Chapter 175: The Power of Indulgence
Boom boom boom boom boom boom——
Flames roared, shaking the air.
Jet-black flames erupted in the night sky about twenty to thirty meters ahead, instantly stirring up a fierce wind, shattering light and shadow. The scarlet Infernal Fire flared for a moment, only to be crushed and scattered by the forces of darkness. The screams from the crowd in the distance grew increasingly frantic and high-pitched, but I had completely lost interest in them. Excited, I strode forward, and in the next moment, a twisted silhouette of a man fell from the sea of black fire, hitting the ground and then standing back up again.
“Ahhahahaha——”
He let out a manic laugh, his limbs and torso grotesquely distorted and corroded by Chaotic Power, large patches of d*ath Black rapidly spreading over him. It was impossible to count how many bones were shattered; white, jagged fragments jutted out from his chest and thighs, bl**d gushing forth, while the muscles of his face twitched in agony—perhaps that was a smile.
His jaw had completely restored itself.
Puffs of Dead Smoke swirled out from the areas of the Jester that were eroded, countless scarlet lines resembling bl**d vessels expanding from his wounds, spreading across his body in defiance of the encroaching black splotches, managing to hold back the spreading trend of Chaotic Power.
In midair, the black flames of the explosion fell like rain, landing beside the Jester and in the distance. The Dead Smoke’s corruption continued to spread; I took three steps forward, and my vision revealed that almost everything had been consumed, turning into vast expanses of charred wasteland.
The nearby grass had long since withered, terrible Abyss Mud flowing about, lifting up a bl**d Pearl that had fallen to the ground, curling around it like a snake, writhing in front of me. I reached out with my left hand, and the pearl plopped into my palm.
…Sniff sniff.
As I lazily took my fourth step, I gently sniffed.
What radiated from the bl**d Pearl was delicious, oozing a sweet fragrance… a tantalizing aroma.
Can this thing be eaten?
“Slurp—”
My saliva was about to spill…
“Interesting…hahahaha…interesting…”
The Jester nearby was cackling uncontrollably, bending over with laughter. He seemed utterly unconcerned that the bl**d Pearl had landed in my hand, like a heartless and crazed lunatic, hunching over, one shoulder high and the other low, limping along with his battered body step by step… toward me.
Even though he was already eroded by Dead Smoke, the power of Infernal Fire ignited once more, wrapping around his entire body, rapidly healing those gruesome wounds in the flames.
“Chaotic Power… Infernal Fire… What on earth am I witnessing? How can this happen? Silvya, what kind of monster are you… so interesting… it’s just… too! Interesting!—”
Boom!
The flames suddenly unfurled ahead, a bl**d-like color instantly engulfing the man who couldn’t touch a thread, and the Power of Sin surged skyward. The next moment, a gigantic, withered arm extended from the burning flames, accompanied by a shadowy whirlwind, and in an instant, it came crashing down!
“Ha.”
I sneered, taking another big step forward, a breeze rising beneath my feet, ruffling my skirt. The black Dead Smoke swirled around me, and the Chaotic Fire shot upward, soaring nearly thirty meters into the air, forming a cataclysmic tornado, an eerie white light suddenly illuminating Stag Town’s night. Just as the giant hand came crashing down over my head, a dark blue arm shot up to meet it, slender fingers clenched into a fist, slamming down onto the palm of the bl**d hand—
Boom!!!
At the moment the two hands clashed, a colossal thud reverberated in all directions, shockwaves spreading out, sending soil, stone debris, and destroyed barricades flying, roaring toward the distance, the burning church collapsing a second time, finally turning into ruins amid the deafening echo.
Less than a second after their brute force collided, the pitch-black and scarlet flames clashed again, exploding from the center where fist met palm, a torrent of power bursting forth, black and red fire rising in the night like ferocious dragons, sweeping through the surroundings!
Bang!
The ground sank, creating a cracked pit.
“Ahhahahaha!”
In the flames, the Jester was not more than five steps away from me, his raucous laughter ringing in my ears, the hot wind blowing in my face. I felt a surge of joy, my eyes glowing bl**d-red, my mouth barely parting, releasing a breath—Dead Smoke and Infernal Fire surged forth with the exhalation, the returning Abyss Mud climbing my body and solidifying, forming a pitch-black battle armor in an instant.
I still hadn’t fully unleashed the Chaotic Power, yet the emerging strength had already exceeded my expectations. I could destroy him, destroy the Jester… destroy everything… I… just wanted to eat something…
“Dinner’s ready~”
The next moment, the cyan giant hand suddenly shifted, the massive fist veering from the bl**d hand’s palm. The fingers curled into a grip, twisting forcefully, and with a series of sharp, cracking sounds, the bl**d hand was twisted like a pretzel, splattering everywhere like molten lava wrung from a towel.
In a flash, a second bl**d hand and blue arm charged forward, launching a punch, the explosion and shockwaves ravaging through the air. The Jester’s laughter continued, and I felt an indescribable excitement, saliva trailing down from the corner of my mouth. Grabbing the bl**d hand’s blue arm, I yanked it back, directly pulling the still half-beastified Jester from his fiery cocoon.
“Ahhahaha!”
I heard my own delighted laughter in my ears as the blue arm released the bl**d hand, heavily smashing down onto the Jester’s head—
Boom!
The terrifying force crashed down like a pile driver, smashing the Jester into the cracked earth, his back sinking into the charred ground. One of his bl**d hands was already ruined, his body swelling, sprouting fluffy, bl**d-colored fur, his head warping shape, but the deer head had yet to grow out. The other bl**d hand quickly grasped my body, exerting force…
“Cough!”
I coughed up bl**d, feeling my insides churning together, something wanting to spill from my mouth. I swallowed hard, my eyes glinting with a bloodthirsty light, my lips curling into a sweet smile, the thick black mist spreading out even more. The bl**d hand gripping me began to rot away under Chaotic Power, emitting hissing sounds, its color fading and wilting.
I ate him…
I consumed his power…
In my mind, a fantastical voice seemed to urge me on.
That was my food…
Channeling the vast, unruly power within, I raised both cyan arms high, aiming to smash down onto the ‘transforming’ Jester once more—
Boom!
Amid the massive commotion, the ground beneath me sank further, the raging black fire igniting on the half-monster’s body. Faintly, I heard countless terrified, heart-wrenching screams, words like “monster,” “demon,” and “abyss” drifting to my ears, a jumbled mess… so noisy.
Arms raised, I slammed down again.
Boom!
Raise, smash down again.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom——
“Hehehehe… Hahahaha…”
“Ahhahahaha~”
The reckless laughter filled the air, both from the Jester and myself. One was hoarse and bizarre, the other sweet and melodious. The one doing the beating laughed maniacally, while the one taking the hits also joined in; both contrasting laughter spread through the fierce, horrific clash, sounding like pure delight.
“They see you, they… see you… hehehehahahaha…”
“Shut up…”
Boom!
Sparks, scorched earth, and who knows what debris flew in the periphery of my vision, disintegrating in the chaotic whirlwind of power.
The Jester’s voice was hoarse and unpleasant, his words broken amid the strikes: “You… let them go… look, they want to escape…”
“What are you talking about? Food.”
Boom——
“How delightful… do you think you saved them? They’re still going to d*e… they will d*e because of you… hehehehe…”
“Couldn’t care less.”
“Guess how the Church will handle this… haha…”
“Just behave, don’t move around, don’t resist…”
“You… hahahaha… what kind of monster are you… I’m so curious… ah, feels like it’s getting hard…”
“What nonsense, let me eat already.”
Amid the huge tremor, the man was nearly embedded deep in the ash. I stood up slightly, feeling a bit tired of the beating; it was getting boring, so I controlled the blue arm and plunged it into the charred soil, grabbing the Jester’s head. With a dull thud, I crushed his nearly formed, already sprouted antlered deer head completely.
