Chapter 398 – My Sleeve Dart with a Grappling Hook
“The Formless Children!?” I exclaimed, surprised as Moore spat out those familiar black threads, none other than the Formless Children.
Amelia had told me that the Formless Children were likely fungi that parasitized the human body. Lavias had also told me that the larvae of the Formless Children would grow inside the human body and eventually erupt.
I hadn’t expected Moore to use his own body as a breeding ground for a Formless Child, nurturing one inside him. In a moment of desperation, the Formless Child automatically protected its host, spewing out and sending Jayad flying.
Was this rare opportunity wasted just like that? And because I had gambled everything on that single strike, Sherris had detonated the last pumpkin. Now she had no way to create another opportunity. Had I bet wrongly?
Just then, Jayad, who had been sent flying, suddenly raised his hand. A hook shot out from his sleeve, directly latching onto Moore in mid-air.
Moore had just been rejoicing that the Formless Child had knocked Jayad away and saved his life, when he suddenly saw something shot towards him. Then, his body suddenly felt heavy, as if being dragged by something.
“What?!” Moore exclaimed, looking at where he was hooked. Only then did he notice an almost invisible thread pulling him, extending all the way to Jayad’s sleeve, which concealed something resembling an arm armor.
“It’s the sleeve dart weapon I repaired!” I shouted in surprise. Because of the distance and the sunlight, I could only see it clearly now. If my eyesight hadn’t been enhanced several times, I wouldn’t have been able to discern it.
Moore frantically tried to unhook himself, but it was too late. Jayad yanked the wire hard, rapidly closing the distance between them.
“Damn it!” Moore, in his panic, failed to release the hook in time. He then tried to cut the wire, but it was made from some kind of monster’s silk, the silk of a Lance Ryli giant spider. Even with a knife, it couldn’t be cut. He didn’t even have a sharp weapon, how could he possibly tear it apart?
This was also a visual trap. It looked like a thin spider silk that would break with a slight tug, much easier than dismantling the hook. But in reality, a tug would reveal that this spider silk was not breakable at all, nor could it be cut.
Moore had no chance to ponder why. Jayad had already closed in on him. The Formless Child once again coalesced into a clump of tentacles, lashing out at Jayad like a whip.
How could Jayad fall for the same trick twice? His target had been the Formless Child from the start. With a flash of sword light, the large cluster of mycelium in Moore’s mouth was completely severed.
Then, a pure white flame ignited, instantly turning to ash in mid-air. Jayad knew how troublesome the Formless Children were and wanted to completely eliminate it while it was still small.
Seeing that the Formless Child had been severed, Moore, in his desperation, flew erratically with Jayad, trying to shake him off. Jayad pulled the wire even harder, bringing himself closer, and thrust the sleeve dart directly towards Moore’s heart.
“Ah!” Moore cried out in pain as Jayad stabbed his chest. In pain, he retaliated with a fierce blow, kicking Jayad away. The hook also tore through his ragged clothes, and Jayad was sent crashing down.
“Is it fatal?” I watched anxiously. Unfortunately, due to the presence of the Formless Child, Jayad had to deal with it first and couldn’t kill Moore with his silver sword in time. Jayad was not yet proficient with his sleeve dart, so it might not have been enough to kill Moore.
As expected, after a brief struggle in the air, Moore began to fly towards the village. He clutched his chest, but did not seem to have sustained a fatal injury.
The sleeve dart was a close-quarters weapon, and in high-speed aerial combat, it was possible that it wouldn’t be able to hit a vital spot.
One could only say that Moore was incredibly lucky. The first slash due to his fat didn’t disembowel him, and when he was hooked later, the hook tore through his old clothes directly. Did he also have a luck passive skill?
“Chase!” Sebastian shouted, and we all rushed towards the village. Jayad also regained his balance and took to the air again, following closely behind.
We chased after Moore towards the village. He initially flew unsteadily, but as he neared the village, he suddenly regained his normal composure.
It was then that I saw countless villagers rush out from the village, holding pitchforks, rakes, hoes, and other farming tools. Among them were many familiar faces who had previously hosted us warmly, but now they had a blank, numb expression.
“Damn it! It’s the villagers controlled by Moore, Moore is transferring the damage again!” I stomped my foot in anger. Older Brother Jayad’s efforts were all in vain, and things were back to square one.
“There’s no other way. We’ll charge in, but be careful not to harm the villagers!” Sebastian said, raising his cane and charging forward.
Claire covered with her slingshot. Whether it was glue bullets or sleeping bullets, she could incapacitate the villagers without causing injury. Sebastian, on the other hand, had already knocked out several people.
When it came to subduing enemies without harming them, these two, uncle and nephew, were quite professional and skilled. They must have apprehended many vicious criminals in the past.
However, apprehending criminals usually involved one person, at most a few in a criminal gang, often with the assistance of the police and bounty hunters. Here, there were hundreds of villagers.
Sebastian was also hesitant to act rashly. He could have easily dealt with the criminals with lethal force – shooting them in the leg, a blow to the back of the head, or joint techniques that directly caused fractures. He dared to use these, as long as they stayed alive.
But these were innocent villagers, some of whom had even treated him to a grand meal before. Sebastian was unwilling to harm them, and he deliberately avoided techniques that could leave sequelae.
This would make things difficult for him. After all, two fists are no match for four hands, and a good fighter can’t stand against a crowd. Now there were a vast number of villagers, all armed with various farming tools. Knocking down one or two of them wouldn’t affect their cordon.
If Sebastian couldn’t teleport, he would have been in trouble long ago. It was Claire who could unleash her full power because her non-lethal projectiles were far more effective than the combined efforts of the three of us.
As for Sherris and I, we could only watch. I could still use the Invisible Hand to knock down a few people, but Sherris could only stand by idly. If only she still had her pumpkins. The Screaming Pumpkin would have been a powerful suppression tool at this moment.
In the sky above the village, Jayad and Moore were engaged in fierce combat once again, but this time Moore had the upper hand. This was his home ground. He didn’t even need to dodge Jayad’s attacks, as any injuries could be transferred to the villagers.
What a despicable scoundrel! If only I could fly, I could go and help Older Brother Jayad. Is there any way?
I looked around, searching. Then my gaze fell upon an old woman in the crowd holding a broom, struggling to keep up and chasing Sebastian.
That’s the one!
