Endless Debt Chapter 1087 - 114: Madness and Chaos (Part 4)

"Follow me!" Dan Tai called out to the others, but after a few moments, no one responded.

A profound sense of unease began to stir within him. Dan Tai halted his advance and surveyed his surroundings, discovering that the Secret Swords who had been accompanying him had vanished.

Obscured by the dense fog, visibility was critically limited, and the pervasive plague of decay actively interfered with the power of the Ether. For targets at a distance, Dan Tai could only discern their positions through faint etheric trails and the subtle feedback he received.

A quick, rudimentary check confirmed that no one was within several meters of him.

Dan Tai's heart plummeted, a terrifying premonition of danger erupting in his mind. Just then, he sensed movement approaching from behind.

A searing pain ripped through his back, feeling as though it would erupt from his chest. The impact from the Vengeful Saw Axe nearly tore Dan Tai's shoulder apart, its engine emitting a guttural roar like a dying heart. Each pulse of the engine produced a piercing, grating screech that would make anyone instinctively cover their ears at such close proximity.

Despite being a construct of cold metal, the weapon seemed to gain a life of its own the moment it drew blood. Its serrated blade resembled interlocking gears, functioning like a high-speed chainsaw. As the axe head burrowed into flesh, the chainsaw's buzzing intensified, its sharp, high-pitched whine instilling dread. The continuously rotating teeth gleamed with a cold light. Once it began its brutal work, such a horrifying sound filled the entire space.

Dan Tai could distinctly hear the sickening sound of flesh being shredded and precious bones being pulverized. Concurrently, the sounds created a disorienting, hazy backdrop to his rapidly fading thoughts.

He attempted to retaliate, yet at that very moment, a second, fainter coldness pierced his spine.

Overwhelmed by a surge of desperate instinct, Dan Tai failed to notice Bologue's approach, nor did he realize that, in addition to the agony from the Vengeful Saw Axe, Grudge Bite had already severed his spine.

The Ether remained unresponsive to Dan Tai's desperate pleas, utterly silent.

When Bologue inflicted grievous harm upon an opponent, his abilities Protection·Soul Sucking and Essence Stealing would activate in tandem with the Vengeful Saw Axe. These powers not only consumed the enemy's blood but also siphoned their Ether. Bologue progressively understood that by inflicting sufficiently severe damage and breaching the protective barrier known as the Rectangular Soul Critical, he could exploit this cyclical, near-death offensive to completely extinguish any remaining resistance from his foe.

In that instant, amidst Dan Tai's suffocating cries, the air became thick with the coppery smell of blood and the fetid stench of torn flesh, an aroma so nauseating it threatened to induce vomiting. Mounds of shredded muscle and blood were unceremoniously discarded onto the ground, where the pooling blood formed a crimson viscous flow, its stench akin to the tormented echoes of a shattered mind.

Under the ceaseless torment, Dan Tai felt his very soul being systematically ground away. The Face of Horror manifested, triggering a cascade of overlapping, nightmarish hallucinations within his mind. This confluence of overwhelming forces utterly annihilated his capacity for thought, extinguishing his life in the process.

Bologue carelessly tossed aside Dan Tai's lifeless body. The Hand Axe had drained him of all blood, and Bologue had seized all his Ether; Dan Tai held no further value.

Feeling his own body replenished, Bologue strode purposefully towards Aimou and Balder.

Balder maintained a high state of alert. The fog's concealment rendered him incapable of identifying the terrifying figure. Only when Bologue's silhouette gradually came into focus did Balder's mind find a measure of calm.

It was then that Balder noticed. Having been stationed near the Sublimation Furnace Core for an extended period, this was his first time witnessing Bologue's brutal combat methods firsthand. The gruesome spectacle left Balder feeling profoundly nauseous.

Beside him, Aimou exhibited no signs of distress whatsoever upon witnessing the scene, unfazed even by the scraps of flesh and fragments of bone clinging to Bologue.