bookbashuk 40: Hero
40: Hero
Holy crap!
Startled by the sudden turn of events, Su Chen instinctively took two steps back, raising the red-tasseled spear in his hand to his chest with a "whoosh," the tip pointing directly at the changing skeleton.
In just a few seconds, the once dry skeleton was completely covered in dark red flesh and blood. The bones also changed from yellowish to a chilling blood red, making it a sticky, bloody monster.
"Resurrected??"
What is this thing?!
Su Chen's expression was not good. There were indeed many strange things in this Black Forest. Although he had gained a lot, he was already starting to want to go home.
The fleshy skeleton let out a muffled roar, its limbs thrashing violently, causing the chains binding it to creak and groan.
Su Chen was about to turn around and run away, but after glancing back, he couldn't help but laugh.
The iron chain locked it tightly, limiting its range of movement to less than a meter in the corner. No matter how much it struggled, it couldn't reach where he was standing.
"Luckily it was locked."
Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed this guy wasn't too difficult to deal with.
I just don't know if you can get a card after you kill it?
He slowly approached, gun in hand, and, seizing an opening, thrust the gun into the chest of the flesh-and-blood skeleton.
With a "plop," the spear tip easily pierced into the flesh, bringing out a clump of dark red pus and blood.
But this injury was nothing at all—the flesh around the wound immediately began to wriggle and healed in less than two seconds, leaving not even a mark.
"?"
Su Chen didn't say anything, and then stabbed several more times, in the head, arms, and legs, hitting the vital points wherever possible.
But the result was the same: as soon as the gun was pulled out, the wound was instantly filled in by the newly grown flesh.
This thing is like an unkillable cockroach; it just keeps howling and struggling, but it can't break free from those iron chains no matter what.
He's indestructible...
Su Chen pondered.
What is this skeleton?
Its self-healing ability is just too abnormal.
Stab! Keep stabbing!
The man and the skeleton were locked in a stalemate, a tug-of-war.
Su Chen kept attacking, trying to find its weakness, but all his efforts were in vain.
Time passed second by second, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, while his arms began to ache and go numb.
They hadn't fully recovered from the previous battle, and now they were locked in a stalemate with this unkillable thing, which was draining their stamina even more.
"Damn it, how do I kill this thing?"
Panting heavily, Su Chen retreated to a distance from the flesh and skeleton and temporarily stopped.
He didn't have much chance of survival left, and he couldn't bear to use it for testing.
Leaning against the cold wall, he rummaged through his backpack and pulled out the last few compressed biscuits, a packet of braised beef, and a bottle of water, and began to eat them in large mouthfuls.
While replenishing his energy, his gaze swept over the configuration table in the center of the basement, and he noticed a yellowed leather diary lying on the corner of the table.
Su Chen's heart skipped a beat. After finishing the last bite of the cookie, he picked up the lamp and walked over.
He picked up his journal and waited a while—the home system didn't respond at all.
Perhaps this really is just an ordinary diary?
The cover of the diary was badly worn, and the original design was long gone.
Su Chen turned to the first page, which was filled with crooked, otherworldly characters, exactly the same as the characters he had seen when he first got the "Demon Hunter's Compendium".
He thought he definitely wouldn't understand it and was about to put it down when the words on the paper suddenly came to life—as if they had come alive, and in the blink of an eye they rearranged into square characters that he could understand.
"It can even translate automatically, just like the 'Demon Hunter's Compendium'?"
Su Chen was surprised, but then calmed down and carefully read the contents.
The person writing the log was indeed the Witcher he had guessed. A sense of oppression and anxiety permeated every word.
[July 7th: I've noticed something's wrong with the world. Moonlight Forest used to be the purest place in this region, inhabited by gentle and kind animals. But recently, I've noticed many animals becoming agitated and developing strange growths on their bodies—an unprecedented mutation.]
[July 13th: More and more mutated animals are appearing; they've become extremely aggressive and will actively attack passing travelers. What disturbs me even more is that the forest fairy, who used to frequently appear in the forest, has been absent for a long time. I suspect that even she has been affected by some unknown force.]
"Moonlight Forest? A forest fairy?"
Upon seeing these words, Su Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought of the beautiful demon who had bitten him with tentacles at the edge of the Black Forest.
From the drone's perspective, the demon did indeed look like a woman... Could she be the fairy of the forest?
Although the woman exuded a strange aura and behaved very strangely, there was indeed no record of her in the "Demon Hunter's Compendium".
Su Chen frowned and continued reading.
[July 28th: The mutation is spreading rapidly, reaching the edge of Moonlight Forest. I must find a way to stop it, or the entire world will be devoured by this unknown force. I plan to delve deeper into Moonlight Forest to investigate and find the root of the mutation.]
[August 5th: I got lost in the forest. To survive, I ate a wild rabbit that looked relatively normal. Looking back, I really shouldn't have been so careless.]
[August 7th: My body started acting strangely; something was wriggling under my skin, and its strength was increasing. I realized that I might have been infected by that unknown force.]
Upon seeing this, Su Chen clenched his fist tightly, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought."
He initially thought those monsters were strange, like infected zombies, so he didn't dare eat them. This experience as a witcher completely proved that his idea was correct.
[August 8th: I finally understand. This power that causes all things to mutate is a curse. I call it the Curse of Flesh and Blood. This curse spreads through flesh and blood. Whether you eat an infected creature or have your wounds come into contact with the blood of a mutated creature, you can become infected. Even more terrifying, it can even cause things like puppets and elves, which originally had no flesh and blood, to grow flesh and blood, ultimately turning them into mindless monsters.]
[August 9th: I plan to research a potion to lift the Curse of Flesh here. I can't go out; once I fully mutate, I'll become a monster that threatens the world. I must find the antidote here, even if there's only a sliver of hope.]
[August 10th: It's failed. All the experiments have failed. My body is mutating more and more severely, and my consciousness is beginning to fade. I can only chain myself up, trapping myself here forever, hoping to stop the spread of the curse.]
[August 10th: If anyone reads this log later, please be very careful. At night, the moon accelerates the growth of flesh, and the cursed creatures become even more ferocious. Never touch any flesh of unknown origin, and never give up searching for a way to break the curse.]
The log ends here. The last page has messy and distorted handwriting, showing that the owner was in great pain when he wrote it.
Su Chen closed the journal, a jolt running through her heart.
"The Witcher got into trouble because he ate the flesh of those monsters... How could that be? Judging from the diary, this Moonlight Forest is most likely the Black Forest we see now!"
"What on earth happened to turn Moonlight Forest into this horrific state?"
Su Chen then remembered that the information in the intelligence rescue package referred to the Witcher as a "hero".
Sigh, it seems that the door that was locked from the inside was the one the Witcher used to lock himself up.
He truly deserves the title of hero.
But judging from the information revealed in this diary... did the Witcher really save the world?
Su Chen turned his head to look at the skeleton that was still struggling.
Based on the strange events they encountered after crossing over from their neighborhood, and considering the current situation, it seems the witcher's worst fears have ultimately come true.
This world has finally fallen.