Azrael had already been watching the level 32 warrior when Raymond’s spear pierced the man’s heart. So when the dying warrior suddenly spoke in a threatening tone, even as he lay on death’s doorstep, Azrael immediately sensed that something was wrong. The instant Raymond yanked his spear free, though it happened in a flash, Azrael still caught the subtle swelling of the warrior’s body, as though it were about to burst. An intense sense of danger surged through him and without caring whether Morrison and the others might notice his actions, Azrael swiftly conjured a wind barrier around himself and his companions. The moment he created the barrier— The level 32 warrior’s body erupted into a cloud of blood mist, and a heartbeat later Xu Ting’s body followed. Immediately, the dual explosions of blood mist expanded outward, covering an area of nearly two hundred meters and engulfing the entire security force. The source of thɪs content is novel※fire.net A sharp, hissing sound echoed through the castle’s vast interior. And was quickly followed by the terror-stricken, pain-filled cries of the Class-level warriors of the security forces. Elyara and Luo Bingqing were stunned when Azrael suddenly created a wind barrier around them. But they didn’t have time to ask what he was doing before the scene in front of them left them shocked. From a distance, Azrael and the others watched in grim silence as, in less than two seconds, most of the Class-level warriors dissolved under the corrosive effect of the blood mist, their bodies turning into foul-smelling puddles as though they had been thrown into a vat of potent acid The blood mist continued to spread outward in every direction, but Azrael quickly redirected the surrounding air currents, forcing the wind to flow opposite the spreading haze so that it could not drift toward them. "Arghhh!!! Colonel, save me!" "Fu*k! What is this stuff?!" "H-help me! I’m dying!" The desperate screams of the Class-level warriors, those who had not died instantly filled the castle, their frantic voices echoing as they tried in vain to escape the blood mist. Even the Epic-level warriors were not spared as their skin began to burn, and a piercing pain radiated from deep within their bodies, as if their very insides were on fire. What terrified them even more was that the moment the mist enveloped them, the flow of cosmic energy within their bodies slowed to a crawl and it became almost impossible to channel their energy quickly enough to break free. Morrison’s eyes were bloodshot as he cursed. Lightning armor crackled across his body, producing a constant sizzling sound as the blood mist tried to corrode it. He attempted to shield the others with his elemental skills, but the blood mist interfered with the very elements themselves, making it nearly impossible for him to extend his protection. Watching thirty of the original forty Class-level warriors melt into foul-smelling sludge in mere seconds chilled Morrison to the core. Seeing the remaining ten Class-level warriors on the verge of death, he gritted his teeth and forcefully pushed his cosmic energy to its limits. The sharp sound of lightning rang out across the castle and— Morrison transformed into a streak of violet lightning. He shot through the blood mist like a living current, grabbing one Class-level warrior after another and hurling them out of the deadly haze with all his strength. To Azrael, Luo Bingqing, and Elyara, it appeared as though the massacre had unfolded in two beats: first, most of the Class-level warriors perished in the blood mist; the next instant, a streak of purple lightning flashed through the crimson haze, and the survivors were flung out in all directions like rag dolls. The Epic-level warriors fared little better. Though their skin, especially on their faces, burned where the blood mist had touched, they did not die outright. Their high stamina points and naturally greater defenses allowed them to withstand the corrosive effect far longer than the Class-level fighters. Glen, the level 32 Epic level warrior staggered out of the blood mist and immediately pulled a bottle of cold water from his storage ring, pouring it over his face. A blessed chill swept across his body, but when he touched his face, his hand met raw flesh as the skin of his face had already been eaten away. "Argh!!! I can’t see! How can this be happening?!!" A sudden voice filled with terror and agonizing pain reached Glen’s ears. Goosebumps erupted across Glen’s body as he recognized the speaker. He turned his head slightly and saw Raymond, the level 40 and the third strongest member of their team writhing on the ground as thick, mercury-like liquid poured from his empty eye sockets. Because he had been standing directly in front of the level 32 warrior when the body exploded, Raymond had borne the full brunt of the strange blood mist and lost both of his eyes. ’Fuk, fuk, fu*k! How can this be happening?’ Glen’s legs trembled violently before he collapsed to the ground. Just a few moments ago, they had all been ecstatic. After wiping out the entire group from the Transcendent Organization, they believed that with the information they had obtained and their armor-breaking laser rifles, eliminating the enemy would be simple. But in the span of a few seconds, everything had changed. Glen looked around and counted barely twenty survivors. Nearly all the Class-level warriors were drained of power and in no condition to continue fighting. Other than Morrison and Tyler, who remained mostly unaffected thanks to the metal element that covered Tyler’s entire body, every other member of the security forces was gravely wounded. Morrison stood to the side, his expression dark and grim as he watched his soldiers scream, cry, and writhe in agony on the castle floor. At that moment, he felt as though someone had plunged him into an icy pond. A cold dread wrapped around him as he realized that the earlier explosions were anything but natural. ’It was a skill.’ He thought to himself. ’A skill triggered either by the will of the warriors themselves or set to activate upon their deaths, transforming their bodies into clouds of corrosive blood mist.’ Azrael, Luo Bingqing, and Elyara had come to the same conclusion as well. They knew most of the Epic-level warriors of the Transcendent Organization and their abilities, thanks to the information Hiroshi had provided. Yet, none of them had heard of any skill resembling this, allowing user to transform the people into bombs. Considering all the factors, all three of them reached the same unsettling thought. ’This must be the power of that Boss, the one whose skills and abilities remain completely unknown.’ Just as this realization settled over them. The sharp echo of footsteps cut through the agonized screams of the security forces. Azrael and the others turned toward the sound and saw a tall, strikingly beautiful woman with long lavender hair strolling toward Morrison and his men, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. ’Fu*k,’ Azrael cursed inwardly, a chill creeping through him. ’Things are moving in a completely different direction than I anticipated, and everything is slipping out of control.’