CHAPTER 914: A TRAGIC END

But just as his fingers moved, the Black Dog King roared and lunged. A torrent of black energy burst from its twin maws, cascading like a tidal wave, shaking the ground itself as it slammed toward him.

Max’s expression changed drastically. He retreated on instinct, swinging his sword in a defensive arc, choosing survival over treasure. The Nether Stone would have to wait.

The Big Belly Monk, seeing this, immediately seized the opportunity. His eyes flashed with greed as he sprinted forward, his broad, meaty hand slapping down on the surface of the Nether Stone. "Mine!" he roared.

But the moment his palm touched the stone, the cave echoed with a deep, resounding bang, like a giant heartbeat. The monk’s confident expression shifted instantly to one of horror. The Nether Stone wouldn’t budge. It was so heavy, so impossibly dense, that even his peak Legend Rank strength couldn’t make it shift by an inch.

Then something worse happened—something truly terrifying.

From where his palm pressed against the stone, a strange suction force erupted, and his expression contorted in agony. The Nether Stone was devouring him. Its surface twisted, the strange patterns writhing like living things, and it latched onto his flesh like a parasite, pulling him in. Blood sprayed from his arm as if an invisible mouth had bitten into him.

"Ahhh!" The Big Belly Monk’s scream tore through the cave, filled with pain and panic. He tried to wrench himself free, but the more he struggled, the stronger the pull became. His eyes went wide with disbelief as he felt his very life force draining away.

The devouring force only intensified, dragging his arm deeper and deeper, swallowing flesh, muscle, and bone. Blood spattered across the Nether Stone’s black surface, where it sizzled and vanished as though drunk by the stone.

And then came the most horrifying moment—his entire arm was consumed, vanishing inside the stone as if it had never existed. Blood sprayed like a fountain as the monk staggered back, his scream echoing through the abyss. Half his robe was soaked red, his face pale as a corpse.

Even the Black Dog King paused for half a heartbeat at the sound, its twin heads lifting slightly, as if even it was wary of this strange stone.

Max’s eyes narrowed sharply. This Nether Stone... it was alive.

The big-bellied monk’s eyes were wide with fear, his body trembling as the devouring force from the Nether Stone pulled him in further and further. "Save me!" he cried out, his voice cracking in desperation. Blood sprayed from his shoulder as his remaining arm flailed wildly, reaching toward Max as if clinging to a final shred of hope.

But Max froze on the spot, his heart pounding. His mind flashed back to the scene with Kevin and the gray shadow from before—how terrifying it had been, how helpless he had felt. Kevin, on the other hand, clenched his fists tightly, recalling how Old Devil Dave had nearly seized complete control of his body. Both of them, almost instinctively, took several steps back.

They weren’t about to risk the same fate.

"No—!" the big-bellied monk howled when he realized no help was coming. Half of his body was already merged into the Nether Stone, his torso sinking into its strange, pulsating patterns as if being swallowed by a bottomless pit. His face contorted with despair and unwillingness. He struggled wildly, screaming, clawing at the stone to no avail.

The devouring force only grew stronger. His legs disappeared, his remaining arm twisted unnaturally, and finally, his voice became shrill, hoarse, and then abruptly silenced as the Nether Stone pulled him in entirely.

A moment later, only a blood mist floated in the air, which the Nether Stone eagerly absorbed. A sharp, wet snap sounded as something small fell to the ground—the big-bellied monk’s storage ring.

Max couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the stone. "What the hell is this thing... it’s alive," he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Kevin stood rigid, his face cold and pale. In his mind, Old Devil Dave was silent for a moment before Kevin erupted in fury. "Old man, you dare to lie to me? You said this treasure was harmless, just waiting for me to claim it. Do you think I have no way to kill you?" His mental roar carried so much killing intent that even Old Devil Dave’s voice trembled.

"I... I don’t know! I swear, I don’t know either!" Old Devil Dave stammered. His tone, normally smug and confident, was filled with panic. "Kevin boy, listen to me. You must believe me. I didn’t expect this at all!"

Kevin’s jaw clenched tight, his eyes glowing with murderous intent. "Humph, you led me here to die, didn’t you? If it wasn’t for that fat monk, it would’ve been me being devoured!"

Suddenly, Old Devil Dave’s voice sharpened as if something had clicked. "Wait... I understand now. Once a spirit body is born inside the Nether Stone, it becomes bloodthirsty. That must be it. Kevin, this Nether Stone... it isn’t ordinary anymore—it’s awakened! This is the only explanation that makes sense!"

But Kevin only snorted coldly, his face clouded with suspicion and anger. He no longer trusted the old demon fully. Even if Old Devil Dave was telling the truth, the fact remained: this so-called treasure had almost killed him. He narrowed his eyes at the Nether Stone, unease settling deep in his heart.

At this moment, Black Dog King, a beast that had moments ago seemed unstoppable, suddenly trembled before the Nether Stone as if it had encountered its natural predator. Its two enormous heads roared repeatedly, fear laced in every sound, and with a swift motion of its tails, it barked out a command that caused all the black dogs to retreat at once, their once-murderous eyes now filled with primal terror.

Max and Kevin exchanged a tense glance, both realizing instinctively that this was their chance to escape. They were just about to turn and run when the Nether Stone emitted a sound that shook their very souls—a deep, resonant humming like the tolling of an ancient bell.