Chapter 41: The Immortal Charge

Demons belong to the Chaos faction, yet there are still some patterns and rules to be found.
If Neo could now observe the behavior of these monsters as a watcher, he would be surprised to discover that the monsters that had evolved twice had already stepped beyond the “Death Arena” of killing each other to gain strength. They seemed to have developed intelligence—or at least become more rational—and began engaging in activities other than mere combat.
The most powerful of these twice-evolved monsters had taken on the forms of Corpse Veins, which was better than nothing. Although Neo had extracted their essence and most of their vital elements, making good use of what remained still provided significant advantages. At least in terms of evolutionary percentage, they were definitely ahead of other similar creatures here.
Another group of outstanding twice-evolved monsters turned their attention to humans and werewolves who were still resisting on the platform. The higher their level, the more valuable their flesh. By devouring this flesh, it was entirely possible for them to evolve a third time. Though they had taken a different path, their achievements were far less than those of true demons who evolved in the conventional way. Still, overall, it was a viable route.
The second-tier monsters among those who had evolved twice targeted the corpses of those who had evolved only once, as well as leftover scraps like blood sludge and shredded meat. Through further feeding, most of these creatures could reach an evolutionary level of over 70%. A few lucky ones might even rise to the first tier and successfully evolve a third time.
These monsters could be considered future talents, the main force in hunting. With good luck, they could begin their third evolution in a short time.
As for the lowest-tier twice-evolved monsters, this place meant little to them. They couldn’t even get their hands on the corpses of those who had evolved once, and those who hadn’t evolved at all provided little value—only enough to replenish their energy. Their options were more varied: some used violence and deception to lead groups of once-evolved and unevolved creatures on hunting trips, while others returned to the rifts for further transformation. Still others disappeared alone. These creatures were weaker in strength but clever, taking a secretive approach. Whether they would die early due to bad luck or cause lasting harm depended on fate.
In short, after the death of the Corpse Veins, the monsters scattered in different directions. Yet a considerable number still roamed the area—mostly unevolved creatures. Some of their abilities were nearly on par with those of level 4 warriors, giving them considerable destructive power. They refused to leave mainly in anticipation of the emergence of those who could evolve a third time. They waited for a leader to arise, hoping to transition from a loose organization to a more efficient hunting system.
The genetic imprint granted these monsters strange instincts from birth. They knew which creatures were natural enemies and which were suitable as food. They knew how to pounce and bite. They were cunning and brutal, scheming and insane. They harbored ulterior motives yet relied on one another…
This was the power of the genetic imprint—the rules within chaos, or rather, a collective consciousness.

They lack a clear concept of hierarchy in their minds, but they can tell who is stronger. They will choose to follow and serve in exchange for survival and benefits. If given the chance, they will without hesitation pounce and sever the throat of their leader. This is the Dark Rot faction—a race that seems evil by the moral standards of the Light faction, yet extremely formidable.

At the bottom of the cliff, a small group of twice-evolved monsters, undeterred, frantically dug through the corpses in search of Neo. But after diving to the bottom of the sea of corpses, Neo could use the Death Eater Vines to dive or move at will. On two occasions, the monsters thought they had found Neo, only for him to dive underground and reappear. After spending over half an hour to no avail, they gave up in frustration.

By then, the battle on the platform was coming to an end. Only a dozen or so people remained alive, all injured. Under the siege of the twice-evolved monsters, their efficiency in killing enemies had dropped significantly. It took them over 10 minutes to kill just three, and even then, it was the Melted Slag Puppet that did most of the work.

The Melted Slag Puppet had a truly iron-hearted nature. Like all beings that drew power from blood energy, its focus—or weakness—was blood, not its physical body. Fire and holy light could effectively hinder the generation and operation of blood energy. Of course, ordinary fire and light wouldn’t work, thanks to the Blood Rock Slag, a device that served as both a carrier, weapon, and armor.

The monsters were unaware of this. So far, their attack methods had been relatively simple: tearing, cutting, and sometimes adding poison. Poison had no effect on constructs. Tearing and cutting were merely crude tactics. After fighting for so long, the Melted Slag Puppet had an abundance of raw materials for blood energy. Eventually, it even absorbed the blood of the fallen defenders in vapor form. In short, just like its master, it was ruthlessly exploiting the results of the monsters’ battles.

When the defense line was broken, four people died in just a few seconds. Now, total defeat was inevitable. Faced with the quasi-energy attacks of the twice-evolved monsters, four more people died in the next two minutes. The surviving fighters, led by the Cavalry Lieutenant, launched desperate attacks, with almost each of them killing one of the twice-evolved monsters before leaving someone behind to finish them off, allowing those warriors to die with dignity. This person’s energy was of a fiery nature. Eventually, their skin cracked extensively as if a furnace were inside them, with fiery energy bursting forth from within, turning them into charcoal quickly.

“All defenders have sacrificed themselves!” Thrust, carrying Falcon Heather, served as Neo’s eyes in the air. He could communicate directly with Neo through telepathy, allowing Neo to stay informed about the outside situation and command the Melted Slag Puppet calmly.

“Huh!” One after another, bright red energy shock waves spread out from the Melted Slag Puppet like ripples. Affected by them, the blood of the fallen warriors rose into blood mist. At the same time, the Melted Slag Puppet strode wildly toward the cliff edge. Along the way, three monsters combined forces to sever one of its arms, but the arm that fell to the ground was connected by a thick, blood-red light and was dragged down the cliff along with it.

The monsters hated the Melted Slag Puppet to the bone and wouldn’t even spare it by letting it fall off the cliff. Blades of light and beams of light rushed down from behind.

Thud! When the Slag Puppet landed, it not only trampled many corpses into pulp but was also severely damaged, almost reduced to a pile of debris. The monsters nearby were about to finish them off when, whoosh! The Slag Puppet disappeared into thin air. However, the blood mist created by its impact took a moment longer to seep toward the piles of corpses like mist.

The monsters that had evolved twice were no fools. Seeing this, they rushed at the corpses and dug frantically, eventually catching a glimpse of the last traces of blood mist turning red as it seeped into the ground. Realizing what was happening, the monsters began bombarding that area wildly. Unfortunately, while Neo could move easily thanks to the Death Vine’s ground-traveling aura, these monsters found it much harder to dig holes. Thus, the Slag Puppet was successfully retrieved by Neo without much trouble.

After that, Neo continued to move around underground, absorbing energy from the monsters and competing with them for food. Although the monsters couldn’t accurately estimate the number of corpses at the bottom of the cliff, as their resistance collapsed completely, they began feeding voraciously, significantly speeding up. As the piles of corpses thinned, Neo knew he could no longer stay hidden.

The Death Vine’s soil-loosening technique took time, and the loosened area needed constant energy input to maintain. This meant that even with prior planning, the area he could operate in was limited. Moreover, Neo couldn’t stay buried forever.

Near the bottom of the continental highway cliff, Neo suddenly burst out of the soil, leaped 4 or 5 meters upward, with black light flashing from his hands and feet. Digging and kicking his way, he quickly climbed toward the top of the cliff.

The monsters nearby were stunned for a second before erupting in chaos. An escaped prey! And with their sensitive sense of decay, they quickly realized that tonight’s grand feast had returned!

With his Wolf Bloodline, Water-type healing magic, Life Wave, Blood Vine Armor, Combat Energy protection, and Death Vine corpse-recovery abilities—two types of energy protection, two types of powerful regeneration protection, four types of gradual recovery, and all 10 life-preserving powers activated—Neo was fully prepared to charge into battle by the time he reached the top of the cliff.

Although many monsters had left the area, it still seemed like a sea of monsters to Neo. It was as if he were surrounded by countless foes.

Originally, fighting could have taken place in the valley, but since several people were hiding there, Neo didn’t want to fight right under their noses—what if they saw him? The continental highway was safer; aside from him, few would dare to venture into that dense swarm of monsters.

He charged! Monsters swarmed from all directions. During his time hidden underground, he had thrown away his sword, so now he relied solely on his hands—no, his claws. With Nancy’s help, Neo could now undergo partial transformation. His claws were several times larger than those of a normal wolf in its transformed state, as big as palms and as thick as fingers, though not as sharp—more like short cones. Of course, with the power of Combat Energy, they were sharp enough, plus they had the effect of petrifying weapons.

After the Faith Battle Roar,Neo launched a three-phase charge followed by a sweeping slash. Against ordinary monsters, he didn’t bother with defense at all. With his 10 life-saving skills, ordinary monsters simply couldn’t break through his Blood Vine Armor or Dark Flesh Wall, allowing him to wield his arms freely and deal maximum damage. The only thing he needed to watch out for was the monsters’ charges—monsters at level 4 still had considerable strength, so it was best to avoid head-on collisions to prevent losing momentum.

In this meat-grinder-like battle, monsters that enteredNeo’s attack range were continuously torn apart or sliced by his sharp claws. His “Life Theft” spell was active, making this the perfect time to hone it—there was no need to hold back.

Ahow!…

The effects of the Faith Battle Roar still lingered. This cry was “Dark Intimidation,” derived from the warrior’s demoralizing roar, but its properties had been altered by Witch Dasthney’s curse, making it more powerful—especially against dark creatures and those with light-based attributes.

While his charge skill was cooling down, “Dark Intimidation” could temporarily “freeze” monsters, disrupting their attacks. Immediately after, he would use the Spider Battle Dance series. Once these skills were activated, it seemed as thoughNeo had seven or eight arms—although he was moving forward, his body could drift in any direction. Combined with his precise killing moves, dozens of monsters perished in a short time.

Yet, it was stillNeo’s skill that saved the day. Amidst the encirclement of monsters, one evolved monster quickly moved from the outer circle to take the place of the ordinary ones, becoming the main force blocking his attacks.

Evolved monsters were fighters around level 5, capable of using energy attacks or empowered attacks. With these monsters surrounding him,Neo’s pressure soared.

Steel Will, Rock Body, Deflection Spell, and Slippery Spell—all of these were spells, with the latter two also usable through totems.Neo was multitasking, using four of his minds for combat while keeping one in light meditation. With these four skills, he could barely withstand the monsters’ fierce attacks while still advancing.

By this point,Neo could clearly feel the strain. Though his Blood Vine Armor provided some protection, the constant attacks from all sides caused its vines to break and scatter. His outer layer of flesh, a mere addition, served as makeshift armor; by infusing it with dark combat energy, he created the Dark Flesh Wall. With frequent and intense energy input, this last line of defense became increasingly difficult to sustain. Gradual recovery became crucial in such situations to break through the encirclement.

Further on, the twice-evolved monsters surrounded him, doubling the pressure. Faced with this situation, Neo held back no longer. Using stamina-restoring potions, physical-strengthening potions, and energy-boosting potions, along with spells like Earthquake and Fire Blast—spells he would normally avoid due to their energy and mental cost, which would shorten his combat duration—Neo had no choice but to use them. The twice-evolved monsters possessed the strength of level 7–9 fighters, leaving Neo surrounded by elite clawed wolves. The spells were meant to break through the encirclement and ensure he could keep moving without being trapped to death.

It had to be said that Neo still wasn’t strong enough to fight against a group of level 7–9 fighters without falling behind. With the twice-evolved monsters joining the fight, Neo was clearly overwhelmed, and the situation grew worse by the moment.

Boom! Neo swung his claws at the ground, unleashing a wave of intense heat that spread out like a flame. The twice-evolved monsters weren’t much afraid of this limited-range group spell. In fact, Neo wasn’t aiming to harm them. As the heat wave swept across the area, the ice and snow on the ground melted, turning into rising vapor. It was within this mist that Neo summoned the Heavy Water Shield Guardians.

After activating the aquatic mimicry spell to enhance himself, Neo entered the bodies of the Heavy Water Shield Guardians, leaving defense entirely in their hands. The two massive water shields served as both armor and weapons for these guardians. While advancing, they provided full protection, allowing Neo to heal rapidly inside their bodies.

“Disperse!” More than ten minutes later, at Neo’s command, the core of the Heavy Water Shield Guardians separated. The water that composed their bodies dispersed, only to be controlled by Neo and transformed into several water arrows. Without the effect of freezing, these arrows lacked power but were much faster to cast. Their strength was sufficient to cause trouble for the twice-evolved monsters, while Neo took the opportunity to use skills like “Charge” and “Cut with the Flow”…

It was in this way, fighting frantically under pressure, that Neo struggled forward. He knew well that he could deal significant damage to the monsters but certainly couldn’t kill them all. So, he had made plans and preparations earlier. His destination was the shelter prepared earlier by “Multi-Faceted”.