A mental ripple spread, and High Spirit's voice rang out, as if venting its emotions.
"Foolish insect, experience the taste of supreme terror. I'll make you understand that when words and actions do not match, a terrible price must be paid. That price is the loss of your soul and your life!"
The Energy Octopus shrieked at the rigid Richard. Then its entire body contracted, shrinking to less than one percent of its original size, and it violently drilled into Richard's open mouth. Like a water snake slipping into a hole, it quickly vanished deep into Richard's throat.
The next moment, Richard's body began to swell at a visible rate, like an inflating balloon. His face was filled with pain, as though the flesh, organs, and even soul inside him were being devoured by High Spirit.
However, just as his body expanded to nearly twice its original size and looked ready to burst, the swelling suddenly slowed. A black shadow flashed from Richard's open mouth, and High Spirit, which had entered earlier, seemed to have realized something was wrong and hurriedly tried to rush out.
At that moment, with a pop, Richard closed his mouth. Like shutting the door of a prison cell, he sealed the Energy Octopus inside his body.
The pain on his face vanished in an instant, and Richard revealed a faintly amused expression.
Just as expected... something like High Spirit might possess immense power, but when it came to combat wisdom, it was completely no match for "despicable humans"... A simple flaw in battle was enough to make it fall for the trap... This was not something it could learn after being fooled once or twice... It still had a long way to go...
Richard circulated his extraordinary power and controlled his body as it gradually