Chapter 470: Chapter 460: Chis’s Resolve

The thick tentacles wielding tremendous power, repeatedly and violently slammed onto the deck. The defensive runes on the ship’s surface flickered wildly, resisting direct destruction, yet many Demon Race soldiers unable to evade were directly smacked into pulp, with blood and shattered bones flowing across the deck.

The warship shook violently under the impact of the immense force, and the Demon Race soldiers had to desperately grasp ropes, masts, or any fixed objects to avoid being thrown into the sea.

In contrast, those Six Claw Chis displayed astonishing adaptability, their sharp claws hooked into the planks like iron hooks, far more stable on the tilting, wobbling deck than the Demon Race.

Suspended in mid-air, two massive Evil Eyes were pouring down [Petrification Beam] with full force!

The gray-white beams swept across, petrifying parts of many Demon Race soldiers. As the ship shook violently, these soldiers, who lost partial mobility, couldn’t maintain balance and screamed as they fell into the sea, promptly torn apart by the Chis lurking below.

The Blood Race Viscount’s face was extremely grim.

He tried chanting explosive flames and scorching fireballs that crashed onto a tentacle, emitting a burnt smell, but couldn’t cause deadly damage. The flesh on the tentacle regenerated quickly, restoring halfway when he tried the second spell!

He turned to concentrate fire arrows at the Evil Eye but was dispelled by the blue Magic Shield, merely causing a ripple.

However, on the three ships, Diamond Level strength was not limited to the Viscount alone.

And the strength of these Empire elites couldn’t be compared to those upper-level warriors of the tribes.

At this moment, on another skeletal escort ship, a Diamond Level Horned Demon champion made a decision.

Ignoring the tentacles entwined around his ship, he suddenly exerted power with his legs, his stout body shooting into the sky like a cannonball, his spear piercing fiercely into an Evil Eye’s eyeball with a sound of breaking air!

Suddenly severely injured, the two Evil Eyes kept ascending while concentrating the Petrification Beam on this Horned Demon, from armor to skin gradually turning gray-white.

The Horned Demon had no intention of letting go but rather kept dragging his spear, trying to completely kill this Evil Eye.

The Viscount wanted to fly to help him, but the surrounding temperature suddenly dropped.

He turned and saw that Hess, the Demon Race covered in ice-blue Demon Pattern, finally stepped out of the sealed chamber.

The Viscount knew it wasn’t that Hess didn’t want to confront the enemy immediately, but rather that Hess couldn’t easily come out.

This man’s power, even within the Palace Level, was top-notch but extremely difficult to control.

Once outside the special chamber engraved with sealing runes, the leaked cold was enough to freeze the sea, ensnaring the ship beneath it.

Just then, the thick tentacles struck again, and Hess took a step forward, neither dodging nor evading, directly facing beneath the tentacle.

With a single arm raised up, accompanied by a muffled sound, he forcefully stopped the massive tentacle capable of smashing rocks!

“When did the ocean get filled with these disgusting creatures?”

Biting cold rapidly spread along the contact point. The flesh of the tentacle quickly lost vitality, layer by layer encased in thick ice, and within a few breaths, the entire tentacle had become a rigid icicle.

Even the Blood Race Viscount had to retreat a distance to avoid being frostbitten by the escaping cold air.

The terrifying cold did not stop but rather spread along the frozen tentacle to the sea surface.

Amidst the continuous cracking sounds, vast swathes of sea froze into hard ice at a speed visible to the naked eye, seemingly dragging the battlefield into the Extreme North Icefield in an instant.

Hess abruptly exerted force, with a crisp sound, snapping the massive frozen tentacle.

He swung his arms in a circle, vigorously throwing the giant ice tentacle into the sky!

The ice column howled through the sky, crashing right onto the Evil Eye entangled with the Horned Demon, accompanied by a muffled sound and splattered viscous fluid; the Evil Eye exploded on the spot, and the Horned Demon fell directly onto the ice-covered sea surface.

…

Chis’s heart was bleeding.

Ever since being driven into this unfamiliar sea by that mushroom, it lost its last precious chance to split, living like a bird startled by every rustle.

It carefully avoided those terrifying deep-sea beasts, only operating in relatively barren safe fringe areas, like the humblest scavenger, preying on ordinary Sea Beasts and solitary Mermaids…

Bit by bit, struggling to reaccumulate power.

Generally, it wouldn’t attack ships, even solitary ones.

It’s no longer the naive, reckless predator it once was.

It learned endurance and understood balance.

It knew attacking ships might attract powerful figures from the land whom it absolutely couldn’t contend with.

However, this time… the energy waves emanating from those Demon Race warships were overly intense, like the sweetest bait in the dark, triggering its hunger and rendering it completely unable to endure!

As a result, it hit solid steel upon its first move!

Watching its painstakingly cultivated Touch Chi beasts suffer heavy damage, precious Evil Eyes obliterated, elite Six Claw Chis on the deck being constantly purged, how could it not be heartbroken?!

That damned mushroom was likely occupying its former lair, madly expanding the Fungal Mat and proliferating mushrooms!

And itself?

It was about to lose all that was painstakingly accumulated all over again!

At this rate, forget about amassing power for payback against the mushroom, someday it might silently vanish in this cold ocean due to some accident, leaving no trace behind.

Under the relentless blows of failure, Chis suddenly felt a sense of defeat and desolation.

Perhaps… just let it go?

Let go of that impossible hatred, find the most remote trench to hide in, catching small fish and shrimp each day, barely surviving.

Whenever the feeling that the mycelium of that mushroom or Puki is spreading over, just flee deeper and farther…

After all, the sea is vast, there must be a corner where one can fit, right?

This way… it doesn’t seem so bad?

After all… how could I possibly defeat a monster like that mushroom?

Its mushrooms are far more than my bugs, and they can even steal the abilities of my bugs.

Last time, when the Tou Chi Beast was killed by it, it must have grown much stronger still…

Just give up, give up is fine.

But,

How could one possibly be resigned!!!

The one that toyed with it, devoured it, chased it out of its home like a stray dog, forcing it to struggle in this cold, dark, perilous ocean… Mush! Room!

How can it bear to watch that enemy thrive joyfully on what originally was its territory, while it can only live like a humble bug, scurrying and hiding to survive?!

Devour it, devour it, devour it!

I must devour it!

Before that, devour these ships!

Along with the heavy crash akin to an iceberg collapsing, the frozen sea surface exploded!

Several massive tentacles with hideous mouths broke through the ice, wrapped in swirling ice shards and overwhelming malice, like frenzied giant pythons smashing down towards the Demon race’s warships!

The only remaining Evil Eye also abandoned its previous cautious attitude, the massive single eye bursting with pale light, rushing fiercely towards the Hess on the bow, with a posture of perishing together!

The Six Claws on the deck, having seemingly received a death warrant, let out frenzied roars, completely relinquishing defense in an attempt to encircle and attack.

However, the harshness of reality does not change a bit due to a determined will.

If only Hess alone faced this frenzied all-out counterattack, perhaps he would be in a bitter struggle. But now, behind him is a complete Demon fleet!

“Stop these bugs!” The Blood Race Viscount roared sharply, leading elite soldiers to form a defense line, where swords and magic intertwined, firmly blocking the frantic charging Six Claws.

The Evil Eye diving from above was locked by a Diamond Level Shadow Mage on another ship, along with attack arrays that lit up on either side of the ship, arcane missiles, and corrosive beams cascaded upon its shield like a storm.

The blue magic shield flickered violently, already on the verge of shattering.

Standing at the bow, Hess, facing the giant tentacle baring its fangs and claws, only had a hint of curiosity in his eyes: “Instead of retreating, it can even organize a coordinated desperate counterattack… this demon is becoming more and more interesting.”

The tentacle slammed horizontally.

“Angry, aren’t you, little octopus!” Hess’s lips curved slightly, the cold air around him instantly condensed on his right fist, and he swung a simple yet powerful punch towards the tentacle!

However,

Whoosh—!

The expected scene of the tentacle being frozen and shattered did not occur. Instead, Hess was sent flying out, drawing a parabolic path through the sky!

“My lord!?” The Blood Race Viscount, who was commanding the battle, noticed this sudden change, turned back in horror, “How could this be! What’s happ…”

Whoosh—!

A piercing whistle of an arrow interrupted his exclamation.

Just as he was distracted by his superior being blown away, a silver arrow, formed purely from highly compressed magic power, pierced through his chest at lightning speed!

On the arrow, there was even attached sacred attribute damage!

The Viscount staggered and half-knelt on the deck, incredulously looking towards the direction from which the arrow was shot.

On the distant horizon, a seemingly plain, yet “Skeletal Grade” large ship, had somehow quietly appeared in sight.

“Such a… such a long distance… how is it possible…” Separated by a great distance, he couldn’t understand how the opponent could attack him.

In his blurry vision, another flash of heart-palpitating silver light appeared.

The Viscount, struggling to try to gather a Blood Shield in front of him, found the mortal wound of the arrow rendering his movements fatally slow for a moment.

Just a hair’s breadth too late, the Blood Shield couldn’t stop the second silver arrow, and the arrow shot straight into his brow.

His consciousness was swiftly swallowed by darkness, and in the last moment as he collapsed on his back, his blurred vision reflected the sight of Lord Hess, in mid-air, furiously battling the frenzied tentacles.

But… His Lordship’s right arm now hung limply in front of him, and embedded in it, was an identical silver arrow…

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