69: Planning in progress (2)

The Toad Monster looked at Sato Shinsui, who was sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, and nodded complacently.

It felt it had fulfilled its superior's orders. Sato Shinsui's ribs were all broken, his lungs injured, one arm and both legs were snapped, and his spine was cracked. It had even secretly administered some diluted toad venom, ensuring that he would never be able to get back up for the rest of his life. The intimidation mission was complete; it was time to return and report.

Just as this thought arose, the Toad Monster turned to leave.

It hadn't gone far before it felt something strange. Turning back to look, it saw Sato Shinsui glowing with a brilliant blue light.

In an instant, a BGM from an unknown source began to play. The music was like a war song echoing from an ancient abyss—low, majestic, and filled with dignity.

Amidst the blue light, stark white bones emerged on his body, wrapping around him like armor. A three-meter-tall monster formed from bones stood upon the earth.

Pale blue flames roared in the monster's hollow eye sockets. The flames carried a coldness that made the Soul tremble, yet they also possessed a heat that seemed capable of incinerating everything, chilling one to the bone.

The Toad Monster's heart tightened abruptly; it instinctively felt a sense of threat.

"Damn it!"

"That bastard's mission really wasn't that simple. I was wondering earlier why a human kid was listed separately; this is just a Monster disguised as a human."

"That bastard didn't want to use public resources for personal gain; he wanted to borrow a knife to kill someone!"

"I don't want to fight anymore. Beating up weaklings was fine, but as for this kind of 'off-the-books' job with no guarantees, sorry, not interested!"

"Hey..."

The Toad Monster just wanted to say something but was enveloped by an intense killing intent, which came directly from the Skeleton Monster that Sato Shinsui had become.

The monster slowly approached. The Toad Monster adjusted its mindset and was just about to speak when a massive fist slammed into its abdomen.

Under the immense impact, it flew backward like a hit tennis ball. After crushing through several cars, it slammed heavily onto the ground. Its internal organs felt displaced, and it spat out a large pool of yellowish-green fluid, vomiting even its bile.

The Toad Monster shook its head and struggled to stand up. The intense pain caused flames of anger to burn fiercely in its eyes.

"You don't know what's good for you! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" It spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and glared viciously at the Skeleton Monster.

Although it was cursing, it quickly adjusted its stance, crouching on all fours to prepare for battle.

Seeing that the Skeleton Monster remained standing in place after hitting it, the Toad Monster launched the first attack.

Its scarlet tongue shot out like lightning, aiming straight for the Skeleton Monster's heart.

The tip of the tongue glinted with a cold light, like a sharp spear, accompanied by a piercing sound as it broke the air.

However, this powerful strike, the moment it touched the Skeleton Monster's body, felt as if it had slammed into a wall of bronze and iron, causing absolutely no damage.

The Skeleton Monster stood unmoved, towering like a mountain.

The Toad Monster widened its eyes in disbelief, its eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.

It could never have imagined that its strongest weapon, the attack it was so proud of, would fail to achieve even the slightest result.

"This... is impossible..."

The Toad Monster refused to give up and spat out its tongue again.

The scarlet tongue, like an agile venomous snake, shot out with a foul wind and wrapped around the arm of the monster that Sato Shinsui had become.

At the same time, it spat out a stream of dark green venom, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

The venom rained down on the monster, making sizzling corrosive sounds. Where the venom splashed onto the ground, wisps of white smoke rose, and the vegetation withered instantly.

However, when the venom landed on the Skeleton Monster, it was like ordinary water droplets, sliding down the stark white bones to the ground without causing any damage.

In the Skeleton Monster's hollow eye sockets, the pale blue flames flickered, as if mocking the Toad Monster's overestimation of its own abilities.

Its restrained arm's hand tightened abruptly, firmly gripping the Toad Monster's tongue.

The bone armor on its other arm rapidly proliferated, transforming into an incomparably sharp bone blade that glinted with a chilling light, and it slashed fiercely toward the Toad Monster's tongue.

Seeing this, the Toad Monster was terrified and struggled desperately, trying to retract its tongue.

However, all its efforts were in vain; it could not shake the Skeleton Monster in the slightest.

It could only watch helplessly as the bone blade fell, severing its tongue in two.

"Gwaaaaahhh—" As its tongue was split in two, the Toad Monster let out a shrill, miserable howl, the sound of pain echoing in the air.

The severed tongue fell to the ground, blood gushing out and staining the ground red.

The Skeleton Monster didn't care about the Toad Monster's painful wails in the slightest. It changed its bone-blade hand back to its original state and, with steady strides, walked toward the Toad Monster step by step.

With every step it took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, and a powerful Aura surged toward the Toad Monster like a tide, making it almost suffocate.

The Toad Monster became increasingly panicked; it jumped backward frantically, trying to get away from the terrifying figure that kept approaching.

While jumping, it continuously spat out venom, trying to weave a defensive barrier with the venom.

The dark green venom splattered, forming a suffocating mist in the air that emitted a pungent stench.

However, the Skeleton Monster that Sato Shinsui had become charged straight through this mist, like a war god breaking through a fragile defensive line.

The mist, like remnant clouds swept away by a gale, instantly dissipated without a trace.

"What... exactly are you?!" the Toad Monster screamed in terror.

The Skeleton Monster rushed in front of the Toad Monster and slowly raised its massive fist.

The bones on the fist were distinct, glowing with a stark white light. The surrounding air seemed to be twisted and compressed by this power, emitting crackling sounds.

The Toad Monster widened its eyes in terror, its eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets. It could feel the terrifying power contained in that fist; it was different from the previous punch. If this strike connected, it would be as good as meeting its great-grandmother in the afterlife.

It wanted to dodge, but found that for some reason, its body seemed to be nailed to the spot, unable to move.

"Bang!" A dull sound, like a giant rock smashing into leather, rang out as the Skeleton Monster's fist slammed heavily into the Toad Monster's body.

The bones throughout the Toad Monster's body erupted in a series of cracks, like popping beans. It felt its internal organs being shattered, and it spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments.

Then, it was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, tracing a parabola in the air before slamming heavily onto the ground, motionless.

The Skeleton Monster again took heavy steps, slowly walking to the front of the Toad Monster.

Its eyes, burning with pale blue flames, were like two ghostly nether-fires, coldly staring down at the Toad Monster.

The Toad Monster raised its head with difficulty, looking at the Skeleton Monster staring at it. Its eyes were filled with despair; it knew it was doomed.

It tried to beg for mercy, but found its throat had been shattered, and it could only make wheezing sounds.

The Toad Monster watched helplessly as a massive foot was lifted. The bones on the sole were like sharp blades, glinting with a chilling light.

The foot paused for a moment in mid-air, then suddenly accelerated downward, with an irresistible Aura, stamping fiercely toward its own head...

"Crack..." A crisp sound, and then, everything went black.

Happy Lunar New Year to all the dear readers!