Maric's figure, sprinting at full speed, exuded a primitive wildness. The wind lashed against him, forcing his hair backward, while his face bore an expression of extreme ferocity and rage.
At that moment, Maric's speed had reached its peak so fast that even the engine of a high-speed steam locomotive would pale in comparison. As he tore through the air with a sharp whooshing sound and reached the entrance of the open area, those grim reapers still hadn't let go of him.
Right behind him, Jason's face was pale and bloodless. The dark marks of his rotting wounds created a horrifying sight. There was no trace of humanity in his eyes only an insatiable thirst for fresh flesh and warm blood drove him forward.
When Miao Miao looked above the head of the man being chased, her eyes caught a strange and mysterious sight. She saw an abstract palm, tightly bound by numerous heavy iron chains. She had seen this same symbol floating above Sharon and Maric as well.
It seemed to her that this symbol represented the strict suppression of one's inner demonic desires and primal instincts. And just beneath that symbol, a word was clearly visible: "Zombie." It was as if that ominous sign and the letters were running alongside the man like a shadow.
The distance of seven to eight meters between Jason and Maric kept fluctuating sometimes shrinking, sometimes widening binding every moment in extreme tension.
But Miao Miao's attention was drawn to the third figure, about ten meters behind them.
"Werewolf?" Miao Miao muttered inwardly.
In books and movies, she had imagined werewolves as massive monstrous wolves howling at the full moon, their bodies covered in thick fur. But this man below? Lean yet muscular, with spiky hair like thorns, and merely a few long black claws!
His body was abnormally swollen, muscles bulging like tightly coiled ropes, as if they might tear through his skin at any moment. Unlike typical werewolves, he had no elegant fur—only coarse, needle-like dark strands of hair. His skin looked rough, like that of a dying man.
To Miao Miao, he looked more like a malnourished yet muscular wild man, chasing after Maric like a savage hound.
Wherever Maric and Jason stepped, the mud and stagnant water of the dock instantly froze into white frost. Jason's decaying spirituality poisoned the surroundings. Any dry weeds caught in the wind near them rotted and turned black in an instant, crumbling away.
'Maric is desperately trying to survive, and Jason is determined to tear him apart… this is no less intense than a high-budget movie fight,' miao miao thought to herself.
"Maric, you're still too weak. You still don't know how to use the power of will!" Jason laughed harshly.
At that moment, the werewolf Tyre rushed to his side. However, Sequence 5 Beyonder Steve, who led the operation, was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't rush to finish Maric. Wait for Sharon to come save him. Lord Steve will arrive shortly," Tyre said in a low voice to Jason.
Then he stuck out his bright red tongue and licked his lips.
"I wonder what Sharon looks like… naked…"
"What disgusting thoughts… she's about to come and devour you," Miao Miao cursed silently.
Before Tyre could finish boasting, the air suddenly froze.
Jason abruptly turned his head, his pale face showing a strange sorrow. In his pupils, like mirrors, appeared two mysterious reflections—
A black royal dress, golden hair, and wax-like pale skin—the wraith, Sharon!
In an instant, Jason's hands clamped down on Tyre's throat like iron pincers. The horrifying sound of bones cracking echoed through the warehouse. In a desperate attempt to survive, Tyre took a deep breath; immediately, his neck swelled abnormally, and black fur burst through his skin.
Though his windpipe was on the verge of being crushed, he resisted with monstrous strength. His eyes rolled back, saliva dripping from his mouth.
But at that very moment, the tide turned.
In agony, Tyre's hand slipped into his pocket, and in an instant, he tore apart an invisible spiritual restraint. Immediately, the entire warehouse was flooded with an otherworldly, deep crimson full-moon light.
Under that red glow, Jason's grip loosened.
Behind Jason, a small figure wearing a little hat appeared—Sharon had returned to her original form. But Tyre now wore the smile of a demonic victor. From his pocket, he took out the cursed "Scarlet Lunar Corona." The full-moon-shaped crimson jewel radiated a calm yet ominous aura, surrounded by countless mysterious symbols.
Under that intense radiation, Sharon instinctively retreated. Just a second ago, she had seemed invincible—now all her strength vanished like smoke. Staggering, she fell onto the filthy, mud-covered ground, her intricately designed black gown now stained with dirt.
The werewolf Tyre panted heavily, bursting into manic laughter.
"Lord Steve already knew you would counterattack! He knew you'd try to control Jason, who is stronger than me—and he used that opportunity perfectly. This corona in my hand is a carefully prepared death trap!"
Looking at Sharon mockingly, he said,
"Now try to guess—where exactly is Lord Steve hiding at this very moment?"
Tyre stood at the peak of confidence. He knew that the longer the deadly radiation of the Scarlet Lunar Corona lasted, the weaker Sharon would become until she faded into dust. Jason had already turned into a mad beast, driven only by a primal craving for blood and flesh.
At that moment, Sharon squeezed out her last bit of strength and removed the glove from her right hand.
Immediately, an ancient and solemn scent filled the air.
In front of her, the cursed "Bronze Door" appeared. From its cracks, bloody hands and vine-like tendrils with infant faces emerged, wrapping around Zombie Jason, trying to drag him into the abyss of hell. Though Jason struggled desperately, the door's pull gradually consumed him.
Maric, though writhing in pain, pulled out the remaining sleeping potions from his pocket and swallowed them along with shards of glass. His body calmed, and he stared steadily at Tyre.
Tyre, using his supernatural speed, now stood just ten meters in front of Maric.
Miao Miao blended into the deep shadows. Through her glasses, she could clearly see the invisible Steve lurking behind Maric. She counted the seconds, waiting for Klein's attack.
In her mind, a grand plan was unfolding—once Klein suppressed Steve with holy light and bullets, she would make her move.
Tyre stood right in front of her, the Scarlet Lunar Corona glowing in his palm.
...
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted between the two warehouses. Amid blazing flames and unbearable heat, a figure in a black double-breasted frock coat was forced out of the shadows.
As this sudden blast drew everyone's attention, Klein didn't waste a single moment. He quickly drew his gun and fired at the exact spot where he had previously seen Steve's spiritual threads.
At the same time, the dark golden "Sun Bird" brooch on his chest burst into a flash of divine light. To increase the intensity of his attack, Klein combined a [Purification Bullet] with a [Purification Slash].
Bang!
Watching from afar, Miao Miao thought, "Good!"
At that perfect moment, she fired two poisoned bolts from her crossbow toward Tyre. Tyre was distracted by the explosion and Klein's attack, and Miao Miao seized that opening perfectly. Steve was busy dealing with Klein's holy light, while Jason was entangled by the mysterious hands of the Bronze Door.
The two arrows pierced through Tyre's tough muscles, sinking halfway in. A monstrous scream burst out, shaking the entire warehouse—like the final agony of a wounded beast.
In an instant, Tyre's massive body bent like a bow. He collapsed onto the ground, curling up uncontrollably. His hands clawed at the air as if trying to strike an invisible enemy. His mouth hung open, eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.
"Thieves always make the best use of the situation."
Repeating this to herself, Miao Miao used her long, sturdy rope to leap down onto Tyre. Before he could react, she swiftly snatched the cursed "Scarlet Lunar Corona" from his hand.