"Get lost," Bai Youyou barked.
"Don't look down on the professional ethics of us ogres!"
The grade 2 fixer roared as his grey robes were shredded by his swelling frame. His body bulked up significantly, revealing a hideous, distorted face.
"Mimicry: Club Bone!"
A savage aura surged. Countless beams of light converged in his hands to form a crude shape, which quickly solidified into an ogre club bone covered in jagged spikes.
Rotting bits of flesh were caught between the spikes of the bone, and a structure resembling an infant's ribcage encased its head.
A black mist, sounding like the wailing of countless tormented souls, swirled around the shaft of the club.
The massive club bone whistled through the air as he swung it with crushing force toward Bai Youyou's face.
Bai Youyou stepped to the side, dodging the blow.
Once a fixer reaches grade 2, their life undergoes a fundamental shift from that of ordinary people; they become capable of resonating with their soul to manifest their own mimicry weapon.
No scholar has ever been able to explain the origin of these mimicry weapons. Much like urban eldritch creatures, they seem to manifest naturally once a person's mental strength reaches a certain threshold.
The types of weapons vary wildly. Depending on the strength of the fixer's soul, the way they manifest differs as well. A new grade 2 fixer might only be able to manifest a single part of a weapon at first, such as the hilt of a sword or the grip of a gun.
As their grade increases, the manifested weapon becomes more complete.
A mimicry weapon is tied to its owner's nature; if the master is cruel and bloodthirsty, the weapon will possess bloody and twisted characteristics.
Such was the case with this ogre's weapon.
Bai Youyou pulled a fist back to her waist before thrusting it forward in a lightning-fast strike. The club bone, as thick as a tree trunk, was actually shattered into splinters by the girl's terrifying strength!
"What!"
The ogre's face filled with disbelief as a spray of blood erupted from his mouth.
With his mimicry weapon destroyed, his soul suffered a severe blow. A violent ringing in his ears made his head feel like it was exploding, and the girl's figure before him became increasingly uncanny.
With another punch, the girl struck the ogre squarely in the chest, caving in his entire ribcage.
His massive body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a scrap shed in the distance, his fate unknown.
Just as she finished off the ogre, the sound of rushing wind came from behind Bai Youyou.
The remaining thin figure lunged at her with claws extended, aiming for her vitals.
She spun around, her hand lashing out like a steel pincer to catch the attacker by the neck, hoisting them into the air.
The figure let out low, wolf-like growls. Beneath the mask, a pair of scarlet eyes seemed to be staring fixedly at her.
For some reason, Bai Youyou felt a sense of familiarity from the figure, as if she had seen them somewhere before.
In that brief moment of hesitation, Anya seized the opportunity. She lunged forward and bit down hard on Bai Youyou's wrist.
Sharp fangs pierced through the pure white glove, and blood began to seep out.
The sharp pain caused Bai Youyou to instinctively release her grip. Anya quickly leaped away, putting distance between herself and the girl.
Bai Youyou clutched her injured wrist, staring intently at the small figure.
The opponent seemed to have entered some kind of berserk state. Her speed was much faster than at the start; though her initial attributes were lower than the two grade 2 fixers, she now far surpassed them.
That wasn't what bothered Bai Youyou, however; even if she had to face five grade 2 fixers at once, she could handle it with ease.
Why did this thin figure give her such a familiar feeling...
Before she could think further, a massive shadow loomed over Bai Youyou's position, and the roar of the ogre rang out like a war drum.
Despite suffering such heavy injuries, the ogre had charged back into the fray. He brandished the remaining half of his club bone, howling as he swung it toward the top of her head.
"Tch..."
Bai Youyou didn't intend to drag this out any longer.
She caught the descending club bone with one hand. No matter how much the ogre roared and pushed, she didn't budge an inch.
She turned her right hand over.
Invisible elements began to gather in her palm. First came a small flicker of flame, then the air distorted from the high temperature as a blazing fireball suddenly appeared in her hand.
The ogre's eyes widened.
Are you kidding me!
With that kind of strength and melee ability, she had beaten him—a berserker—so badly he couldn't even fight back. Now you're telling me she can resonate with the elements and is actually a mage-class!?
"Fireball Bombardment."
Bai Youyou whispered the incantation and lunged toward the ogre. The violent ball of fire covered her fist as she punched out. The raging flames instantly burned a massive hole through the ogre's chest, and his three-meter-tall body was swallowed by the blaze!
The flames soared into the sky!
Noticing the commotion in the distance, the fleeing Xu Xiaoyou stopped in her tracks.
Seeing more than half the sky dyed dark red, she cursed inwardly.
Most things today had been under her control, but she had made a grave error in judging Bai Youyou's combat power.
This investigator was not an enemy she could contend with at her current stage.
Those grade 2 fixers couldn't even last a single round against her!
Ignoring the faint resonance her body felt with the fire element, Xu Xiaoyou forced her legs to run at a speed they shouldn't have been capable of.
Anya, you have to pull through for me.
Just stall her a bit longer. I'll give you whatever good things I find in the future.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
A charred corpse lay on the ground, burned beyond recognition.
In her Moon Frenzy state, Anya's aura became increasingly violent as she launched constant attacks on Bai Youyou from every angle.
Her world was a sea of crimson. A voice seemed to be whispering in her heart, constantly inciting her desire for blood and slaughter.
If she didn't prove her value, she would be abandoned. If she was abandoned, she would lose this home.
The woman in front of her would take Xu Xiaoyou away from her.
She would return to her former cage, covered in wounds.
Tear her apart! Tear her apart!
Countless thoughts proliferated like a corrupted program, occupying her mind and eroding her sanity.
Bai Youyou noticed that the small figure's state was abnormal, appearing to be on the verge of losing control completely.
"Mimicry: Osiris," she murmured.
Precise lines appeared in the air as if constructing a beautiful work of art. Thousands of delicate parts fit together with perfect accuracy, assembling into a mechanical steam hammer.
"Activation!"
She gripped the handle of the steam hammer. As steam erupted, the body of the hammer began to transform.
The precise mechanical structure extended to the sides, and the armor covering its surface retracted rapidly to reveal a giant, hideous eyeball.
Thump—
Like a powerful heart beating, the entire hammer was wrapped in countless blood vessels and flesh, resembling a writhing, giant tumor that emitted a terrifying aura!
With one strike of the hammer, Anya's eyes cleared instantly as she was sent flying, crashing straight into a residential building.
Rate on N.U.
