Chapter 83: Lifelong Shadow
An ancient tree loomed faintly ahead. Monde wanted to see the ancient tree clearly, but something blocked his view, leaving his vision hazy, as if looking through frosted glass.
‘An illusion?’
Monde knew what he saw wasn’t real, yet he couldn’t break free from this unreality. He felt something about to take root and sprout in his chest. His flesh would become nutrients, his soul the water for irrigation. Compared to that ancient tree, he was far too insignificant.
Slap!
A faint slapping sensation came from Monde’s face, blurring his vision further, but his physical senses became much clearer. The surroundings were no longer cold, but dry and warm, as if he were lying in his own bed.
“The iron dummy is sprouting. A vegetative iron dummy.”
“Vital signs stable. Prepare for cutting.”
Muffled conversation reached Monde’s ears. He tried desperately to open his eyes, but even with all his effort, he could only crack his eyelids a sliver.
A man wearing a black oxygen mask, with a fist-thick tube connected to it, came into Monde’s view. The man wore medical latex gloves and held something resembling a high-tech chainsaw.
Seeing this, Monde’s hazy mind jumped to the conclusion that he’d been caught by some mad scientist. The guy didn’t look like a doctor at all. If a doctor dressed like that, Monde would do a handstand, spin, and shit himself.
“Increase the dosage. He’ll wake up in 3 minutes and 45 seconds.”
“Understood. 16 milligrams of aqueous memory agent.”
“At least 690 milligrams.”
“He’ll die.”
“No, he won’t.”
Hearing this muffled conversation, Monde wanted to sit up and escape. He’d never experienced anything like this in his life. It felt like he’d become a fish on a chopping board, with a butcher sharpening a boning knife on a steel rod.
‘Move, body! Sit up! Escape this terrifying slaughterhouse!’
Monde’s consciousness struggled. A cold sensation appeared on his arm, followed by a faint warmth at his spine, along with numbness. His barely open eyelids slowly closed.
Vroom!
The sound of a chainsaw starting came. Monde’s final thought was, ‘It’s over. I’m completely fucked this time.’
After an unknown amount of time, Monde regained consciousness. He immediately felt an almond taste in his mouth, a binding sensation on his face, and cool air coming from in front of him. It seemed he was wearing an oxygen mask.
Monde felt terribly thirsty. His chest and throat seemed to be on fire. His tongue was numb from the dryness.
A very thin tube was inserted into his mouth. Warm ‘water’ flowed into his oral cavity. Strangely, as soon as the water touched his oral mucosa, it was absorbed, relieving the maddening thirst.
Monde regained much of his strength. He slowly opened his eyes. The ceiling above was a pale blue, a translucent crystal. His gaze moved down and saw a membrane covered in blood vessels. Something seemed to be pulsing inside it.
Monde was dazed for a moment, then his eyes suddenly widened. Because the pulsing thing was none other than his demon heart—his heart. Nearby hung his stomach, liver, and other organs, all wrapped in that biological membrane.
‘I’ve been modified by a mad scientist!’
This thought lingered in Monde’s mind. Just then, footsteps came. The man in the oxygen mask walked over. The black oxygen mask completely covered his head. It was indeed that mad scientist.
A certain guess surfaced in Monde’s mind, but he dismissed it immediately. His ally was a blade master. There was no way he’d dress like this. Something must have gone wrong after the canyon battle.
Monde strained to shift his gaze. Sure enough, on the adjacent operating bed, he saw a mass of blue light film with large tubes inserted into it. His ally was inside there. No mistake. He saw the black long leather coat draped over a chair beside the bed, still stained with blood.
Seeing this, grief welled up in Monde. He and Bai Ye had survived a direct confrontation with four participants in the canyon, only to encounter this afterward.
“You… will die… a miserable death.”
Monde spoke with great difficulty. The mad scientist approaching him paused, thought for a moment, then picked up a metal helmet covered in wires and clamped it onto Monde’s head.
Beep, beep, beep…
Monde passed out again amid the electronic sounds. After an unknown time, he woke up again.
“Ah!”
As soon as he woke, Monde shouted and sat up, gasping for air. He instinctively looked down at his chest and saw a long red mark. On both sides of the mark were very faint suture lines, which had already been removed.
Just as Monde was about to get out of bed, his body froze. Because that mad scientist was sitting nearby on a crystal chair, holding a tablet computer, wearing a black oxygen mask with tubes connected to equipment behind him.
“Awake?”
A muffled voice came from under the oxygen mask. Monde’s shoulders trembled. It wasn’t fear, but his body’s instinctive reaction after being ravaged.
“Are you…”
“Brain damage?”
“Eh~”
Monde felt the muffled voice was somewhat familiar, and the ‘mad scientist’s’ aura was also familiar.
“Bai… Ye?”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you… dressed like this…”
“This is a sterile environment. You needed an open chest… no, thoracic incision. Amu had to remove the energy threads from his body.”
Hearing Su Xiao’s explanation, Monde almost slapped his thigh. Now he understood. So the patient in the adjacent bed was Amu.
“Eating the Overlord Medal had such serious consequences.”
Monde’s tone was heavy. He raised his hand to look at his wrist. An Overlord Medal was tied to his wrist with a string, in a bow knot. That was definitely tied by Beini.
“The main reason you didn’t die is that you’re participating in the Strongest Battle. The Overlord Medals are carved from the Void Tree’s branches.”
“I think I saw the Void Tree.”
“Oh?”
“Through a layer of ‘frosted glass.’ I didn’t see it clearly.”
The muscles on Monde’s torso bulged. He could feel stabbing pain. It was impossible for his injuries to recover in a short time. The soul damage caused by Hugh, the damage from swallowing the Overlord Medal, and the ‘Feather Thread’ that Quan Yu had injected into his body were all very troublesome issues.
The Overlord Medal and ‘Feather Thread’ had both been removed by Su Xiao. The soul damage couldn’t be helped. That would have to wait until Monde returned to the Demon Clan, and the old demons would figure something out.
“What day is it today?”
“The fifth day. Noon.”
“It’s time for Hugh’s appointment. Are you going to the Peak Mountain Range?”
“No.”
“I thought so too.”
Monde grinned. He didn’t know how many Overlord Medals Su Xiao had, but it definitely wouldn’t be few.
In fact, that was true. Su Xiao originally had 4 Overlord Medals. He himself had 1. He obtained 1 through strategy at Yamuna. The Night Temptress Witch, lured by battle, also contributed 1. The last one involved considerable luck, as he happened to encounter the Twin Stars.
After defeating the Nameless Saint, Su Xiao gained another 3 Overlord Medals: 2 from the Nameless Saint and 1 from Afuni.
Adding all these Overlord Medals together, Su Xiao had obtained a total of 7.
Monde only had 1. This guy was quite unlucky. He hadn’t encountered any other participants for several days, and when he finally did, it was four people ganging up on him. Very miserable.
Hugh and Quan Yu, on the other hand, were deliberately avoiding other participants. Hugh was lazy. He planned to wait until the end and secure first place by eliminating everyone.
“Bubu.”
Hearing Su Xiao’s voice, Bubu Wang, also wearing an oxygen mask, ran over.
Su Xiao took three Overlord Medals from Bubu Wang’s neck and tossed them to Monde. Now each of them had four Overlord Medals. When the time limit came, only two possibilities existed: First, both he and Monde would be first place—this was very unlikely. Second, the Void Tree would open an area where Su Xiao and Monde would fight. The winner would be first, the loser second.
So Su Xiao had no need to actively seek out Hugh. It should be Hugh coming to find him.