The smoke from the gun muzzle had not yet dissipated.
Although Lixer's body was powered by inhuman strength, his durability was clearly far inferior to that of an actual anomaly. Consequently, he was directly felled by Maki's shots, collapsing to the ground and struggling for a long time without being able to get up.
But Maki could not relax her expression.
At the moment she felt that terrifying, bone-chilling oppressive sensation radiating from her side, Maki found it impossible to relax, no matter what.
She had already realized where the crux of the problem lay.
[Please don't misunderstand. I am completely a good person.]
In that moment just now, before Lixer jumped down, he had spoken those words.
Maki hadn't been able to react to the problem with that sentence immediately because, right after speaking, Lixer had jumped down wielding a climbing axe, looking as if he intended to engage them in close-quarters combat, forcing Maki to hurriedly draw her gun and attack.
But after reacting, Maki instantly realized the key issue with that sentence.
I am completely a good person. A person. A human.
The identity of "human" had been deliberately emphasized.
Therefore, amidst the ruins of the nearby buildings, Hedal raised her head, and that cold, grim resentment transmitted over along with her gaze.
In the next instant, Maki threw herself violently to the side, hitting the ground.
A blood-colored light flashed through the air, and following it, Lixer's body exploded, bit by bit, sliced into tiny fragments of minced meat.
As the target who had spoken the unspeakable words, even though he couldn't fully be considered human, Lixer still bore the brunt of Hedal's power first. He was thoroughly pulverized on the spot, with no possibility of resurrection.
After taking action, the anomaly draped in a blood-soaked dress turned around. She paid no heed to Maki or Chika but continued to cast her gaze toward the building fragments of the Research Zone not far away, and to Fulen, who was located there.
Maki's heartbeat almost stopped at that moment.
The next second, this terrifying anomaly vanished from in front of Maki, returning to the Research Zone to continue staring blankly at Fulen's shattered corpse.
They weren't attacked. It seemed that, compared to others, Fulen's existence was still more attractive to the current Hedal. Unless Maki or Chika said something like "I am a human," she would not easily shift her target.
A hand reached out from the side, grabbing Maki tightly and helping her up from the ground.
"He ran away!"
Chika's extremely anxious voice rang in her ears.
What? Ran away?!
Realizing something was wrong, Maki hurriedly scrambled up, only to see Fulen climbing on a piece of building debris not far away.
That guy... he took advantage of the moment the female anomaly shifted her attention to separate his human side from his anomaly side again. He left the anomaly side here to attract attention while his other side fled?
That bastard. He had been stalling for time just to create an opportunity to escape. No, I can't let that guy get away. I must catch him!
Maki did not hesitate. She accelerated into a run, leaped violently across the gap between two fragments, and chased after the fleeing Fulen.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Chika Fujiwara had not received an A-rank Twilight-level Blessing like Maki, so naturally, she couldn't run across these building fragments like her. Seeing Maki leave, the girl simply tried to chase after her subconsciously, only to immediately retreat from the hollow void beneath the building fragments.
If this continues, will I be the only one left here?
The girl frowned, looking left and right, and finally looked at the climbing axe beside Lixer, who had already been crushed into nothingness.
This sharp climbing axe weighed about a pound or so—not too heavy—and it made a whistling sound when swung.
Chika pondered what she could do now. She noticed that the Research Zone ahead, even though only reduced to broken building fragments, still maintained its power supply and was operating normally. The instruments inside were running, continuing to produce bullets. It was just that due to Andres's disappearance, the black stones inside those bullets were gone; essentially, they were just defective bullets with insufficient powder.
Those things probably wouldn't be of any use.
Think carefully. Think about what direction I can start from, what else I can do.
Chika's brows furrowed tight. For a moment, she couldn't help but stomp her feet in anxiety, spinning in circles. Then, suddenly realizing something, she raised her head and looked at the pile of rotten meat on the ground of the Research Zone—the remains of Fulen's anomaly form.
Hedal's obsession was to exterminate all living humans in the Research Base, and Fulen was the only survivor. Because he remained undying, Hedal could not rest.
But now, the human Fulen she was supposed to kill had run far away, yet she hadn't chased after him. This was because the presence of the anomaly Fulen before her eyes was too strong, so much so that this not-very-bright female anomaly couldn't discover her true target. She was stuck here, unable to leave unless someone courted death by shouting "I am human" to trigger her killing rule.
What if I can mask the presence of this anomaly, making the female anomaly detect her true target?
The girl took a deep breath, took a few steps back, and cheered herself on in her heart several times. Then, she charged forward violently, leaped into the air, and landed directly on the floor of the Research Zone ruins.
Cold.
Bone-chilling, terrifyingly cold.
The core obsession located here, Hedal, merely stood in place, staring motionlessly at Fulen's rotten meat squirming on the ground. She didn't pay any attention to Chika at all.
But even so, her very existence made it almost impossible for the girl to move. With every step she took, she felt as if all the joints in her body were rusting.
Such a terrifying existence.
Ah Hai, as well as Fujiwara-san... no, Kaguya-san and Shijo-san, they have faced this kind of monster more than once.
So I can't back down either.
Deep breath.
Take another deep breath.
Chika Fujiwara took off the soldier uniform she was wearing.
Her upper body was clad only in binding cloth, and her lower body in safety shorts—Chika Fujiwara, whose level of exposure was now about the same as wearing a swimsuit, couldn't care less about things like shame. Clutching the soldier uniform in her hands, she cautiously approached the motionless blood-dress female anomaly ahead.
"Ugh..."
The closer she got, the more intense the pain her body felt.
Unlike Andres, who was a very gentle core obsession—one that would definitely only be Twilight-level danger if singled out—Hedal's obsession was similar to Li Zhaodi's. It was a completely externalized obsession with a very intense presence. And because Hedal's obsession itself fused the resentment of countless test subjects who had died miserably in the Great Rift, the intensity of this core obsession was astonishing. Just by getting within ten meters, Chika Fujiwara felt as if her nerves were about to be crushed.
"Haa... ngh..."
Scraped bloody marks began to appear on her skin.
Her breathing was obstructed, to the point where it could almost be said she was about to stop breathing.
She seemed to see all kinds of hallucinations—people dying miserably, or even being thrown into the Great Rift before they were dead, struggling arduously inside, finally rotting there, sliding bit by bit into the depths of the rift. It was as if she was already empathizing with them, experiencing the pain of those people.
Clench teeth.
Move forward one more step.
The distance to the blood-dress female anomaly shortened to five meters, and the distance to Fulen's rotten meat shortened to less than two meters.
Chika Fujiwara could hardly move anymore. She felt her nerves were completely disordered, and everything around her appeared in a chaotic state. She couldn't control her tears and saliva flowing down, and large patches of skin on her body began to tear, as if she had already fallen into the Great Rift and was being dragged into the abyss bit by bit.
In reality, the blood-dress female anomaly ignored Chika's approach completely. In front of Fulen, the target of her deepest obsession, that thing didn't care about any targets other than Fulen. The reason the girl suffered increasingly severe damage was simply that her willpower couldn't remain absolutely lucid in this situation; it was merely a reaction caused by excessive erosion from the anomaly's power.
No... way...
I can't... lose consciousness here...
She stabbed the sharp side of the climbing axe into her own thigh.
But even pain like this was hard to maintain a clear consciousness with.
Chika had sat down on the ground. She couldn't advance even a single step further. She could only hold on where she was, holding on with all her might. Her trembling hands grabbed the climbing axe, turned it sideways to use as a shovel, extended it to Fulen's flesh, and scooped a small portion of the anomalous meat chunks over.
Obviously, a climbing axe was not suitable to be a shovel. The amount of flesh scooped over was very small, but for Chika, it was already considered not bad.
She reached out, grabbing those squirming meat chunks directly.
An even more intense sensation of cold struck her, but it actually stimulated Chika's mind, allowing her to sober up slightly.
So she took a deep breath and stuffed the meat chunks in her hand directly into the soldier uniform.
The blood-dress anomaly trembled slightly at this moment. The aura of Fulen as an anomaly weakened a bit; this seemed to confuse the female anomaly somewhat.
Chika didn't have any extra strength to distinguish the female anomaly's reaction. She just supported herself with difficulty, putting more rotten meat into the soldier uniform, stuffing these meat chunks inside to make Fulen's existence intersect with the identity of a "Research Base Soldier," constantly lowering the presence of this anomaly.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out again in the distance.
Maki Shijo fired continuously, but she couldn't hit the incredibly fast Fulen during the chase.
Why is this bastard so fast? Did he use the anomaly's power to alter his physical constitution?
The girl, unable to catch up to her opponent, ground her teeth in anger.
The direction the opponent was fleeing was very clear: a building fragment of the Freezing Zone not far away. Obviously, Fulen wanted to return to his home field and attempt to cut the power again to transform his state, thereby surviving and avoiding being killed.
"Don't even think about it!"
Maki, having emptied her magazine again, simply held the gun in a reverse grip and flung it out violently as a projectile.
The A-rank body enhancement brought physical capabilities at the limit of the human body. The pistol thrown by the girl flew forward at high speed, catching up to the wretchedly fleeing Fulen and smashing ruthlessly into the back of his head.
"Urgh!"
Amidst a cry of pain, Fulen rolled on the ground. His pristine white uniform was stained with dust, and his exquisitely maintained face was covered in dirt.
This damn brat, who do you think you are? You actually dare to hit me!
He scrambled up again, continuing to run forward. Fulen was incomparably furious, almost wishing he could turn back and tear Maki to shreds, but he knew he couldn't take the risk right now. To survive, his only hope was to return to the Freezing Zone.
"Is that all the skill you have? Coward! Wimp!"
Maki began cursing loudly from the rear.
Fulen's brow furrowed.
"You don't even have the guts to face a little girl? No wonder you ended up achieving nothing, with absolutely no one remembering you!"
Maki began to increase the output of her verbal attacks, even slowing down her running speed to do so.
Fulen's fists were already clenched tight.
"So is that all you've got? You don't even dare to reply with a single sentence? What a waste of space. You'd be better off crawling back into your mother's womb and being born again—maybe you'd turn out better that way?"
Maki, who seemed to have completely failed to catch up, stopped in place. She cupped her hands around her mouth, increasing her volume as she cursed at Fulen.
Veins bulged on Fulen's forehead; his anger had reached its peak.
I want to kill her.
I really want to kill this damn bastard.
But I can't. These Players are weirdly formidable. If the group chasing me...
Wait a minute. The opponent is alone now, isn't she?
The man's eyes lit up as he suddenly realized this issue.
These enemies had already scattered; they weren't gathered together anymore. Those strange items of theirs were also dispersed. At this very moment, he didn't need to worry about being caught up by many people, because in fact, the only one following him was this single person—and a skinny, weak little girl at that.
Of course, in his current state, he was indeed closer to a human and could be killed by external forces. If he encountered a super muscular man, he might be taken out on the spot. But because of his symbiosis with his anomaly side, Fulen's physical strength in this state was extremely high—it could be said to have surpassed human limits. He wasn't as frail as he appeared on the surface. Therefore, how could a mere young girl not even 1.6 meters tall possibly defeat him? Killing her would be as easy as turning over his hand. Moreover, as long as he successfully dealt with this brat, the enemy should be weakened to a certain extent, which would be more advantageous for him.
Yes, this was a very reasonable thought.
In that case, I'll just kill this brat right here!
Thinking this, Fulen gradually stopped his steps and turned to look at Maki, who was still some distance away.
Seeing Fulen turn around with a face full of malicious smiles, Maki also smiled. She took a step and walked forward just like that, meeting Fulen head-on.
At her neck, the Obsession Item necklace capable of inducing human thought was trembling slightly with the girl's movement.
"Go to hell—"
Roaring, Fulen threw a vicious punch.
Then Maki ducked, turned sideways, and landed a hook on Fulen's stomach.
Fulen screamed after taking the brutal punch, retreating, only to be caught by Maki, who jumped up to land a straight punch on his chin, followed by a landing spin and a side kick.
Fulen, beaten until he rolled on the ground, cried out in pain. He struggled to get up, only to be kicked in the knee, forcing him to kneel.
Wind filled his ears as Maki slammed both hands ruthlessly onto the sides of Fulen's ears, bursting his eardrums on the spot. In his pain, Fulen sprang up to pounce on Maki. The girl went with the momentum and fell back, planting both feet upwards on Fulen's body, using his leverage to fling him forward, making the man face-plant hard into the dirt.
Fulen crawled up again, only to turn his head and receive a fierce punch from Maki right on his face. His jawbone cracked on the spot, and three or four teeth flew out of his mouth.
amidst his dizziness, he finally understood. This cute girl who looked like a little lamb was actually a ferocious tiger. The power and speed hidden in that small body were not inferior to his own at all. Moreover, the technique of her punches was in a completely different dimension from his own wild haymakers. Her beating him was just like Ip Man beating Master Hua—actually, he was even worse than Master Hua; at least Master Hua, despite his daily slipping, could actually exchange a few moves. He could take a beating.
I can't do this. I have to run.
Fulen crawled up from the ground and ran regardless of everything, relying on his excellent damage resistance enhanced by the anomaly's power. Although he was beaten black and blue and barely looked human anymore, Maki still couldn't stop Fulen; she could only do her best to pursue him.
It was close. It was right in front of him. He was about to arrive.
Fulen had already seen the hope of life.
He hadn't lost.
He hadn't lost yet.
As long as he could survive, as long as he endured this stage, once everything returned to its original state, he would have a way to realize his beautiful dream and become a true God.
It wasn't time for his failure yet. He would win. He would definitely win!
"Hahahahaha—"
Fulen, with saliva and snot mixed with blood flowing down his face, laughed wildly.
But immediately after, he felt an intense, icy aura coming from behind him.
What is going on?!
Why am I locked onto by that female anomaly?
Shouldn't she be staring at my other self and refusing to leave? Why did she suddenly switch targets?!
No, no, no, don't panic, don't panic, I still have a chance!
Now that the entire Research Base has shattered, that female anomaly's power has also been affected. She shouldn't be able to teleport to me across such a long distance right now. She should need some time to find me. So as long as I can enter the Freezing Zone before that and cut the power inside, I can survive!
Victory belongs to me. It will always belong to me. No one can take it away!
At the critical moment of life and death, Fulen actually burst out with even greater speed, rushing toward the gate of the Freezing Zone like he was flying.
The blood-dress figure was attacking from the distance at high speed, but it was too late to catch up before Fulen reached the Freezing Zone.
I won! I won! I won!
You stupid idiots, you idiots who thought you could suppress me, destroy me—now take a good look at who gets the last laugh!
Fulen laughed maniacally, leaped violently over a platform, and finally arrived at the entrance of the Freezing Zone ruins.
Without the slightest hesitation, he charged forward.
[In the name of General Shegera, I order the Freezing Zone sealed. From this moment on, no one is permitted to enter. Except for me, no one possesses the authority to enter the Freezing Zone!]
Then, he slammed viciously into a transparent barrier, intercepted outside the Freezing Zone.
Huh?
Fulen froze in place.
His only path to life, his only chance of survival, that dawn of victory—it was right in front of him.
It was only a step away.
All he had to do was take one step forward.
It was just a small thing of that magnitude...
But now, he couldn't do it. No matter what, he couldn't do such a thing anymore.
"Why... why... why..."
The man, nearly driven mad, was about to roar out in a mental breakdown.
[Hee hee hee hee—]
Then, he heard laughter from behind him.
Laughter that was incomparably familiar, incomparably detested, and incomparably terrified.
Ah, yes. This laughter was the laughter of Hedal, confined in the Confinement Room, after she had finally been tortured into madness.
She laughed "hee hee hee" non-stop every day. Anyone who met her eyes would feel a creeping horror. Just hearing that voice would give one nightmares. It got to the point where, after this woman went mad, hardly anyone was willing to approach her to continue experiments on her.
[Hee hee hee hee— Hee hee hee hee—]
But others could find reasons to run away; he could not. Because he was the highest leader of the researchers, and because of his desire for anomalous power, no matter how much he didn't want to approach that terrifying Hedal after she fell into madness, he still had to face her every day and continue unfolding various experiments on her.
He remembered clearly. One day, when an experiment ended and Hedal was about to be transported back to the Confinement Room, as the restraint cart pushing her passed by, this woman's hand actually broke free from the restraint straps and violently grabbed his hand as he stood to the side.
[Hee hee hee, caught you—]
The words she spoke with a low laugh at that time actually gave Fulen a sensation of trembling fear.
Yes, it was that kind of terror, unparalleled and soul-shattering.
A feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, a feeling he should have remembered.
Is that so? He should have remembered it. The more a scientist walks at the frontier of human civilization, the more they should feel awe toward the unknown domain ahead.
But he had lost that awe. He got lost in front of that mysterious power, forgot the bottom line he should have adhered to, forgot the unknown he should have feared, and arrogantly thought he could conquer everything, until the judgment descended.
Ah, ah, ah...
He finally remembered...
He couldn't succeed. He couldn't win. Because he was already dead. Because he had actually died already.
The speed at which Hedal slaughtered her way into the base after the power was cut far exceeded his imagination. He had always thought he knew this anomaly that this woman had turned into inside out, that he completely understood her strength. But it wasn't until she entered the base that he discovered this terrifying anomaly was so powerful it was simply immeasurable.
He had run toward the Freezing Zone with all his might.
But when he finally arrived at the door of the Freezing Zone, when he was finally just one step away from walking in, he heard the laughter ringing from behind him.
[Hee hee hee, caught you—]
That thing had caught him at the door. He thought he had survived, thought he had succeeded. But in fact, that was merely the last obsession remaining of a self that refused to believe reality.
So he had no way to succeed. A person who was already dead, a person who had already become an obsession, had no way to return to the stage of being human, let alone pursue the domain of a so-called God.
This fact—in this moment, Fulen finally understood it.
Thump—
He slumped to the ground, crawled forward trembling, turned around, and leaned against that transparent barrier, his face pale as he looked at the blood-red figure standing in front of him.
[Hee hee hee— caught you—]
The female anomaly, her face covered in blood, smiled at him. She spoke happily like a child, yet there was not a shred of emotion or feeling in her voice.
Fulen knew the moment he welcomed his verdict was arriving.
So he raised his head trembling, looking at the sky. Looking at that pitch-black sky where absolutely no light existed.
"Ah, ah... God... if you truly exist..."
"I beg you, I beg You... have mercy on me..."
The next moment was the sound of bones and flesh shattering together.
A shrill scream resounded through the sky.
And that pitiful, ugly soul—who had long since died but stubbornly refused to admit his fate, struggling until now for it—was finally torn to shreds at this moment, dragged into hell by those monstrosities brimming with hatred.
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