of light later, the massive, long-tailed Gomora appeared in the arena. Clap! Clap! Clap! The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause. The sight of these two gigantic monsters was incredibly striking. "Go, Miclas! Attack! Don't be afraid, go hit it!" Lelith urged. Through the capsule, Lelith could sense the emotions of the massive monster on the field. However, what she sensed left her speechless—the big guy was feeling a bit timid! "Uuuh..." Miclas hesitated, glancing nervously at Gomora. Can I even beat this guy? Still, since its master had spoken, Miclas mustered its courage and charged forward. "You too, Gomora," Rhodes commanded. "Roar!" Gomora let out a furious roar, turned, and swung its massive tail, slamming Miclas to the ground with a single blow. In terms of fighting spirit, Gomora's was far superior to Miclas's. After knocking Miclas down with a tail swipe, Gomora rushed forward for close combat. The two giant monsters collided fiercely, creating deafening sounds. Their clashes sent massive shockwaves through the arena. This raw, powerful brawl thrilled the Dark Eldar spectators. Battles of this caliber were not something they often got to witness. The exhilarating fight between the two giant monsters fulfilled everyone's wildest fantasies of monster combat. "Gomora, use the Ultra Shockwave!" Rhodes commanded, sensing the timing was just right. Upon receiving the command, Gomora shoved Miclas away and began to charge up its ultimate move, with golden-red energy glowing from its twin horns. "Miclas, dodge it!" Lelith shouted. Following its master's orders, Miclas rolled clumsily to the side, narrowly avoiding Gomora's Ultra Shockwave. A terrifying golden-red energy beam shot past Miclas, heading straight for the audience. The Ultra Shockwave instantly shattered the arena's protective barriers and struck the opposite side of the spectator stands directly. Boom! Boom! A series of massive explosions followed, instantly vaporizing a section of the audience—those unfortunate Dark Eldar were gone in the blink of an eye. "Roar! Roar!" Gomora let out an excited roar. The arena host's eyes widened in shock, his body trembling with excitement, his gaze filled with fanaticism. After a brief moment of silence, the Dark Eldar audience erupted into deafening cheers and laughter. "Hahaha! That was incredible!" "This is exactly the kind of fight I wanted to see!" "Hahaha! Now this is thrilling!" "That's what I call carnage!" When it comes to twisted individuals, there's no reasoning with them—they're all masochists who won't care as long as they're not the ones dying. "You think you're the only one with long-range moves? Miclas, don't be afraid! Use your Heat Ray!" Lelith refused to back down. A crimson beam shot out, breaking through the arena's defenses once again and slamming into the spectator stands behind Gomora. PS: Pokemon battle!