There's a skeleton dungeon connected to my basement.

Chapter 409, Borrowing One's Own Power

Outside Blackrock City.

I'm quite familiar with all of them.

"Flesh and blood mutants, fanatics, flesh and blood resurrectors."

They weren't really living beings; they were all dungeon creations, gathering listlessly and woodenly outside Blackrock City.

Layer upon layer, densely packed.

They are probably the most formidable creatures in this area.

In the wilderness, there are bizarre monsters born from various evil gods, their phenomena incomprehensible, their malicious gazes… and all sorts of other causes.

These things also almost instinctively avoid Blackrock City.

Or rather, what they truly avoided was the bizarre disease that could cause people to grow arms all over their bodies.

As the first pillar to descend upon the heavens.

All those powerful evil gods who are concerned with these phenomena, like plagues, malignant sores, and incomprehensible occurrences, that are spreading throughout the heavens.

They never gave up observing the pale hand.

However, such observations are often ineffective and may lead to a variety of chaotic, contradictory, or even conflicting conclusions and answers.

In this situation, hand disease attracted attention from all sides and became a breakthrough point.

"Perhaps research on long hand disease can truly reveal the nature of pale hands."

This idea emerged and then created enormous trouble.

One of the most famous cases.

A curious god of knowledge deliberately chose to contract this bizarre disease.

Then one day, as expected, it fell into depravity, transforming into a bizarre mass of flesh covered in pale arms. Its divine kingdom fell, taking its world with it to the heavens.

On that day, a sun god of extraordinary status unleashed three sword strikes in succession.

That vast world and this mad god of knowledge were torn into four pieces.

Even after his complete demise, this madman was still shouting.

"This is a blessing!"

To some extent.

"Blackrock City can be considered to be peaceful and uncontested."

These guys don't actively antagonize other Fallen fanatics, nor do they launch massive attacks on their fellow Fallen in this rotten world.

"They are just tirelessly spreading the disease that they consider a blessing."

A group of numb people walked out of the wilderness toward the dark city.

Blackrock City is named after the black stone used to build the city.

Legend has it that these black stones were stained with the blood of a black dragon.

On her thin and weak body.

Grayish nails, protruding fingers, and those deformed arms that had barely grown out.

They are all infected with long hand disease.

Such a body could walk across the wilderness to the point that even ordinary monsters would actively avoid it.

No one wants to get infected with this disease willingly.

Even those who have lost their minds and whose bodies are filled with corruption, those beasts who have lost their intelligence, avoid these things like the plague.

The densely packed, sluggish monsters made way for the city, and one by one, gaunt figures appeared.

They are not the dungeon creations outside the city.

They are the actual residents of this city.

However, he wasn't in good condition, and his expression was equally blank.

They were simply waiting silently for death.

What does it feel like to have long hand disease?

It's hard to describe.

At first, there was just some itching, and keratin buildup appeared on the skin surface.

Then, these dense, hardened accumulations either grow grayish-white nails or entirely new fingers.

Soft, fragmented murmurs.

Whispers that I couldn't understand.

At this time, be careful and pay attention to your dreams.

"It's best not to sleep!"

"Sleep as little as possible!"

In my sleep, a strange sensation appeared.

Something will try to touch you.

At this point, the physical deformities will be accelerated.

The pale arms would try to grow back completely from the already twisted flesh.

If we cannot sustain such growth.

Therefore, a mental breakdown, turning into a stagnant mass of flesh and blood, is the most common outcome.

If the feeding is successful, the arm will grow.

Then even more, much more incomprehensible things will come.

This process is like a seed breaking through the soil to welcome the sunlight.

………….

A gaunt figure, numb and dazed, swayed and fell to the ground.

A complete hand grew out from its chest.

This scene stirred up some unrest in the otherwise quiet city.

Several figures dressed in white robes quickly gathered around.

The fallen figure vaguely saw an arm growing out of its chest.

The pale, thin arm reached towards the sky, swaying slightly, like a newly sprouted seedling.

His face was filled with an incomprehensible joy.

"A gift!"

"My gift!"

The patient who had grown an arm was carefully placed in a magnificent portable shrine.

They were carried around Blackrock City.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"Fear, despair, numbness."

"A direct and unwavering longing."

Ultimately, this creature with arms growing out of its chest was embedded in a tall tower.

Countless mature individuals are piled together.

Slender arms clung to each other, forming a tower in the center of Blackrock City.

No, it doesn't necessarily have to be a tower.

It might also be a big tree.

A large tree built from countless tender buds.

………….

As the Hope City expeditionary force left the city, ventured into the wilderness, and marched toward Blackrock City.

A figure arrived here first.

Looking at the vast, blank mass of figures in front of me.

"He's someone I know."

When he appeared, those mindless monsters before him seemed to sense something.

Their gazes fell on Xiao Yang, and they stared blankly at him.

They all knelt down in a rush.

Like a domino effect that has been toppled.

Conquering Blackrock City seemed to be no trouble at all for Xiao Yang.

These monsters seem to be worshipping him.

"I'm not happy."

With a dark face.

The scarlet armor was already on.

The jet-black giant axe was held in his hand.

Behind them, a dark blue flag fluttered.

Xiao Yang would head first toward this enormous dungeon, toward this dark city that had fallen long ago.

Pull down the mask.

One by one, dark blue shadows appeared around me.

The closer you get to this dark city...

A portion of his power, the power belonging to the Pale Hand, became increasingly active.

In a trance.

Two pale hands appeared from behind Xiao Yang and wrapped around his neck.

The potential of the Devourer of Evil Gods has been unleashed, and further manifestations have emerged.

It's not just about gaining attributes by absorbing the power of evil gods.

"The connection between the two selves has become closer."

Naturally, borrowing power is also much simpler.

Of course, this is not without risk.

But that towering tower in his heart dispelled the darkness for Xiao Yang.

He bent slightly, his body becoming more hunched, and he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders that he could barely support.

Head up.

His crimson gaze fell upon the vast array of figures kneeling before him.

To this day, his thoughts have not changed much.

"kill."

(End of this chapter)