Chapter 573: 573: Deep Down

Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Deep Down

“Huh!?”

The outcome seemed decided.

Even with his heart’s power source totally destroyed, Guli somehow snapped his head around by 180°.

The tooth bestowed by the fairy was unexpectedly wrapped in Guli’s copper-coated tongue.

It was like the tongue’s spring-loaded structure of a Xenomorph.

Powered by the spring structure at the base of his tongue, it shot out abruptly!

It hit Han Dong’s forehead head-on.

Ding!!

The tongue broke, and the fairy’s tooth was entirely knocked out.

The perfectly glazed area of Han Dong’s forehead cracked open, revealing scalp structure. Just a tiny bit more and it would have damaged the Little Demon Eye.

“If I hadn’t been wearing this enamel armor… That last strike would’ve been dangerous.

Plus, if the target of this copper-coated tongue is a Demon, it could also lead to instant death… and my Faceless Skull could’ve been utterly destroyed on a whole different level.

Even with the support of the Death field, I might have died.”

Han Dong couldn’t help but take a deep, cold breath.

Thump!

The core power framework of the heart was damaged, and [Guli. Chalidu] fell to the ground, powerless.

The sudden development in the last scene startled several team leaders… had he been struck directly in the skull and damaged the Talent Tree, Han Dong would have basically been finished.

“[Guli. Chalidu] has been eliminated. Due to his highly dangerous combat style, which threatened the lives of his opponents on multiple occasions, he will face the judgment of the Knight Headquarters once he regains consciousness.”

The referee, Alonso, teleported Guli out of the garden area with a wave of his hand.

The armor (enamel layer) covering Han Dong’s surface gradually dissipated.

The G-virus was once again suppressed back to its most stable first phase.

“Phew…phew…”

Perhaps due to the heavy strain on his body, Han Dong was almost out of breath. Blood trickled out from his seven orifices and his body collapsed on the ground.

According to the competition rules, Han Dong would lose eligibility for the competition if he lost consciousness.

Just at that moment.

Han Dong felt his right heel being caught by something and being quickly dragged along the labyrinthine grassland.

Before Han Dong fell unconscious.

Five sharp objects pierced directly into Han Dong’s heart, injecting some sort of vital fluid.

What had been a hazy consciousness slowly stabilized and became clearer, and the drained body became more forceful… reviving the fainting Han Dong to a normal state.

When his vision cleared.

Han Dong found himself lying on a mushroom bed in a tree house.

A lovely fairy is plunging her five fingers right into his heart and directly supplying life to Han Dong.

“Hahaha! A true brave hero, even though you’ve been hit directly by my tooth, you’ve only just shattered a layer of armor… Your bravery makes this worth the cost.”

“Thank you…”

Though thanking her with his mouth, Han Dong was helpless inwardly.

“Hey…you’d just have me eliminated like that!”

Han Dong even wanted to curse aloud.

Due to the peculiarities shown by the “Yellow mark” in the pre-competition phase.

Han Dong’s plan had long been shifted from aiming for first place to ‘revenge and injury withdrawal’… Ending the conference in fourth place isn’t bad either.

He pretended to be in a relationship with Mia, and because Mia was threatened by Death, deliberately made an enemy out of Guli.

The two would have a showdown in the final… This reason was perfectly reasonable.

Moreover, because Guli himself was so strong.

Han Dong would have to exert every bit of his strength to win, and also hit his own limit and collapse.

Perfect withdrawal.

This way, he could completely avoid the hidden dangers deep in the garden, successfully complete this conference, and thus be selected into the Knight Regiment.

Perhaps the fourth stage is less favorable than the first one, but Han Dong didn’t mind.

With the fairy’s care, Han Dong fully recovered and will continue to delve into Hera’s Garden to complete this ‘bizarre’ final challenge.

“Are you in a hurry? If you’re not in a rush to pick the Golden Apple… I suggest you rest a little longer.”

The fairy laid in Han Dong’s arms, feeding him a slurry made from ground bark and fungus with a spoon. The taste was awful, but its effects were excellent.

“I am in a rush… Let’s just go.”

Han Dong didn’t want to delay any longer.

Being severely injured now is also an opportunity. If he encounters any crises, he can pretend to retire due to injuries after a major battle…

“Such an impatient hero… ”

Thanks to the fairy’s guidance, Han Dong walked in a completely different maze corridor.

The dead-end transformed into a passage deeper inside due to the fairy’s presence.

Apparently, for this Golden Apple Trial, only by getting through the fairy can one possibly go deeper into the garden.

“It’s quite dangerous inside, remember to use the ‘eye’ I gave you.”

The fairy seemed very concerned about Han Dong, constantly giving him serious advice.

“What is… dangerous inside?”

“I have many, many sisters… Four of us, including me, can move around in the outer area only because we have gradually formed a human shape and gained consciousness over decades, and thereby found the way out from the deep part of the garden.

The other sisters are still trapped in the inner area, bewitched by the ‘Golden Apple’.

It’s quite dangerous! You should avoid danger as much as possible.”

“Other sisters?”

“Hmm… you’ll know once you’re inside. The real Golden Apple is very hard to find, you have to try your best.”

Although Fairy – Erythia was very worried about Han Dong, she absolutely did not want to step into the inner region.

With the last gloomy and rot-stench filled muddy passageway appearing, the fairy did not go any further.

“It’s highly difficult… Perfect, my condition is poor now. As long as I can withdraw from the race in a reasonable manner.”

Han Dong didn’t hesitate.

Immediately stepping on the muddy path forward, he officially reached the deep part of the garden.

“This… What’s with all these ‘Golden Apples’?”

The structure of the inner maze became relatively loose.

There were quite a lot of open areas.

However, in these open spaces a large number of apple trees were planted. Their branches were filled with golden apples… They were so plump that black fluid constantly seeped from within the apples.

However…

Under each apple tree, over ten fairies were gathered, with protruding spines and dishevelled hair.

Some were covered in organs,

Some had their heads below and stood upside down,

Some had their fingers separated and hung from different parts of their body.

Not yet formed human, yet without complete consciousness, all of the fairies stood under the apple trees, waiting for a mature apple to fall.

It seemed that once they ate a mature Golden Apple, they would gain ‘human form’.

“It’s too unnatural to attract monsters recklessly… this way is better.”

Han Dong concealed his presence in his crow outfit, sneaked past the densely populated areas of fairies… Because of his heavy injuries, he accidentally made a faint sound while walking.

A fairy stuck in the outermost ring under the apple tree quickly turned around.

The headless fairy, with a peculiar running posture, chased after Han Dong who was trying to escape.

The pursuit lasted for quite a while till they came to a secluded area where they couldn’t be disturbed.

Just when Han Dong was planning to deliberately perform a scene to drop out.

Whoosh…

A white figure dashed by.

Directly knocking down the headless fairy.