Cheng Tian, Cruel and Cunning

Bold and meticulous, a fitting summary of Cheng Tian's outward appearance.

Before facing the Red Demon, he had already observed the effects of Polymorph three times. The targets and their transformed forms corresponded to "Human = Ordinary Duck," "Zombie = Dried Zombie Duck," and "Man-eating Flower = Plant Duck with Roots."

From this, he could conclude that the Polymorph cast by the Gentleman's Cane he possessed was at least influenced by the race and state of the target unit.

However, he could also deduce a conclusion: changes that occurred in the duck form might very well feed back to the original body after the spell ended!

As an elite demon, the Red Demon had a massive 200 HP. Even if Cheng Tian used his original Vampire Killer to attack it relentlessly, it would take a full 20 hits to kill. Moreover, due to the additional resistance from the Elite Template, the Polymorph, which originally lasted 5 seconds, had been weakened to only 3 seconds.

Even Teacher Ma couldn't land 20 whips in 3 seconds.

Therefore, in a flash, Cheng Tian's combat instinct led him to choose to slash at the "Summer Duck's" wings at the first moment.

As a Flame Gargoyle of the Red Demon Clan, the Red Demon possessed not only high agility and mobility but also two major racial talents derived from its bloodline.

One was Fireball Projection; by simply condensing magic, the Red Demon could spit out small but potent fireballs.

The other was emergency Petrification under any circumstances.

In the petrified state, the Red Demon would lose all ability to act, but the comprehensive petrification of its skin would grant it high, albeit costly, physical damage reduction, and it would also begin to heal rapidly.

However, Polymorph, while turning it into a duck, also rendered it incapable of actively using its racial talents, which had already been skill-ified.

The Red Demon's race did indeed influence the duck's form. A peck from this duck, with its 10 Strength, wouldn't just leave a bruise on the shinbone. But the duck's physiology dictated that its flesh and skin couldn't be as Sturdy as its original body.

Three seconds were enough for Cheng Tian to unleash three full-power slashes.

In fact, by the time he landed the second slash, large chunks of flesh from the Red Demon Duck's wings and back had already been completely cut open.

The Red Demon Duck's Demon Blood sprayed directly onto Cheng Tian's Knight Armor, staining a large portion of his chest a strange purple.

Quacking sounds, like those of a slaughtered duck, came from the Red Demon Duck's mouth. For a battle-hardened mercenary demon, this was unimaginable agony.

The Duck Transformation spell seemed to have regressed the Red Demon's pain sensitivity from the insensitive level of a demon to that of a duck. At least in that moment, it couldn't resist the pain.

1 second passed... 3 seconds passed!

As the Polymorph completely wore off, the Red Demon, landing on all fours, was in a pathetic state as it reverted to its demonic form.

However, what awaited it was Cheng Tian's relentless pursuit and further attacks.

Almost instinctively, the Red Demon wanted to flap its wings and fly into the sky, to put distance between itself and this damned human again. But the lack of response from its posterior, and the accompanying intense pain, jolted its entire body.

The bloody duck wings, severed by Cheng Tian's two powerful slashes, had reverted to the Red Demon's pair of Bat-like Demon Wings. They lay silently on the ground, and on the Red Demon's status panel, the description "Mutilated Limb, lost Flight Ability" now appeared.

However, it didn't have time to mourn its wings. Cheng Tian had already closed the distance and fiercely kicked the Red Demon's Jaw, the force of the blow aimed at shattering it.

Judging by the quality of that soccer kick, it probably had plenty of street fights in its past.

Red Demon, in pain and rage.

Cheng Tian, cruel and cunning.

This time, he had gambled correctly again.

The damage taken in his duck form under Polymorph would indeed reflect on his main body, but there was an issue that couldn't be determined beforehand.

That was, for Red Demon, who had both arms and wings, if its wings were injured in duck form, would the damage reflect on its wings or its arms?

But then again, Cheng Tian didn't have time to consider so many possibilities. If it reflected on the wings, it would be best, but if it reflected on the arms, it would still weaken the opponent's combat power. He could consider other options then.

Fortunately, the damage to the duck's wings successfully reflected onto the demon wings. Cheng Tian's two slashes directly severed the opponent's Flight Ability, instantly destroying its unsolvable aerial dominance and forcibly turning it into a ground-bound chicken.

Even more terrifying was that the dismemberment was directly reflected on Red Demon's status panel. Its original 15 Agility, which was 1.5 times Cheng Tian's, was temporarily halved, dropping to 8, two points lower than Cheng Tian's base stats.

It was evident that Red Demon's Agility specialty was almost entirely centered around its Demon Wings. Only when flying could it fully display the level expected of 15 Agility.

Cheng Tian, like a young thug delivering a killing blow, wasn't satisfied with one kick. The Goblin Cleaver in his hand was raised, slashing towards the Pointed Neck.

Today, this pointy-headed guy, he, Cheng Tian, was determined to be the one!

However, at this most crucial moment, Red Demon made a choice it believed to be correct.

The sharp cleaver struck directly onto Red Demon's neck, but the strange sensation that followed made Cheng Tian's tiger mouth tingle slightly.

Upon closer inspection, Red Demon had entered a strange, immobile state. The part of its neck that was cut only bore an inconspicuous white mark... much like the difference between a knife and stone.

Red Demon had activated its racial talent and entered "Statue" form.

The wounds on its back and shoulder blades, still bleeding profusely from the severed wings, quickly stopped bleeding as it entered Statue form. Its HP, which had dropped to 160 due to the severed limbs and the continuous bleeding DEBUFF, froze and began to show a slight upward trend.

The recovery rate of Statue form was about 1 HP per second. In other words, it would only take 40 seconds for Red Demon to recover to its theoretical full health.

At the same time, Red Demon's targeted physical damage reduction greatly increased in Statue form. The Goblin Cleaver couldn't break its defense at all, not even a single drop of blood would be lost.

Furthermore, because its biological nature transformed from a demon to an inorganic statue, as long as Red Demon didn't voluntarily deactivate it, it was no different from a real stone statue. Therefore, even the Holy Damage temporarily enchanted onto the cleaver had almost no effect.

Its current prone posture was indeed pathetic to behold, but the defensive effect it brought was substantial.

Red Demon, filled with intense rage and killing intent, felt a surge of equally intense pleasure and desire upon sensing Cheng Tian's helplessness.

At this moment, Red Demon had decided. Once its wounds were completely healed and bleeding stopped by the Statue form, it would definitely tear this damned human into a "can," roast him into Hell Charcoal, and devour him bit by bit until not even a speck of residue remained! Then, it would excrete him through its intestines!

Ever since its birth in the demon realm, it had never craved the healing effect of Statue form to be faster.

As for the issue of whether it could catch up after losing its wings, Red Demon, completely consumed by rage, couldn't even think of that.

But it was at this moment that Red Demon sensed Cheng Tian standing In Place, seemingly helpless, for six or seven seconds. Then, a two-handed Big Hammer appeared out of thin air in his hand--

The smile hanging on Red Demon's statue face froze abruptly.