Raging flames devoured the night sky of Iron Fang Island.
The nauseating smell of burning mixed with the scent of blood, drifting several kilometers away with the sea breeze.
On the top floor of the auction house, a red figure stood atop the broken walls and ruins, with corpses everywhere and thick liquid flowing like a river beneath his feet.
"The performance is over. It's time for the curtain call."
The red-clothed freak stretched and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Grumble..."
His stomach let out a thunderous protest.
Mordred looked up, his eyes that were once clearly black and white now glowing with a cold red light, scanning the dense crowd of zombies in the hall below.
To ordinary people, this was hell.
But to the current him, this was a buffet.
"Since they're all dead, I might as well put the waste to good use."
Mordred leaped down from the roof, which was over ten meters high.
Boom!
His feet landed steadily, splashing blood everywhere.
The surrounding zombies sensed the arrival of the Mother, and one after another, they stopped their meaningless roars and wandering. They lowered their heads as if on a pilgrimage and automatically cleared a path.
Mordred walked up to Buck, who had turned into a giant monster.
By now, Buck had completely lost his human form. His body was covered in a black cuticle, making him look like a biological tank.
"As a thug, you're qualified."
Mordred patted Buck's thick thigh, then bypassed him and walked toward the mountain of corpses.
Those were the guards who had rushed in earlier, as well as those fat-bellied nobles.
"Blacklight, feed."
Mordred extended his right hand, fingers splayed.
Puchi!
Countless black-red tentacles erupted from his palm, instantly piercing into the bodies of the nearest zombies.
There was no sound of chewing, no sound of swallowing.
Only the scalp-tingling sound of "Guzi."
The bodies of the zombies pierced by the tentacles shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Muscle, bone, internal organs, and even the combat instincts remaining in those dead brains were all converted into the purest biological energy, surging into Mordred's body through the tentacles.
A warm current instantly flowed through his entire body.
His originally thin frame began to fill out, and the muscle lines under his skin became tighter and smoother.
[Ding! Consumed one elite guard: Biomass Energy +50!]
[Ding! Consumed one Pirate Captain: Strength attribute slightly increased!]
[Ding! Consumed one Devil Fruit user: Obtained gene fragments...]
Mordred didn't stop consuming until he felt somewhat full.
Boom!
A violent surge of energy exploded within Mordred's body.
His back suddenly bulged, and his spine let out a series of cracks, as if something was about to burst out of his body.
The intense pain made Mordred groan, but a fanatical smile appeared on his face.
He had evolved.
He raised his right arm.
With a thought.
Kaka kaka!
The tooth-aching sound of bone hyperplasia rang out.
His entire right arm instantly expanded, skin tearing as black biomass surged wildly and hardened in an instant.
A giant blade, two meters long and shimmering with a cold metallic light, replaced his arm.
The blade's surface was covered with irregular serrations and dark red patterns, like a torture device from hell.
Blacklight Virus Blade Form!
"This is... power."
Mordred casually swung the blade.
Swish!
The air was torn apart, letting out a sharp whistle.
A nearby marble pillar, one meter in diameter, was sliced in half like a piece of tofu.
The cut was as smooth as a mirror.
It wasn't until the upper half of the pillar slid off and crashed to the ground with a loud bang that fine cracks splintered from the cut.
"So fast, so sharp."
Strength, speed, and intensity had all been significantly improved!
If I directly consume one of the Four Emperors, wouldn't I just ascend to the heavens?
Phew...
Mordred took a deep breath and retracted his thought.
The blade quickly softened and shrank, turning back into a fair and slender human hand.
Except for his slightly damaged clothes, he looked no different from an ordinary ten-year-old boy.
Only his eyes were so deep they seemed capable of swallowing light.
"Now that I'm full, it's time to check the harvest."
Mordred found a relatively intact velvet sofa, sat down, and crossed his legs.
This job on Iron Fang Island was a huge profit.
Not only did he gain a large amount of Biomass Energy, but he also racked up an astronomical amount of Astonishment Points.
He called up the system panel.
[Host: Mordred]
[Ability: Blacklight Virus]
[Items: Shadow Khan (Ninja Mask)]
[Character Card: Deadpool (Marvel Cinematic Universe)]
[Current Astonishment Point Balance: 12,500 points]
Twelve thousand five hundred points!
Looking at that string of zeros, Mordred felt that all his hard work just now was worth it.
"System, open the intermediate lucky draw wheel."
The primary draw was a hundred points each and full of trash.
The intermediate draw was a thousand points each, and only then was the drop rate guaranteed.
"Let's start with a ten-draw to test the waters."
Mordred waved his hand with grand generosity.
A huge virtual wheel emerged before his eyes, and the pointer began to spin wildly.
Light flickered.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Delicious Donuts x1 box (Katakuri style)]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Iced Black Tea 'One More Bottle' exchange coupon]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Ordinary Ryo Wazamono x1]
...A series of white and green lights flashed by.
Mordred's face turned a bit dark.
"I knew it, even gacha games aren't this much of a rip-off."
Just as he was about to start cursing, a purple light suddenly lit up.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Skill Book: Marine Six Styles - Soru!]
[Description: In an instant, kick the ground dozens of times to generate a strong rebound force for high-speed movement. In the world of martial arts, only speed is invincible.]
"Good stuff."
Mordred's eyes lit up.
The Blacklight Virus gave him powerful physical strength and explosive power, but he lacked systematic force-exertion techniques.
With 'Soru,' combined with the Blade Form, his lethality would increase exponentially.
Before he could finish being happy, another golden light exploded.
Golden light!
A big hit!
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining special item: Monster Cells x10!]
[Source: One Punch Man World]
[Description: Eating it can instantly turn a human into a monster, granting extremely powerful strength, but they will lose their sanity (Note: The host possesses the Blacklight Virus and is immune to side effects; can directly absorb its energy essence).]
"Monster Cells?"
A pulsating purple lump of flesh appeared in Mordred's hand, emitting an eerie aura.
Giving this thing to others would be a sin, but for himself, it was a great tonic.
The wheel was still spinning.
The final draw.
The golden light on the wheel gradually faded, finally turning into a pitch-black card that floated quietly in Mordred's sea of consciousness.
The card's surface had no fancy decorations, only a dark red circle with three inward-pointing arrows in the middle.
That was the logo of the SCP Foundation.
And below the logo was a black-haired man, bare-chested and covered in eerie tattoos, holding a black longsword that seemed to be condensed from the void.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining C-rank Character Card: SCP-076-2 'Abel'!]
[Source: SCP Foundation]
[Description: An extremely belligerent and violent humanoid entity, codenamed 'Abel.' Abel is proficient in almost all forms of melee combat and possesses the terrifying ability to instantly manifest various swords and weapons from the void. He regards combat as the highest pursuit and will actively seek out and challenge the strong.]
[Additional Function Unlocked: Clone Projection. The host can designate a Shadow Ninja to merge with this card, acting as an independent individual with dual-threaded control by the host.]
Mordred looked at this card, the corners of his mouth under the mask curling up wildly.
Originally, he thought having only the 'Deadpool' character would make the one-man show too monotonous.
Now, it was perfect; he had both the lead and the villain.
"System, merge."
Mordred had a thought.
In the shadow behind him, a tall Shadow Ninja slowly emerged.
The card turned into a black-red stream of light and instantly drilled into the Shadow Ninja's body.
"Kaka kaka..."
The Shadow Ninja's body began to undergo a violent transformation.
The pitch-black ninja suit faded away, replaced by bronze skin and muscles that looked like they were cast from steel.
Eerie red tattoos crawled all over his body, and a violent aura from ancient times instantly swept through the entire auction house ruins.
The shadow that once only obeyed orders now opened its eyes.
Those were a pair of eyes without any emotion, leaving only pure slaughterous desire.
"Abel, in position."
Mordred controlled this new body, feeling the power within it sufficient to split mountains, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Next, it's just a matter of waiting for the audience to arrive."