Endless Debt-Chapter 974 - 65: Scavenger Bird
The suffocating silent drama lasted for a long time until the Silent Ones, with their substantial losses, began to see their ether strength climb. When their overall power approached that of the Prayer Believers, Bologue realized he couldn’t continue the standoff.
The trajectory of the resentful strikes was intercepted by ethereal blades, and the ground erupted with jagged stone halberds. But before they could pierce the Silent Ones’ bodies, more sweeping ethereal blades cleaved them apart.
Bologue’s ruthless assault initially swept through the Silent Ones, but as time passed, the resistance at the tip of his sword grew, making it feel like he was wading through a swamp, hard to wield.
It’s not that Bologue became weaker, but rather the Silent Ones became increasingly familiar with Bologue’s aggressive moves.
Bologue could feel the Silent Ones using their numerical advantage to gradually adapt to his combat style, and in turn, they were searching for his weaknesses.
At first, Bologue could easily cleave open a Silent One’s skull with a casual swing. But as he struck the second Silent One, its movements became noticeably more agile, allowing it to avoid Bologue’s blade to some extent, followed by the third, fourth...
After Bologue had slain countless Silent Ones, the ones he now faced could calmly respond to his swordsmanship and even had the strength to swing the ethereal blades back in counterattack.
Through continuous death, the Silent Ones were swiftly learning. If this continued, Bologue’s every move and style would be completely dissected by the Silent Ones, and an even larger crisis was brewing.
The more they died, the stronger the Silent Ones became, until Bologue could no longer resist.
Just like the terrifying killing power Bologue’s infinite sharpness eventually achieved, the Silent Ones, relying on their characteristics, formed a deadly combat loop.
It couldn’t be dragged on any longer.
Bologue smashed the entire ground in one hit, the roaring explosion mingling with the swirling dust flow, bringing the silent drama to an end.
In the rolling dust, Bologue grabbed Palmer and then flung out a grapple hook. Palmer understood his intent, the wind lifting them up, their figures quickly rising, reaching the top of the Stone Hall in an instant.
As they neared the top, Bologue commandeered the ceiling, tearing open a passage to continue upwards, and the two rushed in one after the other.
The Silent Ones raised their heads as if contemplating how to deal with Bologue. They paused like sculptures for a few seconds, the Silent Ones felt they had understood Bologue’s abilities enough, accumulating enough experience, and like Bologue, the Silent Ones thought it shouldn’t be dragged on any longer.
The Silent Ones exchanged glances... probing each other.
Without any warning, a portion of the Silent Ones raised their blades and slit their own throats, blood spraying, bodies collapsing stiffly, lying with more already cold corpses.
The dispersed power further concentrated together, the Silent Ones’ overall strength completely crossed the gap, reaching the tier of the Prayer Believers, and faintly advancing towards the tier of the Negative Power Users.
With stronger power obtained, the Silent Ones’ mobility greatly increased, continuing their pursuit of Bologue.
Above the Stone Hall, Bologue breathed heavily as he and Palmer hurried on foot, alone still hard to contend with the Silent Ones, Bologue’s original plan was once again disrupted.
Recalling the first negotiation, the Silent Ones faced too many Field Staff, so their learning ability was not obvious, but when targeting only Bologue, this ability became prominent.
Few could survive the Silent Ones’ siege.
"Is your ether sufficient? Can you still hold on?"
Palmer worried about Bologue. With Bologue’s high-intensity combat style and continuous conflicts, Palmer felt Bologue’s ether would likely be depleted. Even though he was a Negative Power User, he wouldn’t last long.
If Bologue fell, Palmer lacked faith that he could lead Bologue out of encirclement.
"I’m fine," Bologue said, "ether amount is the least of my worries."
Before the words were finished, ether’s faint glow swept through one side of the corridor. Palmer could only hear approaching footsteps, then the entire wall started to move, close, accompanied by screams and sounds of grinding flesh, the whole corridor completely closed, leaving only blood flowing from the gaps.
Blood flowed under Palmer’s feet, he swallowed, "Looks like you’re still in good shape."
Bologue’s response was calm, as if he had casually crushed several ordinary demons, "Silent Ones are troublesome, we must avoid them."
"He will keep learning until he becomes a Defender, then we’re doomed."
The more he fought, the more Bologue felt the Silent Ones’ terror. He really didn’t know where this guy came from.
More urgent footsteps came from ahead, Bologue could faintly sense the opposition’s ether strength, unlike the ordinary soldiers he just crushed, these were several Condensers, tier judgement indicated merely First Stage.
Bologue stepped forward before Palmer, the glow of Ether illuminating the darkness. The hostile Condenser, upon seeing Bologue for the first time, had not yet launched an attack when the Negative Power User’s Ether intensity spread, stirring up horrifying ripples, simultaneously unleashing the Face of Horror.
In the eyes of the approaching few, Bologue instantaneously transformed into some unknown deity, intimidating their spirits.
The man stood there dumbfounded, his breath gradually becoming rapid, while Bologue, as if not seeing him, had already walked up to him.
At this moment, the man belatedly reacted, calling upon Ether and attempting to strike Bologue, but as the Ether just surged up, it extinguished once more. He then sensed a wave of pain from within his body.
Unbeknownst to him, a slender snake had already bitten through his skin, burrowed into his flesh, and while it was crawling and gnawing freely, the snake was quickly splitting, devouring his organs in the blink of an eye.
A trace of silver light flickered across the man’s eyes, followed by his entire eyeball bursting into a bloody mess, his body slumping against the wall, as if his flesh had been devoured, the body collapsed directly into emptiness.
Bologue shifted his gaze to another person, whose Ether flow seemed to be obstructed, making it difficult to move. Then, the glow emanating from his body flickered intensely, until it consistently transformed into Bologue’s familiar cyan color.
"No... no..."
The man screamed in terror, Bologue’s Ether was too aggressive, just by being near Bologue, relying on the difference in tier and the savageness of Secret Energy·Commanding Decree, the man’s Rectangular Soul Critical was conquered.
Bologue averted his gaze, and the next moment, sharp daggers forged from fresh blood protruded from the man’s body, and he looked incredulously at the blades that dissected him.
Under Bologue’s command, the blood within the man’s body responded to Bologue’s summon, solidified into blood blades, hacking his body into pieces, like wild-growing blood-red thorns, tearing through the body.
The body shattered into countless fragments, clattering to the ground, still rising steam from the pool of blood.
Bologue turned his attention to the last of the three; unlike the other two Condensers swiftly resolved by Bologue, this was a Prayer Believer, and Bologue was yet to hold overwhelming advantage over him, thus needing to spend some time.
The last person seemed to be a Prayer Believer of the Flesh-Ascend School. Upon witnessing the gruesome death of his colleagues, he grew terrified, rapidly swelling, but before his Secret Energy was fully manifested, the black bite of resentment had pierced through his heart.
Thus, even until death, Bologue remained uncertain if he was indeed from the Flesh-Ascend School... but it didn’t matter anymore.
Bologue clasped his throat; blood couldn’t stop gushing from his throat. He pressed him against the wall, breaking his throat forcefully, with the last corpse falling into the pool of blood.
Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing.
All along, Bologue had never intentionally used this protection. The absorption of Soul Shards also seemed to be a passive result of protection.
Now this passive effect became even more apparent; Bologue could see countless shimmering dust rising from the corpses, converging together like ghostly blue silk, merging into his body, replenishing the consumed Ether.
Bologue didn’t deliberately use the protection; he suspected it was because he realized the existence of the protection, subconsciously enhancing this passive absorption. Now, Bologue could not only passively absorb the Demon’s Soul Shards, but even the Condenser’s Soul Shards were included in his absorption range.
Like a Scavenger Bird, killing each enemy, he could take something from their bodies.
After a moment of hesitation, Bologue still released his hand, only absorbing Soul Shards passively, not actively wielding this power.
"Envy..."
Bologue murmured to himself.
Envy of other’s strength, thus usurping other’s power, but no matter how much is taken, never achieving what is truly desired.
Bologue forgot about matters concerning the curse; familiar Ethereal Fluctuation arose behind him, and the Silent Ones chased after.
"Follow me, Palmer."
Bologue called out to Palmer, who only nodded without uttering unnecessary words. As they passed by the bodies, Palmer paid a glance to the fallen corpses. As Bologue’s power dissipated, the solidified blood blades collapsed and turned back into blood water, spreading across the ground.
Due to Bologue often facing opponents far exceeding specifications, Palmer only then truly realized his partner was already a Negative Power User.
Negative Bishop.
Bologue didn’t have any of those sentiments; he paid attention to the calm whistle while maneuvering with the Silent Ones.
A wave of palpitations arose from his soul, almost impulsively, Bologue lowered his head, seeing that vague black umbilical cord becoming increasingly realistic, as if it were about to grow out of Bologue’s body.
