What was coming could not be avoided in the end.
Late one night, heavy with fog and devoid of stars or moon, the team member responsible for monitoring Magoes issued a maximum level alert—the target's residence was completely enveloped by a massive, foul, and intensely malevolent power! Black, viscous, unknown liquid, wriggling like a living thing, constantly seeped out from the cracks in the doors and windows, and even the walls themselves, rapidly contaminating the surrounding streets. Merely approaching the area caused one's Spirituality warning to shriek frantically, inducing severe dizziness, nausea, and a profound sense of fear originating from the depths of the soul.
Dunn led the main force of the Nighthawks Squad to the scene at the highest speed. The sight before them made their scalps tingle. The detached apartment where Magoes lived was completely warped; the walls seemed to have turned into wriggling flesh, and the windows resembled evil eyes peering outside, emitting an ominous red glow. A thick, sweet, and foul stench permeated the air, even forming a faint black mist visible to the naked eye.
"Set up the Purification Ritual! Maximum specifications! Leonard, evacuate all surrounding residents! Luo Yao, establish an outer cordon, prohibit anyone from approaching!" Despite the oppressive evil aura, Dunn's voice remained astonishingly calm and penetrating. He activated "Resilient Will," forcefully suppressing the pervasive mental pollution.
The team members acted swiftly. Holy oil was poured, symbols representing the Seven Deities (primarily the Evernight Goddess) were carved into the ground, and silver bells were rung, emitting a clear, resonant sound attempting to disperse the filth. However, the pure power generated by the ritual was like ice cubes thrown into boiling water, quickly swallowed and neutralized by the immense evil, having negligible effect.
"It's no good, Captain! The Purification power can't penetrate! Whatever is inside... it's too strong!" Luo Yao reported, his face pale.
Dunn stared intently at the door, which was completely covered in black slime. He knew they couldn't wait any longer. If this power was allowed to spread, the entire Tingen City could turn into hell.
"Someone must go inside! Try to destroy the core from within, or... at least slow down its growth!" Dunn said in a deep voice, his tone carrying undeniable resolve.
According to the "plot," Klein and Leonard should have been the ones to go inside. But this time, he had more preparations and greater strength.
"I'm going in with you," Dunn stated decisively. Under the astonished gaze of his teammates, he took the lead toward the door that seemed to lead to hell. "I am the Captain, and this is my responsibility. Furthermore, my 'Nightmare' ability might be able to create some interference inside, giving you a chance."
He didn't give them time to object, having already mobilized his Spirituality. "Precise Control" allowed him to distribute his Spirituality evenly and efficiently around his body, forming an invisible barrier that struggled to resist the evil erosion that was almost solidifying the space. "Resilient Will" acted like a reef, allowing him to ignore the mental shockwaves and waves of terror that were strong enough to instantly drive low-SequenceBeyonders insane.
He drew his Rune Revolver, gripping a silver-plated Ritual Dagger tightly in his other hand. He nodded to Klein and Leonard: "Stay close, remain vigilant, and don't be fooled by any illusions or whispers."
The three formed a triangular formation, with Dunn leading the way, and violently slammed open the door—which, despite being covered in slime, was surprisingly fragile!
The sight inside the door was enough to cause the bravest Warrior's mind to collapse.
This was no longer a human dwelling; it was a living, wriggling Flesh Nest! The walls, floor, and ceiling pulsed like a heart, covered in twisted blood vessels and constantly opening and closing suckers lined with sharp teeth. The air was thick with high-temperature humidity, mixed with the indescribable, blasphemous odors of blood and decay.
Magoes (or rather, the entity that used to be Magoes) lay in the center of the room. Most of her body had merged into the nest, with only her head and extremely distended abdomen barely retaining a human form. Her eyes were wide open, her pupils transformed into two constantly spinning black vortices, and unconscious, bone-chilling ravings emerged from her mouth. The skin of her abdomen was transparent like a thin membrane, beneath which was the distorted, constantly wriggling and deforming outline of an infant. It seemed to possess too many limbs and eyes, radiating suffocating evil and chaos.
That was the Evil God's Child!
The battle erupted instantly!
Sensing the intruders, the Flesh Nest sprang to life! Countless slick tentacles, covered with suckers and bone spurs, extended from the walls, whipping toward the three like lashes! Cracks opened in the floor, attempting to swallow their ankles!
Leonard displayed his astonishing speed, darting through the tentacles like a phantom, using his cane to precisely strike the joints and suckers of the tentacles, attempting to draw the main fire. Klein moved quickly, trying to locate the nest's Spirituality nodes or set up a small-scale Purification Ritual. He continuously threw various symbolic materials and symbols, chanting calming Hermes Language.
Dunn did not rashly use "Dream Induction" to influence the Evil God's Child; that would be equivalent to throwing his own consciousness into the Abyss of madness. He fully utilized "Keen Observation." His eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, rapidly scanned the entire nest. He saw Spirituality flowing inside the walls like a filthy river, saw several core nodes where energy converged, and also saw the thick, foul, umbilical cord-like energy connections between the Evil God's Child and the remains of Magoes!
"Attack those energy nodes! And the connections between it and the mother!" Dunn roared, raising his Rune Revolver simultaneously. "Precise Control" allowed him to perfectly inject Spirituality into the bullet. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet whistled out, striking not the Child's body, but precisely hitting a Spirituality node at the root of a tentacle that was wrapping around Leonard!
"Pfft!" Like a burst abscess, the tentacle instantly lost vitality and collapsed limply.
He quickly reloaded and aimed at an "umbilical cord" connecting the Child and Magoes. The bullet struck, the "umbilical cord" twisted violently and dimmed slightly. The Evil God's Child let out a sharp, angry shriek, and more tentacles surged toward Dunn like a tide!
Dunn dodged with agile movements, using the subtle adjustments provided by "Precise Control" to narrowly avoid attacks every time. Every counterattack he launched was highly efficient, never wasting a shred of Spirituality or physical strength.
However, the power of the Evil God's Child far exceeded expectations. A particularly thick tentacle, tipped with a Bone Hammer, lashed out at a tricky angle. Leonard couldn't dodge in time and was struck hard in the chest. He flew backward, slamming into the wriggling wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and was temporarily unable to get up.
Klein's Purification Ritual had just begun to glow faintly when it was immediately extinguished by an even denser power of corruption. He suffered a backlash himself, his face turning pale.
The twisted infant seemed completely enraged. It snapped its head around, its chaotic, evil eyes locking onto Dunn, who had been precisely interfering with it, and Klein, who was trying to approach the core!
An indescribable, icy will, as if originating from the darkest corner of the deep cosmos, enveloped both of them like a physical entity! Dunn felt his movements instantly slow down, his Spirituality circulation stagnating, as if he had sunk into an invisible swamp! Klein, even more so, was frozen, unable to move even a finger, his face showing extreme pain and struggle, as if his soul was about to be extracted and devoured the next second!
A thin line between life and death!