Chapter 206: Against The Mad Locomotive

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CLAAASH!

Vladimir met the charge of the Mad Locomotive head-on with raw, unrestrained force. He slammed both of his massive, clawed hands into the lower jaw of the living locomotive, stopping its crushing momentum for a single precious heartbeat.

BOOOOM!

The impact sent a violent shockwave racing down the platform that shattered every remaining bench into splinters and cracked the ancient concrete beneath their feet.

"Ugh! Fuck!"

Thick green-black saliva sprayed across his dark fur, burning wherever it touched and releasing a sharp, chemical stench. Yet the werewolf only snarled louder in defiance and drove his claws even deeper, tearing out huge chunks of fused metal and living meat that steamed in the cold air of the tunnel.

"Get away from me!!!"

BAAAM!

The train roared in pure fury and unleashed several rapid bites, managing to grasp one of Vladimir’s arms and nearly tearing it free. The jagged teeth slashed through skin and muscle as the werewolf twisted and freed his arm just in time, then kicked the entire locomotive backward several meters with a powerful blow.

"GRAAAARRGHHH! CHOOO, CHOOO!!!"

The train charged forward once more. Its entire body rapidly mutated further, opening even bigger maws along its length. Long, thick tentacle-like tongues shot out from those mouths and flew toward Vladimir with deadly intent.

However, high above, Riven’s Shadow Self drove a ghostly blade straight down into the train’s roof with precise force.

SLAAASH!

"GAAARGH?!"

The spectral sword sank in all the way to the hilt, then detonated in a violent burst of soul-rending flame. An entire section of the metal-flesh hybrid blew outward in a shower of sparks, twisted steel, and steaming viscera that splattered across the rails.

BOOOM!

Flames erupted high into the air as the monstrous creature screamed in genuine agony. From the fresh wound poured a swarm of smaller, half-formed rat-cockroach hybrids that had been growing inside the train’s body like living parasites. The sight was utterly disgusting.

"What the...?! Agh!"

The hybrids screamed with high-pitched voices as they spilled onto the roof and immediately lunged at the shadow form with mindless hunger. Riven groaned in pure disgust but quickly disappeared from where he stood. The swarm fell uselessly onto the rails below and was quickly crushed under the train’s own massive wheels.

"GROOOOHHHH!"

The train hated anyone standing on top of it, and it quickly demonstrated that hatred by rapidly spinning its entire body and smashing itself hard into the ground. The impact sent Riven’s Shadow Self flying backward through the air.

However, he instantly adjusted while still in midair, using his new nature as a pure shadow. He disappeared for a fraction of a second and reappeared behind the giant train, which now moved with unnatural flexibility more like a gigantic snake whenever it needed to twist and turn.

Riven’s Shadow Self spun gracefully as it descended toward the creature’s exposed back. The metallic and bone armor in that area had already been partially destroyed. A ring of ten ghostly blades expanded outward behind him like a lethal halo, and then he unleashed a powerful technique without hesitation.

Shadow Sword Ghostly Garden—Second Bloom.

As Riven activated the technique, countless swords of shadow and ghostly energy erupted from every available shadow on the roof, impaling the monster while it was still mid-leap. Before the blades could even fully sink into the metal, they detonated in a rapid chain of ghostly explosions that peeled more of the train’s outer flesh away in thick layers, revealing a pulsing, vein-covered core of pure toxin and concentrated mana beneath.

The Flesh-Train retaliated with mindless rage. It furiously swayed its entire massive body and coiled around Riven in a split second. Electricity flared from its exposed circuits and began to burn the shadow form with crackling intensity.

ZAAAP, ZAAP, ZAAP!

"Gaaaahhhh!"

As Riven’s Shadow Self groaned in sharp pain from the electrical assault, Vladimir’s golden eyes widened. He leaped toward the train to fight back and draw its attention, only for the giant locomotive to somehow smile at him with several of its mouths.

From its sides, dozens of thick, muscular tentacles burst free at once. Each one was tipped with a different nightmarish weapon — bone scythes that gleamed under the dim lights, clusters of blinking eyes that fired toxic needles, or gaping mouths that spat explosive poison bombs with deadly accuracy.

"Fuck!"

Vladimir quickly dropped low and rolled away from the first wave of attacks, but one particularly thick tentacle slammed into him like a battering ram. The blow sent the massive werewolf skidding backward across the platform in a spray of blood and shattered concrete.

CRAAASH!

Blood and broken stones scattered everywhere as Vladimir kicked hard off the ground and leaped away from a second incoming attack. At the same time another tentacle wrapped tightly around Riven’s Shadow Self and tried to crush it with crushing force. The shadow form simply liquefied and slipped free like water, reforming behind the tentacle and severing it cleanly with a single slash of a poison-infused shadow claw.

"Damn it," Riven clicked his tongue in mild frustration. "That attack actually hurt me a little." However, he noticed that as thick green blood sprayed from the wound, the severed tentacle flopped once and then regenerated almost immediately, growing back thicker and stronger than before. "Annoying," Riven muttered under his breath.

"I AM YOUR OPPONENT, COME AT ME!!!"

Vladimir recovered with a thunderous roar. His already massive body swelled even further as more pure blood energy flooded his system like liquid fire. Crimson flames erupted around his claws and fangs. He charged again without hesitation, this time leaping high into the air and driving both powerful feet into the side of the second car with all his strength.

He had to prove himself. He had to keep fighting and continue growing stronger. This was the only way he could ever recover from all the damage that had been dealt to his pride since becoming Riven’s subordinate.

CRAAASH!

RUMBLE!

BOOOM!!!

The impact caved in a large section of the hull. A massive explosion composed of his own explosive, fiery aura erupted outward at the same moment, shaking the entire platform.

"RAAAHHHH!"

His claws immediately moved and pierced deeper into the fresh wound. Then he tore it wider with both hands, shoved his entire upper body inside the opening, and began ripping everything he could reach apart with savage, methodical fury, cables of living muscle, nests of half-formed monsters still writhing in the dark, and glowing toxin glands that burst under his claws and sprayed corrosive fluid across his fur.

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