The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 677- Demonification (3)

Some had mismatched bodies, and some looked straight out of a nightmare. Human, demi-human, beast... it was a fusion of everything stitched together, like a mockery of life.

Looking at them, only one word came to mind. Chimera.

"It’s those things again. Dammit, they are quite tough."

It took no time for the fight to erupt. On the other side were bloodthirsty monstrosities far more powerful than an ordinary low ranking demon.

Claws met steel and scales clashed with armor. For a Level 6 knight, these creatures, which clearly possessed supernatural strength, were too much to handle.

One of the knights barely managed to block an attack. The force behind it sent him stumbling backward.

"Use the creature’s strength against it. Don’t try to brute force. You are a knight, not a berserker." Leona calmly instructed. As much as it was dangerous, it was also an opportunity.

The knight immediately utilized his techniques and regained his ground.

Everyone fought tooth and nail to obtain victory. When the knights thought that they could finally catch a breath, more enemies surged from every direction.

There were even some who looked extraordinarily tough and possessed special abilities.

The knights could barely hold one in a one on one fight. However, the situation did not allow them to focus on these special enemies alone.

The knights continued to retreat in formation, and before long, they fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing this, Leona stepped forward.

"Fall back."

The knights instantly obeyed.

Then a brilliant silver light flashed, directly bisecting dozens of enemies in an instant. What took these Level 7 and 6 knights forever only took a single move from Leona.

And it was not even any technique or skill, just a simple swing.

Leona calmly sheathed her sword and was about to shift her gaze away when she realized her attack had failed to kill a few. Out of dozens of monstrosities that attacked them, these ones stood out.

Not only because they were more powerful than the rest, but because they also possessed the power of regeneration along with other abilities.

What’s more, at this moment, Leona’s eyes sharply contracted as she sensed the malevolent energy surging within the monstrosities as their wounds swiftly closed.

"Demonic Energy?"

There was no mistaking it. That energy that surged within these new monstrosities was demonic energy. It also explained why they had so many unusual abilities.

Which in itself brought the question: how was that possible? It was generally known that wild monsters, if exposed to a high concentration of demonic energy, can become demonic monsters.

However, such monsters, although strong, lose their reasoning and become simple, mindless killing machines.

Looking at the monstrosities in front of her, the cunning light gleaming in their eyes told her that her opponent was no mindless beast. They were cunning and thinking.

Furthermore, looking at their haphazard form that was a mixture of multiple monsters stitched into one, it was clear that they were wild monsters, but the product of some experiment.

"This Labyrinth, it’s hiding something dangerous." Thinking to herself, Leona sheathed her blade once again. "[Starlight Severance]."

Above the labyrinth ceiling, a constellation suddenly appeared. Stars glittered, illuminating the place.

Next, these stars generated a deadly severing force that cut the surviving monstrosities into multiple pieces. Not even with their powerful regeneration could they endure the attack.

The ground fractured, and dust billowed. When the aftermath finally settled down, a ground filled with pockmarks and fractures came into view.

Not a single enemy remained standing. No, not even their bodies were intact.

The surviving knights stared in awe.

However, unlike them, there was no relief in Leona’s eyes. Instead, they became even more grim. She could hear the low growls of more monstrosities coming from the distance.

What’s more, she could also hear the screams of knights.

"Follow me."

Without hesitation, she moved. Her body transformed into a streak of silver light. On their way, they were assaulted by numerous monstrosities. However, none could stand intact in front of Leona and her sword swings.

Soon, their group reached the source of the screams. A group of young knights desperately fighting for their lives. Several were wounded. One had already lost consciousness.

One look was enough to tell that the monstrosities encircling this group of knights were even more powerful than the ones Leona and the others encountered.

"[Starfall Severance]."

Once again, a constellation appeared in the ceiling and bright rays fell down like falling stars, instantly cleaving and reducing the monsters into bloody patties.

"Commander Leona."

Once the aftermath settled, the surviving knights stared at the silver-haired woman standing heroically before them. Instantly, relief flooded their faces.

They were one of the groups who were unfortunate enough to be far away from the Elite and Extreme Knights before they were all displaced all over the labyrinth.

"Regroup."

She looked at them and nodded. For a while, there was a brief respite before the monsters came charging again.

.

At the bottommost layer of the labyrinth, hidden beneath countless layers of stone and steel, an enormous underground facility hummed with activity.

Rows upon rows of strange machines lined the corridor. Glass containers filled the place, and within them floated grotesque creatures.

As it turned out, these creatures were none other than the chimera monstrosities that assaulted the Sixth Division.

Other than these freaky experiments, humans donning white coats could also be seen stirring all around the place.

They were none other than researchers who were conducting some inhumane experiments.

At this moment, all of their eyes were glued to the countless monitors showing different areas of the labyrinth.

On those screens, the knights of the Dawnbringers were fighting the monstrosities. Everything that was happening around the labyrinth was displayed on those monitors in real time.

"Subject Group 1-5777 has suffered a ninety-three percent casualty rate." One of the researchers spoke, adjusting his glasses.

"That is because you keep pitting them against powerful knights. I told you to herd the lower-ranking knights away from the rest of the group and ambush them using 1-5777." Another retorted.

"Doesn’t matter. They are useless. Even after integrating monster genes, they still cannot match Level 6 knights. The combat efficiency is far below expectations."

Another voice joined the discussion. "Subjects 5778 through 8055 performed somewhat better."

Some of the screens displayed the combat ability of several chimera like monsters. Rapid regeneration, fire breath, toxic spit, invisibility, constricting... they showed multiple abilities. All worthy of further research.

"Useful products. But only barely. Against Level 7 opponents, their win ratio remains unsatisfactory."

"Eighteen percent. Far below projected estimates."

At this moment, one of the researchers, who was paying attention to a screen that displayed a female knight leading a bunch of inexperienced knights, suddenly hissed.

"The Aether Factor in their bodies has become unstable."

On the screen, the subjects they were praising earlier suddenly started displaying erratic behavior.

Cracks began appearing on their skin, muscles bulged grotesquely, and internal organs began rupturing. Several machines flared alarms.

"The intelligence degradation is accelerating."

"The body enhancement process was successful. The problem lies with adaptation. The subjects cannot withstand the strain."

"Even after combining their bodies with powerful wild monsters, they still collapse."

The researchers hurriedly jotted down the data.

Everyone understood the problem. The Aether Factor, the greatest discovery of the millennia, was too potent.

Even after modifying human bodies, it was still unable to handle the strain. What’s more, the more they utilized the power, the faster their bodies degraded.

"The knights are advancing faster than expected."

At the center of the laboratory stood a tall man. Unlike the others, he remained calm. His eyes reflected the countless battle screens before him.

Several screens highlighted groups of Dawnbringer knights; they were moving steadily toward the deepest layer.

"They will reach the outer security perimeter soon. Release the third failed batch." The leader ordered.

On his instructions, subjects 8056 through 10043 were quickly released to confront the knights.

While they were still failed products, they were vastly superior to the previous batches and were excellent information gathering materials.

One of the researchers releasing the third batch of subjects looked at one of the pods and asked the leader in an anxious voice.

"Leader... should we also release those three?"

For a moment, the lab became silent. Everyone knew who he meant.

Subjects 10041, 10042 and 10043. Although failures, they were the products closest to perfection. The strongest failures.

On one of the hidden monitors, three sealed chambers appeared. Within each floated a humanoid silhouette. Even asleep, their presence felt oppressive. After thinking for a while, the leader nodded his head.

"I received authorization from Dr. Victor. Release them. Although instability exists... their combat capabilities are extraordinary. They would provide invaluable data."

The researchers gulped, a faint tension enveloping the room.

Before the researchers could release the three, the leader reminded them, "Prepare all security measures. Once the cryogenic chambers are opened, retreat immediately. No exceptions. If you are left there, you die".