CHAPTER 642: CHAPTER 431: EROSION

The hellish scene before them was completely incomprehensible.

How did things turn out this way? Where did this horde of monsters come from? Why was Gus roaring madly?

The strange, oppressive atmosphere flooded into their minds almost instantly. The dark, looming monsters turned to Sali and Elsa, their eyes glowing with cruel emotions.

In that moment, Sali’s panic reached its peak; it was as if he could have gotten a "lost soul" rating at the Horror Park.

Each of these monsters looked different. Some could barely be likened to similar-looking animals, but most were beyond description, with a long, trailing appearance. The only commonality was that they all exuded an aura of ultimate darkness and evil.

The evil emanating from these monsters felt utterly different from that of ordinary monsters. Monsters may be powerful, fierce, and brutal, capable of destroying everything, but they are still living beings; some even show a gentle side toward their kin.

But the monsters here felt like the embodiment of human evil, a presence so nauseating at first glance!

The Demon Qi was overwhelming.

Sali drew his sword, but after glancing at the seemingly endless horde of monsters, he looked again at the slim sword in his hand.

Sometimes, a sense of security is just that simple.

"Swoosh—"

The sharp sound of swords being drawn, he suddenly sensed a rush of wind beside him. Turning his head, he saw Elsa had drawn her sword as well. The pressure from the mere act of drawing out the two greatswords was frightening enough.

Was Elsa always this strong? Sali was momentarily stunned; Elsa’s underdeveloped and petite figure seemed uncoordinated while wielding the greatsword and Sword Corpse Greatsword, yet this very dissonance provided him with a familiar sense of reassurance!

Sometimes, reassurance leaves quickly and returns just as swiftly.

"Stay behind me,"

Elsa said simply, preparing to meet the first wave of advancing monsters.

However, things didn’t go quite as she had imagined.

The monsters glanced at them but didn’t immediately pounce. Instead, they shifted their gaze elsewhere, revealing something familiar to the two of them as they shuffled their massive or minuscule bodies.

It was the Eagle Group, surrounded by monsters!

These were familiar faces from the images Elsa and Sali had seen; they knew these were people who had formed deep friendships with Gus. Although the content before Erosion had not been as thrilling as before, the distinctive characters still left some fondness.

Yet, why did it seem like the numbers of the Eagle Group were significantly reduced here?

Along with an eerie red glow, an intricate shape suddenly appeared in the sky, firing countless tiny red "meteors" that struck each member of the Eagle Group at an unimaginable speed, leaving behind... a mark on their skin?

Only sacrificial offerings would be branded!

Unprecedented excitement among the monsters, the emergence of the marks seemed like a command permitting action, and they charged at the Eagle Group with maniacal laughter.

This heralded a feast of carnage, as the monsters slaughtered the Eagle Group with unimaginable brutality. The air was filled with screams and monstrous grins, painting an already crimson world in even deeper bloodshed.

With Griffith and Gus both absent, the remaining members of the Eagle Group were utterly powerless against the monsters.

"Elsa, let’s go save them!" Sali immediately exclaimed. "Perhaps protecting the Eagle Group is the key to conquering this Painting World!"

They had thought this Painting World would be a place to relax, never expecting it to be so sinister.

"Okay."

Even before she spoke, Elsa had moved.

As a big man with a hardy look battled desperately against the encroaching monsters, the Sword Corpse Greatsword descended from above, slicing a monstrous slug, like an enormous version of a slug, in two, spraying copious amounts of blood and unidentified fluids!

Elsa descended from the heavens, swinging her greatsword to slay the surrounding monsters. With her other hand, she grabbed the Sword Corpse Greatsword and, using the momentum of her body, effortlessly hurled it again, carving a straight path of blood and gore through the horde of monsters.

She grabbed the initially stunned big man and threw him towards the other members of the Eagle Group, ensuring he wouldn’t fight alone, as Sali had already rushed over there.

His combat efficiency wasn’t as high as Elsa’s, but dealing with two or three monsters at once was not a problem, and he had a talent Elsa lacked — command.

He loudly instructed the Eagle Group members to gather and collectively fend off the monsters, believing that united strength could perhaps...

His command began to take effect, but the hastily formed defensive circle was quickly overwhelmed by more monsters, collapsing before their eyes.

The Eagle Group had too few members, the monsters were too numerous, and their strength overwhelmingly crushed all the mercenaries, making even their combined efforts futile.

At that moment, Sali could do nothing but protect a few others while trying to maintain his own survival, looking so imperiled against the monstrous flood.

The numbers of the Eagle Group continued to dwindle, and just in this critical moment, flames erupted!

Flames ignited out of nowhere on Elsa’s greatsword, as she dragged the greatsword at an imperceptible speed, circling around the Eagle Group. The towering flames instantly formed a defensive shield.