Reborn as an Extra Chapter 544: Inside Hell. Part-3.

'What on earth is this thing?...'

Since arriving in this realm, Rio had delved into countless volumes detailing the anatomy of various monsters.

The academy required a mandatory course that covered every kind of monster and beast one might encounter within the depths of dungeons.

As a result, Rio had gained knowledge of numerous bizarre monsters and beasts.

'I have to say, this is the strangest being I've ever laid eyes on...'

The entity lacked any internal organs or standard metabolic systems, yet it relentlessly generated miasmic waste and expelled it, despite having no stomach at all!

It was ceaselessly spewing out its dark blood!

'This abomination... it's sustained only by the relentless grip of miasma forcing it to persist...'

Rio had long understood that miasma represented a terrifying natural force—ruthless and fond of twisting the fate of the living into cruel parodies.

Yet even he had never imagined that miasma would compel a creature into twisted immortality, solely to endure endless torment!

Whenever its blood supply dwindled, miasma surged in forcefully, replenishing its vitality to produce more, only to plunge it back into agony...

'This amounts to... calculated torment...'

Perched atop a large rock, observing the creature's distant agony, Rio experienced a deep sense of unease.

It was only then that Rio grasped why Kevin Flash had cried out, 'Insanity! Insanity!' upon catching a mere hint of the horrors within this infernal domain.

No ordinary individual should witness or even discuss such a site; mere awareness of its atrocities could spark profound mental decay.

'The corruption here spreads like wildfire... and to top it off, this beast unleashes intense mental and soul assaults!'

With each wail and heave, waves of potent mental energy erupted outward in every direction; mere proximity could taint the minds of most onlookers!

'Do all beings in the spirit realm excel at mental and soul strikes? Even those odd serpents earlier shared this trait...'

Unable to remain idle any longer, Rio sought deeper insights into this bizarre zone. He dashed toward the odd entity and prodded it with his flute.

That flute was, of course, his sword in disguised form, and upon contact, a surge of formidable sword intent flooded into the monster's form.

Rio aimed to uncover the true nature of this monster and its origins, which required probing its soul and recollections.

But as Rio prepared to sift through its memories, the peculiar creature shuddered violently, and the miasma within it erupted into chaos!

Its body exploded outward like a burst bubble, its soul fragmenting instantly before Rio could respond.

Chunks of flesh and limbs scattered everywhere, staining the ebony earth with splashes of dark blood!

The enormous maw shattered into fragments, leaving only scattered remnants whole.

Those tiny shards began to whimper and shriek in apparent excruciating torment, then fell utterly still, as though drained of all life.

Eyeballs as large as Rio's head tumbled to the ground, gazing up at him with expressions of anguish and despair as they dissolved into miasmic sludge second by second.

"Tch... perhaps sensing the feelings of others isn't always a boon in a hell like this..."

The sentiments Rio glimpsed from the creature's fading soul were vivid and profoundly sorrowful.

There are moments when ignorance of another's inner thoughts proves a mercy, lest it erode one's mental stability.

'At least my sword intent shielded me; otherwise, I'd be drenched in this vile black ooze...'

With a heavy sigh, Rio located a close rock to settle on and steady his thoughts.

'Whew~... this confirms it: miasma refuses to let me aid these beings... it'd destroy them first rather than allow me access to their memories...'

'What secrets lurk in those memories that demand such fierce protection, I can't help but ponder?'

Miasma embodies an overbearing and vile energy; it doesn't conceal its actions without purpose.

It had undoubtedly detected Rio's knack for wielding miasma, and delving into these monsters' pasts might reveal forbidden truths.

"Your resistance only fuels my intrigue..."

Shaking his head, Rio eyed the fallen horror and pondered,

'Wise that I came alone; this isn't some leisure outing... it feels more like the gateway to an endless void...'

Rio scanned the shadowy, foreboding landscape, the swirling miasmic vapors overhead, and the chaotic void tempests raging in multiple directions, then shook his head once more.

'It's astonishing that any life can cling on in such a nightmarish setting...'

'Yet this sight heightens my concerns... could Liam's soul endure here for even a dozen minutes?'

Both Link and Liam possessed mighty legendary abilities that could shield them from miasmic taint and enable navigation or endurance in this poison-choked realm.

However, the core issue remained mana drain.

Neither matched Rio's expertise; their legendary powers demanded vast quantities of mana to activate.

Even Liam, who could in theory restore his mana endlessly via 'Mana Field,' would deplete in this domain, saturated as it was with miasma.

Here, miasma's overwhelming presence left scant mana particles in the air; once your reserves emptied, the ambient traces couldn't replenish you!

'What makes this realm truly dreadful is how it stifles even the elementals...'

Rio's elemental sword techniques thrived by harnessing the diverse elementals in the surroundings and amplifying them with mana.

But this domain defied that norm.

The thick miasma concentration here meant almost no elementals lingered, crippling Rio's capacity to command them through his arts.

'This is a true bane for spellcasters dependent on environmental elementals for their incantations...'

Pure mana falls short for elemental spells; elementals are essential too.

'The workaround involves carrying ample elemental-infused crystals to fuel your casting...'

SS-rankers rarely grapple with elemental shortages, drawing on 'world authorities' instead, but those under SS-rank must tote such crystals for spellwork.

That's why Liam's 'Mana Field' stands as such a dominant force; it bypasses SS-rank needs or world authority, simply compelling mana and elementals to converge at your command.

'Beyond these hurdles... I sense that other 'world' laws are also subdued here...'