Chapter 177: Ravenous

Chapter 177: Ravenous

Im not limited by the Ruthless Heavens here. This time I have my legion with me! the Corpse Lord roared as three huge streams of corruption rose out from the kettles and flew to intercept the emerging hand above Zac.

Zac wasnt surprised the undead leader had something up his sleeve, but he didnt change his mind. He pushed the gigantic hand forward, making it slam straight into the torrents of corruption as it moved to snatch the Corpse Lord.

A sizzling could be heard from his arm as smoke started to rise, making Zac grunt in pain. But he kept going, and soon the whole arm was submerged in the putrid liquid from the kettles. It was a far stronger version of the corruption that spewed out of the Corpse Lords own body during the last fight, and Zac felt as though he was submerged in a vat of acid.

True Rot! the undead leader roared as he pushed the miasma in the air to join the liquid from the kettles, pushing the decaying powers to another level.

The hand was completely submerged in a blob of turbid liquid as it stopped some distance from the undead lord, who looked at a panting Zac with a sneer. The effect of the ball of corruption was extended to Zac as well, and the effect was strong enough to singe him all over. The hair and beard hed grown out fell out in thick clumps, and the cloak he used above his real gear was rotting away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

However, the Corpse Lords eyes suddenly opened wide in alarm as an emerald shockwave of energy scattered the blob of corruption. The putrid liquid flew in all directions, actually killing dozens of the undead soldiers, as a hand blazing in green luster emerged out of it.

The arm wrought out of nature didnt look decayed at all. On the contrary, it seemed even more vibrant compared to before, as small saplings and leaves grew from its rugged exterior.

You! Mhal roared, as he tried to perform a body swap, but it was to no avail.

The hand had somehow locked down space around it, turning the area into its domain. Zac sensed it was something like a Dao Field in a sense, but at the same time it was far sturdier. Aghast, the Corpse Lord tried to flee, but he didnt get far as the hand quickly closed around him.

Ill take you with me! [Seed Detonation]! was the last thing the undead screamed in fury as the hand clenched, causing a sickening crunch.

Zac froze for a second, bracing for whatever his foe had planned in revenge. But nothing happened, making Zac look around in confusion. The Corpse Lord had said seed detonation, likely trying to explode whatever he embedded in Zacs gut. But perhaps the odd changes it had undergone had broken the connection Mhal possessed.

Zac sighed in relief as he saw his gambit was successful. He was betting that the two upgrades to his Dao of Trees would supersede whatever the Corpse Lord had planned. A Dao Seed gaining two upgrades was a huge boost, and even with the support of the Dead Zone Mhal shouldnt be ready for the power-up.

He was correct. Though the three large kettles made the power of rot far stronger, it was no match for the concept of growth through decay. The hand even emerged stronger from the attack. A huge surge of Cosmic Energy entered him, effortlessly pushing him to level 59.

While there was utter chaos in the undead ranks from the sudden fall of their leader Zac quickly ran forward and stored the mangled remains and weapon of the Corpse Lord in his sack. The undead himself possessed a sack, which Zac quickly bound to himself and put inside his robe.

Zac had achieved his goal and was pondering what to do next. He even contemplating going on a rampage to push himself toward level 60. However, a sudden blaze of pain erupted in his body as the core beneath his navel sprung to life as it started to absorb miasma once again.

The only thing he found to somewhat help out was to eat meat from strong creatures, so he kept continuously eating dried meat as he ran. In just a few hours hed consumed a couple of weeks worth of food, but he kept ravenously putting one piece after another into his mouth as he ran.

The only permanent solution Zac could come up with at the moment was to keep running further away from the core of the Dead Zone. The drain on his body was based on how much miasma his body absorbed from the atmosphere. Zac figured that if he got to the edge of Dead Zone the sparse miasma in the air would result in his body wouldnt get drained to such a degree.

Still, even with his speed he knew it might take days to get far enough out as he felt he was getting closer and closer to his limits, meat or no meat. Those were the thoughts churning in Zacs muddled head as a bright light suddenly flashed from the left of him and he looked over with confused eyes. What entered his eyes was a large truck speeding right toward him, and in the next moment everything went black.

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Zac was swimming in a sea of darkness, not knowing what was going on. He couldnt remember how he got here, or even who he was. Time and space had no meaning as he quietly floated in the endless black until a glowing warmth spread through the universe, rekindling his memories.

Zac stirred with a groan, and immediately heard a conversation above him.

Why are you wasting our resources on that man? He is teeming with miasma, hes probably lived inside the Dead Zone for months. I dont know how he has survived, he doesnt seem to have an ounce of Cosmic Energy in his body, and he seems like hes on the verge of death anyway, a disgruntled voice said as Zac felt something pushing him in his side. Just let him quietly pass.

It was us who hit him with our truck, its only right that we help him out. And how I use my healing powers is none of your business, an irritated female voice from somewhere right next to Zac responded. Besides, do you want to answer to the Battle Monks when they find out we left one of their kind in the wilderness?

"Shit, we've already lost most of our army, but you pick up strays. Well, whatever," the man muttered, followed by steps walking away.

The warmth kept flooding into his body, reinvigorating his drained cells. At the same time he felt that some miasma kept entering his body, though now the golden warmth was what got absorbed into his Core to balance it out. It gave his body a much-needed respite, as he was just too exhausted from the past two days.

He wanted to get up and see what was going on, but he was surprised that his body wasnt listening to him, not even allowing him to open his eyes. Instead, he was forced to lie there mulling over what the two said. The way the man described him was troubling, so he tried to properly sense the state of his body.

He was shocked by what he found out. He had no problem using his inner vision, but he almost thought hed was looking at someone else when he saw what was going on.

There was not a smidgeon of energy in his body, to the point that it almost felt like hed gone back to be a normal mortal. At the same time his frame had undergone a transformation, and not a good one. Most of his muscles were gone, and he looked sickly or starving. Zac could only guess that his bulk was swallowed along with his energy into the gluttonous bead.

Finally there vas the mention of battle monks. Zac didnt understand what they had to do with him, until he went over the battle from before. The fight had once again singed his hair clean he realized with an inward groan.

I guess Im back to being Monk, was the last helpless thought in Zacs mind as he once again drifted into unconsciousness.