Chapter 525: The Ambush
The monstrous Beast’s Giant Blood-filled Maw gaped wide, thick, foul-smelling mucus dripping from its jagged lips, mingling with crimson blood. The Butcher Demon glared at the Dragon Scales warriors charging from all directions, letting out a guttural roar as its throat convulsed, emitting a grating, metallic screech.
"Insolent Mortal Entities! You shall soon learn—what kind of Existence you have dared to defy!"
Abyssal mist swirled around the Demon’s massive frame, and the porous organs at its neck pulsed with chaotic, dissonant whispers. The sound slithered into minds like swarming insects, gnawing at their Spiritual Souls—profane, blasphemous words.
"No—!"
"Cover your ears! It’s that sound again!"
"By Kai Xiusu, this is utter desecration! What is it doing inside my head?!"
The battlefield erupted into chaos. Imperial Soldiers writhed in agony, clutching their ears, eyes shut tight, rolling on the ground. Demons seized the moment, howling with frenzied excitement, slashing and tearing at the soldiers’ flesh with claws and fangs.
For Mortals, such blasphemy could awaken primal fears, even corrupt their Spiritual Souls. But Vitajis was no mortal.
Thanks to the Geneticist of the Mechanical Divinity, who had engineered the Dragon Scales warriors using draconic DNA, each wielded the Leman’s Ear—a biomechanical implant that enhanced hearing and allowed conscious filtering of background noise. Moreover, their bond with the Emperor of the Ashen Flame granted them Spiritual Souls as fierce and unbreakable as a Dragon’s—immune to the corruption of profane utterances.
Steel Tide stood unshaken. If anything, he laughed—loud and wild—before flipping his backhand with a flourish, declaring:
"Big bug! Do you even know who you’re facing? Stand before you—a legion of Vitajis Tower Dragonscales!"
"Vrrrrr—"
The Chain Saw Sword spun at blinding speed, humming like a swarm of wasps. Several Dragon Scales warriors flanked the Butcher Demon from behind, aiming for a surprise ambush.
"Pathetic!" The Demon spun mid-leap, its razor-sharp appendages slashing across the air.
"Clang!"
Metal clashed—but no blood sprayed. No guts spilled. The blades rebounded off the dark-red outer armor, sending the warriors flying backward. The armor held.
"What?!"
"Dragon Scales, launch the attack!"
Steel Tide hefted his Experience Points-Enhanced Disruptor, aimed at the Demon’s grotesque head, and roared as he squeezed the trigger:
"Sacrifice its head for His Majesty!"
"Boom!"
A massive explosion erupted in midair. First, a searing mushroom cloud of intense heat burst forth, then a rune-carved bullet—charged with arcane energy—sliced through the air, striking the Butcher Demon dead-on.
"What in the name of—?"
The Demon’s Beast instincts screamed Danger. It twisted its head aside, raising its armored forearm to block.
"Pang!"
An Armor-Piercing Bullet. The spiral tip bit deep into the chitinous plate, then the casing peeled away. The high-velocity core kept driving forward, punching through. Then came the secondary explosion—shrapnel of super-hardened metal detonating inward, blasting through the breach. Blood and fire erupted from the Demon’s body.
"Roar—!"
The Demon screamed in agony, recoiling, its arm flailing wildly, a jagged wound weeping dark ichor.
"You're nothing but weak Humans! How dare you wound me?!"
Enraged, the Demon leapt like a phantom, its massive claw descending from above.
"Boom!"
Cracks split the earth, but Steel Tide rolled away multiple times, already meters clear. The Dragon Scales’ reflexes far surpassed any mortal. Even as he rolled, he raised his Blast Arrow Rifle and aimed again—this time at the Demon’s head, seeking a decisive strike.
"Pang!"
A thick, spiked tail shot down from above, slamming into the ground with a thunderous impact. Debris flew everywhere—so close it nearly impaled Steel Tide’s neck.
He dodged again—but as the tail yanked back from the earth, its barbed tip hooked his rifle, wrenching it from his grip.
Then, the Demon’s claw came down, crushing the rifle into splinters.
Steel Tide stared at the wreckage, his face twisted in anguish.
"No—!"
"That was a Special Trial-Grade Rifle from the Technology Department! Only one in the entire Empire!"
He howled in despair, his grief hardening into fury. He drew his Chain Saw Sword, eyes blazing red.
"Damn it, big bug! You’re gonna pay for my new rifle! I only fired three shots—!"
He leapt into the air, muscles straining, veins bulging in his transformed arm. With every ounce of strength, he drove the Chain Saw Sword down, aiming to sever the Demon’s tail.
"Clang!"
Another sharp, metallic ring. But this time—the blade cut through! The high-speed Chain Saw Sword sliced through the armored surface, carving through bone, and severed the tail clean off. The severed half fell in midair, twitching.
"Eat my blade!"
Two Dragon Scales warriors seized the moment, swinging their Chain Saws with brutal precision, hacking at the Demon’s rear with a savage, meat-chopping blow.
"Aaargh!"
"I’ll kill you all!"
Pain ripped through the Demon. Its body convulsed, eyes blazing with frenzied rage. Blood-red light enveloped its massive form. Veins bulged across its flesh, muscles swelling grotesquely. Dozens of compound eyes flared with deep, unnatural light.
Paralyzing Gaze.
A spell-like ability of the Butcher Demon—its signature weapon. As the Abyss’s apex predator, one glance could freeze prey in place, rendering them utterly helpless.
But Steel Tide remained calm.
"Boss is about to go Phase Two! Prepare your defenses!"
"Watch its movements—eye technique!"
"Don’t fear! Surround the beast! Reward’s shared—everyone gets a piece!"
Instantly, protective runes flashed across the Dragon Scales’ helmets. Transparent glass domes descended, shielding their minds from the Paralyzing Gaze.
They stood alert, closing in from all sides, forming a tight, coordinated ring around the monstrous Demon.
"Attack!"
"For the Empire of Ashen!"
Steel Tide raised his Chain Saw Sword, blade aimed at the Demon’s head.
"For the Empire!"
"I’m not holding back anymore—For the Emperor!"
"Repent, Demons. Today is your end!"
The warriors howled like wolves closing in on a wounded prey. The Mechanical Divinity’s Geneticists had implanted Dragon Basal Vessels into them—enhancing their blood flow, amplifying their muscles, making their bodies far stronger than any human.
"Boom!"
The Demon swung its claw, smashing toward the front line. Dragon Scales warriors raised their dark-red Great Shields, blocking with grim determination—no retreat.
Meanwhile, two others had already flanked to the Demon’s blind spots, chainsaws whirling.
"Die, you big bug!"
The Chain Saws sliced through scales, tearing deep, jagged wounds. Purple-black pus oozed from the gashes.
"No—!" The Demon spun, slashing with its blade-like limbs, leaving a pale, bleeding line across a warrior’s armor.
"Damn, high damage!"
"My external armor durability dropped!"
But it was useless. The Dragon Scales operated in threes—positioned at different angles. Every time the Demon attacked one, the others in blind spots struck without mercy.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
They fired specialized rifles loaded with Armor-Piercing Bullets, providing constant fire support for their melee allies.
Steel Tide roared:
"Keep the rhythm! Let’s bleed this thing dry!"
Trapped in the circle, the Butcher Demon had no way out. These “Humans” were armored like Dragons. Their weapons were sharper than any claw or fang. Towering nearly four meters tall, they surrounded a Demon over ten meters in height—using sheer numbers to dominate the battlefield.
Now, the Demon was battered, its body torn and bleeding. It curled into a huddled mass, resembling a wounded mountain—on the verge of surrender.
The look of a Caged Beast’s Struggle. That was the thought in every observer’s mind.
Steel Tide, confident, already plotted his revenge for his destroyed rifle.
Then—laughter.
Low, deep, echoing like the whispering Abyss. The Demon lay prone, its body trembling violently. Chaos Mist surged around it.
"Hahaha—!"
"Never thought I’d find such amusement in the Prime Material Plane. You’re worthy prey. You deserve to witness my true form—the glorious might of the Great Butcher Demon!"
Steel Tide reacted instantly, retreating with a shout:
"Boss is entering Second Phase! Fall back—now!"
"What?! Second phase?! The Dog Designer’s a real monster!"
Players complained, but obeyed. They turned and fled—distance, fast.
Sure enough, the Chaos Mist exploded outward—spreading tens of meters, engulfing all within.
In the thick fog, a towering, monstrous figure emerged—standing tall upon the earth.
Smoke parted. The Demon raised its head and let out a long, thunderous Roar.
Its compound eyes now burned with feral, bloodlust—no trace of reason left. From its back sprouted four massive, feathered meat wings, black as night.
It flapped its wings—Abyssal Portals tore open in the air, and legions of Raven Demons poured forth, wings beating, diving toward the Dragon Scales.
"Roar—!"
The Demon charged, its form a blur. Where it passed, the ground darkened with blood-red aura. The sky choked on swirling Chaos Smoke. The giant Demon surged forward, relentless.
"Hold the line!"
"We’re almost done!"
The Dragon Scales braced, shields raised, eyes locked on the incoming swarm—on the jagged, slashing limbs flailing in midair.
"Boom!"
The Demon’s claw slammed down, sending three warriors flying. The earth cracked and split beneath them.
Steel Tide bellowed:
"Now!"
Four Dragon Scales warriors tore off their back-mounted Chain Guns, aimed them at the sky, and fired.
"Bang!"
Chains lashed through the air, interweaving like a net of fire. The blazing web descended, wrapping around the Demon, pinning it to the ground.
"Aaargh—!"
"How dare you trap a Hunter of the Abyss?! I’ll devour every last one of you!"
The Demon thrashed violently in the Iron Chain net, roaring in wrath. It swung its claw—crushing a Dragon Scales warrior into a bloody pulp.
Even with their enhanced muscle density and reinforced exoskeletons, they couldn’t withstand such a blow.
"Casualties are acceptable!"
"Hold the line—don’t let it break free!"
"Good! Keep it steady!"
Steel Tide roared, rallying his comrades. He and several others charged forward, Chain Saws whirling, blades aimed at the Demon’s head.
The Demon writhed, its head swinging wildly—nearly tearing the chains free, dragging players along.
But the Dragon Scales didn’t flinch. Facing the impossible size difference, they pressed forward—seeking a miracle.
Their Chain Saws struck as one.
"Clang!"
Armor shattered. Flesh parted. The specialized blades sliced through the thick scales with ease.
The swords plunged deep into the Demon’s skull. Purple-black Bloody Blossoms erupted from the wounds, spraying in all directions.
Around them, players unleashed everything—bullets, arrows, spells, grenades—pummeling the Demon’s body.
Explosions rocked its form.
"Roar—!"
"No—no—!"
"I’ll return! I’ll reborn in the Blood Pool! You’ll taste Death!"
The Demon unleashed all its spell-like abilities. A surge of Mind Power exploded—thought alone sent several Dragon Scales warriors flying dozens of meters, crashing into the ground.
"You’ll never kill me—!"
Hurricane winds howled. Demonic roars shook the earth.
The Demon writhed in chains, its massive body rolling across the battlefield, dealing devastating casualties to the Imperial Army.
Perhaps the last spark of defiance. Perhaps a final burst of strength. But it was enough to push the battlefield to its limit.
"We can’t let this go on! It must not escape!"
Steel Tide went all-out, sprinting forward, his propulsion unit flaring with light. The Chain Saw Sword spun at maximum speed, humming like a storm.
The Dragon Scales’ superhuman physiology reached its peak.
He charged through the hurricane, unyielding—straight toward the raging Demon.
"Swish—!"
The Chain Saw Sword pierced the Demon’s forehead—driving deep into its brain. The high-speed blade shredded its mind into pulp.
"Boom!"
The Demon’s death unleashed a terrifying phenomenon. Its massive body collapsed like a black hill, Chaos Mist swirling violently around it, coalescing into a colossal Abyssal Vortex.
Sky and earth were swallowed by the swirling, stained fog. Raven Demons in the air let out mournful, piercing cries—like a funeral dirge for their fallen master.
The Abyss’s Willpower reached across into the Prime Material Plane, attempting to reclaim the Demon’s corrupted Spiritual Soul and rebirth it in the Blood Pool.
But silence.
Then—nothing.
The Demon’s Spiritual Soul… was gone. Completely erased. No trace remained.
At that moment, Steel Tide stared at his Character Sheet.
> [You have slain Butcher Demon (Challenge Rating: 16)]
> [Reward: 76,800 Experience Points]
> [Quest Complete: Demon Elimination Achieved]
"Got it!" A grin split Steel Tide’s face. The sorrow over his lost rifle vanished instantly. He muttered, breathless:
"Whoa… I’m rich!"
But before he could savor it, Dragon Scales warriors surged forward, eyes gleaming with greed.
"Hoo-hoo—!"
"Boss! Split the loot!"
"Ten-something Golden Nael! Hand over some!"
"And my Faction Contribution!"
(End of Chapter)
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