Act 14: Sacred Organs

Foreword:

Adversity is the highest school for tempering people.

--Socrates

Half an hour later.

"Thank you for nature's bounty."

Wolf Brother clasped his hands together and began to dissect the leopard-shaped monster.

Perhaps driven mad by hunger, this beast, weighing no more than 300 kilograms, actually returned on its own. Oscar and Jiang Xueming joined forces and broke its neck, and Leopard was gone in an instant.

Xue Ming had turned off his headlamp earlier, fearing the bright light would scare away the precious prey. Now, turning the light back on to get a closer look at the leopard, Xue Ming was startled—he had never seen such a bizarre beast in his entire expedition.

This "leopard" looks more like a snake. Its grayish-white scales blend perfectly into the environment, just like tree bark. It has four sharp fangs, and its skull is not like that of a feline. Its physical characteristics are more like those of a reptile. Its two thick tails branch out into two horn-shaped skulls, like Chimera hybrid. Two king cobras grow out of its tailbone.

Oscar moved swiftly, using his sharp claws to dismantle the leopard-python. He then scraped wood shavings from a nearby tree trunk, cleaned the hide, and covered the priest with the smelly skin before moving on to prepare the flesh.

A bluish-gray spirit appeared gracefully beside the wolf, bearing a striking resemblance to Oscar, except that it wore a chef's hat, a long robe, and an apron. This "chef" gently licked the prey's flesh, identifying the inedible venom glands, and gave Thumb -up to the tender, delicious meat, indicating to the wolf that it should cut the meat carefully.

This is Oscar's soul power [Crepuscolo·Dawn] --

--It can distinguish between food and poison. It is the Shennong of District 18. According to Wolf Brother, there is also a VIP in the Senate of Colorless Stone who often asks him for help. That is Teacher Su Ling. Her [Phoenix] can update the material database through [Crepuscolo·Dawn]. This linkage can strengthen [Phoenix· Phoenix].

After settling the mountain troll Gonzalez, the two set off again toward the 30,000-mile outpost. The journey was peaceful, but Jiang Xueming became increasingly uneasy. There were fewer and fewer prey and predators along the way. After walking another four kilometers along the woodland, there was another complex mountain cave.

The terrain gradually rises, which is the landscape near the 30,000-mile outpost. Oscar is certain that they have not taken the wrong path, and there are increasingly more traces of human activity here.

"Give me a hand! Oscar!"

On another slope, Xue Ming was carrying two food bags, which added to his burden, making it difficult for him to grab the rope ladder.

He handed his pack to Wolf Brother, then grabbed the long ladder. As long as he climbed up the dry high ground along this ladder, he could reach the outpost and return to the warm house to rest.

It is said that the last step is the hardest to take. This road is difficult to walk. Starting from Saladin, they climbed cliffs and walked through deep valleys, and then traversed more than 80 kilometers of dangerous terrain. Jiang Xueming's physical strength was almost exhausted. They had only slept for two hours, which was a vulnerable moment when they were completely unprepared.

Just then, a strange noise came from the mountainside about fourteen meters above their heads.

The expedition team installed six rope ladders along the mountainside, and at this moment, these ladders, which resembled ivy vines, began to sway gently.

Wolf Brother and Xue Ming involuntarily held their breath and looked up.

--A head peeked out from the edge of the high ground in the direction of the outpost.

The head was enormous, and through its dark, filthy fur, one could see a blood-red eye.

The mountain monster lay sprawled on the high ground in front of the outpost, its face filled with resentment. Its two thin, withered arms rested on the net woven from rope ladders, and its sharp claws lightly grazed the ropes, causing them to bloom into flowers sculpted from hemp thread.

"It's DB!" Oscar screamed, his voice barely concealing his terror. "It's [Divine Bloodlines]! Run! Father!"

The cunning hunter seemed to have caught the scent of Oscar and Jiang Xueming. It patiently followed them, watching them hunt and subdue Gonzalez. It only revealed itself when the two reached the outpost and entered the most challenging yet relaxing part of the climb.

Judging from the size of its head, it was at least 23 meters tall, and with its mouth open, it could swallow a human child of 12 or 13 years old whole.

One of its eyes was blind, and the bones of its mouth and nose were exposed, as if it had suffered the cruel torture of having its nose and mouth cut off, with a little purplish-red flesh peeking out from the rotting flesh of its face.

Xue Ming flipped himself off the ground as fast as he could. At that moment, he felt an intense and vicious Inspiration Pressure. He didn't care about his backpack and other gear, so he used a knife to cut them off and threw them to the side of the cave path beneath him.

Oscar wasn't so lucky. Big Wolf didn't have Xue Ming's calm mind and fighting skills, and he climbed faster and higher than Xue Ming. Although he kept saying "Run!", Big Wolf's body kept climbing upwards.

It seemed the big wolf thought that as long as it crawled back to flat ground, it could find a wide path to survival. In an instant, Oscar lost his composure, just like a teammate in a game who flashes in and attacks you after you signal to retreat. In Xue Ming's eyes, Oscar was like a rag doll being picked up by a pair of large hands.

DB's wingspan is a full 23 meters. His two large hands slapped Oscar hard as if he were swatting a mosquito. The moment his palms came together, you could hear a thunderous roar!

Xue Ming's heart sank. Although he still retained his fighting spirit, judging from his experience, Wolf Brother was likely in grave danger after taking that fierce palm strike. The enormous impact created a gust of wind that sprayed dust, which felt like knives on the face. Judging from Wolf Brother's weight and physical structure, this VIP was like someone who had been hit by a truck weighing several tons, with very little hope of survival.

Thick, foul-smelling blood dripped from above his head. Xue Ming rolled several times before scrambling to his feet. His body was still quite agile, and the moment he regained his balance, he saw Oscar's limp upper body hanging upside down in front of him.

Wolf Brother, still clinging to his last breath, spewed pus and blood from his mouth and nose.

Xue Ming tried to retreat the way he came, and bumped into Wolf Brother's upper body—

--He looked up and saw the rotting flesh and gore sticking upwards, wrapping around the eight sharp claws of [Divine Bloodlines], like a wall of flesh and blood blocking the narrow ramp.

The huge shadows of his arms covered Xue Ming, and the forked saplings on his arms resembled the limbs of a spider.

DB was right behind Xue Ming. Simply lying on the high ground, its two arms could block Xue Ming's path. It wasn't in a hurry to eat, nor did it attack rashly. Instead, it spoke in a human voice, uttering a string of Old English—

"--Pay homage to your ancestral spirits, and pay respects to your elder brother."

"Then become one with me."

Xue Ming couldn't understand these words, only a few words. Modern English had been heavily modified by other language families, especially with the incorporation of French, making it very different from Old English. Many words and grammatical expressions were also different.

"Cough cough cough," Wolf Brother's eyes were unfocused, and only by hanging upside down could the blood in his body reach his brain, causing more flesh and blood to fall from his shattered abdomen.

Seeing that Xue Ming did not respond, [Divine Bloodlines] braced his palms against the rock wall and skillfully flipped over. At the critical moment, Oscar was about to be crushed into a pile of flesh by the huge toe.

"SD!" Jiang Xueming roared.

A pale, ethereal form emerged from the priest's back, grabbed Oscar's upper body, and snatched his companion's life from the terrifying mountain demon's clutches.

Looking at this enormous humanoid monster, which was about twenty meters tall, its movements were not slow at all. It was covered with a raincoat woven from the leaves of ancient trees and forests. With its torso and lower body making huge shifts, it flipped over in an instant and lay on the side of the mountain slope.

The road was narrow. DB gripped the high platform of the mountain with one hand, and his two hind legs were as nimble as a monkey's, each finding a suitable foothold. His terrifying finger strength could crush metal and break stone, and his toes made a cracking sound when they bit into the rocks, shattering the rocks and penetrating deep into the mineral layer, firmly fixing his body in the rock strata.

It held Oscar's lower body, licking the wolf's rotten flesh between its fingers. Its tongue was covered with a thick layer of bristly fungal moss, almost blending into its bright red tongue. Among these fungi stood six plants that looked like weather vanes, each with a bright red, butterfly-shaped crown—a characteristic of the Vita Imprint, the slogan of the Madness Butterfly!

They had no guns, only the dying Wolf Brother at their disposal. And could ordinary bullets really repel this guy?

Is Universal Elixir? This place is too narrow. If we use Pankrasin, it will destroy the rocky cliffs on the high ground, leaving no place to stand.

Xue Ming's brain was working at high speed—

DB: "--You smell really nice, what is it?"

[Gunsmith! You're no match for this guy right now.]

[It's found me! This guy is a direct descendant of Mimir/Mim, he's eaten people, and he's got a sharp mind!]

[First, figure out how to save your life! Run!]

"I refuse!" Jiang Xueming had no intention of abandoning Oscar. Regardless of how Wolf Brother treated him, he would never dare to venture alone into the Elf Holy Land without Oscar's help on this adventure.

DB's mouth has the characteristics of Madness Butterfly. Once, an Apostle Hound carefully Flash Butterfly in its mouth. If Oscar were to fall into its belly, it would become even smarter. This VIP has the recipes for most of the map of District 18 in its brain. If this burly and strong mountain troll were to evolve again, Saladin's hunting party would no longer be able to venture into this terrifying quagmire.

In the blink of an eye, the eldest grandson of the deity swung his hand and struck hard. In his eyes, Xue Ming was like a fragile doll.

The Fragrant Dream collided with this powerful palm strike—a direct dialogue between forces!

Jiang Xueming's face was pale as his withered claws slammed into the steel body of the Fragrant Dream, nearly causing him to fall into Gate of Death.

"Hmm?" [Divine Bloodlines] looked puzzled, then became cautious. It fixed its gaze on Oscar's fragile body, preparing for the worst. This strange Homo sapiens might possess the magical wonders of King Arthur's time and have powerful psionic abilities, but when faced with the overwhelming power of the mountain trolls, he would surely have to temporarily avoid the fray.

However, instead of abandoning its companions and fleeing, the opponent revealed its spirit form to confront them head-on.

It raised its left arm, glancing out of the corner of its eye at the wounds on its claws. The skin of this seemingly indestructible hand was cracked, and a section of the keratin layer on its Thumb's claw was broken off. The power emanating from this tiny spirit made it feel threatened.

"Did you steal a portion of divine power from the second son of God?"

When this Old English phrase reached Xue Ming's ears, he was still completely baffled, but it was a good thing that the enemy liked to talk—

In those few short seconds, Xue Ming was breathing frantically. Fragrant Dream had just been thrown off balance by the immense force, staggering and crashing into the rock wall of the slope along with her main body. The big cat was almost stunned by the blow; the helmet became an echo chamber, the loud noise reverberating in SD's head. Its eyes were still pounding back and forth, and it took it a while to catch its breath.

[The demon's power comes from his heart, and has nothing to do with me.]

At this point, Berloberg spoke.

[Divine Bloodlines]'s father was the Mountain Giant, and it is a drop of the Mountain Giant's blood. The second son of the god it speaks of is the pure elf that sprang from Mimir/Mim's corpse, a group of Berloberg. According to the hierarchy of Homo sapiens, the Mountain Giant is Mimir/Mim's flesh and blood essence, the eldest son, while the elf is his spiritual essence, the second son.

When Mimir/Mim's soul died, its body and nerves disintegrated, becoming the origin of the calamity beast's life.

During Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, many warriors fell into DB's belly. Through this, DB learned about the historical changes of the human world and realized the special nature of its own identity. Unlike its foolish and dull-witted brothers and sisters, DB was an excellent hunter who always wanted to obtain the power of the elves. Even a small part of it should be enough to cause it to exhibit "atavism" and perhaps turn it back into Mountain Giant, possessing the supernatural powers of Mimir/Mim.

Within the scorching eclogite lava, some elves also hide in the geysers. The holy beast that Xue Ming and Liuxing encountered, as well as the Corruption Dragon, were all baptized by Mimir/Mim's spiritual essence and gained divine power from the memories of the ancestral spirits.

[But be careful, I will protect him. He can wield my power, and your life is near.]

Upon hearing this, DB indeed backed down somewhat, seemingly intimidated.

Xue Ming's sword was already broken. If Fragrant Dream were to carry Berloberg into battle, killing this mountain demon shouldn't be a problem. However, he didn't have Ming De's bones or Guangming Sharp Blade at hand.

Driven by its survival instinct, [Divine Bloodlines] has consumed far too many monstrous creatures. It can barely control its fear. Just like when modern Homo sapiens see cockroaches and rats, they would certainly be able to destroy these pests, but they would also scream and retreat.

It muttered curses under its breath, spitting out a few archaic English swear words at Xue Ming, as it slowly climbed down the lower part of the rock.

Only after the enormous mountain monster had completely disappeared from Xue Ming's sight did Xue Ming breathe a sigh of relief, put Oscar down, and quickly search for the Universal Elixir from the scattered packages.

It is precisely these few short steps—

DB climbed back onto the platform, like a seasoned hunter who had been lying in wait for a long time. It stretched out its claws toward Oscar, intending to take the big wolf back for dinner.

Adversity is the highest school for tempering people. At this moment, Xue Ming felt as if his body was being pulled by an enormous force.

Using the valley floor forest as an elevation reference, the rocky slope of the Sanwanli outpost is at an altitude of over 280 meters. In order to avoid the complex reptile ecosystem and find a dry habitat, hunters usually choose to build settlements at high altitudes. At this moment, Xue Ming still had several safety ropes on him, which were tightly connected to Oscar.

His body was gripped by immense force, and just as the terrifying hand was about to return and drag Oscar off the cliff, he grabbed two rolls of cloth containing Universal Elixir and jumped down along with DB as he pulled away.

Fragrant Dream was within arm's reach of the giant's skull. Greed and fear shone in DB's eyes. It feared Berloberg, but hunger drove it to strike again.

Last time, it was in a position of absolute advantage, and no matter how skillful Xue Ming was, she couldn't reach DB's brain. This time it's different.

Fragrant Dream's maximum range is sixteen meters, but at this moment, pulled by Wolf Brother, he landed solidly in DB's arms. The Steel Cat reappeared, and the roar of a jet engine seemed to have already begun!

The fists flew like falling flowers, like steel nails piercing DB's chin, trying to go further and climb up to the head of this mountain monster.

[Divine Bloodlines] winced in pain and released its grip. Its cheek was mangled beyond recognition, and its eyes were filled with disbelief. This cunning insect was approaching its head! Trying to bite its head off!

Without the protection of its skin, its soft masseter muscles were exposed to the air, and splattered black blood from its mouth. This annoying, strange spirit seemed to be climbing upwards! No, no, no.

"No!"

The mountain demon immediately fell downwards, releasing its four claws and naturally falling to the central cave complex on the outpost's high ground. This area contained complex waterways and tunnels, serving as a passageway for transporting supplies to the outpost.

Xue Ming felt dizzy and lost all concentration. He could no longer locate the head of [Divine Bloodlines]. His body naturally lost its balance and fell more than forty meters, landing in a patch of loose limestone. A cloud of smoke rose from the mountain demon's torso as it crashed into the chaotic terrain, which resembled an anthill. There, he saw the mountain demon clutching its bleeding chin, its mouth and teeth deformed and cracked. It hopped and skipped, leaping onto the branches of a giant tree and fleeing like the wind!

At this moment, patches of dark red blood mist fell from the sky. That was the blood spurting from DB's ruptured face and masseter muscles. Unfortunately, Fragrant Dream's striking area was too narrow. These punches could only cause minor puncture wounds. No matter how fierce the hook punches and kicks were, they were like scraping, unable to damage his vital organs.

"Oscar!" Jiang Xueming couldn't find Wolf Brother.

After the fall, he felt a sharp pain in his lower back. Scrambling to his feet from the rubble, he immediately noticed a laceration in his abdomen. His eyes widened in horror as he recalled the mountain monster's retaliatory attack, its claws casually grappling him before it left—

This retaliatory attack, seemingly driven by a wild animal's instinct, left a two-inch-deep tear on Xue Ming's body.

Those claws were like a cruel executioner's sword, dragging and slashing out horrific wounds. Perhaps [Divine Bloodlines] didn't even realize it, only concerned with covering its face and running away.

If it had gone any deeper, Xue Ming's internal organs would have been cut in two. Fortunately, his leopard-python skin shielded him from the knife. He quickly injected himself with medicine and continued to shout.

"Oscar! Oscar!"

Looking up, one could see sixteen complex tunnels leading up to a large L-shaped staircase, where the patient Maquire had treated had fallen and injured himself.

"Oscar!"

Xue Ming still couldn't find Wolf Brother. His face was covered in blood and dust, which he wiped hard several times. In the dark environment, only the core area of Elf Holy Land emitted a dim blue light.

"Oscar!"

Oscar's upper body was hanging at the entrance of one of the caves, calling out to Xue Ming for help.

"Here it is."

Xue Ming rushed forward upon hearing the sound and injected the Universal Elixir into Wolf Brother's neck.

In less than a minute, the wolf's lower body grew back, and its fur became soft and snow-white.

No, no, no, no!

With a bit more strength, Wolf Brother wanted to shout a few more words.

"No!"

Xueming didn't understand, what did this "goodbye" mean?

Only after Oscar regained most of his strength and scrambled out of the tunnel—

"--It's stuck again, fucking!"