Chu Tian had been hiding behind a massive boulder at the bridgehead, observing. Although the strange man was relentlessly slaughtering NPCs, their sheer numbers were too great. Some were inevitably missed, crossing the floating bridge and continuing onward.
After some time, he realized that constantly hiding wasn't a viable solution.
Just as he was contemplating whether to try crossing himself and perhaps evading the giant man, a red-haired woman burst forth from the gap in the massive gate behind him.
This woman was a head taller than Chu Tian.
Her pupils were vertical.
The moment she appeared, Chu Tian felt a palpable wave of heat wash over him.
Unlike the other NPCs, this woman had not lost her consciousness.
She glanced around, then quickly made her way towards the floating bridge. When she spotted the bizarre giant, her eyes suddenly glowed red.
A faint beam of light shot across the bridge, striking the giant on the other side.
Chu Tian blinked, thinking, "This must be a skill similar to... detection!"
The strange man, unaffected by the beam, continued his slaughter of the wandering NPCs.
After watching for a while, a look of apprehension crossed the woman's face. She cut in line amongst the NPCs and began preparing to cross the bridge.
As she reached the bridgehead, she surprisingly spotted Chu Tian. She clearly paused, surprised.
It was important to note that Chu Tian was currently hidden behind the stone monument of the 'Blood Abyss Bridge,' with only his head showing, and he was in stealth mode.
Seeing her look his way, Chu Tian also froze. Had he been discovered?
He quickly cast a detection spell on the woman—
Name: ???
Level: ???
Attack: ???
Defense: ???
The feedback from the detection spell was so incomplete that even her name couldn't be found.
This was unusual, as even if the spell failed, it would at least return a name.
The woman seemed to sense that Chu Tian had cast some skill on her. She let out a few guttural sounds, and her eyes glowed red once more.
A beam of light shot directly at Chu Tian. The instant the beam hit him, his stealth failed.
He was instantly exposed in front of the woman.
The woman pointed at him and said something animatedly.
"Can you speak human language?" Chu Tian asked tentatively.
The red-haired woman looked bewildered. She stepped up to Chu Tian and reached out, aiming for his tail.
Chu Tian dodged the attack. The woman was fast, and she pursued him, continuing to reach for his tail.
He twisted to the side and unleashed a Shred skill.
Both skills struck the red-haired woman, but she appeared completely unfazed.
She took no damage whatsoever, not even a forced health deduction, and the bleeding effect from Shred did not trigger.
Chu Tian's attack was already over five hundred, yet he couldn't even penetrate the red-haired woman's defense.
He dodged several more times, but he couldn't escape her grasping hands, which always aimed for his tail.
"Are you a pervert?" Chu Tian suddenly shifted into human form and cursed.
Mid-pursuit, the woman stopped. Her lizard-like vertical pupils glanced behind him.
She pointed at Chu Tian and chattered something. He naturally couldn't understand.
However, he guessed that she was asking where he hid the kitten, or perhaps telling him to hand it over.
Seeing Chu Tian's lack of response, the red-haired woman's face contorted with anger.
A ball of flame erupted in her hand and shot directly towards Chu Tian.
The moment the woman's hand lit up with flame, Chu Tian felt a sense of danger, a primal threat that made his hairs stand on end.
In his past life, when he felt this sensation, it invariably preceded death.
Transformation: Bear Form.
Targeting a wandering NPC at the farthest end of the bridge, he charged!
Boom...
The flames in the woman's hand slammed into the spot where Chu Tian had just stood.
The area was now scorched black. The ground here was incredibly sturdy, and the impact of the fiery blast even caused the floating bridge to shake, yet the ground itself was largely undamaged, merely blackened.
As Chu Tian charged, he glanced back, his heart sinking. "If that hit me, it would be an instant kill! What kind of monster is she?"
His charge ended. The NPC he had used as a target for his charge skill was now rooted in place. The wandering NPCs in his path had been scattered by his charge. Many were knocked off the bridge and fell into the blood river, instantly submerged by the surging crimson liquid.
The red-haired woman, missing her target, conjured a ball of flame in each hand and hurled them onto the bridge.
"Damn!" Chu Tian cursed inwardly. This was a wooden bridge; wouldn't it catch fire from a fiery attack?
Transformation: Leopard Form.
He leaped up, stepping on the shoulders of the crowded NPCs, and sprinted away.
Boom, boom...
Two bolts of flame struck the bridge, instantly engulfing countless innocent NPCs. The scene of the wooden bridge catching fire that Chu Tian had anticipated did not occur.
The flames landed on the wooden planks, and this time, not even a scorch mark appeared.
Chu Tian's eyes lit up. This wood was good stuff! If he could dismantle some and have a master blacksmith forge him some gear, wouldn't that make him immune to fire?
Dreams were good, but reality was harsh. Seeing Chu Tian evade again, the woman's eyes lit up when she saw him transform into a 'black cat.' She rose and pursued him.
The woman jumped twice, but each time she only rose about a meter higher than the NPCs before being forced back down to the ground.
There was a no-fly zone here. Chu Tian had noticed it earlier; at less than ten centimeters from his back, he could touch the edge of the zone.
Seeing that she couldn't fly, the woman pushed through the crowd of wandering NPCs, chasing Chu Tian.
Chu Tian stood on the shoulders of an NPC. As the woman pursued, he thought to himself, "Damn it, is she trying to take me as a pet?"
The commotion and rumbling here drew the attention of the strange man on the other side of the bridge. The man was now on the bridge himself, advancing towards them amidst the ongoing NPC slaughter.
As he swung his giant chain-spear, his gaze swept between Chu Tian and the red-haired woman, as if spotting fresh prey.
Chu Tian, standing atop the NPCs, gritted his teeth fiercely. It was time to gamble!
Turning, he stepped on the NPCs and ran towards the direction of the bizarre strongman. With two dangerous enemies closing in from front and back, Chu Tian's gaze was surprisingly calm.
He deliberately adjusted his speed and position. When both enemies were within ten meters of him,
Suddenly, the giant man's chain, only a little over three feet long, was thrown directly at Chu Tian.
The chain extended infinitely, instantly crossing the ten-meter distance to appear before him.
Chu Tian's hairs stood on end. The sensation of death returned. Resisting the urge to freeze, he plunged headfirst into the crowd below.
He had deliberately adjusted his position earlier to block the line of sight between the two enemies. After Chu Tian dodged this attack,
The giant hook, resembling an anchor, followed by its chain, flew directly towards the red-haired woman.
The red-haired woman, who was just about to catch up to Chu Tian, her gaze fixed on his wagging tail as it came within reach, showed a flicker of enjoyment. But then she saw him suddenly dive beneath the crowd and, in her moment of daze,
The giant hook was less than three meters from her.
The red-haired woman reacted quickly.
She crossed her arms, raising a fiery red shield in front of her.
Bang... Boom...
The giant hook collided with the shield, emitting a dull thud. Then, the red-haired woman's shield exploded.
A shockwave blasted the NPCs within a ten-meter radius into powder. Those slightly further away were flung into the air. The lucky ones fell back onto the bridge; the unlucky ones plunged directly into the blood abyss.
The red-haired woman was strong. Despite her shield shattering, she didn't take a single step back.
The strange giant retracted his chain, which began to glow with countless runes.