Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 217: Ch.216 Discovering a New Weakness

Chapter 217: Ch.216 Discovering a New Weakness

The symbiote's abilities had exceeded Su Ming's expectations somewhat, but so far, it only appeared to possess rapid regeneration and quick learning. Dealing with this kind of enemy usually came down to two options: either find a psychological or willpower-based weakness and win with words, or continually inflict damage until the extent or type of damage overwhelmed its healing capabilities.

So, cutting the symbiote in half wasn't the end—it was just the beginning.

"Godslayer, Morningstar."

With that thought, the glowing golden Godslayer in his other hand transformed from a greatsword into a large spiked ball.

Su Ming stepped on the symbiote's lower half, preventing it from reattaching to the upper half, then immediately began hacking away.

The deep cuts from the Nightfall Greatsword, combined with the blunt force trauma and piercing wounds from the Godslayer, left the symbiote seemingly at a loss.

As soon as it healed its arm, its leg was chopped off. When it repaired its leg, its head was sliced clean off again.

Not to mention the massive spiked golden ball—each blow shattered bones and muscles, leaving a dozen or more holes that oozed black liquid.

The symbiote attempted to strike back with tendrils, but Su Ming was prepared, severing them one by one. While the tendrils could attack rapidly, they didn't regenerate as quickly as the symbiote's main body.

"The same move doesn't work twice on a Saint Seiya, you know!" Su Ming mocked the symbiote while continuing his relentless assault. The creature probably couldn't understand him, but he couldn't resist throwing in some banter.

From behind cover, Dr. Holloway peeked out.

His mustache twitched as he tilted his head.

He could see Su Ming going wild, almost as if he were enjoying himself while 'dissecting' the symbiote's body, accompanied by a disturbing low chuckle. Holloway wondered, a bit nervously, if Su Ming might have rabies or something—it was a little terrifying.

Holloway hopped down from the rooftop, cautiously moving closer to observe. Finally, he realized what was going on.

"Need any help?"

"No, stay back. Its attacks are fast—you won't be able to dodge them."

Even while maintaining a high rate of attack and calculating his positioning, Su Ming managed to converse with Holloway. However, his focus slipped for a moment, and the Morningstar accidentally struck an awkward spot... likely the symbiote's rear, somewhere between its four legs.

Su Ming wasn't sure if symbiotes had intestines, as their outer appearance didn't give much away, but the Morningstar's huge spiked ball seemed to sink in quite a bit.

"ROAR!!!"

The symbiote's crescent-shaped eyes immediately bulged into full circles, and its entire tongue lolled out like a snake thrashing in the air.

Its agonized scream echoed through the mountains.

"Hiss..."

Dr. Holloway winced, feeling a chill crawl up his spine despite the frigid weather.

"Emmm... Heh!"

With a grunt, Su Ming applied force and managed to pull the Morningstar out, checking it to make sure it wasn't covered in anything yellow. Fortunately, it was clean—aside from a fair amount of black blood mixed with some red.

Although he wasn't entirely sure why, it was clear that strike had hurt the symbiote's host, causing a pain that even its healing couldn't suppress, making it scream in agony.

Hurting the host harmed the symbiote, as it was a parasitic organism. It was connected to the host's nervous system, so even if the symbiote itself didn't feel pain, the host's pain signals would transfer to it.

This was the enemy's weakness, and Su Ming had no qualms about exploiting it.

"Godslayer, Scythe!"

The Godslayer transformed into a long-handled scythe, and Su Ming didn't hesitate to aim another strike at the same spot, cutting in with a hook.

"ROAR!!!!"

"You dared hit me earlier—now it's time for you to see what Earthlings are made of," Su Ming smirked coldly, twisting the scythe to yank it out. "Godslayer, Drill!"

"ROAR!!!!"

"Godslayer, Giant Whisk!"

"ROAR!!!!"

Dr. Holloway cringed with every weapon change. Each time Su Ming switched weapons, the symbiote let out another anguished scream.

Even as a seasoned surgeon who had seen it all, Holloway had never witnessed such brutal torture.

It was almost like the symbiote was hiccuping—each cry of pain made Holloway flinch and wince as he watched the torture unfold.

Suddenly, there was a different sound—something distinct.

Holloway turned his head.

It was the Cloak of Levitation, hovering back toward them, trembling slightly. A wooden barrel fell to the ground, spilling transparent golden liquid.

If Holloway could hear the cloak's thoughts, he would probably discover that even the cloak was frightened.

'What in the world is going on? That scared the stuffing out of me.'

Su Ming also glanced over at the noise.

"Oh, so it's just lamp oil? The sorcerers really don't have any fancy tricks," he muttered.

Su Ming had expected that the symbiote's weaknesses—sound, fire, and strong electromagnetic fields—would be exploited through some kind of magical means. Those weaknesses disrupted the symbiote's bond with its host, leaving it incredibly vulnerable.

He had hoped to see some magic in action and maybe even nab a magical artifact or two, but instead, it was just ordinary lamp oil. It seemed the sorcerers had kept the symbiote trapped in a cage surrounded by flames, a tactic akin to something out of hell.

"Doctor, kick the barrel over here."

Su Ming wasn't intentionally torturing the symbiote; he was simply stalling for time until the cloak returned.

After all, hadn't the symbiote stopped resisting after he discovered its weakness?

"Uh... oh."

Dr. Holloway, having steadied himself, walked over to the broken barrel. Even though the barrel had a damaged corner, its cylindrical shape remained intact. He turned it on its side and kicked it toward Su Ming, the contents spilling slightly as it rolled.

While methodically continuing his assault, Su Ming pulled out his lighter. Smoking had its perks—he always had fire on hand whenever he needed it.

Grabbing the barrel, he splashed some of the oil onto the symbiote and bent down to light it.

"Ssssss..."

The continuous hiss of flames filled the air as the symbiote began to bubble and sizzle as if it were being boiled. It oozed off the host's body, dripping to the ground.

The red flames illuminated Su Ming's mask and armor. Holding his weapon, he stood silently nearby, ready to strike if the symbiote tried anything.

Perhaps the symbiote had learned its lesson. The pain it had never experienced before seemed to teach it something. It didn't fight back but instead gathered itself together and quickly slipped off the host, transforming into a puddle of black liquid that oozed out of the fire's range.

Its true form looked like a pool of tar, with a large, gaping mouth in the center.

Su Ming tightened his grip on the Nightfall Greatsword. The small barrel had spilled quite a bit, but with the symbiote removed, the host should still be alive. Once the neural connection between the symbiote and the host was severed, even the least intelligent creature would regain control of its body.

As the flames died down, what emerged was a creature covered in white fur.

Well, it had been white fur once, but now it was blackened with soot and scorch marks. Only small patches of its original color could be seen in spots like under its arms.

It had normal arms and legs, but it was much larger than a human—looking like a giant, shaggy beast.

"Huh? I thought it was a gorilla or a monkey, but it turns out to be a Yeti. These sorcerers sure have some strange hobbies," Su Ming remarked as he eyed the snowman-like creature lying in the smoldering remains.

His gaze inevitably fell on the creature's tailbone area, where the fur was wet and tinged red with blood. His mouth twitched at the sight.