Daru continued following Rocante, who was now standing as straight as a spear, seemingly having recovered from his earlier depressed state.

The hulking horror's pace was now faster and more energetic, making it more difficult for him to keep up.

In the end, realizing that the shredded spawn was only headed back to the settlement, he decided to let it go.

Daru felt that it wouldn't be too difficult to meet Rocante again, as all he had to do was wait in the ancient settlement for him to pass by.

Perhaps the hulking horror even had a strict schedule.

In any case, he wasn't too interested for now, as he wouldn't be able to fight Rocante, anyway.

He was still too weak.

Besides, Daru had an entire ancient settlement to clear out. He still hadn't checked even a fourth of all the houses in the area.

It would also be a good location to level himself up by ambushing Lost Damnedlings.

He watched as Rocante vanished from his line of sight.

While Daru was also headed in the same direction, it was safer to stay a farther distance away, especially since the hulking horror seemed to be in prime condition after the strange ritual with La Filosa.

Well, relatively safer…

Daru suddenly heard the furious sifting of ashes behind him.

He quickly turned, just in time to react to a lunging Damnedling, though a different one from the one he utterly despised.

This one is shorter and more skinnier, wielding a sharpened spinal cord as a shortsword.

It was also a fair bit faster.

Still, Daru was able to block the attack, skidding through the ashes for a meter before stabilizing his footing, meeting the hunching abomination's abyssal gaze.

'Perfect,' he thought.

He needed a target to try his Anti-Honorless strategy, and any healthy Lost Damnedling was a good one.

The goal was to prevent the bastards from escaping when they're losing the battle.

To do that…

'I must destroy the source of shamelessness…their legs…'

The honorless abominations wouldn't be able to run without legs, and coincidentally, it would make the battle easier for him once he destroyed their movement.

Daru powered his way through, sending the abomination back a few steps after its lunge momentum died.

Strength certainly wasn't the specialty of this specific Damnedling.

In the next moment, the two charged at each other once more.

The Lost Damnedling's blade suddenly began oozing a ghostly black aura as it brandished its spine shortsword.

Daru was able to easily meet its attack with his tachi, but a skull manifestation suddenly shot towards him — neither too fast nor too slow — but he was caught off guard nonetheless.

It passed through him, and, for a moment, Daru was disoriented.

His focus was shaken rather heavily…at least that's a general explanation of what he felt.

Daru himself wasn't sure of the specifics.

However, he did not have the luxury of pondering as the spinal shortsword was coming his way again, and since he was caught off guard the first time, he wasn't able to respond any better the second.

Daru was able to save his neck, but yet another black ghostly skull manifestation phased through him.

He finally realized what had happened, jumping back at the last second in a clumsy attempt at a failed dodge.

He felt as though he…was being erased?

Daru violently shook his head, jumping back another time to dodge the incoming follow-up sweeping slash from the slim, hunched abomination.

He stumbled upon a pleasant discovery of his opponent's abilities.

As it turned out, all he needed to do was step back a little to see the bigger picture.

The moment the spinal shortsword didn't collide with anything, no ghostly manifestation shot forward, and this was an unexpected yet massive learn.

Daru now knew what to do.

The Lost Damnedlings were more or less even with him in terms of physical attributes, despite being only three levels higher — proof of the terrifying combat prowess of the Swordspawns of the Underworld.

Aside from this, they were cunning, shameless, and seemingly long used to surviving and saving their own skin, even if only to live for another day in this god-forsaken realm of despair and misery.

Daru learned another important aspect of battle today.

So, despite the rather unsettling experience of being struck by eroding manifestations, he was thankful.

He felt like he would be improving a lot — in more ways than one — after he escaped from this monochrome hellscape.

If such a thing were to happen…

The first step was naturally to defeat the Lost Damnedling in front of him.

Having already figured out the hunching abomination's ability, Daru was easily able to hold his own, focusing on dodging and striking only when he had a chance.

There were a few times he was blocked, resulting in a ghostly manifestation howling at him.

However, due to having seen the skill two times, he was able to get himself out of its harrowing path.

Daru and the Lost Damnedling scrapped for an entire minute.

The former gracefully danced with his sword, while the latter in ugly cunning and sheer malice.

The fight was even until Daru grew more and more familiar with the unholy wretch's swordsmanship style.

The hunching abominations were cunning in their own way, but they were also crude, reckless, and desperate.

These were the essence of their style.

Figuring this out, Daru grew infinitely more confident.

His footsteps became more fluid, and his initially probing, slightly cautious style changed into a fiercer offensive.

He mostly relied on his eyes and his skills with the sword to dodge the spinal shortsword and deliver strikes of his own.

Naturally, he targeted the legs.

A majority of the Lost Damnedlings had been around.

They were already aware of this strategy, as some of them would even use it, especially the desperately hungry and thirsty ones who couldn't find sustenance and nourishment for their withering bodies.

While targeting the legs was a vicious tactic that forced the other to choose whether to continue fighting or risk annihilation, it usually becomes a fixation, and fixation is the root of defeat.

This was why the Lost Damnedling, especially this specific, experienced one, didn't cower away.

It believed that Daru's attacks would become more predictable.

And so, the two — both wretched in their own ways — simply continued scrapping…until the moment came.

Daru feigned another slash to the legs, and the slim Lost Damnedling immediately counterattacked with sinister intent.

It would lose a leg today but earn 2 Purge Tickets in exchange.

At least that's what the hunching abomination thought…

Daru suddenly disappeared from the vision of its abyssal eyes, then a red crescent entered the frame from above, descending towards its left leg.

It was already too late when the Lost Damnedling noticed, and the sword projectile cut through the pallid skin, embedding itself quite deeply into the putrid flesh before losing power.

It was even able to crack the bone slightly.

[- 850]

The damage Somersault Slash dealt wasn't too huge, but the effect it had on the battle was evident.

The hunched abomination instinctively decided to bolt.

However, how could it run when his left leg was damaged that much?

It wasn't nearly as fast as it should've been, and the Damnedling itself noticed, dropping the decision halfway and turning to face Daru, who was pursuing with passion.

Unfortunately, hindered movement was lethal in any form of combat.

In the end…

[You've slain a Lost Damnedling Lv.48]

[You've obtained 4,332 + (866) Experience Points.]

[You've obtained (2) Purge Tickets.]

[You've obtained (1) Lesser Demon Essence.]

A faint smile appeared on Daru's face as he wiped the sweat off his face, swiping the notifications to dismiss them.

He then looked at the hopeless skies.

It was as sad and gray as ever, with no signs of either dawn or dusk.

However, Daru was sure that it was already quite late in the night back at Neo-Earth.

Not only was he feeling hungry and thirsty, but he was already feeling a bit sleepy, too.

'I have to look for a place to rest…'

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