Hiss—!
The searing pain from the two bowl-sized bloody holes in her abdomen and arm instantly dragged Serie back from her ecstasy to cold reality.
The flesh at the edge of the wounds was continuously being corroded by the strange dark-red energy remaining on the spear tip, emitting faint black smoke.
This spearhead was definitely not ordinary.
One must know that the Mad Eater Witch, in her "hosting state," had already acquired Tough Skin after escaping through the stone gate.
Tough Skin: Obtained after extensively using Wasteful Devour on rocks. In combat, your flesh will become as hard as rock, granting significant damage reduction against ordinary strikes, slashes, and piercing attacks.
Yet, even with this, Serie couldn't withstand the Erosion-Spawned Garrison's attack.
Then again, even true bedrock couldn't withstand the black spear's attack, let alone her imitation.
After all, she couldn't expect a cheap ability, gained from eating a few rocks, to be very strong.
Serie cursed under her breath, but the Mad Eater Witch's throat only squeezed out a beast-like growl.
Fortunately, devouring that section of thigh bone just now provided timely nutrition, barely suppressing the speed at which the wound worsened and preventing the holes from expanding further.
Still, she couldn't be careless!
A duck in hand, before it's roasted, can still peck a few times.
Quick battle, quick decision!
In a flash of thought, Serie unhesitatingly immersed her consciousness into the Mad Eater Witch's demon branch, learning both of the first two abilities—
She had already checked Abyssal Howl's ability: it emits a soul-shaking roar, a crowd-control area-of-effect damage skill.
Fear Claw was even more powerful: it slightly increases stamina and grants a unique ability derived from the Dreadclaw Demon. Your nails will become sharper and longer than daggers. Each attack will cause additional damage, inflict a bleeding effect on enemies, and heal you.
The description of Fear Claw made her heart skip a beat. Not only did attacks cause bleeding, but she could also recover health herself?
For Serie, or rather, the Mad Eater Witch, who didn't care for her life at all, it was a perfect match!
Trading blows? No! It was attacking to heal! The more she fought, the fiercer she became!
Who could withstand that? It was a perpetual motion machine!
She also conveniently put one attribute point, a reward from the Escape to Safety quest, into Strength!
Strength E → Strength D
A more brutal sense of power instantly filled her limbs and bones!
Crack! Crack!
Serie twisted her neck, emitting a bone-grinding sound that set teeth on edge.
Her inhuman, demonic eyes once again locked onto the remaining Erosion-Spawned Garrison and the alluring black spears in their hands...
How could there be any hint of fear towards the monsters in her eyes?
It was clearly a hungry wolf eyeing the fattest lamb!
Green light flickered menacingly!
Serie moved.
There were no fancy techniques, no brilliant tactics, only the most primal hunting instinct.
Swish! Swish!
Her pair of Fear Claws, covered in pale keratin and suddenly elongated, were sharp enough to tear through the air. With an ear-splitting whoosh, they fiercely raked across the putrid flesh on the chest of the nearest Garrison.
The dark-purple decaying flesh instantly peeled back.
Dark-red liquid gushed out from several deep, bone-visible lacerations.
Almost simultaneously, a faint but clear warm current flowed back into Serie's body through her claws.
Fear Claw's blood-sucking ability was taking effect.
A tingling itch came from the penetrating wound in her abdomen, as if countless tiny flesh sprouts were wriggling and healing.
"Roar!" The injured Garrison felt no pain; it was merely enraged by the attack, its berserk instincts kicking in, and it wildly wrestled with Serie.
Not far away, Chloe's pupils suddenly contracted.
Her gaze frantically switched between the wrestling Mad Eater Witch, the ferocious Garrison, and the ancient duel between the spear-wielding hero and the fanged girl on the mural...
A current-like chill instantly coursed through her body!
This was clearly the fated battle from the mural, spanning thousands of years, brutally replaying before her eyes!
Only...
The current spear-wielding Soldier, let alone appearing heroic like in the mural, didn't even resemble a human in the slightest; they were just a group of decaying monsters attacking living people.
And then there was the legendary Mad Eater Witch who devoured the sun...
"Gods above..." Chloe murmured to herself.
The immense shock made her almost forget to breathe. With trembling hands, she quickly raised her camera and furiously pressed the shutter!
However—
The battlefield changed in an instant!
Another Garrison burst forth from the flank like a ghost, its skeletal arm erupting with terrifying strength far beyond its decaying body. One hand, like an iron clamp, tightly gripped Serie's slender waist, while its other bony claw fiercely choked her throat.
"Ugh!" Serie's small, beast-like body was actually lifted off the ground.
Whether it was Serie herself or the Mad Eater Witch, their heights were somewhat regrettable.
With a gentle lift, she was like a small, snow-white puppy picked up by the scruff of its neck.
Her bare feet instantly left the ground, her tender ankles dangling helplessly in mid-air.
Her tiny toes curled slightly from tension and lack of oxygen.
Her two slender, pale legs kicked futilely at the air, unable to even touch the decaying flesh on her opponent's knees.
"Watch out!" What was surprising was that even though Chloe had guessed Serie's identity, she didn't feel fear. Instead, it was as if she had seen some rare treasure, and now that the treasure was in danger, her heart instantly leaped to her throat.
She quickly took two steps forward, pulling out the pistol she carried for self-defense, seemingly wanting to assist Serie.
But Serie and the Garrison were entangled, like a twisted, conjoined sculpture.
Shoot? She might accidentally hit her!
Chloe didn't know that Serie wasn't afraid of pain, nor did she know that she possessed extremely strong regenerative abilities.
Bang!
In a flash, Chloe gritted her teeth, slightly raised the muzzle, and fired a shot at the relatively thick shoulder blade area of the Garrison.
Clang!
A crisp sound!
The small-caliber bullet struck the Garrison's gray, hard shoulder bone but instantly ricocheted, only sparking a trail of fire.
It caused no damage whatsoever, but this shot made the Garrison choking Serie's throat tilt its head, and the two dark-red flames in its eye sockets instantly locked onto Chloe, who had fired.
The Garrison's attention was drawn by Chloe, and the strength in its arm loosened slightly.
Serie seized the opportunity to fiercely lower her head, opening her giant mouth filled with bone-white fangs—
Crunch!
She bit down with precise savagery onto the skeletal arm that was holding her waist!
Chomp! Chomp!
A scalp-numbing chewing sound echoed.
The bulletproof, gray arm bone shattered like fragile potato chips under her terrifying bite force.
Serie landed heavily.
She staggered to her feet, and at the same time, the three Garrison members regrouped, the red light in their eyes dangerously flickering in sync as they ferociously lunged at her again in a pincer movement.
Now!
Serie took a deep breath, her chest swelling high like a bellows, as if all the surrounding air was being devoured by her—
"Eee—yaaah—!"
Abyssal Howl!
A dark-red shockwave, almost distorting space, accompanied by a soul-shredding shriek, erupted from her as its center.