One-Eyed Monster

It had been a long time since Kevin’s attack, yet the Freak was only now reacting. Its response was incredibly slow. A slow response wasn’t necessarily a weakness, but it did seem a bit strange. If someone repeatedly punched you and you showed no reaction until their fists grew numb, it would sound like a joke.

But Kevin didn’t find this humorous. As he attacked the Freak, he clearly felt a potent poison emanating from it. The strong poison prevented Kevin from fully unleashing his assault. Its noxious smell affected his speed, but despite this, Kevin was confident he had dealt a powerful blow to the hideous Freak.

Even if this blow doesn’t make the Freak disintegrate, it should tear it to pieces!

Kevin was just that confident.

He had a habit of counting Gudu Time after each swing. He wasn’t counting his slashes but rather counting down to the moment his opponent would collapse.

When Kevin uttered the words ”blooming everywhere,” the Freak let out a dreadful, unearthly shriek. This was a reaction to the pain, though the Freak’s shriek was indeed excessively piercing.

”Fall apart, you bastard!” Kevin said calmly, staring at the Freak. This was another habit of his: after attacking, he would observe from a hidden corner until his opponent was completely defeated before sheathing his blade.

Soon, deep gashes erupted all over the Freak’s body, spewing a thick, viscous green liquid. The area around it quickly became sticky.

So, the Freak’s blood was green and highly toxic. As the blood splashed down, a disgusting green miasma instantly rose around it. The toxic corrosion quickly spread, devastating the once beautiful Moonflow Stream.

The Moonflow Stream, once said to sing under the moonlight, now had a large section occupied by the hideous monster. Its blood and slime defaced the serene area. The aggressively corrosive, toxic fluids killed all the vegetation that had thrived even in the Deep Winter Season. The once beautiful post-snow scenery of green and white was instantly transformed into a grim, lifeless expanse of black and withered brown...

Yet, Kevin hadn’t sheathed his blade. Though confident he had dealt the Freak a heavy blow, he knew it wasn’t enough to completely shatter it. He needed to find the right moment to land a few more strikes.

The wounds on the Freak’s body indeed began to bloom open one by one, like flowers. The eruption of the green, viscous fluid was even more horrifying than red blood. Coupled with the Freak’s repulsive cries, the overall scene was thoroughly grotesque...

”The Art of Blade really isn’t as good as making things burst,” Kevin sighed. Even in the midst of battle, he maintained his optimism, always pressing cheerfully forward.

Kevin’s attack was surprisingly effective. Wizard Reed hadn’t expected anyone to dare engage in close combat amid such chaos. Even more surprising were the Freak’s slow reactions and sluggish movements.

Faced with such a fast swordsman, whose movements were too quick to follow, it was no wonder he dared to choose close combat.

In truth, Kevin could manipulate his blade from a distance, but he preferred to have it in his hand. He wasn’t accustomed to controlling his blade remotely...

Milo was different. His agility wasn’t on par with Kevin’s. Like Wizard Reed, he would never act rashly without thoroughly understanding his opponent’s specific situation. Thus, his earlier attacks had been more exploratory. He was the epitome of caution. Although he sometimes charged forward recklessly, he would always choose to retreat at critical moments.

Watching Kevin’s assault, Milo couldn’t help but lament. How could I hide in such a sorry state? he thought. Besides, that monster is a knock-off Exchange Beast—something I’m very familiar with!

Feeling somewhat provoked, Milo also decided to counterattack. He had to protect the Great Mentor; he would use his abilities to their fullest.

So, Milo twirled his fingers, forming an Alchemy Equation. He planned to deliver a lethal strike to the Freak as well...

Since this monster is so slow in its movements and attacks, isn’t it practically giving us a chance to finish it off?

Just as Milo was preparing a new attack, a figure once again flew beside the monster.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH! Only the sound of a whistling wind was heard, and then the figure vanished.

That was Kevin’s rhythm! A follow-up strike as fast as lightning!

This time, Kevin thought, even a Freak this sturdy has to collapse!

Milo also watched intently.

This time, just as Kevin expected, the monster didn’t even have a chance to cry out in pain. With an enormous CRACKLING SOUND, even more thick green liquid spurted from the neat, uniform cuts all over the Freak’s body...

Then, the Freak’s head and shoulders detached from its body, tumbling down like boulders.

This was Kevin’s bladework. He wouldn’t stop until his opponent was torn to pieces!

But even now, Kevin still hadn’t sheathed his blade.

Although the Freak had been chopped into pieces, the enemy’s aura hadn’t weakened in the slightest. The green blood had splashed everywhere, leaving the Moonflow Stream a wreck.

Kevin was always crystal clear about his opponent’s reactions when his blade struck them. He had encountered despair, fear, and resignation many times. Usually, when an opponent displayed such emotions, Kevin would confidently sheathe his blade. Sheathing his blade cleanly and without hesitation always looked incredibly commanding. Such moments effortlessly displayed Kevin’s strength; sheathing the blade meant he absolutely would not strike again.

However, this time, facing the dismembered and collapsed Freak, Kevin remained motionless, showing no intention of sheathing his blade.

Because the two times he had struck, the feeling had been different.

The first time, the Freak had shown furious resistance. The second time, however, there was no feedback from it at all, as if it knew his blade was coming...

This was the kind of feeling he usually got from individuals capable of withstanding his strikes.

But for this Freak to show no resistance when he launched his second flurry of strikes—that was odd!