This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 399, Section 398: Veraris and the Abyss Beast
[Name: Veralis]

[Level: LV76]

[Racial Traits: Quick Adaptation, Shadow Affinity]

【技能：阴影穿梭LV10、暗影标记LV10、影子操控LV10、魅惑之音LV10、物理抗性LV10、魔法抗性LV10……再生LV9、深渊魔法LV9……多重意志LV6……】

Patient support group...

Verallis looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, with a pair of purple eyes that shimmered with a subtle, alluring light, clearly indicating that she also possessed the succubus bloodline, the most widespread among half-demons.

However, the tail swaying behind her was not the heart shape commonly seen on succubi, but rather a longer and more flexible one, with a sharp, black arrowhead at the end, swaying slowly and restlessly with her emotions.

Her petite body was covered with black patterns, which seemed to have a life of their own, constantly flowing and changing with her exaggerated laughter.

"Hahahahahaha!" The girl's mouth stretched into an exaggerated, almost torn arc. "I... this is the first time I've ever seen such a round vampire! Hey, if you transform into a bat now, won't you become a fat bat that can't fly?"

She even reached out with a grin, wanting to pat Sigismund's stomach, but he expressionlessly raised his hand to block her.

Sigismund remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was seething with rage, though this rage was not directed at Veralis's mockery.

He had long anticipated that his current appearance would inevitably draw ridicule from Valerie, Eleanor, and even his old nemesis, Alama.

What truly caught him off guard was—

"Hahaha, fat bat!" The culprit's indifferent laughter echoed in his mind, almost giving him the urge to take everyone down with him.

Veralis took a while to finish laughing. She suddenly tilted her head and said in an almost cloying tone, "But... being chubby, it actually looks quite cute. I like it, Sigismund~"

The voice seemed to possess a special power, and the eyes of the Blood Knights behind Sigismund became confused.

However, Sigismund, who had been on guard all along, was unaffected, almost the instant she uttered the word "like".

Blood Manipulation Barrier!

Blood instantly coalesced into a thick shield in front of him. Almost at the same moment, several shadowy spikes burst forth from Veralis's shadow, crashing into the blood shield with a dull hiss.

Having blocked the sudden attack, Sigismund didn't stop. With a light step, his bulky body retreated several feet in an almost graceful manner, creating a safe distance between himself and Verallis.

After regaining their senses, the Blood Knights behind him quickly drew their weapons. Thick blood energy wrapped around the blades, and crimson light flashed in their eyes. Their killing intent was locked on Verallis, and they would pounce on her without hesitation at their master's command.

However, Sigismund simply stood there with a cold expression, without saying a word.

"Tsk," Veralis said, feigning hurt and grievance, as if she herself hadn't been the one to launch the fatal sneak attack.

Her arrow-shaped tail thumped restlessly on the ground, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.

"Honestly, I just told you I liked you, and you just dodged it... I just wanted to get closer to you."

"No need." Sigismund didn't want to get entangled in such a dangerous topic with this unpredictable madman. He turned his gaze to the army resting behind Veraris and asked the question that concerned him most, "Where are your Abyss Beasts?"

"You mean my little cutie?" Verallis blinked her purple eyes. "Vesalius borrowed it to play with."

"Did His Highness take it away..." Sigismund was somewhat disappointed; he had originally hoped to use that thing to deal a serious blow to Alama.

"The news of your presence here can't be kept secret for long. We must make arrangements as soon as possible. I will inform you of the specific plan later. In the meantime, you and your men..." He emphasized, "stay put and don't wander off." After saying that, without waiting for Veralis's destined-to-be-unreliable reply, he flashed with a bloody light, transformed into a fat bat, and flew back towards the Crimson Tower.

To be honest, he also wished he could be like Eleanor and simply stay far away from this mentally unstable guy.

However, someone among the three dukes had to take on the responsibility of communication and coordination, and he couldn't refuse this difficult task.

It's only been a probing attack so far, so it's not too bad.

"Why did she attack you just now?" Lin Jun in his mind also put away his joking mood at this moment. After all, what Veralis had just attacked was their precious shared body!

"Who knows what that crazy woman is thinking... but anyway, don't let her like you." For his own safety, Sigismund didn't hide anything and earnestly reminded him, "But it's best not to run into her at all."

"She can control shadows, what kind of hybrid is she?"

"Troll, Succubus, Shadow Fiend."

"Trolls and succubi are one thing... Shadow Fiends? Aren't those things closer to elemental creatures? Are succubi really that convenient?" Lin Jun felt her worldview being challenged once again.

“I don’t know about that,” Sigismund replied. “All I know is that Her Majesty brought her out of a demon king’s laboratory that had been discovered by chance.”

"The Demon King's...laboratory?"

Lin Jun wanted to learn more about the Demon King, but whether Sigismund truly knew only limited information or was unwilling to discuss the topic further, she was unable to extract any more information.

Upon returning to the Crimson Tower, Lin Jun received devastating news.

Only half of his two loyal half-vampire henchmen returned?!

……

Northwest Front.

When the abyss beast appeared on the horizon, the morale of the United Kingdom's army visibly plummeted.

It was as if it were a creation that had desecrated the concept of life.

A dragon's head, a bear's body, a scorpion's tail... and a pair of huge but dilapidated wings from different owners—a large amount of material was forcibly mixed together and then magnified to the scale of a mountain, creating a terrifying stitched-together structure.

With each step it took, the earth groaned, and the vibrations shot from the soles of their feet straight up to the soldiers' spines, shattering their hearts and minds.

It doesn't seem like a monster born of nature, but rather a creature that has broken free from the deepest nightmare.

Commander-in-Chief Duke Brunus's voice was dry and strained. He unconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead repeatedly, his expensive silk gloves now soaked.

"What...what should I do?" He subconsciously looked to his side, as if that was his only support.

Sword Saint Elvein's gaze slowly swept over the silent Kingdom army camp, finally settling on the distant behemoth. His voice held a hint of helplessness: "We can only try to find a way to kill it... That purple light on its chest must be its core, right?"

Fifteen asked worriedly, "Master, is everything alright?"

Elwayne placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist: "I'll have to try it to know for sure since it's my first time."

(End of this chapter)