Surprise flashed across John's eyes as he felt an overwhelmingly strong and chaotic flow of aura and blood emanating from Sebastian.
It was as if the essences of many individuals were mixed together, chaotic and brutal.
Observing the faces on the opponent's chest, a terrifying thought suddenly dawned on John.
Could it be that this man had "consumed" many people, hence his current grotesque form?
Noticing the shocked gazes of the four, a sickly smile emerged on Sebastian's distorted, barely human face.
With eyes gleaming with madness, he exclaimed, "Don't be surprised, for this is the power of 'Immortality'!"
He lifted his grotesquely swollen fingers, pointing at the faces wailing in agony on his chest, and laughed maniacally, "By continually merging with others, I can easily gain power. And soon, you four will become part of me just like them!!"
His words induced a wave of disgust and horror in the group.
Simultaneously, Sebastian's declaration confirmed John's speculation.
He had indeed "eaten" many people!
Gazing at Sebastian's smug expression, John's eyes filled with pity as he mockingly said, "I suppose only a wretch like you would deform yourself into this monstrous state for the sake of power, and still feel proud of it. You're truly a pathetic creature."
Such beings could no longer be called human; at best, they were monsters wearing human skin.
To transform into something so vile for power, what meaning did life even hold for them anymore?
Hearing John's words, Sebastian's expression suddenly froze.
The condescension and pity from someone superior brought back unpleasant memories for him.
Back then, Sebastian was neither Nicholas's butler nor a member of the Immortality Organization; he was just a school bully who, thanks to his decent talents, often intimidated both boys and girls in school.
Once, leading a group of cronies, he thought himself imposing as he blocked the path of a girl he fancied, then confessed to her in front of everyone.
"How insecure must you be to seek others' attention in such a manner?" she said, then glanced at him with pity before walking away without looking back.
But that look deeply wounded Sebastian's heart, leaving a scar he could never forget.
Thus, after gaining the power of "Immortality," the first person Sebastian consumed was that very girl.
He had thought she would regret her actions.
Yet, in her final moments, she gave him that same look again.
Covered in blood, she pitifully said, "What a pathetic creature."
Memories flooding back, Sebastian's face twisted grotesquely, becoming even more hideous.
She was about to die, so why did she still look down on him?!
Just like this silver-tier ant before him.
Merely a weakling, yet arrogantly mocking him with a disdainful gaze.
As if in their eyes, he was the most pitiable one.
Sebastian's face, now hardly recognizable as human, contorted with rage.
He bellowed, "You ants, what right do you have? What right do you have to look down on me? Damn it, you all deserve to die!"
Upon finishing his words, the fleshly tentacles behind him shot out with incredible speed.
"Whizz, whizz, whizz!"
The tentacles moved so swiftly through the air that they tore through it with a sharp whoosh, like whips lashing out towards John and his companions.
Bone Claw and his group faced the imminent threat head-on, their formidable auras bursting forth in an instant, sending the trash on the ground swirling into the sky.
Fire Badger, holding her massive sniper rifle, saw the energy canister on its side rapidly charge up, with potent energy converging swiftly at the barrel's end.
Bone Claw's body then became enveloped in a layer of material resembling an exoskeleton, forming a fearsome bone armor around him.
Giant Elephant, gripping his massive sword, stepped forward to shield his companions.
Unbeknownst to them, a layer of fine black fur had appeared on his body, his muscles bulged noticeably, and his skin shimmered with a metallic luster.
Giant Elephant's already imposing figure now resembled that of a titanic gorilla.
John, however, remained eerily calm as he faced the numerous bloody tentacles attacking him.
It was evident that Sebastian was particularly eager to kill him, given the greater number of tentacles aimed in his direction.
A smirk appeared on John's lips; he too was curious to test the gap between himself and a diamond-tier entity.
Holding his Eclipse Staff, a ghostly blue flame ignited around him, his magical power suddenly becoming wildly potent.
"Mana Burn! Mana Rampage!"
A majestic aura radiated from John, drawing the gaze of everyone present.
Bone Claw, Giant Elephant, and Fire Badger could hardly believe their eyes.
The fluctuations in John's aura had clearly surpassed the silver-tier, even gold-tier levels!
Sebastian's eyes widened in shock.
Was this man truly a silver-tier awakener?
Unperturbed by the shock of others, John focused his mind, and a silvery white light flickered on the Eclipse Staff.
Moonlight converged mid-air, launching a silver, crescent-shaped blade that stretched four to five meters in length – the Silver Moonblade.
The Silver Moonblade traced a beautiful arc across the sky, effortlessly severing all tentacles in its path before continuing its trajectory towards Sebastian.
This seemingly simple strike astounded everyone.
Sebastian had never anticipated that his tentacles would be cut so easily.
Caught off guard, he was struck by the Silver Moonblade.
A burst of silver light mingled with a splash of blood as the attack cleaved through half of Sebastian's body.
Blood and organs spilled out like a river from his wound, pooling into a gruesome puddle on the ground.
The sight was truly horrific.
Fire Badger and the others stared in disbelief, wondering if they were dreaming.
Was this person absurdly strong, or what?
Was he really just a silver-tier awakener? Even a platinum-tier might not possess such strength, would they?
John ignored the stares directed at him.
Frowning, he warned, "Be careful, he's not dead yet."
John could sense that Sebastian's aura hadn't weakened in the slightest.
What would be a fatal injury to an ordinary awakener seemed to have little effect on him.
Fire Badger and the others tensed, turning their attention back to Sebastian.
The ghastly wound on Sebastian's body was healing at a visibly rapid pace.
In the blink of an eye, the wound had vanished completely, leaving no trace if not for the blood that remained on the ground, making the recent events seem like nothing but an illusion.
Sebastian's expression darkened considerably.
Fixing his gaze on John, his voice came out hoarse, "No wonder you're so confident, turns out you're a genius."
Sebastian hadn't anticipated that a mere silver-tier individual could injure him, marking a profound disgrace for him.
Sebastian sneered, "But surely, you don't believe such tricks are enough to kill me? If that's the strongest you can muster, then prepare for death."
Following his words, chunks of flesh began to fall from his body like raindrops.
Each blood clot hitting the ground seemed to come alive, transforming into leech-like creatures.
These creatures scurried across the ground at a rapid pace, leaving behind trails of blood as they swarmed towards John and his companions in a tide-like fashion.
Bone Claw and Giant Elephant felt a shiver down their spine at the sight of the approaching swarm, while Fire Badger's eyes widened in terror at the thought of being consumed by such beings, preferring death over such a fate.
Blue energy erupted around Fire Badger as various firearms rapidly materialized behind her.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"…
Assault rifles, Gatling guns, mortars, and heavy machine guns fired in unison.
Ammunition rained down like it was free, blasting towards the bizarre swarm of insects.
One by one, the creatures exploded, filling the area with a mist of blood and gunsmoke in the blink of an eye.
This spectacle made John and the others' eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
No wonder gunsmiths are known for their explosive output; lower-level monsters and awakeners can hardly withstand such firepower.
However, the sheer number of these creatures meant they couldn't be completely dealt with in a short time.
Sebastian, realizing the tenacity of his adversaries, was nevertheless prepared.
With a snort of disdain, the bizarre insects still some distance from John and his companions suddenly lifted their bodies, tensing as if drawing a bow, then shot towards them like arrows.
Mid-air, their heads split open to reveal densely packed, sharp, and ferocious mandibles.
"Damn, what in the hell are these things!" Bone Claw swatted away an insect aiming for his throat, cursing aloud.
John frowned, the staff in his hands glowing with a pale green light, releasing a small Storm Blade to momentarily hold back the monsters.
He refrained from using large-scale abilities, mindful of the ordinary people hiding near buildings within the barrier; his actions could inadvertently harm them.
Moreover, John noticed that the insects were heading towards the ordinary people, seemingly aiming to provide Sebastian with a source of blood.
This was no solution.
With the area enveloped by the barrier, failing to eliminate Sebastian would result in their eventual exhaustion and demise, putting everyone at risk.
John's gaze shifted to Sebastian, hiding in the back, his eyes suddenly alight with a deep murderous intent.
If that was the case, then the solution was to kill him!