Chapter Fifty-Two: Mockery

Just as Ye Mingqiu batted away Glock, the silent, slightly hunchbacked Crimson Hermit on the left abruptly raised both hands.

Beneath the leather armor of its arms, countless earthworm-like veins suddenly bulged and swelled, dark red light rapidly flowing and converging. Two thick, dark red tentacles composed entirely of viscous blood energy formed instantly, accompanied by a nauseating fishy stench as they whipped through the air to entangle Ye Mingqiu's legs!

The timing was vicious; it seized precisely the opening when Ye Mingqiu knocked away Glock!

Do you think you can restrain me with this?

You can't hold me!

Beneath his green-faced and fanged mask, Ye Mingqiu's cheeks contorted into a ferocious smile. Following the high-intensity combat, his intuitive perception had enhanced once more; now he could clearly sense that those tentacles could not hold him down.

The stacking of the control resistance effects of [Divine Bravery] and [Undead Tyrant] was simply too overpowered—what difference was this from a fully covering movement Super Armor?

However, an opening still had to be faked!

At the critical moment, Ye Mingqiu "barely managed" to bring his left arm's heavy armor to guard his side, his right leg kicking out fiercely in an attempt to break free, yet appearing "completely unable to escape" the dark red tentacles.

Feeling the "terrifying constricting force" transmitted from the tentacles, his expression changed drastically, as if he were completely bound by that power and even breached and suppressed by the crushing force.

The heavy armor rubbed against the dark red tentacles, producing a tooth-setting, grating squeak. Faking an opening was a good trick, except it was a bit tough on the heavy armor's durability.

Seeing this, the assassin-type S-rank Crimson Hermit in the black robe finally made its move.

Earlier, it had witnessed with its own eyes Ye Mingqiu actively dodging the dark red tentacles, which proved that he didn't want to be bound by them either. Although this fellow possessed immense strength, it was impossible for him to be completely immune to tentacle control.

His current performance was inevitably a faked opening; this guy's strength hadn't dropped to such a pathetic degree.

However...

As long as I act like a nimble fish, using a subtle angle and precise force to delicately pluck the bait off the hook, he will have no way to counterattack me whatsoever.

A steady attack would suffice. The current him truly had an opening, even if it wasn't all that massive.

The black-robed S-rank Crimson Hermit dissolved into a blurred red shadow, blending into the air and appearing silently in the blind spot of Ye Mingqiu's rear-right, exposed by his "struggling." Not a shred of killing intent leaked, not a whisper of wind stirred.

When it came to assassination, it was a professional.

Unlike the blazing, exposed blood radiance of before, a gloomy and chilling crimson ghostly light stabbed like a viper flicking its tongue toward the tiny gap at the neck joint of Ye Mingqiu's armor. Fast! Accurate! Ruthless! The assassin struck directly at the vital point like a dagger, as if in the next moment it would pierce straight through Ye Mingqiu's neck!

Yet, Ye Mingqiu smiled. With his heightened combat intuition, he sensed an elusive trace of murderous intent, and the thrill of dancing on the edge of life and death was more exhilarating than online dating.

He gripped the blood spear tightly. The blood spear, possessing a weapon spirit, shifted accordingly, the blood crystal at the spear's butt becoming increasingly sharp.

The next moment, the butt of the spear pierced straight through the S-rank Crimson Hermit that materialized from the shadows, pinning it firmly against the wall as a crimson stain instantly soaked through its black robes.

"How is this possible!"

It murmured in disbelief, a large amount of fresh blood spilling from the corners of its mouth. Immediately following, the blood-energy extraction effect originating from the blood spear struck, causing this S-rank Crimson Hermit's mentality to instantly shatter.

It could accept being brutally beaten by the opponent, severely injured, trampled underfoot, or pinned to the wall, but it completely refused to accept having the blood energy within its body drained. Once its blood energy was sucked away, its self-healing abilities would vanish, and it would march toward its demise.

More importantly...

This blood spear wasn't just draining blood energy; it was drawing out its boiling blood and origin blood—things that could never be regenerated! Every time it was drained, it grew weaker!

In an instant, enlightenment dawned upon it, and it finally understood why Glock had voluntarily thrown punches earlier, why it had let itself be batted away by this guy's spear. As it turned out, this fellow wasn't being proudly reckless, but rather didn't want to be pierced by the blood spear, since being knocked away didn't cost too much blood energy and origin blood.

But if one were pinned to the wall like it was, five minutes was probably all it took—five minutes, and it would be sucked dry and killed directly!

I am actually going to die!

I, in all my dignity as a Crimson Hermit, am actually going to die!

No wonder the Blood Supreme Lord...

Because S-rank Crimson Hermits were beings close to immortality, when confronted with death, they often exhibited an even greater terror of dying, far more afraid of death than ordinary people or ordinary Crimson Hermits!

"Whoosh!"

The next moment, a sharp piercing sound echoed from above. The S-rank Crimson Hermit occupying a high vantage point on an exposed piece of steel drew back its arms, pulling a bow composed entirely of highly condensed blood energy.

The bowstring hummed, and an arrow fashioned purely of dark red energy tore through the air with a shrill whistle, transforming into a crimson lightning bolt as it shot toward Ye Mingqiu.

What a nuisance!

Ye Mingqiu frowned slightly, using the tip of his spear to deflect the blood energy arrow. Meanwhile, the S-rank Crimson Hermit hanging from the butt of his spear was thrashed wildly about, blood mist scattering everywhere, before finally falling to the ground, only to be impaled once again by the spear's butt.

This assassin-type S-rank Crimson Hermit's resistance was far inferior to the Blood Butcher. That Blood Butcher could still put up a fight even when its heart was pierced by the blood spear and its blood energy was continuously being siphoned, whereas this fellow... once pinned to the wall by the spear's butt, it practically lost all ability to resist.

The Blood Butcher's value was appreciating; as expected of an S-rank Crimson Hermit who had independently ascended through research, it was indeed somewhat stronger than other ordinary S-rank Crimson Hermits.

[Prompt: Yin Shuo used "Sleight of Hand" on you. Agility attribute check successful.]

[Prompt: You have lost the God-Hiding Bracelet.]

Hmm?

Looking at the sudden prompt, Ye Mingqiu blinked in momentary astonishment. Even though there was so much junk in his inventory, this guy had still managed to steal an equipped item off his body, and a bracelet he was actively wearing at that.

Am I really this unlucky?

He smiled faintly, his breathing growing slightly heavier, the smile on his face exceedingly unnatural.

[Battle Intent Value: 46]

[Battle Intent Value: 49]

[Battle Intent Value: 56]

[Battle Intent Value: 79]

...

On the other side, the S-rank Crimson Hermit could neither see the rapidly leaping Battle Intent values nor perceive the sudden shift in Ye Mingqiu's emotional state.

Yin Shuo, the human-form S-rank Crimson Hermit in the shadows, stepped right out into the open, toying with the God-Hiding Bracelet in his hand as he said, "Hey, you're not a local, are you? We all know of your existence, and we know you can't change anything. This is our world."

"The items you carry seem to possess the ability to enhance strength. As long as they are stolen, your combat effectiveness drops drastically. Coincidentally, I've comprehended a special ability that allows me to steal things. Don't you find this interesting? Isn't it fun?"

"Don't touch it."

Ye Mingqiu whispered.

[Battle Intent Value: 85]

"Oh? Angry? Haha! So what if you're angry? Can you beat me to death? I am an S-rank Crimson Hermit, a nearly immortal existence. You weak humans could never possibly kill us, hahaha! Despair? Fear? Deprived of your strength amplification, you'll gradually grow weaker and weaker, and then be hunted down by us—that is your destiny, humph."

Yin Shuo spoke excitedly, casually tossing the God-Hiding Bracelet into the air before catching it again, even reaching out to hook a finger at Ye Mingqiu as if taunting:

If you've got the guts, come hit me!

[Battle Intent Value: 100]