Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

The enormous, burning figure, after the round tin can's final sword strike, was no longer able to raise its fist.

Its arm fell limply into the lava, splashing up the scorching liquid, and then it remained motionless.

Onion Knight finally achieved his victory. Even though his iconic round armor had been smashed into a grotesque mess of scrap metal, he still bravely raised his greatsword, stood on the demon, and announced his triumph.

Then, the next moment, after the demon turned into light fragments and disappeared, he fell into the lava in a sorry state.

"Hey, did he end up fighting the demon and both of them were badly injured?"

The Onion Knight, who had fallen into the lava, simply lay there, motionless.

"I don't know, let's go and take a look."

Anri still had the awareness of being the one being helped. Although driving away the fire demon was Onion Knight's own goal, he also got a good thing when the demon died, and he could explore the area afterward, so he decided to go and check on his situation.

They carefully traversed the terrain altered by demonic power and arrived beside the Onion Knight, only to find that his armor still showed subtle undulations, indicating that he was still alive.

Anri walked over and kicked him... but there was no response.

He kicked again... then rolled over, and faint snoring came from inside his armor.

The scene fell silent again. The three girls turned around in unison and left the place ravaged by lava.

"Onions are indeed a magical food. While lowering the user's IQ limit, they can also enhance the user's survival ability."

"Please do not confuse onions with spinach. Also, Mr. Onion just looks like an onion, but he may not necessarily eat onions."

"I think... his armor just looks like an onion."

In short, the round plant, the onion, has taken on a new meaning in the minds of young girls.

"Alright, now that everything is done, it's about time we part ways."

After making a joke, Anri was the first to suggest breaking up the group.

"No way, it's not easy to find an extra combatant these days. You're going to get the Soul Furnace from the Cursed Tree anyway, so let's just keep going together."

Zhi then remembered the formidable enemies at the temple gate, enough to deter them, and quickly spoke up, trying to keep this helper.

"I'm not in a hurry to use that thing, and I can directly take the elevator in the tower to the next location. There's no need for me to venture into that temple that looks quite difficult."

Before Zhi could say anything more, Xiao Yan pulled her aside and whispered something in Zhi's ear.

"Don't forget, she is a native of this world, and everything she does has a different purpose than ours."

Although Anri didn't hear what the two were whispering to each other, after seeing Xiaoyan's actions, she seemed to have thought of something. She held the bottom edge of her helmet with her hand, thought for a while, and then overturned her previous statement.

"However, it's not impossible for me to help you out. Consider it a favor you owe me, which you'll have to repay later."

She finished thinking and made her request.

Xiaoyan and Zhi, who had already given up, were taken aback by her sudden change of heart. They exchanged a glance and finally agreed. After all, defeating the Cursed Tree was their biggest goal at the moment. With the situation in this world becoming increasingly uncertain, having one more fighter would increase their chances of success.

“Very good, the deal is done, but you still have to wait until I finish exploring this area.”

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The tragic Onion Knight was left to fend for himself by the girls, while Homura and Ori accompanied Anri on this journey of looting the corpse... I mean, picking up what had fallen.

Under the unmoved gazes of Homura and Ori, Anri shot down the mummy with her bow and arrow, carefully examined all the corpses in every corner, and finally almost got suffocated by the filth from a pile of prisoner cages that suddenly fell from the ceiling while she was looking for a treasure chest.

In short, it was still a treasure hunt full of routines. After finally getting Flynn's Ring from the corpse on the roof, Anri couldn't help but feel glad that she had brought them along. Otherwise, just thinking about that extremely disgusting way of dying made her feel nauseous.

"I always felt that it was so troublesome for them to collect equipment. Unlike us, as long as we kill monsters in a specific area, the old woman will refine the relevant equipment. Although I don't know how she does it, it's at least much more convenient. Like this Flynn Ring, I got it from the old woman after I defeated the Flame Demon. She had to waste time searching for corpses here."

Zhi and Xiaoyan were chatting idly on the side when she saw Anri take a ring out of the corpse. After comparing it with the one she was wearing, she immediately understood what it was.

"But didn't you notice? After traveling with her, it felt like you were truly in the world, and the journey became much more lively."

“That’s true. When I came to the Undead Settlement alone before, all I felt was the malice of this world. I didn’t encounter any interesting guys like that Onion Head. Sometimes when I used the runes to summon teammates, it wasn’t to make the strategy easier. It was because I was too lonely in this world. Having someone with me made me feel much better.”

"Aren't we heroes who can walk alone after all?... Anri seems to have taken care of things, let's go."

After Anri thoroughly searched the entire rooftop, they ended their exploration of the area.

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The three returned to the campfire at the end of the dilapidated bridge. After resting for a while, they set off along the other path leading to the temple, as Zhi had mentioned.

However, Zhi Zong felt that she seemed to have missed something. While she was still thinking, the group crossed a broken arched bridge, and then a strange fluctuation caught their attention.

It's hard to describe the feeling, but it's as if impurities have been mixed into their thoughts. They instinctively feel that their world has been invaded.

And indeed, on a relatively high mound, a purple figure suddenly appeared and walked gracefully toward them.

Accompanying her was an executioner who had been alerted and was pacing nearby. But this executioner, in the midst of the charge, simply passed through the purple figure and raised his large machete towards them.

The three immediately went on alert, but before the executioner could get close, Xiao Yan and the others clearly saw the purple figure flash by and then become clear. The hem of her magnificent dress fluttered in the wind, and she leaped up, pulling a weapon that looked like a large machete from behind her bright red cloak in mid-air. With a flick of her wrist, the previously folded weapon unfolded, and as she fell, it struck the executioner, who was still completely unaware.

The attacker was incredibly strong. The three of them saw the heavy saw blade slice through the executioner's shoulder and down to his waist, cleaving him in two with a single blow.

With another flick of her wrist, the meat saw folded up again. Carrying the blood-soaked weapon, she slowly walked towards them.

Her beautiful blonde hair was tied into two fluffy ponytails by two strange bear-face hair ornaments, one black and one white. Her delicate face and luxurious clothes complemented each other, but the dripping meat saw made her look sinister.

The girl who had invaded them greeted Xiaoyan cheerfully with a pleased expression.

"Yo! Nice to meet you, witch Homura Akemi."

However, before the person involved could respond, Anri exclaimed in surprise.

"You are, Shen—!"

Before she could finish speaking, just as a certain word was about to escape her lips, this seemingly dangerous girl suddenly raised the cannon-like weapon mounted on her left hand and pulled the trigger at Anri.

boom--!

A blood-red bullet was launched from it, and the next moment, Anri was turned into a shower of blood in the violent explosion.

"Anri!"

Seeing their companions die before their eyes, even knowing that ashes can be reborn, still caused them a tremendous psychological shock.

Impulsiveness eroded their reason, and without saying a word, the two immediately drew their blades towards the dangerous individual who had suddenly attacked them.

But her opponent was faster. She flung away the meat saw, stomped her foot, and vanished in an instant, only to reappear in front of Zhi in a flash. The dangerous weapon, leaving afterimages, slashed towards Zhi's chest.

Even with the help of the Mystic Eyes, Oriya could only barely make out the direction of the swift attack. She tried her best to hold the katana in front of her chest, and in the blink of an eye, she was flying into the air.

The broken blade was spinning around her, and she felt completely disconnected from her body below the chest.

The screen went black, and amidst the sounds of falling, one after the other, Zhi walked toward death.

"asshole!"

The purple magic bullet arrived late, but before it could hit the culprit, she suddenly appeared in front of Xiaoyan like a wisp of smoke.

The dual pistols in his hands instantly transformed into a longsword, but the moment he swung it, it was blocked by the meat saw that had folded back up.

The dangerous girl, with an even more delighted smile on her face, slowly pressed her weapon against Xiaoyan's front.

"Hehehe, I originally heard there was a very promising newcomer, and a cute girl at that, so I planned to come and take a look, but after seeing her—she really is completely unqualified."

Those chaotic eyes stared at Xiao Yan's eyes, seemingly trying to savor the expression within them.

"He had neither absolute hope nor profound despair; he was just a half-baked fellow hovering at the entrance to the abyss."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Xiao Yan suddenly disappeared, and when she suddenly reappeared, the meat saw was once again placed in front of her.

Appears, disappears, and reappears.

But this dangerous girl was always able to accurately intercept her, or rather, this girl's reaction and speed allowed her to find Xiaoyan's location the moment she used her ability and calmly unleash her attack.

The saw blade pressed down in front of the longsword again, and purple flames ignited on Xiao Yan's body. Her eyes, also scorched purple, glared fiercely at her.

But even with his enhanced strength, the longsword was still gradually pushed back in front of him.

"So you're saying you're unqualified, unqualified? Or is it that I acted too quickly, making your companion's death less painful and preventing you from despairing about your own weakness?"

She suddenly pulled the saw blade, sliding it rapidly. As it scraped against the longsword, it made a piercing, teeth-grinding sound. Before Xiaoyan could react, she grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up with one hand.

Xiaoyan attempts to activate her ability, but each time the thought arises, she is interrupted by the suffocating effect of her suddenly tightening fingers.

The butcher's cleaver was placed under her neck and slowly sliced ​​through her flesh.

"Then I will grant you an unforgettable death, hoping you will feel despair soon."

The slicing of the meat saw suddenly accelerated, leaving afterimages as it was pulled behind her.

"You unqualified witch, I'll be waiting for you on the other side of the abyss."

With a slow turn of her wrist, the head of the little flame she was holding slowly fell to the ground.

Xiao Yan saw that her headless body was lying below.

She was placed on her chest, forced to watch helplessly as she was posed in a bizarre way, her ears filled with grating laughter.

"Hahaha, hahahahaha, hahahahahahaha!"

YOU DIED

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Every Return to the Sacrifice Site Brings a Surprise

YOU DIED

The moment the flames died down, Zhima jumped up and was about to rush to the arched bridge ahead when he found Xiaoyan sitting by the campfire, staring blankly at the small flames on the fire.

"Little Flame?"

Her pupils contracted, and her purplish eyes turned towards Zhi.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"

With her eyes darting around, Xiao Yan finally moved her hand, touching her neck and slowly turning her head towards her.

"Sorry, I was a little uncomfortable just now."

The hoarse voice indicates that the owner of the voice is currently in a very bad state.

“Anri did not come back to life at this campfire; our connection with her has been severed.”

"...because the effect of the embers disappears after you die once."

After she died, Xiaoyan must have been done something to by that dangerous guy, but seeing her like this, Zhi's question got stuck in her throat and she could only swallow it back down and give a random answer in line with Xiaoyan's words.