Chapter 326 : Withered Leaf - Part 2
What exactly was going on?
It turned out that the Apocalypse Independent Kingdom had already been in a state of turmoil and collapse from its later period.
Externally, there were attacks from surface human forces led by the Bright Ember Kingdom, and internally, there was the Eight-Tailed Fox's departure from home and slave rebellions.
Wars were erupting everywhere, and order was disintegrating at an exaggerated speed everywhere. And to deal with all this chaos... absolute power was necessary.
So the Pain Device X800 was born.
This was the ultimate torture instrument. Once fixed to it, every inch of skin on the entire body would receive extremely cruel torment.
Being electrocuted to the point of incontinence was simple, because this torture device also incorporated the most terrifying system.
The Pleasure Device.
It would affect the subject's sanity, immersing the subject's consciousness in terrifying nightmares, making even one second feel as long as an hour.
Under the Pleasure Device's influence, your spirit would continuously experience cycles of life and death, continuously experiencing loops of pain.
This was undoubtedly a device that even demons would fear.
99% of those who sat on it never came down again, but completely became corpses, and even among the one-in-a-hundred survivors, 99% were directly tortured into idiots and madmen, no longer possessing self-consciousness...
But,
If one was that one-in-ten-thousand survivor,
They would become a terrifying existence that surpassed genetic limitations, completely transcending humanity.
Even a weak slave would possess power comparable to demons.
What if it was a strong person who had already undergone bodily modifications?
They could possess the terrifying power to break through realms...
Having undergone multiple modifications and possessing the power of the False Tree Abyss, Withered Leaf was originally at the peak of 7th-rank (Exotic Decay Lord). Under the torture device's influence, she had now even broken through to the 8th-rank Demon King level, directly reaching the upper rank of rank 8!
What did this mean?
This meant that she could now easily defeat Candel, and even Elucia at full power would not be her match.
......
Realizing this, Elucia fell silent.
"You bastard... aren't you afraid of death?"
Elucia gazed solemnly into her opponent's eyes, no longer showing any contempt at the corners of her mouth, but treating her as an equal opponent.
"Death? Of course I'm afraid, but what I fear more is not killing you before I die!!!"
"Sigh... pitiful girl, immersed in illusory revenge, have you completely lost yourself?"
"Haha, keep talking tough... right here, you will be completely buried by me!"
Withered Leaf's eyes widened in fury. At this moment, besides eliminating Elucia, she had no other thoughts in her heart.
......
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"This is bad, Elucia has fallen into hard battle!"
"What?"
"Go support her quickly!"
Though separated by a great distance, Yicheng still keenly perceived the battle occurring in the throne hall.
Elucia was now isolated and helpless, completely fallen into the enemy's trap... Under these circumstances, Elucia couldn't possibly be Withered Leaf's match.
So the girls had to provide support quickly. If Candel and Sethilu were by her side for support, perhaps the girls would still have a fighting chance.
However...
"Hahahaha! Swarm, under my command, go devour them!"
"That's... Mortak!"
Mortak, who had never shown himself, suddenly appeared on the watchtower of Ruins City.
And under his command, many Freeze Mosquitoes that had been lurking in the city all flew out...
Although they were prepared, these damn mosquitoes wouldn't bring fatal danger to the girls. But with these things obstructing them, the girls couldn't go support Elucia.
"Candel, quickly launch me over there."
"That won't work! Sister has no way to adjust direction in the air, and will definitely be frozen into a popsicle by the Freeze Mosquitoes."
......
For most people, there was no way to gain leverage in the air. Unless one had transcendent strength like Elucia, being off the ground was tantamount to suicide.
The situation suddenly became extremely critical.
The girls couldn't support Elucia and could only watch helplessly as she fell into hard battle.
......
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"Hahahaha, Elucia!! How is it, do you feel despair?"
"......"
The black-haired girl said nothing.
Because at this moment she wasn't facing one Withered Leaf, but a full ten Withered Leaves!
After her strength broke through to Demon King level, Withered Leaf seemed to have also gained the ability to duplicate her body. In her home territory, she could transform any plant into her own body.
This way, Elucia's Five Senses Deprivation also lost its usefulness.
Because enemies' eyes were everywhere, enemies' hearing was everywhere—what value was there in sealing them? It would only wastefully consume her own magical power.
And under Withered Leaf's siege, Elucia retreated step by step, only able to protect a small space around herself.
But even so, she still hadn't surrendered. Those crimson eyes stared intently at Withered Leaf's figure, like a flame that had never been extinguished.
......
"Elucia, your body already has old injuries. The current you cannot possibly be my match!"
"Withered Leaf..."
"Take this move, Ten Thousand Leaf Strangling Formation!"
Under Withered Leaf's attack, countless vines surged overwhelmingly. Like a raging tsunami, they seemed to want to devour everything.
And even Elucia, facing Withered Leaf's murderous attack, was like a small boat in a storm, constantly in danger of capsizing.
......
(To have become so strong? It seems I really am no match for her...)
Elucia furrowed her brow...
Since that day 100 years ago, it had been a long time since she had experienced this feeling of approaching defeat.
This feeling of being abandoned by everything in this world, no longer able to see tomorrow—this despair.
Such memories were undoubtedly extremely sorrowful, so sorrowful that Elucia didn't want to recall them at all, nor did she want anyone to repeat this kind of painful experience.
But reality...
Was always so cruel.
People continuously repeated foolish acts,
Continuously imposing their obsessions on others.
Burying those empty hopes,
Destroying those ethereal dreams,
Making even momentary happiness unable to last long, only becoming images in photographs that could never be retrieved.
So...
I'm sorry, Lonis.
It seems I cannot fulfill my promise to you.
......
......
Elucia swung her long sword, attempting a desperate final struggle.
But at the same time...
Vines from Withered Leaf also pierced through Elucia's back,
And just like that,
Crushed her heart.
......
......
"Wh?!"
In a daze, the little fox raised her head in shock.
She seemed to sense something,
But... what was it?
Even staring wide-eyed, she couldn't see the distant scene clearly at all.
Everything had already been covered by boiling lava fire, vines interwoven densely, like a suffocating net.
"I..."
The little fox opened her mouth, wanting to reach that elusive figure,
But what was finally grasped tightly in her palm were only scenes from yesterday, fantasies that had once been taken for granted.
......
"Hmph, little fox, don't think that just because you helped me, I won't bully you... In fact, I work hard precisely so I can get off work early and bully you!"
"Little fox, don't run away, quickly come into my arms to warm the bed!"
"Just this once, I'll let you lie on my lap and sleep well~"
......
The girl's every smile and frown was so clearly visible...
But fantasy was, after all, just fantasy.
When the prosperity faded, only regret remained.
Her weak body couldn't grasp anything,
And Lonis, tears streaming down her face, finally realized what she had lost.
Elucia had already failed,
And she could no longer accompany her side like before.
......