The elite mercenaries’ hair shook on end as they witnessed the scene unfolding before them. Even Rylan, standing at the rear, was also shocked speechless. These people, who looked like a bunch of weak and meek teenagers, were even more bloodthirsty and brutal than they were!
What in the world was happening here? Rylan couldn’t fathom it.
“Fuck this!” Rylan’s grip tightened on his mace as he charged toward the red-skinned woman.
He only ever heard about this in legends, but tales spoke of extraordinary existences like Magi would conduct countless unspeakable experiments to create monstrous beings. This huge crimson woman with a pair of horns must be a killing weapon made by a Magus. If that were the case, then the mastermind behind all this must be a formidable Magus. He might have muscle as a brain, but he was definitely not foolish enough to overlook that fact.
“You want some of this too, old man?” taunted the crimson woman as she readied her fists.
Provoked by her mockery, Rylan drew in a deep breath, channeling his ki and strengthening his body. Although it was impossible to imbue his weapon with ki at his current level, strengthening his body to the limit was a pretty simple thing. With a mighty swing, he brought his mace down toward the woman’s head. But before the blow could land, a fiery projectile struck him in the chest, sending him flying backward several meters and searing his skin.
“Shit! She’s a mage!” Rylan clutched the wound in pain. Because he focused his ki at his hands, the magic attack became critical damage.
She sneered and mocked him once more, “Is that all you’ve got? Even that lousy brat is more impressive than you.”
Rylan didn’t know who she was referring to, but he paid it no mind. Seeing that only he could take care of her, he activated his breathing technique skill: “Mad Bull” — a skill that strengthened him to have the power of a raging, monstrous bull. It was this very power that had earned him his fearsome reputation and nickname.
“You’ll regret mockin’ me!” With a burst of speed fueled by his ki to its fullest extent, Rylan surged forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. He swung his mace with all the force he could muster, determined to overpower her before she could unleash another spell.
A shockwave rippled through the air as his mace collided with an unseen force. He could feel the impact of it hitting something equally hard through his bones. However, upon looking up, he was met with a sight that left his mouth agape. She had blocked his attack head-on with her bare fist.
This woman is insane!
Despite the blood dripping from her battered fist, she was not flinching in the slightest. It was as if she didn’t feel the pain at all! No matter the case, he focused his attention back on killing her. So, he pulled back his mace, ready to strike her multiple times. If once didn’t work, then all he needed to do was to do it multiple times until she caved in.
Still, whenever the strike would land on her, her fists intercepted every blow. Even when he managed to land a hit or two and inflicted severe injuries, there was no change to her outward expression. No matter how much strength he put in or how fast he swung his mace, it didn’t seem to make a difference. It was as if he was fighting against an impassable wall…
Superior strength and speed meant nothing against the sheer willpower of this monster. Was this the true essence of power?
Rylan staggered backward, his chest heaving with exertion. “Huff… Huff, puff…” He panted heavily; it had taken him his all, but the crimson woman before him remained standing with no noticeable exhaustion — a stark contrast to his own faltering strength.
Even though blood trickled down her forehead, and her body had suffered numerous injuries, yet she was still as fierce as ever, like a demon. I’m dead meat if I keep this up! What are the others doing?! Rylan scanned the battlefield for any sign of support from the other mercenaries, but to his dismay, he found that he was the only one left standing on his side and completely exhausted. Everyone else had fallen or knocked unconscious. The sight sent a shiver of dread down his spine.
Though their enemies had also suffered terrible casualties, those who were still alive were watching him fighting this monster without a single desire to join. This really puzzled him to the bone. Were they not afraid of death?
In his thirty-plus years of experience as a mercenary, Rylan had never encountered anything remotely like this. For the first time in a long time, he felt the chilling grip of fear creeping into his heart.
“Are you done?” she asked in a chillingly calm tone.
“…You… What the hell are ya? Tell me, hey!” he shouted with a quivering voice.
Ignoring his pleas, she slowly advanced toward him.
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“Don’t you dare take another step, you freak!” He roared, swinging his mace with all his might. To his surprise, it struck her head without obstruction. “Ha! Serves you right!”
Yet, his triumph was short-lived. When he tried to retract his weapon, it wouldn’t budge an inch; it was stuck. Panic surged through him, and then suddenly, a sharp object pierced his chest. Looking down, he saw her hand gripping his heart, ripped from his chest cavity from the earlier magic spell. Then, with a manic expression, she devoured his heart like a savage beast.
That gruesome sight was the last thing Rylan saw before darkness consumed him, his lifeless body slumping to the ground.
***
With a body rigid from tension and eyes wide with disbelief, Sean watched as Butterfly ferociously devoured the bandit’s heart. Then, as though that was not enough, she reached down the fallen form of the elite bandit and began consuming his flesh. Her eyes were redder than ever as she performed this horrifying act.
There was an eerie silence as the players who were still alive observed the scene. Finally, one of the players, unable to mask his discomfort, blurted out, “Wait, isn’t that cannibalism?”
His words cut through the atmosphere, stirring murmurs among the surviving players. Sean, on the other hand, surveyed the battleground. Only seven players, including himself, were barely hanging to life. Two of them were unconscious, while another had lost a hand. Despite his severe injuries, Sean wondered how he was still alive after losing so much blood. His vision was beginning to blur, but the pain barely registered in his brain, most of which was suppressed.
Among his party members, aside from Butterfly, only Patrick remained alive. In fact, he was one of the MVPs. At a critical moment, he had distracted and confused the bandits through a variety of magic — everything from pulling out a bird and a bunny from his hat to even using tarot cards made of vellum. You named it, and he almost definitely used it. Sean wondered where he had gotten and hidden all these things.
“Relax! It’s just a game. Everything that she tries to eat here shouldn’t be real. Maybe,” remarked a player with black hair, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, which was missing an arm. His ID was “EclipseKnight.”
“Then, why don’t you give it a try as well?” Patrick nudged the guy’s armless shoulder.
“Yeah. As kinky as it might be, you may even discover a whole new delicacy if you cook it,” NuclearCode added with a half-joking smile.
EclipseKnight shuddered at the thought and yelled at them, “Are you people out of your mind?!”
All of a sudden, Butterfly paused and turned around. Her face was smeared with blood, giving the appearance of a red demon who had just consumed a human (which was really the case). “Uh… Did I just literally consume this bandit alive?” She rubbed her injured head in confusion.
“What happened to you?” was what Sean asked as he cautiously approached her.
“I don’t know…” She stared blankly into space. “I was suddenly consumed with a thirst for blood and flesh. Seeing the bloodshed all around only intensified it further and made my instinct slowly consume me. I think it becomes stronger the longer I’m in the fight.”
Hmm, so this game gives total freedom to players’ actions. But I wonder if there are restrictions and limitations to it… His reviewer brain had activated to analyze this deeply. I mean, while there is a handbook for rules at the academy, what if a player goes to the other side of the world and unleashes a massacre or something?
Sean put this thought aside, as there was no way to confirm it, and asked, “I see… So, how are you feeling now?”
“Much better. Frankly speaking, I feel satiated,” Butterfly said, rubbing her belly and letting out a small burp. “Welp, it probably has something to do with my in-game bloodline. There’s no power that doesn’t come with great risk.”
Hearing that, NuclearCode couldn’t contain his curiosity and exclaimed, “Damn, dude! How does the human meat taste in this game?”
“It’s so-so. Although I must admit, this bandit’s flesh is so full of vitality. It actually enhanced my physical capabilities after I consumed it.” Butterfly then activated her Shadowlink Mark to verify her stats. “Yeah, my stats have improved quite a bit.”
“Wow! A new gameplay involving devouring corpses has been found; this is unprecedented in any game!” EclipseKnight’s eyes shone in excitement.
“I’m actually more intrigued if the game accurately replicates the taste or if it’s substituted. You know, there’s a common saying that human flesh resembles pork.” Patrick held his chin.
“Considering the game’s commitment to ultra-realism and immersive experience.” Sean began, gesturing with one hand to emphasize his point, “It makes sense they’d strive for authenticity in every aspect.” He then switched to his other hand. “On the other hand, there are ethical concerns that we can’t ignore. But as EclipseKnight pointed out, this is just a game — there’s no need to overthink it.”
But what if this game was real? What if his body in the game world was a real living avatar?
Sean couldn’t imagine that. For one thing, it would spark a worldwide panic that he couldn’t fathom. Cannibalism would be the last thing to be concerned about here. Certainly, another world out there that had a higher level of power wouldn’t be something people of Earth would take kindly of. It would be like those sci-fi movies of aliens invading Earth and enslaving humanity, just like what humans did to themselves centuries ago.
Still, he could be relieved that it was all only in his imagination.
“It seems the only way to know for sure is to try it ourselves.” Patrick paused, uncertain. “But who would actually be willing to take that risk? Wait…” His eyes suddenly rested on Butterfly in realization.
“Don’t even think about asking me in detail. My actions were purely instinctual; I didn’t have time to savor the meat, and I definitely won’t do it again. What, did you think I enjoyed doing what I just did? Do you want me to smack your head, too?” She lightly punched her palm, looking serious.
Patrick quickly responded by lifting his top hat in a salute towards her before backing away. “No, thank you, I’ll pass on that.”
“At any rate,” Sean initiated, returning to the main topic, “let’s grab the two unconscious players and collect the dead players’ acolyte robes, then we get the hell out of here. Oh, and don’t forget to bring a bandit who appears to still be alive; it might just increase our reward.”
“Got it!”
“Sure.”
“I was thinking the same.”
With their plan set, the group swiftly tidied up the aftermath of their battle with the bandits. Utilizing their combined strength of thirteen hands, they gathered what they could and made their way back to the academy, laden with their findings. Luckily, the bandits’ attacks were precise, and the acolyte robes were not damaged beyond repair.