FWOOSH—!
Nidhogg didn't panic. He calmly took out Pippin's miner's lamp, quickly lit it, and clipped it to his belt.
The scattered light quickly illuminated the few meters around him.
The Slug Count's massive body remained hidden in the dark shadows. Nidhogg could only faintly discern its outline and hear the sounds of its limbs rubbing and writhing.
CLANG—!
Nidhogg didn't ignore the faint cracking sound. His left-hand Bloodhound's Fang curved and slashed!
FWOOSH—!
A spiked tendril that had drilled up through a crack in the floor tiles was severed. It fell to the ground, writhing like an insect.
At the same time, Nidhogg's figure flickered as he leaped backward.
He looked down and saw the severed tendril retreat back under the floor tiles.
"Quick reflexes." The Slug Count's laughter came from the darkness. "But lighting that lamp just makes you a target. Every move you make is under my gaze."
"I'm afraid you're not ready to fight me... Hahahaha..."
In response, Nidhogg drew several throwing knives from his belt and hurled them toward the source of the voice.
CLANG! CLANG!—
Though he couldn't see clearly, he could tell from the sound that all the knives had been blocked.
Nidhogg wasn't discouraged.
He quickly ran to the left, switched the Lordsworn's Greatsword in his right hand for Rickert's crossbow, loaded a bolt, and fired it toward the Slug Count.
THUD! THUD!—
A dull sound of bolts hitting flesh!
It seemed several bolts had struck the body this time. But the Slug Count said nothing.
Another strange writhing sound followed. Nidhogg realized it was the wounds pushing the bolts out, spitting them out one by one, then beginning to heal rapidly.
Such a dark environment actually worked in Nidhogg's favor. The Slug Count's Apostle form was too large and bloated, making it an easy target.
But that wasn't Nidhogg's goal.
Inflicting mere body shots on the Slug Count was pointless. Its self-healing and regenerative abilities were quite strong.
Only by striking the head could he deal significant damage—perhaps even kill it.
Nidhogg ran left, nearly reaching the wall!
FWOOSH—!
Several tendrils shot out from the darkness!
Nidhogg didn't hesitate. He used Bloodhound's Finesse, severing the tips of the extended tendrils with one swing. He nimbly stepped off the wall and spun backward!
He landed steadily and immediately looked up, remaining cautiously alert.
This should draw the Slug Count's attention to me.
And indeed, at that moment, the Slug Count suddenly cried out in pain. Many of its arms and tendrils lashed out to the right, striking something and sending it crashing into the wall!
It seemed Ingvall had succeeded.
While Nidhogg had been distracting the Slug Count, Ingvall on the right had risen and launched a new attack.
He had thrust his halberd into the Slug Count's waist and abdomen, then used the axe blade to carve a long gash!
The Slug Count had fallen for the strategy of "feint to the east, attack to the west." For a moment, it was wracked with both pain and fury.
It turned and used its arms and tendrils to attack Ingvall, once again slamming the Lost Knight into the wall.
But the Lost Knight's spirit felt no pain. He immediately rose and charged at the Slug Count again.
This is troublesome. It's relentless... I need to deal with this thing first.
The Slug Count glanced toward Nidhogg and saw the miner's lamp still glowing at the base of the left wall. So it let its massive body lunge toward Ingvall.
It wanted to swat this buzzing fly in one go.
Suddenly, the Slug Count felt something on its back—a phantom, yet real sensation.
An eerie feeling it hadn't experienced in a long time surged through its heart.
Becoming an Apostle had granted it great power and vitality, but it had also caused it to lose the caution and care it should have maintained as a fragile human.
The Slug Count immediately realized: while its attention had been focused on Ingvall, Nidhogg had removed his miner's lamp, placed it at the base of the wall, and approached the Slug Count through the darkness.
In just an instant, he had been deceived!
The Slug Count had actually thought Ingvall was the greater threat—so much so that it had been fooled by this low-level trick!
THUD—!
The tip of the Lordsworn's Greatsword suddenly plunged into the Slug Count's head!
Nidhogg's roar came from the darkness. The greatsword rose like a spear, tearing nearly half the Slug Count's head apart!
The Slug Count's eyes rolled back. It let out a howl of pain and rage. Its jaws clenched, and its entire massive, worm-like body reared up!
CRASH—!
Nidhogg's whole body slammed into the ceiling. His bones ached so badly he felt like he was coming apart!
BOOM—!
The force of the impact caused the ceiling to collapse. Debris rained down!
The noise and vibration likely spread. The entire castle probably felt this small earthquake!
Nidhogg was thrown into the air. But he didn't land on the Slug Count's back. Instead, he fell onto a long, cold staircase spiraling upward.
It was the long staircase connecting the Slug Count's bedroom to the dungeon.
He breathed a sigh of relief, endured the pain, stood up, and wiped his face. His hands were covered in sticky, stained fluids. He didn't know if it was sweat, his own blood, or the Slug Count's.
From the darkness below came another roar, like thunder!
A violent tremor shook everything. The entire long staircase crumbled and collapsed from the bottom up, like a burning fuse.
CRASH—!
A grotesque, bloody, shattered human face flashed into view. Then a massive body, like a stone pillar, rose from the earth!
Beneath the torn head, inside the enormous maw, it was biting the spirit of Ingvall!
The massive teeth gnashed viciously. Ingvall, reduced to mere blood mist, suddenly dissolved into light and vanished!
It seemed Ingvall had indeed landed another blow on the Slug Count, buying Nidhogg precious time—at the cost of making the Slug Count kill him first.
Then the Slug Count's burning, hateful gaze fixed on Nidhogg. It surged upward like a python, chasing Nidhogg up the long staircase, shattering it inch by inch!
Nidhogg chose to evade its edge. He spun and ran, sprinting up the entire long staircase!
This originally narrow, lengthy stairwell was immediately compressed and deformed by the Slug Count's soft yet massive body. Then it collapsed further, overloaded by the strain!
CRASH—!
Nidhogg reached the end of the long staircase. He kicked open the secret door and burst into the Slug Count's bedroom.
Instantly, Nidhogg noticed a large group of armored soldiers standing in the bedroom, staring at him in shock.
It was Soldag's unit, responsible for patrolling and guarding the castle.
The loud noises in the castle had caused an uproar. For the Count's safety, Soldag could no longer insist on obeying the order not to disturb him. He had immediately led his team into the bedroom.
They hadn't seen the Count. Instead, they first saw Nidhogg bursting out of the secret door like a man possessed.
"Who are you?" Soldag barked. "Why are you here? What happened to the Count?"
Nidhogg paid them no mind. He charged at Soldag's unit, raised his greatsword, and swung it like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves!
An arc of sword light flashed past. Many nearby soldiers were cut down. Blood sprayed into the air!
Soldag's upper body also flew upward. Still in a daze of confusion and shock, he saw the wall shatter!
CRASH—!
In an instant, the entire floor collapsed. Or rather, everything collapsed. The bedroom was gone. Only a dark abyss remained below, sucking in all worldly objects.
The massive slug monster burst forth, its face stained with blood. It furiously opened its bloody maw.
Soldag's upper body screamed in terror and fell into that gaping mouth!
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