Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Discovery
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"With my ability, we should be able to break through."
Edward's words drew Philip and Richard's gazes to him.
"Is that flesh mass weak to fire?"
Philip had inferred Edward's ability after seeing him burn the zombies.
"Yes, it's quite effective."
"Ha.... But while we were running our asses off, you were just sitting there twiddling your thumbs."
"Th-that's..."
Edward flinched and glanced at Philip.
"What's done is done. Let's wait a bit longer, Philip. The timing's off right now."
As Richard said, they decided to hold off on forcing a breakthrough and wait some more.
Even if they broke through now, the sun would set soon.
They couldn't be sure they'd reach the spot Edward mentioned in time, especially with unknown variables at play.
The good news was that the flesh masses weren't entering the building.
'They can break glass, so... do they not know we're in here?'
Or maybe it was just wrapping the building like the others, unrelated to their group.
The problem was there was no visible gap to slip out undetected.
He'd considered that dragging it out might make the flesh masses disappear by luck, but as night fell, there was no change in the ones encasing the building.
Obviously, they couldn't just hole up here for days.
They hadn't brought much food due to mobility concerns.
They'd thought two days at shortest.
At longest, they'd packed for three days.
They could wait at most until tomorrow morning.
"Rest up and recover your condition. We escape at first light tomorrow."
Philip's words made Edward and Richard nod.
"What the hell happened here?"
Carrie looked around in confusion, but none of us knew the answer.
The inside of the city looked even more bizarre up close than from afar.
Dark red flesh masses wrapped around buildings everywhere.
Some buildings weren't just wrapped—they were completely engulfed.
"Un-ho, check this out. It's bad."
Carrie showed me the drone footage.
Strange dark red flesh had sprouted from somewhere, blanketing most of the city.
"Ugh! What is that...?"
Carrie grimaced at a car-sized dark red flesh mass wriggling on the road.
'Is that a monster too?'
It looked hideous but also slime-like.
Were these the type of monsters in this place?
Curiosity piqued.
"Wanna catch it?"
As I approached spear in hand, Grace asked.
I nodded to her and prodded the flesh mass with the spear tip.
"U-Un-ho, be careful..."
Carrie said worriedly.
-Thud!
The flesh mass grabbed the spear.
When I tried to pull it out, it resisted with considerable tension.
-Pluck!
I yanked it free with force, but it was beyond what normal human strength could manage easily.
The spear tip looked fine.
"Grace, be careful with weapons. These things snatch them."
"Got it."
Grace nodded tensely.
Then the flesh mass writhed grotesquely and began to morph.
"Cr-crab?"
Carrie shouted in surprise.
It was crab-like... but its claws were human hands with fingers. Its four pairs of legs looked like human feet.
No face either.
Far too grotesque and bizarre for a crab.
"I'll draw its attention."
I decided to take it on solo rather than with Grace.
This was for her benefit too.
Who knew how many of these would pop up here?
Understanding their traits would help her handle surprises later.
That thought proved naive.
Grace lost her axe to the flesh crab monster shortly after combat began.
I'd expected strong grip, but not enough to resist an enhanced Awakener's strength.
"This... I can't even touch it now."
Grace was flustered.
She had a machete and spear too, but hesitated, fearing they'd be snatched.
Noisy guns weren't an option either.
She was stuck, unable to act.
She might deal decent damage at aura or mana manifestation levels.
At her current level, it was a high-level monster too tough for her.
'Are these things even alive?'
Given their level, Philip's group survival seemed unlikely.
Only a day had passed—maybe cling to that hope?
"Grace, fall back. I'll handle it more."
With her unable to fight, I'd go solo.
Not fun to fight up close.
Less than bugs, but the slimy flesh triggered instinctive disgust.
The flesh monster's skin had no real defense; the spear sank in easily.
Like stabbing meat chunks.
But it filled spear holes instantly—no damage feel.
High regeneration too.
Stabbing alone did little.
Then.
I infused mana into the spear, thrust with rotation.
-Boom!
Strong spin tore flesh, severing an arm.
"It's working!"
Carrie cheered.
But it soon regenerated, the severed arm crawling back and reabsorbing.
Damn.
Not easy; regen was insane.
I stabbed repeatedly with spins, bursting chunks.
-Boom boom boom boom!
All arms and legs detached in seconds, leaving the torso.
-Wr wr...
Still regenerating relentlessly.
I kept stabbing to burst regenerating flesh.
"It-it keeps regenerating? C-can we even kill this?"
Carrie said, grossed out.
Not infinite, I figured... but nightmarish for normal Awakeners.
Bad matchup for aura or body enhancers especially.
'Attribute attacks then?'
My attributes were mostly physical.
Weak point?
Core maybe?
I focused perception on it.
Felt it.
A dense energy core shifting inside.
Insane regen plus mobile weak point—tricky for normals.
Not for me though.
Spinning spear pierced the moving core.
-Boom!
Huge hole; something shiny ejected.
-Tok. Tok.
Checked it.
Small faintly blue stone.
Mana stone?
Looked like one.
"U-Un-ho!"
Grace shouted at the flesh monster—it was filling the spear hole.
"Damn... not even that's the weak point?"
Regen slowed noticeably though—some effect.
Used mana stone for regen boost?
Tougher than thought.
Attribute attacks key?
Pulled soy sauce grenade from inventory, tossed into the regenerating hole.
Thought it'd go unused.
-Boom! Whoosh!!
-Sizzle!!
No mouth, yet it screeched in agony, burning with foul smoke.
Effective?
It tried regenerating amid flames but charred black and stopped.
Better than expected.
Fire outpaced regen.
Might have lasted if core unextracted first.
Picked up fallen mana stone.
Mid-grade size for corrupted being.
No quest response though.
Tanky and unrewarding.
Seen this before.
South gate giant hornets.
Low yield too.
'At least drops mana stones—better than those?'
Self-consoling.
'Separate main body maybe?'
Monsters here overpower Awakeners' levels.
Nothing for it.
I could spread magic/aura training; rest on Awakeners.
"Un-ho, you okay?"
Grace approached.
I'd zoned out thinking about the flesh monster.
"Yeah, just thinking. Let's move."
Then Crow messaged.
Crow's report; I looked skyward.
Crow circled high above one spot.
Humans there.
"Carrie, send the drone that way."
"That way? Okay."
I guided her drone toward Crow.
Carrie gasped at the feed.
"Huh? Un-ho! I-it's Philip!"