The black sun hangs high

Chapter 195 Calculation
Upon seeing this chaotic black shadow, Hughes had already come up with several different ideas.

Whether it attacks him along the street or tries to block the road and hinder his progress, Shug can accept it in his heart.

However, it has now done something that Hugh had never thought of before.

Seeing this inhuman being bowing to him like a real human, Hugh felt a strong sense of astonishment. This unusual behavior indicated that what appeared in front of him was likely not one of the Dark Abyss offspring wandering in Seren City, but a terrifying monster that was now lurking beneath Seren City and had grown to its full potential.

Hugh could even tell that the dark humanoid was using very standard Walter etiquette!

"What the hell."

Hugh stared at the strange figure for two seconds. Seeing that the other party did not make any other move and still maintained a humble bowing posture, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

The reason he was able to hunt down those Dark Abyss offspring in Seren so easily and quickly was because of his understanding and knowledge of these terrifying creations. Even though they had devoured human memories and begun to learn from them, their beast-like instincts were still their most primal driving force.

As long as the offspring of the Dark Abyss continue to uphold this nature, Shug is confident that he can use it as a basis for future plans and hunts.

Conversely, if they grow too fast and thus acquire the wisdom and rationality to suppress or even overturn instincts, then Hughes must change his existing strategies and methods and face them with a new attitude.

And now, the figure standing in the middle of the road bowing seems to be confirming this terrible trend to Hugh.

"walk over."

Hugh gave the command to the running rat, and Sniggy cautiously led Hugh closer.

It has always regarded the offspring of the Dark Abyss as "food," but now it is also able to keenly perceive the special nature of the target ahead. Unfortunately, it does not know how to describe this special nature and can only keep sending warning signals to Hugh to express its concern.

Soon, Hugh arrived in front of the group of people.

Perhaps because it feared light, the chaotic figure remained standing in the shadows, neither retreating nor advancing. Only when Hugh came to within a few meters of it did the dark figure slowly straighten up.

The next instant, the black gel that made up the head of the human figure began to twist and change. Under Hugh's close watch, the eyes, mouth and other organs that imitated the structure of a human face were formed one after another. When they were first formed, their positions were still slightly off, but as the Dark Abyss offspring in front of him continued to adjust, these organs were finally "fixed" in the correct positions.

Although a specific nose and ears seem somewhat superfluous for a humanoid figure made of flowing gel, it does so precisely, just as it can only truly close the distance with Hughes once it has a concrete appearance and form.

Looking at the face before him, which seemed perfectly normal yet was definitely not human, Hugh felt a sense of disgust.

But this chaotic face did not stop there; it continued to change, and gradually specific lines, contours, and facial features were sculpted. It even made simple imitations of the lines and textures of hair.

Then, a young man with a slightly blurry face appeared before Hugh. Unfortunately, the skin and flesh of this "young man" were still the kind of constantly flowing gel, which made it impossible for him to get rid of his identity as a "magical creation".

Hugh carefully examined the other party; at this moment, he could already feel the power emanating from this humanoid form.

Unlike the previous individual Dark Abyss offspring who acted alone, the seemingly frail humanoid figure before him actually possessed extremely abundant reserve power. This meant that Hugh's previous guess was correct—what had come before him was actually an extension of the will of the Dark Abyss offspring's main body, and it seemed that it wished to have some initial communication with him.

The humanoid figure took a small step forward, opened its mouth, and the chaotic tone unique to the offspring of the Dark Abyss emerged from its mouth: "Your Excellency, we extend our greetings to you."

Just like the standard Waterloo etiquette it used before, its words were also very polite, even using honorifics.

If this humanoid form could truly mimic a human appearance, it could probably easily blend into human society.

"It seems you've learned etiquette from human memory, so you should also understand that etiquette is meaningless in the current situation..."

Without any warning signals in the mental world, Hugh stepped forward as well, staring at the other person and saying, "Let's get straight to the point, what do you want to say to me?"

Upon hearing Hugh's words, the dark chaos that formed the humanoid figure stirred slightly as if it were contemplating, and then it spoke: "Stop the conflict... It's pointless. You and we are all of the same kind and should unite as one."

"To unite as one?"

Hughes smiled. "Do you mean I should be devoured like food, or are you willing to contribute your memories and power to me?"

As a vast entity that has gathered countless knowledge, memories, and power and has begun to deeply digest and learn, its ability in expression and narration far surpasses that of individuals who can only make clumsy imitations. However, it still faces obstacles in understanding some more complex concepts.

Upon hearing Hugh's words, the humanoid figure froze in place as if it had "crashed," and the chaotic gelatinous substance pulsed and flowed at an extremely fast speed, seemingly a manifestation of its struggle to think.

After a moment, the Dark Abyss offspring seemed to finally understand what Hugh meant, and it spoke again: "Your Excellency... is wrong."

Under Hugh's somewhat surprised gaze, the "messenger" who had emerged from the main body of the Dark Abyss offspring spoke in a tone that was extremely similar to that of negotiators among humans: "The fusion will be thorough and equal... You will possess our power, and we will benefit from your wisdom and guidance."

Hugh was slightly startled, so he asked, "My guidance? Does that mean you are willing to obey my commands and follow my orders?"

Then the dark figure replied in a matter-of-fact tone: "When we are united as one, without distinction between us... then the wisest and strongest will should take the lead."

Having said that, the figure fell silent, standing quietly as if awaiting Hugh's consideration and response. The opinion of the Dark Abyss offspring stirred up a storm within Hugh's heart.

For a moment, he actually wavered. Perhaps because he had already hunted down and absorbed the power of many Dark Abyss offspring, Hugh found that he did not have much resistance to this seemingly terrifying suggestion, and even felt a little "longing" for it.

During this brief moment of contemplation, a yearning and greedy desire for that immense power welled up from the depths of Hugh's heart.

This unprecedented and intense desire was so primal and ferocious that it even caused a tremor in Hugh's mental world.

The Mirror Messenger sat silently behind the desk, looking up at the metal disc. In its misty eyes, a hint of longing was revealed.

"Something's wrong!"

Hugh's will remained firm in the end. He did not lose himself in that momentary surge of desire, but forcibly awoke from his wavering. As for the impulse surging in his heart, he also forcibly suppressed it.

In the instant he reacted, the pitch-black figure standing in front of Hugh seemed to sense something as well. The chaotic gelatinous substance that made up its body began to twist again, and a surprisingly human-like expression of disappointment appeared on its human-like face.

Then the gelatinous substance began to writhe once more. This time, it seemed to no longer be confined to a normal human form, but began to transform back into the original state of the Dark Abyss Offspring.

Countless mouths sprouted from the surging darkness, opening and closing as they conveyed their chaotic words to Hugh: "Merger is our only path... If you cannot make a decision, then we shall take the lead..."

As it spoke, Hugh began to feel a distinct hostility, and at the same time, he also sensed a strange fluctuation coming from his vicinity.

However, these Dark Abyss offspring were clearly unaware that, over the past period, striking first had gradually become a habit and even a life motto for Shug.

Therefore, he instinctively took action the moment he sensed the threat.

Hugh didn't give the Dark Abyss Spawn a chance to continue its nonsense. Several long-awaited Karron's Tentacles suddenly rolled out, and those sharp limbs, wrapped in dense magic, instantly cut the Dark Abyss Spawn from its main body. Then, the Mirror Messenger's Mist suddenly surged out, completely sealing and isolating the spiritual connection between it and the massive main body.

At that moment, the offspring that had lost its connection with the main body finally let out a panicked scream and a hiss.

However, before it could make any further moves, Hugh applied his most familiar hunting routine to it, and in the blink of an eye, the offspring that had just been communicating with him was torn into easily digestible pieces.

The raging rat pounced forward, its three tails, imbued with sharp barbs and the blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess, sweeping fiercely and swiftly across the street ahead, crushing the black slime that tried to emerge from the cracks in the street. In those few short seconds, all the power, memories, and thoughts of the Dark Abyss offspring were completely absorbed by Hugh.

Then, a series of magical runes appeared near the metal staff, and two scorching fireballs, hot enough to cause impact and explosion, fell into the collapsed buildings on both sides of the street. Then, several long snakes made of flames burrowed directly into the gaps in the street, sending deadly high temperatures into them.

An extremely unpleasant and pungent odor spread through the air, but these magical flames were not enough to seriously damage the large number of Dark Abyss offspring; they were merely simple delaying tactics.

The moment the spell was completed, Hugh had already climbed back onto Sniggy's furry back and, taking advantage of the three-tailed giant rat's excellent running speed, sped off towards the end of the street.

Hugh did not let his guard down after successfully escaping the encirclement of the Dark Abyss Spawns. He immediately opened his spellbook and tore out a ritual page used to conceal magical fluctuations and auras. After infusing it with magic, this solid ritual immediately enveloped Hugh and the Running Rat.

After successfully using a magical ritual to isolate his own aura, Hugh finally breathed a sigh of relief. Behind him, the black sludge that had tried to emerge from the cracks in the road had been left far behind.

Hugh quickly calmed his breathing. He had actually felt a very strong threat just now. The moment the hostility was revealed, Hugh realized that the number of Dark Abyss offspring lurking nearby was probably far greater than he had expected or imagined.

"Their growth rate is truly outrageous... The survivors in Seren City, as well as the head of the legal committee responsible for sealing off the city, probably never imagined that these monsters would actually be able to make good use of the conspiracies and tricks that originally belonged to humans."

As Hugh carefully recalled everything that had happened, he inexplicably felt a chill.

Quantitative changes will eventually lead to qualitative changes.

Even now, the Dark Abyss Offspring, lurking beneath the city of Seren, are still employing very rudimentary and clumsy strategies, but they have clearly developed the ability to use their intelligence to maneuver against and confront humanity.

Wild animals are not scary.

But if a wild beast possesses both a powerful body and sharp claws and teeth, as well as a brain comparable to that of other intelligent beings, then things could get a bit complicated.

Unlike shapeshifters, these magical creatures, once they have digested their prey, will completely adapt to the victim's original memories and identity, and attempt to continue to live in this world as they were in the past.

Fundamentally, once they adapted to this change, the original "phantom insects" disappeared, replaced by another intelligent creature that walks in the sunlight.

But the offspring of the Dark Abyss clearly prefer their current state and identity.

All the knowledge and memories they acquire are merely tools to enhance their hunting efficiency and increase their own strength.

"They seem to have realized their shortcomings and deficiencies... That's why they are so eager to have me 'join' them."

Hugh muttered to himself, "It seems I'll have to be extra careful in the upcoming operations."

(End of this chapter)