Zheng Zha lunged forward, embedding himself directly into the chest cavity of the colossal spirit, where the soul of a middle-aged woman resided—her face horribly contorted, her body twisted into a grotesque knot. The instant he made contact, the woman’s ghost shrieked, her mouth gaping wide, and she was instantly corroded into wisps of smoke by the parasitic Blood Clan energy. Zheng Zha was now completely fused into the giant spirit's core.

Once the first ghost was purged, the surrounding spirits immediately closed in on him. While the Blood Clan energy was undeniably tyrannical and potent—a mere touch sufficed to obliterate the spirits—Zheng Zha felt the drain within his own core at an alarming rate. In mere seconds, over forty percent of his Blood Clan reserve had been consumed.

The others watched as a strange, pale-green luminescence erupted wherever Zheng Zha touched the spirits. Every ghost that dissolved released this light, but gradually, the glow began to dim, signaling the rapid depletion of his reserve. Meanwhile, the chest area of the giant spirit had been eaten away, revealing a human-sized cavity.

“...Zheng Zha! Is that you in the spirit’s chest?” At that moment, fully immersed in concentration, Zhao Yingkong’s voice cut through his comm unit. Ignoring everything, Zheng Zha roared back with all his might: “It’s me! If I die, run as far as you can. Time is almost up. Stop talking to me, I can’t afford any distractions!” “…Why jump in there? Did… did you find the Sadako spirit’s weakness?” Zhao Yingkong’s voice remained steady as it came through.

“**…Yes! Found the weakness! The core of the Sadako entity must be right here in the center of the chest! Don’t talk to me, I can’t lose focus!” Veins pulsed on Zheng Zha’s forehead as he nearly screamed the words.

“Zheng Zha… This is Zero Point. I don’t know if I can still acquire a lock, but I can try. I have enough strength left for one more shot… Your surrounding light is too intense right now. Wait until it dims slightly, then give me the signal!” Zero Point’s voice suddenly broke through the comm link.

Zheng Zha paused, unsure how to reply. That flickering green light signified the energy he had left to corrode the spirits; once it vanished or weakened, he would be instantly enveloped and killed by the countless spirits, left with zero ability to fight back.

“Zero Point… we only get one chance. When the light fades, shoot the round directly into my left shoulder; that’s where the Sadako core is!” “…Understood!” Having made his decision, Zheng Zha stopped holding back the remaining Blood Clan energy. He began to violently unleash it forward. In an instant, the spirits blocking his path started to dissolve and melt away. In mere seconds, he drew closer and closer to the spirit’s core.

“Chu… Chu Xuan!” Just as Zheng Zha prepared to push forward again, the spectral form of a man appeared before him, shaking him to his core. This ghost was distinctly different from the others; his features were not twisted, and his body shape appeared normal. If not for his pallid, sickly-white skin, he would have looked like any ordinary person.

In that moment of hesitation, Zheng Zha did not continue to corrode Chu Xuan. For some inexplicable reason, he held a deep, unspoken respect for this man. Strangely, Chu Xuan’s ghost did not rush him like the others; instead, he moved past Zheng Zha and intercepted several spirits clawing at Zheng Zha’s back. Faintly, Zheng Zha thought he saw Chu Xuan’s head give a slight nod as he departed. “Was that an illusion? Or perhaps… Chu Xuan! I will avenge you!” By now, no other spirits remained before him, save for the life-sized specter of Kayako. Zheng Zha channeled every last ounce of his Blood Clan energy into his left fist and struck out violently. As the energy surged into Kayako’s form with the punch, the ghost finally displayed an expression of pain for the first time, emitting a continuous, guttural sound while thrashing wildly to evade his blow. But Zheng Zha was now fighting with desperate resolve, unconcerned by the other spirits brushing against him. He relentlessly poured the corrosive Blood Clan energy from his fist into Kayako. This torrent of destructive energy poured into the entity, and the life-sized Kayako spirit finally began to shrink, step by step, growing smaller and smaller…

The moment the first spirit touched Zheng Zha’s body, the last vestige of his Blood Clan energy was squeezed out. His life force began to drain rapidly from the point of contact. Kayako had already reduced to less than a fifth of her original size. Just one more sliver of power… and she would be destroyed! “Zero Point! Now!”

“Boom!” A deafening sound echoed. Zheng Zha felt a searing hot current surge from his left shoulder, driving forward toward his forearm—an instant that felt as long as a century. Then, that Gauss-type kinetic round burst forth from directly in front of his palm, slamming into Kayako’s core, utterly shattering the spirit, which was now only one-fifth human size. The immense force pulverized Zheng Zha’s arm on the exit, and in the process, blasted a gaping hole in the chest cavity of the colossal spirit! Vaguely, Zheng Zha thought he heard a woman’s faint wail. As this cry sounded, countless male and female wails rose simultaneously from the surroundings. The spirits supporting Zheng Zha gradually vanished until he began to fall from a height of ten meters, only to be caught suddenly by a pair of strong arms.

“…We succeeded… Zheng Zha, we… Huh? I got a reward too…” Zheng Zha thought he heard his comrade’s voice. In that instant… he felt his own heart rise to the same level as Chu Xuan’s. Perhaps comrades sometimes became burdens, or perhaps a leader’s cold calculation to abandon the weak allowed the majority to survive, but when they relied on each other to live, entrusting their very lives to their partners… this was the team he truly desired! When he awoke again, he was submerged in a pillar of light, his entire body wracked with an unbearable, stinging itch, yet as the pain persisted, his spirit gradually felt replenished.

He strained his neck to look down. A small girl stood below, watching him silently, her eyes filled with crystal tears, yet within those tears, a smile blossomed… —————— (Ugh, no chapter recommendation slots today, so I won't push one. Friends who enjoyed this, please vote, recommend, and bookmark. Thank you for your support~~~~~~~~~) Jump to