Two thunderous booms echoed, barely half a second apart.
Germain rose from the sea of blood, sending crimson waves rolling.
In an instant, he appeared above the Bloodthirsty Apostle, drawing his Tachi Thousand Shadows.
"Tachi Thousand Shadows - Iaido Slash—"
Clang—
A blood-red arc, sharp as a crescent moon, sliced through the Apostle's thickest tendrils in an instant!
Splurt, splurt, splurt—
The severed tendrils crashed into the blood sea below, writhing like dying eels, churning waves in every direction.
The Bloodthirsty Apostle let out a wail as its floating powers vanished.
Its mountain-sized body plummeted violently.
Boom—
The impact was like a terrifying explosion, sending murky, dark-red waves soaring over ten meters high.
The waves surged toward the towering structure nearby.
But in the next moment, just as the waves were about to hit the tower's walls, an invisible barrier stopped them cold, deflecting the torrent back into the blood sea.
Everyone inside the tower was stunned, staring at the scene in disbelief.
They were alabyrinthd by the tower's protection—and by Germain's prowess.
Regardless of their focus, the Bloodthirsty Apostle was undoubtedly the victim in this clash.
It was only now, as if sensing the true start of the battle, that the dense fog walls surrounding the sea of blood began to rise.
The Apostle, thrashing in the blood sea, soon lifted its head.
Its maw, lined with rows of needle-sharp teeth, was as menacing as a seven-gilled lamprey's.
Though it had no eyes in the conventional sense, it could "see" much further and clearer, perceiving the very essence of nen.
More than that, it was a highly intelligent being, capable of having memory.
And it quickly remembered who this man was...
This human was one of the four who had killed it in its past life...
No, he wasn't just one of them. He was the very one who delivered the fatal blow!
It would never forget that night!
The Bloodthirsty Apostle seethed with rage.
Being harvested was not unfamiliar to it.
In fact, for the past two centuries, it had endured periodic slaughter.
The one who always calculated its rebirth and came to reap its life, time and time again, was also a human.
However, in the past year, that human hadn't appeared again, as if completely forgetting about it.
Because of this, the Bloodthirsty Apostle slowly began to regain the supreme glory it once had as the ruler of the ancient labyrinth.
But unexpectedly, the nightmare returned. This time, another group of humans arrived, defeated it, and camped at its respawn point, ready to harvest it all over again!
Humans, humans again!
Even though their average strength is so weak, every now and then, they produce a few monsters that far exceed imagination!
That's the strange characteristic of this race!
The Bloodthirsty Apostle might have endured two centuries of "enslavement" by that human, but that didn't mean just anyone could "enslave" it and treat it like some wildflower to be picked!
Its rage toward that human erupted, and it directed all of its fury onto the man standing before it—Germain!
You'll be the first. Starting with you, then I'll take revenge on that human!
Whoosh!
A destructive crimson beam shot out from the depths of its mouth!
Germain didn't dodge outright. Instead, he intended to use this battle to test something new.
He opened the card holder strapped to his waist, pulled out three cards, and tossed them forward.
"Alchemize: Earth Element, release!"
The three cards glowed, their lights intertwining before transforming into three thick earthen walls stacked together. The layers overlapped, creating a formidable barrier.
Like a massive coffin lid, it descended onto the sea of blood, colliding directly with the crimson beam!
Boom!
The destructive crimson beam only stalled for a moment before piercing through the first earthen wall, then the second, and finally the third.
The three walls crumbled into countless dirt clods, fragments, and clouds of dust that scattered into the air.
Whoosh!
At the same time, a massive fog surged forward, swallowing the scattered debris like a whale gulping down water, completely obscuring the battlefield.
This fog was created by combining the "Alchemize: Fire Element" and "Alchemize: Water Element" cards, balanced just right to produce this effect.
Germain concealed his figure within the mist, demonstrating a terrifying yet composed mastery of "Zetsu," as if he had completely vanished.
However, the Bloodthirsty Apostle knew he hadn't disappeared. He was nearby, and the danger was far from over!
Scarlet beams of light continuously shot out from its mouth, scattering chaotically into the air.
It was desperate to hit Germain, delay his attacks, or even tear through the mist to locate his silhouette. Any of these outcomes would suffice.
But it clearly failed to achieve any of that.
When the ocean below was torn apart and Germain leapt forth, wielding his blood-soaked katana, the Apostle realized—too late—that the enemy was already here!
So close!
Clang—
"Thousand Shadows: Draw Slash—"
"Alchemy: Wind Element Enchantment—"
The crimson slash was even more overwhelming than before. With a deafening boom, every writhing tendril of the Bloodthirsty Apostle shattered into fragments!
The blooming flower was once again split in two!
Hiss—
Germain sheathed his blade, his feet enveloped in Nen as he landed on the restless waves, standing as steadily as if on solid ground.
Boom—
Not far ahead, the Bloodthirsty Apostle collapsed sideways, sending another wave of blood splashing through the air!
The wall of mist, which had not yet reached its full height, paused for a moment before slowly descending as the Apostle fell.
Germain had defeated the Bloodthirsty Apostle in the fleeting moments before the mist wall could fully form!
The spectators atop the tower were left in stunned silence, their mouths agape at the scene below.
Germain's spoils included not only the "Herb for All-illnesses" that grew from the Apostle's defeated body but also a new "Gift of Resentment."
A brand-new "Teleportation Lantern!"
Previously, all his Teleportation Lanterns had been firmly placed in their respective locations—
The Limeiro Castle, the Dried River Valley, the Muddy Marshlands, the Bottom of Spider Valley, the Ancient Labyrinth, the Wilderness Graveyard (Wasteland)...
Now, he had obtained the seventh teleport lantern. Whether it was useful at the moment or not, it would definitely help expand their range of activities.
Once the mist wall completely descended, the sea of blood became less violent and gradually calmed down.
Bisky, Shizuku, Menchi, Buhara, and Sanbica hurriedly walked down the spiral stone staircase together after confirming that the Bloodthirsty Apostle was indeed defeated by Germain alone.
Soon, they arrived in front of the enormous corpse of the Bloodthirsty Apostle and Germain, who had already sheathed his Tachi Thousand Shadows.
Bisky held back for a long time, clearly having a lot she wanted to say.
But because there was so much to say, she didn't know where to start. In the end, she could only give Germain a thumbs-up.
"Alright, this time I really believe in you..."
Germain, however, wasn't looking to boast. He simply pointed at the massive corpse.
"Let's prepare to harvest the 'Herb for All-illnesses.'"
"Got it!"
Shizuku conjured her vacuum cleaner Nen Beast Blinky, Menchi swung her twin blades, and Buhara cracked his knuckles. All of them responded excitedly.
Sanbica, however, suddenly moved between the group and the Bloodthirsty Apostle's corpse. She raised her hands, signaling for them to stop, and began hopping on the surface of the sea like a rabbit in a panic.
"Let me… let me… please wait… just wait a moment…"
Her stammering left everyone puzzled, except Bisky, who was the first to catch on.
"You want to extract something from the Bloodthirsty Apostle's corpse while it's still fresh, don't you?"
Sanbica, wearing her hood and mask, nodded frantically.
"Alright, go ahead. Let us know when you're done."
Sanbica nodded again and immediately took out a syringe with a thick needle and a small glass vial. Her eyes widened with excitement and happiness as she approached the massive corpse.
The massive corpse of the Bloodthirsty Apostle was bloated, soaked in the sea of blood, and the previous aroma had completely disappeared.
Then, like meat cooked until tender in a boiling pot, its bones and flesh slowly separated and dissolved into the foul broth of the blood sea.
By this time, everyone had completed their tasks and gathered at the base of the tower.
********
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