Deep in the Living

Chapter 627 Strange Opponent
"Great Demon Lord Roddy, we need to extract your spinal fluid again today. Thank you for your help."

The same gray cerebrospinal fluid was extracted, and this time there was no need for quality testing; it only needed to be mixed with the opponent's cerebrospinal fluid.

As the gray spur fluid flows into the left side of the mixing device...
At the same time, cerebrospinal fluid from the other side also flowed in.

Unlike the spinal fluid of the previous demons, it was not bright in color, nor was it hot or corrosive. Instead, it was a deep black, thick and sticky substance, with what appeared to be solid particles floating in it.

The two are mixed.
This time,
Rodina's gray spinal cord, capable of adapting to and accommodating all matter, failed to assimilate the other party directly; instead, it underwent a perfectly timed fusion.

A dark gray mixture was thus formed, and the organizers will use it to create the set.

This made Roddy quite expectant, wanting to see what kind of great demon it was, and what kind of scene would occur after the two's spinal cords merged.

Follow the straight passage to the end and push open the door leading to the inner area.

There are no desks.

No pillars,

There are no unnecessary objects.
Before me was only a dark gray circular hall, seemingly a transitional area leading to the depths of the throne.

When Roddy walked out in his work shoes,

A series of heavy metallic clanging sounds came from the opposite side, like some kind of metal boots stepping on the ground.

Judging from the sound, Roddy had already conjured up in his mind a war demon with a huge physique and a full body of armor.

But as he looked up towards the source of the sound,
What came into view was a female knight.
A set of jet-black, form-fitting metal armor, as if custom-made for him.

1. The visor-covering helmet completely concealed her face, leaving only the cold, metallic outline.

2. A jet-black crown was placed on her head, and a semi-transparent black veil was lowered, rising and falling gently as she moved.

3. The slender arm armor blends seamlessly with the arm, making one wonder if there is actually a person inside, or if the armor itself is moving.

4. The main armor surface features a fine, scale-like texture, balancing aesthetics and defensive capabilities. The leg armor has a streamlined, layered structure that extends to the heels, all molded as a single piece.

The feeling that Roddy gave was completely different from the previous great demons. He showed no signs of mania or war.

Most importantly, unlike monks, spinalists tend to rely more on their own bodies than on external metal.

The great demon before them was completely different. Her entire body was contained within the metal, with no visible face or skin, fitting the armor almost perfectly.

Cold and solemn, elegant and dangerous.

It fits the current scene perfectly, like a royal guard knight.

There was also a sense of disharmony. Although she was about the same height as Roddy and had a more slender figure, the female knight made a heavy footstep that shouldn't belong to her.

The main reason is that she was carrying a large sword on her shoulder.

Compared to the wolf-shaped demon that Roddy faced in his first match, this greatsword carried by the female knight, though a size smaller, appeared exceptionally heavy.

The surface is plain and unadorned, without any engravings or symbols.

The overall length is exactly the same as the female knight's height.

……

[Audience Seating]

Oculos took his place early, but he seemed a little shy today, with his eyes almost shrunk together.

Under the cloak, his originally normal to tall stature became that of a child, probably only twelve or thirteen years old.

the reason is simple,
There was a person sitting next to him.

Although this person deliberately used an ordinary noble identity today to suppress his aura, Oculos didn't even dare to move his eyes.

This man had black hair styled in a mohawk with spiky bangs.
His face was jet black, not skin color, but a charred appearance, with a golden inverted cross branded between his eyebrows.

The eyeball is also a charred structure, with what looks like a burning candle inside the shell, and a faint light seeping out from the gaps in the charred shell.

Dressed in simple black attire, she shared the same color scheme as the female knight who was gradually emerging from the sidelines.

Oculos also noticed the female knight, feeling a sense of familiarity. After observing her for a while, some memories seemed to surface.

"Boss, this isn't yours..."

The other person interrupted him directly, and retorted, "You didn't put your eyeballs on this kid, did you?"

"This is a duel that you personally requested, boss. How could I dare to make any underhanded moves?"

Just as the two were chatting, a loud bang came from inside the arena.

The front row seats where they were sitting were cracked, and Roddy, who had just come on stage, was already embedded in the wall.

……

Wow!
He choked on a mouthful of blood.

Although Roddy's metal left arm maintained its integrity, the palm was almost completely cut open, exposing the intricate bionic muscle tissue structure inside.

The arm and shoulder were almost severed, held together by two or three cables. The most severely damaged part was the torso.
Roddy's body was almost completely severed from the front, his stomach was ruptured and liquid was spilling out, and he was barely holding on by his old spine.

He was so badly injured because of a "misjudgment".

[One minute ago]

The two fought for the first time.
The greatsword slashed horizontally.

The feeling of this slash was similar to the first one, but it was even less powerful and oppressive than the wolf. Moreover, Roddy's tongue only twitched slightly, offering no warning of danger.

In that case,

Roddy's choice remained the same: he planned to catch the blade with his left hand. Once he caught it, he could create the perfect opportunity to attack and break through the opponent's armor with a single blow.

Ding!
Metal clashing, hands gripping!
Hold on!

The left hand caught the blade perfectly, stopping the slash.

Roddy didn't even need to lower his center of gravity; the strength of his arms alone was enough.

Just as he was preparing to launch a counterattack... *tap!* The tongue, which had been simply moving around in his mouth, suddenly made a striking sound.

The "danger window" is provided by the tongue.

Because Luo Di's cultivation was not yet fully developed, the dangerous scenes he could see lasted for less than two seconds.

In the screen,
The female knight made no extra movements, remaining in her sword-wielding stance, and there was no indication of any danger.

Although the source of the danger is unknown.
However, the tongue's judgment is never wrong, and danger will inevitably occur.

Roddy planned to parry with his greatsword, simultaneously creating distance between himself and his opponent to carefully observe where the danger was coming from, but...

click!
When Roddy tried to exert force with his left arm, he found that he couldn't move it at all.

The female knight clearly did not exert any force.
The greatsword in her hand remained completely still.

Suddenly... Buzz!

A high-frequency vibration came from the sword, making Luo Di's whole body go numb.

It seemed as if some kind of aura was emanating from inside the sword and lingering on its surface.

The greatsword, which was clearly in his grasp, suddenly began to exert force, with a power exceeding that of any enemy Roddy had ever faced... Not only that, but even the sharpness of the blade increased, and some kind of invisible edge was already forming.

A sudden burst of power!

Luo Di was sent flying by the blow.
His body shot into the wall like a bullet, resulting in his current appearance.

Coughing up blood,

The body was broken.
The important left arm was injured.
But Roddy's lips curled up slightly.
He saw through the essence, or rather, his tongue tasted it. The reason the danger window had no image earlier was because Roddy was focusing on the wrong thing.

"I see... It's not that the person is holding the sword, but that the sword is holding the person."

They gave Roddy no chance to recover or catch his breath.

The female knight had moved forward and was close by, and once again swung her greatsword in a similar horizontal slash.

hum!
Huge cracks were slashed in the side wall, and the stands were on the verge of collapsing.

[Overlord] simply waved his hand, and some kind of black substance quickly filled the crack, allowing him to continue watching the show.

inside the venue,

The crater where Roddy lay was cut open horizontally, but there were no pieces of flesh inside.

The sound of work boots hitting the ground came from behind the female rider.

With half his body cut off, Roddy stood steadily more than ten meters away, connected only by his spine.

The nearly broken hand of Prometheus hung limply before him, not yet repaired.

Despite appearing to be severely injured, he stared intently at the greatsword in the female knight's hand, a smile on his face.

The tongue licked between the metal chins.

A strange sound came from his throat.
"Open...the spine."

The female knight, who intended to continue her offensive and give no chance, seemed to be controlled by the greatsword in her hand, forcibly keeping her in place.

Because an extremely dangerous change is taking place in Roddy.

Cervical spine area
Bone marrow leaked out.

Layers of grayish-white, sticky, fluid bone marrow oozed outwards from the skin, gradually enveloping Roddy's entire head, like a full-coverage mask, leaving only his hairstyle unchanged.

The thoracic, lumbar, and coccygeal vertebrae all undergo internal assimilation.
All blood vessels and nerves are transformed into the lower structure of the spine, covered with a layer of white soft membrane, and the substances flowing inside are replaced by the spinal cord.

Roddy's skin is gradually turning white...

(End of this chapter)