Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 178 The Chase and the Moonlight
"Back off!"

The edge of the sword reflected a cold, iron-gray light mixed with orange-red under the firelight. His jet-black hair swayed slightly, and the warm, burning wind from the sewers, carrying a putrid smell, brushed against his cheek.

Xia Nan gripped the decapitation sword tightly and shouted without turning his head.

Having already unconsciously retreated after witnessing the horrific scene before him, Tie Tou quickened his pace even further.

His expression was dazed and somewhat panicked. He hastily left behind a few words of warning before disappearing into the shadows of the passage he had come from.

"Mr. Xia Nan, be careful not to get hurt by its teeth and claws."

"He has 'beast-like' symptoms, be careful of infection!"

With a barely perceptible nod, Xia Nan's gaze was fixed on the burly figure in front of him, with swirling flames as a backdrop and countless corpses lying at his feet. His expression grew increasingly solemn.

They had already found a crucial clue: the "iron scab moss" suggested that the other party was most likely hiding in the sewers.

They planned to use the gray badger gang, which was active underground, to find the other party's hiding place.

at the moment……

In a way, it saved me some trouble.

The price paid for this was the annihilation of the entire Badger Gang, including its leader, "Eight Fingers."

"Buck?"

Xia Nan tentatively called out to the other party.

No response.

The only sounds echoing in the air were the crackling of the burning wood, the roar of rushing water from afar, and a deep, menacing voice carrying a strong warning.

He keenly sensed the ferocious bestiality in those beastly eyes, which was rapidly expanding due to slaughter and bloodshed.

I know there is no possibility of communication.

Xia Nan suddenly let out a long breath.

The scorching heat condensed into a white, arrow-like streak of mist in the air.

His chest heaving suddenly slowed down, and his breathing became steady and long.

But the surging fighting spirit deep within his heart caused his heart to pump faster, sending streams of powerful, hot blood coursing through his body.

My brain is working at lightning speed.

Potentially effective attack methods, the impact of the sewer environment, the enemy's fighting style, things to be wary of...

All the details were summarized in his mind, and in less than a second, all the information about the battle was transformed into actual action.

Driven by this, Xia Nan took his first step forward since arriving here.

"despair."

The thick, tough leather boots sank deep into the muddy floor of the sewer, the sticky sludge being pushed to both sides, revealing rotten leaves and unidentified filth hidden within.

Strangely, after the boots fell, there was no expected process of struggling to pull them out of the mud.

The moment his shoes touched the ground, the boots themselves, along with his lower leg and foot, vanished in an instant.

Instead, there were clumps of mud and soil that were smashed apart as if in an explosion, the damp air that suddenly stagnated, and...

A distant and resounding howl of wolves in the wilderness!
The intensely compressed, fierce wind whipped up mud, blood, and scattered limbs, which coalesced into a ferocious wolf head that roared and lunged forward, its mane swaying wildly.

The distance of several tens of meters was covered in the blink of an eye, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.

Without holding back in the slightest, the iron-gray wolf fang suddenly fell, its sharp blade seemingly cleaving through the air, emitting a shrill and mournful howl.

In the instantaneous shift from extreme stillness to extreme movement, Xia Nan could even see the burly man in front of him, as the strong wind blew back the folds of his hood, the noticeably thicker body hair on his cheeks compared to ordinary people, and his beastly pupils that suddenly contracted inward.

[Whirling Slash]!
A metallic arc of iron gray streaked through the air like a crescent moon, and the hilt of the sword in his hand gave him a familiar, gritty feeling as the blade sliced ​​through flesh.

The fragile robe offered no defense whatsoever; the moment it touched the blade, it was torn into a tattered rag by the howling wind.

Broken brown hair, torn supple skin, bulging, muscular muscles...

Accompanying a string of spurting scarlet blood beads was a downward-sloping wound that extended from the right shoulder near the shoulder blade, eventually disappearing into the left side of the abdomen.

If it weren't for that burly man, under the threat of the wolf's howl, sensing a deadly aura and instinctively taking a step back to the side, it would have been different.

Right now, he probably has more than just this one wound on his body; the iron-gray longsword will slice off his head along his cervical vertebrae.

Just when Buck thought the opponent's offensive was over and wanted to take this opportunity to counterattack.

He suddenly realized that since he transformed into a beast that night, his body, which had become much stronger, seemed to be burdened by an invisible weight.

From toes to head, every inch of skin suddenly felt heavier.

The joints are so stiff they seem rusty and difficult to exert force.

【Gravity Control】!
Suddenly, a deadly red light, radiating extreme danger, appeared in his beast-like eyes.

Before them stood a young adventurer with black hair who, after a series of slashes, prepared to attack again in an extremely short time.

With both feet firmly planted on the ground, knees bent to support the body, arm muscles bulging to gather power, and the decapitation sword pointing straight forward.

The surface of the blade was covered with an unstable ochre-red sheen, like some kind of ever-changing and flowing complex runes.

Gravity Etching!
"will die!"

Under the suffocating onslaught, Buck had no time to think and reacted purely on his body's instincts.

Standing still, the solid muscles beneath his thick, tough skin suddenly swelled, and his already imposing body expanded two sizes in an instant.

It roared wildly to the sky, its beastly cries almost solidifying into tangible sound waves in the air.

The upper body, already reduced to just a few tattered pieces of cloth by the enemy's fierce winds, was completely torn away.

It revealed its exceptionally robust body, with its skin covered in thick, rough, beast-like hair.

And beneath the skin, something seemed to be brewing and accumulating, a strange and unusual crimson.

Xia Nan raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was amiss.

The decapitation sword, which had been aimed at the opponent's chest and heart, suddenly stopped.

As they moved, the howling of wolves rang out once more.

In the blink of an eye, under the effect of [Fang Hunt], he had retreated more than ten meters away.

At the same time, the crimson hue beneath Buck's skin had already begun to form.

It burst forth suddenly!

Transforming into tiny, fine arrows of blood, they shot out from the pores of the skin, enveloping a small area of ​​space around the body like raindrops.

Of course, this posed no threat to Xia Nan, who had retreated more than ten meters away in an instant.

Looking at the pool of blood on the ground beside Buck, steaming hot.

Xia Nan narrowed his eyes slightly and raised the tip of his sword.

Fortunately, I reacted quickly and dodged in time. If he had forcefully thrust out that fully charged sword, I would have been saved.

Even if he manages to kill his opponent in one blow, he himself will be subjected to a series of blood arrows.

And if he gets injured as a result, and the other person's blood touches his wound...

"Beastification syndrome" is no joke.

Xia Nan was very satisfied with his body. Although being hairy seemed nice, he didn't want to live under the watchful eyes of those around him all the time.

At the same time, on the other side.

Buck, who had temporarily forced Xia Nan back with a burst of blood energy, stood there panting heavily, his face slightly pale.

Clearly, that move had taken a huge toll on him as well.

In the wild, beastly eyes, human reason once again prevailed in the face of life-or-death crisis.

His gaze, fixed intently on Xia Nan, was now tinged with deep apprehension. There was no doubt that the young man who had suddenly appeared in the sewers and attacked him was far stronger than he could handle in his current state.

Are you a professional?

Buck guessed to himself.

The incredible speed and mobility, along with the magical effects that had immobilized him, were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary adventurers.

"Trouble..."

In his memory, apart from that chance encounter that morning, he should have never seen the other person before, so there was no question of offending him.

"Could it be related to the Badger Gang?"

"No, probably not."

Buck rejected his idea.

How could such a small to medium-sized organization, which wouldn't even rank in the slums and is ignored by people of Big Ben's level, possibly be associated with professionals?

"That is……"

Adventurers' Guild!?

Buck's expression darkened again, feeling that things had spiraled out of his control.

"Judging from his relaxed demeanor just now, even if he used only a fraction of his strength, he must have had a backup plan."

"At least in the sewers, I'm definitely no match for him."

He made a quick decision in his mind:
We have to get out!

"To survive, we have to get outside!"

My mind was racing with thoughts, but only a few seconds passed in the outside world.

Seeing the sharp eyes of the black-haired youth in the distance, whose long sword seemed ready to be swung at his neck at any moment.

Buck suddenly exerted force from his chest and abdomen.

"Roar!!!"

The beast-like roar sent ripples through the pool of blood on the ground, its force ferocious.

Just as Xia Nan's body tensed up, his expression wary, thinking that the other party was about to launch a counterattack against him.

The imposing figure in front of him suddenly turned around, pushed off with his feet, and rushed into the depths of the tunnel behind him.

With the mission objective right in front of him, how could Xia Nan be willing to let it go?

With each step, he followed directly after them.

The Newme sewers are vast and complex, filled with countless side streets and bends, and have no discernible pattern.

Even with the effects of [Fang Hunt] and [Gravity Control] granting Xia Nan a speed far exceeding his opponent, he was unable to utilize it in such an unfamiliar environment.

He was able to use his speed advantage to gradually shorten the distance between them.

But it will take some time.

Furthermore, because they had not yet ascertained the opponent's strength and the potential danger of "beastification syndrome," they dared not advance too recklessly.

If the enemy were to launch a surprise attack, even if it didn't cause serious injury, just being scratched by their claws or teeth would make things very troublesome.

But he didn't dare to hang too far, since the terrain was complex and unfamiliar, and if he was even slightly too far away, he would easily fall behind.

However, if you lose touch with the other party, it becomes extremely difficult to catch up.

They went back and forth like this for about ten minutes.

It's another corner that's almost ninety degrees.

The footsteps in the utility tunnel ceased, replaced by the sight of the manhole at the top of the sewer being opened, and the shadow cast by the burly figure illuminated by the moonlight.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Nan strode forward and followed him up the iron ladder.

At the same time, he couldn't help but be wary, wondering if the other party was lying in ambush at the wellhead, waiting for him to climb out of the sewer so they could launch an attack.

A gray light flashed in his dark eyes, and [Heart-Guiding Vision] silently activated.

The originally dim and blurry environment suddenly turned into a clear black and white scene.

Countless lines intertwine and collide like ripples in water.

Suppressing the slight dizziness in his head, Xia Nan raised his head and caught sight of a burly figure moving rapidly away from the wellhead on the ground above.

With a slight sense of relief, he shut down the [Mind-Guiding Vision], which consumed a great deal of mental energy, and then exerted force with his hands and feet, leaving almost twisted marks on the iron ladder, and instantly rushed out of the well.

Landed lightly.

As the surrounding scenery came into view, his brows furrowed slightly.

Having followed the sewers for so long, I still don't know what the corresponding place on the surface is.

It's definitely still in Newme, seemingly somewhere in the slums of the lower city.

It was about the size of a basketball court, with mud huts and thatched houses typical of slums crammed around on both sides.

But it seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. Even at night, there were no lights in the sheds and no trace of human life.

On the other side, opposite the open space.

Buck stopped running away.

He simply stood quietly, facing Xia Nan.

A deep, guttural roar, like that of an engine, echoed in the cold air shrouded in night.

Dark red, crystalline powdery moss flakes drifted gently off the skin.

Extending from the shoulder blade to the side waist, the bloody wound quietly heals as granulation tissue wriggles.

His already imposing body swelled up like a balloon, his skin cracked by his muscles and bled, and his brown mane grew profusely.

Sharp canine teeth naturally protrude from the gradually narrowing upper jaw of the skull, and sticky saliva spreads to the corners of the mouth.

A silvery-white glint flashed in Xia Nan's peripheral vision.

It was a layer of shimmering moonlight, as soft as a veil, floating around Buck.

It's like absorbing nutrients from it; tiny specks of stardust fall and seep into the body.

Subconsciously, Xia Nan raised her head and looked up.

What comes into view is not the dirty stone ceiling covered with mold and moss in the sewer.

Instead, it was the deep, dark night sky, the vast and brilliant stars, and the very center of everything that radiated an unparalleled, pure brilliance.
—A perfect, clear, and bright full moon.

……

……

The bright silver moon was reflected in his pupils, and the divine eye emblem surrounded by stars on his chest swayed gently.

Isidore withdrew his gaze, his expression calm and serene.

"It's almost time, are you ready?"

Behind him, Cornell, still wearing his indigo mage robes, nodded absentmindedly.

"We've been preparing for so many days, let's get started."

Although he said this, his gaze did not fall on the priest, or on the golden-haired elf corpse lying quietly on the altar in front of him, waiting to be resurrected.

He simply lowered his head, staring intently at the strange, dark blue-green human figure in his hand, which resembled both a sheep and a deer.

(End of this chapter)