Chapter 945: Heart-Sucking Demon

Chapter 945: The Mind-Devouring Fiend

Whoosh—

As if a storm had conjured itself from thin air, a dim phantom gradually coalesced, devoid of facial features or bodily details, merely a swath of shadow. Its form was bizarre and intricate, resembling a humanoid creature sprouting countless twisted limbs, constantly shifting and radiating an indescribable aura of dread that threatened to shatter one's sanity at a single glance.

"A feast... a feast..."

Psychic ripples expanded outward, wordless yet perfectly comprehensible to every mind present, conveying the phantom creature's intent.

An inexplicable terror bloomed within every heart; even Han Xiao and his numerous guards were not immune, though their resistance kept it mild—a natural aura of fear emanating from the entity itself.

"What manner of monster is this?!"

Raymond, Seli, and the others underwent a drastic change in expression, their faces pale with horror. None of them had suspected that the Box of Allurement concealed such an abomination!

Merely gazing upon the phantom induced a palpable palpitation; the peculiar waves it emitted brought on waves of dizziness, their minds battered by relentless psychic surges.

"A peculiar entity from a sub-dimension," Han Xiao spoke calmly. "Think of them as parasites born alongside the soul, feeding on the cognitive activities of the universal pan-consciousness. They are one of the primary causes of the cosmos's psychic undercurrents."

This boss was a unique sub-dimensional species known as a Mind-Devouring Fiend. The collective thoughts of all cosmic life formed the universal pan-consciousness, and these creatures clung to the cosmic bedrock, siphoning the traces of its mental activity. To the fiend, the thoughts and stray musings of living beings were as sweet as nectar.

Their native sub-dimension was dubbed the Bedrock of Pan-Consciousness, a nesting ground where their numbers bordered on infinite. This particular fiend was of lordly rank, captured and sealed here as a relic by a formidable esper who had once ventured into that hidden realm.

Han Xiao knew this fiend boss relied primarily on psychic assaults. Having consumed the stray thoughts of countless lives, it could inflict prolonged states of chaos upon its foes. Boasting formidable multi-layered resistances, it was nearly immune to mental attacks; most psychic strikes merely served as sustenance, dealing no damage while instead restoring its vitality, making it a notoriously difficult adversary.

Precisely because of this trait, the fiend's remains were a profound tonic for the mind, albeit with explosively severe side effects. Only psychics and certain mental-attuned mages could consume it without harm, comprehensively elevating their psychic offense and defense. Moreover, it granted their basic mental strikes a chance to inflict a Chaos state... and the more remains consumed, the higher the probability of triggering this passive effect.

Yet, capturing a Mind-Devouring Fiend was a Herculean task. They dwelled exclusively in the Bedrock of Pan-Consciousness, unable to depart, and would instantly detect any intruders. Even the three great civilizations struggled to establish long-term harvesting outposts in that sub-dimension, rendering the fiends exceedingly rare in the known cosmos.

The instant the creature broke free, the interface stirred, projecting a corresponding boss quest.

[[Subjugate the Mind-Devouring Fiend]]

[Quest Description: The Mind-Devouring Fiend, a highly perilous sub-dimensional entity that feeds on the thoughts of living beings. For unknown reasons, this specimen has been brought into the cosmos. If left unchecked, it will become a latent threat, spawning various psychic catastrophes in the future.]

[Quest Objective: Slay the Mind-Devouring Fiend]

[Reward: 10,000,000 Experience]

[Additional Reward for Highest Damage Dealer (Unique): Trait [Mind Fortress], Trait [Spellward Flesh]]

[[Mind Fortress]: Mental Resistance +40%. You are immune to [Chaos] and [Terror] states.]

[[Spellward Flesh]: Your physique possesses superior resistance to arcane arts. Magic Attack Resistance +45%. You have a 5% chance to completely negate the next magical attack directed at you. This effect has a 10-minute cooldown.]

Players typically raided bosses in parties, with the highest damage output counting as the kill. Even by Han the Artificer's discerning standards, these two traits were remarkably potent, and for players, they would be downright formidable. Han Xiao's very purpose in coming here was to conveniently secure these two abilities.

The box itself was a sealing vessel. Trapped within for an unknowable span, the fiend had been utterly cut off from the outside world. Now profoundly weakened and ravenous, the moment it broke free, it barely surveyed its surroundings before lunging desperately toward the Punisher Alliance members, its psychic waves broadcasting an emotion of insatiable hunger.

In its eyes, these people were nothing but walking banquets.

"Quick! The monster is closing in!"

Raymond and Seli's faces tightened with tension. They hastily grabbed their weapons, abandoning their sabotage of the ship, and unleashed a torrent of indiscriminate attacks upon the fiend.

However, upon striking the fiend, their assaults proved woefully inadequate. Its defensive capabilities echoed those of the Star-Roaming Beast of old; Grade B attacks barely scratched its surface.

Weathering the barrage virtually unscathed, the fiend contorted its bizarre form and rapidly closed the distance to Raymond.

Watching the grotesque entity about to latch onto him, Raymond's complexion paled drastically as he stumbled backward in panic.

Shing!

At that precise moment, a beam of light suddenly pierced the fiend from behind. The creature froze instantly, its form convulsing violently.

A spherical floating cannon hovered beside Han Xiao, its circular muzzle continuously discharging multi-dimensional energy in a focused beam.

This was a weapon Han Xiao had forged after acquiring ultimate knowledge, powered by multi-dimensional energy. It proved exceptionally effective against sub-dimensional entities, perfectly suited to wound the Mind-Devouring Fiend.

As the light proliferated within the fiend's body, Raymond and the others watched the monster that had shrugged off their combined assault now grievously wounded by a single, slender beam. It thrashed wildly, struggling like a fish skewered yet not quite dead.

The frequency of the fiend's psychic emissions betrayed profound despair and unwillingness, infecting the onlookers with the same sentiment. It was as though they witnessed a cornered beast wailing its final throes, evoking an involuntary pang of pity.

Out of the wolf's den and straight into the tiger's maw... what abysmal fortune!

Everyone present watched helplessly as the fiend became distended with radiant energy, until finally, like a soap bubble, it burst with a soft pop and vanished into nothingness. All that remained was an irregular, palm-sized black mass that clattered to the floor—the fiend's remains.

Han Xiao recalled the floating cannon, telekinetically drew the remains into his palm, and casually tossed them to Fudin.

"It's handled. Since you helped me locate it, this is yours. Figure out how to use it yourself."

Fudin blinked in surprise. "For me? You don't want it?"

"It's of little use to me." Han Xiao shook his head. As a mechanic, he had no way to utilize the fiend's remains.

His sole objectives were the two traits. The moment the fiend fell, the interface had already notified him of the quest's completion. With the traits secured, he needed nothing more.

Though the fiend's resistances were formidable, Super Grade A entities stood at the pinnacle of individual might. In Han Xiao's hands, it could only meet a swift demise. Even the legendary Star-Roaming Beast of the past would have fallen to a single shot before him now.

Come to think of it, I'm already tankier than the Star-Roaming Beast... Han Xiao couldn't help but muse inwardly.

Casting a glance at the Punisher Alliance members, Han Xiao offered no explanations and strode decisively off the ship. Fudin shook his head with a smile, hurrying after him, matching his pace step for step.

After spending so much time together, he found himself growing increasingly fond of Han Xiao.

Truly a friend worthy of my allegiance.

Raymond and the others instinctively parted to clear a path. Watching the retreating figures of Black Star and his entourage, Seli suddenly had an epiphany.

"The Box of Allurement sealed such a terrifying monster. If it had ever broken free in the future, we would have been doomed..."

At these words, every member of the Punisher Alliance present experienced a sudden clarity, believing they had finally grasped Black Star's true intentions.

Black Star knew of the Mind-Devouring Fiend's existence and had come specifically to eradicate a monster that had no place in this cosmos?

They had just personally experienced the fiend's horror. Had they remained in the dark, its eventual release would surely have resulted in devastating casualties!

In that case, had we indirectly been saved by Black Star's casual intervention?!

To think we actually misunderstood such a magnate just moments ago...

Realizing this implication, Raymond and the others were overcome with a profoundly complex mix of emotions, tinged with shame yet brimming with deep gratitude.

After a moment of internal struggle, Seli made up his mind and bolted out of the ship, intending to catch up with Fudin and apologize for his earlier demeanor.

Yet, the moment he stepped through the hatch, he found that Black Star's party had already vanished without a trace, long departed.

Witnessing this, the group exchanged glances and sighed in unison, their faces etched with complicated feelings.

The gap between Black Star and us is simply too vast... This debt of gratitude, I fear, we shall never have the chance to repay.

...

With the sudden incident triggered by Fudin concluded, Han Xiao learned his lesson and forbade the fleet from docking at any planets, lest fortune's favorite stumble upon another fortuitous encounter and disrupt his tempering of Energy.

Fortunately, after acquiring the fiend's remains, Fudin devoted himself to studying them in his quarters, leaving no time to wander about scavenging for treasures.

Upon absorbing the remains, Fudin's psychic power received a substantial boost, leaving Han Xiao with a persistently peculiar sensation.

Stumbling upon a sudden windfall felt unmistakably like the privilege of a protagonist.

Though I secured the traits myself, I can't shake the feeling that Fudin got the better end of the bargain...

After several days of fleet navigation, Han Xiao, finally able to focus solely on his training, managed to bridge the final gap in his Energy. Leveraging his financial might, he pushed his Energy cap to 120,000, attaining the Level 19 Energy realm.

The Level 300 advancement quests, Energy Saturation and Erudite Knowledge, were finally complete!