Blood Nemesis-Chapter 101: The Golden Fiend

The dark tunnel where Oliver stood was crumbling from within, a consequence of the seismic activity unleashed by the gate. The surrounding area lay in shambles, walls collapsing inward to reveal raw earth and mud. Everything within mingled with the stagnant sewer water, intensifying the already foul stench.

Once the rodents around him were slain, Oliver lifted his head to look around. The dark, decrepit tunnel extended towards his front while the remaining part behind him crumbled inwards. There was nowhere to go except to the front.

"Ah! Rats..." Oliver muttered, scratching his head in dismay. The prospect of once again diving into the sewers to exterminate the vermin was hardly a cause for joy.

With a deep sigh, Oliver immediately lashed out with his blood tentacles, slamming them against the already weakened ceiling.

*Thump*

The heavy impact caused the remaining support structure to give way, triggering a further collapse of the surrounding area.

Oliver stepped back to avoid the falling debris and glanced upward. "The rat hole is sealed for now," he declared, satisfied with his handiwork. "Now, I must find the rest and kill them all."

He turned his gaze back to the sewage tunnel. In the oppressive darkness, the sounds of flowing water and the distinct squeals of the mana beasts echoed. The only path was forward, making it easy to surmise where the rodents had likely fled.

Without hesitation, he dashed into the tunnel. The murky water flowed along a channel to his left, but the tunnel’s collapse had obstructed its course, causing it to spill over onto the narrow walkway. The slippery floor of the tunnel became even more slippery because of the water.

Nonetheless, Oliver dashed, using his blood tentacles as support to hang onto and avoid the slippery area.

Finally, after a second, he came across a large carcass inside the tunnel.

It was a Skull Snapper. But the rodents seemed to have killed it, consuming all the edible flesh on its body, leaving the skin and bones. Nearby, he also saw a few of the dead rodents in similar condition.

"The damned rats are crazy."

Oliver passed by it quickly, trying to find creatures that did it.

The tunnel was relatively short. Soon enough, Oliver reached its end. There were no branching paths or escape routes for the rodents. Therefore, Oliver felt certain that the mana beasts were just ahead. He could even hear their vile squeals right in front of him, beyond a bend in the tunnel.

However, as Oliver approached the end and peered around the corner, his anticipation turned to dismay.

Giant rodents, each the size of a calf, were scrambling up a sewer ladder, escaping into the area above.

Tens?

Hundreds?

Oliver didn’t really know how many escaped before he came. The few he saw were most likely the last ones to escape.

Instantly abandoning any semblance of caution, Oliver dashed towards the ladder. In a swift motion, three large tentacles of blood erupted from his back and skewered the rodents within reach. A golden glow enveloped the crimson tentacles, enhancing their power and allowing them to pierce the creatures’ hearts with ease.

The rest of the rodents noticed it and dashed out with even more fervor.

It took a second for Oliver to climb out of the sewer.

Once emerged, he noticed the sprawling city centers and abandoned cars. He was right in the middle of a road. And just a few meters away from him, a dozen superhumans were struggling to hold back the dozen or so rodents attacking them. The clash of swords hitting hard objects rang along with the desperate cries of the people.

’People?’

Oliver’s gaze flickered to the crowd of people huddled behind the superhumans. Men and women of all ages were desperately seeking refuge, some even clutching makeshift weapons, ready to defend themselves against any rodents that might leap into their midst.

Meanwhile, a little to the left, he saw that crazed rodents with red eyes, tearing apart the people who were alone. Their eyes glowed in madness as they bit into their flesh and drank human blood.

The damned creatures seemed happy and excited by situation.

Oliver also noticed a few of the rodents crouching down near the road, gnawing on the bodies of the dead, eating their flesh with utter relish. Among them, there was one rodent chewing on a particularly small arm.

The moment he saw that, the world stopped for Oliver.

The entire world turned dark, and everything in it dim.

Unknown to him, his blood and mana churned violently inside his body.

In the next instant, the simmering rage he perpetually carried within him erupted, a vermilion glow blazing in his eyes. Immediately, all the rodents became vividly illuminated, as if marked as his sole targets.

Oliver was accustomed to suppressing his intense emotions, revealing only a carefully controlled facade to others. But this time, his anger surged past his conscious control, compelling him to act more instinctively, more like his true self.

The entire body of blood inside his blood sac instantly turned to mana. The ten thousand litres instantly evaporated to create ten thousand units of mana, covering him from top to bottom in thick, viscous golden mana that flowed like liquid metal.

*Ding*

With a metallic clang reminiscent of a church bell, the mana enveloping him compressed, forming a dense, golden armor around his body, capturing the attention of everyone within the battlefield.

The armor was smooth, lustrous, and scaled, radiating a brilliant light. It bore no resemblance to human-crafted armor. In that moment, he appeared more akin to a formidable beast than a man.

Lost in his rage, Oliver paid no heed to the transformations occurring to him. His glowing form propelled itself into the air like a missile, hurtling towards the nearest rodent. The blood tentacles he would normally unleash failed to materialize, his blood sac depleted. Instead, two golden tentacles erupted from his body, lashing out with blinding speed.

Immediately, the golden tentacles slammed onto the rodent.

*THUMP*

Although the rodent bared its sharp, pointed fangs at Oliver and tried to defend with its arms raised high, it was beaten to a lump of ground meat under the heavy golden tentacles.

With a thud, he landed nearby and turned to the next vermilion target in his vision.

The appearance of the newcomer took everyone by storm. The fiercely defending superhumans felt their mind rejuvenated with the newfound hope. They might survive this ordeal, they thought.

Similarly, normal humans burned the image of their saviour into their minds. Some of them desperately called out, asking him to kill all the mana beasts that killed their family and friends.

Oliver, however, was drowned in fury. Nothing that occurred around him came into his view at all.

For him, the entire world was dark, and the few red targets were in his vision. Other than the thought of eliminating every one of them, he didn’t think of anything else.

Once a rat was killed, he moved on to the next one, then to the next, then to the next, then to the next...

His movements were robotic and precise.

Like an untiring machine, he moved across the battlefield, leaving nothing but carnage in his wake.

Any time he moved, the rodents would die in the most miserable way they could. Some of them were torn from limb to limb using his new golden tentacles while the other evicirated. But almost all of them had their head crushed by his fist slamming against them.

Those who witnessed the cold, ruthless scene felt their blood boil. In their mind, it was the right price the mana beast had to pay for the death and destruction they caused. Many among them lost their family and friends to the cruel rodents. So, their murderous heart were quelled by the horrifying display of strength. If they had power, they would have done the same to the ruthless creatures.

"The Golden Fiend."

With awe and elation, one of the people among the crowd said.

His words resonated with everyone, their voice chanting together, Golden Fiend, gazing at Oliver’s body moving through the battlefield.

Now, the dread and dismay in their eyes were replaced by untamed fury and the thrill of vengeance. The rightful retribution the rodents received awakened them. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as the rodents ran towards Oliver, akin to moths towards fire.

The joy they felt at that moment was indescribable.

Meanwhile, Oliver slowly began to regain his senses. His body was flying across the battlefield, jumping over the cars, slaying the rodents, felt somewhat different. Finally, he realised his blood sac was empty and the golden mana was augmenting his entire body, forming an armour around him.

Far away, he could hear the chanting voice of the people he saved.

"Golden fiend!"

"Golden fiend!"

...

"Golden fiend."

Their periodic chanting allowed him to regain his senses faster. Although a lot of thoughts were racing through his mind, his body didn’t stop for even a second, continuing to do what it did best – murder.

’What is happening to me? Something is wrong!’ Oliver said in his mind when he grasped the entire situation.

For some reason, he had lost control and was being driven by his basic instincts.

It was so unlike him.

’Did the golden mana trigger something?’

He asked while looking at the golden armour covering him.

Certainly, something had gone wrong...or maybe right.

The power filling his body was related to the golden mana. Now, in this golden armoured state, he didn’t feel the bone-biting pain he should have felt. It was as if the mana aligned with his goals.

’Don’t tell me...’