Chapter 100

Spined Devils are not native creatures of the Material Plane.

They often vibrate their huge, bat-like membrane wings, shuttling between the murky and flame-cloud-filled firmament of Hell.

Screeching while searching for prey on the surface.

But due to various reasons, such as planar overlaps by chance, unlucky novice summoners, cultists who misread incantations, greedy people who try to trade with Devils...

This type of monster with a huge population also often appears on the Aifala Continent.

During the time Xia Nan rested in Hegu Town, he had urgently tutored himself on various knowledge about this world.

Especially the monsters he might encounter during his adventures, he had seriously memorized them in his mind.

Therefore, he clearly knew that this Hell monster with a Challenge Rating as high as "2" was far from something he could handle, as he couldn't even deal with a Bugbear alone yet.

Almost the moment he identified its "Spined Devil" identity through the other party's appearance characteristics.

Even before the dust produced by the other party's fall had completely dissipated in the air, Xia Nan instantly changed direction.

Sacrificing a little speed, he intended to bypass it from the side.

In his view, under the deterrence of the shocking momentum in Kalanfur behind him, no matter how fierce the Spined Devil in front of him was by nature, it wouldn't waste time fleeing to tangle with him at such a critical moment of escape.

But unexpectedly, he had only just taken two steps to the left.

"Swish!"

A bone spur with barbs shot into the mud in front of him like a bullet.

Stopping his footsteps abruptly, Xia Nan leaped backward subconsciously.

His brow furrowed tightly, his pitch-black eyes looking at the hideous figure in front of the road.

The other party's state seemed a bit off.

It seemed to have just fought with some creature, and obvious injuries could be seen on the Spined Devil:

Its tough skin, capable of resisting the scorching storms of Hell, had been cut open by some sharp weapon, leaving a bloody wound in the center of its chest;

Its huge bat wings, relied upon to escape gravity and soar through the firmament, had been severely damaged on the left side, folding downward from the middle, with pale bone shards exposed at the wound.

And what made Xia Nan most vigilant was the significantly thicker purple spore mist around the Spined Devil's body.

"Infected?"

He pondered in his heart.

Still not wanting to delay here and waste time with the other party.

He carefully moved a few steps horizontally to the side, away from the Spined Devil.

Seeming to want to indicate that he had no intention of threatening the other party.

What greeted him was a screech filled with the pungent smell of sulfur.

"Hiss-roar!"

Though only reaching the waist of an ordinary human, the Spined Devil's lean body suddenly erupted with an exaggerated speed that ordinary people couldn't react to at all.

Even Xia Nan could only see a blurry phantom flash before his eyes, subconsciously raising his longsword to block in front of his chest.

Ding—

The blade of the decapitation longsword vibrated violently.

He only felt a highly penetrating force transmit through his hands to his whole body.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Mud splashed everywhere, and he retreated three steps.

Looking again, the Spined Devil had already retreated back to its original spot.

Crouching, its wings covering its body, its long tail raised high, just like a venomous snake intimidating an enemy, swaying slightly.

"Hoo..."

Exhaling a long breath, the soreness in his arms gradually dissipated.

Xia Nan stopped moving, instead maintaining a defensive posture, staring fixedly at the Spined Devil in front.

His brain turned rapidly.

"Too fast!"

Clearly already severely injured and having lost the ability to fly.

This Hell monster still displayed a powerful explosive force that he couldn't match.

In this situation—

Running away was absolutely impossible!

I'm afraid that if he just exposed his back to the other party slightly, in the next second, those jagged sharp teeth would pierce his neck.

Behind him, the layers of heat waves stirred up by the aftermath of the Transcendence-level battle in Kalanfur were constantly impacting his back.

Increasingly scorching!

The iron-grey, smooth blade reflected the fierce monster surrounded by spores in front of him.

Deep in Xia Nan's pitch-black eyes.

All hesitation and retreat were swept away in an instant.

Replacing them was the fighting spirit and determination ignited in his heart!

Locking his eyes on the other party's body, paying attention to every move the other party made.

Xia Nan leaned his body forward and suddenly charged!

With no long-range attack means, to win this encounter, he had to close the distance with the other party.

"Swish!"

A mournful sound of the air being torn apart came to his ears.

A blurry black shadow seemed to flash past in his vision.

Subconsciously tilting his head.

Hiss-snap—

A few strands of hair fell from beside his ear.

The bone spur, capable of piercing through steel, grazed his face, and the wind stirred up by it made his cheeks ache.

One step away from death, his heart pumped violently, and his blood surged and scorched as if boiling.

Xia Nan could even hear the mighty roar of fresh blood rushing through his blood vessels.

With his two-handed longsword gripped tightly in his hands, the combat technique he had practiced countless times appeared in this world once again.

Step forward, accumulate power.

As if rooted deep in the soil, a powerful force surged from the soles of his feet, scraping up all the strength in his whole body and gathering it to a single point.

Wrist, hilt, blade.

Everything transformed into the purest slash.

【Spinning Slash】!

Hum—

The iron-grey, sharp arc of light flashed and vanished in the air.

But unlike in the past, that perfect sword light that should have sliced through flesh and harvested life.

This time, it stopped abruptly.

"Ding!!!"

It was the harsh sound of hard objects colliding.

Never before had Xia Nan's 【Spinning Slash】 been blocked so forcefully.

The Spined Devil, with a Challenge Rating as high as "2," had already fully reached the strength of a professional.

Even if severely injured, it still possessed powerful physical fitness far exceeding that of ordinary adventurers.

Almost the moment Xia Nan approached its front, it reacted.

Lifting its left arm, the coral-like sharp bone clusters growing from its elbow joint blocked the path where the blade was about to pass.

Sparks flew!

The blade vibrated violently due to the friction with the bone clusters.

In the corner of his eye was the Spined Devil's long tail, which had silently raised high once again, and the pale sharp light flashing in the air.

This low-level monster from the Outer Planes actually wanted to take advantage of the stalemate with Xia Nan to shoot out its bone spur that could easily pierce a human body once again!

Decisively, Xia Nan used all his strength, pushing the longsword forward violently with both hands, moving his feet backward, and while pulling away from the other party.

His left hand took a fire oil bomb already prepared from his waist bag.

Throwing it hard at the Spined Devil's face!

"Boom!"

Murky dust and pitch-black oil exploded in the firelight, transforming into orange-red swirling flames that swallowed the Spined Devil's narrow, goat-skull-like head.

Without the slightest intention of stopping.

Seeing that the projectile seemed to have taken effect, Xia Nan gripped the longsword in his hand, just wanting to press the attack.

Then, another screech interrupted his movement.

Sound waves vibrated, and ripples appeared faintly in the air.

The special fire oil bomb from the Hegu Town grocery store, the fierce flames that had burned countless insects to death.

Falling onto the Spined Devil, it was like a drop of water falling into a sponge.

Visibly, within a breath, the swirling tongues of fire were like having consciousness, actively extinguishing and seeping into its pores.

Revealing the Spined Devil's rough skin without a single scorch mark.

(End of chapter)