Chapter 102: Battle with the Demon-Eyed Monster

For ordinary people, the assault of a curse spell inflicts tremendous damage upon their bodies, potentially fatal. Of course, for Evolvers, whose physical constitution is much stronger, a curse cannot kill them—it merely weakens their attributes or robs them of mobility. Even so, the effects of a curse remain formidable; although Zhang Ran’s attributes far surpass those of normal people, and he shattered part of the curse and was not struck squarely by its full force, his four main attributes still dropped by 0.2 points.

Compared to abilities that deal direct damage, curse-based powers are far more insidious and difficult to defend against. Once struck, unless there is an Evolver with auxiliary abilities such as Blessing, Healing, or Curse Removal to treat them, the effects of the curse will linger for a long time.

It is precisely because the wilderness is fraught with mutant creatures wielding strange abilities—and given that an Evolver’s powers typically concentrate in only one or two domains—that those of average strength band together in hunting squads, combining their strengths to offset their weaknesses and hunt as a team.

When the curse spell struck Zhang Ran, he felt a tingling and itching across his body; his speed, strength, and cellular vitality all diminished noticeably, and an icy, sinister energy coursed through him, making him deeply uncomfortable.

After casting Curse Spell and Psychic Shock, the demon-eyed creature did not immediately continue its attack, but began to gather its power—in the same manner as humans, mutant creatures also require a period of concentration to unleash abilities; instantaneous casting is impossible.

Five seconds passed, and with all his might, Zhang Ran had already closed the distance to five hundred meters between himself and the demon-eyed beast. At that moment, he thrust his heavy sword, Army Breaker, into the earth, focused his mind, and the Space Box rune in his sea of consciousness suddenly flickered.

As the Space Box rune shimmered, the AM41 automatic rifle reappeared in Zhang Ran’s hands.

Although the AM41 automatic rifle was inexpensive, its power was sufficient to deal with ordinary mutant beasts—a fact that made it adequate for most Evolvers. Unless one belonged to the psychic domain, most would prefer to use their abilities against formidable mutants rather than firearms.

Furthermore, for this demon-eyed monster, though its psychic strength was immense—enough to give Zhang Ran a hard time—its physical attributes were weak, making it difficult to dodge or withstand bullets. Thus, as soon as Zhang Ran entered the effective range of the AM41, he began to fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With each shot, armor-piercing rounds left the barrel, crossing the wilderness and streaking toward the demon eye’s massive eyeball.

The demon-eyed creature was still gathering power, preparing to launch its next Psychic Shock, when Zhang Ran’s bullets arrived. Sensing the deadly projectiles, the monster had no choice but to abandon its attempt at unleashing the ability; the purple light in its eye faded, replaced by a sudden flash of blue.

Blue beams erupted from the demon eye, gathering before it and in a blink forming a blue energy shield.

Each armor-piercing round struck the shield, erupting violently, and ripples spread across the blue barrier.

This shield was the manifestation of the demon eye’s Energy Shield ability, its strength determined by the caster’s psychic power.

The demon-eyed creature’s psychic force measured 11.8 points, matching the level of a Grade 5 Evolver. Thus, the magic shield’s resilience rivaled the physical strength of a Grade 5. Zhang Ran emptied an entire magazine, but the shield did not shatter—though its color dimmed considerably.

However, Zhang Ran had never intended to kill the demon-eyed beast with gunfire; his true purpose was to prevent the monster from unleashing a second Psychic Shock. Once his barrage was complete, he instantly stowed the AM41 back in the Space Box, drew his heavy sword, and charged forward at the creature once more.

It was clear that Zhang Ran had accomplished his aim. For the demon-eyed monster, casting another Psychic Shock demanded a lengthy period of concentration, and Zhang Ran’s gunfire had interrupted its efforts. Before the creature could amass enough psychic energy for a second strike, Zhang Ran had already closed in behind it.

“Sky Splitter!”

He raised Army Breaker high and brought it down fiercely upon the creature’s back, aiming for the fleshy growths and exposed tissues. At the same time, he willed the Blood Spike ability into action.

With his intent, the blood-red rune in his sea of consciousness gleamed, and Zhang Ran threw himself into the attack, launching five Blood Spikes at the demon-eyed beast.

As Zhang Ran swung his sword, the energy shield before the monster spun rapidly, rotating one hundred eighty degrees to protect its back, interposing itself between Army Breaker and the Blood Spikes.

The blade of Army Breaker met the shield as if striking a slab of tough leather, encountering tremendous resistance and unable to penetrate. Meanwhile, the Blood Spikes battered the shield in rapid succession.

Faced with this dual assault, the energy shield finally could not withstand the pressure; it shattered, dissolving into blue particles that faded into the air. But in destroying the shield, four of the Blood Spikes depleted their energy and fell as drops of blood—only the last retained its force and shot toward the monster’s body.

Though weakened by the shield, the final Blood Spike still carried enough force and speed to breach the demon eye’s fragile defenses, piercing into its body.

The moment the Blood Spike entered, the demon-eyed beast’s form twisted in agony—clearly suffering immense pain. Yet lacking vocal organs, it could not scream or roar.

With a thought, Zhang Ran directed the Blood Spike inside the creature to wildly absorb its blood; the monster’s body visibly shriveled.

Despite its wounds, the demon eye spun around, a flash of red lighting its gaze.

With the appearance of this red glow, the temperature surrounding the monster surged by dozens of degrees. An intense, searing Hot Ray, brimming with enormous energy, shot forth from its eye.

The instant the demon eye’s gaze ignited, Zhang Ran anticipated the attack and swiftly dodged to the side.

Though the Hot Ray contained overwhelming heat, it was not a directional ability; after Zhang Ran evaded, it passed just a meter from him, bringing only a rush of scorching air and failing to strike him.