Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Chapter 619 The Return of the Blazing Fire

Just as Han Zu was about to leave, another dim black orb of light suddenly flew from behind the horde of monsters in front of him. Han Zu, busy dealing with the monsters charging at him, didn't notice it and was struck directly in the chest by the orb. The violent impact felt like being hit by a giant hammer; he arced through the air in a clumsy fashion before crashing heavily into the stone wall of the circular hall.

"Boom!!"

With a muffled thud, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the stone wall, and fine stone chips fell, striking his sweat-soaked hair. Han Zu slammed his hands on the ground, sprang to his feet, and with a backhand punch repelled two monsters charging at him. The roars of the monster horde grew ever closer. Without the deterrent of the knight's greatsword, the monsters that had been cowering in the back raised their heads, their dark green vines flailing wildly in the air, and corrosive liquid rained down on Han Zu's position. Han Zu's eyes sharpened; he braced himself with his left hand, sliding several meters along the ground, barely avoiding the acid's onslaught. The acid landed on the stone wall he had just leaned against, emitting a piercing "sizzle," instantly corroding the stone into a smoky, muddy mess.

"It's so difficult!"

Han Zu shouted in a deep voice, hoarse from the recent shock, yet still full of penetrating power. He mobilized the energy within his body, and the pollution field rapidly spread out from him, like an invisible net, carefully probing every corner of the hall—the rusted iron cage hanging from the dome, the shadows deep within the surrounding arches, the gaps in the armor remnants on the ground, even the seams of the stone walls covered with fluorescent moss, nothing was overlooked. However, the energy feedback only returned the chaotic aura of the monster horde and the heavy energy fluctuations of the rock elemental creature; he detected no trace of the aura of a third intelligent being.

The three-meter-tall rock elemental creature had now strode heavily to the front of the monster horde. The cracks on its carapace seemed to have widened further in the chaos, but this did not diminish its ferocity. It raised its axe-like arm and slammed it down towards Han Zu. The ground trembled violently from the force, and several cracks spread from its feet. Han Zu was prepared. The instant the creature's arm struck, he rolled to the side, simultaneously grabbing a fragment of wall and hurling it at the elemental creature's cracked joints.

The fragments of wall, imbued with Han Zu's energy, struck the crack precisely with a crisp "clang." The rock elemental creature visibly paused, tiny stone chips bursting from the crack. It let out a muffled roar, its other arm sweeping out. Han Zu used the momentum of his roll to stand up, lightly touching the ground with his toes, his body leaping upwards like a willow catkin, barely dodging the sweeping attack. At the same time, he reached out and grabbed a rusty iron chain hanging from the dome. The chain creaked under the weight, yet still supported his weight, suspending him in mid-air.

The aerial view allowed Han Zu to clearly see the layout of the entire hall. Besides the stone door he had entered through, there were five archways around the hall. The faint roars of monsters could be heard from three of these archways, while the other two were pitch black, their destinations unknown. The black orb of light he had just seen had flown from the direction of the deepest black archway on the left. Although the contamination field hadn't detected any life force, there was definitely something fishy going on there. What puzzled him even more was that something seemed to be curled up in the iron cage in the dome. In his brief glance, he had seen a pair of eyes gleaming with an eerie light, but the thing's presence was extremely well concealed, disappearing in an instant, leading him to believe it was an illusion.

"Roar—" The monster horde below began frantically ramming the chains, while the rock elementals repeatedly leaped up, attempting to attack Han Zu in mid-air. The chains were far more corroded than he had imagined; under the monsters' onslaught, the connecting rings were deforming and on the verge of breaking. Han Zu acted decisively, loosening the chains and gathering his energy in his feet. Upon landing, he used the impact to roll forward, avoiding the elemental creatures' attacks, and slipped into a relatively quiet archway on the right.

Beyond the archway lay a narrow corridor. The fluorescent moss on the walls was denser and brighter than in the previous passageway, illuminating the corridor as if it were daytime. However, Han Zu knew the moss's power and immediately channeled his energy to create an invisible barrier around his nasal cavity and mouth, preventing the toxic gases from entering. The corridor floor was paved with broken stone slabs, from which dark red fungi grew, making a soft, squishy feel underfoot with a slight "plop" sound.

He had only walked a dozen meters when he heard the sounds of monsters chasing him from behind. Han Zu glanced back and saw several Shadowclaw monsters had already disappeared into the archway. Their red eyes were particularly conspicuous in the fluorescent light, and they moved silently. He quickened his pace, while keeping an eye on the walls on both sides of the corridor. After walking about fifty meters, he noticed a noticeable indentation in the right wall, covered by a thick layer of spider webs. Behind the webs, there seemed to be a hidden door.

Without hesitation, Han Zu swept away the spiderweb and was about to investigate further when the monster's claws, accompanied by a chilling wind, attacked from behind. He rolled to the side to avoid it, stretched out his hands, and with a sudden burst of strength, snapped the forelimb of the foremost monster. Black blood spurted out, landing on the fluorescent moss with a sizzling sound, and the moss's glow dimmed slightly for a moment. But more monsters had already surged into the archway, their red pupils merging together in the light and shadow, like moving will-o'-the-wisps.

Han Zu leaned against the wall, his fists, brimming with energy, tracing defensive arcs in front of him. Each swing sent several monsters flying, but these monsters seemed fearless, charging relentlessly. The narrow corridor limited the range of Han Zu's punches, forcing him to frequently dodge and search for opportunities to counterattack. Suddenly, a faint sound came from above, and three incredibly fast monsters scrambled down through cracks in the ceiling, their sharp claws aimed directly at his head.

Han Zu blasted the monsters away with a single punch and had just caught his breath when a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the end of the corridor. Several monsters, each a size larger than the previous ones, surged in, their dark green vines lashing out like whips, corrosive liquid carving deep pits into the ground. He used his hands as blades, employing his monstrous strength to sever the attacking vines, only to find even more monsters pouring in from the direction of the hall—not only the monsters in front of him, but also a large number of skeletons, and the drowned corpses he had seen before, dragging their wet bodies, emitting muffled growls, their rotting hands still entwined with seaweed.

Forced to retreat into the circular hall, Han Zu had barely dealt with the pursuing monsters when the iron cage in the dome suddenly shook violently. Dozens of bat-sized monsters poured out from the gaps in the cage, their sharp teeth and wings emitting a pungent stench of poison. Simultaneously, the archways surrounding the hall were filled with monsters, and rock elemental creatures, now awakened, trudged heavily, blocking the only exit. Han Zu's energy surged wildly, but without the sharpness of his knight's greatsword, he couldn't break through the sheer number of monsters with his bare hands.

The rock elemental's stone axe crashed down, and Han Zu scrambled to avoid it, creating a deep crater in the ground. He seized the opportunity to punch a crack in the elemental's carapace, leaving only a shallow white mark; attacks that had previously caused damage were now proving largely ineffective. The bat monster's poisonous gas continued to erode his energy barrier, while the Shadow Claw monster launched sneak attacks from all directions, and the vines of the Bone-Rotting Beast wrapped around his ankles. Han Zu struggled to break the vines, only to find that more had already bound his legs, corrosive liquid dripping down and scorching his trousers.

Han Zu leaped into the air, dodging another heavy blow from the rock elemental creature. He swept his arms to repel the surrounding monsters, but the horde surged forward again like a tide. Under the special influence of Bastinburg, his energy barrier was on the verge of collapse due to the dual corrosive effects of poisonous gas and acid. Although he was unharmed, he was forced to retreat repeatedly, eventually reaching the area beneath the iron cage in the center of the hall. Bat monsters loomed overhead, the claws of other monsters flashed before his eyes, and vine-covered creatures entangled his arms, making it difficult for him to swing. Seizing the opportunity, the rock elemental creature brought its massive stone axe down towards his head with a whooshing sound.

Han Zu jerked his shoulder upward, barely blocking the stone axe's attack. The immense force caused his legs to sink half an inch into the ground. Just then, several small monsters pounced on him, their claws slicing through his energy barrier, creating a piercing screeching sound. The bat monsters' poisonous fumes filled his nostrils, making him dizzy, while the vines tightened their grip on his body. He could feel countless cold, monstrous bodies surrounding him, their sharp teeth and claws relentlessly striking his flesh. Although they couldn't break through Han Zu's defenses and inflict any harm, they rendered him immobile, leaving him helpless as the rock elemental creature raised its stone axe again. This time, he had no chance to parry.

"Clang!!!"

The instant the stone axe struck him, the energy pent up within Han Zu suddenly surged out of control. The rage that had been constantly restraining him overwhelmed Han Zu's reason; the energy within him transformed into blackish-red flames that erupted, instantly incinerating the vines binding him. The flames, carrying a scorching heat, caused the surrounding monsters to roar in terror, trying to retreat and flee.

The dark red flames began to expand rapidly, eventually swirling around Han Zu and forming a massive pillar of fire. Han Zu increased his energy output once more, and the flames, as if guided, spread wildly, quickly creating a firestorm that swept through the entire hall. The bat monsters that touched the flames instantly turned to ashes, while the black fur of other monsters ignited, emitting shrill screams as they frantically fled through the inferno. The vines also withered instantly, their corrosive liquid evaporating under the intense heat, leaving behind acrid white smoke.

The rock elemental creature, not to be outdone, charged into the firestorm wielding its stone axe, only to sizzle upon contact with the flames. Its hard shell began to soften and crack under the scorching heat of the dark red flames, the red light within gradually dimming. Han Zu's eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hands together, instantly shrinking the firestorm into a massive fire blade that precisely struck the rock elemental creature's cracked shell. With a deafening roar, the elemental creature's body exploded, the fragments of rock melting into molten lava that dripped onto the ground with a hissing sound.

The firestorm lasted a full quarter of an hour. When the flames gradually subsided, the entire circular hall was unrecognizable. The ground was covered with a layer of black ash; all the monsters had been burned to ashes, leaving only some unburnt skeletal remains that emitted a pungent stench from the lingering heat. After confirming that there were no more living monsters around, Han Zu slowly withdrew his energy. The black and red flames on his body gradually subsided, eventually transforming into wisps of fire that danced at his fingertips. He could clearly feel a change in the energy within his body; this power was somewhat similar to his original fire abilities, but far stronger.

Han Zu clenched his fists to extinguish the flames at his fingertips. Perhaps due to the influence of the Bastienburg, or perhaps because he had released too much energy, Han Zu felt his head buzzing and throbbing. This sensation caused Han Zu to lose control of his balance, and he fell to the ground in confusion.

Just like the first day after catching a bad cold, Han Zu felt a chill running through his hot body. He subconsciously raised his hand to touch his forehead, but quickly put it down again. After all, he wasn't sick now, and his discomfort must be related to his energy.

Although the monsters in this area had been burned to ashes by the firestorm released by Han Zu, the area was interconnected, and more monsters would inevitably follow the sound. Not to mention that there might be other people in the shadows. So even though he felt extremely uncomfortable, Han Zu still struggled to get up and dragged his dazed body into one of the archways.

At first, Han Zu still had the energy to move forward, occasionally looking back to see if anything was following him. But as time went on, Han Zu felt increasingly heavy-hearted, his steps unsteady, each step feeling like walking on cotton. The discomfort quickly spread throughout his body. Just before he collapsed, Han Zu found an inconspicuous crevic. He curled up, crawled inside, and used nearby rock fragments to block the exit of the crevic, preparing to rest and try to recover from the discomfort.

Just as Han Zu was about to sit down against the wall, his consciousness suddenly stopped, and with a loud thud, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Squeak!"

A few minutes later, the sound of a rodent suddenly came from where Han Zu had fallen. It was the little mouse with the golden tail that he had seen in the library before. He didn't know why it was there. It sniffed Han Zu's body and then crawled into Han Zu's pants pocket, not knowing what it was going to do.