The Advanced Corpse Beast
With a resounding "crack," Matthew Long's shovel struck a Corpse Beast's thigh, sending it sprawling sideways.
"Xuehui, now!" Matthew Long chuckled.
Drawing on her previous encounters, Lily Grace no longer feared these Corpse Beasts. She immediately dashed towards the one Matthew Long had knocked away, brandishing her hammer.
Simon joined the fray as well, mimicking Matthew Long's strategy of targeting the beasts' limbs and reserving the final blow for Lily Grace.
Though these were merely low-level Corpse Beasts, there were variations in their strength. The weaker ones were sluggish and fell easily, while the stronger ones could almost rival a Tier 1 Source Beast. However, against Simon and Matthew Long, even the stronger beasts were effortlessly subdued, leaving the finishing strikes for Lily Grace.
In no time, Lily Grace had slain five Corpse Beasts, obtaining five Source Crystals. She now needed only four more to ascend to a Tier 2 Source Wielder.
As Matthew Long felled the sixth beast that climbed onto the rooftop, a sudden blur of movement heralded the arrival of another Corpse Beast. This one hauled itself up the rope and leaped forward with astonishing speed.
Unlike the previous six, this beast moved with alarming swiftness. Matthew Long, taken aback, instinctively retreated, but not before the beast's kick landed squarely on his chest, sending him crashing backward with a grunt.
Startled, Simon swung his iron rod at the creature. The fine lines of the "Insight Sigil" appeared on his forehead, alerting him to the beast's unusual nature.
As Simon's iron rod was about to strike the Corpse Beast's head, the beast's chest suddenly split open, revealing a ghastly white arm. The arm shot up, shielding its head, and Simon's rod landed squarely on it.
In that moment, information about the creature flashed through Simon's mind.
"Name: Advanced Corpse Beast. A formidable evolution of a low-level Corpse Beast, endowed with both primal instincts and a degree of intelligence. Each Advanced Corpse Beast possesses a unique evolved ability and has a chance to evolve into a higher intelligent being: the Undead."
Over the past few days, Simon had encountered countless Corpse Beasts and was aware that these creatures, like humans, were gradually evolving. Now, he faced his first Advanced Corpse Beast. Unlike ordinary ones, this beast not only had significantly enhanced strength, speed, and reflexes but also boasted a unique ability.
From its chest had sprouted a third arm, functioning as a weapon. Despite the force of Simon's blow, his iron rod could not break it.
As Simon marveled at this, he recalled Lily Grace's earlier warning about a three-armed Corpse Beast. It seemed that her choice to enhance her vision had granted her an extraordinary ability.
The Advanced Corpse Beast's third arm blocked Simon's rod, then swiftly grabbed it, attempting to wrest it from his grip.
A tremendous force pulled at him, but instead of struggling for the rod, Simon let it go, using the momentum to close in on the Advanced Corpse Beast. His left hand clenched into a fist, striking forward with precision. From the back of his hand, four voracious fangs emerged, ready to decapitate the beast with a single punch.
Meanwhile, Matthew Long, who had been thrown back, had regained his footing. His expression was one of anger and frustration. He had underestimated the creature, mistaking it for a common Corpse Beast. Its speed had caught him off guard, resulting in his fall.
At that moment, Lily Grace had just slain the sixth Corpse Beast. She looked up to see Simon launching an attack with his "Voracious Fangs" on the Advanced Corpse Beast. Her eyes widened, and she cried out, "Watch out!"
Simon's heart skipped a beat at her warning. The Advanced Corpse Beast's reaction time was nearly as fast as his own. The third arm extending from its chest released the rod and reached for Simon's face.
This third arm was longer than Simon's, and it could strike his face before his "Voracious Fangs" could reach the beast.
"Damn it!"
Realizing the danger, Simon quickly adjusted, lowering his left arm so that the four fangs sliced into the beast's ghastly white arm.
The razor-sharp "Voracious Fangs" couldn't fully sever the arm, only slicing through the superficial layers. Meanwhile, Matthew Long charged forward, gripping his steel shovel with both hands, aiming for the Advanced Corpse Beast's head.
As the third arm of the beast was just nicked by Simon's attack, it couldn't intercept Matthew Long's strike in time. It tilted its head, causing the shovel to graze its cheek, stripping away a portion of flesh and revealing the bone beneath. The shovel then struck its left shoulder, the sound of bone breaking resounding as the shoulder caved in.
Seizing the opportunity, Simon delivered a powerful kick to the beast's abdomen, sending it sprawling backward. Matthew Long let out a fierce shout, swinging the bloodied shovel down once more.
The Advanced Corpse Beast, unlike its lesser counterparts, possessed a degree of intelligence. It rolled away immediately upon hitting the ground, evading Matthew Long's two consecutive strikes. On the third attempt, it blocked with its third arm, gripping the shovel and yanking it forcefully to pull itself up.
Matthew Long grunted, straining to reclaim the shovel. At that moment, Simon silently appeared behind the beast, his iron rod finding its mark with lethal precision. The beast froze, a faint pop resonating as its head caved in, red and white matter oozing from the wound.
The iron rod had dealt a fatal blow, completely destroying the beast's head. A spirit source emerged and swiftly flew into Simon's body.
"Level 2 Spirit Source: Spirit Source 7/20"
As he absorbed the spirit source, Simon watched the Advanced Corpse Beast collapse, exhaling a long breath. Defeating such a formidable foe in a one-on-one battle would have been a daunting task.
With the Advanced Corpse Beast vanquished, no new threats emerged for the moment, though sporadic noises continued to emanate from below.