Chapter 263: Cruel Gentleness (Part Two)
"You damned crawling insects."
The roaring Andariel slowly descended the Throne Stairs. Her massive physique allowed her to cover at least three Stairs with each step, approaching Lars and the two others seemingly slowly but actually quickly. The remaining two Elites beside her also followed behind Andariel, shouting and charging forward.
"Doug, Gus!! Everything according to the original plan." Lars roared, instantly sobering up the two Barbarian brothers whose eyes were red with battle frenzy. The three exchanged glances and nodded silently.
"Big Brother, you have to hold on." Doug and Gus gritted their teeth and suddenly split off to the sides, circling around behind Andariel in a flanking maneuver. Lars, meanwhile, pulled out an Azure Blue Flying Knife, and with a "whoosh", it turned into a blue Glow and shot towards Andariel.
Seeing this, Andariel waved her right hand forward, but did not manage to knock down the Flying Knife as she wished. Instead, the Flying Knife smoothly Thrust into the back of her hand. The attached Freeze Effect took hold, and Andariel's Pace instantly slowed by half a beat, but she recovered in the blink of an eye. A Demon Lord Level's Cold Resistance Stats were no joke.
"Ahhhh—" She roared in Wrath. Although the Flying Knife didn't cause her any Damage, it enraged her immensely. She had actually been toyed with by a small crawling insect. She quickened her Pace, her colossal Body like a giant war machine rolling towards Lars. Even the Granite Floor, reinforced by Magic, couldn't bear her Weight and let out a buzzing Wail.
Seeing that he had successfully Attracted Andariel's attention, Lars knew the first step was successful. The rest depended on his Life-saving Effort. He hoped Doug and Gus could quickly clear out the Squads led by the other two Elites. Watching Andariel's rapidly Approaching Figure, Lars was so scared he almost started trembling uncontrollably, despite speaking lightly earlier. But facing a giant Monster over five meters tall, with four terrifying Spider Tentacles growing from its back, Approaching him – only those who had truly experienced it knew that Fear and helplessness.
Although afraid, Lars did not lose his Calmness and judgment. He used all his might to turn around and run, not forgetting to look around for any obstacles he could use. A straight line was absolutely impossible; one step from Andariel was equivalent to seven or eight of his. Even an Assassin probably couldn't outrun her.
Suddenly, a sense of vigilance arose in his heart. He instinctively rolled on the Ground. Almost simultaneously, a green Poison Orb carrying Potent Poison narrowly grazed past him from behind. It was Andariel's signature Attack Skill—Poison Orb.
Wiping the Cold Sweat from his forehead in embarrassment, Lars inwardly cursed how Abnormal this was, actually Sneak attacking from behind. This Demon King was too low-class. Although his Poison Resistance was already over 70, it was still better to Dodge if he could. He continued to flee, finally setting his Target on the two rows of giant Stone Pillars extending from the Door all the way to the Throne—they were indeed good obstacles. Lars revealed a slight Smile.
What about the two Barbarian brothers? After Andariel quickened her Pace, the Monsters behind her couldn't keep up with her Footsteps, so their formation was easily cut in half by the two brothers, leaving two Monster Squads. One Squad was a Ghoul Squad led by a Ghoul Elite. These slow-moving Monsters were the easiest to deal with. But the other Squad gave them a headache—Wrath. It was a Half-Soul Creature, Wrath, that had some immunity to both Physical and Spell Attack. This was a tough Bone. Without Lars's aid, there was no doubt that these two brothers would also fall into a hard Battle...
Looking at the Fallen Squad across from me, who were shouting but didn't dare to charge over, I couldn't help myself feel surprised. When did these guys become so Smart? In the past, they would either charge forward recklessly or scatter and flee while screaming. This situation was the first time I had seen something like this. For some reason, I had a faint ominous Premonition in my heart. Whether it was the overly gloomy Surroundings or the Fallen's ambiguous actions, everything felt too Abnormal. My heart felt like it had entered an unknown Zone, always feeling that Danger was Approaching, but I really couldn't figure out what Danger a group of weak Fallen could bring me.
Suppressing the unease in my heart, I jumped down and quickly put on my main Equipment. It was a pity that the Golden Glow was already concealed by the Magic Array, otherwise Sarah could have seen my golden, majestic Appearance...
"Xiao Er, Little Three, everything according to the original plan." I waved to the two Ghost Wolves beside me and said. After a pause, I added, "Be careful."
"Woof!!" The two loyal Ghost Wolves whimpered in response, crouching down and slowly Approaching the Fallen.
"Woof woof~~" In Sarah's astonished Gaze, I tilted my Head back and roared. My Body began to gradually grow taller, my snout slowly protruded, my fingers pressed together, and a pair of Claws grew out from the front at a speed visible to the naked eye. The unchanging black Cloak gradually permeated into my Body like ink, replaced by clusters of pure white fur. My black pupils contracted violently, gradually turning into a chilling, eerie green...
"How is it, little darling, are you scared?" I tried to keep my Throat light, but my Voice was still a bit bitter and unnatural. I originally wanted to reach out my paw and gently rub her Head, but I finally gave up. I was afraid my Claws would hurt her, and even more afraid she would shy away, hurting myself.
Sarah looked at me motionlessly, her crimson Eyes so pure, so pure that I couldn't read anything in them. After a moment of stunned, she suddenly extended her tender Jade finger and stroked my furry face.
"Is this Big Brother's Werewolf state? It's so amazing!!" She said, blinking her big Eyes. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find Fear in her Eyes.
"Mm, yes, this is my Werewolf Transformation. It's quite ugly, isn't it?" At that moment, my heart was slightly touched. I said I was bringing Sarah to watch the Battle in person this time, but another main purpose hidden in my heart was to see if she could Accept my Appearance after Shapeshifting. If she couldn't Accept it no matter what, then I would absolutely not let her become an Adventurer in the future. It could be said that this was a move to decide Sarah's future direction.
"No, it's not." Sarah's small hand gently stroked my face, and occasionally she would lightly tug on my ear with interest. "Big Brother's Gaze hasn't changed at all, and your scent hasn't changed at all. Sarah likes Big Brother like this."
Huh? Gaze? Scent? I was completely baffled by Sarah's Standard/Criteria for judging people. I had suspected for a long time that this Little Angel's Feeling might be too sensitive. I remember when I was lost in the Slaughter, her reaction was the biggest, she didn't even dare to Approach me. Could she really judge others based on her Feeling rather than her Eyes?
Temporarily putting aside the Question in my heart, our Little Angel then mumbled in frustration, "But Big Brother's Height has gotten taller again, Sarah is almost not tall enough for Big Brother anymore."
"..."
After Werewolf Transformation, my Body quickly grew to over two meters, just level with Sarah sitting on Light Snow 's back. If she used to reach my Chest, now she could at most reach my waist.
Seeing her pitiful look as she lowered her Head in frustration, I couldn't help but laugh dumbly. Although this little girl's Body wasn't tall, her heart was mature. She probably realized her Height Issue a long time ago and had just been keeping it to herself.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to stay like this forever. And our little darling will definitely grow taller in the future." I smiled faintly, but felt very awkward. This Werewolf's Smile probably didn't look good.
After my heart settled down, I let Sarah carefully watch the Battlefield. At this time, Xiao Er and Little Three had already started fighting with the Fallen, but they kept avoiding Attack, twisting their Bodies, which were nearly ten times larger than the Fallen, and dodging with extreme agility, making it impossible for the Fallen, known for their flexibility, to even touch a single hair.
Sarah was quickly Attracted by the Battlefield. I also kept explaining the Fallen's Attack Pattern, how to judge and Dodge. I wouldn't dare say anything else, but when it came to understanding the Fallen, probably very few people could match me. I used to be an Expert who Tanked with a Greatsword and charged through hundreds or even thousands of Fallen countless times.
The Little Angel watched very carefully, completely immersed in the Fallen's fast Attack and the Ghost Wolves' flexible Figures, occasionally looking thoughtful, then having a Realization, and even looking eager to try. I told her, understand all you want, but please don't be impulsive.
The Fallen's intelligence was limited, and their Attack Pattern was just these few moves repeated over and over. When this Battle really had no new points of interest, my heart stirred slightly. The two Ghost Wolves, already tired of this boring Battle, let out an impatient long howl at my Command. Little Three immediately bit a Fallen that pounced over, biting it in half. Its sharp Teeth sank into its Body without any obstruction, and then it shook its large mouth desperately as if venting, hot Blood splattering out of its mouth like raindrops, dyeing the entire Grassland crimson.
With the crisp sound of Bone and Meat separating, this poor Fallen was forcibly Torn into three sections. The part above the Chest was flung into the Jungle, the two bloody little legs rolled towards us, and the remaining abdomen, dragging its still greenish innards, was also spat out by Little Three. It seemed it didn't like the taste of Fallen Meat very much.
"..." Little Three's sudden attack, followed by the bloody and cruel Slaughter, completely stunned the originally enthusiastic Sarah. When the two sections of the Fallen's legs, still twitching slightly, rolled In Front of her, her originally fair face couldn't help but turn green.
However, the cruel Slaughter did not end. Another characteristic of Ghost Wolves, equally famous as their loyalty, was their cruelty. If I didn't give clear Commands, what they liked to do most was torture and kill their Enemies one by one until they died. This was no Exception now. The Slaughter continued. The widespread screams of the Fallen, the scattered dismembered limbs, the splashing Blood, intertwined to form a tragic living hell. This was naked Slaughter, brutal killing.
When the last Fallen was Torn into pieces by Xiao Er and Little Three vying for it, Sarah finally couldn't help but vomit profusely.
I held Sarah tenderly, gently patting her back. Although my heart ached, I had to do this. Don't think the scene just now was very bloody; in the Diablo World, it was just a normal sight. The Ground could have half-rotted Rogue Corpses appearing at any time, as well as Zombies covered in Maggots, glowing Skulls, and eerie Caves. Which of these isn't more terrifying than that? Sarah was already fifteen years old. With her Aptitude/Talent, she could probably Class-Change into a Mercenary in another two or three years. If she couldn't even adapt to these, then it would be troublesome.
In fact, the most terrifying thing during Adventurers is the loneliness of being alone, but Sarah probably won't have the chance to experience this most maddening Fear. I will absolutely not let her venture alone.
After vomiting for a full minute, Sarah finally raised her pale face. Her crimson Eyes revealed a look of Pain and helplessness as she looked at me.
"Here, eat this." I reached out my hand and handed over a small amber-colored ball. This was Candy bought from Lut Gholein, mainly made of solidified Honey. It was the only thing I could eat, so I kept some for myself.
Sarah obediently put the Candy in her mouth. Her Body, leaning against me, was shaky, but she suddenly spoke, "Big Brother, if possible, can you take Sarah with you again in the future? Sarah wants to Protect Big Brother too."
"Mm," I replied softly, my Eyes feeling Moist/Teary. What a good girl.
On the Battlefield, only the last Elite Fallen Shaman remained. On one hand, it was to let it try its best to Resurrect the Fallen. On the other hand, I vaguely felt that the Danger in my heart was coming from inside the Cave, so I hadn't let Xiao Er and the others get close, which was why it had managed to keep its Life until now.
Now, the Fallen Shaman's Mana was used up. Seeing the ground full of Fallen Corpses, it let out a panicked, shrill scream, which did Attract my and Sarah's attention. I saw this poor fellow, leaning on a Ghost Head Staff, actually turn and run into the Cave. Didn't it know the meaning of being a turtle in a jar?
Before the cold smile on my Corner of the mouth could fade, another chilling scream came from the depths of the Cave. Then, as if its Throat had been cut, the scream stopped abruptly, but the echo still reverberated. The deep Cave, at this moment, was like the giant mouth of a man-eating Monster with a mocking smile. Facing the unknown Fear, not only Sarah, but even I felt a little startled.
"Thump... thump..."
The Ghost Wolves, with the most sensitive hearing, were the first to prick up their ears, growling low towards the depths of the Cave in vigilance. Then, I, who had made some progress after a period of Training, also heard the faint Footsteps.
"Gurgle gurgle—" In our vigilant Gaze, a round object rolled out from the darkness. Looking closely, it was the Head of the Fallen Shaman from just now. When it stopped, its ugly face was facing us. In its wide-open Eyes, filled with Awe, Fear, surprise, and Incredulousness, fresh Hot Blood was still continuously spraying from the severed neck.
But no one looked at this Head again. Our Gaze was tightly fixed on the depths of the Cave. As the Footsteps, controlling the heart rate, gradually Approaching, a blurry Shadow, carrying a Power that caused Suffocation, slowly appeared in our Eyes.
A small, crimson Body that looked as if it was dripping Blood, pointed ears, a sharp horn growing on its Head, wearing only some light and simple armor. It held a Small Knife in one hand, and the warm Blood sticking to it was dripping onto the Ground along the blade. Its gloomy, ugly Eyes were filled with cruelty and bloodlust—and Wisdom that Monsters shouldn't possess. That absolute Pressure emanated from its Body.