Chapter 2256 - 831: The Sudden Mystery

After tidying up her clothes again, the ’Old Age Striking King’ left a trail of bloody footprints as she stepped into the small building ahead.

The open door slammed shut behind her... with a loud bang.

In front of her was a hall filled with old, dirty sofas, and in the fireplace, peculiar flames were ’crackling’—likely some kind of burnable stone, they were pale white flames yet vaguely green.

On the walls of the living room, a few sporadic wall lamps were hanging, providing decent lighting. They seemed to use the same fuel as the fireplace, thus the entire hall was filled with an eerie atmosphere.

Very much like the vibe before a big boss appears in a horror ghost film.

The ’Old Age Striking King’ slightly tilted her head, feeling her ears itch a bit.

Thankfully, she had already reduced her sensory perception to the lowest level, otherwise, wouldn’t such a loud noise be trying to deafen her?

As for the sense of oppression and urgency the other party seemed to want to create, the ’Old Age Striking King’ didn’t feel it at all.

She had followed the ’Perfect Bald’ and played on the Endless Battlefield!

In that game, to allow players to enjoy their battles to the fullest, they’d dare to add any kind of background.

No matter the supernatural horror or bloody brutality, in the end, it was all just dull backdrop... the first reaction upon seeing corpses was definitely thinking if they could be used to pile up a defense ditch.

Only the Black Rose Family, who got bored of such games, would have the current combat strength.

And as the main force, the ’Old Age Striking King’ wouldn’t flinch because of such small scenes.

The only advantage here for her was a place to wipe her little boots.

Without hesitation, she leaped high into the air, landing directly onto those dirty sofas, deciding to use her best effort to transform this venue into a place with a more supernatural atmosphere.

Of course, her efforts didn’t earn the host’s appreciation, who seemed very unhappy, and then hurled another group of big men at her.

The ’Old Age Striking King’ clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, clenched her little fists, tested the durability of the gloves, and leaped up again... this time, she planned to use these fools’ hair to wipe her shoes.

-----------------

"Hmm, as far as I understand the elderly, these magicians must be at least Level 12 now. The highest in the previous alley was only Level 8." The ’Magic Sword’ raised his head and made a recent situation report to the two clan leaders still babbling nonsense.

"Are these people much cleaner, and slightly paler?" ’Snow Cloud Peak’ asked seriously.

"Who can tell between white and black under this light?" The ’Perfect Bald’ was a bit puzzled, "It’s true they’re cleaner."

’Snow Cloud Peak’ sighed lightly: "Stop messing around, you construction folks, can’t you tell color blocks apart?"

The ’Perfect Bald’ couldn’t help but let out an "Ah" before responding: "Sorry, your speaking style just now was too like a client, I had a bit of a reaction."

’Snow Cloud Peak’ shook his head helplessly.

"Josh probably doesn’t know these people exist." He patted his tablet, "It seems this small building can isolate the perception from magic arrays."

"Always hiding in such a stinky place?" The ’Perfect Bald’ pointed at the tablet showing the ’Old Age Striking King’, "Old Age is having too much fun fighting, she almost vomited after laughing two times without closing her mouth.

She had opened the highest blocking!

Old Age, once led a team deep into Rose’s big pit of mud!

How stinky must it be to make her look like this?"

"So, do these people actually have no sense of smell, or have they gotten used to it?" ’Snow Cloud Peak’ pondered while pinching his chin.

"It doesn’t seem like they have no sense of smell." The ’Magic Sword’ said without looking up, "They are responsive to the blood scent on Old Age."

"I remember in the smell category, at least in the game, blood and stench are at the same level, right?" ’Snow Cloud Peak’ grabbed the tablet and started flipping through... their sensory system can be shut down layer by layer, and William specifically spelled out which levels are associated with which senses.

"Indeed, I didn’t remember wrong after all." ’Snow Cloud Peak’ patted the tablet, "Ha~ If these folks have gotten used to the stench, they wouldn’t be so sensitive to the scent of blood.

Unless the scent of blood has special significance to them."

"They’re not like vampires?" The ’Perfect Bald’ looked at the big men displayed on the tablet, completely unable to see any blood lineage between these guys and Toril’s vampires.

No vampires are so big and fat!

"Vampires have always been a key element in human body transformation." ’Snow Cloud Peak’ sneered, "Especially transforming into more special races, if starting from humans, the failure rate is inevitably high.

After all, the human body is very fragile.

However, if they’re first transformed into a form similar to vampires and then into other races, it wouldn’t be as difficult.

That thing is more resistant."

"Their blood is red." The ’Magic Sword’ couldn’t help but point out a crucial detail.

"That’s why I say they’re only transformed into something similar." ’Snow Cloud Peak’ pointed at the screen showing the ferocious ’Old Age Striking King’, "We all initially ignored a crucial point, why does Old Age feel that their blood can be used to wipe shoes?

Yes, to her, the blood scent is better than mud mixed with feces and urine, but why does that blood keep flowing in the muddy soil?

That muddy soil is wet.

Their blood merely appears normal; essentially, it’s still different from human blood."

’Snow Cloud Peak’ hesitated.

He genuinely suspected that although these guys weren’t like vampires who exclusively consumed fresh blood to survive, they still devoured human flesh and blood.

Only, it’s not for food, but, for some kind of potion ingredient?

The alchemy of this world seems to have been influenced by devils... So, the occurrence of such situations is normal?

But, the dire consequences of intelligent beings resorting to cannibalism, why are they not apparent on these people?

Could it be that turning flesh into potion ingredients and refining them with magic would prevent...

No, impossible!

That’s something written into human DNA.

Considering the rigor of the time-space game and their usual style, they probably wouldn’t abandon such an important bottom line.

So, is this overly horrifying stench the consequence of them using human flesh as potion ingredients?

’Snow Cloud Peak’ has always struggled to comprehend why, even though ’Old Age Striking King’ has lowered his sense perception to the lowest level, he still gets nauseated.

But what if this stench comes from the soul level?

The mastermind moved into this alley to mask this horrifying stench, and is committed to making it so repulsive that no one wants to approach.

And those people outside, it’s not that he truly dares not to touch them, but he must leave enough humans to balance their already sunken souls.

’Snow Cloud Peak’ looked at the tablet somewhat wistfully.

If it’s really as he suspects, then this so-called mastermind probably has someone behind him.

’Snow Cloud Peak’ absolutely doesn’t believe anyone in Josh’s refugee camp could conduct such terrifying experiments and achieve such lucrative results.

He could have only used a formula given by someone else to conduct a formal experiment.

’Snow Cloud Peak’ is quite keen to dig out something from this guy... but right now ’Old Age Striking King’ is there.

If it’s really as he suspects, given the style of this big sister... She’d surely go mad the second she sees the truth.

All the big moves in the Emerald Tome would likely be unleashed altogether.

And, under the Light of Dawn, nothing would remain?

’Snow Cloud Peak’ tapped the tablet in confusion... and wondered if Hill can provide them with some information related to this thing?

Hasn’t he been in this world for quite a while?

Perhaps he knows something.

After all, though their Little Bear is incredibly lucky, he does tend to attract strange things.

Anyway, their Undead Tribe have plenty of time, as long as there’s a direction.

’Snow Cloud Peak’ couldn’t help but scratch his head... although it feels a bit cowardly, he pondered and found no one to stop the furious ’Old Age Striking King’.

"Baldy..." he made one last effort, "If Old Age completely loses control, could you..."

"I can shut up and hide." ’Perfect Bald’ bluntly cut off his hope.

-----------------

Hill slightly frowned.

’Snow Cloud Peak’s inference he had already pieced together, linking to ’Old Age Striking King’s reaction, he naturally thought of the soul odor.

It’s just that the previous inference made him think it was merely a dung pile, so Hill only now realized.

No wonder these guys came up with some special fertilizers.

It’s very likely this is the byproduct.

Their real intent was to mask those soul odors, and then they discovered these things promote plant growth.

Hill furrowed his brow, carefully searching through all the memories at the Tower of Dark Enigma.

That Soul Elixir did come from Sia Tower!

But the one who brought that thing into the Tower of Dark Enigma was a student of Archmage Karmante.

Though that guy naturally wasn’t someone good, but... Hill still didn’t feel Archmage Karmante could deceive Draculus.

Then, is it another individual always lurking in the shadows?

Tsk~

Although the Prophecy Mage is most prone to problems... Nicholson’s strength hasn’t reached the level of madness!

Hill was somewhat perplexed, repeatedly observing the memories of Great Magician Nicholson and the one who brought in the Soul Elixir, Prutt.

But, Prutt is already gone!

Draculus said firmly it was he who personally dealt with him.

"Hill, do you know something?" Shaer sensed the cub’s confusion.

"I encountered something similar while hiding in the Tower of Dark Enigma..." Hill didn’t consider it a matter needing confidentiality.