Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 671 - 284. Aluminum Cucumbers

Chapter 671: 284. Aluminum Cucumbers

Li Aozi stood in the rain, the boy’s frail body cleansed by the gentle drizzle. His clothes remained dry, the dark clouds cautiously observing his demeanor, seemingly hesitant to send a ray of sunlight his way.

"Li Aozi... this..."

Caramel Snail bit his lips, unsure of what to do.

The corpse of a young girl lay on the road, the carriage overturned, riddled with bullet holes. Her gray pupils reflected the gray sky, her outstretched hand reaching toward the distant bodies. Her pale lips trembled, whispering:

"M-Mommy—"

Smack!

Red and black tendrils pierced through her skull instantly, dragging her into the ditch.

Crackle, crunch, squish, gurgle.

A symphony of noises, enough to heat up the back of one’s head, resounded.

A moment later, a graceful beauty with long burgundy hair and a sultry figure emerged from the ditch. She gently wiped away the brain matter and blood from the corner of her mouth, then turned her red and black eyes towards Li Aozi and Caramel Snail in the distance. She squinted, revealing a sweet smile:

"Good morning, gentlemen."

She pinched the hem of her skirt, crossing her legs, and gave a curtsy, exuding elegance.

"My name is Valena. As you can see, I’m a helpless, unwelcomed woman, known as a ’Sovereign Heretic’ by those righteous folks."

"Did you attack this family?" Caramel Snail coldly questioned.

"Oh, not at all."

Valena replied righteously:

"It was a tornado that overturned the carriage. I’m just an ordinary Arcane User. I don’t have the strength to kill a family of five, especially with the master being a Gamma-Rank Shaman."

"With such detailed information... you definitely did it!" Caramel Snail clenched his fists.

"It was a natural disaster that killed them. I just didn’t want to waste food."

"Food?"

"Yes, after all, Ziluo Star lacks other Pathway resources. The most effective way to replenish Super Gene is to kill and eat these Transcendents."

Valena licked the brain matter on her red lips, her eyes filled with a loving fascination:

"I see you also have an Implant Gear body? It’s rare to meet a fellow. However, these gene fragments are mine, handsome."

Caramel Snail’s face turned somber.

"This one’s talent is exceptional."

Li Aozi suddenly spoke:

"’Charm Fragrance’ Valena? Hmm, it seems you will become a renowned elite..."

"Ah, this clearly perceptive little beauty, recognizing my uniqueness at a glance."

Valena clapped her hands, squinting in satisfaction and smiling:

"I also noticed you at first glance, my dear little beauty. How about we team up to hunt down those Mysterious Pathway enemies?"

"Yes, indeed, not bad." Li Aozi acknowledged.

"Li Aozi!" Caramel Snail exclaimed in surprise.

"Ah, you are the cutest, little beauty. I knew you would choose me—"

Li Aozi nodded:

"But I don’t need another subordinate."

[Li Aozi has issued you a side task—’Cherish Fragrance and Jade’]

Caramel Snail lowered his head, gripping the scabbard with one hand. In an instant, he rushed forward, raising his fist to strike.

Valena’s body twisted, red and black tendrils unfurled, evading the punch while blooming like a flower. A hypnotic fragrance spread out, enveloping Caramel Snail completely.

"You really can be so heartless. We are the same kind, you and I."

Valena said pitifully.

"Who’s the same kind as you!"

Caramel Snail covered his face with one hand, using Gravity Acceleration to pull away and evade. Without hesitation, he turned and made several successive maneuvers. The scabbard in his hand naturally dropped, and he kicked it, hitting Valena in the chest, pushing her back a few steps. Tendrils extended towards Caramel Snail again.

"I can’t stand it anymore—let’s just burst her!"

After a few blocked strikes, Caramel Snail quickly lost his patience. The image of the struggling little girl kept flashing before his eyes.

Crane School: Flickering Technique

Immediately cancel current action delay, initiating energy storage.

Gravity Compression!

Valena’s body was instantly suppressed. She sneered:

"It’s useless. Do you think you can use Arcane Energy against me, another Arcane User? Are you that naive?"

’This was supposed to be a game...’

The thought flashed through his mind but was quickly overwhelmed by agitation.

’Game or not, who cares!’

Caramel Snail reversed his grip on the Shadow Blade, using one hand to create a gravity disturbance to disrupt the opponent’s attack while continuously storing energy. The silver-red energy screamed like a flying crane, interweaving on the blade, its brightness and heat surging.

Meteor Sword Dance!

Swoosh——————!

Ferocious silver-red light exploded into crescent-shaped beams, cutting through the sky like a meteor shower, enveloping Valena completely.

"Argh—you, how are you on the Destroyer Pathway?"

Valena’s tendrils broke apart one by one as she screamed in terror.

But Caramel Snail was not ready to stop.

He continued wielding his blade, chaining one move after another with Flickering Technique to cancel delays, chaining a series of sword strikes.

Raise hand, slash with radiation! Reverse grip, turn sword, Gravity Compression! Spin to gain momentum, heavy cleave, Gravity Acceleration Slash! Store energy—Meteor Sword Dance!

Combos he never thought of flowed out smoothly here.

Sword dance! Sword dance! Goddamn sword dance!

The blazing sword light sliced Valena’s body into pieces. Even so, Caramel Snail’s rage could not be extinguished. Dragging his tachi, he left a deep phosphorescent line on the ground.

He walked up to Valena’s limp body and raised his blade.

Thud, thud, thud!

Caramel Snail gripped the blade with both hands, hacking repeatedly. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. He lifted his foot, grinding his boot into the fragmented bones and meat.

Spit!

He spat on the overturned skull fragment.

"Beast, who’s the same kind as you!"

Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes watching him.

Caramel Snail looked up. On a distant hill stood a boy with burgundy hair, staring blankly.

He looked strikingly similar to Valena.

Before Caramel Snail could react, the boy yelled:

"Traitor!"

"No, it’s your sister—"

"You betrayed the Sovereign Pathway and killed my sister! I will never forgive you!"

The boy shouted, his eyes turning red and black, as he released thin lightning from his hands, struggling to pierce through the rain.

Although knowing the lightning couldn’t harm him, Caramel Snail instinctively ducked and slashed in response.

In the moment his attack launched, he realized:

"No!"

But it was too late. Shadow Blade unleashed a brutal black slash, severing the boy’s head. His brain fell to the ground like a walnut kernel.

Plop.

[Task Completed]

[Hidden Condition Achieved: Root and Branch Exterminated]

[Li Aozi Favorability +40]

Rumble——

Thunder tore through the sky, rain poured down, washing away the boy’s brain, just like it did for the girl and her family.

Caramel Snail raised his hand, staring at his blood-stained fingers.

’This is a game this is a game this is a game...’

’I killed many people on Azure Star, slaughtered Goblins on Baizhu Star, killed Society Citizens...’

’This isn’t real this isn’t real. I only killed data. NPCs, yes. No law can touch me. There’s no death penalty here.’

He opened his mouth, his throat felt as if punched, and an indescribable urge to vomit surged up.

"Bl-blegh—ugh—"

Caramel Snail, Kiddo, vomited violently.

For the first time, he realized the cognition filter was to protect players.

"I was just defending myself. It was an accident. Besides, his sister ate people. He couldn’t have been a good person..."

Kneeling in the rain, head in hands, his brain concocted all sorts of excuses.

—’But what if he did nothing wrong?’

No way, haha, like brother, like sister.

—’Li Aozi behind you is also on the same Pathway as her, right?’

I’m a player. Why burden myself with this? It’s just a game.

—’Is it really just a game?’

No, what else could it be? Haha, Starry Abyss isn’t real.

It’s all fake.

I didn’t kill anyone.

He couldn’t be a good person.

So what if I killed? They’re not real.

Li Aozi saw, so what. There’s no Li Aozi in reality—

"Feeling bad?"

Caramel Snail looked up. Li Aozi took a handkerchief from his pocket, handing it to him.

"I told you, don’t think about anything."