Novel Full Chapter 231: A Dangerous Battlefield, Scorpion Demon
Chapter 231: Chapter 231: A Dangerous Battlefield, Scorpion Demon
Gloomy and cold.
The drizzle that had been falling gently grew heavier. In the battlefield littered with building rubble, thick mist began to rise.
Rain fell from the sky, slamming hard onto the dark earth.
Aiden, walking across a patch of ruins, suddenly froze mid-step.
He lowered his head and stared silently at the ground below: a filthy toy bear and the shriveled corpse of a little girl.
Her small body was curled up between cracks in the bricks, one withered arm stretched out, as if, even in her final moments, she had tried to reach for that toy bear.
Aiden’s eyes were sharp; he could clearly see a tag on the soiled toy bear with words written on it.
[Happy Birthday. Mom and Dad love you forever.]
Victor and Nellie, following behind Aiden, noticed his sudden pause and hurried over.
When they saw the scene, they too fell silent.
Rain slid off their bodies, trickling into cracks, but it could not bring life back to the long-dead corpse.
Aiden said nothing. He bent slightly, reaching out to pick up the toy bear.
Just then, a harsh voice cut through the air: “Stop! I told you, once you enter this battlefield, you must stay on high alert at all times—whether eating, resting, or doing anything else!”
“Even when you’re on the toilet, you need to keep turning your head and scanning your surroundings!”
“Only that way can you, a bunch of totally inexperienced rookies like you, survive!”
Speaking while stepping forward cautiously was a soldier who looked no older than nineteen, slender and slight.
This was the guide assigned to The Great Shaw Empire’s team by Major Vincent, codenamed “Razor”—an elite fighter who had survived attacks by Demon soldiers more than once.
But just looking at him, this guy didn’t look like a soldier at all.
Razor stepped up in front of Aiden. Without a hint of emotion, he glanced at the little girl’s corpse and spoke quickly:
“I never wanted to be a guide, and I certainly didn’t want to step foot in a place this dangerous again. But Major Vincent came to me personally, so I agreed.”
“Whatever your past was, here you are all just inexperienced rookies.”
“Truth is, I’m not worried about you getting hurt. I’m just terrified you’ll drag me down with you.”
Aiden frowned slightly at the words but didn’t say anything.
Instead, he saw Razor carefully pull out a thin wire. With extreme caution, he poked the toy bear just enough to move it slightly.
A thick, black mass, like congealed snot, oozed out from beneath it.
“This is an explosive left by Demon soldiers,” Razor explained calmly. “The army calls it Unstable Umbral Mycelium. We soldiers, however, call it the deadly black snot.Move it even a tiny bit too hard, and it goes boom.”
“The blast is powerful enough to level a three-story house.”
Slowly, Razor took out a glass container. He smeared some white powder on the inside, then held the container’s mouth right over the Umbral Mycelium.
Instantly, the black mass seemed to smell something delicious. It began to squirm slowly, crawling into the glass jar.
Aiden’s pupils shrank slightly. His powerful Spirit sense hadn’t even noticed such danger hiding under the teddy bear.
If he wasn’t mistaken, besides being explosive, this stuff could also block sensory perception.
“What was that powder?” Aiden asked, unable to hold back. “And how do we avoid this happening again?”
Razor looked at him with surprise. “I thought you’d be upset about what I just said.”
Aiden’s expression was serious as he answered, “To be honest, it did annoy me a bit. But I know you’re right. We really lack battlefield experience.”
Back in The White City, the invading Demon soldiers never had the time to leave traps like the Umbral Mycelium.
In a way, the battles Aiden fought in The White City were just a tiny slice of what a real war looks like.
“Here,” Razor said, handing over a clear box containing about 10g of the white powder. “This is Umbral Mycelium’s favorite food. I don’t have much, so take this.”
He continued, “Remember one thing: leave your sympathy behind. Even if you see a fallen comrade, don’t act on impulse.”
“The Demon aren’t just strong; they’re incredibly cunning. When they have the upper hand, they won’t just kill you immediately. They’ll wound you so you can’t move but can still scream.”
Aiden nodded. He knew that tactic. It’s called Fix and Destroy or Fix and Strike.
The counter is simple: either shoot the helpless teammate to end their suffering, or just ignore them.
But Aiden hadn’t expected the Demon soldiers to use such tactics.
Looking at the little girl’s shriveled body, Aiden stopped hesitating. He turned and followed Razor deeper into the frontline.
About half an hour later, more rubble appeared ahead.
Razor stopped and glanced back at the group. “We’re here. Those ruins ahead used to be a major border city for our country. This is the core of the frontline battlefield.”
“My job ends now. I’ve brought you to the drop-off point. You need to enter the core area and hunt the Demon yourselves.”
Aiden and the others exchanged a glance, then nodded. They decided to rest for a moment, regroup, and prepare before moving on.
Just then, Razor handed the glass container holding the Umbral Mycelium to Aiden. A look of regret flashed across his face.
“The army usually recovers this stuff. A tiny bit like this is worth a fortune. Take it with you. If you get into trouble, just throw it out.”
“Be careful. In this war, only those who stay alive can hunt more Demon.”
Aiden shook his head, ready to refuse, but Razor gently set the container down on the ground without waiting.
“I’m heading back. If I can, I’ll watch the livestream. Good luck.”
With that, Razor didn’t linger. He turned around and headed straight back the way he came.
Aiden picked up the glass container from the ground.
He could tell that deep down, both Vincent and Razor wanted the Reclasers from the Global Reclasser Exchange Tournament to not only stay safe but also manage to hunt some Demons.
High above, many flying pets were hovering, carrying professional livestream gear to broadcast the battle to the whole world.
Most teams had safely reached their spots and were resting, but a few unlucky squads had already run into Demon geniuses from the Abyss.
“No way! These guys are too strong! They’re only Legendary Rank Demons, yet they blocked my attack without breaking a sweat,” cried a young, Legendary Rank Reclaser genius from a small nation. His face was pale as he stared fixedly at the ruins ahead.
Standing above the rubble was a Demon wreathed in black flames.
“Captain, we’re surrounded!” a panicked shout suddenly rang out.
The team members quickly scanned their surroundings. More and more Demons were emerging. Among them stood one with a scorpion tail, radiating an aura even more terrifying than a typical Legendary Rank Demon.
“Mythic Rank! A genius from the Demon Clan!” the team captain stammered, his voice trembling.
He never expected to face so many enemies before even entering the core zone of the frontline battlefield.
“Run!” The veteran guide who acted as their escort didn’t hesitate. He turned and bolted backward immediately.
While moving at full speed, he screamed, “Don’t wait! Use your Teleportation Scrolls right now!”
Half the team didn’t hesitate for a second and pulled out their Teleportation Scrolls.
But one of the Legendary Rank geniuses glanced at the camera equipment broadcasting the scene overhead. Biting his teeth, he shouted, “We aren’t at the end yet! Giving up this soon? I won’t accept it!”
“So what if it’s a Mythic Rank Demon genius? We have to try! Then…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the massive scorpion tail behind the creature suddenly shot forward!
Buzz!
Space ripped open instantly, revealing a pitch-black rift. The scorpion-tailed Demon stepped right through it.
In the next instant, another rift tore open right behind the Legendary Rank genius. The Demon leaped out of the void, its massive scorpion tail striking forward like lightning toward the young man’s head.
Even with his best effort to dodge, the tail still connected with his arm.
In the blink of an eye, his arm swelled up like a balloon. The thin skin stretched tight, then burst.
Bang!
Melted flesh and blood sprayed out, splashing more than ten meters away.
“Run!” His body went numb instantly, filled with regret.
This Mythic Rank Demon genius was way more terrifying than he’d ever imagined.
There was zero chance for him to resist.
“I’m done for, but maybe my teammates can still make it!” Without a second of hesitation, the Legendary Rank genius threw his remaining strength into a final charge toward the Demon.
“Go! Run! Get out of here!” he screamed.
The remaining team members trembled as they immediately activated their Teleportation Scrolls.
That one second felt like an eternity to them. They watched clearly as the scorpion-tailed Demon whipped its tail, slamming it right into their teammate’s heart.
Half a second later, the teleportation array hadn’t even fully formed. The scorpion-tailed Demon’s body vanished once more.