CHAPTER 477: CHAPTER 437 NIKA CRYSTAL CAVE

Hoo——

The mountain mist lightly blew through the forest.

When the foul-smelling blood mist gradually dispersed, there was nothing left at the site hit by a Sonic Heavy Punch except for a large pit... it was empty.

"’Living Corpse,’ watch out, behind you!"

Though he was shocked by his companion’s powerful move, which even he knew nothing about, he appeared to be evasive and cowardly, yet he was the most deeply hidden among the four.

But "Poisonous Wolf" profoundly understood that the two were like grasshoppers tied to the same rope, if one was unlucky, the other would not fare well either.

However.

The price of the giant Fungal Strain Sewn Corpse gaining immense power was inevitably some clumsiness. After all, the inherent attribute of a tank is naturally armor, not agility.

"Hmm?"

"Living Corpse" Ulysses heard his companion’s warning and immediately turned his head, which looked like a small walnut compared to his enormous body.

Crackle... Buzz...

A burst of electric light erupted behind him.

In the bright blue halo, Aiven held a sword with both hands raised above his head, the sword tip unleashing an unparalleled sharp bolt of lightning as if to cleave the world apart.

Turning the entire forest into a field of azure blue.

Boom!

Just as he turned his head, accompanied by a thunderclap, that thunderbolt descended like the Thunder Punishment Sword in the hand of a god.

[Secret Technique: Thunder Breath]

When a tank’s armor cannot serve as a barrier...

Screech—

In the gap where "Living Corpse" only had time to slightly turn his head, like a hot knife cutting through butter, the massive Sewn Corpse was sliced directly in two from neck to crotch.

"Ah——!"

The flesh armor composed of the strong Extraordinary’s corpse on him seemed to not exist at all.

Don’t say it’s just a pseudo-Tier 3 made of flesh, even a true Tier 3 powerhouse standing here would be sliced in two by the Thunder Breath that has grasped the world’s pulse!

For a normal person here, even a resilient worm would face death if cleaved completely.

However, this kind of Black Wizard creation cannot be judged by common sense.

Step.. Step.. Step..

Facing Aiven who was steadily walking towards him to remove his head.

Glug... Glug...

Underneath the scorched flesh at the incision of the Sewn Corpse by the violent thunder, green fungal stitches were continuously weaving.

The burnt parts continuously flaked off the body as the sticky fungal threads on both sides wriggled, trying to reassemble.

Rustle...

Though the final forms appear different, there really is no essential difference between "Living Corpse" and "Poisonous Wolf".

Their heads, crucial for wizards, remain intact, but their body parts have been entirely replaced by a kind of parasite derived from fungal mutation, except "Poisonous Wolf" has undergone a more radical and complete metamorphosis than "Living Corpse".

However.

Upon realizing that the area struck by the Thunder Punishment Sword was not only charred and carbonized but the body still had a paralyzing aftereffect from the electric shock, continually hindering its recovery.

"Living Corpse" has realized this enemy will not afford him the chance to calmly recover.

Especially since "Poisonous Wolf" can no longer support himself as he is entirely surrounded by Apsuya and two others who have entrapped the grotesque "Poisonous Wolf." Individually, even the experienced Apsuya cannot match him, but in a three-on-one situation, he has no time to meddle in "Living Corpse’s" affairs.

Thus, the part of the "Fungal Strain Sewn Corpse" still attached to the head opened several dirty, black mouths set on the body surface.

"Ugh!"

A green mist mixed with toxins, spores, and bacteria... all sorts of dangerous elements surged out like a tide, instantly enveloping dozens of meters in the forest, with himself at the very center.

In this range, the formerly lush leaves on the trees seemed to be dissolved by countless microorganisms, leaving behind only the sturdier leaf veins.

The enormous body of the "Fungal Strain Sewn Corpse" seemed just like a biochemical factory, still continually providing all sorts of "surprises" to Aiven.

At the same time.

Whoosh——

In a wave of green light, the severed half of the body abandoned the attempt to rejoin and suddenly sprang up, curling into a gigantic flesh ball.

The flesh ball swelled with blood, and with coordination from the many limbs dotting its surface, it rolled like a tank, thundering towards Aiven.

Seemingly retaining some Tier 3 strength, it easily crushed the trees in its path to pieces.

Boom!

Clearly, "Living Corpse" intended to sacrifice a pawn to save the general, buying time for the other half of his body to recover.

"The completely severed body could even be wirelessly controlled; that’s impressive! Indeed, it’s the knowledge inherited and developed from the Necromancy School."

Marveling in his heart, his actions remained swift.

In a few agile leaps, he easily dodged the now crimson flesh ball, leaping onto another tree, avoiding advancing towards the area covered by the green toxic mist.

Luxu——

The tumultuous incantations sounded.

A red magical light shot from Aiven’s fingertips, hitting Ulysses, who was hastily dismantling his body in hopes of cobbling together a new complete "Sewn Corpse," like lightning.

[Witchcraft: Flesh and Blood Uprising]

The next moment.

"Aww——!"

```

The remaining corpses on him seemed to suddenly regain their original consciousness, opening their mouths wide and screaming miserably.

Frantically waving their limbs, constantly breaking free from the fungal strain stitches on their bodies, wanting to completely detach from the "Flesh Core" centered on Ulysses’s body.

"What’s going on?!"

Even though the source of magic power in his brain surged continuously, at this moment, he couldn’t even restore the original Tier 3 power, let alone suppress the uprising of the dozen or so corpses, leaving him completely disoriented.

The effect of this Flesh and Blood Uprising was even ten times better than when dealing with the Great Sea Shark Oveg, truly an instant success!

After all, Oveg’s physical source only came from the Totem Warrior Manguenke, but the "Living Corpse" has at least a dozen sources.

Their original Extraordinary level was even incomparable.

After just a few short breaths, the "Living Corpse" could no longer maintain a complete form; arms, thighs, torso... all dragged away from him with sticky fungal threads.

In the end, only the original "Living Corpse" that once shouted "I’m here to form the head" was left.

And... it was missing half.

But Aiven knew that for the incomparably bizarre Black Wizard, this wasn’t the end, as long as there’s a head and a mouth, they could potentially continue casting spells.

Inhale—

Aiven lightly inhaled a breath into his body, as electrical lights flashed across his skin, countless cells within him seemed to become a series of biological power stations, stirring up an earth-shattering energy torrent.

Whoosh—

With one pause underfoot, he himself shot out violently, and as the thick poisonous mist encountered the electrical torrent on his skin, it instantly evaporated cleanly, unable to approach within a meter of his surroundings.

With a flicker, he had already rushed into the center, swinging his sword abruptly before the witchcraft shield frantically activated by the "Living Corpse."

Boom—!!!

Like a thunderclap that resounded through the sky, or a heavy cannon where hundreds of doors rang in unison.

[Secret Technique: Thunder Mercury]

The Official Wizard’s shield shattered like a glass cover under the powerful Secret Technique used by the Tier 3 Extraordinary, along with his pale head connected with countless green fungal threads.

In the next moment, unable to even scream.

The brain tissue entangled with the [Tattletale Strain] was directly turned into charcoal by the electric light shining on the sword blade, losing its last vitality.

On the other side.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!...

The bizarre body of the "Poisonous Wolf" was violently turned into a beehive after being stealthily attacked and delayed by Olivia using the gemstone [Cinnabar], releasing the mineral poison [Crimson Poison].

Meanwhile, it was simultaneously blasted by the scorching firepower net shot from the "Jel Pipe Organ" in Apsuya’s hands.

However, after the great wolf’s corpse died.

The head of the "Poisonous Wolf," which had an even deeper degree of mutation than the "Living Corpse," endured the negative effects of mercury poisoning, breaking its connection with the body.

Like a mass of fungal carpet, it wriggled to mend the bullet holes in its brain, trying to burrow underground along the fallen rotten leaves.

Swoosh—

Yet, it was tightly wrapped in an earth ball that suddenly rose from the ground, with soil, rocks, and dry branches spinning rapidly like a grinder, breaking the cell walls of the fungal parasite, causing cell fluid to leak, and the cell structure to lose vitality...

As the "Activated Spiritual Light" in Aiven’s hand slowly dissipated.

The "Poisonous Wolf" had already followed the "Living Corpse" to another world.

As for why no prisoners were taken, firstly because leaving behind such inhuman Black Wizards was too risky, and secondly because he had already seen the "Magic Bag" hanging from the "Living Corpse’s" waist.

He knew clearly what he wanted was the original strain of [Cystic Fungus], which could only exist in their laboratory.

First, he used a Witchcraft: Cleaning to thoroughly disinfect for the battling teammates and the forest, and then Aiven picked up the "Magic Bag" seemingly resembling an animal stomach.

Witchcraft Tools, spellcasting materials, books, research documents, various specimens temporarily failed to attract Aiven’s attention, and he prioritized extracting a brand-new map from within.

"Nika Island Crystal Cave?"

When seeing one of the circled locations on the nautical chart, Aiven was moved.

In an instant, he already linked it with the letter Angie sent him two days ago, inexplicably confirming this was the destination he was looking for.

After Milan used more comprehensive information for divination, the hypothesis was finally confirmed.

"Our next destination is already..."

Suddenly.

A note transmitted through the Mind Network entered Aiven’s mind.

It was an urgent communication from First Mate Boris, who stayed behind at the colony.

In Far Sails Territory, the closest to the Hilus Colony, traces of "Cyst Attendant" activities have appeared.

There are suspicions that the Hilus Colony encompassing the entire Golden Sea had no ability to contain personnel, causing a gradual spread and expansion towards the surroundings.

Because those below the Extraordinary level have almost no resistance to this type of bacteria, even though Aiven’s "Zombie Escape Manual" pointed out coping methods.

The best way for ordinary people is to organize large-scale Firearms Soldiers for long-range sniper attacks on "Cyst Attendant," then directly burn them cleanly with strict protection.

Additionally, although disinfection with high-concentration lime water can’t kill the [Super Cystic Fungus], it forces them into a protective sporocarp state, temporarily blocking transmission.

These methods are the most feasible countermeasures Aiven could think of, and he specifically disseminated this knowledge to the responsible persons of various garrison forces, even dispatching Gary and others to conduct strict inspections on his behalf.

But now that it’s truly descending upon us, no matter how thorough the preparations are, it’s a massive disaster.

A light sigh.

Looking at the companions who had just experienced the battle in front of him, Aiven’s slightly relieved expression due to finding the final destination returned to seriousness.

"Far Sails Territory is in a state of emergency, with several incidents of [Cyst Attendant] attacks happening within a day. We need to speed up!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the remaining three immediately changed, especially Olivia’s heart tightened. Once personally involved, they immediately understood Apsuya’s feelings.

At the same time, she felt secretly thankful for Aiven’s foresight. If it weren’t for the actions taken a few days in advance, they would be helpless but to watch their own people die.

Now, however, she firmly believed that Aiven would lead their group to a complete victory in this battle!