Chapter 126: Peppero

Kale sneered. In an instant, a faint, pitch-black mist erupted from his body, shrouding him completely. A palpable surge of energy radiated from him, causing Rosty’s eyes to twitch involuntarily; he knew this monster was finally getting serious.

"Useless trash, I’ll show you the true meaning of the gap between us!"

Kale’s voice turned cold and shrill. Simultaneously, a grotesque transformation took place within the black mist: layers of minuscule, obsidian-like scales emerged across his skin, and eight long, fuzzy, pitch-black energy spider legs tore through the flesh of his back.

Each of the eight legs was over a meter long, four on each side. Six of them acted as pillars, lifting Kale’s body off the ground—a maneuver that drastically boosted his speed. The remaining two functioned like fangs, protecting his sides. Of course, should he choose, these razor-sharp fangs could become the most lethal of tools.

Though Rosty had prepared for the worst, his expression soured when he saw the viscous, saliva-like black liquid pooling along the spider legs. He knew all too well that the substance was not just disgustingly sticky; its toxicity was abhorrent. Even without a wound, the slightest contact with his skin during battle would spell certain death.

Recognizing the insurmountable gap in their strength, Rosty did not rush forward blindly. Instead, he shifted his focus to the other mercenary from the Rotten Wolf squad.

"Take out whoever I can!"

Rosty’s resolve hardened. A brownish-yellow energy aura condensed around his hands, sharpening his fingers into deadly, claw-like blades. At the same time, a subtle shift occurred beneath him: his thighs suddenly swelled, the muscles rippling with explosive power. A layer of the same brownish-yellow aura formed rigid, armor-like plates over his legs, enhancing both his defense and his burst speed.

"Now!"

Rosty lunged, his jump carrying him four or five meters into the air. The Rotten Wolf mercenary didn't even have time to react before Rosty appeared before him. At that exact moment, Kale launched his own assault, his six spider legs scuttling forward with terrifying velocity toward Rosty.

Rosty didn't need to look back to know Kale was closing in. He had no time to evade, so he gritted his teeth and pressed his attack on the mercenary. As for Kale, he seemed to care little for the survival of his own subordinate; his only goal was to pierce Rosty’s body with his venomous fangs and watch him slowly succumb to the poison from a position of dominance.

*Slash!*

Rosty’s claws tore through the mercenary’s chest, blood spraying like a fountain. Rosty knew the blow wasn't enough to kill him, but that wasn't the point. He needed to use the man as a shield to block Kale, just for a moment, to buy himself enough time to maneuver and stall.

With his legs fully empowered, Rosty’s agility soared. He grazed the mercenary’s flesh, twisted his body in an impossible arc, and shoved the man directly into Kale’s path.

Drawing on years of experience, Rosty wasn't naive enough to think Kale would stop to save his comrade. Half a lifetime of mercenary work had taught him that human nature was utterly untrustworthy. He only hoped to delay Kale. But to his shock, Kale didn't hesitate for a second. With a savage grin, he roared, and the two fangs at his sides pulsed with energy sharper than any blade. With a swift *whoosh*, he sliced the mercenary into three pieces.

Blood and gore splattered everywhere, but the carnage only seemed to excite Kale further. Without stopping, he charged through the rain of blood and organs, raising his two obsidian fangs to strike at the airborne Rosty with the force of an oncoming army.

"Damn it!"

Rosty’s eyes went wide, an indescribable sense of crisis washing over him. In his current state, there was no way to dodge an attack of this magnitude.

"If I can't dodge, I’ll at least show you that the Moon-Slaughter squad isn't something a bunch of Rotten Wolves can look down upon!"

Even in the face of death, Rosty showed no despair. His eyes flashed with determination as he channeled his soul power. His right arm’s claw tripled in size. He held his position, waiting for the fangs to pierce him.

Kale ignored Rosty’s desperate posture, confident that his own power would end the mercenary’s life the moment his fangs struck.

"It’s over!"

Kale roared, his fangs descending like two massive, obsidian drills. But at that moment, he caught a flash of red light in his peripheral vision. His heart tightened, and his movements faltered for a fraction of a second.

"Roar!"

Rosty seized the opening. Ignoring the danger, he grabbed one of Kale’s fangs and used it as leverage to drive his own claws toward Kale’s heart. Kale, stronger by far, managed to lift one of his support legs just in time to deflect the lethal strike, then threw Rosty aside. He whipped his fangs toward the crimson blur in the air instead.

*Whoosh!*

Searing flames erupted, mercilessly engulfing Kale. Amidst his screams, Kale retreated frantically, pushing his soul power to the limit until he was completely shrouded in black mist, which eventually smothered the flames.

When the mist cleared, Kale stood in a wretched state. Without scales to protect his face, the fire had charred his features, leaving him a terrifying, bloody mess. He stared at the crimson phantom standing before him and shrieked like a madman.

"Ah! Pepero! You bitch! I’m going to kill you!"

The agony had shattered his sanity—though, given Kale’s limited intellect, he likely never had much to begin with. He howled, his nerves screaming as the heat bit into his skin, yet he dared not touch the mangled mess of his face, lest the pain worsen.

"Old Luo, are you alright?"

Ignoring Kale’s frantic shrieks, Pepero turned to look at Rosty. The effort of the last attack had drained her final reserves. Her bandages were soaked through with fresh blood, and her face was deathly pale, though this only lent her an air of fragile, haunting beauty.

Pepero was undeniably striking. Despite the blood and grime of battle, her sharp jawline and wide, beautiful eyes remained captivating. Her tall frame was wreathed in a faint, flickering flame, adding an exotic allure to her presence.

"I’m... fine."

Despite his words, the searing pain in his hand nearly caused Rosty to black out. He gritted his teeth, hiding his hand—which was already beginning to fester from the venom—behind his back.

"Why come back? There was no need to save me..."

Rosty sighed, glancing over to see that Rodin had also arrived.

"Need you ask? We belong to the Moon-Slaughter squad. That is enough of a reason!" Pepero bit her pale lips, her voice resolute.