【Those Cloud Knights were like reeds flattened by a gale, their blood snaking across the ground in striking rivers. Hoolay flicked his long blade, and the momentum sent a bead of blood flying in a semi-arc, splashing onto a Cloud Knight's armor.】

【As if a starving gourmet had finally tasted a long-awaited delicacy, Hoolay grinned savagely with satisfaction. However, three figures soon landed behind him, with the leading youth pointing his sword tip directly at Hoolay's heart.】

【“To think you'd send a few cubs to their deaths...”】

【“Get this straight, my name is March 7th! The Luofu's Arena-defending swordsman!”】

【Hoolay looked around; seeing no other Cloud Knights closing in, he sneered, “Are there no other qualified warriors left on the Luofu?”】

【Yanqing: “Then you'd better watch out. You might not be able to stomach the taste of being defeated by a cub, you old wolf!”】

【“Fine. Before Feixiao arrives, you shall serve as the Opening act!”】

【As soon as he finished speaking, Hoolay's massive frame lunged forward like an arrow from a bow! This charge lacked any technique, possessing only'speed' and 'weight'. Yanqing didn't dare meet it head-on; his seven flying swords stopped their scattered harassment and merged into one, turning into a brilliant beam of light that struck at Hoolay's back!】

【Yanqing expected Hoolay to dodge the sword, but to his surprise, the wolf didn't even flinch. He allowed the blade to strike his back without slowing his momentum, forcing Yunli and March 7th back with a single slash and sending Yanqing flying with a kick.】

【“Impressive, but far from enough! My body is indestructible, while your blades are as weak as stalks of grass!”】

【Hoolay walked slowly toward Yanqing, clutching him in his hand like a toy. But just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, a wave of intense dizziness hit him, causing his entire body to stagger back several steps.】

【“...What's happening?”】

——

OVERLORD.

“What's the situation with Hoolay?”

Albedo looked at the giant beast staggering on the Celestial Screen. This beast stood four or five meters tall; even a direct hit from Yunli's sword would likely be nothing more than a tickle to him. Could he really have been injured?

It seemed highly unlikely; the power gap between them was simply too vast.

“By the way, have any of you noticed that someone is missing?” Demiurge said.

“Who?”

“Jiaoqiu.”

Albedo suddenly realized that the squinty-eyed Foxian man had indeed disappeared. Logically, now that Hoolay had learned enough about Feixiao from him, he was no longer needed.

There was a familiar feeling about Jiaoqiu—much like Demiurge, though Jiaoqiu was far kinder compared to the latter's cruelty hidden beneath elegance.

“Perhaps he's already been killed? Or turned into a Borisin?” Albedo said casually. “Alternatively, there's a possibility that after being turned into a Borisin, he arrived on the Skysplitter and has now been killed by the Cloud Knights' own hands.”

“Oh, Albedo, that's quite a cruel thought... but I like it.” Demiurge adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Looking at Hoolay, he seems to be affected by some kind of magic—no, I almost forgot they don't use magic. I suspect Yanqing might have coated his sword in poison.”

“That's a bit too far-fetched,” Aura said, blinking. “How would Yanqing know how to use poison? Demiurge, have you not been getting enough rest? Even if it were poison, only a Physician like Jiaoqiu would likely carry it. But how could a weak Foxian like him poison Hoolay without being noticed?”

——

【Not long ago.】

【Covered in wounds, Jiaoqiu sat dying in a corner.】

【“For the hunt, secrets are an indispensable weapon. A person without secrets is merely prey waiting to have their flesh torn open and die a miserable death,” Hoolay said.】

【Jiaoqiu's pupils had already lost their color as he 'gazed' dejectedly at Hoolay. “So, in your eyes, I am already a prey with no secrets, just waiting to die?”】

【“Do you have any other path to escape? Jiaoqiu, I have stripped away your disguises and defenses layer by layer. I know the deep secrets of you and the General you serve like the back of my hand.”】

【“But the Warchief has also told me his own secrets, and I know them all too well.”】

【Hoolay smiled meaningfully. “You will never get to use them. You will be buried here along with them. However, you are a lucky fellow... after all, you won't have to live to witness the tragic future your General is about to face.”】

【“I believe she understands her end better than you do—one day, she will be overwhelmed by increasingly violent bouts of 'Moon Frenzy' in battle, eventually tearing herself apart amidst transformation and rage. Even the god you worship cannot save her from this fate... on the contrary, He can only bring her release.”】

【“And the only cure lies in my hands.”】

【Jiaoqiu said weakly, “In the end, are you the Physician or am I? Are you really that confident in your judgment?”】

【“It's time for me to go, Foxian. Before I leave, you know what I'm going to do, don't you?”】

【“Drinking Blood wine... I've heard of the Borisin battle custom: killing prisoners to drink their blood before going into battle to trigger a state of frenzy...”】

【“You really have put a lot of effort into studying us... but your path ends here.”】

【“AAAAAAAH—!”】

【Accompanied by Jiaoqiu's heart-wrenching scream, Hoolay wiped the bloodstains from his mouth and walked out of the room.】

——

Delicious in Dungeon.

“Ehhh???”

Marcille covered her face with both hands, her eyes wide with shock.

“He... he's dead?? Jiaoqiu... he was just killed like that??! He's the envoy of the Xianzhou Yaoqing! An important aide to the General! He knew so many of Hoolay's secrets! Isn't there some kind-hearted person who can drop from the sky and save him?”

“Argenti! The Skysplitter needs you most right now, Argenti! You left too early! Can Jiaoqiu still be resuscitated? Is there any resurrection magic or something? Save him!”

Marcille's hysterical voice echoed in the depths of the dungeon.

“Forget it, Marcille. All the secrets, the intelligence, the messages that didn't get passed out in time...” Chilchuck sighed deeply. “...they're all going to vanish with Jiaoqiu's death. And he was already prepared for it.”

He paused, frowning slightly. “However, that abnormal dizziness Hoolay had just now... it's very strange. Based on my experience navigating dungeons, that kind of dizziness is most likely due to poison.”

“Poison?” Marcille cast a confused look.