Endless Debt Chapter 1614 - 113: Heartless

Under Serey’s guidance, the infiltration operation of the Royal City went much more smoothly than Bologue had anticipated. They swaggered up to the foot of the high walls, digging open the buried sewer in the midst of the dilapidated ruins, and headed towards the core of the Royal City through narrow and damp underground tunnels.

Bologue led the way at the forefront, silently releasing Ether that spread like a tide through the complex network of tunnels. With the perception of Ether, Bologue resembled a humanoid radar, easily detecting the path and layout of the tunnels and the monsters lurking within the sewers beneath the Royal City.

"Feels like Wind-Eroded Birds and some... Bloodthirsty ones?"

With a rough sense, Bologue judged the presence of enemies hidden in the darkness.

Serey responded, "Oh? Quite common creatures, nothing problematic."

"You also know the rigid hierarchy of the Night Race. Many who aren’t allocated Blood Tax gradually sink into madness under long-term blood thirst, and this filthy muddy underground world becomes their best refuge."

It had been a long time since Serey last returned here, yet he could still rely on his memory to find the only correct path.

"So?"

Palmer asked nervously; the atmosphere felt like some horror movies he’d seen, where monsters rejected by the world lived in unknown places.

"So? So those fully mutated Blood Folk hide here, like wild beasts living in the city, silently lurking in the dark, hunting those unfortunate souls who stray in."

Serey sniffed the air forcefully, and amidst the humid, moldy scent mixed with a faint smell of blood, he did not detect the presence of Pure-blood Night Race members. This was good news.

"I’m not sure if there are still such things here after all these years, but it’s always right to be cautious."

Serey finished, then murmured to himself, "I do miss it. When I was little, I enjoyed cleaning the Royal City’s sewers."

Palmer asked, "To care for the city environment, maintain order?"

"No, it was purely a desire for slaughter, for violence," Serey blinked, "There’s no need for any reason or psychological burden when exterminating these fully mutated monsters."

Palmer was chilled by Serey’s words. Often, it was at these times he was reminded of Serey’s bloody past.

Serey was never considered kind.

"Hold on, everyone, something’s not right."

Bologue stopped at a fork in the path, vigilantly clenching his accomplice Rashbite, his gaze casting into the murky darkness ahead, fully immersing his senses, which became increasingly acute.

He felt slight breezes brushing past his front. It seemed there was an exit ahead, with the flowing air mixed with a stench of blood, so pungent it felt like blood-soaked mountains were close by.

"Clear the way!"

Bologue shouted as he stepped forward, resembling a shield, blocking the others. Simultaneously, hoarse roars came from the depths of the darkness, and sharp scraping sounds were incessant, suggesting a monster was rapidly crawling with sharp claws.

The monster drew closer to Bologue, its energy level surging bit by bit, reaching the limit of soul-bearing strength.

The Defender’s Ether reaction was palpable.

"Not kidding, right!"

Palmer growled, initially believing caution was warranted entering through the sewer, yet unexpectedly encountering a Defender head-on. He couldn’t decide whether he was too unlucky or the Regent King’s defenses were so tight they even anticipated this.

Withdrawing his rapier, streams of air wrapped around the blade. As Palmer prepared defensively, Hinda decisively raised her firearm, while Serey, seeming detached, retreated behind them, waiting for the situation to unfold.

"It’s coming!"

Bologue reminded them as the manic enemy swiftly emerged from the darkness.

The monster’s skin was pale, as though coated in thick limestone, devoid of hair, revealing dim blue-green veins. Its body was emaciated and deformed, with scarlet eyes embedded in a face resembling a human’s, mouth wide open with sharp fangs filling the cavity.

Bologue was certain it was a Night Race creature, but its physical characteristics were entirely different from the Bloodthirsty ones he had seen before.

The monster wore heavy armor on its gaunt body, with spikes protruding from the armor’s edges, like nails, embedded into its flesh, tightly bound to the blood and flesh.

Clearly, the monster lacked what could be called a mind, possessing only an insect-like phototropism and an extreme craving for flesh and blood.

For this, it recklessly drove the frightening Ether, infusing it into its limbs almost instinctively, swinging its sharp claws like Thunder tearing through the night sky, effortlessly marking terrifying scars on the hard walls of the ducts.

Serey squinted, trying hard to discern the monster’s face, tentatively shouting, "Nansen?"

"Nansen?"

Bologue echoed, thrusting Rashbite swiftly, colliding with the monster’s arm guard, setting off a burst of sparks.

"You know this monster!"

Bologue asked while countering the opponent.