Phoebe just shook her head, wiping her hands on her clothes.
Then she pointed at the claw marks on the tree, and then at the thick fog in the distance, speaking haltingly.
“Before... there were... people.” Pausing, she added, “Glay... guard.”
Bai Xuan wasn't sure if she meant those stone guardians, or if humans had actually lived here.
He silently noted the direction in his heart; perhaps some unknown secret was hidden there.
That afternoon, the wind at the edge of the barrier carried the coarseness of gravel.
A Rock-Shell Turtle appeared before them.
It wasn't deliberately hiding, but lay quietly on the path like a dark brown boulder embedded in the ground.
Its size was almost identical to the one they had encountered before, its heavy shell covered in dark brown patterns and stained with dried mud.
The moment Bai Xuan's gaze landed on it, the Staff of Guidance in his hand flared with golden light.
Without the slightest hesitation, the embryonic form of an arc condensed at the tip of his staff as he initiated the attack.
Phoebe reacted even faster; almost the instant the staff glowed, she rushed forward with her giant axe.
The heavy axe cut through the air with a whistling wind.
The Rock-Shell Turtle seemed startled and clumsily turned to dodge, but the axe blade slammed heavily against its shell.
A sharp “clang” rang out, making their eardrums ache, and sparks scattered like shattered stars, extinguishing the moment they hit the ground.
The moment its shell was struck, the Rock-Shell Turtle immediately pulled its round head and thick limbs completely into its shell, leaving only the hard carapace as a barrier.
Phoebe didn't stop for a second; she raised her giant axe high again and brought it down with immense force.
This time, although a shallow white mark appeared on the shell, the impact left Phoebe's arms slightly numb.
But there was no retreat in her eyes; instead, a morbid glint flashed through them.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bai Xuan nimbly circled around to the back of the Rock-Shell Turtle and thrust the Staff of Guidance forward.
Redemption Strike, carrying a blinding golden light, slammed hard against the joint of its front leg, which had not fully retracted.
A distinct bone-cracking sound shattered the silence as the hard-scaled leg bent instantly, crushed into a bloody mess.
The intense pain made the Rock-Shell Turtle let out a muffled cry of agony, and its heavy body spun around.
Its head shot out from the shell, its wide-open eyes filled with raw ferocity.
A thick, dark green corrosive fluid seeped from the corners of its mouth, which it spat toward Phoebe without hesitation.
The corrosive fluid cut through the air, carrying a pungent stench, but Phoebe swayed and quickly took a step back.
Her feet dug a shallow groove into the ground, and the corrosive fluid landed where she had been standing, sizzling loudly.
White smoke instantly billowed up, and the ground was eaten away into small black holes, the gravel melting into a thick paste.
She showed no fear whatsoever; instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly, her golden pupils, flashing with a red glow, locking onto the Rock-Shell Turtle's head.
Like a hunter staring down prey about to fall into a trap.
Finally, in the brief window after the Rock-Shell Turtle finished spitting its corrosive fluid and before it could retract its head...
She lowered her stance, her hands gripping the axe handle tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly.
With uncontrollable excitement, she charged toward the Rock-Shell Turtle's head.
Standing where he was, Bai Xuan clearly saw the change in Phoebe.
In her golden pupils, usually calm and placid, a near-frenzied red light of emotion now surged.
A primal, bloodthirsty excitement—like a sleeping beast finally breaking its chains—gazed greedily at her prey.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but it was by no means a smile—it was a twisted contortion.
Her lips even twitched slightly, a crimson glimmer flashing deep in her eyes.
Even her breathing grew heavy and rapid, carrying a morbid, feverish heat.
Her entire aura changed, no longer the usual cool tranquility.
Instead, it was wrapped in a bloodthirsty ferocity, as if the person standing there was not the quiet, taciturn Phoebe, but an awakened beast.
The moment the axe fell, Phoebe's movements became extraordinarily bizarre.
There was none of the clumsiness of brute force; instead, her movements carried a warped power.
That power spread along the axe handle through her entire body, causing her to spin slightly as if she had merged with the giant axe.
【Flaw Strike】!
The blade did not deviate in the slightest, perfectly bypassing the Rock-Shell Turtle's hard shell.
It struck directly at its unprotected head, which was covered only by a layer of coarse scales.
As if guided by some invisible force, the blade sliced cleanly through the gaps in the scales.
It was clean and swift, without a single wasted motion.
It was as if that gap had been tailor-made specifically for this blade.
The moment the blade bit into the flesh, the sound of tearing skin and muscle made one's scalp tingle.
Dark green blood instantly jetted out.
Spurting like a fountain, it splattered across Phoebe's face and body, staining her hair and the giant axe in her hands red.
She did not dodge; instead, she tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and lightly licked the blood from the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue.
The madness and excitement in her eyes grew more intense, and the twisted curve of her lips became even more pronounced.
She even let out a soft, low whimper.
The Rock-Shell Turtle let out a shrill, distorted shriek, its heavy body suddenly sinking.
The ground beneath it caved in instantly, as soil and gravel erupted wildly from below.
They coalesced into a temporary stone barrier around it, trying to block the oncoming attacks.
The crimson in Phoebe's golden eyes deepened further. She raised her axe, the blood on the blade dripping down, splattering on the ground and blooming into tiny red stains.
Then, she slammed the axe down hard against the stone barrier.
With a loud crash, the stone shattered, and flying debris pelted her body, but she was completely oblivious to it.
Along with the release of 【Flaw Strike】, Phoebe's state gradually returned to normal.
She slowly backed away, her chest heaving violently, her arms trembling uncontrollably, as if her body was still instinctively savoring the thrill of the strike.
The surging crimson and madness in her golden pupils receded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Like a tide rapidly ebbing away, it left behind only a blank daze.
The twisted, awkward curl of her lips vanished instantly.
The color drained from her face, and she returned to her usual expressionless, almost cold demeanor.
It was as if the bloodthirsty hunter from moments ago had been nothing but an illusion.
She looked down at her blood-soaked body, her gaze somewhat vacant.
Bai Xuan had no time to overthink. Seizing the moment before the Rock-Shell Turtle could fully recover, he immediately followed up with an attack.
The Staff of Guidance gathered brilliant golden light once more, and Arcing Strike slammed precisely into the seam of the turtle's shell.
The golden light instantly exploded with a harsh cracking sound. The heavy shell shattered under the impact, sending fragments flying.
Without hesitation, Bai Xuan thrust the tip of his staff deep into the Rock-Shell Turtle's body.
The Rock-Shell Turtle's body convulsed violently. Its limbs extended and kicked weakly a few times, and then it fell completely still.
Dark green blood slowly seeped out from the cracks in the shell, staining the surrounding earth red.
Rate on N.U.
