Chapter 124 - 032: His name is

Chapter 124: 032: His name is

Barton’s bloated belly trembled violently, and then that horrifyingly large mouth opened wide. With a sound of “splash!”, a torrent of partially digested corpse remnants, mixed with copious amounts of blood, gushed out.

“No…”

“NO!!!”

Barton let out a piercing scream of terror, frantically opening his mouth in an attempt to re-ingest the expelled blood and gore. However, his body was clearly in an abnormal state now; before he could stuff anything back inside, more bloody fluid surged up and spilled out.

The Gluttonous Flower, a species of magic plant, has a unique trait: to enhance the efficiency of digestion, they evolved the ability to process food instantly during the course of their evolution.

The moment they swallow food, their stomach sacs unleash a torrent of highly corrosive digestive acid in proportion to the size of the meal, triggering their gastric systems into full digestion mode to rapidly break down the ingested substance.

If the stomach sac could be likened to a blacksmith’s furnace, sensing the quantity of “work” ahead, it throws in heaps of fuel to prepare for the intense operation.

However, if the intended “fuel” for this furnace is abruptly removed, the consequences are self-evident.

A stomach in full digestion mode, absent any materials to process, will begin to consume itself.

“Food!”

“I need food!”

Barton seemed to snap, frantically shoving everything within reach into his mouth—regurgitated corpse remnants, nearby trees, even the dirt on the ground. But no matter how much he swallowed, it all came back up moments later.

His eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at Lynch in rage. “Damn you! What the hell did you feed me? This can’t just be Dodo Bird saliva! It can’t be!”

Barton suspected correctly—this was far more than mere Dodo Bird saliva. Mixed into it were dozens of caustic ingredients, all specifically engineered for the Gluttonous Flower—or more precisely, for Barton himself. It was a magic potion.

The creator of this specifically targeted potion was none other than Barton’s dear junior, Richard.

Of all people, aside from their mentor Morris, Richard hated his mentor’s three Inheritance Apprentices the most. To one day wipe them out, Richard had poured considerable effort into gathering intelligence on them and crafting meticulous plans.

The reason Lynch knew Barton’s vulnerabilities so well was from Richard’s journal.

After an unexpected encounter with this guy at the Wizard Market last time, though Lynch knew it was just a coincidence, he still studied Richard’s journal thoroughly upon returning. Using the recipes left by Richard, he concocted this enhanced version of Dodo Bird saliva.

This concoction was designed specifically for Barton, with deadly effects tailored just for him.

The Dodo Bird saliva, after Lynch’s earlier manipulations, had fully unleashed its potency. This made it impossible for Barton to keep any food down, while at the same time, his stomach had secreted gastric acid to an unprecedented degree due to his earlier gorging.

If he could stop all movements immediately and concoct a neutralizing potion on the spot, Barton might still have a chance to survive. But Lynch clearly wasn’t going to give him that opportunity.

“Take a guess!”

Lynch raised the Cross Sword and lunged at Barton once again.

Unleashing the full power of a Mid-level Knight, Lynch attacked with ruthless determination, adhering to the mantra: kick him while he’s down.

Despite the significant attribute disparity between them, even in his weakened state, Barton’s every punch could still easily send Lynch flying.

But Lynch didn’t care.

As long as his Multi-element Shield remained intact, Barton couldn’t inflict any real damage. No matter how far he was blown away, Lynch would scramble back to attack again, employing a relentless, leech-like strategy.

In addition to fighting himself, Lynch summoned every available ally to the fray—nearby Undead Servants, Frankenstein, Parker—all of them were ordered to drag Barton down at any cost.

Under this near-shameless onslaught of relentless assault, Barton’s body deteriorated rapidly. He could feel the acid in his stomach burning through the stomach lining, starting to digest his other internal organs.

’I can’t stay here—I’ll die!’

Fear finally overtook Barton. After launching Lynch into the air with another thunderous punch, he stopped his retaliation and began desperately seeking a direction to break away.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Lynch sneered coldly. He knew Barton was trying to flee. If the menace wasn’t eliminated now, the consequences would be endless. He had to finish him today, no matter the cost.

He lunged forward again.

“Get the hell out of my way!”

But at this critical moment, driven by an overwhelming urge to survive, Barton unleashed his full latent potential. Every punch was delivered with reckless abandon, using all his strength. Within a few strikes, Lynch was sent flying once more, with visible cracks appearing on the Multi-element Shield.

With the shield compromised, Lynch dared not confront this monster directly. He had no choice but to retreat temporarily to repair the shield. Taking advantage of this gap, Barton abandoned attacking Lynch and sprinted away to escape.

Ordinary Zombies and Skeletons were no match for Barton. They crumbled under his fists, one after another. Only Parker and Frankenstein could hold him off for a few brief moments, but given Barton’s frenzied state, Lynch dared not risk sending them forward recklessly.

Rebuilding Frankenstein after damage was manageable, but losing Parker wasn’t worth it.

Thus, Lynch directed the Undead Servants to block Barton, Frankenstein to delay him, and Parker to harass him from a distance with Breath attacks.

However, this stalling tactic was far from effective against a fully unleashed Barton. After tearing through a group of Skeleton Zombies with a roar, even Frankenstein was slammed into a tree trunk, its muscles and bones shattered and mangled.

Seizing the opportunity, Barton barrelled through and made his escape.

Lynch’s expression darkened.

Ready to take a risk and intercept Barton again, Lynch halted abruptly as a strange sound echoed from the distance.

“Clank! Clank!”

It sounded like the mechanical churning of pistons. Through the ashen-grey fog, a towering humanoid silhouette began to emerge.

The Alchemy Man!

Lynch froze mid-step, quickly shifting into a defensive stance.

’It’s him again!’

However, the Alchemy Man’s target wasn’t Lynch. Without so much as a glance in his direction, the automaton locked its cold, murderous gaze on Barton.

Barton began trembling uncontrollably.

Panicking, he abruptly changed direction and bolted aimlessly. The terror-stricken monster had completely lost any sense of rationality.

The Alchemy Man raised both arms and fired them outward.

Yes, fired.

The Alchemy Man’s hands detached from his wrists like projectiles, shooting through the dense fog and latching onto Barton ahead.

In seconds, the mechanical hands began to expand and stretch, transforming into a pair of massive, two-meter-wide claws. They clamped down on Barton with a vice grip and started to compress inward.

“Crack! Crack!”

The sound of Barton’s muscles and bones shattering filled the air. His body contorted grotesquely, his face reddened to the brink of bursting, and his bulging eyes looked ready to explode.

On the verge of death, Barton shrieked hysterically:

“Grant!”

“Grant! We extended your life!”

Grant?

Lynch paused, momentarily stunned, before his eyes widened in realization.

He glanced at the Alchemy Man’s sharp, cold face.

At that moment, memories clicked into place—the aged visage on the Black Rock Town statue and the youthful face before him merged seamlessly.

They were one and the same!

“It’s us! We let you liv—”

“Boom!” A dull explosion.

Barton’s scream abruptly ceased as his body exploded into a mass of blood and gore…

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