A Change in Rhythm
The roots transformed into legs,
The Living Corpse crawled over like a spider, moving so quickly that there was no time for thought or hesitation,
However,
Yi Chen, facing all this, had never been more resolute... He had bet everything on this battle that defied common sense.
"I never thought I could get through this crisis easily from the beginning.
I should have died in the laboratory, but I unexpectedly obtained the 'qualification' to transmigrate and be reborn... To truly seize such a qualification, I would inevitably have to pay a tremendous price."
He clenched both fists,
Raised both legs,
And forcibly tore free of the roots piercing through his soles.
Even though the hooked barbs between the roots had already sunk deep into his flesh.
Yi Chen could clearly feel the flesh between his soles being peeled away bit by bit... This excruciating pain would make most people unable to keep exerting force, or even cause them to faint on the spot.
"Get out of me!!"
A roar surged from the deepest part of his throat.
Whoosh!
Breaking free of his restraints, dark-red blood splattered across the ground.
On the surface of his newly freed feet, coin-sized holes were clearly visible, with large amounts of shredded flesh and petals still lodged inside.
Yi Chen had not let out a single scream throughout the entire process. Even his breathing had been restrained.
The next moment was the crucial point that would decide life or death,
The Living Corpse was already right in front of him,
The true threat was not limited to the Mycelium it spat from its mouth,
The roots growing from the Living Corpse's back had also fully spread open, taking aim at Yi Chen's arms, waist, abdomen, and legs,
Trying to pierce through him and suspend him in midair so they could feed.
At this instant.
Perhaps the stimulation brought by the pain had further intensified the secretion of adrenaline,
Or perhaps, faced with danger so close at hand, his potential had been fully awakened.
"I have to find an opening!"
Vision Enhancement
The image of the Living Corpse received by his eyes seemed to freeze,
Transforming into a static ultra-high-definition picture as his mind analyzed every detail.
Jumping backward to dodge—no!
Rolling sideways—no!
Breaking through in a single direction—no!
One simulated action after another, each intended to break the deadlock, was rejected in turn,
Until he found the optimal response.
The entire process of thinking and analysis consumed almost no time.
Phew... He drew in a deep breath.
Facing the Living Corpse within arm's reach,
Yi Chen did not choose to dodge or increase the distance, nor did he assume any defensive stance,
Instead, he made a dangerous move that was difficult to understand.
He took one step forward.
With an incredibly swift stride, he moved ahead and came face-to-face with the Living Corpse.
However,
This sudden advance threw the simple-minded Living Corpse's rhythm into chaos,
And all the roots stabbing in from the left and right missed completely, merely slicing his arm at most.
However,
Although he had avoided the roots' thrusts, another danger still remained,
The Mycelium growing from the zombie's mouth was about to reach his face.
At this moment,
Yi Chen had switched to wielding the axe with both hands,
One hand gripping the bottom of the axe handle,
And the other gripping the point close to the axe head.
This greatly increased the force of his swing and shortened the attack distance... It was suitable for close-quarters combat.
Under the stimulating effect of adrenaline, terrifying veins bulged from both arms,
His right foot stepped forward, pressing his body slightly ahead,
His center of gravity sank,
His body formed a bow,
Both arms rose as he brought the axe down!
The Silver Blade traced a perfect arc through the air,
And just before the Mycelium touched his face,
It descended vertically and precisely onto the top of the Living Corpse's head.
The already rotten, perforated skull could not possibly withstand such a blow.
Crack!
The skull was cleaved completely open,
Then the blue brain fused with moss was split apart,
And then the lower jaw was broken through, reaching all the way to the neck~ all in one smooth motion!
The entire head was split open by that single axe blow,
At the same time, due to the silver's effect, thick black smoke billowed from the wound... The moss-like brain completely dissolved, transforming into droplets of green liquid that flowed across the ground.
This also meant that the Living Corpse's newly formed "simple consciousness" had been completely erased, regressing into a low-level organism without the ability to think.
At that moment,
Click, click~
The Black Flesh Ball rooted in his shoulder sensed danger and abruptly turned around.
Through a small visual window, it shared the scene behind him with Yi Chen.
The roots that had missed earlier were stabbing back in the opposite direction,
"Dodge!"
The Black Flesh Ball warned him.
Yi Chen swiftly performed a fluid combination of ducking and rolling sideways... Whoosh!
His body seemed to be jabbed during the roll.
When the roll ended and he rose to his feet,
His entire left arm hung limply, completely unable to lift, with only his fingers capable of moving slightly.
Upon closer inspection,
His upper left arm had been pierced by a coin-sized hole, with moss even remaining inside and infecting the wound.
Drip, drip~
Blood slid down his arm and mixed with the blood spilling from his feet, dyeing a large area of the ground red.
The effects of the agony and blood loss surged over him like a wave.
The slightest relaxation would cause his consciousness to collapse completely.
"No... I can't die!"
Yi Chen shook his head forcefully, making himself stay conscious.
Hiss, hiss! A strange sound rang out.
Five meters away,
The silver's burning had stopped within the Living Corpse's split-open head.
A large number of tender shoots immediately sprouted from the wound and intertwined... A cluster of flowers formed between the two halves of the head, which were held at a ninety-degree angle, creating an entirely new head.
It stared at Yi Chen once more,
Then charged over like a mindless, crazed beast.
Its body twisted,
Its steps were exaggerated,
And the roots on its back danced wildly.
Yi Chen could only rely on Vision Enhancement and desperately discern the paths of every root as it swung,
His eyes becoming bloodshot throughout the process.
Rolling, sidestepping, jumping backward.
He found every opening and launched counterattacks.
7,
6,
5,
...One tentacle after another was severed by Yi Chen.
Likewise, because of the wounds piercing his feet and his useless left arm, Yi Chen's movements were clearly slower than before.
During this process, his waist and abdomen were pierced, and his thigh was torn open.
He could fall at any moment.
"Th... there are only two left."
He clenched his teeth.
Yi Chen was just preparing to dodge the next attack when—
Buzz!
Ringing filled his ears, like gongs and drums pounding inside his brain.
His vision instantly blurred, and his awareness of his body rapidly faded.
He had only completed half of the dodging motion when his body pitched forward.
Whoosh!
The Living Corpse's root was not completely avoided,
Passing almost flush against his right shoulder,
It happened to slash the Black Flesh Ball mounted on his shoulder.
A viscous, strange black blood flowed from the furry wound,
And the eyeball held in its mouth was instantly stained black, fixing a deathly stare on the Living Corpse before it.
With just one glance, the Living Corpse experienced a primitive instinctive reaction.
Fear.
An overwhelming instinctive fear forced the Living Corpse to freeze in place.
At the same moment,
Yi Chen's consciousness was hazy, but after stumbling forward, he somehow did not fall... Through some unknown strength of will, he managed to focus once more.
He could no longer spare any thought for anything else.
There was only one thought in his mind—kill the target.
The hand axe was already raised in midair.
As he began the chopping motion, his body twisted along with it.
The potential awakened between life and death mobilized the strength of his entire body.
His vision locked firmly onto the bulge at the Living Corpse's waist.
Whoosh!
Likewise, driven by its instinct to survive,
The roots growing from the Living Corpse's back immediately moved to protect its 'vital point,' and its outer skin hardened.
The Silver Blade descended...
Crack!
A sound like a tree splitting and wood shattering rang out across Graveyard Plot 4.
Two hardened roots were flung into the air,
And the diseased pus-filled mass hidden beneath the skin was cut completely open...
The moment the strike was completed,
His will could no longer support him.
Yi Chen's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground together with the Living Corpse.
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