Screech—Screech—Screech—
Lightning spread like new shoots breaking through the earth, weaving into a dense, web-like net that covered the battlefield.
For a moment, the blood-red world blazed bright as day.
"Hrraaaahhh—!"
Flesh bellowed, shaking his entire body, blasting away the thunder dragon—along with Germain.
Chunks of flesh exploded in every direction, the air thick with the acrid stench of burnt meat as smoke billowed outward.
Germain was hurled far across the battlefield, smashing through more than twenty of the grotesque flesh creatures before finally skidding to a halt.
He quickly rolled to his feet, boots sinking into the muck of blood-soaked ground, ready to charge back into the fray.
But after only a few steps, he stopped.
Wait.
Not yet.
He had to slow down.
He had to stop.
Germain ignored the surrounding flesh beasts that dared not approach, focusing instead on steadying his breathing.
Gradually, his heartbeat calmed.
He had nearly been drawn into Flesh's rhythm—blow after blow, faster and faster.
If he kept going like that, the outcome was obvious.
Flesh roared again, sweeping aside everything nearby, dragging his twin axes as he prepared to crush the charging Germain.
But to his surprise, Germain didn't attack.
Instead, he stayed still, resting, then slowly began walking toward him.
This guy…
Well, it made sense.
Anyone who could push him to this form would naturally have that kind of composure.
"Flesh and Blood" sneered coldly, lifting his twin-bladed axe as he stepped forward.
Just then, Germain bent his bow and fired several black Nen arrow!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Unhurried, "Flesh and Blood" wielded both his twin blades and sweeping tail simultaneously.
Clang clang clang!
With a few sharp strikes, he swept away all the black arrow effortlessly.
Seeing that his crimson curved bow and murky black arrows were ineffective, Germain was not surprised.
Instead, he seized the opportunity to activate "The Wriggling of the Deformed Limp Stalker."
Using up the "Greedy Antler Helmet," a violent stirring erupted in "Flesh and Blood's" abdomen.
Suddenly, with a pop, a tentacle claw burst through his gut, piercing outward!
"Flesh and Blood" staggered forward in pain, lowering his head to see blood gushing out.
His limbs went numb, and a cursed brand appeared—clearly a mark of bleeding and poison.
But he let out a cold, hoarse laugh.
Grabbing the tentacle, he yanked it hard, pulling out a large chunk of blood along with it.
Ignoring everything, "Flesh and Blood" raised his head, opened his massive mouth wide, and tossed the tentacle into his maw filled with razor-sharp teeth.
He began chewing vigorously, juices splattering everywhere.
The wounds inside and outside his abdomen began to heal rapidly.
Disregarding his injuries, "Flesh and Blood" swung his twin blades at the air.
Several scarlet axe slashes appeared, shimmering like streaks of blood.
They paused briefly before sweeping fiercely toward Germain.
Germain flipped and dodged multiple times, narrowly avoiding every slash.
Buzz—
A strange sound came from behind him.
He turned to see a crimson glow flaring from "Flesh and Blood's" direction.
At the tip of his horns, "Flesh and Blood" was gathering a sphere of energy.
The surrounding dark red light swirled as if caught in a vortex, collapsing inward.
The dark red orb grew rapidly, nearly a third the size of "Flesh and Blood's" large form.
Germain knew he couldn't let this attack hit directly.
Immediately, he used "Collector's Head," consuming his "Ring of Darkness," to summon a curious cabinet filled with skulls!
The cabinet suddenly grew huge.
One of the skulls inside opened its massive jaw and bit down on "Flesh and Blood's" left arm, preparing to swallow it.
Looking down, "Flesh and Blood" sneered contemptuously.
He stabbed the handle of his twin-bladed axe with his right hand, shattering the cabinet and the skull instantly.
However, Germain seized "Flesh and Blood's" momentary lapse and once again unleashed "The Wriggling of the Deformed Limp Stalker."
Consuming the "fragile illusion," a writhing tentacle-like claw suddenly burst out violently from the "Flesh" creature's head, shattering one of its horns in a single strike.
Caught completely off guard, the red glowing orb atop the "Flesh" instantly lost its stable balance and exploded right above its head.
Boom—
The dazzling blast spread out like it wanted to devour the entire world. The shockwave violently sent Germain, Ging, the remnants, and the Flesh monsters flying in all directions.
Germain had no idea how far he had been thrown. He finally collapsed onto the ground, rolling over countless times before using a pile of Flesh monsters as a buffer to finally stop.
His ears were ringing loudly; for a moment, he could not make out any sounds around him.
But he could see—what lay before him was a terrifying giant crater, as if a small asteroid had just slammed into the earth.
Through the billowing smoke and raging flames, the massive form of the "Flesh" creature emerged, charred and blackened.
Its eyes swept across the scene, and every Flesh monster caught in its gaze immediately fell prostrate on the ground.
Even Ging, who had just risen, gritted his teeth and averted his gaze, unable to meet those eyes.
Fear had been planted deep into the hearts of every creature it passed over.
Until its eyes locked with Germain's.
"It seems you possess quite a number of strange abilities, but that's all you have."
"Heh heh heh—I understand its plan now…"
"It wants to use me as a stepping stone for you to become a demigod, a sacrifice for your ascension ritual... But you greatly underestimate me. Who do you think I am?!"
Rumble—
Crimson light flickered across the darkened sky, and thunder roared, shaking the earth.
The "Flesh" stretched out its hands, and its massive body slowly shifted color—from charred black to dark red, then fiery red, and finally to a bright white glow that blurred its outline completely.
At that moment, every Flesh monster nearby screamed in agony.
Chunks of flesh peeled off them piece by piece, and drops of blood trickled from their bodies.
They suffered torment akin to slow dismemberment, yet all the Flesh and all the negative emotions fed the "God of Flesh."
Puff puff puff—
A strange phenomenon unfolded as countless fragments of Flesh shot toward the glowing figure, continuously merging into it.
That bright white figure quickly transformed into a pillar of light, shooting straight up into the sky.
After a long moment, a deafening explosion shattered the silence.
Boom—
Ging knelt on the ground, drenched in sweat, barely able to raise his head, let alone stand.
He hated himself deeply at that moment.
Just then, a cold, withered hand reached out and grabbed his arm.
It was Germain's voice that spoke quietly, "I'll get you out of here first."
Ging turned his head and saw Germain planting a lantern beside him, its purple light flickering faintly.
Instantly, Ging understood. He instinctively wanted to refuse but eventually frowned and fell silent.
He knew that staying here now would only slow everyone down.
Without saying more, Germain used up three teleportation lanterns and immediately activated the transport.
In the blink of an eye, the oppressive atmosphere vanished, and Ging gradually regained control over his body.
At that moment, a familiar voice cried out in surprise.
"Germain?! Ging?! You're back?!"
*******
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