Chapter 182 — The Turtle Manticore

Chapter 182: Chapter 182 — The Turtle Manticore

Chapter 182 — The Turtle Manticore

Nearly four hours later, Victor’s group finally reached Region B.

According to the information they had gathered from the Library, this was where the Turtle Manticores could be found.

Each region seemed to have developed its own distinct environment.

Region B looked almost like a massive underground swamp.

Water covered much of the area, with strange trees growing directly from the shallow pools. Their roots twisted through the muddy ground and disappeared beneath the surface, resembling enormous mangrove trees.

The water was a slimy green-blue color that made Victor reluctant to get anywhere near it.

They continued through the swamp.

The deeper they went, the thicker the vegetation became. The air was damp and heavy, and every step sent ripples through the shallow water.

Something occasionally moved beneath the surface.

After another several minutes they finally reached the area where the Turtle Manticores were supposed to live.

Victor stopped.

His eyes widened.

"Oh."

The pictures in the Library hadn’t prepared him for this.

Not even close.

They had turtle shells and their heads resembled those of massive hippopotamuses, with thick jaws and wide mouths.

Their arms were strangely thin compared to their bodies, ending in enormous claws.

Each hand had three claws, and each claw was easily two to three feet long.

Their legs were thick and powerful, almost resembling the legs of a large cat.

Green fur covered much of their bodies.

But the strangest feature was their eyes.

Five eyes arranged in a circle around their mouths.

Victor stared.

"That is easily one of the ugliest things I’ve ever seen."

Zack laughed.

There were at least two dozen of them spread throughout the swamp.

Several heads turned.

A low growl rolled across the water.

Victor, Grace, and Zack exchanged glances.

Grace was the first to strike.

Her movements were almost impossibly graceful.

She carried a thin sword, and every movement was precise.

She stepped between two Turtle Manticores.

Her sword flashed.

One creature collapsed as its leg was severed.

She pivoted.

Another strike.

Its head separated cleanly from its body.

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

Fast.

Her movements were efficient.

Every step had a purpose.

There was almost no wasted motion.

Victor took pride in his own speed, but even he found Grace difficult to follow at times.

And the strangest part?

She didn’t appear to be using a movement technique.

A Turtle Manticore lunged toward her from the side.

Grace turned.

Its enormous claws swept through the space where her body had been a moment earlier.

She slipped beneath the attack and drove her sword upward.

The blade pierced through the creature’s throat.

It collapsed into the water.

Grace was already moving again.

Zack was completely different.

He didn’t even draw his weapons.

The first Turtle Manticore charged him.

Zack stepped forward.

His fist slammed into the creature’s shell.

BOOM!

The shell shattered.

The creature collapsed instantly.

Victor stared.

"...What?"

He looked at Zack.

He had just punched through it.

Zack grinned.

"What?"

Another Turtle Manticore rushed Zack.

This time, he didn’t meet it head-on.

He stepped to the side, caught one of its arms, and redirected its momentum.

The creature crashed into the swamp.

Before it could recover, Zack drove his fist into its skull.

Another corpse.

Victor raised an eyebrow.

He’s pretty strong.

Then it was his turn.

Victor pulled out his dagger.

He couldn’t use Liam’s sword here.

There was no reason to risk revealing it.

Besides, he was far more comfortable using his dagger.

A Turtle Manticore charged.

Victor disappeared.

Flash Step.

The next moment, he appeared behind it.

His dagger struck once.

A precise point beneath the creature’s skull.

The beast froze.

Then collapsed.

Victor was already moving toward the next one.

Another Flash Step.

Another strike.

One movement.

One kill.

After everything he had experienced in the Sanctuary, Victor’s understanding of how to disable an opponent had become extremely refined.

Grace noticed.

So did Zack.

Both of them began watching him more carefully.

They had expected Victor to be strong.

But this was different.

His movements were incredibly efficient.

Within ten or fifteen minutes, the three of them had eliminated nearly all of the Turtle Manticores in the area.

Roughly twenty-two corpses were scattered throughout the swamp.

The water around them had become murky with blood.

Victor wiped his dagger clean.

"That was easier than expected."

Zack laughed.

"You say that after killing half of them yourself."

Victor shrugged.

The three began collecting the materials they needed.

They carefully removed the Turtle Manticore cores.

Then they harvested the hides.

Since all three possessed storage rings, dividing the materials was easy.

They split everything evenly.

Everyone received their share.

Victor was about to collect the final core when—

ROOOAAARRR!

The entire swamp shook.

Water rippled outward.

Birds and smaller creatures scattered from the surrounding trees.

Victor froze.

Grace immediately turned toward the sound.

Zack’s smile disappeared.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then came another sound.

CRACK.

A tree snapped somewhere in the distance.

Then another.

CRACK.

Something enormous was moving through the swamp.

The shallow water began to tremble beneath their feet.

Victor slowly straightened.

Something pushed through the trees.

Then the creature emerged.

Victor’s eyes widened.

It was a Turtle Manticore.

But it was enormous.

At least three times the size of the creatures they had just fought.

Its body was covered in thick green fur, but something had changed.

Diamond-like plates covered portions of its body.

They looked almost like natural armor.

Its massive claws dragged through the water as it stepped forward.

Five eyes stared at the three humans.

The moment he sensed the creature’s cultivation, his expression changed.

Beast Soldier.

A Beast Soldier Turtle Manticore.

The creature let out another low growl.

Victor slowly smiled.

Flash Step.

His body shot forward.

His fighting spirit surged.

A Beast Soldier.

Something about fighting an opponent like this excited him.

Victor landed several meters in front of the enormous beast.

The Turtle Manticore lowered its massive head.

Its five eyes focused entirely on him.

Victor looked at the ugly creature.

Then he grinned.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty is ready to dance."

Zack stopped.

He stared at Victor.

"...That was so lame, dude."

Grace’s expression tightened slightly.

She looked away.

The Turtle Manticore roared.

The sound shook the swamp.

Victor’s grin widened.

"Yeah, yeah."

He lowered his stance.

"Let’s dance."