第21章 伴生神兵的强大

Watching that beast finally stop moving, Lin Fan's adrenaline drained away, and his entire body collapsed, his backside slamming hard against the concrete floor.

"Cough..."

A glob of sticky, bloody phlegm surged up, lodging in his throat and making the veins in his neck bulge as he choked, nearly losing consciousness.

His nasal cavity was filled with the stench of blood, and he could even hear a wheezing sound coming from his windpipe. Every time he drew a breath, it felt like hooks were tearing at the area beneath his ribs, the pain making him twitch uncontrollably.

"Damn it..."

Lin Fan felt as if his eyeballs were about to burst.

His vision was a blur, with chaotic light spots overlapping and dancing before his eyes, making his stomach churn with acid.

He fumbled tremblingly for the pocket in his tactical vest. His fingers were so stiff they barely obeyed him, and he slipped several times while trying to pinch the thin glass vial, nearly dropping it.

Lacking the strength to pull the stopper, he brought it to his mouth and bit the neck of the bottle with a sharp "crack." With his tongue curled around the shards of glass, he tilted his head back and swallowed it all.

The so-called "nutrient solution" tasted bitter and astringent, like swallowing a mouthful of strong acid.

It burned all the way down his esophagus, and his stomach immediately spasmed, twisting in agony.

Then, the effects of the medicine kicked in.

It was nothing like the cooling sensation described in the manual; his wounds first went numb, followed by a bone-deep, piercing itch.

The itch felt as if it were growing inside his bone marrow, leaving him with nowhere to scratch.

It forced cold sweat to stream down Lin Fan's forehead, washing away the blood scabs that had just begun to dry.

After about a dozen seconds, the nausea that made him want to vomit his own intestines finally began to subside.

Lin Fan lay there gasping for air, his eyes slowly regaining their focus.

"Holy..."

"A high-level beast general... truly damn impressive."

Lin Fan tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a set of blood-stained teeth.

It was fortunate he had purchased the medicine in advance, allowing him to hold onto his life and preventing him from passing out right there on the spot.

Otherwise, he likely would have perished in this underground vault today.

"Not bad... still alive."

Lin Fan raised his sleeve and wiped the blood and grime from his face.

His gaze drifted past the mountain of monster flesh and toward the center of the hall.

The Calamity, which had been embedded in the ground, finally stopped trembling. The light on the blade had vanished, leaving it looking dark and heavy.

But just then, the system's notification sound rang out in his mind.

[Ding! Companion divine weapon "Calamity" has finished evolving.]

Before he could react, the air hummed with a vibration.

The scythe seemed to be pulled by a magnet; it ripped itself from the ground and slammed directly into Lin Fan's hand.

The force was so violent that Lin Fan, who was already hanging on by a thread, nearly blacked out.

"Your mother..."

Before Lin Fan could finish his heartfelt greeting, a burst of dark purple light exploded from the blade, swallowing him whole.

Immediately after, a surge of heat, like a floodgate opening, poured from the hilt into his shattered body.

"This is!"

Lin Fan's eyes widened instantly.

The feedback had arrived!

"Ugh..."

Lin Fan gritted his teeth and let out a muffled groan. His spine snapped straight, and his body arched like a shrimp as if he had been electrocuted.

The energy was too intense, rampaging through his blood vessels. Everywhere it passed, it brought pain and swelling, forcing his fingers to tremble along with it.

But it was visible to the naked eye.

The wound on his stomach that had just stopped bleeding began to flush red and heat up under the stimulation of the energy. One could even see fine granulation tissue wriggling within the wound, pushing toward the center bit by bit.

The original blood scab was pushed off and fell away, revealing the pink, new flesh underneath. The terrifying gash visibly leveled out.

The nerve in his head that felt like it had snapped was no longer painful. The sensation of it being about to burst was extinguished as if by cold water, replaced by a feeling of clarity.

Most importantly, his exhausted stamina had fully returned, feeling even more abundant than before he was ambushed.

He felt so full of energy it was uncomfortable, as if something were about to burst out of its shell.

Crack.

Lin Fan clenched his fists, his knuckles popping.

He could clearly feel that his body had changed; it was as if he had shed a burden of dozens of pounds, feeling light in a way that was almost unfamiliar.

His strength, speed, and neural reaction time had all reached a brand-new level.

"Whoa? What's going on? Why is the energy this time so intense?"

As the red light faded, Lin Fan re-examined the Calamity in his hand.

The blade, originally as black as ink, now faintly shimmered with a layer of complex and mysterious dark purple patterns.

Feeling his body restored to its original state—and even stronger—Lin Fan couldn't help but grin.

"Although I've sighed about this many times, I still want to say it."

"Cheating is truly satisfying."

He then looked at the Calamity in his hand.

[Calamity (Tier 1)]

[Weight Compatibility: 100%]

[Trait Changes:]

[Devour Range: 1->10]

[Devour Speed: 1->10 (Melts upon contact)]

[Base Attributes: Sharpness +10, Weight +10, Hardness +10]

[New Function Unlocked: Can engrave Law Runes.]

[Secret Technique Inheritance: Obtained Calamity Killing Art Level 1.]

"Whoa, a tenfold increase."

Lin Fan's eyes lit up. He tried gripping the hilt with one hand and gave it a light swing.

He didn't use any spiritual power, just pure physical strength.

Whoosh.

With just a casual swing, a wave of air rolled out, sending the dust on the ground scattering into the air.

The weight of the Calamity had increased tenfold, reaching a staggering 50,000 kilograms!

That was fifty tons!

If anyone else tried to hold it, even a low-level war general would likely have their hand bones crushed, unable to swing it at all.

But in the hands of Lin Fan, who possessed "100% Weight Compatibility," this rule-level exemption meant he couldn't feel that despairing heaviness; instead, it felt incredibly natural.

However, even though Lin Fan couldn't feel it, that terrifying weight was real.

Swung with momentum, the power of this strike was more than just doubled.

Lin Fan stroked the cold patterns on the blade.

"So strong... but this isn't the end."

Lin Fan cast his gaze toward the vault door not far away.

"Go!"

With a thought from Lin Fan, the Sky Splitter behind him suddenly unfolded. The originally silver-white wings instantly disintegrated into countless blade feathers as thin as cicada wings.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The dense sound of air being torn apart echoed through the underground space.

Those blade feathers were like a school of piranhas that had caught the scent of blood, instantly attaching themselves to the thick, remaining frame of the massive vault door and the alloy dragon bones embedded in the surrounding walls.

As Lin Fan drove them with his will, the blade feathers began to crazily gnaw and absorb the metal essence within the door.

The commotion this time was greater than any previous time the Calamity had acted.

Zzzzz—

The piercing sound of friction made Lin Fan's scalp tingle.

"Good grief, I thought the Calamity was violent enough, but I didn't expect the Sky Splitter to be even more so."