Chapter 272: Festering White Bones

Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Festering White Bones

At first, Mountainwind didn’t seem to understand what was happening. His tone was laced with a hint of confusion. "Master Blacktiger, what... what do you mean by this?"

But then, he suddenly remembered. "Ah, it’s about that item from the group chat, isn’t it? To be honest, when I saw that thing, it looked so damn creepy, and the way it was arranged... it really gave me the chills. My first thought was that I couldn’t be the only one holding this hot potato... Thanks for your rune. It’s practical, much more so than the other materials I’ve received."

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t reply. Of course, she didn’t believe he actually liked her gift. He probably said the same thing to everyone.

For all she knew, Mountainwind might have thought her gift was late and was cursing her behind her back.

Seraphina Sinclair never hesitated to assume the worst of others.

Because she knew that in a place like this, kindness was a quality that only brought harm to oneself and others.

She closed the private chat window, shutting out Mountainwind’s potential resentment.

Her gaze returned to the screenshot of the leather scroll. The giant red-and-white eye seemed to stare through the screen with a cold, scrutinizing gaze.

Weaken by one full level... ’What a generous rule.’

Seraphina Sinclair stood up and turned to look out the window. The black fog was churning; the first wave of fog was about to surge in.

This time, the precognitive warnings from Sunflower, silent for so long, finally sounded in her mind again:

"Monsters are getting in."

"Left side... right side too... so many... so fast..."

The warning perfectly matched the changes visibly unfolding outside the window.

Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes sharpened. All thoughts of clues, bosses, and Mountainwind’s petty concerns were instantly suppressed as her body reacted before her mind could process.

Like a silent shadow, she darted to the most advantageous position, gripping her long blade. The chilling glint of its edge was like a flash of lightning tearing through the black fog. Seraphina Sinclair held her breath, her muscles tense like a cheetah poised to strike, her senses magnified to their absolute limit.

Sunflower’s mental voice did not sound again, but Seraphina Sinclair took in everything within the mobile cabin.

The left side... only one monster. And on the right... Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze hardened. She had only ever seen such a terrifying sight inside a dungeon!

A dense mass of bizarre monsters was packed together. They looked like haphazard patchworks of writhing flesh and pale bone, possessing no fixed shape, only countless twisted, dancing limbs and empty eye sockets.

They writhed silently, pressing against one another until they filled nearly the entire space on the right. A thick wave of malice and deathly chill washed over her!

Standing in the middle, Seraphina Sinclair quickly used Insight to check the monsters’ status.

On the left was a lone [Decaying Whitebone (D-level)].

It resembled a flayed humanoid creature, its dark red muscle fibers exposed and dripping with viscous fluid. It crouched on all fours, its joints bent backward, and its pure black eyes were locked onto Seraphina Sinclair, radiating the dangerous aura of a lone wolf.

On the right was a dense, writhing sea of [Decaying Whitebones], ranging from F-level to E-level.

Individually, their threat was extremely low, but their sheer numbers and all-pervading presence were enough to make one’s skin crawl.

’Start with the F-levels.’

Seraphina Sinclair completely ignored the D-level monster. If she got tied up by it and then swarmed by the sea of bones, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Her tactic was clear and cold.

She completely ignored the dangerous D-level monster on her left. Moving like lightning, she charged straight for the sea of bones on the right—vast in number but weak individually.

The chilling glint of her blade sliced through the spreading black fog like a hot knife through butter, instantly shattering the first few F-level Decaying Whitebones in the front rank!

Splintered bone fragments and writhing bits of flesh flew in all directions.

The F-level monsters stood no chance against her, falling like grass before a scythe.

But Seraphina Sinclair’s goal wasn’t just to clear out these monsters; more importantly, it was to sow chaos and provoke their fury.

As her blade danced, throwing the front line of the right-side sea of bones into utter chaos, the D-level Decaying Whitebone on the left finally succumbed to its hunting instinct. It let out a low snarl, its four limbs exploded with power, and it shot toward Seraphina Sinclair’s back like a dark-red bolt of lightning!

Its backward-bent joints gave it astonishing explosive power. Its sharp claws tore through the air, carrying a foul stench.

But as if she had eyes in the back of her head, at the very last second, Seraphina Sinclair shifted her footing, her body sliding half a step back and to the side with an agility that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

This was the very posture she had practiced to perfection during her days training in the Wind-carved Fissure!

It was just half a step!

The D-level monster’s pounce missed, but its momentum was so great that its claws plunged directly into the crowded, writhing cluster of bones!

SPLURCH!

A few F-level Decaying Whitebones that couldn’t dodge in time were instantly shredded by its sharp claws.

That one move was like kicking a hornets’ nest.

The cluster of bones on the right, already enraged by Seraphina Sinclair, was now attacked from the side, and its chaotic instincts were instantly ignited.

They couldn’t distinguish friend from foe. The whitebone monsters near the D-level walker immediately shrieked and turned their aggression toward the big brute that had invaded their territory and harmed them!

Countless pale arms clawed at the walker’s exposed muscles, and sharp teeth gnawed at its limbs.

The D-level walker roared in fury, swatting away the low-level bones clinging to it, but its forward momentum was brought to a dead halt by the unexpected obstruction.

This was exactly the effect Seraphina Sinclair wanted!

These monsters weren’t like animals in the natural world that could recognize their own kind. In this godforsaken place, even two identical monsters would attack each other.

Her eyes were like ice. Seizing the fleeting opportunity, she ignored the D-level walker tangled up behind her and the sea of bones that had descended into infighting. Her long blade struck out like a dragon, thrusting straight ahead!

Her target was clear: the E-level Decaying Whitebones mixed in with the F-levels—the ones that were slightly faster, with thicker bones and a higher threat level.

The Blade’s edge precisely shattered the skull of one E-level bone creature, and with a smooth follow-through, she swung horizontally, cleaving another approaching E-level in two at the waist.

She was prioritizing the more threatening units among the cannon fodder, clearing the battlefield for the final showdown with the D-level walker.

Inside the mobile cabin, a strange triangular standoff had formed for a moment:

Seraphina Sinclair efficiently cleared the E-level bone creatures on the right.

The D-level walker, meanwhile, was temporarily tangled up with a large number of F-level bone creatures, roaring continuously.

And the rest of the F-level bone creatures attacked any and all moving targets indiscriminately amidst the chaos!

Seraphina Sinclair’s breathing was steady, her gaze as sharp as a blade. She knew this chaotic equilibrium wouldn’t last long.

She had to weaken the pressure from the right side as much as possible before the D-level walker completely broke free.

Regardless, her stratagem had succeeded.

The corners of Seraphina Sinclair’s mouth curved upward in a pleased expression.