Chapter 185 : Elucia's Flames
......
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Yi Cheng and Dr. Okali were doing their utmost to destroy the resin hearts.
The unconscious researchers were being freed, but there wasn't just one resin heart... Though the two moved as quickly as possible, Dr. Okali still couldn't dodge in time and was struck in both legs by a falling rock.
Sizzle!
Though there was no fracture, bright red blood flowed out.
"Wuu..."
"Dr. Okali?"
"Yi Cheng, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, go save the other researchers first."
"But Dr. Okali, you are also a researcher."
With just one sentence, Yi Cheng left Dr. Okali stunned.
"Uh..."
"In my view, your condition is very dangerous. Let me take you aside to bandage the wound first. This way, working together will be more efficient."
......
......
While bandaging Dr. Okali's wound, Yi Cheng noticed her expression was very grave.
It wasn't just anger from pain and betrayal, but more of a bewildered look of someone with something weighing on their mind.
So Yi Cheng asked:
"Dr. Okali, are you thinking about Dr. Ma Run?"
"Uh... was I discovered?"
Okali clenched her fist and sighed silently in her heart.
Actually, counting from the day they first met, she and Dr. Ma Run had worked together for 8 years.
She knew Dr. Ma Run was originally a diligent person who only had academic goals in his eyes, was very rigorous and dedicated to knowledge, never attended social gatherings, never accepted gifts from commercial companies...
This was quite normal, as most scholars were like this.
But he was implicated by his mentor and was dismissed due to suspicions of academic fraud.
No academic institution dared accept him. The only place he could go was this dangerous Boundless Research Station located in the middle of nowhere.
Here, Dr. Ma Run frantically wanted to research something, prove something... But the research tasks at Boundless Research Station basically only involved observing the movements of the Boundless Lands and didn't require anything innovative.
The work assigned to Dr. Ma Run was just periodically analyzing soil composition.
......
"Yi Cheng, as the station director, I also bear responsibility for things developing this way."
"Dr. Okali, you need not impose others' sins upon yourself."
"No... actually, Dr. Ma Run confessed to me."
"......"
"For someone like him, perhaps loving someone is a very rare thing? I knew this well and didn't dislike him, but that feeling wasn't love."
"Some things are in the past, and besides, even so, you still did nothing wrong."
"But Dr. Ma Run's descent into madness was because of me. And... I know he truly loved me, because even after all this happened, he still wouldn't kill me."
"......"
"Yes, so after rescuing everyone, I want to face Ma Run and give him closure."
After bandaging the wound, Dr. Okali stood up with determination.
......
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
......
"Wuu wuu wuu!"
Seeing those vines reaching toward her, Lonis felt only despair!
Just some thorny vines were already making her too itchy to speak. If all these vines strangled her body together, what kind of feeling would that be?
Suffocation, unable to breathe?
Lonis knew some humans liked to play suffocation games during mating for thrills, but Lonis felt nothing and didn't want to be tortured until her eyes rolled back.
......
"Hahaha, stop struggling. Though your power is strong, this is near the Tree Abyss. You can't possibly be my match!"
Ma Run laughed loudly, and as time passed, his power seemed to grow stronger.
Even Elucia couldn't maintain perfect defense anymore. Some vines slapped against the black-haired girl's body, making crisp sounds.
And Elucia's relied-upon ability Sensory Deprivation now seemed to have lost its effect... These obscure energies originally came from the same source as Exotic Decay, and now couldn't affect the Tree of Causality Ruins at all.
But...
Elucia showed no fear whatsoever. She just smiled faintly and said to Ma Run:
"Since you've completely descended into madness, I'll completely slay you here."
"How is that possible?! You're already being suppressed by me. This is the Tree Abyss's domain—you can't possibly use your power here."
"Oh? But what if I said I'm using the Tree of Causality Ruins's power?"
"!"
"Lonis, get ready. I'm going to activate the little toy."
"Meow meow meow?"
......
Though Lonis knew Elucia wanted to replenish magic power to release a finishing move.
But having the little toy activated during the decisive battle made Lonis feel extremely strange... It was like two people fighting to the death while Lonis had to perform some kind of adult film on the side!
(Wait, something's different! It seems Elucia bullying me this time is different from before.)
(This isn't for her to absorb magic power, but rather...)
......
Lonis looked up, suddenly realizing something.
And those vines that were originally attacking the silver-haired girl completely stopped. No matter how much Ma Run urged them, they couldn't advance even half an inch.
"Wh-what's happening?! Why won't these vines obey my commands anymore?"
Ma Run looked up in panic, but not only the vines—even his own existence became powerless. Those crimson tendons began to dim, and the bark-like outer skin was visibly aging.
"Hmph, that's naturally because before you used blood to sacrifice to the Tree of Causality Ruins, I already sacrificed high-purity, high-magic holy water to the Tree of Causality Ruins!"
"How is that possible?"
"Dr. Ma Run, die!!!"
......
......
Seeing the situation before her, Lonis completely blushed...
Elucia was really too cunning!
Before setting out, hadn't Elucia made her urinate? And that liquid wasn't just a little, but a lot.
Her "holy water" had been absorbed by the Tree of Causality Ruins's roots just like that.
Though it hadn't shown earlier, when Elucia bullied her again with the little toy, Lonis had "produced" some more holy water.
It was this holy water that affected the Tree of Causality Ruins, causing Dr. Ma Run's control to weaken.
And what happened next was...
"No, I don't believe it!!!! I don't believe you foolish humans could defeat me. My methods are correct and cannot fail."
Ma Run frantically shook his head, trying to muster all his strength for a final resistance.
However...
"Hmph, so what if I'm misunderstood? So what if I'm hurt? This world is already full of malicious intent... But even so, what of it?"
"!"
"Those small fry can't define my value at all; those gossiping rumors can't stop my pursuit either. The path of the strong is destined to be lonely."
Blazing flames ignited around Elucia...
That power from Lonis, accompanied by the war hammer's whistling through the air, heavily struck toward Dr. Ma Run's face.
"If you can't understand this... then you're destined to perish in darkness!!"
The scorching flames dispersed, and Dr. Ma Run's figure was heavily sent flying.