From a distance, I watched as the creature before me—a Gorilla Abomination—moved. Its limbs were distinctly human, but grotesquely stretched, as if pulled apart. The thick muscles on its massive legs resembled chunks of black stone, oozing sticky yellow-green fluid that seeped out intermittently.
Its enormous head and pitch-black maw revealed jagged fangs streaked with grayish filth, dripping continuously and exuding a foul stench. The odor was overpowering. I moved a little further up, watching quietly. The monster was about twenty meters from me. Any closer, and I’d touch the black, tangled mass above—interwoven like ancient tree roots.
“You’d better hurry, Ethan Zhang. Show your true strength and finish this thing off. Of course, that’s only if you can actually beat it. Hahahahaha...”
“You sick bastard.”
I roared in anger, cursing him loudly.
“Oh, consider it my little perversion. Heh, thanks for the compliment. There’s no greater praise than being called a freak, Ethan Zhang.”
My fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Just then, the Gorilla Abomination below crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud.
“Until you deal with it, I won’t be releasing any more monsters.”
These monsters have become such abominations, yet they can still move. Their combat strength, speed, and power are beyond question—far surpassing any human. And yet, they must have once been human.
“What is your real purpose in all this?”
I demanded again, my tone vicious.
“Purpose? Hard to say. I just get excited—remaking the human body over and over. Heh. What do you think these creations are?”
“Hmph. How would I know what a freak like you actually wants?”
“Humans, Ethan Zhang, have untapped potential. Let me tell you—the Immortality Society’s selection, in its early stage, is about tolerating Yin energy. Those who survive massive Yin energy exposure without dying gradually accumulate it, transforming it into Deathbane Aura, which is then infused into flesh.”
I’ve done this before. It was excruciating—injecting Deathbane Aura into my own flesh triggered violent rejection. I nearly died several times from the injuries.
“You think everyone’s like you—able to coexist with ghostly powers, balance everything, wield harmful Deathbane Aura as a weapon, even manifest it physically. Heh, Ethan Zhang, I’m quite fond of you. If you’d join my research, I’d dissect your heart, your flesh, every bone—study you inside out.”
“Shut your filthy mouth, bastard.”
I roared, but quickly regained composure. The priority now was to extract any information from Thousand Hands, no matter how trivial.
“If you defeat that thing, I’ll tell you. The Immortality Society’s selection, the reason these failures are here—keep beating these monsters, and I’ll reveal it all, bit by bit.”
Though furious, I could only slowly draw Hell’s Sentinel, staring at the Gorilla Abomination on the ground. It seemed to notice me, its massive head lifting, and its huge eyes fixed on me.
With a roar, the monster howled and suddenly spat a mass of blackness from its mouth—hurtling toward me at incredible speed. I instantly sensed it: a chaotic aggregation of Deathbane Aura.
I shouted, raising a hand. With a bang, the Deathbane Aura crashed into my palm, then burst outward in all directions. I took a deep breath and inhaled the aura through my nostrils.
In a flash, I was in front of the Gorilla Abomination, brandishing Hell’s Sentinel and slashing at its shoulder.
With a thud, my Hell’s Sentinel was caught by the Gorilla Abomination’s right hand. It actually saw my attack—this surprised me. Then its massive left hand opened, reaching to grab me.
With a snap, I turned into a cloud of black mist, instantly wrapping around the Gorilla Abomination. A crackling sound followed as its legs began to freeze—layers of black ice covering its body.
The Gorilla Abomination roared, shattering the ice instantly. Then, to my shock, its massive right fist swung at me—it could see my Ghost Soul directly.
Immediately, I crossed my arms in front of me, tucked my legs in, and braced for defense. Deathbane Aura coiled around my arms. A deafening boom rang in my ears as I was knocked backwards—the Gorilla Abomination charged, stomping across the ground.
Now, two pitch-black pistols appeared in my hands. My cloak—Spirit Snake Shedding Skin—fluttered behind me, helping me steady myself. I spread my legs, gripped the guns, and fired at the monster—each shot unleashing a Deathbane Round straight at its body.
Bang! Bang! The monster’s skin was incredibly tough. When I struck with Hell’s Sentinel earlier, I noticed its black skin was a fusion of Deathbane Aura and flesh. My Deathbane Rounds exploded on its body but didn’t penetrate.
“Up close, it’s almost like art, Ethan Zhang. How did you make those pistols?”
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Immediately, I tossed aside the pistols. As they hit the ground, I raised both hands—time for something with more firepower: the Specter Sniper.
The monster was only ten meters away. Deathbane Aura frantically condensed in my hands as I kept gathering it.
Five meters. Four. Three. In an instant, a Specter Sniper appeared in my hands. I raised it, aiming at the monster’s chest. Then I loaded a pitch-black round, as long as my palm and marked with flame patterns, into the chamber. With a click, I aimed at the charging monster.
Bang! The gun fired. The monster screamed and was sent flying, black flames erupting from its back as the bullet exploded after piercing through.
In a flash, the monster was engulfed in flames, shrieking. I waved my hand and appeared beside it. With a swipe, Hell’s Sentinel flew into my grasp—I reversed my grip and stabbed hard at its arm.
A metallic clang—Hell’s Sentinel couldn’t pierce it. Then, hissing, black viscous liquid began to ooze from my weapon, steaming as it quickly flowed onto the monster’s arm, corroding its skin. This was the Spirit Snake’s venom—corrosive poison.
With a rip, I drove Hell’s Sentinel into its arm. A crack—its bone shattered completely. I yanked the weapon out and flew backwards. Its still-functioning left fist swung at me, and I was struck by a gust of wind, skidding along the ground before quickly getting up.
“Ah, what is that, Ethan Zhang? What else do you have? Show me everything!”
The monster’s arm was ruined, but it still stood. A large patch of flesh on its back had been burned away, exposing rows of twisted black bones—clearly human bones, fused together.
Without hesitation, I raised Hell’s Sentinel. In my right hand, a Ghost Eagle appeared—I aimed at the monster’s left leg and fired. The shot hit its right leg, hissing as I swung Hell’s Sentinel, dodged its massive fist, and slashed at the joint connecting its right foot to its body.
With a whoosh, after I pierced its skin, a barrage of pitch-black Wind Blades erupted from its right leg. I dodged, flipping through the air before landing beside the fallen, immobilized monster. It whimpered and howled, but with only its left leg and right hand functional, it was no longer a threat.
“That’s enough, right? I’ve beaten it.”
“Not yet, Ethan Zhang. Heh, my creations aren’t that simple.”
Suddenly, I saw the monster’s massive head twist with a crack, then, with a rip, its entire head flew off. Beneath it, a black, sea-urchin-like mass bristling with spikes appeared.
The entire head lunged at me. I quickly braced Hell’s Sentinel horizontally—clang!—blocking the attack as the massive head drove me backward.
A grinding sound—the monster’s teeth were as hard as Hell’s Sentinel, which shocked me. Suddenly, a revolver materialized in my hand. I aimed at its mouth and pulled the trigger.
Bang! The bullet exploded inside its mouth. I roared, shoving the monster away. It crashed into the distance, black blood splattering everywhere. Lying on the ground, it whimpered, its head riddled with holes from the Deathbane Aura explosions—yet it was still alive, still able to move.