Chapter 325 : Withered Leaf - Part 1
"Captain Elucia, our ship has been seized!"
Although the Time Shuttle had already activated all its engines, the vines from underground were simply too numerous. They had completely entangled the entire ship, rendering it utterly immobile.
But Elucia's reaction was equally decisive.
"Senior Yicheng, you command the ship. Princess Sethilu, Candel, follow me and fight our way out!"
A flash of black light surrounded Elucia, and she immediately transformed into the appearance of a young girl. With jet-black long hair and eyes like blazing flames, it seemed Elucia intended to make the ship continue forward by cutting through these vines.
"Command received. Please be very careful, Captain Elucia."
......
......
Elucia led Sethilu and Candel out of the ship, and at the same time, the vines entangling the vessel grew ever more numerous.
Although Sethilu's long sword quickly severed several vines, these vines were connected like lotus roots, rapidly growing new branches from the wounded areas.
Sethilu assessed with a glance:
"These vines seem to be using the Sea of Ice and Lava as nourishment."
"Sister, how is that possible? Didn't we defeat that guy just yesterday? How could she grow so much in just one day?"
At Ice Rock Fortress, Candel had once ridden on Princess Sethilu's back, fighting against those vines.
But thanks to her unparalleled demonic physique, those vines had never caused her any harm... However, today, these vines had completely changed.
Not only had their regenerative abilities improved by a whole level, but even when Candel used large-scale blood attacks to sever them, those vines seemed able to absorb her energy to grow new vines.
Such a battle was like rowing against the current—no matter how one wielded the oars, not an inch of progress could be made.
After just a moment's contemplation, Elucia understood the current situation:
"This won't work. We'll be dragged into a prolonged battle like this. We must capture the leader first... Candel, throw me over there."
"Throw you over?"
"I want to meet with that guy. Last time I let her escape was my responsibility, wasn't it? But this time, I won't let her off so easily."
Elucia smiled coldly, and Candel understood her plan.
Vampire strength was extraordinary—if Candel exerted her full power, she could completely hurl Elucia to the throne hall of Ruins City.
But this way, Elucia would lose their support.
"Lady Elucia... do you really want to do this?"
"I told you, there's nothing to fear! The enemy is just a rabble. I just need to bulldoze through them."
"I-I understand!"
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Ruins City, throne hall.
Watching the black-haired girl approaching from the distance, Withered Leaf showed no fear whatsoever, but instead burst into sinister laughter.
"Haha, hahahaha! Elucia... you're indeed self-confident in your martial prowess, rushing over here? But unfortunately, the me now... is completely different from yesterday's me!!!"
Withered Leaf laughed as she descended from the throne.
Though her body and figure remained much the same as before, that head of dark green hair had almost completely turned pure black.
Withered Leaf's pupils, originally suppressed yet containing a trace of brightness, now looked as if they had been utterly destroyed, breeding only endless madness.
From afar, Withered Leaf looked like a completely different person. Or rather, her temperament at this moment bore some resemblance to General Caster.
"Go ahead and... die..."
The girl sneered coldly, and with her magical power fluctuations, many grotesque and twisted plants grew from the floor of the throne hall.
They were like gigantic scythes, awaiting Elucia's arrival.
"Hmph, mere parlor tricks!"
Seeing those traps awaiting her, Elucia neither dodged nor evaded, but instead quietly contemplated, condensing jet-black sword blades from her palms.
Using the impact force of crossing a thousand meters, the girl severed all these twisted vines with just one sword strike.
"Take this!"
Immediately after, Elucia lightly touched the ground with her toes, and her entire body became like an arrow released from a bow, striking directly at Withered Leaf's body.
It could be said that Elucia's entire attack sequence flowed like water, without any superfluous movements. The goal was to pursue a killing blow, cutting Withered Leaf in half at the waist.
But...
"Tree Body Art!"
Elucia's black sword indeed severed the target, but at the same time, Withered Leaf's body transformed into a tree branch!
Rip!
Though the jet-black sword intent was unstoppable, what it cut through was merely scattered wood chips.
"Haha, Elucia, where are you slashing? How embarrassing!"
Withered Leaf's figure reappeared, but this time her position was on the other side of the hall.
"Hmph, using that trick again? But unfortunately, you're not my only target!"
Facing her opponent's mockery, Elucia wasn't anxious... Then, she completely ignored Withered Leaf and swiftly attacked toward the far end of the hall!
It turned out that although the black-haired girl seemed to have murderous intent toward Withered Leaf, her real target was the control center hidden behind the throne hall.
Elucia had already speculated that for Withered Leaf to become so powerful in such a short time, she must be borrowing the power of the Cold Abyss.
And with her state of mind, she definitely couldn't gain the Cold Abyss's recognition, so she must be using some device for assistance... Therefore, as long as she destroyed that device, the current Withered Leaf would definitely be returned to her original form, and the Time Shuttle would also break free from the vine entanglement and sail into Ruins City!
"What?"
"Hmph, you've fallen into my trap."
This feint was executed by Elucia with masterful perfection, everything happening in a flash... The girl successfully broke through the wall and successfully entered the hidden room!
But the scene that followed left Elucia stunned.
Because in the room...
There was no device whatsoever for seizing Cold Abyss power.
What appeared before her eyes was only a complete set of terrifying torture instruments.
Metal shackles that fixed the waist, metal rods with electric shock devices, injection devices as thick as maces, metal leg bindings covered with countless fine needles.
And that metal hood covering the brain, looking exactly like it was born solely to torment people.
"Haha, truly worthy of being Elucia! This feint even fooled me!"
Laughing loudly, Withered Leaf slowly walked in.
"You bastard..."
"But unfortunately, my current power isn't seized Cold Abyss power! It's my own power, emerging from pain!"
"!"
"This Torture Device X800 is the final crystallization of the Apocalypse Independent Kingdom! Elucia... you shall perish here for your foolishness!!!"
Withered Leaf laughed loudly, and the entire space was completely covered by her power.