Bonefiend

The three of them set out again. If nothing unexpected happened, this should have been the final battle in the Void Rifts.

But this battle would not be easy.

The closer they got to the exit, the denser the Calamity energy became. Even Xu Jiang's Faith Aura had its range suppressed.

Lan Tie, who was clearing the way ahead, could already hear Calamity's whispers in his ears.

Open your body and mind, and welcome Calamity's descent.

"I refuse. You guys are way too ugly."

Defy Calamity, and you shall be buried here!!

"Really? That's great. Just what I wanted."

Join Calamity, and I shall grant you eternal life.

"No, I want to die."

Were these two actually having a conversation? How bizarre.

As they advanced, the surrounding light grew dimmer and dimmer, and visibility had become extremely poor.

Fortunately, Pes's ability was formidable. This much interference had no effect on him at all. With him leading the way, they avoided quite a few monster gathering grounds and saved a great deal of time.

But they could not keep going deeper.

"There are so many monsters ahead. We can't go around them. Oh no, they've spotted us. What do we do?" The big-headed blue-skinned man was always making a fuss over everything.

"If monsters come, we kill them."

"But can you see those shadow monsters?"

"Of course not. I can barely see you."

Darkness was the monsters' finest playground, especially the shadow monsters they had encountered before.

They had no physical shells and were made entirely of sinister elements. Blending into their surroundings, they were impossible to guard against.

Of course, Xu Jiang was not worried. He had a trump card.

He pulled the little stick from his clothes and gently rubbed it between both hands. Only after it made a coy sound did Xu Jiang speak.

"Sparkles, it's up to you now. Put on a grand concert!"

"Eek eek eek, are we finally going to hear Sparkles sing? Watch me make my Dazzling Debut!"

As she spoke, Xu Jiang tossed Sparkles upward. At a point five meters above their heads, intense light erupted.

Boom!

Like a spotlight exploding in the Black Night, the brilliant radiance illuminated everything within several hundred meters.

Of course, this light was no longer just a one-use flashbang. This was a genuine Sparkles concert.

"Go, Sparkles! I love you!"

"Wow! The Mech Diva is holding a concert! Can't wait, can't wait!"

Facing a crowd of curious machines, Sparkles floated into the air. The little stick swayed along with music that seemed to appear from nowhere, and her singing echoed through the area.

"Shine a little, glow a little, get a little high, Sparkles is so lovable~~ Sparkles is so lovable~~"

Was that her theme song? It seemed to suit her name rather well.

Xu Jiang had no mind to listen to music. He needed to focus more on the battlefield.

It had to be said that Sparkles was highly professional when it came to holding concerts. The floating stage, background music, and even the venue lighting were all handled by that one little stick.

Following the rhythm, waves of light spread outward one after another, continuously illuminating the world.

Whenever they swept across Xu Jiang, they also empowered the equipment on his body.

Congratulations. Due to hearing the Mech Diva sing, all machines' strength has increased by 30%.

What a terrifying ability. A mechanical idol truly was extraordinary.

The two companions beside him were overjoyed as well.

"Great! All the monsters have been exposed. We don't need to fear them now."

"So you were hiding a trick like this! You should've used it sooner!"

"Sooner? Do you think this thing can be used whenever you want?" Xu Jiang did not hesitate to knock Pes down a peg.

Throwing a flashbang into a monster nest was no different from smearing shit directly across someone's face.

Having kicked the hornet's nest, the three of them would now face the siege of every monster nearby. If Xu Jiang had not seen the grenade's power, he truly would not have dared to activate Sparkles.

"You hold the front. I'll support from the rear!"

Lan Tie hoisted his totem and began sweeping wildly. Xu Jiang followed close behind, unloading Explosive Shots from his weapon and harvesting monster lives.

Perhaps because Sparkles's light was too dazzling, Calamity's power was greatly restrained.

The once overwhelmingly dangerous shadow monsters now staggered even as they moved. There was no need to shoot their heads—one Explosive Shot could send them off directly.

When they encountered large groups of Lost Minds, they could leave them to the grenades. Only the incredibly fast rabid hounds were somewhat troublesome.

Fortunately, his enhanced knee was extremely powerful. He met their gaping maws head-on with a Knee Strike, shattering their teeth.

Working together skillfully, they fought their way to the exit with only a few scares. But the real trouble was only beginning now.

A terrifying monster appeared before the three of them.

It was impossible to tell what species it was. It stood nearly seven meters tall, its body covered in segmented, dark-black ribs. It stood on two legs, had four claws growing from its back, and only a single eye on its head. It was thoroughly horrifying.

Upon discovering the three of them, the monster let out a low "Hoo hoo~~" rumble. It seemed delighted, as though it had found fresh food.

Xu Jiang frowned slightly and asked Pes beside him, "Didn't you say there was an exit? Where is it?"

"It's behind it. This thing is called a Bonefiend. It's pretty powerful. It seems someone outside wanted to connect to this exit, but it sealed it off."

"So what do we do now?"

"You hold it back and buy me some time. I'll find a way to undo the seal."

There was no avoiding this battle. It seemed they would still have to endure a fierce fight, but Old Tie, who was responsible for tanking the monster, did not mind.

"Don't worry. I'll lure it away. Unless I die, it won't be able to hurt you." With that, he lifted his totem and charged forward.

Xu Jiang followed without another word. After all, anyone who planted a flag like that usually did not live long.

Sure enough, the moment the battle began, the Bonefiend swung a massive palm at them, colliding with Lan Tie's iron pillar.

Bang!

The two forces of brute strength collided head-on. The Bonefiend's larger body merely staggered a step before recovering, while Old Tie suffered from his smaller size and was sent flying several meters. He had clearly taken the worse of the exchange.

Xu Jiang immediately raised his gun and fired. He aimed a full burst at that enormous eyeball, wanting to blow apart the monster's weak point.

Unfortunately, the monster was quite intelligent. The ribs on its body began growing rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, they covered its single eye like a mask.

With its weak point gone, Explosive Shot's destructive power was clearly insufficient.

The explosions bursting across the Bonefiend's body did achieve some effect, but the Calamity energy flowing in from around it quickly repaired the damage.

"Old Tie, can you keep going?"

"I can! Don't worry, I won't die that quickly!" Lan Tie barely forced himself back to his feet.

There were many drawbacks to exorcising demons with brute force. Especially when you could not smash open your opponent's head, your own head was in danger too.

"Hoo!!!"

The monster gave an excited rumble and began charging. Its claws launched into a frenzied assault, forcing the two of them to flee in disarray.

Xu Jiang had anticipated the awkward situation of a low-level fighter challenging a high-level monster and failing to break its defenses.

Whether grenades or Explosive Shots, their power would ultimately have limits. Against a terrifying creature like the Bonefiend, they were simply not enough.

Even more fatal was that Sparkles, who had been maintaining the light overhead, fell at that moment. Her energy had run out, and the surrounding world sank into darkness once more.

After using Shadowstep once again, all of Xu Jiang's life-saving skills had been exhausted. It seemed that aside from running away, there was no longer any option.

At the critical moment, the Desert Eagle in his hand spoke...