Escape from Death
The black mist eroded me and brought me severe pain. Fortunately, my vest was pain-free, so I continued to run away with the linen-haired boy on my back.
The black mist cut through the bodies of the two people, gouging off pieces of flesh and blood. It was like a greedy giant mouth, swallowing up all the flesh and blood that fell.
Mason could feel his breathing weakening a little bit. The Monster Lord raised his hand casually, and a mountain of black mist rushed over his face. Even if the consciousness under the World Tree fought back, the weak flames could not resist the overwhelming water flow. The thick mist rushed into Mason's mouth and nose. The pain of the strong acid erosion poured into the fragile body, causing the human to wail miserably.
Mason's body was convulsing, and his forehead was covered with cold sweat. His skin began to mutate, and deformed and horrible tumors grew. The monster master was not worried at all that he would escape, and every move he made was determined to win.
No one doubted that He would succeed; this was a trap carefully laid to catch the intended prey.
The black mist engulfed the figures of the two people. The boy's breathing gradually became weaker. The monster master smiled slightly, having seen the other party being swallowed up. But the next second, he suddenly said softly, "Huh?"
A dazzling light suddenly burst out from the human body, piercing the darkness in front of them. An illusory balance appeared in the air, and one end of it fell heavily.
"I would trade everything I have left for a hope for the future."
A deep voice came out from the void and echoed in everyone's ears. It was the voice of the profiteer!
Mason used this vest to make two final deals before the profiteer's death.
First, he used his treasure to exchange for a possibility, that is, to temporarily borrow the power transmitted by the profiteer. It was this power that enabled him to rush from New Town to Partington, and then from Partington to the black fog.
At that time, he realized that although avoiding the Monster Lord was the best option, the latter would obviously not let him get what he wanted. As long as he did not show up, the Monster Lord would find ways to force him to come to the Black Mist, which might kill many innocent people, and the refugees of the Insect City and the Black Mist Squad were undoubtedly the best targets.
So he had to come to the Black Mist, even though it was very dangerous. After hearing the truth about his time travel from the Monster Lord, Mason immediately realized that he had made a fortune this time.
The prerequisite is that he can escape successfully from the Monster Lord.
The latter is the second deal made by the unscrupulous businessman.
How powerful are the profiteers? It is no exaggeration to say that as long as someone dares to pay the corresponding price, the profiteers can even solve the entire dark fog era.
Its universality, usability and growth potential are the best among all Mason vests currently available.
So what effect would a trade that sacrificed all the unscrupulous merchants have?
The sound of treasures falling to the ground was endless, forming a solid barrier to protect the young man.
The medicine that Mason had thrown at Oleus was working, healing his body. Meanwhile, the barrier merged with the white light of the World Tree, and remained intact even in the face of the invasion of the black mist.
The red-haired young man rushed forward without hesitation, carrying the original body on his back. Under the protection of the barrier, the contaminants on Mason's body finally took effect.
Class B pollutant [Feather of Flight] can make the wearer as light as a swallow.
Class C pollutants [Latent] can weaken the wearer's presence and are a powerful weapon for assassination.
Class A pollutants [Silent Lock], high-level pollutants that take into account both concealment and defense...
These were carefully selected pollutants, and they should have lost their effect in front of the Monster Lord. But as the barrier unfolded, these pollutants shone brightly, allowing Oreius's speed to reach a new level!
"Do you think this will work?"
The Monster Lord was only surprised for a moment, then shook his head. He just took a step forward, and his figure swept through the air like an illusion. It was not Mica that allowed him to catch up with Mason.
He is the Lord of Monsters, the consciousness of the opposite side of the world. Wherever the black fog reaches, that is where his consciousness reaches. No matter where he appears, it is just a matter of a thought!
Trying to escape with nothing but pollutants and your legs?
How can human speed surpass the fog?
In just a few steps, the monster master easily closed the distance between the two. The red-haired young man ran forward 100 meters, and he ran 150 meters in one step. The distance was shortened in an instant, and the mist surged and condensed. Countless malicious eyes emerged from the black mist, they stuck tightly to the outside of the protective shield, staring at the people inside.
"Aureus... do you remember the wine we were going to drink..."
"Young man... I took you in in the village and let you take my horse. Why don't you let me in?"
"Young Master! You have grown up, but we are dying. Please be kind and rescue us!"
"Stars, I want to see stars..."
“So hungry, so hungry, so hungry…”
Mason's heart suddenly shook, and he saw many familiar but blurry figures among them.
Amira turned into a twisted monster and the dead townspeople, the wounded old knight, the familiar deceased villagers in the town, and even the lost couple encountered in the wooden house.
All the dead he had seen had their faces pressed against the barrier, uttering sharp and cold pleas or cries of grief. Black mist lingered around the bodies of their souls, preventing them from resting day and night.
The dead eventually return to the black mist, and their souls sink in its pain, and they continue to suffer even after death.
Mason clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and sank into the land of stars.
The lush world trees towered into the clouds, their majestic crowns spreading out in all directions, half green as jade, half fleshy and fierce. Their aura was surging and powerful, and they were nearing the end of their slumber.
The linen-haired boy stood in front of the tree, his eyes burning with anger. He pressed his palm against the tree and said in a hoarse voice, "Wake up."
He would never die here.
He would never let the Monster Lord's conspiracy succeed!!
The energy that had been prepared long ago surged into the World Tree. When the profiteer saved Partington, Mason added private goods at the cost of money, allowing everyone in Partington to witness the [Land of Stars] with their own eyes.
He fabricated a completely non-existent holy place, stirring up the waves of fate. The powerful force born from this became the final key to awaken the World Tree.
“——”
A light melody echoes, the sound of the world's birth, a song of intertwined destinies. Even though the world has experienced prosperity and destruction, the immortal recorder still stands here. The rustling of leaves records the stories of the past, future and present.
Pure white light surrounded the boy and then spread outward.
For the first time, the Monster Lord showed a solemn expression on his face. He chose to collect the fruits of victory when the World Tree was dormant because, firstly, the opponent was at its weakest at this time, and secondly, because once the World Tree completed its ascension, it would reject his existence even more.
The world tree, which symbolizes good, and the world opposite, which symbolizes evil, are incompatible. He must swallow up the other side when it is weak in order to tame it. But now the world tree has awakened.
The vast aura swept around like a storm, protecting its host. The Monster Lord did not retreat but advanced, and the black mist pressed down heavily. The souls that died over the past thousands of years turned into soldiers, roaring and rushing against the World Tree. The two collided with a bang, and the barrier was like a reef hit by strong winds and waves, stubbornly holding on to its original position.
The souls used their bodies to consume the power of the World Tree, opening the door to victory for the Monster Lord. The World Tree fought desperately, and the fire in Mason's heart was blazing, and he controlled the vest to forcibly open a path!
Undead blocking the way? Crash into them!
Tearing black mist? Crash into it!
Monsters attracted? Crash into them!!
No matter what kind of obstacles there were, they were instantly shattered when they hit the white barrier. Brilliant fireworks continued to explode in the darkness, and more monsters continued to regenerate in the black mist, and then rushed towards the barrier without looking back. Under their unremitting obstruction, the red-haired young man had to slow down his steps.
The Monster Lord smiled and said, "You have indeed given me many surprises, but that is all. Wherever the black fog reaches is my territory. No matter where you flee to, you will never be able to escape from me. Even if the World Tree wakes up, what awaits you is still being worn away bit by bit, and finally being swallowed up by despair and becoming a part of me."
The black fog is endless and the power of the Monster Lord is unimaginable.
The young man did not show any fear. "I have not yet mastered how to use the World Tree, but do you think you can win? If you are as powerful as you say, humans would have perished long ago. You always asked me to come to the black mist instead of going to the human territory to find me. I am afraid it is because there will be a price to pay for doing so."
The Monster Lord smiled but said nothing. He did need to pay a price to go to human territory, but where was it?
This is deep in the fog.
He had already dealt with the portal, and the profiteers from the World Tree were already dead. Even if someone attacked, He could directly interrupt them.
In this case, what can humans do to fight Him? Can they run away with a few pollutants and their feet? They will be swallowed up by the black mist before they succeed.
The boy's chin was tense, and his eyes were shining with sharp fire. He raised his head and stared directly at the monster lord not far away, like a young lion challenging the overlord of the grassland.
"You are too proud, Lord of Monsters. I admit that you are very strong, but you don't think that I only prepared these to meet you, right?"
"What I got in exchange for sacrificing the fruit of the World Tree is more than just a barrier!"
A teasing laugh was heard, and the balance that had never disappeared was finally broken, completely merging into the brilliance of the World Tree.
The vast and boundless light spread in all directions, temporarily dispersing the black fog and revealing the original wilderness.
This place is still in the dark fog. What does the other party want to do? The Monster Lord's brief confusion was interrupted by the sound of a whistle. An old steam metal train drove from a distance, and the headlights cast a dazzling light. The outer cover of the carriage was covered with rust, and the empty seats inside could be seen through the glass windows.
If the group of Black Mist followers under Margarita were still alive, they would find that this is where they took the sacrifices and got on the car to go to the Green Mist Forest.
Legend has it that there is an ancient train running in the dark fog. As long as you show your ticket, you can board the train and go anywhere you want.
Under the influence of the Monster Lord, this train should not have appeared here. But the World Tree dispelled the influence of the black mist, and the unscrupulous merchant's transaction successfully changed its trajectory. So the black mist train was not affected at all, crossed the space, and stopped in front of the two people.
The Monster Lord's expression was gloomy. The door opened, and the conductor with a blurred face spoke: "One person per seat, the conductor will check the tickets soon, please don't crowd."
Using Oleus' blood to contaminate the train was a good emergency solution. But it just so happened that Bai had previously transferred several soul contracts to Mason in order to protect him.
The black mist continued to tighten, pressing down on the remaining space. The boy coughed up blood, but the smile on his face was extremely brilliant.
He threw out two crystals, and let the vest carry him on the train. The door slowly closed, and the metal train rushed forward. It disappeared just as suddenly as when it came.
The white barrier also disappeared at the same time, and black mist swept into the open space, tearing everything apart.
The ground was eroded into a basin in an instant, and all creatures fled in panic, and then quickly transformed into monsters. The violent roar and the smell of blood spread, turning this place into a dead end. With an indescribable horrible sound, the figure of the monster lord disappeared on the spot, leaving only an extremely cold sneer.
"Human...you did a great job."
Black mist surged, and all the monsters froze in place, their eyes bloodshot.
The same words popped into their minds.
"Find that human and bring him to me."