The battle that had previously erupted within the residential complex was exceptionally loud, not just from the shockwave ford by my flas but also from the Demon pulling out and hurling streetlights. In terms of noise pollution per decibel, even mundane construction work had never been this disruptive to the peace.
Therefore, it wasn't long before so residents appeared on their balconies and by their windows, craning their necks for a look.
To avoid being stopped by anyone, I quickly left the complex.
At the sa ti, I kept a close watch on the movents of the Demon, about a kiloter away.
After the Demon plunged into the river, it soon beca aware of the anomaly clinging to its body. Like a chemical reaction from a middle school experint demonstrating underwater combustion, the flas wrapped around its body refused to be extinguished.
That terrifying goat-face twisted into an expression of absolute fear and despair, and under the hellish burning pain, it released a series of frantic bubbles. Then, struggling, it crawled to the deserted shore of the river, once again letting out a heart-wrenching howl of agony.
It was clear that it wanted to do sothing but didn't know what to do. Escaping from my sight and diving into the water did nothing to quench the flas. Trying to think calmly was out of the question too; the burning pain was likely boiling its brain to mush.
Its only way out was the cave in the fifteenth-floor room—reaching the cave below could have severed the connection between and the flas. But it seed it hadn't thought of this, or maybe it didn't know how to open the cave and its special properties?
After its mont of agonized howling, it picked up a sliver of rationality and dashed off again, heading further away from the residential complex.
Such resilience in its body and such a strong will to survive. Under normal circumstances, a person would have been drained of all their spiritual power if burned to this degree, not that I had ever actually tried it.
To be honest, I was sowhat disappointed with the Demon's actual performance.
Since the battle started, it had only shown physical attacks in my presence. Those shadow strikes too—despite being a mysterious and enigmatic Shadow Power visually, they ultimately transford into physical blades to attack . Isn't this a bit dull? Are there no other more bizarre abilities?
Is that the common way of combat in their world, or is it just a low-level nobody?
Judging from its current course of action, it must suspect it still isn't far enough from , hence the continued burning. Even if it flees to the ends of the earth, it would be of no use, but since I need to retrieve it later, I can't let it get too far.
For the ti being, I ca to a halt, raised my right hand toward the far-off direction a kiloter away, and squeezed hard.
The flas wrapped around its body, particularly those on the outside of its legs, under my manipulation suddenly burrowed into the muscle tissue as if alive in a fierce competition.
With a thunderous explosion, its legs detonated on the spot, and its body, unable to halt in ti, crashed embarrassingly into the roadside trees and rolled out a considerable distance before coming to a stop.
It pressed its hands into the leaf-covered dirt to prop up its body. I had no intention of harming the environnt around , so although engulfed in fire, it fell in a place saturated with combustibles, and the flas didn't spread at all. It looked back at its exploded, severed legs and suddenly let out a deranged laugh.
"Zhuang Cheng, you're watching , aren't you?!" It lifted its head towards the empty night sky and let out a mad howl, "If you've got the guts... if you've got the guts, then grant a quick death! Kill !"
"That's not possible." Knowing it couldn't hear , I still responded from a kiloter away, "You're still of use to ."
Shortly after, I arrived in the woods where the Demon lay.
It was on the ground, motionless; its charred body resembled coal with residual fire. It appeared dead, but I knew it was alive. Aside from its legs, I had only allowed the flas to destroy its skin and muscles, intentionally not penetrating the internal organs. I could even sense its deliberately suppressed breathing through the flas.
Perhaps the burning had killed off most of its pain receptors. Out of so curiosity, I had looked this up on the internet before (let's not discuss why I was researching this), since human pain receptors are primarily located in the epidermis and dermis, so the depth of a burn and the level of pain don't always correlate. So severe burn victims might not feel much pain. I wonder if this Demon's physiological structure regarding pain is similar to that of humans.
"You're still conscious." I initiated conversation, "I have so questions for you. If you're willing to answer, I can stop burning you for the ti being."
The Demon didn't respond. I took a few more steps forward. And when I closed the gap to just four or five ters, it suddenly propped itself up on its arms and lunged at .
"Zhuang Cheng—!!" From its severely burned throat, it uttered a muddy roar so full of hatred that even I could barely discern the exact words.
It seed this was its last stand. Since it was expected, I was not surprised. However, what happened next was far beyond my expectations.
Just as I was about to counterattack, a streak of white light shot forth from behind , grazed past , and struck the Demon's torso straight on. The Demon flew back like a soccer ball kicked by an athlete, crashing into a nearby tree and bending it.
This ti, the Demon wasn't just acting but seed to have truly lost consciousness.
Who did this?
I imdiately turned around to look.
On the other side of the woods, a figure holding a sword walked slowly towards .
Dark clouds drifted across the night sky, finally revealing the moon. The moonlight cascaded into the bamboo forest, illuminating the figure of the person there.
Surprisingly, this person was dressed like an ancient swordsman, clad in a brown and black straw raincoat, with a matching conical hat, and carrying a sheath that was a mix of black and red. The long sword was held in hand, its tip angled towards the ground, exuding a readiness as if it could strike at any mont.
Judging by how this person had just intervened to help, they likely weren't an enemy. Honestly, I felt that their help was unnecessary, but the experience of being rescued by a mysterious stranger was novel to , and I couldn't foster any negative feelings about it. Even though I didn't see them as a foe, they might not feel the sa way about . Perhaps I should introduce myself first, to show I ant no harm.
"Hello," I said first, "I am Zhuang..."
Suddenly, it seed the stranger recognized my face and exclaid, "Zhuang Cheng?"
It was a young woman's voice, and it sounded familiar.
"Do you know ?" I asked, surprised, "Who are you?"
She hesitated for a mont, then lifted her hand, removed her conical hat, and revealed her true face.
To my greater surprise, possibly even shock, the person in front of was soone I knew.
In my mory, that face was always gentle and submissive, evoking imagery of streams, springs, and misty lakes, resembling a delicate ink wash painting. That person typically avoided conflicts in human relationships;
Yet now, although her face was unchanged, her temperant had completely transford, resembling a valiant swordsman, ready to confront any dispute with a straightforward and bold attitude.
"...Zhu Shi?" I uttered her na.
The person before was Changan's younger sister, Zhu Shi.
"What is this..." She hesitated while looking at , then at the demon lying not far away, her voice filled with disbelief, "...did you defeat it?"
"No, weren't you the one who just defeated it?"
I understood what she ant, she was trying to gain so ti to let the emotional waves within settle.
"What I an is, these burns on his body..." At first, her tone was sowhat incredulous.
But gradually, she regained her composure and her voice steadied a lot, "— did you do all this?"
Her way of speaking was drastically different from the Zhu Shi I rembered; even her tone seed different. On reflection, her previous manner of speaking seed sowhat feigned. Perhaps this appearance now was closer to her true character.
I had also managed to calm my emotions, and while analyzing the current her, I affird, "Yes, it was ."
She watched for a mont, then sheathed her sword on her back, and asked tentatively, "Are you also a demon hunter?"
"Also?... I don't have that kind of job," I replied, "If I have to say, I might be considered a supernatural power user."
"That's also considered a demon hunter," she said.
Also considered? This wasn't the first ti I'd heard the term demon hunter, which I presud to be a profession. Just possessing extraordinary power made one a "demon hunter"? I felt a dissonance with that, and it prompted an association.
No wonder I found Zhu Shi's voice familiar—it was identical to the voice of the demon hunter woman who spoke with Agent Kong on the phone earlier.
Zhu Shi was that demon hunter woman!
Amidst the shock, I imdiately realized a problem—
The demon hunter woman—Zhu Shi belonged to Luo Mountain's personnel, and Luo Mountain was likely an official supernatural organization. Didn't that an it would be difficult for to keep the demon to myself?
Is there any way to reclaim that demon... No, that was shortsighted. Now that the governntal supernatural organization had revealed hints of its existence, why was I still fixated on so unknown demon? If I wanted to know about the abnormal world, wouldn't it be better to go directly to them?
And since Zhu Shi was also my friend's sister, this relationship only seed like a stroke of luck!
My attention imdiately focused entirely on Zhu Shi.
"I forgot to reintroduce myself. I am a demon hunter from Luo Mountain, responsible for the security of this area," Zhu Shi spoke in a very formal tone, "Regarding your defeat of the Fallen Demon Hunter, I have many questions to ask you. Are you available now?"
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