Chapter 124: 60. Human-Worm
The sky had gradually dimmed, and the afterglow of the sunset became increasingly blurred with the passage of time. At the border between light and dark, Fisher sprinted toward the sound coming from the fields, gripping his staff tightly.
Outside the laboratory was a patch of ground elder that was half a person’s height. Just as Fisher was running, the distant sound suddenly ceased.
The sun in the sky had completely sunk below the horizon, leaving only a small portion of the sky glimmering with a purple hue.
Fisher abruptly stopped, choosing not to proceed in that direction. A gentle breeze brushed past, causing the nearby ground elder to bend down.
He did not move again, as he suddenly felt something approaching from the direction of the sound.
The thing moved with extreme speed, yet Fisher remained calm, gripping his staff tightly and fixing his gaze on the ground before him.
In the dim environment, clusters of ground elder were swept down by something creeping, silently rushing toward Fisher, who stood still.
Although the creature’s movements produced no sound, as it drew nearer, Fisher’s nose detected an odor reminiscent of decayed flesh that had rotted for hundreds of years. In the next moment, the foul stench peaked, and an elongated object suddenly sprang up from the ground, lunging toward Fisher.
“Shriek!”
A sharp, piercing scream, akin to a mad woman’s, rang out instantly, accompanied by that thick, nauseating smell.
Fisher’s pupils contracted, and his body instinctively recoiled slightly like a wild animal, wielding his staff as a weapon against the leaping creature.
The speed of the staff was rapid; though it was a rigid object, it twisted and whipped through the air due to Fisher’s quick swing.
“Bang!”
“Roar!!”
The instant the staff made contact with the creature, its surface collapsed inward like layers of dead skin. However, as the force traveled inward, Fisher heard the sound of bones cracking, and the foul creature was sent into a spin by the force of Fisher’s strike and the pain it inflicted.
Fisher took a step back. Only then did he properly see what was attacking him, but as he surveyed the thing before him, his expression turned pale, and he frowned.
It was indescribable with any simple term.
What appeared in front of him was a creature shaped like a long strip, primarily resembling a snake, but it had skin like that of a hairless human, covered with various human external organs.
Ears, hair, nose, mouth.
Supporting that elongated body were four dislocated limbs that would make anyone’s scalp tingle. The legs at the back were bent backward, transforming into a structure resembling the hind legs of an insect, while the arms were slightly shorter, lacking forearms, but replaced with two enormous praying mantis blades.
At the very front of that monster, a human girl’s face sat like an ornament, her eyes devoid of pupils, staring blankly at the human before her.
The entire creature reeked of rot, but beneath that human girl’s face, a red heart hidden beneath the skin still beat vigorously, proving that the creature was indeed a living specimen.
Just one glance was enough to induce nausea; Fisher’s expression grew serious as he raised his staff and assumed a fighting stance.
The giant sound in the distance continued to echo; if he guessed correctly, Eil was over there.
Fisher did not dwell on the origins of this monster but focused entirely on preparing for battle.
“Shriek!”
The distinctive, piercing scream of a human female came from behind the creature, and Fisher’s staff lit up with flickering light as he swung it, sending out rings of energy vibrating like bees with each movement.
【Dance of the Bees】
The cutting magic surged toward the creature, but upon contact with its skin, a large amount of sparks erupted, and the rings penetrated deep into its skin without cutting through, while the creature let out a pained scream.
Seizing the opportunity while the creature was momentarily distracted by the Dance of the Bees, Fisher quickly deduced that its skin was somewhat tough; slicing it seemed ineffective, but the blunt impact from his staff worked quite well. Taking a deep breath, Fisher swung his staff forcefully at the monster.
The staff slammed into the face embedded within the creature’s body like an iron rod. Upon impact, dark green liquid seeped from that organ, emitting a foul stench, and when it hit the ground, it sizzled violently. However, before it could touch the staff, a protective magic lit up around it, shielding it from direct contact.
“Shriek!”
The monster saw the impending disaster and clamped down hard on Fisher’s staff with its mouth.
At the same time, it raised its insect-like body, attempting to entangle Fisher within its grotesque form. Amidst the intense stench, Fisher gritted his teeth and suddenly recalled the combat methods Eil had taught him. He decisively abandoned his staff and swung a punch directly at the monster’s face.
His muscles twisted, and a fiery fist struck down onto the staff, which transformed into a steel spike that swiftly pierced through the creature’s body, entering through its mouth and exiting out the back of its head.
A large amount of pus oozed from the hideous creature’s body, causing even Fisher’s magical staff, protected by magic, to keep from becoming contaminated by the vile substance. In mid-air, the foul liquid shot up like a fountain, as if the toilet of Saint Nali had been overturned.
Fisher’s expression changed, quickly jumping back to avoid getting splattered by the crazed spraying creature.
“Shriek!”
With one final scream resembling a woman’s hoarse shout, the creature collapsed lifelessly on the ground, though its muscles still twitched irregularly as if struggling against death.
Fisher caught the staff that fell from the air and furrowed his brow as he regarded the creature that was essentially dead.
But he still needed to find Eil. Just as he was about to get up, he saw the unharmed Eil slowly coming back from the patch of ground elder, carrying two daggers, her face wearing a nonchalant expression as if she might yawn at any moment.
“Hey, another one got away; you dealt with this one, huh?”
Eil rubbed her eyes, showing no enthusiasm whatsoever. Fisher glanced at her and, seeing she had no injuries and wasn’t covered in anything, turned his gaze away.
He crouched down, looking at the massive, worm-like creature, and asked, “What is this thing? Why is it here?”
From the looks of it, this monster bore all human traits but had many differences in its bones and certain organs, resembling some sort of artificial creation.
Fisher gazed at the girl’s face, twisted in pain as she continuously expelled pus from her features. His expression turned cold, and he made no move to touch the monster, sensing the pus might be toxic.
“This thing seems to be called a [Human-Worm]. It’s a creation of the criminal I’m pursuing, and this one here is a complete product made from a human. There are more over there, but he likes to destroy evidence, so these will become unrecognizable soon, with the bones turning into a puddle of stinking water, so don’t think about studying them.”
Eil wrinkled her nose, no longer yawning, fearing that the stench might cling to her.
“The criminal I’m chasing enjoys conducting such grotesque experiments. Not only humans, but subhumans often suffer as well, which is why Ag sent me back to the surface to hunt that guy down. It seems he should be aware that demons are hunting him, thus sending in a few biological weapons to test my strength.”
“A few of the worms were alright, but they’re all dead now. He probably realizes I’m not to be trifled with, so he’s likely preparing to flee Saint Nali tonight.”
Fisher said nothing, but he noticed that the human-worm on the ground seemed to trigger something, as its bodily pus began to boil. Quickly, it dissolved that worm-like, human-like monster, revealing pale bones within, causing the nearly dead human-worm to emit a female-like scream once more.
Yet this time, the scream grew weaker, as even the final bones turned to ash.
“So, you’re going to keep pursuing that criminal?”
Fisher no longer looked at the ground but instead turned to Eil.
Her red hair lifted slightly, and her serpent-like eyes focused intently on the slowly disappearing life, revealing a hint of something that seemed unusual for a demon.
Once the creature had entirely transformed into an indistinguishable puddle, she yawned, nodded at Fisher, and said with mock frustration, “Ag is already quite dissatisfied with my pace. If I keep slacking off, he might really get angry. So I’ll probably set off tonight to chase that guy. We should say our goodbyes here, human. But this is good for you humans; he won’t have much time to create such things while escaping, so fewer of you will die. That’s a win-win.”
She laughed, then suddenly pointed at Fisher as if reminded of something. “Oh, and kid, I saw your attack just now. It still shows some childishness, but it’s beginning to have the flavor of an aspiring fighter. Your body has great potential yet to be developed. Remember to continue practicing and don’t waste it. After I kill that guy, maybe I’ll come back to play with you again, as your scent is indeed pleasant. I wouldn’t want to see you again next time, looking sickly like that first time; otherwise, I’ll drain you completely.”
Eil poked Fisher playfully with her tail, looking all too much like someone who had taken a liking to him, leaving Fisher speechless. That said, he didn’t try to persist in keeping her. The relationship between him and Eil felt somewhat complex; it was more a mutually beneficial arrangement than anything deep-seated.
However, given his progress on the Demon Handbook had nearly exceeded fifty percent, he estimated that he would receive the fifty percent reward for the demon biology progression upon returning that night. According to convention, this handbook would also grant him some tangible items.
He wondered whether those items were hidden in the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans or summoned from elsewhere.
Reflecting on it, this time spent with Eil had resulted in significant gains for him. Not only had his physiological needs been met, but he had also learned numerous combat techniques from demons—Fisher felt he had hardly lost out.
Conversely, this demon girl seemingly gained nothing besides a place to sleep. And now she was leaving without mentioning the thirty thousand Nali.
Thinking this way, Fisher couldn’t help but feel like he might be taking advantage of Eil a little.
Feeling slightly guilty, he pulled out all the cash from his pocket—about ten thousand Nali—and handed it to Eil. She looked momentarily startled, then pocketed it without counting and yawned.
It seemed this demon really had no concept of human currency; he could have given her just a few thousand.
He thought this but didn’t voice it; instead, he spoke, “How about we share one last meal together?”
“Also, maybe share one last sleep?”
Eil replied lazily, but no answer came from Fisher.
In truth, her words were a polite refusal.
Although Fisher could see a flicker of interest in her eyes, a part of the fleeting joy of someone leeching off time, just as she said, she had to depart now.
“Never mind, kid; I’ll come looking for you after I’m done. Your human lifespan is short, and I could accompany you until your demise, if that’s alright~”
She smiled and waved goodbye to Fisher, saying in a manner so captivating, it felt almost bewitching.
Then, she didn’t linger, shouldering her two blades and putting on her cloak, completely concealing her inhuman parts.
She was leaving.
“I’m off now; I’ll remember your scent, and next time we meet, I’ll taste it again.”
“.”
Fisher stood where he was, not sending her off. When she had walked far enough that her figure became indistinguishable, he turned away.
He didn’t go back but continued in the direction Eil had come from.
Ahead in the distance, before the grove of ground elders, vast areas of the ground appeared scorched and deeply pitted, as if burned by lava.
It looked as though some great power had ground the earth beneath, leaving cracks and broken fragments everywhere. The once soft soil had become hard under high temperatures, disintegrating into ash at Fisher’s feet.
That demon, Eil, truly was not an ordinary being.
As he observed the scene before him, Fisher waved his hand, using magic to cover the traces on the ground, so that later on, if anyone were to investigate, he could claim that he was experimenting with new magic, thus cleaning up after her negligence.
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【End of Chapter】
