Chapter 115: The Devil Han Shuo [Please Vote]

“Who are you?” Tranks, seeing that Hanshuo was unharmed, first breathed a sigh of relief, then cast a cold glare at the strangers.

“Don’t concern yourselves with who we are. Hand over the Medusa beast’s crystal core and blood, as well as the Dagmar fruit, and we might spare your lives,” said the senior mage grimly, gripping his staff tightly.

“Lian, don’t be so quick to decide. Heh heh, look, here come three beautiful girls. We haven’t seen women in ages. Let’s keep these three beauties for ourselves,” said another burly, gorilla-like senior swordsman, hoisting a broad sword the size of his own frame over his shoulder, a lecherous grin spreading across his face.

“Angru, you have a point. I didn’t notice these three girls just now,” the mage Lian replied with interest, his eyes twinkling as he watched Neiya, Afra, and Angelica approaching from afar. “If you leave these three beauties here and drop your weapons, strength rules in the Dark Forest. If you want to live, I suggest you leave now.”

There were over a dozen people in the group—mages, swordsmen, archers, priests, and rogues—all seasoned men of considerable power.

“Do you think you’re worthy?” At that moment, Hanshuo stepped forward from a distance, emanating an intense aura of danger. His body, burnt and twisted, appeared terrifying and grotesque. As he advanced step by step, the group grew visibly uneasy.

“Hans, are you alright?” Tranks asked immediately, alarmed by Hanshuo’s grotesque appearance.

“That ugly thing is an eyesore, but its vitality is tough—it still hasn’t died. Brothers, finish it off!” Angru’s face darkened as he commanded coldly.

Gordon and Afra’s group finally arrived. Hanshuo said nothing further but suddenly surged forward at lightning speed, heading straight for Angru.

A faint black magical aura slowly seeped from Hanshuo’s body. Driven by unprecedented killing intent and rage, Hanshuo’s unstable soul realm caused a sudden transformation. Dark magic overflowed under the influence of his magical energy. His mind clouded into a haze, filled only with murderous and destructive urges. His pupils turned a horrid pale white, devoid of irises.

“This kid is strange. Everyone, be careful!” Angru was startled by Hanshuo’s demonic visage and shouted in alarm.

Though Tranks and his group couldn’t see Hanshuo’s face from behind, they sensed something was terribly wrong. The tendrils of black magic exuding from Hanshuo carried a terrifying and evil aura that instinctively instilled fear in all.

“Let’s help Hans kill these opportunists!” Gordon roared, charging ahead. The others followed suit without hesitation.

Only Angelica stood frozen, uncertain.

“Hey, Sister Neiya, want me to help?” Angelica asked.

“Just protect yourself. It’s too dangerous right now,” Neiya said impatiently, nocking an arrow aimed at a human archer in the distance.

Suddenly, a chilling, soul-piercing scream filled the air, like a desperate cry from the depths of hell. Everyone’s hearts trembled; their skin crawled from the eerie sound. Panic spread as they looked around frantically for its source.

“The sound’s coming from that guy!” Angru gasped, veins bulging as he stared at Hanshuo rushing forward.

Upon his warning, everyone noticed the source: the Demon Slayer Blade flying close to Hanshuo, its edge wreathed in dense dark magic, coiling around him like a demon devouring all in its path. The sinister sight overwhelmed them.

“Kill him! Kill him first!” Angru panicked, shouting wildly.

Everyone now realized Hanshuo was no ordinary opponent. Even battle-hardened Tranks felt a chill, unsure what had overtaken his comrade. The enemies, terrified of the unknown, resolved to destroy him outright.

Suddenly, a barrage of fierce magical attacks and arrows shot straight at Hanshuo’s head. The onslaught was so fierce that even Tranks would find it difficult to fend off.

Yet the bizarre Hanshuo let out a beast-like snarl, pushed off the ground with force, and leapt several yards into the air as if flying. He soared over the attacks and struck at Angru like lightning. At the spot where he launched himself, arrows and magic spells were embedded in the soil.

“Damn it!” Angru frowned, realizing the terrifying Hanshuo was charging right at him. Only the senior mage Lian stood nearby, powerless to help. Angru drew his broad sword and readied himself for a heavy strike.

The Demon Slayer Blade, still swirling ominously beside Hanshuo and emitting a soul-shredding wail, shot forward like a ravenous ghost attacking Angru. With a surge of energy, Angru’s broad sword erupted with deep azure fighting spirit, forming a cross-shaped strike aimed at the descending blade.

The clash rang out sharply. After a fierce scream, the blade, cracked from the impact, was deflected aside. Amid Angru’s shock, Hanshuo crashed down onto him.

A piercing scream burst from Angru’s lips. Once arrogant and proud, he now howled in agony. Hanshuo, like a demon possessed by an evil god, straddled Angru’s body, relentlessly battering and tearing him apart.

Angru’s fighting spirit strikes barely fazed Hanshuo, who responded with even more ferocious attacks. His long hands became deadly weapons, ripping Angru’s ear clean off. His nose was pushed deeply into his cheek; both eyes were shredded and oozed blood and pulp. Hanshuo’s savage tearing left wide chunks of flesh and blood hanging from Angru’s chest—an appalling sight that chilled the onlookers.

“Help me! Help me!” Angru’s distorted face was even more horrifying than Hanshuo’s, his mouth still capable of uttering pitiful cries.

In his frenzied state, Hanshuo felt only the exhilaration of killing and destruction. He had lost all restraint. Growing impatient at Angru’s pleas, he delivered a crushing punch to Angru’s mouth. The sound of breaking teeth followed. Angru weakly whimpered, then spat out a tongue riddled with shattered teeth.

“Oh my god, how did we get mixed up with such a madman!” Lian, witnessing the brutal assault, shuddered involuntarily and screamed.

Hanshuo’s relentless fists continued hammering Angru’s face and neck. Angru whimpered faintly, his chest arching upward but his face turned downward, signaling a broken neck. He had long since lost consciousness.

“What’s happened to Hans? Why is he so cruel?” Afra and the others, ready to attack, were stunned into silence, frozen as they watched Hanshuo’s savage rampage.

“Angelica, stay there! Don’t come near!” Neiya shouted sharply, stopping Angelica’s curious approach. She didn’t want her to witness such a scene.

“Don’t let them escape. Hans may be off, but we have to help him,” Tranks said, his skin crawling despite his countless battles. He was a seasoned fighter who knew what needed to be done.

Leading the Scorpion Tail Lion forward, Tranks’s sword radiated milky white fighting spirit, instantly killing a thief and an archer. The white aura marked him as a swordsman; the appearance of the Scorpion Tail Lion signified Tranks’s authority.

Only then did the others realize they had tangled with Tranks of the Dark Forest. Lian groaned in pain. “Damn it, how unlucky are we? Facing a terrifying madman is bad enough, but also this notorious calamity.”

“Damn, it’s Tranks! Everyone, scatter!” another swordsman called out fearfully.

The group of a dozen—four senior swordsmen and mages among them—was formidable. Even with Tranks added, victory was uncertain. Yet, between Tranks’s reputation and Hanshuo’s violent outburst, they were thoroughly terrified and decided to retreat.

“You stay here. I’ll pursue,” Tranks called out as Afra’s group tried to give chase.

Before his voice fell, Hanshuo, fully possessed by madness, leapt from Angru’s corpse with the Demon Slayer Blade, speeding like thunder toward the fleeing Lian.

“That demon’s chasing us! Lian, why did you provoke them? You’re killing us!” one swordsman yelled in frustration.

“Split up! That demon may not show his strength, but he killed Angru like nothing. He’s no weaker than Tranks. You’d better pray not to cross him, or you’ll be tortured to death,” Lian shouted before changing direction.

Having witnessed Hanshuo’s savagery firsthand, the others didn’t need reminding. They scattered in small groups toward different escape routes. Though they feared Tranks’s strength, they preferred him over the unknown, vicious, and merciless demon Hanshuo.

With a swoosh, Hanshuo appeared ahead without pause, closing in on two intermediate swordsmen and a senior lightning mage by a river.

Seeing Hanshuo approaching, the trio’s faces drained of color, bodies trembling with fear. The lightning mage finally roared, “Fight him! Otherwise, he’ll torture us to death!”

The mage cast a spell, summoning five bolts of lightning dancing like dragons and serpents, weaving toward Hanshuo. The two swordsmen gripped their longswords nervously.

Hanshuo dodged three bolts, was struck by two, and blackened patches appeared on his body. The swordsmen and mage rejoiced prematurely, advancing to finish him off.

They underestimated Hanshuo’s incredible resilience. Though wounded, his madness dulled pain. Fueled by frenzy, Hanshuo charged into the three, engaging in a desperate fight.

After several breaths, driven by wild fighting spirit, he withstood two sword slashes, then slaughtered the miscalculating lightning mage. Using the last of his magical energy, he severely wounded one swordsman before collapsing in exhaustion.

“He’s done for! Help me finish him!” the injured swordsman yelled to his comrade from a pool of blood.

The remaining swordsman, eyes gleaming with grim excitement, stepped toward the helpless, powerless Hanshuo.