Chapter 176

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Chapter 176: “Monster”

“You…”

Count Gallard stared, disbelief written across his face. The Demon Slayer in his hand slipped, his entire being hit by a wave of profound shock. He aged visibly in an instant, a deep weariness taking over.

“It’s me, it’s my fault,” he murmured, his voice breaking. The elderly man who had once been soaked in blood from countless battles and frenzied killings now shed tears of regret.

“The Wettin family perished in my hands! I have dishonored my ancestors! I never thought my descendants would fall to such a low point!”

He could hardly believe it. The children he had raised, each one of them, had betrayed him. One or two could be forgiven, but everyone?

It was clear now—impure desires had been festering, and he had remained blind to it.

“Not correct.”

The eldest daughter stepped forward.

Her blonde hair was piled high, her attire lavish. Despite being over forty, she still radiated a certain charm. Her voice was calm, devoid of emotion.

“Father, your statement is incorrect. Our family will not perish. In fact, it will grow stronger under our hands, because… we have gained the favor of the Ruins.”

Count Gallard’s anger flared. His eyes narrowed.

“Ruins… have you joined that ancient cult?” He roared. “Haven’t you seen the fates of the Black Star Faction and the Left Hand of Dark Light in Tatsumi City? In this city, neither the Demon Hunt Agency nor the Babel Tower will tolerate heretics!”

The eldest daughter remained emotionless, as though unaffected by her father’s words.

“Of course, we have seen Babel Tower’s wanton tyranny,” she said, her tone unchanging. “But the Saint has promised to help us eliminate the Demon Hunt Agency and Babel Tower. This is the will of God, and it will come to pass.”

Saint?

Count Gallard was taken aback.

The so-called “saints” were chosen ones of God—individuals whose status in various denominations was second only to the pope and high priests. Most pastors themselves were saints.

For high-dimensional beings, ordinary believers meant little, but the “chosen ones” were like favored pets, treated with special care. Such individuals commanded unquestionable power, making the Church of Ruins and its saint formidable.

The Church of Ruins, with its deep history, far older than the Air Alliance, had its saints—figures of immense strength.

“But they can never defeat Babel Tower,” Count Gallard muttered. His voice was heavy with experience. “I have seen many things in my eighty years, but I have never encountered an organization as eerie as Babel Tower. They seem to take ‘saving the world’ as their responsibility. Every member of theirs becomes stronger each time they appear—at a terrifying rate! Not even the Church of Ruins, with its saints and their balance of power, can defeat Babel Tower!”

The eldest daughter remained silent for a moment. Her expression was unreadable.

“Perhaps our chances of victory are not one hundred percent,” she said, her voice devoid of warmth. “But Father… we have had no real chance to turn back.”

So that’s it.

Count Gallard suddenly understood. His family had been bound to the Church of Ruins for far longer than he had realized. They had already committed many heinous acts in secret. And now, Babel Tower would never let them go.

He had been kept in the dark for years, deceived by his own blood.

“Since you have committed such heinous crimes, let me put an end to all this.”

The old man stood, his strength returning for a moment. He lifted his rusted sword, and the hall’s lights flickered before going out completely.

In the dim light, many people collapsed, screaming in horror. The cultists—they must be killed, even if they were his own descendants. Count Gallard understood this deeply. No one, not even family, should associate with cultists.

“They are no longer human. They would destroy the world if allowed,” he thought grimly.

“Eve, I’m sorry… it’s all my fault,” he whispered, calling his wife’s name, lamenting what had been lost.

Let the underage family members—those not present—remain untouched. He would bury his once-glorious family alone, as the knightly legacy was lost forever.

Perhaps, this was the best ending.

Count Gallard was a powerful man, holding the strength of a Potential Crown. Even in his advanced age, he was formidable. He had once defeated Marquis Scarlet, a significant figure in Tatsumi City. Only the legendary Queen of the Scarlet Moon and the mysterious “Profligate” of Babel Tower could rival him now.

But as he prepared to strike, a sudden heaviness swept over his body. His joints stiffened, blood oozing from his mouth.

Giragin poison.

He realized why his family had remained silent for so long, daring to confront him only now. The cultists had poisoned him—they had no humanity left.

“You are truly insane, for even contemplating the murder of your own descendants.”

The eldest daughter’s voice was tinged with disappointment. She shook her head. “Nonetheless, we are merciful. You will not die immediately. Your body still holds value, and we will find a way to make you protect this family… forever.”

Count Gallard, trapped and unable to move, seethed with fury. He could barely speak, his words choked by the poison.

As the room grew still, the eldest daughter suddenly noticed something wet dripping down.

She looked up in shock.

A massive, deep-blue mollusk had attached itself to the ceiling. Inside it, a red-hot core flickered, and nauseating slime oozed from its body, dripping down like viscous droplets.

“What kind of monster is that?” she screamed.

The others looked up in horror.

——

“Look at me! Look at me again! I’ll eat you up!”

Bai Yan’s voice came from the “monster” he controlled on his phone as it climbed up the villa’s roof.

“Mission objective: Kill or capture all the cultists and find clues about the ‘Balanced Saint’.”

Bai Yan mused. The Balanced Saint seemed to be the key BOSS of this event—a figure worthy of attention.

In Bai Yan’s experience, saints from major religious groups were always powerful, not just in strength but in willpower. Most were at Crown level.

For example, the Left Hand of Dark Light, a saintly figure in its own right, could easily destroy the entire city if left unchecked.

Using the Fusion Slime’s unique physique, Bai Yan guided it swiftly across the roof.

A few guards marked in red noticed it. Bai Yan didn’t hesitate, sending out several tentacles from the Fusion Slime to seize and devour them.

After a short time, the Fusion Slime regurgitated them—motionless and incapable of fighting.

Bai Yan knew it was because their bodies had been filled with tiny Fusion Slimes, which could devour their internal organs with a single misstep.

Controlling the Fusion Slime, he crawled swiftly through a window, unseen, as the confrontation between Count Gallard and his descendants played out on his screen.

He couldn’t help but enjoy the unfolding drama, like watching a play.

“To be honest, you look a bit too adorable. Otherwise, you’d definitely be a terrifying monster in a horror movie,” Bai Yan chuckled to himself.

But to the enemies of the “monster,” adorable was the last thing they’d ever think.

——

“Kill it!”

Members of the Wettin family, not lacking in extraordinary abilities, unleashed their powers, attacking the Fusion Slime with everything they had.

But the Fusion Slime was fast, nimble, and resilient. It absorbed the blows with barely a scratch. Then, with a sudden leap, its vast form crashed down on several family members, crushing them with overwhelming force.

The eldest daughter shouted in fury and summoned a massive flame, its intensity scorching the air. She clearly possessed the power of an awakening-level being.

However, before she could act, several tendrils from the Fusion Slime shot out, grabbing her ankle from yards away.

“No!” she screamed as she was dragged away.

Her body quickly engulfed, her resistance futile against the overwhelming power of the Fusion Slime.

The deep blue creature emitted an eerie sound.

“Gulu gulu gulu.”

The remaining Wettin family members watched in horror as the Fusion Slime devoured their leader. Their courage shattered, and terror spread through the room.

Count Gallard watched, utterly confused. What was happening?

“Look at me, look at me, look at me again! I’m going to eat you!” the Fusion Slime declared gleefully.

Everyone stood frozen in terror.

An intelligent voice finally shouted, “This monster might only respond to people who are looking at it! Everyone, close your eyes!”

Monsters, after all, were often bound by peculiar rules.

The remaining family members shut their eyes, hoping to escape the creature’s gaze.

But the Fusion Slime was relentless. Those who thought they could escape were pulled away, screaming, and devoured in moments.

“Look at me, look at me, and I will eat you!” The Fusion Slime echoed, its voice innocent, like a child’s, yet sending waves of horror through the room.

It was both cute and terrifying, and the Wettin family would never forget the monstrous nightmare that had befallen them.