The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1170: Maze
Chapter 1170: Maze
Mischievous Monkey and Gregor suddenly pressed against each other like magnetic objects, narrowly avoiding the danger. Gregor had pulled Mischievous Monkey toward him using the hair secretly wound around his waist.
A second later, Gregor and Mischievous Monkey took each other’s hand.
Simultaneously, Dead Pig activated Displacement, swapping places with the Black Gold coin Gregor had tossed, appearing beside him and grasping his free hand.
This was a strategy they had rehearsed countless times, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next like a well-choreographed dance.
Mischievous Monkey's Sensory Disturbance and Dead Pig's Psychic Corruption surged into Gregor's body. Gregor then unleashed Lion Roar and Pestilence simultaneously. His throat distended grotesquely as his chest swelled, bursting through his clothing.
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“Aghh!!”
His chest collapsed an instant later, his throat convulsing violently. Devastating sonic waves erupted from his contorted mouth. The wild energy, now infused with Psychic Corruption and Sensory Disturbance, hurtled toward Liu Tao like a midnight train rushing through a tunnel, trailing poisonous wind in its wake.
Liu Tao, trapped at the center of his earthen tunnel, couldn't escape before the sonic onslaught engulfed him.
The tunnel—constructed of compressed earth elements—rapidly crumbled under the assault. It exploded outward in a shower of broken fragments and flying soil.
Huff, huff. Gregor landed heavily, hands braced on his knees as his pale face contorted with effort. Each breath came in ragged gasps. He had channeled everything into that attack, intent on delivering a killing blow.
Their previous encounter had taught them that conventional attacks proved ineffective against Liu Tao. Only the poisonous wind had demonstrated any capacity to harm him.
“How...did it go?” Gregor straightened up slowly and looked at Mischievous Monkey. “Is he dead?”
Mischievous Monkey gazed ahead with ancient eyes. The trench carved into the clearing extended beyond the market's entrance.
A few seconds later, he shook his head. “No.”
“You sure?” Gregor refused to accept it.
“I have a mental link with him. Although it’s not strong, I can tell if he’s alive or not.”
“Is he hurt?” Dead Pig asked.
Mischievous Monkey nodded at the Anliang Market ahead of them. “He’s hiding.”
“He’s buying time for his recovery,” Dead Pig said.
Gregor clenched his teeth. “We can’t let it have its way. We have to strike iron while it’s hot, or it’ll be even more difficult to win.”
Mischievous Monkey considered a few seconds before making a decision. “We’ll find it. Be careful.”
...
The four entered Anliang Market. Though the world had been stripped of color and all civilians had vanished, the market remained structurally unchanged, still housing countless everyday items.
Identical three-story buildings filled the complex. The ground floors contained storefronts, while the second and third levels housed residential spaces.
Every eight buildings formed a square cluster, separated from others by intersecting roads. Together, they created oppressive architectural cubes. The monochrome environment rendered the shuttered storefronts identical, breeding an atmosphere of isolation and unease. They felt like lost fragments of data within an endless maze.
“There.” Lovely Lamb pointed forward while perching on Dead Pig’s left shoulder. “That’s where the grandpa is.”
“You sure, Little Lamb?” Dead Pig’s expression was solemn and his gaze was alert, but his voice softened unconsciously.
Lovely Lamb shook her head. “I can’t be certain, but that place feels different.”
Lovely Lamb possessed the ability to transform any environment into a maze, giving her exceptional affinity with various landscapes. She could detect any area that had been subtly altered.
No one remained in this labyrinthine market except the death monster and themselves. That led to her conclusion.
The three adults exchanged glances, understanding her reasoning. None possessed reconnaissance Talents like Sensory, Avian King, or Insects King. Examining every building would prove futile. They had to rely on Lovely Lamb's intuition.
“Left...left...right...left...”
Lovely Lamb provided directions as they searched for Liu Tao, remaining wary of potential ambushes. Twenty minutes later, Mischievous Monkey halted abruptly.
“What is it?” Gregor asked.
Mischievous Monkey pointed at his feet. There was a tiny stone statue of monkey on the ground, a marker Mischievous Monkey had left. “We’re back to where we started.”
“Um...” Gregor turned to Lovely Lamb with a bitter smile. “Little Lamb, your instincts are wrong, it seems.”
“I’m not wrong!” Lovely Lamb said with a flushed face. “I, I did sense it!”
“Has he been leading us on a merry chase?” Dead Pig speculated.
“No, it’s not that simple...” Mischievous Monkey fell into thought with a dark look on his face. Suddenly, his pupils contracted. He sensed a change.
“Get out—”
It was too late. A strange forcefield instantly took shape and weighed them down. Moving felt like wading through deep snow while wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing. The road beneath them fractured in chaotic patterns. Countless black teeth, each the size of a fire hydrant, erupted from the ground like obsidian crystals.
Within moments, the entire Anliang Market transformed into a bizarre landscape of black crystalline formations. These teeth inflicted no direct damage but served as countless nodes sustaining the forcefield.
Without hesitation, the four turned and sprinted toward the exit, only to encounter a row of black teeth resembling concrete barriers. Though less than a meter tall—obstacles they should easily clear—some rule-based force prevented them from jumping over.
The strange constraint transformed them into characters in a poorly designed game—capable of soaring skyward or burrowing underground, yet unable to vault over a simple wooden crate or destroy it.
The ground trembled beneath their feet. A violent disturbance approached from the left side of the road. The awakeners turned to see a massive black sphere at the far end, its height matching the three-story buildings. Its diameter perfectly spanned the road's width as it rolled toward them.
They got a clearer look.
Though spherical in appearance, its shape was irregular, distorted and yielding like viscous asphalt or a water-filled balloon. At its front, a dark gray fissure spread like two irregular waves, forming a mouth. When it gaped open, a horrific black vortex appeared, lined with energy fangs.
It was all mouth, the monstrosity.
“Run,” Mischievous Monkey ordered decisively.
Dead Pig pivoted instantly, supporting Lovely Lamb on his shoulder with one protective hand.
Gregor also began running but couldn't resist attempting one attack against the black sphere—the orb-shaped monstrosity that was Gluttony's second form.
Gluttony opened its twisted maw, inhaling Gregor's poisonous wind into the black vortex within. It continued rolling forward, showing no signs of damage. The gigantic mouth opened and closed rhythmically, devouring everything in its path.
“Dammit!” Gregor shouted anxiously. “My poison no longer works on it!”
Mischievous Monkey raised his hand, conjuring three massive stone barriers to block Gluttony's advance. The entity simply consumed and crashed through these obstacles, maintaining its relentless forward momentum.
It didn't even perceive anything. Bottomless hunger simply compelled it to continue consuming.
Within Gluttony's domain, everything existed solely as food.
