Beyond the cave, the bright and dark fire stings everyone's eyes.
Nemo gasped silently.
They have been deep into the abyss passage for more than three weeks, and he has perceived many strange landforms. But this was the first time he could see the strange scene in front of him so intuitively with his eyes.
The firelight came from flames and magma, which illuminated the entire space red. The exit of the cave is connected to the "ground", but the giant rocks do not extend forward normally.
They looked like they were standing inside a broken glass tube, with broken ground and horrific cracks in every direction.
Most of the rocks hang quietly in the air, like suspended peaks. Small parts are swimming, colliding from time to time, and then sticking together.
Orange-red magma and flames, pitch-black rocks, and endless smoke—they couldn't see the boundaries of the space, except for the caverns they entered, and as the firelight faded, the other directions were filled with smoke-filled darkness.
But they could see demons wandering among the giant rocks.
It was like a chaotic sea of hot air, hot rocks and smoke. Nemo could see a few dead jellyfish slowly floating in the air in the distance. A little closer, a few sturdy fleshy tentacles—or feet—encased the largest floating rock mountain near them, a huge body extending into the distant smoke, making it impossible to see the whole picture.
Small demons climbed on the rock surface, and countless monsters came and went, cruising around.
Nemo turned his face to the other side—a huge tan pupil was facing them, unable to see where the boundaries of the eyeballs were. The honeycomb-shaped pupils without the whites of the eyes swirled, and the plural pupils dilated and narrowed uncomfortably.
Not to mention who he was a few months ago, now Nemo is a little weak. Nightmares are not enough to describe the scene in front of him. He prefers to believe that he has been maliciously injected with hallucinogenic drugs to paralyze his brain.
Oliver squeezed a sigh from his throat and wiped his face hard.
Nemo understands his mood very well. If you only look at the appearance, compared with the ones in front of you, the Seymour worms encountered in the black chapter test are all fresh and cute.
Right now, Mr. Demon King has not really returned to his hometown, but he has already begun to look forward to returning to the surface.
"Check your gravity pendulum status at any time, they will help you find the gravity direction. Confirm at least once a minute during the movement, don't take any chances. Those newcomers, don't look at that eye! You are most likely to die here. The law is to fall to death." The commander Lugo was unmoved by the distorted scenery in front of him, "Go on!"
The two expressions on the horizon were equally unwavering.
He was not even as calm as Debbie, who was less than twenty years old. Nemo shook his head vigorously, trying to regain his sobriety, fiddling with the gravity pendulum in front of him by the way.
It looks like a metal ring cut into four equal parts. Four metal arcs of the same size float around his waist and abdomen, turning as his body turns.
A spar pendant is hung from a thin metal chain in the center of each arc. The weights didn't sway as he advanced, they moved slowly, pointing firmly in a certain direction.
Before he finished fresh, a scream came from the front of the team. Godwin didn't move this time, and the one who reacted the fastest was Debbie - the girl threw her staff neatly, dragging the man who was leaning up and flying back.
No, not right. Nemo looked at the struggling figure—it was not "flying" diagonally upwards, but "falling" diagonally upwards.
"I said, don't take chances. Why do you think it's called the Gravity Labyrinth?"
The one-eyed dwarf growled shrilly.
"If you rush forward like idiots, you might miss each foot and fall to your death on a rock—the gravity here is chaotic! Don't you understand Common Tongue? chaotic!"
The accidental Mooney knight gasped. Under the orange-red firelight, his bluish complexion could still be seen.
"This is the last time I'll stress this." The one-eyed dwarf coughed twice and stopped speaking.
After a short episode, the team quieted down a lot. People always pay attention to the direction of the gravity pendulum, and the forward speed is comparable to that of a mallard walking in the grass.
The direction of gravity was in disarray, and they were advancing more slowly than ever. The members of the reconnaissance team climbed up and down the rock blocks following the instructions of the gravity pendulum. Not to mention the physical consumption, the frequent reversal of vision alone is enough to make people uncomfortable.
Now the reconnaissance team finally found a relatively flat floating rock platform and began to rectify and rest in place.
The air was hot and cloudy, and Jesse, who had always been talkative, closed his mouth. He simply put a protective cover on the Fuller Goat to prevent the important member of the Tumbleweed from getting sick and became the team's snack in advance. And Adrian Cross, who was beside Jesse, did not relax his bow hand.
The back of the knight commander's neck was exposed, and the blood marks of spiritual sacrifice on it were still very fresh.
The two on the horizon were at the forefront of the team, guarding the one-eyed dwarf Lugo who was commanding all the way. Holding the Sword of Rest in his hand, Oliver stood on the side of the reconnaissance team with a blank expression, and tried his best to ignore the huge eyeball that was looking at him.
"That's a rock whale, very docile in theory." Nemo murmured, summoning up his courage to look at the giant eye again. "… Theoretically."
"Where's Witherspoon?"
"It is the closest superior demon to us, and there is another one further away. Even in the abyss, superior demons are not everywhere, don't worry."
"I'm not worried... Wait, Nemo." Oliver's voice suddenly sank. "There's someone over there."
Nemo was trying to put a piece of jerky in his mouth when he heard Oliver's warning and stopped subconsciously. The hand holding the jerky turned and tucked it into the sullen grey parrot on his shoulder.
There can be no one here.
Adventurers who usually want to collect some rare minerals or hunt certain demons will travel within ten kilometers of the abyss passage. Without an experienced leader, going to a depth of less than twenty kilometers is pure death. Even the adventurer who witnessed the large teleportation formation being transformed by magic this time was just lost and accidentally ran to a depth of twelve or three kilometers.
But Nemo did not immediately refute Oliver.
His lover grew up in an inn full of adventurers, and Nemo believed he knew that too. So he just clenched the staff in his hand and looked in the direction Oliver pointed.
Oliver was right.
The big stone platform they were on was connected to another rocky mountain. In the smoke of the flames, several figures were staggeringly approaching. Nemo didn't notice this faint breath before, but since the target was in front of him, Mr. Demon King instantly recognized what it was.
"Kenna's doll." Nemo's scalp exploded. "Oli, hurry up, get everyone back. We'll get on top immediately."
Although there was still confusion on his face, Oliver did not waste time. He stretched out his hand almost the next second, and a bright blue warning rune came over the team.
The Gravity Maze is not a place for a quick retreat. The reconnaissance team quickly contracted, surrounded by Godwin's shield.
"Wow, Nemo, this is the first time we've fought side by side." Debbie said happily, then unabashedly took a breath. "Come on, Kenner's doll... Thank you for finding it in time."
The girl turned her head and erected another protective wall on top of Godwin's shield.
"Ask for Mage support." Debbie demanded in a clear voice after making preparations for the battle. "Knights, please pay attention to your surroundings, this thing will never attack from one direction - we will withstand the main force, and the rest is trouble for you."
Oliver stood beside Godwin unaccustomedly, looking half nervously half curiously at the "figure" in the smoke.
After seeing the opponent clearly, his curiosity suddenly dissipated.
Kenner's doll just "looks" close to a humanoid, and it's not the case when you see it clearly - its torso is thinner than a normal human, its limbs are slender, the joints are very close to insects, and even have thorns. The organ that should have been the head was blank, with only a dozen irregular holes stacked on it. Something in the hollowed-out "head" swayed, looming, and struck with a pleasant and creepy crash.
"Too many. Are we invading their territory or...?" Oliver gritted his teeth. "Maybe it's more effective to retreat."
"No, they're just hungry." Nemo glanced at Godwin who was fighting beside him, raised his staff, and the shadow instantly threw a dozen demons out. They fell along the chaotic gravity, into the void.
"And under the command of something, they usually don't dodge so skillfully." Adrian added with certainty.
This mid-level demon moves extremely fast. They were on all fours, rushing forward like a herd, and their movements were terribly agile. Fighting these terrifying things right now is as difficult as slashing a feather flying in the air with an epee.
Nemo was almost mopping up with shadows, but these things came out of nowhere and couldn't be thrown away. Oliver mercilessly swung the sword of rest, the brownish-yellow viscous body. Liquid spewed from the monster's severed limbs, emitting a particularly unpleasant stench. Jesse, who doesn't seem to be in good shape, stands behind Adrian, throwing a poisoned dagger at the demon.
Even after so much experience, the gap in experience is still obvious—
The long knight draws a bow and shoots arrows, which can shatter the heads of up to three demons with one arrow. Godwin's moves were equally decisive, killing blows with every move. Debbie, who was beside him, attacked for a while, and soon decided to change the direction of the fight and support Godwin wholeheartedly.
The slaughter and roars behind him were also incessant. Debbie was right, this thing wasn't going to attack them from the side at all.
Nemo had done his best to wipe them off, but in the end, all his efforts were as fruitless as trying to dry a table on a rainy day. Kenner's dolls are good at hiding their breath, and their nests are hidden in the cracks of space. He couldn't find their lair for a while.
They have to figure out where these things are coming from as soon as possible.
If this continues, their personal safety will not be a problem, but the object they want to protect will never last. Considering the overwhelmed stone platform under his feet and the fragile human reconnaissance team behind him, Nemo did not dare to go too far.
Destroying the lair first was his only option.
"Dylan!" Nemo raised his voice. "Can you find their lair? I feel… can't see it!"
"Hiding won't make it disappear." Jesse spun the two daggers in his left and right hands, splitting the two demons that came forward beautifully. "Have a snack, Mr. Wright! .
Nemo gritted his teeth and knocked dozens of demons flying: "Oli, help me for a while."
Nemo quickly took a step back and closed his eyes after getting the lover's affirmation.
This time he really broke down in a cold sweat.
Kenner's Doll's Lair - if you mean the dimly clumped patch of stars, now it's indistinct, jumping around in the stars. All he knew was that it was nearby, but he couldn't find the exact location. More trouble was to come - Witherspoon was going full speed in their direction for some reason.
If Witherspoon was directing these things...
The members of the tumbleweed will be fine, and they can save the two of them on the horizon. But the members of the scout team were too fragile, and it only took Witherspoon to kill them in a split second.
The gravity labyrinth is extremely unsuitable for quick escape, which is definitely calculated by the other party.
He clearly sensed the aura of the Demon King from himself, why did Witherspoon come here? If the other party came after him—
"Oli, I might need to leave the team for a while," Nemo said quickly, taking the floppy parrot off his shoulders. "Bagelmoru is not in a good state, you help me look after it."
Attracted by the flesh and blood of the superior demon without fighting spirit, a doll that was attacking Ollie stretched out its sharp claws and poked it straight at the parrot. Nemo subconsciously held the paralyzed parrot in his arms. He stretched out his arm, and the cursed claws pierced into the flesh, opening a bloody opening.
The demon's claws were instantly broken, and the bloody wound healed quickly. The shadow directly flung the demon that was trying to attack again.
"Witherspoon is approaching. I know the approximate direction of the lair, and your words should be able to push this stone platform away. I... may use some more destructive moves, you have to keep everyone away."
Looking carefully over Godwin's side, Nemo's voice dropped even more.
"But if you are seriously injured." Oliver chopped down a few more demons, his voice hoarse. "Remember the last fight with Witherspoon? In case you go back to that state... I mean in case."
This is the abyss, and no one knows whether the so-called law based on "cognition" will temporarily change his mind and drag Nemo back to the bottom of the abyss.
"I know." Nemo said in a deep voice, "Trust me, I won't hurt like the last time."
"Can't you let out your breath?"
"I'll try it later. But flesh and blood are not the same thing, Witherspoon knew that I... Well, it rushed over. Maybe it was prepared."
"I see, I'll go with you." Ollie's tone was undeniable, "Baggarmoru can follow Jesse."
"No." The grey parrot made a faint protest.
"Don't be self-willed!" The two of them roared with their heads lowered.
"I'm curious." The grey parrot's eye slid around the blood on Nemo's arm. "Why do you two always like to think of me as a parrot?"
The two of the tumbleweeds tried to express their daze with expressions while knocking the demons flying.
"I'll go." Bagelmoru whispered, "I'm also a superior demon."
"You are. But what you have here is just a piece of flesh and blood, and Witherspoon is a complete body. Even if you had my blood, it would be too messy."
"I know!" The grey parrot cocked its feathers and shrieked. "I've got brains, and I'm fed up with you scumbags! Listen, Wright, I'm going to throw up most of my blood in a while. You throw it in that direction—"
It points in one direction with bird wings.
"I will leave a little flesh and blood to ensure the temporary survival of this body, don't bother!"
"If you want to waste flesh and blood in this way and bring consciousness back to the body..." Nemo's throat was a little dry.
If the superior demon wants to return consciousness to the body, it must destroy or give up most of the flesh and blood transported to the surface, so that the flesh and blood cannot accommodate consciousness. After returning to the main body, the separated flesh can no longer be used.
This part of the power is similar to the "admission ticket" of the surface playground and cannot be recovered. For the less powerful type of superior demon, every power is invaluable. Considering the difficulty of smuggling the surface, they prefer to use this piece of flesh and blood to possess one body for a long time, and the worst is to toss between different bodies and consume slowly.
Few demons voluntarily destroy flesh and blood, just as no human spends a lot of money on a dinner party and throws them in the trash after one bite.
"Who is going to waste, who is going to waste?" Bagelmoru flapped his wings angrily. "Have you forgotten what I am! Just throw it away—"
"Nimo!" Oliver reminded.
The others might not notice, but he and Nemo knew very well that the dolls were attacking faster and faster, and Witherspoon was getting closer to them.
The grey parrot looked up at Nemo solemnly, and then it closed its eyes and lay down on the ground.
The purplish-black chunks of flesh came out of the parrot, it squirmed together, and then Guru rolled to the side. The parrot on the ground closed its eyes, and its heart was still beating weakly, but the breath of life had been reduced to a minimum.
No time to hesitate. Nemo shook off the gathered demons and put the limp parrot body in his pocket. Oliver picked up the piece of meat and threw it to where Bagelmore indicated.
The chunks of meat quickly disappeared into the void.
"What's next?" Hearing the cracking sound of the protective shield behind him, Oliver bit his lip and retreated in the direction of the reconnaissance team.
"Trust it, maybe." Nemo looked forward nervously.
Witherspoon is coming.
From the smoke emerged a six-clawed monster larger than any rocky mountain they encountered along the way. In terms of appearance, it has no fur, and the epidermis is covered with thick horny. It also has no neck, and the bat-like head is directly embedded on the body, and the members of the entire scout team are not enough for the size of one of its teeth.
Unexpectedly, a higher-level demon would burrow into the gravity labyrinth to embarrass them, and the one-eyed dwarves in the reconnaissance team screamed in unison. The two dragons that were sweeping away the demons at the back of the team rose into the air, no longer worrying about the route forward, and visibly restored to their original shape, ready to give their lives for a fight—
A snake-shaped demon that no one had ever seen emerged from the smoke.
It was even bigger than Witherspoon. The countless eyes on the edge of the flat snake's body flashed red, and it quickly entangled Witherspoon like a boa constrictor around a spotted hyena. After restraining the enemy, the flat snake split open its unusually huge mouth and bit Witherspoon's body in one bite.
Purple-black blood spurted out like a waterfall.
Witherspoon roared and struggled desperately. Two powers belonging to the superior demons erupted at the same time.
Without command, the dolls gave up this thankless battle in an instant. But the current reconnaissance team has little thought about them.
The two on the horizon were pale, turned from attack to defense, and opened layers of protective shields desperately. Godwin knew that he had the capital to fight if he came up with the consciousness of sacrificing his life. But he wouldn't be stupid enough to take the initiative to step forward at this time and tell his life in the melee between the two demons.
After confirming that the shield could protect the team, Head Horizon supported his body with his sword, panting and looking at his unreliable cousin. As it turns out, he really doesn't know what's going on in Oliver Ramon's mind—
Mr. Ramon was holding the parrot in his team, as if gesturing its size.
Then he turned to the two superior demons who were fighting together, and exclaimed "Wow!" with his lover.