Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Lin Yi's arm, hanging by his side, flicked upwards with a speed beyond visual perception, the movement simple to the extreme, yet carrying a calm and composed air like a gazelle leaping over horns.

The black and white roses rose from below, precisely meeting the crisscrossing black scythes that were coming at them.

clang! clang! !

Two almost overlapping sounds suddenly exploded out.

Blinding sparks exploded like two small fireworks at the point of impact between the sword blade and the scythe arm!

A visible circular shockwave suddenly spread out from the point of impact.

Wow!

The nearest heavy solid wood desk was forcibly overturned, and the books and scrolls piled on it flew everywhere as if swept by an invisible giant hand.

The thick carpet was jolted by the powerful impact, revealing the stone floor beneath.

The red-clad woman's enormous compound eyes held a hint of playful hunting light, but as the sparks exploded, they were instantly replaced by an unprecedented astonishment, like water ripped with a stone.

Her massive, mountain-like body was actually shaken by the reaction force of the collision and staggered half a step backward.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly from the point where she landed, and she barely managed to steady her unbalanced, massive body by relying on her clumsy retreat and the destruction beneath her feet.

How can it be? !
An absurd thought crossed the mind of the woman in red. Her arm was strong enough to easily cut through steel, but when she looked closely, she found two huge gashes on her arm, which were caused by the collision with the black and white rose sword.

This human... this descendant of Edwin, not only was he not completely overwhelmed by her aura, but he was even able to block her attack during her surprise attack?

A restless feeling of prey being completely out of control instantly coiled around the red-clad woman's consciousness like a poisonous vine.

Instead of howling in fear, the prey bared its fangs at her? This stirred up a deeper, more violent side within her.

"hiss--!"

A piercing scream, sharp enough to shatter eardrums, burst from her split mouthparts; it was no longer a declaration, but a pure roar of rage.

Both arms were raised high again, the dark red tendons at the joints writhing wildly, accumulating terrifying power.

She wanted to crush this ant who had hurt her, along with everything beneath his feet, into dust!
Just as she was preparing to launch her second attack—

puff! puff! puff! puff!
A series of extremely subtle sounds, like the sudden tightening of a strong thread, came from her raised arms.

The woman in red froze abruptly, her large body stiffening. She looked down in astonishment at her arm.

Several nearly transparent threads had silently wrapped around her joints without her noticing.

When?! She had no idea!

A piercing, excruciating pain, accompanied by a chilling, corrosive sensation that penetrated deep into her soul, erupted instantly from the tightly bound joints! It felt as if countless icy needles were simultaneously piercing her nerve nodes!

“Hiss—!”

This time, the howl was no longer one of anger, but rather a mournful wail mixed with pain.

She instinctively tried to break free, but the Dark Soul Silk did not snap as she expected. Instead, it tightened inwards again the moment she struggled.

chi chi chi...

The sound of tiny cracks appearing on the shell.

A wave of excruciating pain washed over her, and she felt as if the joints connecting her sickle arm to her torso were about to be severed by these eerie threads.

Lin Yi stomped his foot, and the floor was struck as if by a battering ram. The hard stone slab was instantly covered with cracks and even slightly dented.

Using the force of the violent recoil, Lin Yi transformed into a blur that was almost invisible to the naked eye, shortening the distance between the two.

The woman in red sensed a threat as the rapidly magnifying cold star was reflected in her enormous compound eyes.

Get out of the way! You must get out of the way!

The instinct for survival is triggering a frantic warning!

She tried to dodge, but the damned silk thread tightened around her joints, momentarily slowing her movements.

puff!

Lin Yi's longsword pierced through the skull covered by its outer shell without any resistance.

The tip of the sword, along with a clump of pungent, foul-smelling liquid and broken tissue, protruded from the back of his head.

Succeeded?
It doesn’t feel right!

The moment the longsword pierced through, Lin Yi did not feel the resistance that should have been felt when hitting a vital point. The resistance from the blade was more like penetrating a thick, elastic skin before piercing into some kind of empty cavity.

"Foolish...humans!"

"The head... is not my core! Edwin's bloodline... you are too inexperienced!"

Despite the excruciating pain of her head being pierced, the woman in red did not collapse; instead, she unleashed an even more frenzied desire to attack.

Its lower body had three insect-like segments covered with ferocious barbs, which, like three black lightning bolts tearing through the darkness, stabbed fiercely at Lin Yi's relatively weak chest and abdomen from three extremely tricky angles.

She will use the intestines and heart of this vile human to wash away the shame of having her head pierced!

The gleaming, barbed tips were about to touch Lin Yi's robes—

hum!
Four layers of semi-transparent shields, shimmering with a faint earthy yellow luster, unfolded in front of Lin Yi like the most loyal bulwark.

puff!
The first layer of shield shattered like a soap bubble, turning into specks of light and dissipating.

puff!
The second layer of shield flickered violently, lasting less than half a second before shattering.

When the opponent's attack reached the third layer of shield, its unstoppable momentum was abruptly halted.

The third layer of shield fluctuated violently, emitting a groan of unbearable strain, and ripples spread wildly across its surface, but it was ultimately not penetrated.

The fourth layer of shield barely rippled.

Those three sharp feet were thus firmly stuck in the air, less than half a foot away from Lin Yi's body.

The sharp tip trembled in vain, unable to advance even an inch further.

The hint of cruelty that had just risen in the red-clad woman's eyes, tinged with a touch of sarcasm, froze instantly.

This...how is this possible?

Her long-planned sneak attack... it only managed to penetrate two layers of shields?! It couldn't even break through the third?!
Just how much power is this human hiding?
Lin Yi's gaze swept over the violently fluctuating third layer of the [Hercules Shield] in front of him, then glanced at the other party's trembling sharp feet, and finally settled on the red-clothed woman's compound eyes filled with horror.

"Is that all? Compared to the Sirens... it's far inferior."

The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Yi moved.

He did not draw his sword, but instead released his right hand from the hilt.

At the same time, his left hand grasped the end of the hilt of the longsword that was still deeply embedded in the other's head. He exerted force from his waist, and his arm muscles instantly bulged. An overwhelming force burst forth from the hilt of the sword.

*Sizzle!*
A terrifying sound, like tearing tough leather mixed with the snapping of a hard object, rang out.

Using the longsword embedded in the woman's head as leverage, and combined with his terrifying brute strength, Lin Yi forcefully tore the red-clad woman's head, covered in a hard carapace, from the base of her neck, which was connected to her torso, as if snapping a chicken's neck.

A dark green, viscous liquid, resembling petroleum and emitting a strong, putrid stench, gushed out from the severed neck like a high-pressure water jet.

The spray even reached the high ceiling of the study, forming a dirty curtain of rain that drizzled down.

The enormous head was tossed away by Lin Yi like a piece of dirty trash.

The head tumbled through the air, tracing an arc, before slamming heavily against a paneled wall in the distance with a dull thud.

The powerful impact caused a shallow dent in the wall, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards.

The enormous head then rolled onto the floor, its remaining compound eyes twitching slightly as it stared intently at Lin Yi in the center of the room.

Although her head was not the other party's vital organ, the excruciating pain from having her head forcibly torn apart instantly overwhelmed the woman in red's consciousness.

Her massive body convulsed violently, as if her spine had been removed!
Its thrashing lower body stomped wildly on the ground, crushing the solid stone slabs to pieces!
Chichi, chichi, chichi——!
A chilling cutting sound rang out!

The two arms covered in chitinous carapaces were brutally severed by the frantic contraction of the Dark Soul Silk.

Along with part of the carapace and tendon tissue at the shoulder blade, it was completely severed by the Dark Soul Silk and crashed to the floor with a dull thud.

At the severed point, dark green viscous fluid gushed out like a flood. The intense pain and loss of power instantly cleared the red-clad woman's mind, which had been clouded by violence and terror.

run!
We must run! Immediately! Right now!
This human… he was not the prey she had imagined at all! He was a demon in human skin! A being far more terrifying than those things deep within the ruins!

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything! Her three remaining legs unleashed their last remaining life force as she desperately tried to turn around, smash through the window or wall, and escape the room that had terrified her.

Edwin's bloodline... none of that mattered to her anymore! All she wanted now was to survive! To get as far away from this monster as possible!

The moment her body made a movement—three soft, tearing sounds rang out. The three limbs supporting the red-clad woman's massive, mangled body were instantly severed at the root by three extremely fast sword lights, just above the knee joints.

Pfft!Pfft!Pfft!
The thick, severed leg crashed to the ground with a dull thud, like a giant tree that had been felled.

The massive torso, now devoid of all support and with only the upper humanoid portion remaining, crashed forward like a felled giant tree, accompanied by a chilling howling wind!
Boom-! ! !
The headless, mangled body of the woman in red, like a rag doll with its skeleton torn apart, crashed heavily onto the floor less than a meter in front of Lin Yi.

Thick, dark green blood gushed out like streams from the horrific cuts on her body, spreading rapidly across the floor and emitting a strong, nauseating stench.

Her broken body was still convulsing violently, like a fish out of water, each convulsion accompanied by spurting of mucus and spasms of the muscle tissue at the broken ends.

Lin Yi, carrying his blood-dripping longsword, walked step by step to the pile of twitching remains.

His footsteps were exceptionally clear in the deathly silent room, each step seeming to pound on the heart of the woman in red.

The upper part of that mangled torso suddenly began to writhe violently, like a melting wax figure.

All non-human characteristics are melting away at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The woman in red's skin returned to its fair and smooth state, and her magnificent red court dress magically covered her battered body again—although filthy slime and dark green bloodstains still lingered at the hem of the dress.

That flawless face reappeared in Lin Yi's sight.

Her long, silver hair was scattered messily in the pool of sticky blood beneath her, adding to her tragic beauty.

"No...don't kill me."

“I was wrong… I really know I was wrong… Please let me go… I can tell you everything! I know a lot about the secrets of this ruin, about the truth of what your grandfather Edwin explored back then! I’ll tell you everything! Just let me go…”

Her eyes were filled with pleading, tears streamed down her pale cheeks like broken pearls, and her red lips trembled slightly, trying to evoke the softest part of her humanity.

Unfortunately, just seconds before, Lin Yi witnessed firsthand the monster hidden beneath that perfect face.

He doesn't have such extreme tastes, nor is he easily fooled by such low-level seduction tactics.

Lin Yi's gaze didn't linger on her stunningly beautiful face for even a second, but instead fell on her neck and chest, as if examining a specimen about to be dissected.

The pleading look in the woman's eyes froze instantly; she realized that allure had no effect on this man.

He wasn't even interested in appreciating her physical appearance.

next second.

The tip of the sword, coated with a viscous, dark green liquid, landed on the red-clad woman's fair neck, just below her collarbone.

The sharp tip of the sword easily pierced through that seemingly delicate skin.

Then, Lin Yi moved his wrist downwards to make a cut.

The woman in red had her skin slashed open and her muscle fibers severed.

There was no expected surge of blood when a human body is dissected.

As the blade penetrated deeper, what was exposed to Lin Yi was not bright red muscle, throbbing blood vessels, or writhing internal organs.

Instead, it is a ring-shaped structure, layer upon layer, tightly stacked and compressed together, like tire rubber that has been soaked in blood and dried and hardened.

These ring-shaped structures are reddish-brown in color, and their surfaces are covered with fine wrinkles and mucus, layer upon layer, densely packed, extending downwards.

They are exceptionally tough; when a sword blade cuts into them, it produces a feeling of resistance similar to cutting through old tree roots or tough leather, with resistance far exceeding that of normal biological tissue.

A small amount of viscous, dark yellow liquid seeped from the gaps between the rings, emitting a faint fishy smell.

This is not a human chest cavity at all; it is just a container covered with human skin and filled with countless bizarre tissues.

The woman in red let out a wail; her last pretense had been completely torn away.

Lin Yi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by a deeper inquiry.

"Hah...hah..." The woman in red made a hoarse sound like a broken bellows from her throat. Tears mixed with dark red phlegm overflowing from the corner of her mouth flowed down, completely destroying the tragic beauty.

"Kill me, you Edwin bastard!" she screamed with her last ounce of strength, her voice no longer alluring, but filled with hysterical curses.

"You can't escape! The world behind the door will devour you! Just like it devoured your arrogant grandfather! You will die a worse death than him! The curse has already ensnared you, and I'll be waiting for you in hell!"

Lin Yi ignored her curses, his sword tip already probing deep into the layers of the ring-shaped structure.

At the very core, surrounded by countless ring-like structures, Lin Yi's sword tip struck an irregular, polyhedral-like object.

found it.

Click!

"Uhhh-!!!"

The woman in red arched her broken body upwards suddenly, letting out a shrill scream that was so shrill it was inhuman.

Her color faded rapidly, from bright red, dark green, and white, to a lifeless gray-white in an instant.

The texture becomes hard and rough, like inferior plaster.

Click…click, click…

The fine cracking sounds, like popping beans, rang out densely and instantly spread throughout her entire body.

From the inside of the dissected chest cavity to the surface of the remaining limbs, cracks spread wildly like a spider web.

In less than three seconds, the mutilated body that had been emitting venomous curses and agonizing howls just a second ago was completely transformed into a gray-white stone statue.

At last.

wow-

A crisp cracking sound.

The grayish-white stone statue completely disintegrated, turning into a pile of gray powder resembling low-quality coal ash, which accumulated at Lin Yi's feet, slightly raised.

Only that once magnificent bright red court dress, now like a faded rag, lies limply covered in powder, serving as the final proof of her existence.

[Hint: You have defeated the Otherworldly Demon "Crimson Curse Spreader" and obtained 1 Epic Treasure Chest.]

You have gained 2.1% of the World Source, bringing your total World Source to 2.9%.

You have obtained the "Castle Key".

[The Castle Key]

Origin:? ? ?
Quality: purple

Type: Special Key

Effect: Opens a secret room hidden by cognitive interference in the top attic of the Bloodclaw Fortress main building.

Warning: This key contains faint spatial coordinates; its use may trigger an unknown chain reaction.

On the other side, the oppressive feeling on Jack and Leonard had completely disappeared with the death of the monster, but the huge mental shock and the intense numbness caused by the long period of stiffness in their bodies had not completely subsided.

They staggered to their feet, their faces pale, their inner linings soaked with cold sweat.

Leonard scrambled to his feet, propped his longsword on the ground, knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said in a voice filled with shame and lingering fear, "Your subordinate is incompetent! I failed to protect you, my lord! Please punish me, my lord!"

"It's alright. That thing's aura is too suppressive for you."

"Clean this place up. Dispose of the body, wipe away the blood, and make a record of any damage."

"Yes!"

Lin Yi said no more, strode towards the door, took the key, and headed towards the castle's attic. (End of Chapter)