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墨書 Inktalez
Just when Xunuo was anxiously contemplating his escape, a roar echoed from ahead, instantly extinguishing any thoughts of fleeing.
It turned out that an even larger and more terrifying Shadow Monster had appeared at the entrance of the passage. Xunuo's legs went weak, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Driven by the instinct to survive, Xunuo became acutely aware. It was then that he noticed the first fork in the path after running for so long.
This fork appeared right in front of the Shadow Monster, positioned between the two monsters but slightly closer to the Shadow Monster.
No matter which monster he collided with, Xunuo would undoubtedly meet his end. Therefore, rushing into this fork was his only chance at survival. Even if it meant living for just a moment longer, Xunuo would not give up.
Desperation was truly the essence of Xunuo's current situation. He let out a sound that resembled a cry but was far from human as he charged toward the fork ahead.
He was all in!
However, to the Shadow Monster on the opposite side, it seemed as if Xunuo and the Black Monster were launching a joint assault against it.
The Shadow Monster pounded its chest with its fists and unleashed a thunderous roar. This roar carried a wave of Corpse Qi that surged toward Xunuo.
Xunuo felt like a twig caught in a hurricane, almost blown off his feet and sent flying backward. He clung to the cave wall, and despite hearing another deafening roar behind him, he gritted his teeth and pressed forward.
As the roar from the Shadow Monster ceased, it hunched over and charged directly at Xunuo. In an instant, the shadow became clearer. When Xunuo caught sight of it, his teeth chattered in fear, and he dared not look any further.
Before him stood a Humanoid Zombie, its clothing long since rotted away. Its body and face were covered in a dark hue that glimmered like metal.
Some parts of its body had already decayed, especially its abdomen, which had a hole the size of a fist. One eye on its head, along with the surrounding socket, had also rotted away. What was even more horrifying and repulsive was that these decayed areas did not ooze pus; instead, countless Corpse Worms crawled in and out of the hole, spreading across its entire body.
What terrified Xunuo even more was that this Corpse Monster showed no signs of pain; it seemed unfazed despite having its insides hollowed out.
Gritting his teeth, Xunuo pushed forward, numb with fear while desperately trying to suppress the bile rising in his stomach.
The two parties quickly closed in on each other, and just as they were within reach, Xunuo finally leaped into a side passage.
This passage formed a right angle with the direction Xunuo was running. Xunuo nearly crashed into the wall of the passage.
As Xunuo collided with the wall, a strange pain surged through his body. This pain was distinctly different from the agony of bones breaking against stone; it was a sharp, searing pain that felt like flesh being torn apart.
When Xunuo tore open his clothing to inspect the source of the pain, his heart sank further in fear. Several Corpse Worms had latched onto him during his encounter with the Corpse Monster, and they had instantly burrowed into his skin.
Just thinking about the terrifying appearance of the Corpse Monster made Xunuo shudder. He could not allow these Corpse Worms to invade his body. He quickly used his Short Blade to slice through his flesh and extract the Corpse Worms. These creatures not only burrowed into him rapidly but also clung to his flesh stubbornly, making them difficult to remove. Gritting his teeth, Xunuo decided to cut deeper, tearing away both flesh and worm.
At that moment, the two monsters collided with a thunderous crash, entangled in a fierce struggle reminiscent of arch-nemeses. Their bodies were as hard as iron, causing the cave to echo with loud thuds as debris rained down.
Xunuo realized this might be his only chance to escape. Ignoring the pain coursing through him and the blood streaming from his wounds, he sprinted deeper into the passage. However, after a short while, doubt crept in. Although the passage remained wide enough, there was no airflow at all.
Without any wind blowing through, there was no way out to the outside world. This was a dead end; at least it wouldn’t lead outside the mountain. Going back was impossible—doing so would be like delivering himself as prey.
At this moment, Xunuo became acutely aware of his injuries. While his bones ached, they were not life-threatening. However, if he continued to bleed like this, it could very well cost him his life. He paused to bandage his wounds. After some thought, he concluded that even if he couldn’t escape entirely, he needed to distance himself from these two monsters first. As for how to get out of this cave or whether it was even possible—he would consider that later.
The battle between the two monsters was fierce yet brief; soon enough, one emerged victorious.
The Black Furred Monster was ripped open by the Corpse Monster’s claws, its insides spilling out in a rush of purplish-red viscera.
The Black Furred Monster let out a pained roar but had no time to react before countless Corpse Worms surged out from within the Corpse Monster and began to burrow into its gaping wound. The Black Furred Monster writhed in agony on the ground before falling silent.
The Corpse Monster then let out a roar and suddenly turned its gaze toward the passage where Xunuo had fled. Its murky eyes glowed red as it shook its body and stepped into that very passage.
Upon hearing the Corpse Monster's roar, Xunuo sensed that things were getting worse and instinctively quickened his pace. However, given his current state, he was in extreme danger—his mind was foggy and his steps unsteady.
After running for a while longer, the cave began to narrow significantly. Xunuo felt torn between despair and relief; while a narrower cave made it harder for the Corpse Monster to pursue him, it also indicated that his escape route might be reaching its end.
Gradually, the cave became so constricted that Xunuo had to crawl to get through. At this point, the Corpse Monster was close enough for him to see clearly. Fortunately, all of its Corpse Worms had already gone into the Black Furred Monster’s body; otherwise, given this distance and space, Xunuo would have had no way to evade them.
The Corpse Monster crawled for a moment before getting stuck, unable to move. However, this did not faze it at all. With claws sharp as blades, the Corpse Monster quickly began to dig into the cave in front of it, using its powerful legs to crawl toward Xunuo.
Behind Xunuo, there was only the sound of digging, the Corpse Monster seemingly not needing to breathe. But for Xunuo, it was a dire situation; the air here was stagnant, and the Corpse Monster had blocked off the only bit of air behind him. At the same time, the foul stench emanating from the Corpse Monster surged toward Xunuo with the dust it kicked up while digging.
Xunuo felt suffocated and nauseous to the point of wanting to vomit. But soon enough, he lost all desire to do so.
He began to contemplate whether he should end it all or turn back and fight for his life.
The narrow cave had reached its end.
Seeing Xunuo suddenly stop his escape, the Corpse Monster was clearly taken aback. It paused its digging, its single red eye fixated on Xunuo.
In that moment of silence, Xunuo seemed to hear a familiar sound.
He furrowed his brow and realized it was the sound of a waterfall crashing onto the surface of the water. When he reached out to touch the stone wall, it was indeed damp. Xunuo immediately understood that he was very close to the outside. Hope surged within him as he drew his Short Blade and began to dig into the cave wall.
The short blade was a divine weapon, but its effectiveness depended on who wielded it. Being young, Xunuo naturally had less strength. With each strike, he could chip away at the stone, but his speed was significantly slower.
This was a race against time. Seeing Xunuo starting to dig again, the Corpse Monster let out a loud roar and resumed its own digging with renewed vigor. Its claws were sharp and powerful, tirelessly excavating at a much faster pace.
Xunuo could only dig desperately forward, praying that he wasn’t too far from freedom. But the Corpse Monster's digging speed far surpassed his own. In no time at all, it closed in on him within reach. The Corpse Monster stretched out its long arm, its dark hand reaching toward Xunuo.
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