Chapter 25: Leviathan?

"Setting aside family factors, I personally admire you. Before the outcome is decided, give it your all and unleash your full potential."

In the land of ice and snow, the cat-like man bowed slightly and retreated with grace. He had no intention of making a move; as he had said, they had thoroughly assessed Chu Zihang’s strength, so they knew exactly who held the advantage. At the very least, Pasi felt he was no match for him, so there was no need to engage. After all, there was no reason for a supervisor to step onto the front lines.

One withered figure after another surrounded them. In the dim light, they revealed terrifying faces—sunken eye sockets, skin stretched tight over bone without a trace of flesh, and black, wrinkled visages. These were not human faces; they were the faces of mummies. Yet, they differed from common ghouls; they seemed to retain the most basic instinct to follow orders and could even wield weapons, as if they were… artificially created high-bloodline ghouls.

Chu Zihang watched these figures approach without taking any action, simply lowering his head slowly. If the Gattuso family had been fortunate enough to chat with Xia Mi, they would have known never to completely suppress Chu Zihang in battle. Once he was pushed to a point where he could no longer cope, a certain heaven-defying "substitute player," who dared to challenge even a Dragon King, would log in.

"You really did your research, didn't you? Interesting." Tang Xi stretched her limbs, looked at the rows of shadows, and chuckled. "You even brought a greeting gift. How thoughtful."

Pasi, standing behind the shadows, couldn't help but frown. The boy was still the same boy, yet the feeling he projected had suddenly changed. If Chu Zihang was a cold, silent iceberg harboring hidden burdens, then Tang Xi was an arrogant, unbridled force of nature. Their personalities were polar opposites, and the aura they exuded was entirely different.

Without giving the opponent time to observe or think, Tang Xi casually summoned Gungnir. The small ornament in her hand rapidly elongated and grew, transforming into a curved spear made of intertwined branches.

The moment the spear appeared, the brilliant aurora seemed to grow even brighter. The turbulent elements here, as if stimulated, became increasingly restless, and the sound of whale songs in the distance seemed to draw closer.

The shadows closed in, their twisted, dead faces filled with longing for the living. In life, they had all been elite hybrids, many even hailed as heroes. But in death, these heroes had become monsters, transformed into the very things they had once loathed. An indescribable malice seemed to materialize, making them look like the most hideous of vengeful spirits.

The spear struck out like lightning. In an instant, it was as if a brilliant meteor had fallen from the heavens, carrying unparalleled radiance. It pierced through the shadows, pinning them to the ground as if sunlight were dispelling darkness, or fire were burning away the filth in the shadows.

The shadows were covered in dense, scale-like armor—the strongest defense, capable of stopping bullets. Since the intel stated that Chu Zihang excelled with a blade, these scales were designed to easily deflect steel edges.

However, in the face of this strange spear, those scales were as fragile as if they didn't exist. It was like a red-hot iron rod plunging into snow, instantly shredding flesh and bone, even though the spear didn't look sharp at all.

Everything happened too fast—too fast for anyone to react. By the time Pasi realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

"Yo, your bloodlines are quite pure, aren't they?" Tang Xi looked at the gratifying growth of experience points on her panel and felt pleasantly surprised. "This is a great gift. I like it!"

Weapon: Gungnir (Fragmented Avatar Version)
Wielder: Chu Zihang
Status: Primary (4986/5000)
Durability: 54/100
(Primary-level Gungnir avatar, already possessing some of Gungnir's abilities. 40% bonus damage against dragons, skill unlocked: Reverse Manipulation, arbitrary size change, brief freedom for the weapon spirit.)
(Next Stage: Intermediate, weapon spirit can selectively control the weapon.)

...

Though she didn't know how the Gattuso family had managed it, these ghouls refined from the corpses of hybrids actually provided more experience than those on the viaduct! Tang Xi was genuinely delighted; the level she had been stuck at for so long was finally about to break through!

As the last shadow was dispatched, the experience points jumped one final time, stopping just short at 5003. Simultaneously, a new change appeared on the panel.

(Note: Gungnir has reached the Intermediate stage. New ability unlocked: Weapon spirit can selectively control the weapon.)
(Next Stage: Advanced, clues regarding the main body can be obtained, probability of unlocking main body abilities, 10,000 experience required.)

...

This was an unexpected windfall!

Tang Xi retracted Gungnir, still wanting more, and cast an expectant gaze at Pasi not far away. "Are there any more? You said you were fully prepared, surely you didn't bring only this many?"

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Pasi felt he could hear a lingering sense of dissatisfaction in her voice—as if a guest had eaten a feast he provided, found it tasty, but complained that the portions were too small.

Yet, these were not just any guests; they were heroes who had left illustrious names in the history of hybrids, and even in death, they were absolute monarch-level hybrids. Could such beings be considered nothing more than a decent meal? And this jarring duality—did the boy possess a split personality?

Pasi had to admit that the family’s assessment of Chu Zihang had been a grave error. Though they had overestimated him as much as possible, they never imagined he possessed a "second form."

"Whatever, just be more careful in your next life," Tang Xi said. Just as she was about to finish him off, a strange sound reached her ears—hollow and distant.

At the same time, the sea began to sway gently, and seawater surged into the cracks in the ice, emitting a sound like rolling thunder. Tang Xi could clearly sense a massive shadow approaching rapidly, creating powerful, slow shockwaves. It wasn't even "swimming"; a more fitting description would be "cruising," like a strategic nuclear submarine.

On the frozen sea, ice flowers bloomed one after another, resembling giant footprints, as if a towering celestial maiden were walking toward her, with every step blooming like a lotus.

This was the extreme cold domain carried by that massive creature, altering the lattice structure of the ice. A strong sense of unease rose in Tang Xi's heart; she realized the crisis in an instant.

Without the slightest hesitation, Tang Xi turned and ran. She didn't know where to go, but she knew one thing clearly: she must not be enveloped by that extreme cold domain!

Pasi watched the boy turn and leave, appearing to lose all interest in him instantly. He let out a sigh of relief, but before the joy of surviving could set in, he felt a chill in his chest.

In disbelief, he slowly looked down to see a "meteor" circling back like a firefly, striking him from behind.

Tang Xi didn't stop, merely raising her hand to recall Gungnir. Pasi slowly sank to his knees, and the departing figure never once looked back.

Tang Xi didn't need to look back. Honestly, Pasi’s bloodline wasn't bad, and he likely had some tricks up his sleeve; it might have been difficult for Chu Zihang to take him down, but it was Tang Xi who was in control now.

She didn't know what he was babbling about—his bloodline was too low, and she had mistaken him for a common ghoul. She was busy living her own life to the fullest; she didn't have time to listen.