Roy pulled out his executioner's blade, effortlessly slicing through the branches of the Flesh Tree as if cutting through tofu.
Just as Roy had suspected, the Flesh Tree wasn't particularly sturdy. This likely had to do with Elsa Leiden's limited abilities.
Elsa, after all, was just an ordinary person. Even if she was a bit smarter than average, she was still human. She didn't even have the power to become a vengeful spirit.
Even though she managed to forcibly bind Carrion together through the power of her resentment, Carrion's essence hadn't changed much.
If that's the case, time to chop down the tree!
However, this massive Flesh Tree only looked like a tree. Even if Roy cut it down, he couldn't completely destroy it.
At best, the Flesh Tree would revert from its fused form back into scattered bits of Carrion, which wouldn't mean much.
As expected, fire was the only way to truly deal with it.
So, Roy transformed into his demon form. The executioner's blade, now infused with the power of hell, began to blaze with fierce flames.
At the same time, his M1014 shotgun switched to its hellfire mode, turning into a hand cannon.
"Eat this!"
Inside the secret laboratory, Jay suddenly felt the entire base tremble slightly. The situation made her anxious, and she kept trying to contact Roy through the walkie-talkie.
Unfortunately, Roy had already tossed the walkie-talkie into his inventory, so he couldn't hear a word Jay was saying.
Feeling uneasy, Jay debated whether to head to the lab area to check things out. But without someone at the computer to operate the controls, she couldn't even get through the door.
After some thought, Jay decided to go meet Roy. To solve the door issue, she found a laptop in one of the living quarters, downloaded Cliff Leiden's programs onto it, and started rushing toward the lab area.
Just as she left the living quarters and entered the energy zone, she saw Roy walking toward her.
"Blake, you okay?" Jay asked.
Roy gave her a puzzled look. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"That's not what I meant! I thought something happened to you. I didn't expect you to come back safe! Where's your hazmat suit?"
"That thing was way too bulky, so I ditched it outside the lab area."
In truth, the hazmat suit had been torn apart when Roy transformed into his demon form, but there was no need to tell Jay that.
Jay let out a sigh of relief before asking, "Blake, what happened in the lab?"
"Let's walk and talk," Roy said.
He briefly explained how Elsa Leiden's soul had fused with Carrion, forming the Flesh Tree, and how he'd managed to destroy it.
After hearing the story, Jay looked at Roy. "Blake, you did the right thing. If you hadn't taken care of that tree, the consequences would've been unthinkable!"
Roy nodded. After destroying the Flesh Tree, he'd also obtained Elsa Leiden's fate chest, but that wasn't something Jay needed to know.
"But Carrion's contamination of the groundwater is already done. The canyon won't recover anytime soon," Roy added.
Jay sighed. "That's not our problem to solve, Blake. We've done all we can, and you've already gone above and beyond. It's time to get out of here."
The maintenance tunnel had been partially contaminated by Carrion, and Jay had sealed the entrance. So, the two had to leave through the main gate.
Fortunately, the living and administrative areas were free of contamination, and Roy and Jay made it out of the lab base without issue.
It was around six in the morning. Though sunlight couldn't pierce the thick fog to reach the canyon's depths, the environment was noticeably brighter.
Treading carefully on the thick fungal carpet, Roy and Jay made their way toward the evacuation point.
Not long after, they both heard gunfire.
"Gunshots? That's weird. Are there other people in the canyon?" Jay asked, disbelief written on her face. Mist Island had been sealed off by the military; logically, no outsiders should be here.
The military wouldn't send anyone else down unless Roy and Jay had been out of contact for over 24 hours.
But Roy's mind went to the person who had caused the explosion that freed him from Asmodeus's control.
Could that be the one firing?
"Let's go check it out!" Roy said.
He and Jay hurried toward the sound of the gunfire. They spotted a heavily armed figure, face obscured, shooting at creatures with hollowed-out torsos that resembled mummies.
"Hollow Men?" Roy asked.
"Hollow Men?" Jay echoed, then quickly explained. "The lab base set up cameras in the canyon before. Sometimes, they caught these things moving around at night. They hunt anything alive in the canyon and drag it back to their nests."
Roy studied the Hollow Men closely. Some rode horses, some carried weapons, others were empty-handed.
Honestly, these creatures didn't look like they belonged in the modern world. Their appearance felt almost fantastical.
Even their existence defied science.
All the Hollow Men lacked organs, their muscles shriveled to the point of being skin and bones.
So, where did they get the strength to move?
And that hollow horse—it was galloping at an incredible speed!
"Let's save them first!" Roy said.
The mysterious figure was in danger, about to be surrounded by Hollow Men. Roy grabbed his M1014 and opened fire.
The 4-gauge shotgun packed a punch. While the stranger's rifle took a dozen shots to down a Hollow Man, Roy's M1014 obliterated their upper bodies in a single blast.
Sure, the Hollow Men could still stumble around with just their legs, but what good were legs alone?
Could they jump up and kick someone in the knee?
The mysterious figure was visibly shocked to see Roy and Jay come to their rescue.
The three teamed up, their combined firepower overwhelming the Hollow Men and driving them back.
The Hollow Men seemed to have some regenerative ability. Unless their bodies were completely destroyed, they could piece themselves back together.
This trait reminded Roy of undead creatures.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it. Turning to the mysterious figure, he asked, "Was that explosion your doing?"
The figure hesitated before nodding.
Jay glanced curiously between Roy and the stranger, sensing they were hiding something.
"What are you guys talking about? What explosion?"
Roy gave a quick explanation. "When I was fighting the succubus, someone threw a bomb from outside. It distracted her, letting me turn the tables."
Jay nodded in realization, then sized up the mysterious figure. "Are you with Armacham?"
It made sense. Anyone here was either military or Armacham.
Jay hadn't seen any guards at the Armacham outpost before descending into the canyon, so she suspected this slender mercenary was one of them.
The figure nodded again, this time without hesitation.
Since Roy and Jay had already spotted her, and she couldn't outfight them, surrender was her only option.
Roy pressed further. "What's your name?"
The figure hesitated again, then answered in a clear, crisp voice, "Delasa."
Jay had more questions, but the canyon floor wasn't the place for a chat. A strange noise echoed from the distance.
A centipede as massive as a train crawled toward them, likely drawn by the gunfire.
"Run!" Jay and Delasa shouted, firing at the giant centipede. But their bullets bounced off its shell like it was steel, doing no damage.
Even Roy's M1014 and M500 were ineffective.
The three could only shoot and retreat.
"Damn it! How is this thing's shell so tough?" Jay groaned. When bullets didn't work, her gun was no better than a stick.
Roy narrowed his eyes, observing the centipede. It seemed to be deliberately herding them in one direction rather than trying to kill them.
With its size and speed, the centipede could've easily picked them off one by one. Roy had been ready to reveal his powers to save someone, but the centipede hadn't attacked.
Something was definitely off.
"Blake, do something!" Jay urged, unaware of the centipede's intentions. Dodging its harassment was taking all her focus, so she looked to Roy for a solution.
Since when had Jay started relying on Roy so much? Whenever trouble arose, he was her first thought.
"You sure you want me to handle it?" Roy asked with a sly grin.
"No time for jokes!" Jay snapped.
"Alright, then."
In a flash, Roy vanished from sight.
When Jay and Delasa saw him again, he was riding the giant centipede's back.
The centipede thrashed, unwilling to be mounted, but Roy smashed a fist into its head, making it reel.
"Behave!" Roy growled.
The centipede's purposeful herding suggested it had decent intelligence, likely higher than most animals, maybe even on par with smarter mammals.
But intelligence didn't mean it was easy to tame. After taking a punch, the centipede still resisted.
No choice, then. Roy unleashed a barrage of fist-pounding education.
His massive fists hammered the centipede's head. Its shell was indeed tough—no dents even with Roy holding back.
But the centipede couldn't take it anymore. Its head went from buzzing to feeling like its brain matter was being blended into a smoothie.
Finally, the centipede collapsed, signaling its submission. Roy dusted off his hands and hopped down.
"Done."
Jay and Delasa stood there, stunned. If their faces were visible, their jaws would've been on the floor.
"B-B-Blake, you tamed it just like that?" Jay stammered.
She knew Roy was strong—capable of defeating a legendary succubus and the Flesh Tree fused from Carrion—but she hadn't seen those fights herself.
Now, witnessing Roy's strength firsthand, Jay was starting to question reality.
Delasa, on the other hand, accepted it quickly. If a sniper rifle couldn't pierce Roy's skin, a bit of extra strength seemed reasonable.
"Mr. Blake, why not just kill the centipede?" Delasa asked.
"I noticed it's got some intelligence. It's trying to herd us deeper into the canyon," Roy replied.
Jay blinked. "Deeper into the canyon? The military's already explored this place thoroughly. What's left to find?"
Roy patted the centipede's head. "Let it take us there, and we'll find out. This canyon's clearly hiding more secrets."
The thick, miasma-like fog was a prime example.
There had to be a source for such dense fog, but the canyon lacked significant water sources—just a pale yellow stream.
Plus, the canyon's humidity and temperature were relatively low, unaffected by the Pacific's tropical climate due to its unique geography.
This was something military and Armacham scientists had never figured out.
But the world was full of things science couldn't explain, so the issue had been shelved.
Convinced by Roy, the trio climbed onto the centipede's back and headed deeper into the canyon.
The canyon sloped downward from east to west.
The lab base was at the highest, flattest eastern end, while the western side was steeper, with drops of four or five meters in some spots.
At the westernmost end was a pond formed by the stream, but it seemed like nothing else was there.
"That's it?" Jay asked, looking at Roy.
Roy rubbed his chin and turned to her. "Did you guys ever dive into the pond to check it out?"
"The liquids in the canyon are filled with deadly substances. The scouts who found this place didn't have diving gear. They just tossed a probe in, found the pond wasn't deep, and confirmed no underground channels. Blake, you think there's something under there?"
Roy nodded. "The centipede's intent is clear—it wants us to go into the pond."
Jay hesitated. "But we don't have diving gear. Going in could be dangerous!"
"I know. We'll deal with it later. For now, let's head back."
With that, Roy pulled his executioner's blade from his inventory and dispatched the centipede.
The moment he drew the blade, the centipede seemed to sense its fate, but it was far too weak to escape Roy's judgment.
Absorbing the centipede's life force, the blade grew heavier, its red glow deepening noticeably.
The sudden appearance of the executioner's blade startled Jay and Delasa again.
"Blake, how many secrets are you hiding?" Jay asked.
"You'll have to get to know me better to find out," Roy teased.
Delasa stayed quiet.
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