Chapter 287 - 190: Mad Biter (2)

They had very likely already found their organization—the Fire Element Divine Hall!

Luo Ge had never forgotten about this important matter.

First, he had learned from Klemo and Ryan that their Witch had been guiding them toward the Fire Element Divine Hall.

And from Noxia, a former Fire Witch, Luo Ge learned that the Fire Element Divine Hall had already been seized.

The reason Noxia said this was because her original "connection" to the Fire Element Divine Hall had been severed. Therefore, she would have to pay a great price to traverse the endless Dark Boundary and re-establish that connection.

As for why the "connection" was severed, Luo Ge had no idea.

But it was definitely related to the Firewood Gatherers.

’It seems I’m getting pretty close to these Firewood Gatherers...’

However, judging by the powerful repulsive force and restrictions of a place like the Mysterious High Platform, getting to a fragment area that was already occupied would likely require some special methods.

After a moment of thought, Luo Ge came up with a plan...

...

In the Prison Players’ group chat, Li Miao posted the details of the dynamic plot mission he had just received.

The Storyteller happened to be back on Candle Island for some business and took the opportunity to give Li Miao a quick analysis.

Venerable Lique: "A dynamic plot mission? Fuck, how come you ran into one again? Why can’t I ever get one? (crying)"

Storyteller: "A Wood Spirit Merchant... Interesting. I thought Spirit Candle wasn’t planning on introducing merchant NPCs."

Storyteller: "Prosthetic Limbs? They actually sell those?"

Storyteller: "Your guess is correct. This is foreshadowing—no, you can’t even call it foreshadowing. It’s a pointer, blatantly telling us that the place called ’Gaelguda’ has good stuff like this. Judging from the background, it must be a place focused on Spells and technology."

Mushroom: "Ah~ The sweet smell of science~"

Brother Miao Won’t Fail the Exam: "What did you invent now, you great inventor? (angry)"

Brother Miao Won’t Fail the Exam: "Sigh, I’m still so heartbroken. I was planning on getting enough parts for a three-headed, six-armed body to cosplay as Nezha."

Storyteller: "..."

...

"They let me see them but not have them. Sigh, my gear Prosthetic Limbs..."

Li Miao returned to the Milestone Spirit Candle, sighing and still resentful that he couldn’t get the gear Prosthetic Limbs.

When Lu Tan saw him return, he silently began to pack his things, looking as though he was preparing to leave.

"You bought quite a few things, so I’ll just give you this piece of information for free."

After putting away his Back Basket, Lu Tan looked toward a certain spot in the Side Stage Garden and spoke slowly.

"That hidden, dazed creature is the key to this place."

Hearing this, Li Miao followed his gaze and looked back in surprise, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

"I should be going. Good luck."

With that, Lu Tan said no more. His body twisted and was finally absorbed into a tiny dot before disappearing completely.

"A hidden, dazed creature..."

Li Miao scratched his head.

The reason Lu Tan had waited for him to return before leaving was that Li Miao had said he wanted to buy information about this area.

What Lu Tan had just said was probably that information, but Li Miao hadn’t quite understood it.

He frowned in thought as he walked slowly toward the broken fountain, hoping to find this so-called "hidden, dazed creature."

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and slowly looked up at a space ahead of him that was subtly distorted.

"This..."

In surprise, Li Miao slowly reached out a hand to touch it.

The next moment, his hand melted into it.

Seeing this, Li Miao steeled himself and stepped right in.

WHOOSH!

"Wooo—" "Heeheeheehahaha—"

The first thing to greet his eyes was splattering blood, accompanied by an incredibly ear-piercing noise.

A blurry, blood-red figure was frantically slaughtering and devouring its way through a horde of monsters.

[You have been tainted by Madness. Spiritual Value cap -1. Anomaly progress accumulating...]

The familiar debuff struck again.

Aside from the solid eyeballs, the figure was almost identical to the blood-red silhouette Li Miao had encountered when he was first tainted.

Li Miao was certain it was the same entity.

The eyeballs were familiar too... they seemed to be the very same two eyeballs from the bridge, one on the left and one on the right!

[Unknown Seeker]

When his gaze fell upon it, Spirit Candle only gave him this one piece of feedback.

And the creature fighting the blood-red shadow made Li Miao’s pupils shrink.

[Mad Biter], Scorching Charcoal Tier, Level 36!

It still retained a vaguely humanoid form, but it was covered in blood and wounds, with viscous blood constantly swirling around it.

The most conspicuous feature was its mouth. It was identical to the flute-like instrument held by the Side Stage Soloist, but it was an enlarged version, directly fused with its mouth, which was split open in a serrated pattern and constantly emitted terrifying echoes.

Surrounding the Mad Biter were numerous [Mad Mouths], which he had encountered before.

Without a doubt, it was a no-brainer that this so-called Mad Biter was connected to the Side Stage Soloist Li Miao had just seen!

So it wasn’t a second phase after all; you had to enter a special area like this!

However, before he had time to think further, the situation in front of him changed abruptly.

Perhaps because the "Unknown Seeker" had the upper hand in the fight, the Mad Biter was starting to falter.

"You can’t stop the performance!"

"You can’t! Hmph hahahahaha!"

It laughed maniacally, then snapped its serrated maw shut and used the flute-like instrument of its mouth to let out a terrifying, massive echo.

"Woooo—"

’Fuck!’

The massive, soul-shaking sound made Li Miao instinctively clutch his head, grimacing from a splitting headache.

[You have been tainted by Madness. Spiritual Value cap -1. Anomaly progress accumulating...]

[...]

The anomaly progress notification popped up three times in a row, making Li Miao’s already low Spiritual Value even worse.

The Unknown Seeker also clutched its head in pain, struggling silently.

Fortunately, the Mad Biter’s terrifying cry didn’t last long. It seized the opportunity to issue a command, sending all the surrounding Mad Mouths pouncing toward the Seeker.

Meanwhile, it grabbed its own upper and lower jaws and, to Li Miao’s dumbfounded disbelief, brutally stretched and tore them apart.

RRRRIP... RRRRIP...

GUSH...

Muscle tissue was forcibly torn, and flesh and blood spewed forth. A deeper Power began to surge from within the Mad Biter’s body.

Its body began to change.

The flute-like instrument expanded rapidly, growing larger and sprouting more spikes until it gradually covered most of the Mad Biter’s body, hard and menacing.

The Seeker, meanwhile, seemed desperate to kill it but was pinned down by a swarm of Mad Mouths, unable to advance.

Seeing this, Li Miao knew he would probably have to make a choice.

To help, or not to help.

According to Spirit Candle’s feedback, the Seeker was something like an NPC, while the Mad Biter was unquestionably a monster.

A Mad Mouth had even bared its teeth at him just a moment ago.

Therefore, helping the Mad Biter was out of the question.

So now the only question was whether to help at all.

However, Li Miao quickly made his choice.

Lu Tan had just reminded him that "the dazed creature is the key to this place," and that was most likely referring to the Seeker.

With that thought, Li Miao didn’t hesitate. He immediately used Law Oath and King’s Battle Cry, then took out his Frost Riding Spear and joined the battle.

SWOOSH—

After dashing to a suitable distance, he found an opening and struck with Frost Piercing.

The Mad Biter’s body was halted for a moment by the Effect of Frost Piercing, but it quickly recovered.

Its crimson gaze fell upon Li Miao, but instead of turning to attack him, it continued its transformation.

Li Miao wasn’t about to pass up such a great opportunity to deal damage. He repeatedly jabbed it with his Frost Riding Spear, alternating with Combat Skills to inflict considerable damage.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The Seeker, for its part, didn’t stop for a second. Facing the numerous Mad Mouths, it grew enraged. After a silent roar, its two solid eyeballs swept across them, emitting a scorching red light.

The bodies of three Mad Mouths caught in the light bizarrely collided with one another before exploding into a puddle of bloody sludge.

CLANG—

A powerful repulsive force traveled up from his hands. Li Miao stared at the now completely transformed Mad Biter, and his heart clenched.