Death Notice Book 8: Chapter 46: The Slaughters

Kelly’s Battle Qi Wings flapped behind her, turning her in mid-air before she landed on the roof of a stone building in the plaza. The moment her feet touched down, the Female Martial Artist stumbled. Beads of sweat covered her fierce face. The Battle Qi Wings flickered weakly behind her, showing the faint trace of dissipation.

The battle with the Gecko Colossus had only lasted a few minutes, but it had been grueling. When she tried to persuade Stark to leave, she hadn’t said one thing aloud. Such giants, with their deadly speed and defense, weren’t just a nightmare for tanks like him. They also heavily countered any physical melee professions.

Boom! The massive silver creature that charged out of the tunnel sensed the sudden change in surroundings. It stopped directly in the center of the Dwarf Plaza too.

Although this giant beast occupied Ironstar Fortress, having draconic lineage meant it shared the common traits of dragonkind. Slothful by nature, it rarely visited other areas of Ironstar Fortress beyond the hall filled with treasures and the tunnel network it used to enter the mountains for food.

Compared to the image of it coiled on the stone beam earlier, seeing this giant dragon-like beast on the flat plaza gave everyone present a chilling sense of déjà vu.

The massive, silvery Gecko Colossus, resembling a Chinese dragon, had three pairs of phoenix-like claws along its body. Its clawed feet were hooked, connected by membrane-like webbing. It stood upright on two pairs of hind legs, chest puffed out and abdomen broad. Its slender neck and long head were held proudly high. A slightly smaller, less developed pair of front limbs rested near its chest. Its spiked tail swayed leisurely behind it.

Topped with its beautiful silver scales and steel-like teeth stained with Dwarf blood, everyone had to admit this majestic silver beast radiated a cruel, elegant violence. Its demeanor was pure arrogance.

Compared to Kelly’s sorry state, the Gecko Colossus had also lost its earlier calm. Many of its silver scales were dented or cracked. Thin streams of green blood seeped from underneath. A High Rank Martial Artist’s fists packed a serious punch. While these injuries weren’t lethal yet, they at least gave everyone a clear target to aim for.

“Attack!” Robin’s sharp command snapped everyone from the shock induced by the beast. They unleashed their prepared skills and attacks towards the Gecko Colossus.

The strength of Apostles lay not just in their innate class skills, but also in their diverse array of gear. Even among lower-ranked Apostles like the First-Rank Apostles in the two teams, most possessed potent Magic Scrolls and items capable of significant offense or defense.

Battle-hardened, the Apostles knew this Gecko Colossus possessed terrifying speed. Dragging out the fight risked serious casualties – an outcome no one desired. Therefore, the best chance to inflict major damage was immediately after it exited the tunnel, before it fully assessed its surroundings.

Roooar! From the swirling, kaleidoscopic bursts of magic came an earthshaking roar of fury. A silver flash burst from the encirclement, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind. Most spells missed their target completely.

Humph! Cold snorts echoed from the surrounding structures. Thin black arrows, distinct despite their speed, shot towards the Gecko Colossus from all directions. Though only five arrows, they seemed to form an inescapable net, tightly boxing the beast with clear intent to kill it immediately.

These arrows came from four Elven Rangers and Milleras. They might lack the overall combat experience of the Apostles, but their innate skills as hunter-Elves allowed them to seize opportunities like this far more acutely.

For the first time in this battle, the Gecko Colossus sensed profound danger. Its silver scales bristled all over its body. With a furious bellow, its long tail snapped down like a whip. It struck the pavement with lightning speed, sending shattered stones flying while miraculously launching its massive bulk several dozen feet sideways mid-air. It narrowly dodged the five arrows, each gleaming with potent elemental energies.

“NOW!” Standing on the rooftop, Kelly’s eyes flashed. She blurred, vanishing from her spot. Reappearing instantly above the Gecko Colossus’s head, the Female Martial Artist took a deep breath. Her already ample bosom seemed to strain against her white martial uniform, trembling as if about to burst free.

Her fists, pulled back at her waist, began to glow with a milky-white battle aura. The next moment, they transformed into a hail of fist impressions raining down upon the beast’s dragon-like head. The battle aura magnified Kelly’s smaller fists countless times, so each phantom fist resembled a meteor the size of a basin.

Ooowww…! The Gecko Colossus only barely managed to turn its head before taking the full storm of phantom fists. A pitiful whine escaped its throat as it crashed from the air onto the plaza stones. All the silver scales beneath its jaw were shattered into powder, revealing a gaping, fist-sized wound. Blood gushed like a fountain from the depression, swiftly coating its upper body in crimson.

Kelly gasped slightly for breath, using the recoil to propel herself back into the air and away from the wounded giant. Unlike the suppressed cheers coming from around the plaza, disappointment flickered in the Female Martial Artist’s eyes. She subtly concealed her still-trembling fists behind her back.

The wound looked terrifying, but Kelly knew it wasn’t enough to cripple the beast. The Gecko Colossus was simply too massive. Its thick silver scales offered great defense; her punches hadn’t penetrated deeply. The only gain was giving everyone a specific weak point to target with focused fire next.

Frustration pricked Kelly. This beast clearly wasn’t the mindless predator Milleras described. It was far too alert! Had that blow landed directly atop its skull, she would have confidently guaranteed a severe concussion. As soon as that dizziness set in, its doom was sealed.

……

“It’s reached the tipping point!” Against the opposite side of the plaza, Qin Lun leaned against a stone wall, eyes closed. Beneath his lids, his pupils twitched minutely. Countless black and white lines composed a real-time combat scene on his retinas.

The Legendary World Tree Longbow in his hands held an arrow of Fine Iron. Along the shaft, silvery runes pulsed with alternating brilliance – a mastercraft Mithril arrow custom-made for him by Adeline.

“NOW!” Qin Lun snapped his eyes open. Stepping right, he emerged from his hiding spot, bow drawn to full tension.

The thumb guard on his left hand, fashioned from World Tree heartwood, pressed against his cheekbone. The three pointers within his right eye spun wildly. The Gecko Colossus struck down by Kelly seemed to slow dramatically in his vision, appearing nearly frozen mid-motion.

“Detecting combat perimeter. Establishing single-target firing model…”

“Setting: indoors. Wind negligible. Integrating parameters…”

“Calling combat skills: ‘Weakness Crosshair,’ ‘Wind-Guided Arrow,’ ‘Piercing Arrow.’ Target: pupil…”

“Target path physically obstructed. Target body deflection angle: 31 degrees. ‘Wind-Guided Arrow’ clashing with ‘Piercing Arrow.’ Projectile lethality potentially reduced…”

“Adjusting firing model. Removing ‘Wind-Guided Arrow.’ Activating ‘Spiral Shooting Technique.’ Skill clash resolved. Projectile force maximized…”

Like a machine, Qin Lun twisted his left wrist gripping the arrow a full 360 degrees. The ulna and radius bones in his forearm grated loudly. Veins bulged on his hand. The bowstring, made from Wyrm sinew, wound once completely around the arrow’s nock.

THWOP! Accompanied by the sharp snap of the string, a black corkscrew of light erupted from Qin Lun’s hiding place. Mid-flight, it vanished abruptly. Only a sudden blast of curved wind gust remained in its path, billowing thick dust across the ground.

EEEEYAAAAARGHH! The fallen giant suddenly spasmed like it had been electrocuted, releasing an agonized shriek. Kelly, who had already retreated to a rooftop, watched in surprise. A black arrow was embedded deep within the Gecko Colossus’s left eye.

The arrow had almost pierced through the gelatinous membrane protecting its eye. Only the rear shaft remained outside, quivering violently. Whether it had reached the brain remained unknown.

Profoundly wounded, the Gecko Colossus finally raged. Its massive body became a silver blur, rampaging across the plaza. Each charge shattered the surrounding stone buildings into rubble. But the violent impacts battered itself just as badly. It flailed and screamed within the ruins, barely able to stand.

“Perfect chance!” Apostles, Elves, even Dwarves – everyone’s eyes gleamed now. Except the few unlucky souls caught in the beast’s rampage, everyone unleashed their deadliest attacks. Explosions of flesh and gore erupted constantly on the Gecko Colossus. It swiftly approached its end.

Even the surviving Dwarves, half-devoured earlier, now emerged. Among them, an elderly and a young Dwarf stood out, wielding massive Double-bladed Battleaxes linked to thick chains by their hafts. The axes flew in a lethal dance; each swing sliced deep, bloody wounds across the beast.

These Dwarves were formidable warriors. The terrain inside the hall had simply crippled them, letting the giant beast chew them like snacks. Now unleashed, fueled by vengeance for slaughtered kin, they became the most ferocious fighters on the plaza.

After its fierce rampage, the Gecko Colossus finally quieted. The heavy scent of death washed over it.

Ooo…whimper… With an oddly plaintive whine, the once majestic giant tucked its tail. Abandoning all fight, it scrambled desperately towards the tunnel it emerged from.

“It wants to flee NOW? A little late for that, don’t you think?” Closest to the tunnel entrance, a cunning glint flashed in Philip’s eyes as his expression turned savage. He bit his tongue sharply hard. A stream of golden-tinged “Essence Blood” sprayed onto the ground before him as his hands moved with ghostly speed, weaving several intricate magic hand seals.

The blood formed a small, intricate, faintly glowing Magical Array on the stones.

“Stone Spire Prison!” Philip slammed his right palm onto the center of the array. Just as the Gecko Colossus, silver light scorching its trail, charged towards the tunnel exit, the ground beneath it exploded upwards. Countless sharp stone spikes erupted like stalagmites, weaving together into a treacherous four-sided cage.

Using this spell emptied Philip’s Stamina points completely. Pale and spent, he slumped back to the ground, fumbling with trembling hands for a restorative potion to gulp down.

Horrifically wounded, the Gecko Colossus had no strength left to escape the massive rock thorns propelling it partially skyward. Though its hard scales blunted the worst of the lancing damage, its escape route was utterly sealed.

Now, the Apostles, Elves, and Dwarves moved unhurriedly. Calmly, deliberately, they closed in from all sides.