As Fang Bo turned around, he was greeted by a massive wooden dragon.
Blood Demon Art: Infinite Hell Tree!
Responding to the main body’s distress signal, Zohakuten abandoned his original opponent and rushed over.
The Mist Hashira’s arm strength wasn’t comparable to the Love Hashira’s, making him disadvantaged against the wooden dragons. If Kanroji Mitsuri were here, Zohakuten wouldn’t have had the chance to come and help.
“Oppressors of the weak, die!” With a roar, the wooden dragon crashed down with unmatched force.
Yoriichi Type Zero attempted to block but was instantly knocked away by the overwhelming power.
Jorogumo tried to use her webs to buy some time, but she met the same fate as the puppet.
With insufficient agility, Fang Bo was swallowed by the wooden dragon.
As he slid to the centre of its body, he found nothing but the wood around him. Without digestive acids, he didn’t have to worry about being digested, but the pressing wood was still lethal.
【 The Wooden Dragon is crushing you, taking 5 points of continuous damage per second】
If this continued, he would die within a minute. Fortunately, there was a silver lining.
Before being swallowed, Fang Bo still had Hantengu’s leading body in his grasp. The plundering continued, drawing life force from Hantengu.
With a net loss of only one health point per second, thanks to the life force he was absorbing, Fang Bo wasn’t in immediate danger. He could last longer if he used his stash of potions.
He wasn’t in a hurry, so he used the contract to relay new instructions to his familiar.
“Assist in attacking Zohakuten?” Jorogumo turned silently, soon spotting the rushing youth.
Since her summoner had said so, she had no objections. Whether Fang Bo could escape from the wooden dragon was none of her concern.
After all, Jorogumo was a forcibly contracted familiar. Their bond was almost nonexistent, unlike the emotional connections with Shiranui and Hotarubi.
Following orders was acceptable, and helping eliminate dangers was also okay, but worrying about Fang Bo’s safety was too much to ask.
Considering he was helping her evolve, reaching a state of “not hating” was the best she could do.
Usually, she would remain silent, not commenting on anything she experienced. Her attitude was, “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” since she couldn’t break free from the contract.
“All men are the same.” Her emotions began to fluctuate negatively.
Jumping onto the wooden dragon, Jorogumo quickly approached. Compared to Fang Bo, her agility was excellent.
She dodged the second wooden dragon’s attack mid-air, firing silk bullets as she leapt.
She realised that each time the enemy controlled the wooden dragon, they had to strike the drums on their back. Destroying this process could slow down their attack frequency.
Given the freedom to act, Jorogumo showcased her prowess as an SR familiar rather than being a puppet controlled by a summoner.
Enduring the crushing pain, Fang Bo used his Qi perception to monitor the outside.
He noticed that when he allowed his familiar to act freely, Jorogumo’s “aura” surged significantly, unlike her usual lifeless state.
It was as if she suddenly “came to life.”
Thinking of the Onmyoji girl, Fang Bo realised he had been misusing his familiars.
He was like a strict parent, forcing his children to act according to his will, never considering the outcomes if he let go.
After some experimentation, he found that Jorogumo performed excellently, whether in the cave battle or protecting the villagers.
Letting his familiars act on their own would unlock their full potential.
As Fang Bo reflected, the battle outside changed.
The Mist Hashira arrived and quickly assessed the situation.
He took a deep breath, and thick mist enveloped the area within a hundred meters.
In the mist, only the blade’s glow was visible.
Mist Breathing, Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze!
Suddenly feeling light, Fang Bo escaped from the wooden dragon’s belly.
Nodding to the calm Hashira, he turned to his familiar, who signalled with her eyes.
“Keep going, act as you see fit.”
He let invisible strings extend from his palm, regaining control of the puppet.
“…” Silently, Jorogumo continued her approach, skillfully dodging the wooden dragon’s attacks.
When unavoidable, she leapt into the air, using her webbing to swing gracefully.
She was like a beast-girl version of Spider-Man.
The Mist Hashira’s movements were even more rapid, darting between the wooden dragons with ease. Zohakuten couldn’t keep up with his high-speed attacks.
In the end, Zohakuten resorted to thunder to drive him away.
“Perfect timing.” With no one to interfere, Fang Bo threw Hantengu’s main body wrapped in webbing.
In the next second, the puppet’s deep crimson Nichirin blade slashed down, not severing the demon’s head but creating a small cut.
With the poison inhibiting cell regeneration, the small cut became a fatal wound.
“Keep it up!”
Having seized the opportunity, he aimed to decapitate Hantengu.
If Zohakuten reclaimed the main body and protected it with the wooden dragon, the battle’s outcome would be uncertain.
Hantengu wasn’t a foe one could defeat alone.
Without knowledge of his weaknesses, one could fall into an endless cycle of fighting, which made Fang Bo cherish this rare chance.
“Please, I beg you…”
Ignoring the demon’s pleas, the puppet relentlessly slashed at his neck. Zohakuten raged from a distance, unable to break free from the Mist Hashira.
After what felt like an eternity, a system notification marked the battle’s end.
【You have killed Hantengu’s main body】
Gazing at the golden treasure chest, Fang Bo collapsed, relishing his survival.
Meanwhile, Jorogumo elegantly lifted Hantengu, preparing to devour him. She was more refined than Fang Bo ever was with a steak.
As the upper half of the Fourth Moon entered her spider body, she trembled violently. Their veins bulged, showing her immense pain.
Fang Bo checked the task list and saw that the Destiny Task’s progress was skyrocketing.
What once increased by fractions now jumped by whole numbers, quickly surpassing twenty.
It seemed the absorption wasn’t over.
The Upper Moons must contain a lot of Muzan’s blood, which explains their fierce battles for ranking.
The higher the concentration of the blood, the more potent their abilities, and the more significant the gain from devouring them.
Watching Jorogumo tremble, Fang Bo wondered about the other battles.
The Mist Hashira fought Zohakuten, so the Love Hashira must be dealing with Gyokko.
Gyokko’s abilities could have been better, making him hard to handle for non-speed specialists.
Seeing his total health and drained spirit, Fang Bo decided to open the chest first.
Who knows what might enhance his strength?
【You are opening a gold story chest】
【You received 500 story points】
【You received Kuuki’s Talons】
【You received a Blood Demon Art Scroll】
【You received the Thunder Staff】
Kuuki’s Talons, like the other materials from Demon Slayer, could offset the points cost for crafting equipment.
Memory Armor, a two-difficulty world item, would be precious if it appeared now.
Blood Demon Art: Infinite Hell Tree: D-level skill, consuming ten spirit points per minute. Summons are massive wooden dragons to attack, capable of attribute-based attacks.
A versatile skill, both offensive and defensive, but the consumption was high.
Even now, Fang Bo could only maintain it for two minutes, which did not fit his current fighting style.
It might be usable, but with only one skill slot left, he had to be cautious.
“Let’s see about this weapon.”
Name: Thunder Staff
Grade: Epic
Category: Two-Handed Weapon
Attack: 6-8
Durability: 75/75
Attribute Boost: Spirit +3
Requirements: Strength 12, Constitution 10
Effect: Thunder Strike
Origin: Demon Slayer
Evaluation: A close-combat mage’s favourite, letting enemies feel a mage’s muscles.
Thunder Strike (Active Skill): Consumes 8 spirit points, releasing a powerful lightning strike.
A powerful weapon with a vital skill, but Fang Bo couldn’t use it.
Equipping a two-handed weapon meant forsaking his puppet and Dragon Rider gun.
All for a lightning strike, it seemed unworthy, especially since he didn’t meet the requirements.
“I’ll store it and maybe sell it later.”
After dealing with Hantengu’s chest, Jorogumo finished absorbing.
Seeing the Destiny Task’s progress, Fang Bo was shocked.
【Current Devouring Progress: 44.55%】
One Hantengu boosted it so much. Another Upper Moon might complete the task soon.
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