Mission ③ · Staff, Part Three
Foreword:
It is better for the feet to err than for the tongue.
[Part 1: Spanish Castanets]
The wriggling flesh was gradually recovering; simple structural damage seemed unable to kill this fleshy deformity.
"I warned you not to move around recklessly, or you'll only cause yourself more pain."
But the Flash Butterfly couldn't understand human speech. Its scarlet tongue suddenly stood up, and a white fleshy growth grew from its bright red feathers, sticking to the two halves of the apostle hound like chewing gum.
Meteor was dazed and confused from the fall; his left arm was still stuck in the deformed side armor and he was temporarily out of his mind.
Once he understood the situation, he immediately asked.
"Mr. Wen Bucai! What are you waiting for?"
Wen Bucai immediately said, "I'm waiting for it to heal, and I want to see how it heals itself."
Meteor looked puzzled. "So why wait for it?!"
Wen Bucai continued, "Because I don't know how to deliver the fatal blow, from which angle? How many pieces to cut it into? How can I ensure my survival? I don't know—"
He pointed to the two slowly writhing halves of flesh. The paralyzed hound's corpse was gradually coming back to life, and it didn't look harmless at all. In this state, the hound apostle's flesh was spurting out scalding liquid, a self-defense measure to prevent a fatal blow from the enemy.
"And there's one more thing."
Wen Bucai continued.
"If I go forward and fight it, how can I protect you?"
Meteor was deeply shaken--
"--What did you say?"
Wen Bucai into laughter, then suddenly couldn't hold back. "Are you hard of hearing, kid? Look at your body!"
At this moment, A Xing finally became alert. His adrenaline gradually dissipated, and intense pain surged from his limbs and bones. He was in so much pain that he couldn't speak and was almost driven mad by the hidden injury to his back.
His left arm could not be removed from his torso. It had been cured by the Universal Elixir, but the titanium-plated steel wires of the Flash Butterfly Armor were still embedded in his flesh. The metal fibers were churning in his flesh and blood, causing a severe rejection reaction and inflammation.
His large wolf mask was the same; it was practically fused to his skull.
--This is the miraculous effect of the Universal Elixir, and also its Universal Elixir flaw.
"Was it me? Was it me who held us back?" Meteor's eyes were unfocused. "Was it my fault, Mr. Wen Bucai? Was it my fault?"
"No, I don't blame you." Wen Bucai shook his head, his eyes cold. "I want to give you this sword—"
--He raised his right arm, and the spirit followed suit, its dark sharkskin arm lifting the giant sword that resembled a door panel.
Compared to this giant sword, the flickering light of the Berloberg was like the difference between an earthworm and a python. That thing was definitely not meant for a duel with Homo sapiens.
Wen Bucai drew his weapon, ready to fight.
"It would be too much of a struggle for me to lift it; my soul power allows me to wield it naturally. But this sword was tailor-made for you from the very beginning— Bu Liuxing."
"I exchanged gifts with Jiang Xueming before, but I didn't have time to save one for you."
"You are Victor's student. I think you are brave enough to lift it with your own body. It is a staff specially used to slay demons and monsters. Your elder brother has also realized this."
Wen Bucai dropped the greatsword, and as the heavy iron block hit the ground, its resounding roar echoed through the empty streets.
"He gave you the sword Berloberg because he believed you had the ability to kill these monsters. I once said that both of Victor's students had exceptional skills; one could kill with a gun, and the other could tear apart monsters with his bare hands."
The motorcycle engine roared, kicking up clouds of dust as it sped forward.
"Get up! I have other places to go! Time is running out, Meteor! Get up! You said it! It wants to fight you! It wants to fight you!"
The Wen Bucai drew his gun and fired angrily.
--The M500's cylinder whirred, and the continuous explosions of bullets pounded into the Hound Apostle's torso and skull, the terrifying kinetic energy exceeding two thousand joules turning this newly risen beast into mangled flesh.
It kept staggering and staggering, protecting the Flash Butterfly in its Barry. Its body had not fully healed, but it began to crawl and run, trying to find cover in the dark alleys of the pedestrian street.
"Heal yourself!"
Wen Bucai left those words behind and immediately drove his car into the alley.
A Xing sat on the edge of a flower bed in the pedestrian street. He leaned against a stone platform and struggled to get up. He breathed heavily and felt the bones in his body deforming.
He searched through his backpack, hoping to find extra Universal Elixir, but discovered that he only had some White Lady freeze-dried powder as a reserve. He had given all his medicine to his lover, to the girl he adored.
He felt neither annoyed nor frustrated, and almost completely put all other thoughts aside.
This was the first time he had faced a formidable foe, the first time he had faced such a terrifying opponent alone. His mind had undergone numerous tests, and now was the time for him to emerge from his cocoon and transform.
He could hear the screeching sound of giant beasts running through the streets, their claws scraping against the bricks and stones, and he could also hear motorcycles crashing through guardrails and climbing onto ladders.
Every now and then, a burst of rapid-fire submachine guns would ring out; these were Mr. Wen Bucai's warning shots to force his prey to move. Once a weakness was found, the M500's heavy firepower would immediately follow.
The sounds of the fierce duel were like Spanish castanets, urging the meteor to hurry up and take the stage.
Only the Berloberg, which he holds tightly in his hand, and the greatsword given to him by Mr. Wen Bucai can completely kill the Flash Butterfly!
He climbed onto the stone platform and pressed his entire body weight onto his left arm, and a piercing scream could be heard as flesh and blood tore apart.
He was in so much pain that he almost fainted and vomited. A piece of flesh with steel wires and bones was ripped out from the muscles of his side, and he could almost see his kidney slowly writhing.
Without any hesitation, he immediately sprinkled White Lady's products on the wound, mixing them with the blood. The light emanating from Berloberg activated the medicinal properties—sealing the wound, leaving this horrific scar on his back forever.
He then put Berloberg down, clenched his left arm, and as his spirit erupted, two bright red arms grew from his shoulder, straightening his deformed left arm!
With bones fractured, the sleeves of the Flash Butterfly Armor resembled thick cocoons, and patches of dark red bruises gushed from the wounds. The scattered steel wires finally freed the arm.
A Xing raised his arm, and the crimson blood flowing down from Berloberg's arm provided a continuous flow of life force into his throat, treating the injury to his left arm as well.
He tore open his breastplate, revealing a horrifying dent below his right rib. Although it had healed, many fragments of the composite plate were still embedded in his skin; if left untreated, he would die soon.
He took out a knife, cut open the flesh, and then broke his ribs again, allowing the space for his heart and lungs to return to its proper place and enabling them to move normally.
He was drenched in sweat, but a bright red spirit on his back was silently helping him with its arms.
Get up again, return to the world of men.
--Ah A Xing has already paid the price for his recklessness, panic, and loss of confidence in the first round.
He thought how lucky he was to have this opportunity to be reborn as a human. Perhaps countless people would have lost the chance to fight back in the first round and become corpses.
He grabbed the mask of the Flash Butterfly Armor, grabbed the Great Wolf Mask, and as he tore the golden red stone from his face bone, the pain he felt brought him to his senses, making him even more passionate and courageous.
His face was covered in blood as he awoke from the darkness. Suddenly, his vision opened up, and flames burst forth from his eyes. He used Berloberg to seal the edges of the gold mask, turning it into a large bowl for holding wine. He took out the whiskey from his backpack, added some of White Lady's products, and thus bid farewell to his wounded and deformed body.
The Flash Butterfly Armor could no longer protect him; this precious armor had saved his life, but now it was crumbling and falling apart, the outer armor reduced to a tattered cloak.
--The inner layer of composite armor, with its interlocking serrations, remained on A Xing's chest. The wolf mask, which served as a jeweled ornament, had been replaced by shoulder armor. Meteor had already stood up.
[Part ②: The Demon-Slaying Journey]
He gripped the hilt of the greatsword and tested its weight; it weighed over three hundred pounds.
Gritting his teeth, he drew his sword and rose to his feet.
"--ah!!!!"
The roar of the Red Stone Man summoned the gods, and his crimson arms gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
His body suddenly erupted with rising mist, and the surge of adrenaline and body temperature turned his skin red.
Not enough! Not enough!
When he swung his sword in the air, the resulting gust of wind blew down the signboard on the first floor!
Not enough! It seems not enough!
When performing a stationary slash, Meteor had to use one arm to grip the hilt of the sword, and finally found its balance!
His eyes widened as he saw the deep ruts in the brick road. He raised his sword and swung it, creating a crimson mist. The iron block emitted a clear, ringing sound, like the sound of a flute!
Yes! That's it!
He drew Berloberg, wielding both a greatsword and an extra-large greatsword, the total weight of which was almost twice his own body weight.
A blood-red shadow rushed out from the distance of the street--
--The Apostle Hound fled in panic, chased by Wen Bucai, and returned here, its body almost completely mangled.
It protected the Flash Butterfly in its mouth, fearing that its master would be blasted to pieces by the M500, whose destructive power was something that mythical units had never seen before.
Wen Bucai's motorcycle was badly damaged, covered in scratches, as he chased after the enemy up the low slope, the gunfire never ceasing.
"So you're calling yourself Flash Butterfly?!"
Strange curses were coming from the mouth of this ultimate creature; something felt off.
But he gave the meteor a chance—
-- An opportunity to slay demons and monsters.
A Xing wielded his two swords together and was overjoyed to see the running hunting dogs!
He strode forward, initially with heavy steps, but later with a leap as light as a swallow and a landing as heavy as a mountain. In just four steps, he leaped more than ten meters.
Flash Butterfly, the apostle hound leaped up the low slope, originally intending to climb the building to a higher place. However, upon seeing Meteor, their defeated foe, they immediately changed their minds.
Its thick armor had been thoroughly ravaged by VICTOR's vicious bullets. If it could swallow this unexpected gift of a meteor, it would surely be able to regroup and face that strange and eccentric warrior behind it once more.
But something seems amiss!
Something's not right!
Its hundred eyes in its mouth can detect the speed of sound, and an incredible power seems to be erupting from the crimson warrior in front of it.
The limbs that were running and leaping forward could not be pulled back, and the posture of pouncing forward could not be reversed!
A figure leaped out from the low slope, bringing with it a gust of Hot Wind, as the two swords joined forces!
The sword wind surged! The blade was filled with dazzling light, like flames flowing through water!
The spinning, tumbling figure leaped and slashed down with overwhelming menace!
Meteor's arms trembled violently! Courage and determination surged through his chest!
Not a single drop of blood was shed! The scorching hot blade struck the tip of the Apostle Hound's nose, and then the flesh and blood quickly turned black and carbonized. The enormous impact, along with the rolling and leaping slashes, almost shattered the Flash Butterfly along with its flesh and blood polymer!
Berloberg released astonishing energy, and the greatsword turned dark red as well, piercing through the skull, slicing through the torso, and cutting the tail in half!
Meteor felt a blast of Hot Wind hit his face. His eyes snapped out of the thick, charred mass of flesh and blood and saw the empty street. The crimson deity's arms rolled his body down a low slope, and then his limbs moved naturally!
He stomped forward, drew his sword, and turned sharply. His disheveled hair was almost set ablaze by the flames of the Berloberg, and his right palm was already burned by the intense heat emanating from the sword! But it was not time to stop! It was not time to stop!
He charged toward the hounds behind him, and in the blink of an eye, his feet cracked the brick road as he pushed his greatsword up the path!
The limp and powerless hound apostle is completely dead!
The Flash Butterfly struggled and convulsed violently in the mouth of the lackey! It had almost been cleaved in two by the lion-like leap! Its charred wounds refused to heal, and it tried to escape from the mass of flesh and blood!
It started almost from the tail again!
The sword blade, along with the tattered cloak, transformed into a merciless meat grinder. The roar of the meteor and the surging sword wind pushed the corpse two inches away, and the overwhelming spiritual pressure caused the Wen Bucai scholar to cover his face in astonishment.
"--Pfft!"
Two scars, one vertical and one horizontal, chopped the Flash Butterfly's wings into pieces!
It stood frozen in place, its evil eye still fixed on the inexperienced warrior who had charged forward from behind, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened in those few short minutes.
The crimson wings turned into black carbon dust and crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces. The burst of light scorched the curtains of the shops along the street, and flames suddenly raged up!
Meteor unsheathed his two swords, finally exhausted. When the greatsword hit the ground, it pierced through the brickwork, creating a powerful sonic boom. The corpse of the Apostle Hound turned to dust and rolled down the slope like sand.
The blade of the greatsword was forged at temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees Celsius by Berloberg, creating a groove that resembled a warrior's scar.
Wen Bucai's motorcycle was positioned in front of Bu Liuxing, and its tires crushed the last feather of the Flash Butterfly.
"I knew it! You could do it!"
Bu Liuxing remained silent, seemingly still unable to believe what had just happened.
--It's like you'll never know your limits unless you try.
Wen Bucai patted the boy on the shoulder and continued his witty banter.
"It's alright, I understand you. Wu Song probably thought the same thing after he killed the tiger."
Bu Liuxing was still somewhat uncertain. He looked around with lingering fear, then weighed the Berloberg in his hand. He saw the charred blood on the greatsword's blade, and the dark red iron block had finally cooled down.
He felt excruciating pain in both hands, his palms were covered in bloody, mangled cuts, and his body felt like it was falling apart. He responded to Wen Bucai's call to get in the car together.
He put the greatsword back into the motorcycle frame and saw the inscription on the iron weight on the hilt; it was its name: [Dragon Slayer].
Perhaps Mr. Wen Bucai made this sword after killing the corrupted dragon Fafnir.
Meteor said hesitantly, "Mr. Wen Bucai, I still don't trust you to entrust such an important thing to me."
Wen Bucai started his motorcycle and headed to the next war zone.
"Is there something wrong? You used the Magic Wand I gave you to unleash amazing magic and ultimately killed it."
Suddenly, the meteor understood; suddenly, it understood everything.
He hugged Wen Bucai around the waist, then suddenly started laughing, his eyes blazing with anger.
"It's completely dead!"