Chapter 525: Encirclement and Slaughter
The beast-like monster opened its massive maw, foul-smelling saliva mixed with blood dripping from the corners of its mouth.
The Butcher Demon roared as it faced the approaching Dragon-Scale Monks from all directions, its throat convulsing, producing a sound like metal grinding against metal.
"Ignorant mortals!
You will soon realize—the kind of existence you have dared to challenge!"
Abyssal mist billowed around the Butcher Demon's colossal body, the vents along its neck emitting chaotic, incoherent whispers.
Those sounds burrowed into the minds of those who heard them, like an all-pervasive swarm of insects, corroding their souls.
That was the Language of Blasphemy!
"No—"
"Cover your ears! It's that sound again!"
"By Cassius, this is absolute blasphemy! It—it's twisting my mind!"
The battlefield descended into chaos as Imperial soldiers clutched their heads in agony, shutting their eyes tightly and writhing on the ground.
The demons seized this opportunity to attack wildly, shrieking with excitement as they clawed, bit, and tore into the flesh of the Imperial soldiers.
For ordinary mortals, the Language of Blasphemy could awaken their deepest fears and even corrupt their very souls.
But the Vitagis were not mere mortals—the Gene Priests of the Mechanist Church had grafted [Leman's Ear], an artificial organ inspired by dragon genetics, onto the Dragon-Scale Monks, allowing them to selectively enhance or filter background noise.
Moreover, their connection to the Ember Emperor granted them dragon-like resilient and powerful souls, making them immune to the corruption of the Language of Blasphemy.
Facing the demon's howl, Iron Frenzy remained fearless, laughing boisterously and even mockingly replying, "Big bug, do you even know who you're facing? Standing before you are the mighty Vitagis Dragon-Scale Monks!"
"Bzzzz—"
Chainswords revved violently as several Dragon-Scale Monks maneuvered behind the Butcher Demon, preparing for a surprise attack.
"Ridiculous!"
The Butcher Demon whirled around, its bladed limbs sweeping across with devastating force.
"Clang—"
The sound of metal clashing rang out, but this time, there was no scene of intestines spilling forth. The dark red external armor of the Dragon-Scale Monks withstood the blow, merely sending them flying backward.
"What?"
"Dragon-Scale Monks, attack!"
Iron Frenzy hoisted his bolt rifle, aiming at the massive, hideous head, shouting as he pulled the trigger, "Offer its head to His Majesty!"
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion echoed as a plume of fiery smoke burst from the rifle's muzzle, sending a rune-inscribed bullet spiraling toward the Butcher Demon.
"What is that?"
The Butcher Demon's beastly instincts sensed danger. It tilted its head slightly, raising a forearm with hardened chitin armor in defense.
"Bang!"
It was an armor-piercing round!
The spiraling tip of the bullet drilled into the chitin, its outer shell peeling away as the core continued penetrating.
A secondary explosion forced ultra-hard metal shrapnel deep into the wound, causing blood and flames to erupt from the Butcher Demon's body.
"Roar—"
The Butcher Demon howled in agony, its wounded arm flailing wildly in the air, grotesque lacerations oozing blackened blood.
"You are mere weaklings! How dare you injure me?!"
Infuriated, the Butcher Demon, who prided itself as a predator, leaped ghost-like through the air, its massive claws slashing downward.
"Boom!"
Deep fissures split the ground, but Iron Frenzy had already rolled away, landing meters away thanks to the Dragon-Scale Monks' enhanced reflexes.
He seized the opportunity, lifting his bolt rifle again, aiming for a finishing blow to the demon's head.
"Bang!"
But the Butcher Demon's thick tail lashed down like a spear, stabbing deep into the ground, sending rubble flying—it narrowly missed piercing Iron Frenzy's throat.
As he dodged, the tail shot back up, its barbs hooking onto his rifle and flinging it away.
Then, the demon stomped down on the rifle, crushing it into fragments.
Iron Frenzy reached out helplessly, his face filled with anguish:
"No—"
"That was a prototype from the Tech Division! The only one in the entire Empire!"
Iron Frenzy let out a pained wail, his sorrow morphing into fury. His eyes turned red as he revved his chainsword.
"You bastard! You owe me a new gun!
I only fired three shots—"
He leaped into the air, his genetically enhanced arms bulging with strength as he swung the chainsword with all his might, bringing it down onto the demon's tail.
"Clang—"
Another sharp metallic clash echoed. The chainsword tore through the tail's armored surface, slicing through bone and severing it cleanly.
A portion of the barbed tail fell from midair.
"Taste my blade!"
At that moment, two other Dragon-Scale Monks seized their chance, hacking at the Butcher Demon's lower body with their chainswords.
"Awooo!"
"I will kill you all!"
Driven into a berserk rage, the Butcher Demon's body radiated a crimson glow, its veins bulging, muscles swelling, and dozens of its compound eyes flashing with eerie light.
That was Paralysis Gaze!
Another of the Butcher Demon's supernatural abilities.
As one of the Apex Predators of the Abyss, its gaze alone could render prey motionless.
But Iron Frenzy calmly warned, "Boss is about to use crowd control! Prepare defenses."
"Judging by its movements, it's an eye-based ability!"
"Stay focused, surround the bug! We'll split the rewards evenly afterward!"
Helmets with protective runes snapped shut, shielding the Dragon-Scale Monks from the Paralysis Gaze.
They tightened their formation, closing in from all sides, completely encircling the monstrous Butcher Demon.
"Attack!"
"For the Ember Empire!"
Iron Frenzy raised his chainsword high, its tip aimed at the Butcher Demon's skull.
"For the Empire!"
"Screw it, for the Emperor!"
"Repent, demon, for today is your doom!"
The Dragon-Scale Monks howled in unison, charging from all sides like a pack of wolves encircling their prey.
The Dragon-Scale Monks let out wild cries, charging at the Butcher Demon from all directions like a pack of wolves taking down a massive beast.
The Gene Priests of the Mechanist Church had implanted an organ similar to a dragon's vascular system into the Dragon-Scale Monks, making their blood far more efficient than that of normal humans and their muscle tissues several times stronger.
"Boom!"
The Butcher Demon roared, swinging its claws at the enemies before it. The Dragon-Scale Monks raised their dark red greatshields, struggling to withstand the impact, but they did not retreat.
Meanwhile, two Dragon-Scale Monks had already maneuvered to the Butcher Demon's blind spot, their chainswords revving.
"Die, big bug!"
The high-speed chainswords tore through its scales, creating gruesome wounds from which thick, dark purple blood gushed.
"No—"
The Butcher Demon twisted around, slashing its bladed limbs, leaving white scars on the Dragon-Scale Monks' exoskeletal armor.
"That hit hard!"
"Damn it, my external armor's durability just dropped!"
But it was futile. The Dragon-Scale Monks worked in teams of three, surrounding the Butcher Demon from different angles.
Whenever the Butcher Demon attacked one of them, the others in its blind spots would seize the opportunity to strike.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Others wielded custom firearms loaded with armor-piercing rounds, continuously firing at the Butcher Demon to support their melee allies.
Iron Frenzy roared, "That's it! Keep up the rhythm! Bleed it dry!"
Trapped within the encirclement of the Dragon-Scale Monks, the Butcher Demon had no means of escape.
These so-called "humans" had armor as tough as dragon scales, and their weapons surpassed any claw or fang.
Despite standing nearly four meters tall, the Dragon-Scale Monks had sheer numbers on their side, completely surrounding the towering Butcher Demon, which was over ten meters tall.
Now, covered in wounds, the Butcher Demon curled its massive body inward like a defeated beast, as if on the verge of giving up.
A cornered beast.
That was the thought running through the minds of all the onlookers.
Iron Frenzy, full of confidence, had already set his sights on avenging his lost bolt rifle.
Then, a deep laughter echoed, as if whispering from the Abyss, resonating in everyone's ears. The Butcher Demon, still on the ground, trembled violently, thick Abyssal mist swirling around it.
"Hahaha—"
"I did not expect to find such interesting prey in the Material Plane.
You are worthy adversaries, deserving to witness—my true form!"
Iron Frenzy quickly retreated, shouting, "Boss is shifting to Phase Two! Fall back!"
"What the hell, a Phase Two?! Damn devs, do they ever go easy on us?!"
Despite their complaints, the players followed Iron Frenzy's command, running for distance without hesitation.
As expected, the Abyssal mist abruptly expanded, spreading dozens of meters outward, enveloping all life within.
Within the mist, a massive, grotesque figure slowly emerged, towering over the battlefield.
As the smoke dispersed, the Butcher Demon let out a deafening roar toward the sky.
Its many compound eyes now brimmed with pure murderous intent, devoid of any reason. From its back sprouted four jet-black, feathered wings.
With a single wingbeat, it tore open several Abyssal portals, from which a swarm of Vulture Demons emerged, flapping their wings as they dived toward the Dragon-Scale Monks.
"Roar—"
The Butcher Demon flapped its wings as well, charging straight at the Dragon-Scale Monks.
Wherever it passed, the ground became shrouded in a blood-colored glow, and the sky was swallowed by rolling clouds of chaos. The colossal demon rampaged forward.
"Hold the line!"
"We're almost done!"
The Dragon-Scale Monks braced their greatshields, their expressions tense as they watched the demon rush toward them, its bladed limbs slashing through the air.
"Boom!"
The Butcher Demon's massive claws struck down, sending three Dragon-Scale Monks flying and shattering the ground beneath them.
Iron Frenzy shouted, "Now's our chance!"
Immediately, four Dragon-Scale Monks detached the chain guns from their backs, aimed them at the air above the Butcher Demon, and pulled the triggers.
"Bang!"
The chains intertwined midair, forming a flaming net that descended upon the Butcher Demon, pinning it to the ground.
"Aargh—"
"Humans! How dare you bind a hunter of the Abyss! I will slaughter you all and feast on your corpses!"
The Butcher Demon thrashed against the chains, roaring in fury. It swung its massive claws down, instantly crushing an unfortunate Dragon-Scale Monk beneath it.
Even with their superhuman muscle density and exoskeletal armor, they could not withstand such a direct blow.
"A minor loss!"
"Hold the chains tight! Do not let it escape!"
"Got it! Stay steady!"
Iron Frenzy raised his fist and roared.
Then, he and several other Dragon-Scale Monks charged forward with chainswords raised, rushing at the Butcher Demon.
The Butcher Demon continued to thrash, shaking its grotesque head, nearly tossing both the chains and the players into the air.
But Iron Frenzy and his comrades did not waver. Despite the overwhelming size difference, they pressed on, determined to turn the tide.
The Dragon-Scale Monks swung their chainswords in unison, striking at the Butcher Demon's head.
"Clang—"
First came the sound of shattering armor, then the sickening slice of flesh being torn apart as the enchanted chainswords easily cut through the demon's hide.
Chainswords embedded deep in its skull, dark purple blood spurting from the wounds.
Meanwhile, the surrounding players unleashed every attack at their disposal—bullets, arrows, spells, even grenades—all raining down upon the Butcher Demon.
A series of explosions erupted across its massive body.
"Aargh—"
"No! No—"
"I will return! I will be reborn in the Blood Pool and make you suffer!"
The Butcher Demon activated all its abilities at once, unleashing a powerful telekinetic force that sent several Dragon-Scale Monks flying dozens of meters before they crashed heavily into the ground.
That was Mind Control!
"You will never truly kill me—"
Gale-force winds howled, the demon's roars shaking the battlefield.
Still bound by chains, it thrashed violently, its enormous body rolling across the ground, causing further devastation.
Perhaps this was its final struggle, perhaps its last burst of power, but the pressure it exerted on the battlefield was immense.
"We can't let this drag on! We must end this now!"
Iron Frenzy charged forward with all his might, his boosters flaring, chainsword revving at maximum speed.
The Dragon-Scale Monks' monstrous physiques proved invaluable in this moment.
Against the raging winds, Iron Frenzy alone pressed forward, facing the berserk demon head-on.
"Slash—"
Iron Frenzy drove his chainsword straight into the demon's forehead, shredding its brain into pulp.
"Boom!"
The death of the high-level demon instantly triggered a terrifying phenomenon. Its massive corpse, as black as a mountain, was surrounded by surging chaotic mist, gradually forming a colossal abyssal vortex.
The sky and earth were shrouded in the mottled mist, while the vulture demons in midair let out piercing wails, seemingly mourning the fallen abyssal predator.
The will of the Abyss projected itself onto the material plane, attempting to drag the Butcher Demon's filthy soul back into the Abyss for rebirth in the blood pool.
Yet, as time passed, the will of the Abyss fell silent.
The Butcher Demon's soul had completely vanished—utterly erased without a trace!
Meanwhile, Iron Frenzy was staring intently at his interface.
[You have slain [Butcher Demon (Challenge Level: 16)], gaining 76,800 XP.]
[You have completed the quest: Slay the Demon.]
"Victory!"
A joyful expression appeared on Iron Frenzy's face. The sorrow of losing his weapon was completely swept away, and he couldn't help but mutter, "Damn, I just struck gold!"
But soon, the Dragon-Scale Monks eagerly gathered around him, making his expression darken.
"Ho ho ho—"
"Boss, split the loot!"
"That's over a hundred thousand Gold Nals! Hurry up and share!"
"And don't forget my faction contribution!"