Spine-Devils are not native creatures of the material plane.
They often flutter their massive, bat-like membrane wings, traversing the turbid skies of Hell, which are riddled with clouds of flame.
They search for prey on the surface with piercing shrieks.
However, due to various reasons—such as accidental planar rifts, unlucky novice summoners, cultists who misread their incantations, or greedy souls attempting to trade with devils—these numerous demonic creatures frequently appear on the continent of Efara.
During his time resting in Rivervalley Town, Xia Nan had undergone an emergency crash course in various types of knowledge regarding this world.
He had carefully committed to memory every monster he might encounter during his adventures.
Therefore, he knew clearly that a hellish creature with a Challenge Rating as high as "2" was far beyond the capabilities of someone like himself, who couldn't even handle a Bugbear alone.
Almost the instant he identified the creature as a "Spine-Devil" by its physical characteristics—even before the dust kicked up by its descent had fully settled—Xia Nan instantly changed direction.
Sacrificing a bit of speed, he intended to bypass it from the side.
In his view, under the intimidation of Karanfor's terrifying momentum behind him, no matter how ferocious the Spine-Devil's nature was, it wouldn't waste time entangling itself with him at a moment when it should be fleeing for its own life.
To his surprise, he had only taken two steps to the left when—
*Ssh!*
A barbed bone spike shot into the muddy ground in front of him like a bullet.
Coming to a dead stop, Xia Nan instinctively leaped backward.
His brow furrowed, his dark eyes staring at the hideous figure ahead on the road.
The creature's condition seemed somewhat off.
It appeared to have just fought some other creature; visible injuries could be seen on the Spine-Devil's body.
Its tough skin, capable of withstanding the scorching storms of Hell, had been sliced by some sharp weapon, leaving a bloody wound right in the center of its chest.
Its massive bat wings, which allowed it to defy gravity and soar through the skies, were heavily damaged on the left side, folded downward from the middle with pale bone shards protruding from the wound.
What made Xia Nan most alert, however, was the noticeably denser purple spore-mist surrounding the Spine-Devil's body.
"Infected?" he pondered.
He still had no desire to linger here and waste time.
He carefully shifted a few steps sideways, moving away from the Spine-Devil.
He seemed to be trying to signal that he had no intention of threatening it.
The response was a shriek filled with the pungent scent of sulfur.
"Sss-aaaagh!"
Despite only reaching the waist of an average human, the Spine-Devil's scrawny body suddenly erupted with an exaggerated speed that an ordinary person would be unable to react to.
Even Xia Nan only saw a blurred shadow flash before his eyes, and he instinctively raised his longsword to guard his chest.
*Clang—*
The blade of the Beheading Longsword vibrated violently.
He felt a powerful, penetrating force ripple through his hands and throughout his entire body.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
Mud splattered as he retreated three steps.
Looking again, the Spine-Devil had already retreated to its original position.
It crouched, wings draped over its body and long tail held high, swaying slightly like a venomous snake threatening an enemy.
"Whew..."
He let out a long breath as the numbness in his arms gradually dissipated.
Xia Nan stopped moving, maintaining a defensive posture while staring intently at the Spine-Devil.
His mind raced.
"Too fast!"
Despite being heavily injured and losing the ability to fly, this monster from Hell still displayed an explosive power far beyond his own.
In this situation—
Escape was absolutely impossible!
If he so much as exposed his back to the creature, those jagged sharp teeth would likely pierce his neck in the next second.
Behind him, the waves of heat kicked up by the aftermath of the battle between transcendents from Karanfor continued to crash against his back.
It was becoming increasingly scorching!
The smooth, iron-gray blade reflected the ferocious monster surrounded by spores.
Deep within Xia Nan's dark eyes, all hesitation and desire to retreat vanished in an instant.
In their place was a burning fighting spirit and determination!
Locking his eyes on the creature's body and noting its every move, Xia Nan leaned forward and suddenly charged!
Without long-range attack methods, he had to close the distance if he wanted to win this encounter.
*Ssh!*
The wail of tearing air sounded in his ear.
A blurred black shadow seemed to flash across his vision.
He instinctively tilted his head.
*Srip—*
A few strands of hair fell beside his ear.
A bone spike capable of piercing steel grazed his face, and the resulting gust of wind stung his cheek.
A step away from death, his heart pumped violently, and his blood surged as if boiling.
Xia Nan could even hear the thunderous roar of blood rushing through his veins.
Gripping the longsword tightly in both hands, the combat technique he had practiced countless times manifested in this world once more.
Step forward, gather power.
As if rooting himself deep into the soil, a powerful force surged from the soles of his feet, scraping every bit of strength from his body and concentrating it into a single point.
Wrist, hilt, blade.
Everything transformed into the purest of slashes.
[Whirlwind Slash]!
*Buzz—*
An iron-gray, sharp arc of light flashed momentarily in the air.
But unlike before, the complete sword-light that should have sliced through flesh and harvested life came to an abrupt halt.
*Clang!!!*
It was the ear-piercing sound of hard objects colliding.
For the first time, Xia Nan's [Whirlwind Slash] was actually blocked head-on.
With a Challenge Rating of "2," the Spine-Devil had already reached the strength of a professional.
Even while heavily injured, it still possessed physical attributes far superior to those of an ordinary adventurer.
Almost the instant Xia Nan closed in, it reacted.
It raised its left arm, and the coral-like sharp bone clusters grown from its elbow joint blocked the path where the blade was about to carve.
Sparks flew!
The blade vibrated violently due to the friction with the bone clusters.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the Spine-Devil's long tail rise high again in silence, accompanied by a pale, sharp light flashing through the air.
This inferior monster from the outer planes actually intended to fire another bone spike—one that could easily penetrate a human body—while it was locked in a struggle of strength with Xia Nan!
Acting decisively, Xia Nan pushed the longsword forward with all his might, stepping back to create distance.
Simultaneously, his left hand grabbed a fire-oil bomb he had already prepared in his waist pouch.
He threw it with force at the Spine-Devil's face!
*Boom!*
Turbid dust and black oil exploded instantly in a flash of fire, turning into swirling orange-red flames that engulfed the Spine-Devil's long, goat-bone-like skull.
He had no intention of stopping.
Seeing that the projectile seemed effective, Xia Nan gripped his sword, intending to press the advantage.
Then, another shriek interrupted his movement.
The sound wave vibrated, faintly creating ripples in the air.
The specialized fire-oil bomb from the Rivervalley Town general store, with flames fierce enough to incinerate countless insects, hit the Spine-Devil like a drop of water falling into a sponge.
Visibly, within a breath, the swirling tongues of fire seemed to possess a consciousness; they actively extinguished themselves and seeped into the pores.
The Spine-Devil's rough skin was revealed, completely devoid of scorch marks.
(End of Chapter)