Hesitation Leads to Defeat

Seizing the rare opportunity, Lynch pulled the trigger as fast as he could, emptying the magazine into the twisted one in rapid succession.

However, the result was unexpected.

The bullets were unable to pierce the reinforced, blood-stained muscle. Each of the six shots served only to jolt the twisted one forward.

After the sixth shot, Lynch did not even bother to check the monster's reaction. He dropped the pistol, rolled on the ground, and simultaneously reactivated his concealment ability, vanishing into thin air as he tumbled away.

The moment he hit the floor, a sharp gust of wind swept over where he had been just a moment before.

Though the twisted one's body was still in front of the officer, two of its tentacles had lashed out behind it. The blades whistled with a shrill, air-tearing sound as they brushed past, leaving two shocking gashes in Lynch's casual jacket, but he had already used the moment the tentacles missed to retreat and disappear once more.

The twisted one did not pursue him because Officer Natalie was still there.

Lynch’s six consecutive shots had forced the twisted one into a state of rigidity, its body swaying from the force of the bullets, unable to shift quickly.

This was the opportunity he needed.

Although the six shots had passed in a heartbeat, it was enough for Officer Natalie.

She gripped the base of one tentacle, restricting its movement, and raised her sword high as a sharp light flashed across the blade.

【Authority, Judgment, Ability, Sin Punishment.】

In the next instant, she slashed down, her blade keen and bright.

A dull thud, like a snapped bowstring, echoed throughout the underground passage. The tentacle severed upon impact, and black, filthy blood gushed wildly from the wound, spraying directly toward the officer’s face. Her expression turned cold, and she quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the deluge of filth, though her arm was splattered with stains, the smell of blood filling the air.

Seizing this moment, the twisted one leaped up as if scalded, hanging upside down from the ceiling. Ignoring the wound still spraying black blood, it twisted its remaining three tentacles and lunged madly toward the far end of the underground corridor.

It can still run?

The two on the ground were stunned for a moment before hurriedly giving chase. This thing was not only fast but formidable, at least on par with an intermediate soul severer. If it managed to break out, it would surely result in a massacre.

However, once the twisted one unleashed its speed, the two could not catch up despite their best efforts. Instead, they were left far behind, watching helplessly as it reached the stairwell in a few strides and turned the corner.

This is bad.

Lynch’s heart sank, as if he could already see the blood flowing like a river outside. Officer Natalie, however, remained unmoved, still in close pursuit.

Roar.

Just as the twisted one turned the corner, a roar suddenly erupted from the stairs. Then, with a deafening boom, the twisted one, flailing its claws and tentacles, flew backward the way it came, slamming heavily into the wall and leaving a massive smear of filth before slowly sliding down.

The roar sounded familiar, like the bearded Truen they had just met. As the thought crossed Lynch’s mind, he saw a sturdy figure charging out from the stairwell after the monster.

It really was the bearded Truen. Electric sparks danced across his brawny frame, his hair and beard standing on end, making him appear over ten centimeters taller than before.

As he charged out of the stairs, he stomped his foot, and a flash of lightning surged across his leg. His speed instantly skyrocketed, and he shot forward like a bullet, his pace no less impressive than the twisted one. Overtaking it in mid-air, he swung a massive morning star, bringing it down hard on the monster’s chest.

The moment the hammer swung, the twisted one, still in mid-air, whipped its remaining three tentacles back like long spears aimed at the bearded man’s chest, while its four claws bared their blades in a desperate defense.

However, from the wall the twisted one had just collided with, countless vines silently extended. These plants suddenly accelerated, tightly binding the monster from behind before it could even complete its attack. A middle-aged man with red hair followed Truen down, his voice ringing out while he was still in mid-air:

“Natalie, what’s the situation?”

“It’s Mr. Klin.” Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, the officer slowed her pace and replied in a grim voice, “He has lost control.”

“Hmm?”

The hammer, halfway through its swing, suddenly faltered. It failed to strike the twisted one's chest, leaving only a shallow crater in the wall. But in that moment of hesitation, Truen’s expression changed.

Hesitation leads to defeat.

In that split second of distraction, the twisted one had already snapped the vines binding its body, its claws reaching toward Truen.

Hiss, this is bad.

Neither the bearded man nor the other three could do anything in time to stop the incoming attack. They could only watch as the claws drew closer. But just then, the bearded man’s form suddenly flickered, as if several figures had overlapped.

【Authority, Reflection, Ability, Multiple Illusions】

The blade pierced into the brain, but it was as if it had only punctured an illusion. In the next moment, the phantom shattered. The bearded man’s head, filled with terror, remained unharmed, the claws merely grazing his temple and leaving a shallow bloodstain.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, with changes occurring rapidly.

Human reaction speed simply could not keep pace with the rhythm of the changes. The twisted one was the first to recover.

It lunged forward, snapping all the vines, and arched its back to pounce on Truen. Using all four limbs and its whipping tentacles, it prepared to crush him in its embrace.

To be held by such a thing meant certain death. Truen’s expression shifted wildly; it was too late to retreat. He gritted his teeth and swung his morning star toward… hmm?

A multi-jointed whip lashed out just in time. Truen instinctively grabbed it. Then, he saw Lynch and the officer gripping the other end and pulling with all their might. A tremendous force surged through, and Truen flew out like a projectile, clearing the embrace just before the twisted one could close in, leaving the monster grasping at empty air.

The twisted one’s tentacles tried to pursue, but the next moment, time seemed to freeze. The twisted one halted in place, still maintaining its lunging posture.

【Authority, Cold, Ability, Freeze.】

Countless ice shards quickly covered the twisted one's body, turning it into a pale ice sculpture. Truen, dragged to safety by Lynch and Natalie, quickly flipped to his feet, swung his hammer, and slammed it into the frozen monster.

Bang.

Under the heavy blow, the ice sculpture of the twisted one shattered completely, turning into chunks of flesh that scattered across the floor. Yet, even so, the pieces continued to twitch and struggle, desperately trying to flee in all directions.

It wasn't until Truen swung his morning star again, striking the ground, that countless tiny sparks of electricity radiated like a spiderweb from the point of impact. All the fragments were engulfed by the lightning, sizzling as they were scorched, emitting the nauseating smell of roasting meat. Only then did the twitching stop, leaving nothing but a pile of rotten meat.

“What is going on, Truen? At a time like this, you hesitate—are you not afraid of death?”

Mr. V’s stern voice drifted from the stairwell. The stiff, middle-aged man in a white formal suit adjusted his collar and cuffs as he descended the stairs. It seemed the reflection and the freezing had come from his hand.

Truen held his hammer, his expression quite dim: “Victor, it’s Mr. Klin.”

Mr. V’s footsteps faltered, and he fell into silence. For a time, the five people at the stairwell stood in silence, looking at the remains on the floor, no one speaking for a long time.