Chapter 214 Three Days of Despair (Part 1)
Shax inserted the prosthetic eye into its socket. The cold, foreign sensation gave him the unpleasant sensation of being shot. He adjusted for a moment, then used his mental power to reconnect the circuit. His vision returned like a screen lighting up. He stared at a field of red bricks.
Adjusting focus. Switching to normal. Rooftops, red houses, distant flames, streets—the rapidly changing field of view brought a sense of retreat and dislocation. After 0.07 seconds, the visual fine-tuning was successful, and the silver eyeball was waving its tentacles.
"How is it? Can you see it?"
"The support is overkill, barely usable." Shaxx continued to fine-tune the parameters. "I'm going to have a body reconstruction surgery after I get out."
"Ah, after we get out!" Vander said strangely, "You talk as if we still have tomorrow. Sometimes I really envy the blind optimism of you killers."
It tossed the completed blueprints and the "Mixed Element Magic Manuscript" to Shaxx. This manuscript, acquired from the infatuated demon Jinye, could produce the blueprints simply by infusing it with Fu Guanglu's mental energy, once again playing a vital role in these challenging times. After several attempts to collaborate with the blind Shaxx, they finally managed to create the prosthetic eyes from the manuscript. Now they needed something else.
"Nice design," Shaxx said, examining the blueprint. "But the concept is bizarre. The prosthetic you designed looks like a miniature demon possessing a human body."
"Call it a perfect symbiotic design," said Vander, beaming. "I'm a master of ergonomics. You won't find such beautiful drawings outside the library."
Shax considered for a second whether to keep the prosthetic eye, ultimately deciding to convert it into a new scope for the Holy Lance once he was free. He used his manuscript to create a new prosthetic body, a hand as smooth as jade. He threw it out, and Finder hurriedly caught it.
"You bastard!" the Eye Demon protested loudly.
"Tell Snake to make a decision early." Shax began to maintain his gun. He had just woken up two hours ago and hadn't had time to do anything. "Time is running out."
Finder grabbed his prosthetic hand and left the workshop in a gloomy mood. The settlement was filled with gloom, as the warriors argued fiercely in their rooms, discussing food, the battle situation, and the elder's funeral. These arguments lasted all day, with no meaningful conclusion, as no one stepped forward to take charge.
No one cared about training soldiers, and idle children wandered the streets. They didn't know what was happening, but they instinctively realized that something bad was happening. Vita, a little girl wearing a helmet, stopped Vander.
"Little Eyeball, is the Warrior Captain okay?" Vita asked anxiously, "We haven't seen her..."
"Qingxia is injured." Fander told her, "but the injury is not serious. You know how powerful that devil girl is. She will be fine in a few days."
Vita was skeptical: "Will the fire go out?"
"Of course I need to say that," the Eye Demon said with a smile, "It will be ready in a few days, and then we can fight our way out."
It used a little hypnosis to calm the little girl and the other children. The trick worked immediately, and they were relieved and began discussing when to launch a counterattack. With a heavy heart, Finder arrived at the foot of the sacred pillar. Qingye had just emerged from the pillar of light, and several crimson marks were visible on her neck. The beholder suspected that even more unsightly scars lay hidden beneath her clothes.
"I almost died, ahhhh!" Qing Ye cried, "I dreamed of my grandparents last night. They were trying to drag me into hell with a rope, and the head of the family was pulling me back to the shore with another rope, and I was playing tug-of-war there..."
"It's amazing that your nightmares can be so sitcom-like."
Everyone was in a desperate situation, but thanks to the deflection effect of the vortex of evil, most of Wen Yao's poison was blocked. Thanks to Ji Huaisu's purifying fire, the healing power of the sacred pillar, and the crucial "antidote," everyone on the verge of death was finally saved. Everyone's lives were saved, but at a small price.
Qingye's right arm, below the arm, was wrapped in bandages, like a round white ball. She took the prosthetic hand, turned around, and untied the bandages. When she turned around, the new hand was already moving flexibly, just like her original.
"Oh oh." Qingye exclaimed, "That's amazing, I can't tell it's fake!"
Fander felt a pang of pain in his heart. He had seen the girl's injuries before. "We're the only ones here. Don't pretend."
"I really don't care. I can always get better after I get out." Qing Ye shrugged. "Besides, compared to Mr. Chu, I'm already very lucky."
Fander walked around behind the sacred pillar and spoke carefully: "Brother? Are you still breathing?"
In a corner of the martial arts arena, a simple thatched hut emanated from it, a foul stench of decay. Chu Hengkong stayed there. His external taint was too severe to allow him to enter the Sacred Pillar for treatment. They resorted to the most primitive treatment: using Pure Fire to replenish his vitality, giving him ample food and "antidote," and using the Immortal Power to persevere.
A day and a half had passed since returning to the settlement. Chu Hengkong had eaten two-thirds of his existing food reserves, but there was no response. Fander became increasingly anxious: "Brother?"
"Not bad." Chu Hengkong's voice was unclear, "still breathing."
He climbed out of the hut, his whole body as confused as if he had just finished learning the 3,000 sets. He spun around and straightened up, and it took him a while to turn his head in the right direction. Vander let out a long breath.
"Thank God, buddy. I almost thought you were going to have a metal skull face from now on."
"It would be great if I were really a Terminator, not afraid of poison." Chu Hengkong moved his joints back and forth. "How bad is the situation now? Are they all still alive?"
"In your words, they're still breathing."
Vander briefly explained everyone's situation. Most of the injured had just woken up today. The only one who was not injured was Gulbo. It was lucky to hide in a cabbage head and thus escaped. However, Vander suspected that "the witch wanted to keep the little thing and torture it slowly."
At that moment, Gulibo was carrying two shower heads, dancing breathlessly around the sacred pillar. Its expression was exceptionally focused: "I'm working hard to cultivate the flowers, Bo! Once the sacred tree is upgraded, everything will be fine, Bo!"
[I'm afraid I'm still not up to the task.] Shi Zhong wrote sadly, [Did Chongming wake up today?]
Chongming was in a coma, or dead.
He leaned against the sacred pillar, motionless, his heartbeat and breathless. His body was so transparent that it would sometimes disappear, and if one wasn't careful, his existence would be easily overlooked, like a disappearing shadow. No one knew why this happened. Ever since the day they fled back to the settlement, the bad-tempered commander had been like this.
Chu Hengkong suspected that Chongming must have done something; it was impossible for them to survive the Despair Kingdom for no reason. But no matter how capable Chongming was, he couldn't help them now.
He felt particularly heavy. This was perhaps the most difficult moment since arriving in the wilderness of despair.
"How is Qingxia?"
"Qingxia... is still breathing." Fan De said dryly, "Let's go to the observation deck first. I'll show you the current situation."
"I can imagine."
"That's not necessarily true."
The lookout tower, located in the northern part of the settlement, was a knight-style, mixed-use structure of ice and earth. Ji Huaisu stood on the platform, sword in hand. When Chu Hengkong stepped onto the stage, she cried out in surprise and hugged her partner tightly.
"I really should have gone with you that day."
"We'll tell you everything once you get there." Chu Hengkong patted her shoulder. "How many days can we hold on?"
"Akong, you're a little too optimistic." The female knight gave a tired smile. "You should ask how many hours we can hold out."
She stepped aside to allow Chu Hengkong to see the situation outside the settlement. Even though the killer was experienced, he couldn't help but feel deeply pressured at this moment.
Beyond the watchtower, a golden barrier loomed, a sacred pillar seal operating at its limit. For centuries, this seal had faithfully performed its duty, shielding the settlement from nightmares and alien forces. Even powerful dreadbearers could not enter. But now, the sacred pillar seal was crumbling, and the golden barrier was etched with overlapping blood-red handprints, as if countless evil spirits were constantly scratching at it day and night.
Chu Hengkong took one glance and knew the source of the bloody handprint. The enemy wasn't a group, but a single one: the withered figure blazing outside the settlement. The pure fire continuously seared her flesh, yet her powerful resilience allowed her to regenerate at an incredible rate. She laughed wildly, scratching at the settlement's defenses. The skeletal head that remained regenerated its stunningly beautiful features in the blink of an eye.
"It will be soon, little ones!" Wen Yao laughed. "Wait a little longer. Please be patient. Hahahaha, hahahahahahaha!!!"
Ji Huaisu turned around and walked down the observation deck with her partner. Chu Hengkong's expression was now as grim as hers.
"We actually had a chance," Ji Huaisu said. "If someone had the energy to finish her off after I killed her that day, we might have been able to finish her off. But you were all dying, and I passed out right after I finished. By the time I woke up, it was too late. Over the past day and a half, I've watched her transform from a mummy into a zombie, and then into this fiery witch she is now. She's evolving step by step, like those venomous insects that aren't afraid of pesticides. I guess she's not so afraid of pure fire anymore."
"That's the nature of this clan," said Finder. "Anything that doesn't kill her makes her stronger."
"It's okay, you still have two forms." Chu Hengkong took a deep breath, "Let's make a plan--"
"Akong, I told you you're too optimistic." Ji Huaisu shook his head with a bitter face, "It's not over yet."
They arrived at the west side of the settlement, the jungle where the warriors used to hunt. When they reached the entrance, Chu Hengkong rubbed his eyes.
There stood three familiar-looking eggs.
"Don't." The killer murmured to himself, "Don't."
The changes began on the day of the battle. As everyone retreated back to the settlement and Wen Yao struggled in the flames, strange noises emanated from the jungle. The warriors could no longer see any strange beasts; even the birds had vanished. A veteran warrior swore he had seen the young Qingxia, saying she was waving from the forest.
That night, a subtle sound rang out, like insects gnawing on leaves, yet a thousand times louder. The soldiers on guard watched helplessly as trees fell and birds vanished, as if an invisible monster lurked in the night, devouring everything in sight. When the next day arrived, the settlement was deserted.
There were no trees, no wild animals, no water, and only three familiar giant eggs remained on the barren land. Or rather...
Three white "eggs".
"The Sephiroth of a Hentai demon is called a hunting claw. They hunt with sharp, slender claws that can drain the flesh and blood of a giant beast in an instant. If you ignore transformation and only consider feeding efficiency, a hunting claw can eat an entire small dust island on its own," said Vander. "After absorbing enough energy, the hunting claw will transform into an egg-shaped 'hunger shell'. At this stage, their defenses are extremely strong, and their life activities slow down. During this period, the hentai demon will store energy and wait for the transformation."
Chu Hengkong felt his mouth dry. "How long does it take them to upgrade from particle 2 to particle 3?"
"It won't take long," said Vander. "Their energy reserves are basically complete during the hunting claw period. They just need to wait for the opportunity... or the instructions from the higher-level mother."
A bloody transformation array emerged from the bottom of the three insect eggs.
(End of this chapter)
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