Chapter 135: Chapter 116: Chimera (Part 2) But the Chimera’s counterattack was swift and fierce. The lion’s head suddenly lunged forward, its massive claws tearing through space, moving so fast it was almost imperceptible. Ron drew the spirit-constructed Ironwood Sword, and with his mastery level of Basic Swordsmanship, he intercepted the lethal strike in the nick of time. —Dawn Cross! The sword light shimmered, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, slicing precisely toward the lion head’s right eye. However, the Chimera’s reaction speed exceeded imagination; it tilted its head slightly to evade the fatal blow, leaving only a shallow scar on its cheek. "Truly worthy of a Divine Era Magical Beast..." Ron marveled inwardly, constantly adjusting his tactics. Battle in the Consciousness Space was far more perilous than in the real world, with everything directly affecting the essence of the spirit, without any buffer or protection. A slight mistake could lead to mental collapse, or even soul annihilation. The battle lasted for hours, with both sides exchanging blows, depleting each other’s strength and will. The Chimera’s attack methods were varied and fierce, each of its three heads possessing different abilities, plus the venomous serpent tail, leaving virtually no blind spots. The lion’s head excelled at physical biting and pouncing, the goat’s head could launch various bizarre sound wave attacks, the dragon head mastered multiple elemental breaths, and the snake head on the tail would launch surprise attacks laced with deadly poison. Ron, on the other hand, fully utilized the various skills he had mastered. His Basic Swordsmanship had reached the mastery level, with every strike as fluid and precise as flowing water, both powerful and accurate; The Sound Wave Vibration, having been improved, not only became more destructive but also harder to defend against; The Slime Splash was cleverly used by him to disrupt the Chimera’s vision; Spiritual Interference was aimed at attacking the Chimera’s consciousness, attempting to disrupt its thoughts. However, the Chimera’s strength was too overwhelming, and after hours of continuous fighting, Ron soon exhausted himself and was killed. [First Death] [Spiritual Body Resetting...] The Time Guardian Pocket Watch activated, Ron’s spiritual body re-formed, battered but still resolute. "The first attempt, at least I know its combat mode now." He muttered to himself, then returned to the battle. In the second round of combat, Ron focused more on defense and evasion, avoiding direct confrontation as much as possible. He carefully observed the Chimera’s attack patterns, searching for patterns and weaknesses. "After the lion’s head pounces, there is a brief freeze; before the dragon head breathes elements, there’s a noticeable charging action; the goat’s head’s sound wave attack is hard to dodge but has a fixed cooldown time..." Ron constantly adjusted his strategy in the battle, but the Chimera’s power was too terrifying, and despite his best efforts, he was killed again in the second round of combat. [Second Death] [Spiritual Body Resetting...] In the following rounds of battle, Ron gradually adapted to the Chimera’s combat rhythm and began attempting more aggressive tactics. He discovered that although the Chimera’s three heads and tail each had their specialties, their coordination wasn’t flawless. Sometimes, there would be subtle coordination errors between the heads, creating opportunities for him to attack. "This is the essence of the Chimera... although powerful, it is still a composite of multiple creatures with internal coordination issues." In the third round of combat, Ron succeeded in causing serious harm to the dragon head during a chaotic moment when the Chimera’s three heads simultaneously launched attacks, but eventually succumbed to the venom attack from the snake tail again. [Third Death] [Spiritual Body Resetting...] In the fourth round of combat, Ron attempted even more cunning tactics: He targeted the lion’s head with Spiritual Interference while using Sound Wave Vibration to attack the goat’s head, causing brief chaos, giving him the chance to heavily damage the dragon head. But ultimately, he was torn apart by the lion’s head’s sudden counterattack. [Fourth Death] [Spiritual Body Resetting...] In the fifth round of combat, Ron was almost successful. With precise timing control and skill combinations, he had heavily wounded the Chimera’s three heads. Just as he was about to win, he was ambushed by the hidden snake tail, the venom directly affecting the essence of his spirit, leading to his death once again. [Fifth Death] ... [Sixth Death] ... [Seventh Death] 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 [Spiritual Body Resetting...] In the eighth round of combat, Ron decided to take his final measure. He deliberately let himself get injured, luring the Chimera closer, then at the crucial moment, releasing the pre-prepared Binding Magic—a modified version of Slime Splash, temporarily restricting the Chimera’s movements. Subsequently, he exerted all his strength, thrusting the Ironwood Sword straight into the Chimera’s heart. The Chimera’s three heads simultaneously let out cries of agony, its entire massive body trembling. It tried to counterattack, but no longer had the strength. Finally, the Divine Era Magical Beast collapsed with a crash, its three heads and serpent tail hanging down lifelessly. Ron, panting, cautiously approached the Chimera. He knew the battle wasn’t truly over yet. As expected, when he got close, the Chimera’s lion head suddenly opened its eyes, but the look in them was no longer of hostility, but of a peculiar recognition and respect. "You... passed... the trial..." A hoarse voice resonated in Ron’s mind: "Proven... your... worth..." Clearly, the entity outside was a terrifying presence that could shatter mountains with a breath. Accompanying Ron, this fledgling Apprentice, fighting in the Consciousness Space for so long, was undoubtedly just a test.