There’s something.
Qiansitelin’s voice was extremely low, carrying an unprecedented level of caution.
Sizzle… Hiss—
The moment her words fell, a grating, teeth-on-edge sound came from around the corner, like molten lava dripping onto cold ice.
Theodore also sensed that heart-palpitating malice.
She tightened her grip on her hammer’s handle, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on that ominous shadow.
Her small body trembled slightly from tension.
“Take half a step back.”
Muxuan’s voice sounded.
Though tinged with a trace of weakness, it remained steady, greatly reassuring Theodore.
Taking a deep breath, Muxuan forcibly suppressed the fatigue in her body and the chaotic churning of the Lightforce within her.
The halo at the tip of the Crosier expanded, pushing open a small, warm, and steadfast domain of light in the dim passageway, enveloping the three of them.
It also dispelled some of the nauseating stench of decay.
She gently pushed aside Qiansitelin’s instinctively blocking arm and took a small step forward.
Her golden eyes, without any disguise, pierced through the gloom of the passage, locking onto that writhing shadow at the corner.
Muxuan’s voice was low and calm, yet it contained a peculiar penetrating power.
It wasn’t a question; it was more like an indisputable command issued from the stance of a superior.
As Muxuan’s voice fell, the sizzling sound from behind the corner abruptly stopped.
The entire passage fell into dead silence.
However, the next second—
A roar filled with twisted agony and endless hatred erupted violently.
The sound was like countless shards of broken metal scraping together, mixed with the viscous, wet noise of flesh tearing.
A deformed black shadow lunged out from behind the corner, charging toward Theodore at an extremely high speed.
Qiansitelin didn’t hesitate for a moment.
She immediately positioned herself in front of Theodore.
[Lyrasel] radiated sharp, silvery light, colliding with that black shadow.
It was then that Muxuan and the other two got a clear look at the shadow’s form.
One could vaguely make out the outline of a Dwarf, but its body had swollen several times over.
Its skin showed a festering state, constantly oozing thick, black fluid.
Its right arm had mutated into a massive, twisted metal hammerhead, covered in rusted spikes and cracks.
Dark red flesh tissue still clung to the hammerhead.
Its left arm had completely vanished, replaced by several pitch-black tentacles sprouting sharp bone spurs.
Its facial features were a blurred mess, with only a giant mouth torn open to the ears, emitting a roar that chilled the soul.
“Deep Sea Layer peak.”
Muxuan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it clearly reached Theodore and Qiansitelin’s ears.
At the same time, Muxuan noticed the corrupted Dwarf’s chest: embedded there was a dark purple crystal that pulsed continuously, emitting thick Black Mist.
Accompanying it was a malicious intent so intense it almost solidified into substance.
The crystal’s surface was covered in vein-like patterns, the chaotic Corruption nearly materializing.
Qiansitelin immediately understood her Highness’s intent.
Without hesitation, she swung [Lyrasel].
A sharp, silvery light blade shot from [Lyrasel]’s blade, precisely striking the pulsating crystal on the corrupted Dwarf’s chest!
Clang—
The silver light struck the dark purple crystal, erupting in sparks like metal clashing and a corrosive sizzle.
The crystal’s surface was left with only a shallow white scratch.
The Black Mist churned violently, instead counterattacking back along the trajectory of the silver light!
Qiansitelin grunted, her wrist trembling.
Silvery radiance forcibly dispersed the Black Mist, but [Lyrasel] noticeably dimmed.
The corrupted Dwarf didn’t give Qiansitelin a chance to catch her breath.
It raised its giant hammer-arm again, smashing down toward Qiansitelin.
Before Qiansitelin could react, Theodore’s small frame erupted with astonishing strength.
The heavy stone hammer, carrying the sound of splitting air, slammed fiercely into the corrupted Dwarf’s rust-covered giant hammer.
Boom!
A deafening roar exploded within the narrow passage.
That seemingly ordinary, even somewhat crude and cumbersome stone hammer now steadily held back the terrifying metal giant hammer covered in rusted spikes and filthy black fluid.
Theodore’s small body seemed nailed to the spot.
No trace of fear remained in her eyes, only a rock-solid fighting spirit.
The muscles in her slender arms bulged like strands of steel cable.
The leather gloves on her hands were worn through from the force, even her coppery-red braids stood stiff and upright from the explosive power.
The corrupted Dwarf’s torn giant mouth let out a roar of furious agony.
The muscles on its mutated hammer-arm knotted, black fluid splattering as it tried to crush Theodore with sheer force.
However, Theodore didn’t budge an inch!
“Haaah—”
Theodore let out a low roar completely disproportionate to her size.
Then, a visible shockwave erupted from the stone hammer’s point of impact, spreading outward.
The heavy metal giant hammer, along with the corrupted Dwarf’s massive body, was forcibly sent staggering back a large step.
Its heavy footfalls slammed into the ground, leaving behind spiderweb-like cracks.
“Hmph! Comparing strength, I’m not even afraid of the Great Artisan God!”
Watching the corrupted Dwarf struggle to stand for a long moment, Theodore somewhat proudly hefted the stone hammer onto her shoulder.
Hearing Theodore’s words, Muxuan couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
‘No wonder Lutherch is a little afraid of Theodore.’
The Great Artisan God was an existence of the Moho Layer, yet Theodore could surpass him in strength.
However, brute force alone couldn’t defeat the corrupted Dwarf.
Even if the stone hammer was a quasi-Divine Artifact and fused with that ‘Qi’…
Dwarven forging relied on that ‘Qi’ within their bodies, which was also the source of a Dwarf’s strength.
Unfortunately, like mana, it couldn’t cause any significant damage to The Strange.
Meeting Muxuan’s gaze, Qiansitelin instantly understood her Highness’s intention.
She immediately flashed to the front of the corrupted Dwarf.
[Lyrasel] erupted with even more dazzling and sharp silvery radiance.
Accompanied by a crack sound, the crystal on the corrupted Dwarf’s chest shattered.
But the moment it shattered, a massive amount of Black Mist carrying Corruption surged out.
Seeing this, Muxuan didn’t just watch.
With a wave of her Crosier, a large number of light points materialized, swiftly rushing into the Black Mist that had just begun to stir.
In an instant, they disintegrated the Black Mist.
Then, the light points rushed toward the shattered crystal.
In a flash, the corrupted Dwarf’s body exploded like an overfilled balloon.
Muxuan immediately deployed a golden protective barrier, shielding Theodore and Qiansitelin within.
After a long while, the light points dissipated.
The air retained the lingering smell of scorched rot and the faint glow of purification.
The exploded remnants of the corrupted Dwarf smoked faintly.
The nauseating stench of metal rust and rotting flesh was finally suppressed.
“Pope… let’s rest a bit before continuing.”
Even though Theodore really wanted to return quickly, she could see that Sister Qiansitelin was already very tired, and the light around the Pope had dimmed considerably.