Chapter 1762 - 1039: The Unbridgeable Gap in Stats (2)

But it’s just containment; there’s no way to completely eradicate it.

If it were only the Mad Fire God Sect here, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The chaos created by three factions or four factions doesn’t seem to differ greatly.

The problem arose with the appearance of a mysterious fifth faction.

In the area originally controlled by the regular army of Onora, corruption suddenly emerged.

It’s a rapidly spreading fungal disaster, infecting any creature it touches, covering them entirely in a layer of ghastly white mycelium, and when the corruption reaches its peak, a scarlet hue appears atop the white fungus.

Creatures afflicted by this madness attack everything around them indiscriminately, losing their sanity.

Even more terrifying, this sudden fungal outbreak forcibly alters the environment, transforming the terrain into a life-prohibiting zone that even the Demon Clan finds hard to reclaim.

The Onora troops stationed there were caught off guard, fleeing in panic, with only one in ten surviving.

Some seasoned Demons identified the disaster’s name:

"Crimson Corruption! It must be Crimson Corruption, I’ve seen it in the Sain Dungeon, it can’t be wrong!"

Crimson Corruption from the Sain Dungeon! That thing which turned an entire swath of Galide’s land into a forbidden area!

Once a Demon mentioned that these hyphae were indeed Crimson Corruption, Onora had no doubts and earnestly followed the old approach of the Red Lion Legion to combat it—establishing a fire wall along the path of corruption.

Even now, the fire wall is still under construction. Building a wall stretching for unknown miles is not an easy task, consuming much of her energy.

As a result, what should have been a sweeping advantage was dragged down by successive unforeseen events, leaving her on par with the rebel army!

Moments ago, Onora was dealing with matters related to Crimson Corruption, hence she ignored Chaos.

Calm down, Onora, even in such circumstances, you remain the world’s foremost Demon Priest.

Onora clenched her fist, restoring her confidence, and murmured to herself:

"I can still turn the tide."

Provided no other unexpected calamities occur.

At this moment, the troops she personally led are on the way to defend, needing to urgently gather resources to replenish their strength. Where is the most suitable place for gathering supplies?

It must be the Dungeon.

"Head towards the nearest Dungeon."

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"We lost completely."

"And we can’t even come up with a single excuse for dignity."

"The gap in hard power is utterly irreparable."

At the Urasil Spirit Temple, Tami, Luluwo and Chaos, lay sprawled beside the bonfire, exuding an air of defeat.

Tired, fatigued, weary.

After consecutive battles in Urasil, even the most energetic individuals finally become exhausted, and the fight with Manus was the last straw, leaving them utterly unable to stand.

After their return to the bonfire post-death, they performed a post-battle reflection early on, with the final result after multiple reviews being:

"The loss is justified."

It’s not just justified; losing was practically inevitable by nature. It would be shocking if they had actually won.

Given they had no King’s Soul bonus and were mentally and physically drained, winning against the Master of the Abyss was impossible—simply impossible.

No glimpse of victory was visible.

"So, have we gained any valuable intelligence from this battle?"

Seems like collectively, they hadn’t made Manus display too many moves, mostly relying on punching, waving a Magic Wand for some AOE, occasionally spouting humanity, and then it was over. The whole scene was mainly about punching, getting everyone beaten to teeth picking the ground.

"Is this guy the King of Boxing?"

Manus’ fighting style akin to a beast made his attacks seem dodgy, yet their vast difference in numbers meant their speed couldn’t match Manus’, resulting in being crushed by punches.

This brought forth a painfully undeniable fact: the failure of this battle wasn’t about technique but purely because they lacked hard strength, not matching Manus in numbers.

Moreover, they didn’t think they could surpass their opponent’s numbers in a short time or even in the next few years; the future seemed bleak.

"That must be Gwen Level strength..." Chaos sighed, lying peacefully on the ground.

The title of Master of the Abyss suits such power, not disappointing anyone.

"But this journey wasn’t a loss; my vacation was quite fulfilling."

Maruru displayed a satisfied expression, initially joining Tami and the others to resolve vacation boredom, unexpectedly encountering a series of grand adventures.

Though it’s tiring and somewhat achievement-less, it was undeniably fulfilling, escaping from emptiness entirely.

Just maybe too fulfilling, so much so that she wanted extra days on her vacation just to recover her stamina.

"I’m not following you guys anymore; I’m exhausted. I truly need to go back and rest." She declared retreating first.

"Yes, we won’t continue either; it’s time to pack up and go back." Tami nodded, and the surrounding Skyrim Strategy Group members breathed a sigh of relief, even letting out small cheers.

By the bonfire’s aid, everyone began tallying up their gains this time, some act-limited items like Silver Necklace, Wolf Blood Sword Grass completely vanished post-death return and couldn’t be carried.

Though other items lay obediently in their pouches, such as miscellaneous road finds, various scattered equipment, etc.

And the Urasil Magic learned from the Dark Princess wouldn’t disappear, etched firmly in their minds—certainly counted as earning.

Including Chaos’ unique Abyss Magic Dark Bomb, whose research value far exceeded its practical use, easily imaginable, scholars would be vying to study it once he was out.

The experiences today in Urasil would suffice as topics for the upcoming months outside, perfect for boasting in taverns.

"Tally completed, now let’s head out."

Tami propped up his exhausted body, as everyone gradually stood up at night, evidently too worn out to stand properly.

Finding no exit in Urasil didn’t hinder using the Return Bone Fragment, the homecoming Divine Artifact.

They all used the Return Bone Fragment, instantly appearing at the familiar Fire Transmission Ceremony, finally feeling Urasil’s pressure ease away, able to relax again.

"Farewell then."

Maru bade goodbye to Tami and the others, hurriedly heading home, realizing she spent less than two days in the Sain Dungeon.

"Is the boss back yet? I have big news to share!"

She swung open the mansion doors, greeted by Drew and Tal, who both shook their heads, saying:

"Leon has no idea where he’s gone to play again."

Meanwhile, Tami and the team returned to the Skyrim Strategy Group’s base.

They happened to meet Luluwo, who returned, wearing a sunny smile as if something good had happened today. Upon seeing Tami they greeted gleefully.

"Captain, indeed we just encountered..." Tami approached to narrate today’s experiences in detail.

Next moment, hearing Luluwo slamming the table, exclaiming excitedly:

"Your words are practically enticing me!"