284 Aluminum Cucumber

Li Aoz stood in the rain, the rain gently washing away the boy's thin body, but his clothes remained dry. The dark clouds cautiously observed his expression, seemingly hesitating whether to offer him a ray of sunshine.

"Li Aoz ...this..."

The Caramel Snail pursed its lips, unsure of what to do.

A little girl lay on the road, a carriage overturned and riddled with bullet holes. Her gray pupils reflected the gray sky as she reached out her hand towards the distant corpse. Her pale lips trembled as she murmured, "Mom, Mom—"

Snap! The red and black tentacles instantly pierced through her head, dragging her from the ground into the ditch.

Sizzle, crackle, gurgle, gurgle.

A series of sounds, as hot as a concerto, rang out.

A moment later, a graceful woman with long, wine-red hair and a stunning figure slowly emerged from the ditch. She gently wiped the brain matter and blood from the corner of her mouth, then turned her red and black eyes to look at Li Aoz and Caramel Snail in the distance. She then narrowed her eyes and revealed a sweet smile:

Good morning, gentlemen.

She lifted the hem of her skirt, crossed her legs, and performed a graceful gesture, appearing incredibly elegant.

"My name is Valena, and as you can see, I am an unpopular and vulnerable woman, what the orthodox people call the ' Overlord Heretic '."

"Did you attack these pedestrians...?" Caramel Snail coldly questioned.

"Oh, no, that's not it."

Valena said righteously:

"A hurricane overturned the carriage. I am just an ordinary Aoneng. I do not have the power to kill a family of five. The master was Gamma-rank shaman."

"You've described it in such detail... you've already taken action!" Caramel Snail clenched his fist.

"It was a natural disaster that killed them. I just didn't want to waste food."

"Food?"

"Yes, after all, Violet Star doesn't have the resources of other paths. The most effective way to replenish extraordinary genes is to kill these extraordinary beings and eat them."

Valena licked the brain matter off her red lips, a blissful heart glowing in her eyes:

"I think you also have a clone body, right? It's really not easy to meet fellow countrymen, but these people's gene fragments are mine, I can't give them to you, handsome guys."

The Caramel Snail had a gloomy face.

"This guy is very talented."

Li Aoz suddenly spoke up:

"' Alluring Aroma ' Valena, is that right? Hmm, it seems you'll become a renowned elite in the future..."

"Oh dear, this pretty young lady has a discerning eye; she recognized his unique qualities at a glance."

Valena clapped her hands, narrowed her eyes, and smiled with satisfaction, "I took a liking to you at first sight, little beauty—what do you think? I can tell that you are also on the [Dominator] path. Let's work together to hunt down those enemies on the [Strange] path."

"Yes, it's really good," Li Aoz said in agreement.

"Li Aoz!" Caramel Snail exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh my, you're the cutest, my little beauty! I knew you'd choose me—"

Li Aoz nodded:

"But I don't need this one subordinate."

[Li Aoz has issued you Side Quest - 'Tenderness and Compassion']

Caramel Snail lowered its head, grabbed the scabbard with one hand, and instantly rushed forward, raising its hand to punch forward.

Valena's body twisted instantly, sending out countless red and black tentacles to dodge the punch. At the same time, she bloomed like a flower, and a mesmerizing fragrance instantly enveloped the Caramel Snail.

"You really have the heart to do that, we're the same kind of people, you know."

"Valena said pitifully."

"Who says I'm like you!"

Caramel Snail covered his face with one hand, using gravity to accelerate and create distance to avoid the attack. Without any hesitation, he immediately turned around, and after several consecutive maneuvers, the scabbard in his hand fell naturally. He kicked it away, hitting Valena squarely in the center of her body, knocking her back several steps. Then, he flung out countless tentacles that lashed out at Caramel Snail.

"Haa, I really can't take it anymore—I'm going to explode at her!"

After parrying several times, Caramel Snail immediately lost patience, and the image of the little girl struggling in agony appeared in his eyes several times.

Crane School: Finger Flick Instant Skill immediately cancels the after-cast animation of the current action and begins to charge up energy.

Gravitational pressure!

Valena's body was instantly suppressed, and the other party sneered, "It's useless. You think you can use Aoneng to deal with me, who is also Aoneng? Aren't you being a little too naive?"

'This is clearly a game...'

The thought flashed through my mind quickly, but was immediately overshadowed by anxiety.

'I don't care if it's a game or not!'

Caramel Snail gripped the Tsu・Shadow Edge with a backhand, using the other hand to create a gravitational pull to disrupt the opponent's attack while continuously charging up its power. The silver and red energy shone like a flying crane, its sharp cry echoing across the blade, causing its brightness and heat to surge.

Meteor Sword Dance! Whoosh——————! A ferocious and cruel silver-red light instantly burst forth with crescent-shaped streaks of light, like a meteor shower streaking across the sky, arriving in an instant and enveloping Valena completely.

"Ugh—you, how come you're on the path of destruction?"

Valena's tentacles snapped off one after another, and she let out a terrified scream.

But Caramel Snail didn't want it to end like that.

He continuously wielded his blade, using the flick of his fingers to cancel the aftercast animation and follow up with a series of sword-light attacks.

Raise your hand and unleash a radiating slash! Spin your sword backhand, applying gravitational pressure! Turn around and use the momentum to deliver a powerful, gravity-accelerated slash! Charge up— Meteor Sword Dance! Unthinkable combos are fluidly unleashed here.

Sword dance! Sword dance! Sword fucking dance!

The blazing sword light cleaved the opponent's body in two, but even so, Caramel Snail could not extinguish the rage in his heart. He dragged his Tachi, the radiating blade leaving a deep fluorescent trail on the ground.

He walked to Valena's body, who had collapsed to the ground, and raised his blade.

Puff puff puff! Caramel Snail wielded a knife in both hands, chopping and hacking repeatedly, blood and bits of flesh splattering everywhere. He lifted his foot, letting his boot stomp deeply into the broken bones and rotten flesh.

Bah! He spat at the overturned skull.

"You beast, who considers themselves one of us!"

Suddenly, he felt someone watching him.

The Caramel Snail raised its head and saw a boy with wine-red hair standing blankly on a hillside not far away.

He looks very similar to Valena.

Before Caramel Snail could react, the other party shouted, "Traitor!"

"No, it's your sister—"

"You betrayed the path of the [Dominator] and even killed my sister! I will never forgive you!"

As the boy spoke, his eyes turned red and black, and a thin bolt of lightning shot out from his hands, the electric light struggling to pierce through the rain.

Although it knew the lightning couldn't possibly harm it, Caramel Snail instinctively ducked to avoid it, and casually swung out a knife.

He only realized what was happening the moment the attack was launched. "No!"

However, it was too late. The Tsu・Shadow Edge unleashed a devastating black slash, severing the boy's head with its sword intent. His brains fell to the ground like walnut kernels.

Snap.

[Task Completed]

[Hidden condition met: Uproot the Weeds and Eliminate the Roots]

[Li Aoz's Favorability +40]

Boom—

Thunder ripped through the sky, and torrential rain poured down. Valena's brother's brain was washed away by the water, and like the murdered girl and her family, he was left to be submerged by the heavy rain.

Caramel Snail raised its hand, looking at its five fingers stained with blood.

'This is a game, this is a game, this is a game...'

'I've killed many people on Azure Planet, I've slaughtered goblins on White Candle Star, I've killed Social Citizen...'

'This isn't real, this isn't real. I just killed some data, a computer. Yes, the law can't touch me, there's no death penalty in the world.'

He opened his mouth, and his throat felt like it had been punched; an indescribable urge to vomit surged up instantly.

"Ugh—"

Caramel Snail, Jiao Ziniu vomit violently.

He realized for the first time that the official placement of the Recognition Filter was to protect players.

"I... I was only acting in self-defense. It was an accident. Besides, his sister ate people, so he's definitely not a good person either..."

He held his head in his hands, knelt on one knee in the rain, and his mind kept coming up with all sorts of excuses.

—'But what if he didn't do anything?'

How could that be? Haha, we're all family, we'd all be in the same boat.

—Isn't Li Aoz, who's behind you, on the same path as her?

I'm a player, why should I worry about this kind of thing? It's just a game.

—Is this really just a game?

No, what else? Haha, there's no such thing as a real Star Abyss in this world.

They're all fake.

I did not kill anyone.

He's definitely not a good person.

So what if I killed him? He wasn't a real person anyway.

So what if Li Aoz saw it? After all, there's no such thing as Li Aoz in real life.

Are you feeling unwell?

The Caramel Snail raised its head, Li Aoz took a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to it.

"I told you, don't think about anything."