“Humans are always so foolish and ignorant.” The girl yawned, her slender waist stretching freely, the slime hanging from her body evaporating quickly, revealing the delicate form hidden beneath.
As Zhao Bai had anticipated, her body was not human, but a resilient combination of branches and leaves, with roots extending from her lower abdomen to her torso, like a powerful azure dragon.
Her hair was long and tough like vines, and her lips were vibrant flower petals.
She wore a mocking expression: “Blindly confident in your own strength, so oblivious, do you really think the obstacles you face are because I fear your approach?” What else could it be?
The Judgment of Shamash in Zhao Bai’s hand extinguished, awkwardly losing its power.
He discreetly retracted it into subspace, as if nothing had happened.
He supported the poisoned and dazed Kiana, his right hand searching for an artifact that could stabilize the situation.
First, it had to be large enough.
Secondly, it should display its power even when not attacking.
It was decided.
Under the girl’s mocking gaze, Zhao Bai hoisted the massive weapon, a Cross three meters tall and weighing several tons, entirely golden with intricate and beautiful patterns, the emblem of House Apocalypse engraved on top, as if narrating the undeniable fate of Schicksal.
Accompanying Judah’s appearance was a faint yet palpable aura of suppression.
In the botanical garden, the previously arrogant Honkai fluctuations gradually calmed.
Zhao Bai gently stroked Judah, feeling the complex patterns with his palm; even when not deployed, it shone brightly, like a lighthouse.
Clang clang~ Thirteen long spears entwined with chains exuded a sense of obliteration.
Zhao Bai softly said, “In fact, you are the one who is blindly confident, leading us here, eager to validate the strength you gained through consumption, unaware that all your actions are inviting your own death.” He did not rush to act.
Once Judah was deployed, it formed a sturdy shield around them, repelling the ubiquitous neurotoxins in the air.
With Judah’s presence, a clean space was cleared, and Zhao Bai carried Kiana to the side of the Cross, beginning to devise a strategy.
The first step had been successful.
The girl born from the petals had never felt such fear; the thirteen spears seemed like swords piercing the heavens, her tiny soul trembling under the immense pressure, completely losing the calm she had at the start, beginning to contemplate how to escape.
This was not over; Zhao Bai looked at her with a half-smile, surprisingly stepping out of Judah’s protective range, moving towards the flower girl.
With his movement, every leaf in the botanical garden trembled, and the vines began to twist uneasily, signaling the girl’s fear.
At some point, a knife appeared in Zhao Bai’s hand.
The blade was transparent like glass, reflecting different colors depending on the light, a dreamy spectrum flowing over the entire knife, each reflection making the girl feel she was one step closer to death.
“Y-you…
don’t come near me!” The girl panicked, but Zhao Bai did not swing the knife at her; he merely cut off a writhing vine and then turned back.
This knife was called the Void Blade, neither metal nor wood, just a mass of weightless void.
Zhao Bai only used it for the most precious ingredients, but this time it was not for cooking fine ingredients, but to save Kiana’s life.
Having dealt with countless toxic ingredients, Zhao Bai had long seen through their essence; the antidote lay within this plant.
However, it required extremely skilled handling to completely eliminate the toxicity within the plant, and Zhao Bai happened to be a skilled chef.
He pulled out a laser cannon, stuffing the vine into the barrel as if it were a routine cooking task, igniting it to fire.
The high-energy laser beam shone like the sun, illuminating the plant room obscured by the vine, tearing open a large gap in an instant.
A crystalline liquid rose from the ashes of the vine, and Zhao Bai skillfully collected it, letting it drip into Kiana’s mouth.
The neurotoxin symptoms were immediately alleviated; she gently opened her eyes, but her gaze lacked vitality.
“What…
happened?” Kiana’s lips were cracked, her poisoned body having lost a lot of moisture: “Why can’t I…
see anything?” “Nothing happened.
I’ve cleaned the scene.
You can’t see anything; this is a side effect of the poisoning.
Your visual nerves may need some time to recover.
Don’t overthink it; just rest easy.” Zhao Bai gently reminded her, but Kiana seemed not to hear, struggling with all her might.
Her hearing, like her vision, was also impaired, and recovery would take time.
However, Kiana’s strength was too great; Zhao Bai felt as if his ribs might break.
He turned to the pale-faced girl, retracting all weapons except for Judah back into subspace.
“Now, who is blind and foolish?” Zhao Bai stroked the Cross, silently letting out a sigh of relief.
Since earlier, he had been dancing on the edge of a knife.
This girl born from the flower, if she had even attempted to attack, Zhao Bai’s lies would have been exposed.
But now, the most dangerous moment had passed; it was time to reap.
“Show your true form.” Zhao Bai declared loudly: “You are not a Herrscher; it’s impossible for you to maintain a human appearance.
This being that grows on flowers is merely an organ; your true self is hidden here.
I am a merciful person, giving you a choice.” “Either die maintaining this appearance, or reveal your true form and fight with all your might; perhaps you might succeed in escaping.” Zhao Bai’s rhetoric was flawless.
If this creature always maintained a human form, he would indeed have no way to deal with it.
But if it revealed a non-human true form—whatever it was, as long as it was not human, it would be seen as an ingredient in Zhao Bai’s eyes.
At that time, the thirteen spears would end its erroneous life.
The girl cradled her face, her expression pale: “Impossible, with so many powerful weapons, who exactly are you?” “Just a passing chef.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire plant room began to tremble.
Every vine danced wildly, the beautiful girl gradually melted away, completely disappearing into the flower’s core.
At the same time, the massive flower slowly rose, the vines that had originally entwined the entire Senba Academy retracted, gathering beneath the flower to form a colossal body.
It was both animal and plant, yet neither of the two.
Four giant legs like pillars moved, the beast fled frantically, its swift figure appearing differently in Zhao Bai’s eyes.
Four legs, a long neck, with rose petals covering its body like armor.
Isn’t this just an old turtle?!
Since it didn’t look human at all, it was an ingredient.