Chapter 260: Sword Prison

On the road, or rather, in the ruins.

The green mist spewed from the mouth of the rotting Titan, like an iron tower, gradually spread, covering the entire battlefield in just ten seconds.

The originally man-made concrete ground had become a field of rubble, with huge craters visible everywhere.

Like the center of a battlefield bombarded by concentrated artillery fire.

Zhang Tie strained to dodge the attacks, feeling dizzy each time he inhaled the green gas.

A second earlier he was forced to block a wave of damage with his shield; without the shield's equipment effect, he estimated his bones would all be broken.

Rear.

Li Lei, who was shooting with his gun, simply turned off his skill and fired point‑by‑point with his spirit‑energy pistol.

Anyway, the master will drive away the monster, so he saw no need to waste his spiritual power.

However, he had indeed underestimated the monster's strength.

He initially thought that if the five Awakened Ones went all out, they might actually be able to kill the monster.

But now it seems that if the master doesn't intervene, his only option is to flee.

He felt some resentment.

Actually, his attacks could pierce the monster's defense; if someone bought him a few minutes with their life, he might really be able to grind down a second‑level mutant.

That's a second‑level mutant—it would definitely drop a lot of good equipment!

It's all because this bunch of trash has no strength at all!

He couldn't help glancing at the exhausted Gao Tian, his eyes full of contempt.

Worthless junk, pretending to pull a bow for half a day—completely useless.

As for Lin An, who suddenly brandished a sword, he felt even more displeased.

A coward, just like Wang Kun.

He's even worse than Wang Kun!

At least Wang Kun tried to attack the Titan; this pretty‑boy, meanwhile, must have been scared stiff, just standing there motionless.

He was just a bit puzzled.

Where did that dark‑red long sword come from?

He remembered Lin An didn't have this weapon on him.

Could it be from the sword sheath on his back?

Before he could think further, the sound of a shield being repeatedly struck rang out.

"Pfft—"

Beneath the Titan's feet, Zhang Tie, after inhaling the green mist and feeling dizzy, failed to react in time and was hit repeatedly by the monster.

Blood spurted from his mouth.

In the hasty defense, he barely offset part of the damage; without the shield's effect, this blow could have pierced his chest.

The black bear flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

With first‑level strength, he held the monster head‑on for twelve seconds—Zhang Tie had truly done his best.

"Captain Lin, we can't kill it, let alone capture it alive."

In the team channel, Zhang Tie muttered weakly.

If it weren't for that poison mist, he might have been able to lure the monster a bit longer.

But the poison mist's effect was too overpowering; even after escaping, he remained somewhat dazed.

Given his current constitution, he could barely withstand it; if it were anyone else, they'd likely die on the spot.

"Meng!!"

The bronze horn sounded, like the death knell of a grim reaper.

In the thick green mist, the rotting Titan lost its attack target; acting on instinct, it suddenly strode toward Li Lei, who had been shooting continuously.

Each step left a deep pit, the ground trembling.

Li Lei's heart leapt in shock; the sudden change frightened him into stopping his fire.

He knew the monster's damage from experience; as an agility and spiritual‑power Awakened One, a graze meant death.

"Master! Hurry up and act—the monster's coming for me!"

His liver and gall felt like they were about to burst.

Li Lei panicked, turned and ran; only when he became the monster's target did he feel the true pressure.

Seeing Zhang Tie seriously injured and unable to get up, the second‑tier crowd watched as Li and Wang fled, and the crowd instantly fell into panic.

Shouts and cries rose; many people's legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground.

"Run! Run quickly!"

"Older Brother Wang and Older Brother Li don't dare to fight anymore!"

"That black bear is dead too!"

Like headless flies, the survivors' eyes were full of fear as they tried to find a direction to escape.

But where could they flee to?

Without Awakened Ones leading them, this group had never even killed a zombie.

Sobbing, clamor.

Many, mentally broken, began blaming Lin An for attracting the monster, clearly intending to doom them all.

Fan Bing's breathing grew rapid; she was also afraid.

But unlike others, who went mad like headless flies, she fixed her gaze on the Blood Abyss in Lin An's hand.

When Wang Kun attacked the Titan, everyone else crowded at the windows to watch; thus only she noticed where that long sword had come from.

It wasn't the scabbard behind him.

When she realized that the dark crimson long sword had actually emerged from the ring, the shock in her heart was unparalleled.

Space Props!

That was the space props rumored and guessed about in the chat channel.

Although Lin An never made a move, she felt from start to finish that he was definitely not afraid.

The eyes cannot deceive.

She only saw calm in Lin An's gaze, even as if she were looking at Li Lei and the two of them with disregard.

But she really couldn't imagine what kind of strength Lin An had to treat a Second Level as nothing.

Isn't your teammate already seriously injured? Even such a strong black bear can't defeat the Titan—why aren't you concerned?

In an instant, the monster was already chasing and killing Li Lei as he approached the inn.

Li Lei noticed that the survivors in the inn had already collapsed into despair, feeling miserable in his heart.

It's not that he feels bad because everyone is afraid; it's that he feels bad because later, when the master acts to drive away the monster, everyone will feel like they are fleeing.

If it weren't for the master's inability to reveal his abilities, which would alert the pale-faced one, I would definitely seize this opportunity to shout that I can drive away the monster.

Second Level Mutant!

If Ice Sister saw me turning the tide and saving everyone, wouldn't that mean she'd care even more about me?

It's a shame such a good opportunity can't be displayed; resentment wells up in the heart.

In the panicked crowd that didn't know where to flee.

The bespectacled assistant was shoved to the ground by the crowd; she felt certain death, her gaze full of resentment.

"It's all his intention to kill everyone! Coward! Trash!"

"Even as a ghost I won't spare you!"

Already resentful, she twisted her face and spat at Lin An.

As if they had found a vent for their fear, the crowd screamed, jumped, and cursed, wailing loudly.

"Bang!"

"Noisy!"

Blood mist exploded, blood mixed with brain matter splattering on the faces of the crowd cursing loudly.

In that instant they were dazed, briefly silent.

Just as Li Lei signaled the master to drive away the monster, a dark crimson long sword suddenly shot out from before his eyes.

"Whoosh!!"

The ear-piercing sonic boom, the blood abyss instantly breaking the sound barrier, sliced the air and created a white-mist-like sound barrier.

The buzzing and sonic boom intertwined; the slender sword body, like piercing white paper, instantly pierced the Titan's chest.

The blood dragon was drawn out, and the huge impact force dragged the monster's massive body backward.

Lin An took a step forward, a silver light flashed in his eyes and vanished.

"Combat instinct!"

Dark gold psychic energy surged forth; the suddenly erupting mental power turned into a substantive shockwave that blasted toward the monster's limbs, deafening.

"Sword Prison!"

With his right hand loosely gripping, under massive data control, Lin An forcibly simulated the legendary sword technique.

In that instant, the blood abyss that had pierced the chest suddenly recoiled, turning into dense blood light like a prison that enveloped the monster from above.

Flesh and blood cut,

Amidst the sky-filling blood light, as if an invisible swordsman manipulated the blood abyss to slash a thousand times in the void.

After a breath.

Dense, ferocious blood lines appeared on the Titan's body, as if laser-cut.

A dull thud of a heavy object landing sounded.

"Boom!"

Smoke and dust rose everywhere.

The monster's four arms were cleanly cut off, falling to the ground like a thousand-jin weight.

The once fearsome rotting Titan has now had its limbs severed, left like a log, with only a lone head hanging from the half-body.

The originally wailing crowd was like a duck with its neck choked, unable to speak for a moment, as if in a dream.

Beside the severed monster's arm, Li Lei gasped heavily, his face turning pale.

He panicked and wanted to contact his master, but all he heard was that old, low voice actively sounding in his sea of consciousness:

"If he hasn't eaten the Manchineel Flower..."

"Then just flee..."

"The farther you flee, the better."

For the first time, he heard fear in his master's words.