NOVEL NEXT Chapter 309: The Split Glutton
Virginia opened her mouth but ultimately shut up.
Hunting squad members were never set in stone—they got deployed based on the target to guarantee a clean kill.
"So we can only march to our deaths?"
Virginia's face showed she wasn't having it.
Andrea said with zero emotion:
"Yeah, it's death, but fake death."
"Fake death?"
Hearing this, Virginia started putting pieces together...
...
The Daze River region was where the Da River and Ze River came together, hence the name Daze River region.
...
Creak... creak...
A carriage slowly rolled up to the riverside...
Inside the carriage:
"Your old crew's all here."
Carlos suddenly spoke up.
Timira jumped, then the corner of her mouth quirked up:
"Quite the welcoming committee. Looks like Whale Fort really gives a damn about me."
Carlos asked without much interest:
"Can you handle them?"
Even though Timira, transformed into a Whale Scale Commander, was way stronger than in the original timeline, this was still her moment of truth.
"My lord, just sit back and watch me bag you a whole batch of new recruits!"
The second she finished talking, Timira shot out of the carriage.
In midair, the Tidal Crystal on her forehead blazed as blue scale armor wrapped around her entire body. The shell headpiece instantly shifted into a protective mask.
The 'blue pearl' expanded in a flash, becoming a war hammer that dropped into Timira's grip.
The wicked mouth at the hammer's tip quivered, putting out serious intimidation vibes.
"Wonder what kind of cute rookies they'll turn out to be?"
Having gotten her ass kicked by Blood Silver, most of Timira's cockiness had been knocked out of her.
Even though she was damn confident in her strength, she still played it safe and went full battle mode.
...
"Really can't sit still, can she."
Carlos chuckled, his gaze drifting toward the distant river region.
"Blood Silver, there's a nice plaything over there."
"Moo!"
Blood Silver responded with enthusiasm.
Carlos picked up two weak vibes and his expression shifted a bit:
"Have all the fun you want, but bring them back breathing."
"Moo!"
Blood Silver spread its Blood Wings behind it, itching for some action.
"One more thing—there are two people near it. Bring them back with you."
"Moo!"
Blood Silver nodded to show it got the message. A flash of blood light, and then it vanished...
...
"Hey hey, you see it?"
The short Sequence 3 Dell couldn't keep it together and nudged the tall woman, fellow Sequence 3 Edrin.
Edrin was about to say something when her face suddenly went serious:
"Heads up, target's left the carriage!"
Hearing this, Dell instinctively asked:
"Left the carriage? What about those two monsters?"
Edrin had eagle eyes and kept watching, feeding intel to her buddies:
"One flew off somewhere else. One's staying put. Heads up! Target's hauling ass straight for us!!!"
Sequence 2s Ursula and Julian shrugged:
"Told you we didn't need to make this so complicated. Timira's not scared of us."
"She's the former Sequence 0—this is gonna be a blast!"
Melinda's eyes were full of worry as she warned:
"Timira's scary as hell. I'm sticking to what I said before. Except for Kana, everyone else is just gonna be a distraction."
"I think Melinda's been scared out of her mind. No matter how tough she is, she's still just one person."
Dell wasn't buying it. Her teammate talking like that right before a fight was really killing the vibe.
Kana, who'd been dead quiet, suddenly got laser focus.
"She's coming."
"Hahaha, Kana, your radar's still sharp as ever!"
Along with booming laughter, a figure both familiar and strange to them suddenly materialized in front of them.
"Timira!"
"Sequence 0!"
Different names, but that unforgettable voice let the hunting squad instantly peg the newcomer.
"Scary, way too scary. Sequence 1, Sequence 2, and Sequence 3 all here—you guys throwing me a party?"
Even though she said this, Timira's tone was chill, like everyday small talk.
But Kana and the others weren't feeling so relaxed.
BANG!
All six spread out, instantly boxing Timira in.
"Timira, there's no way out!"
But Timira was in no rush, calling out to Melinda among them:
"Melinda, your wounds healed up quick."
Melinda snorted coldly without answering.
But Dell had had enough:
"If you won't make the first move, I will!"
Before she finished talking, she shot forward like a bullet, her whale tail packing serious heat as it whipped out.
"Sigh, rookies are always so jumpy, won't even let their elders finish talking..."
Timira sighed slightly. Under her shell mask, the corner of her mouth curved up...
...
On the flip side, in the woods near Red Shrimp Village in the Daze River region:
Tons of monsters had been ripped to shreds, the stench of blood hanging thick in the air.
A vicious monster, its nasty body still vaguely human-shaped, was soaked in blood. A mutated whale tail covered in spikes was decorated with skulls.
Not far from the monster, one Whale Scale Hunter was sprawled motionless on the ground.
Another, covered in blood, stared hard at this Fallen One with dread in her heart.
Damn it, how could there be two Fallen Ones here!!!
Virginia felt hopeless.
Andrea's fake death scheme had been solid, but who could've guessed there was another nightmare Fallen One lurking here for a sneak attack.
Caught with her pants down, the weaker Andrea got nailed directly, life or death unknown.
And her own gas tank was nearly empty...
Rustle~
The other Fallen One also wandered over.
Its blood-red eyes scanned the special symbol on Virginia's outer robe, flashing with mockery.
"You're Sequence 4, right? That one's Sequence 10. Still not throwing in the towel? I used to be Sequence 2..."
The two Fallen Ones spoke in perfect sync, seeming in no hurry to attack.
Hearing this, Virginia's heart suddenly clicked as she said with a shake in her voice:
"It's you! The Split Glutton!"
The Split Glutton—a terrifying monster born after the previous generation's Sequence 2 went dark.
It had obvious feeding urges and could split into weird sub-bodies. It once devoured an entire city worth of people, hence the name Split Glutton.
"Sigh... busted again."
The two Fallen Ones instantly merged back into one, but the aura it gave off became even more terrifying.
After getting confirmation, Virginia's last shred of hope got crushed.
But she didn't get it—why would the previous generation's Sequence 2, the Split Glutton monster after falling, show up here!
"Weren't you already hunted down and confirmed dead?"
The Split Glutton's scarlet whale eyes flashed with surprise:
"Huh? You don't know?"
Then it muttered to itself:
"You really don't know. I was practically dead, but how the hell am I alive again?"
"Forget it, no point overthinking useless crap. Let me think—which one should I chow down on first?"
Bone-chilling killing intent wrapped around them.
Virginia's hair stood on end as her whale tail swayed nervously.
She looked at Andrea behind her, whose life or death was up in the air, and steel flashed in her eyes.
Even if she croaked, she had to get Andrea out of here!
The next second, she completely cut loose with her whale magic.
Freaky whale scales visibly sprouted across her skin, and her whale tail rapidly expanded, reaching several meters tall in the blink of an eye.