"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
I fell to my knees, hands clutching my hair, letting out a scream of total breakdown.
Not a war cry. The helpless wail of a wounded beast.
Meters away, Old Zhang's half-eaten corpse still hung from the Broodmother's maw. His eyes, open even in death, seemed to stare at me. Full of the desire to live and questioning me. The blood on the floor formed a giant red web, trapping us all.
The air was thick with the stench of minced organs and fading life.
"Boss! Help me..."
A weak cry from the right platform. Little Zhao, a nineteen-year-old college student. His lower body was dissolved to the bone by acid. Dragging his ruined torso, crawling, leaving a long trail of blood.
HISS!!!!
The Broodmother seemed to enjoy the torture. It didn't kill Little Zhao immediately. Instead, it used a sharp leg tip to poke his wounds like a cat playing with a mouse, eliciting sharper screams.
"Stop... STOP IT!!!"
I wanted to rush over. But fear filled my legs with lead. My mind was blank. I could only watch.
I killed them.
My arrogance. My hubris. I thought with the System and Reality gear, I could walk sideways in the apocalypse. I treated this like a game, and them like NPCs.
Now, reality gave me the most brutal slap in the face.
"Victor! What the hell are you doing?!"
A furious roar exploded in my ear.
Then, sharp pain in my calf.
Shadow rushed over and bit my leg hard. Fangs pierced skin. Blood flowed.
"Hiss!"
Pain stimulated my nerves like electricity, pulling me back from the edge of collapse.
I looked down into Shadow's burning golden eyes.
"Look ahead! Quinn is still fighting! Do you want everyone to die?! Do you want to become a pile of meat too?!" Shadow let go, barking in my face, spraying spittle. "Stand up! Useless trash!"
I snapped my head up.
Not far away, Quinn was covered in blood.
Her left arm was broken, hanging limply, white bone jutting out. But she still waved the curled Tang Dao with one hand, blocking the Broodmother from the last two young survivors.
Again and again, she was knocked flying by the legs, smashing into the wall, vomiting blood, and getting up again.
Her tactical vest was shredded. No good skin left. But her eyes were fierce as a wolf.
"Run... take them and run..."
In a gap between hits, she looked back at me.
No hatred. No blame. Only resolve. And a calm like leaving a will.
"Boss, run... leave me... You are the Lord, you can't die... If you live, you can avenge us..."
In that moment, I felt a knife stab my heart and twist. I couldn't breathe.
Lord?
Screw the Lord!
I am an executioner! I brought them in! I have the responsibility to take them out! If I run now, I will live in a nightmare forever. I will never deserve to hold this sword, never deserve to be human!
"I deserve to die..."
I crawled up. Wiped the tears and snot from my face. The fear and confusion in my eyes faded, replaced by savagery and madness.
Physical attacks don't work. Normal means are useless.
Then I bet my life.
"System..."
I called in my mind. Voice raspy as a demon from hell.
"Open Inventory. Give me that Card."
Virtual screen unfolded. The purple card I treasured, saved for later, hovered there.
[Skill Card: Thunder God's Wrath]
Effect: Forcibly infuse "High-Tier Thunder Element" into Host's bound weapon. Next attack ignores ALL Energy Shields below B-Rank (inclusive) and deals 500% Thunder Attribute Crit Damage.
Side Effect: Weapon durability drops significantly. Host will enter Extreme Weakness state due to energy backlash (24 Hours). Risk of permanent nerve damage.
Looking at the red warning text, I didn't hesitate.
I wanted to save it. For a stronger enemy. For a trump card.
Screw the future!
If I can't survive now, there is no future!
"Shadow," I looked down at my partner. Voice strangely calm. "I need an opening. A chance to get close to its head."
Shadow looked at me. He felt my resolve. He didn't scold me anymore. He grinned, a savage smile.
"Good. If this Lord's leg gets ruined, you're feeding me for life."
With a long howl, Shadow held nothing back. Turned into a golden blur, charging the Broodmother.
"Hey Ugly! Look here!"
Shadow leaped agilely in the air, dodging venom and silk, slashing at the Broodmother's compound eyes with Wind Blades.
SCREEE!
The Broodmother was enraged by this fly. Attention finally shifted from Quinn to Shadow.
"NOW!"
I took a deep breath. Mind locked onto the card.
"LOAD!"
VMMMM!!!
Upon confirmation, the card turned into a purple stream of light, drilling into my forehead.
Next second, an indescribable violent power exploded inside me.
This time, no magazine armor. No protection.
The power was wilder and purer than the lightning rod incident. It rampaged through my meridians, tearing muscle, scorching skin, turning my veins into live cables.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
I couldn't help screaming.
Hair stood on end. Eyes sprayed purple electricity. My whole body seemed to burn. The Tang Dao in my hand emitted a high-pitched hum. The black blade was instantly wrapped in blinding purple-gold lightning, turning into a lightsaber!
Pain!
Agony!
But I needed this pain. Only this pain could lessen my guilt. Keep me awake. Tell me I was still alive!
"Shadow! Retreat with them!"
I roared at Shadow. Voice like thunder, shaking the crystals around us.
Then, gripping the purple-gold Tang Dao with both hands, I kicked off the ground, leaving two craters. Like a runaway bolt of lightning, I charged at the raging Broodmother.
"ANIMAL!!! LOOK HERE!!!"
The Broodmother was chasing Shadow. Suddenly felt a terrifying aura behind it that made its soul tremble.
Natural Enemy aura.
It snapped its head around. For the first time, "Fear" appeared in its eight eyes.
It felt the aura of Tribulation. The nemesis of all mutants. Fear carved into genes.
It wanted to retreat. Wanted to use the invincible shield. Wanted to spray venom.
But under the suppression of [Thunder God's Wrath], under the absolute attribute of [Ignore Shields under B-Rank], all defense was a joke.
I looked at it. Like looking at my own inner nightmare.
It panicked, waving its two thickest front legs, trying to impale me mid-air.
I didn't dodge.
I couldn't dodge. At this speed, changing direction meant losing power.
SHUNK!
A sharp leg pierced my left shoulder. Easy as piercing paper. Nailed me in mid-air.
Blood sprayed. Dyed half my body red instantly.
But I smiled.
Blood foam bubbled from my mouth. I smiled like a madman. Like a ghost.
"Gotcha."
Ignoring the agony in my shoulder, I grabbed the leg piercing me. Used it as a fulcrum. Pulled myself closer. Closer.
Zzz-zap!
Lightning from the sword arc'd up its leg. Shocking it. It screamed, trying to shake me off. But I was nailed to it.
Close.
Closer.
Until my face was almost touching its ugly mouthparts. Until I smelled the disgusting rot on its breath.
I looked into its terrified eyes. Whispered:
"Go to hell... and apologize to Old Zhang!"
I raised the Tang Dao high with my right hand. All energy. All rage. All regret. Condensed into this one strike.
Muscles on my arm tore. Blood flew.
"BREAK!!!"
SHUNK!
Carrying blinding lightning, the Tang Dao stabbed viciously into the center of the Broodmother's head—the core connecting to the meteorite energy tube. Its brain.
Hilt deep!
BOOM!!!
Thunder erupted.
Terrifying current used my body as a medium, flooding into the Broodmother. Not normal shock. Rule-based Erasure.
Purple lightning rampaged inside it. Cooking organs. Destroying nerves. Its massive body convulsed violently in the light, emitting a shrill scream that didn't sound biological.
The blue crystal armor cracked inch by inch in the lightning. Turned to dust.
And I, under the impact of this energy, felt my soul tearing apart. Every inch of bone wailed. Every drop of blood boiled.
But I didn't let go.
I hung on it. Letting the current pass through both our bodies. Until it stopped struggling completely. Until the light in its eyes went out.
THUD!
Its massive body collapsed like a falling mountain. Smashed into the ground. Dust rose.
I fell with it.
Silence.
Only the sizzling of residual current remained.