Chapter 5, Cut him!

This has greatly elevated their respect for Colin

Life can only be lived once

The sound brought Colin back to his senses from his daze, reminding him of the terror of that moment, and a sense of relief akin to being reborn after a disaster surged wildly within him

To flee is to die, to ascend is also to die, so I would rather gamble my life for a life at this very moment

Upon entering, it was discovered that this "deformed entity" left shallow trails on the ground as it moved, along with residues of viscous, foul-smelling slime, handprints, and marks from some sharp object scraping against the surface.

In just a few seconds, clues were organized from various traces in the tunnel, leading to the inference that these were marks left by the "aberrant entity"

Colin's words quickly lifted the slightly diminished morale, and the two servants had no doubts about Colin's judgment, feeling that they were following a wise leader

Keep up, this is the trace left by the 'distorted' actions.

However, despite the acceleration of the Colin operation, the necessary vigilance has not been neglected

In the shallow tunnel, there lingers a foul stench reminiscent of decaying rats, which you believe is a trace left by the "aberrant entity" after its passage, and it has only just departed.

However, they can vaguely discern which things do not belong to the system

Colin quickly pushed himself up from the ground, holding a lantern in one hand and an axe in the other. He charged forward for less than five meters before he saw the "suffering people," and suddenly a word sprang to his mind.

But that is of no importance

When the kerosene runs out, the ability to explore a second time is lost, and one can only wait for death, which would be truly unjust.

However, before actually finding the other party, he is worried about what to do if he does not encounter them on this trip

Considering various information and the continuous emergence of prompts

Unlike ordinary individuals, the "deformed" creature has grown elongated strips covered in thorns on its back, which entwine around itself like vines; these are also the source of the sharp scraping against the ground

Although Colin is holding a sharp axe at this moment, he has never fought with anyone in this manner before

What other options does he have

Chop

The target of the battle is such a bizarre, inhuman creature

In this moment of mental turmoil, Colin clenched his teeth tightly against the inner wall of his mouth, the intense pain temporarily suppressing all his thoughts

It appears to have only an upper body, lacking skin, with the flesh on its face melting and solidifying like wax on the skull, leaving only five grotesque cavities of its original visage.

He is observing what exactly is leaving such traces of movement

As characters originating from the system, they are not fully aware of the abilities possessed by the lords

In the eyes of both individuals, Colin's judgment undoubtedly stems from his formidable reasoning ability

If the distortion cannot be resolved during this period, he must return; otherwise, he is likely to become completely lost in the fog

He is very weak, he is not an opponent, facing him will lead to death, flee, it is not shameful

As Colin had speculated, this creature moves using its own hands

However, concerns in this regard can finally be set aside now

This decision also avoided the cost of serious injury or death for Colin

Moreover, since it has just launched an attack once, it seems to pose no threat in the short term

A few minutes later, Colin saw a faint figure crouching on the ground ahead and suddenly stopped in his tracks

In the remaining time, Colin can still engage in activities for approximately 25 minutes

However, the gruesome appearance of the monster and the overwhelming stench still had a significant impact on Colin's heart, causing his steps to falter two meters in front of the creature

During this process, a shadow almost simultaneously emerged from the front with a sound of something breaking through the air. Colin and the others only felt a circular object, carrying immense force, brush past their scalps.

Charge forward with me

If it weren't for Colin suddenly feeling a gaze filled with malice directed at him, followed by a sudden alert in his mind, he would likely have met his demise

The intense shockwave caused Colin's mind to go blank for a moment; had he been struck by that object, he would have likely faced either death or serious injury

However, this is not a moment for celebration. Since the prompt indicates a charged attack, the next attack will certainly not come so soon.

He has no idea what kind of effect his axe will achieve with this strike

The prompt mentions that the "Suffering People" have discovered you! They are gathering strength to launch an attack, and if hit, it is highly likely that you will die on the spot

Upon seeing this prompt, Colin finally felt a sense of relief, although he suspected that the number of "deformed entities" should be considerable

The marks left in the soil by some sharp objects seem to indicate that this thing is still thorny

Colin actively generated a thought to suppress the myriad of chaotic distractions, having already realized that this influence stemmed from the monster

A sound of a heavy object falling to the ground was also heard behind.

Damn it!

Yes, a monster

At first glance, it seems as if one is looking at a person who has been cruelly stripped of their skin and left there

The scarlet flesh and blood were directly exposed to the air, seemingly subjecting it to constant agony, continuously emitting a deep, tremulous moan of despair from the throat

Unexplainably, a scene appeared in Colin's mind of a person lying on the ground, using their hands to crawl forward, their palms digging into the soil, dragging themselves little by little ahead.

Its lower body is said to be nonexistent, resembling more of a shriveled mass, transformed into a... an indescribably repulsive lump of flesh

Colin did not know what these two servants were thinking, nor was he aware that his status had inexplicably risen in their eyes. After making his decision, he quickly walked towards the shallow path.

What if we haven't even broken the skin, and then the monster suddenly erupts? What if the monster's current weak appearance is merely a disguise? What if this is a trap?

What a keen mind this is

Colin's conjecture is not without basis; judging from the intermittent pauses of the shallow path, it indeed appears to be the method of movement employed by the other party

Some thoughts are rapidly amplifying, while fear simultaneously gestates within. Colin finds it difficult to suppress a sense of retreat, as various thoughts arise in his mind, and a languorous melody echoes in his ears

Upon hearing this, the two servants almost instinctively prostrated themselves on the ground

Isn't it too reckless for him to rush up now

In a moment of urgency, Colin chose to lie down directly

After hesitating for less than a second, Colin's gaze sharpened, and he quickly bent down and shouted: "Get down!"

Take advantage of its weakness and attack its vulnerable points

It seems to be narrating some kind of "truth"

Before me stands a monster, wielding an axe, with no way to retreat behind me

Monster

Since the lantern was lit, nearly thirteen minutes have passed, and these thirteen minutes have been completely wasted, yielding nothing at all