Tao Qingqing's face darkened as she looked at Zhang Yang's fake Wen Wen. His power far exceeded her expectations. She had initially believed the imposter was merely a superpowered individual skilled in mimicry, but he possessed such formidable strength. Despite being prepared for an attack, she had still been wounded.
Tao Qingqing took a deep breath, her eyes turning red as sharp teeth protruded from her mouth. A blood-like power condensed into phantom crimson bats that danced around her.
"Tell me, where did that bastard surnamed Wen go? Why did you transform into his likeness, and what is your purpose in this city?"
Fake Wen Wen let out a couple of sneers and said, "Just consider him dead. You'll never see him again anyway. As for transforming into his appearance, it was actually for your own good. After all, you are not on my revenge list…"
"As long as you remain ignorant, you can leave this place when everything is over. But you insisted on investigating further… so you might as well stay here forever."
"Don't worry, after you die, no one will even realize you're gone, not even yourself. You will live a 'happy' life in this town…"
With that said, fake Wen Wen lunged at Tao Qingqing with a sinister grin. His charge was clumsy, but his power and speed were immense, crushing anything that stood in his way.
Tao Qingqing shifted her weight subtly, and several identical figures materialized around her, skillfully evading fake Wen Wen's attacks.
Only one of these figures was the real Tao Qingqing. Whenever her true form was about to be struck, she would transform into bats and scatter, allowing fake Wen Wen to kill at most two bats without inflicting serious harm on her.
However, this method was too draining, and she could only sustain it for a short while. She had to find a way to break through before her strength gave out.
Tao Qingqing soon discovered that although this fake Wen Wen possessed terrifying power and speed, he seemed unaware of how to utilize his immense strength. He was like a child playing a game, not understanding the effects of skills, merely pressing buttons indiscriminately.
This made it easy for Tao Qingqing to find his weaknesses. After using a powerful move, fake Wen Wen would experience a brief, less-than-a-second stiffening, which was her opportunity to counterattack.
Seeing fake Wen Wen smash the old man's stove with a move called "Spinning Shark Tail," Tao Qingqing's right fingernails turned a vivid crimson. She then drew a small wound across fake Wen Wen's waist.
Subsequently, Tao Qingqing let out a soft cry, and her body dispersed a mist of blood. This blood mist surged into fake Wen Wen's body through the wound. Regardless of how fake Wen Wen tried to block or prevent it, it was to no avail. Blood blisters, dark red with thin skin, immediately appeared on his skin.
Fake Wen Wen was forced to kneel, suppressing the strange toxins and slowing their further spread within his body.
Tao Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief and said to fake Wen Wen, "This is my blood poison, a part of the vampire transformation ritual. I have infused most of my power into your body. Even though you are much stronger than me, you cannot ignore the effects of this poison."
Fake Wen Wen gritted his teeth and said, "If I weren't still unfamiliar with this power, you would never have found an opportunity. It seems I will need to practice more after I deal with you."
"Deal with me? You don't have the chance right now."
To prevent a suicidal counterattack from fake Wen Wen, Tao Qingqing maintained a safe distance and was constantly prepared to transform into bats and escape. Therefore, in her view, fake Wen Wen had no chance to deal with her.
Fake Wen Wen slowly stood up, revealing a horrifying grin. "You overestimate yourself and underestimate the power of this body. It's not just him who explored the Endless Staircase!"
Black mist emanated from him, carrying the power of hatred and resentment. Ordinary people exposed to this power would become vengeful to an extreme; even being bumped into on the street could incite them to commit murder.
Beyond a certain threshold, many monsters and superpowered individuals possessed the ability to corrupt others' lives, easily leading to disaster if left unchecked. Fake Wen Wen grabbed his face, tearing off the skin entirely. Beneath the skin was a monstrous physique, a sight that surprised Tao Qingqing. This creature could no longer be called fake Wen Wen.
Standing before Tao Qingqing was a two-meter-tall humanoid creature. Its muscular body was covered in shark-like skin, the inner sides of its arms and legs were filled with countless tiny suction cups, and its gaping maw contained rows of spiral-arranged sharp teeth…
With a mere glance, Tao Qingqing could identify details from at least seven or eight extraordinary creatures on it, meaning its abilities would be exceptionally complex. While she had encountered many other monsters in the facility, this grotesque stitched-together being was a first for her.
"What exactly are you?"
"What am I? I don't know either…" the monster swayed, and the blood poison within its body was gradually squeezed out, dissipating into the air.
"I don't even have a name. My sole purpose is to seek revenge against foolish humans. Those who obstruct my revenge… are my targets!"
Tao Qingqing warily watched the indescribable monster. The remaining toxins in its body could no longer suppress its movements. The best course of action now would be to escape this place and then assess the situation. However, to her surprise, the attack did not come from the monster but from behind her.
The candle fire ghost face from the cellar had silently moved behind her and had expanded into a massive ball of fire, lunging to bite her. She had been completely oblivious, sensing no superpower, not even any heat.
Meanwhile, the nameless monster had also employed Wen Wen's "Gray Shark Pierce" move, rapidly attacking Tao Qingqing.
Tao Qingqing now had only two choices: either charge forward to evade the candle fire ghost face's attack, or transform into bats and scatter to dodge the nameless monster's assault.
However, if she charged forward, she would inevitably be struck by the nameless monster. The monster's power was that of a true Disaster Order, capable of incapacitating her with a single blow.
If she transformed into bats, the candle fire ghost face was too close. Those bats had very weak defenses, and they could very well be wiped out by the ghost face, leading to her death.
Entering the facility required a certain amount of preparation time, but that time would be more than enough for her opponent to kill her.
After the nameless monster revealed its true form, Tao Qingqing was immediately thrown into a desperate situation. No matter which choice she made, death awaited her!