CHAPTER 849: CHAPTER 661: THE POWER OF HUMANS AND MONSTERS

Layer 24, the food treasury.

Just like the areas Reiger and the others passed through earlier, this place has been corrupted by the green meat walls, transforming into a vast space with disgusting flesh walls all around.

This place, originally a cavernous rock structure, has countless buds hanging on the walls, even the ceiling is densely packed, appearing very strange.

"Plop..."

"Plop..."

Amidst the sticky sound, some buds hanging on the meat wall remain quietly there, while others slowly bloom, first turning into colorful flowers and then directly falling off, like newborns being nurtured, giving birth to monsters with flower-like heads which crash to the ground.

Undoubtedly, those are the carnivorous flowers.

This cavern is producing carnivorous flowers, like a nursery bed for them, letting the carnivorous flower monsters ripen, spawning and crawling in all directions and corners of the cavern.

Such an unsettling sight, at this moment, did not catch the attention of Reiger and Ais who rushed in.

Because both of them were captivated by the quartz pillar ahead.

It stands at least thirty meters high, with a crystal-clear body like water, emitting a red glow all around.

It’s the quartz main pillar, the core of the food treasury, not only the supporting beam for the existence of the entire treasury but also the pillar that produces nutrient liquid for the monsters of the underground city to consume.

However, such a magnificent red crystal pillar was entwined by three gigantic monsters.

They are monsters resembling carnivorous flowers.

They have flower heads more vibrant and eye-catching than ordinary carnivorous flower monsters.

They possess sizes and weights comparable to super-large monsters.

Each one is over ten times bigger than carnivorous flower monsters, with long and thick bodies that have countless vine-like tentacles stretching out, entwining the surface of the red crystal pillar along with their bodies.

The sight is akin to parasite worms sucking the nutrients secreted by the quartz pillar, absorbing the food the treasury produces, giving the impression of blood-sucking parasites living off others.

The tentacles and roots of these colossal carnivorous flower monsters also stretch to the walls, floor, and ceiling of the treasury, forming green meat walls.

Undoubtedly, the culprits turning this area into a disgusting meat-wall space and passages are these gigantic carnivorous flowers.

"This is..."

Faced with this horrifying scene, even the emotionally indifferent Ais couldn’t help but tense her facial muscles.

Even Reiger couldn’t resist furrowing his brow, seemingly discomforted by the sight, before shifting his gaze to the two figures standing in front of the red crystal pillar.

"Tch." Reveis spoke with a gloomy face, "Already caught up?"

The man in the white robe paused his hand that was reaching out for the Treasure Bead, and like Reveis, turned to face Reiger and Ais.

This caused a surge of irritation in Reveis’s heart.

She had clearly instructed to hurry and retreat with the "Fetus," yet this man halted his actions when the enemy caught up, clearly refusing to leave, wanting the "Fetus" to absorb more nutrients.

(What a foolish man.)

Reveis’s eyes, not looking at the man in the white robe, were filled with fiery emotions and biting coldness.

Unaware of all this, the man in the white robe appeared leisurely, uttering a neurotic voice from beneath his bone helmet.

"Welcome to this nursery bed of carnivorous flowers, adventurers of the Loki clan."

Unexpectedly, he greeted Reiger and Ais with a confident manner.

"...Who are you?"

Ais raised the Sword of Despair in her hand, the tip pointing at the man in the white robe and at Reveis, her eyes full of vigilance.

"Me?" The man in the white robe chuckled, saying, "I am the one chosen by ’her,’ destined to bring change to this world as new life."

"New life?"

Ais naturally couldn’t comprehend the words of the man in the white robe, but it didn’t prevent her from remembering Reiger’s earlier words.

"You... are not humans?"

Ais—with a tense countenance—uttered.

"Oh?" The man in the white robe seemed surprised, then chuckled again, a laugh full of arrogance and superiority, as if he was born superior, "Quite perceptive, figuring out we aren’t humans."

These words nearly confirmed the accuracy of Reiger’s earlier statement.

Neither Reveis nor the man in the white robe before them were human.

"What are you?"

Ais, with eyes as though looking at an alien, gazed at Reveis and the man in the white robe, her voice cold and clear.

"Us?" The man in the white robe sneered, like showcasing himself, spread his arms, saying, "We are beings that incorporate the strength of humans and monsters, merging two completely different existences into one life, the most supreme beings in this world!"

A mix of human and monster strengths?

Ais was momentarily stunned.

Yet the man in the white robes didn’t give Ais any time to be dazed. Instead, his voice grew fervent, as if he were a crazy zealot, incessantly introducing himself.

"We possess the wisdom and abilities of the human race, along with the brute force and sturdy bodies of monsters. We are hybrid beings, ’Her’ most devoted Guardians, and the pitiful creatures saved by ’Her’ compassion."

"Of course, you don’t understand, you don’t understand how great we are, even less how exalted and dazzling ’She’ is."

"It’s okay, you will soon find out."

"Once we destroy that hateful tower, destroy this detestable city, bring ’Her’ back to the surface to bask in the sunlight, then you’ll all know ’Her’ exaltation and greatness."

Saying these words, the white-robed man didn’t give Ais any time to react and directly snapped his fingers.

"Awake, Giant Flower."

"Consume all these uninvited dark guests, turn them into new nourishment, and spawn more carnivorous plants."

Accompanying the man’s words, the red crystal large pillar behind him, amidst the parasitic three gigantic carnivorous plants, one of them suddenly stirred.

"Rumble..."

Amidst the tremors, a gigantic flower lifted its head, turning its vibrant and glaring multicolored petals forward, gazing at Reiger and Ais.

It didn’t roar, not even a sound.

It simply quietly pulled out countless vine-like tendrils entwined around the column, detaching from the pillar and green walls it had merged with.

Thanks to this, a tearing motion accompanied the trembling, emitting an intensely pungent odor from the colorful giant flower.

The gigantic carnivorous plant, the massive monster, and the enormous elongated body detached from the quartz main pillar, following gravity, crashed heavily onto the ground, shielding the arrogant man in white robes and the expressionless Reveis behind it.

"Boom!"

The large cavity suddently shook violently, causing the ceiling to rain down rubble and dust.

A super-large monster that could rival a floor master was born. After a slight twitch, it rolled up billowing dust and suddenly charged toward Reiger and Ais.

This was a mad dash that made the ground tremble uncontrollably.

This simulated an earth-splitting, heaven-shattering force of a sprint.

The gigantic carnivorous plant monster—the Giant Flower dashed along the ground, aiming to smash the entire large cavity, crashing fiercely into the entrance through which Reiger and Ais came.

"Boom!!!"

With a deafening roar, the spacious corridor was shattered by the Giant Flower, larger than itself, as if struck by a collapsing sky pillar, sending shockwaves blowing like a hurricane, lifting countless rubble and debris, creating a scene of catastrophic upheaval.

The deafening sound and severe shaking spread from the food treasury as the epicenter across the entire 24th floor, catching the Hermes Clan members off guard, like disaster-stricken victims at the epicenter of an earthquake, crying out and falling to the ground in alarm.

"Wha-what...!?"

"What’s happening now...!"

"What happened again?"

The Hermes Clan members began shouting, with the canine girl and small race Magic Guide among the women showing expressions as if they were on the verge of tears, visibly tormented to the brink of collapse by the series of abnormal events.

"Roarrrrrr...!"

Even those carnivorous plant monsters were caught in the earthquake, and due to their massive size, they inevitably collided with walls or ceilings while stumbling, punching massive pits into walls and ceilings, dropping large blocks of rubble, burying countless carnivorous plant monsters.

"Damn it!"

Asafi leapt into mid-air, where when her hands touched the boots on her feet, those boots sprouted wings, keeping her suspended in mid-air.

"What’s happening over by the food store?"

Asafi’s face carried great uncertainty, and only when cracks appeared on the corridor walls, ceilings, and floor, resembling a spider web, did her heart race with alarm.

"Not good! This place is going to collapse!"

Realizing this, Asafi didn’t care about anything else, promptly ordering.

"Run! Everyone, run for it!"

Leaving behind these words, Asafi grabbed the canine girl and small race Magic Guide with one hand each and fled ahead.

"Cap-Captain!"

The members of the Hermes Clan cried out in despair, swiftly chasing after Asafi, fleeing for their lives.

"Rumble..."

The green corridor gradually collapsed amidst the earthquake, finally turning into a wasteland.