This Barrier Looks Familiar

This ability is really impressive!

Although it usually costs -2 sanity, it can directly boost +4 stamina, and the buff effect can be turned on and off at will. In situations where sanity might be needed, one can control it accordingly.

Moreover, the active ability is also very effective. Ning Yu has already seen Wu Di use it, though the version she copied doesn't seem as terrifying.

+10 stamina might not be enough to lift that enraged monster from last time, perhaps Wu Di's version boosts +20 stamina.

However, Wu Di's version of the ability has more obvious side effects; he collapsed on the spot after using it.

It also causes irreversible damage to his emotional abilities.

But Ning Yu prefers her own +10 stamina version, as the side effect is merely temporarily losing the passive effect.

This is also a consistent characteristic of the origin abilities she copies—weakened effects, but with reduced or even eliminated side effects.

Not thinking further, Ning Yu dashed in the opposite direction of Shen Yiyue and Ji Mengyao.

The invisible hands of diligence had already been repaired and were once again attacking the two women, who were supporting each other and moving slowly.

Ning Yu brushed past them, swinging Blood Kite behind them, cutting off the hands of diligence that were closing in from all directions.

The constant +4 stamina was already taking effect, boosting Ning Yu's speed and strength to a new level.

However, she didn't need to be so conservative in her attacks now, as Shen Yiyue, Ji Mengyao, and the unconscious Wu Di had been moved to a safer place.

She took a step forward and charged, slicing along the long, transparent arms of the hands of diligence, cutting them into countless pieces.

Her figure also rapidly closed in on Sloth.

As Blood Kite got closer to Sloth's body, it trembled with excitement: today, it would have mutant zombie blood to drink!

Most of the severed hands of diligence flew back when Ning Yu was only a few steps away from Sloth.

They continuously gathered around Sloth, forming a thick barrier, just like before.

Ning Yu swung Blood Kite diagonally at Sloth, aiming to break through its defense with one strike.

Not good!

Ning Yu suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

Blood Kite was incredibly sharp, slicing through the defense of the hands of diligence and leaving a long gash on Sloth's body.

But those hands of diligence simultaneously exploded like a tightly coiled spring released, slamming Ning Yu with tremendous force.

She was sent flying, crashing through countless shelves.

"Ugh!"

Ning Yu spat out a mouthful of blood. How did these hands of diligence suddenly become so powerful?!

She looked up to see that all the hands of diligence around Sloth had disappeared. Sloth was glaring at Ning Yu, slowly summoning the hands of diligence again.

It seemed that Sloth had used some kind of self-destruct technique, detonating all the hands of diligence. Now, its ability to summon them was significantly slower.

Blood Kite had also been knocked away during the impact, and Ning Yu tried to summon it back to her hand, only to find that her arm was paralyzed and couldn't move!

Damn it, it seems she's been hit with its weakness and paralysis effects!

Was she going to be stuck here and get pummeled?!

Suddenly, she took a deep breath and shouted:

"Sister Yue!"

Shen Yiyue, who had climbed to a high point, was already lying in wait with a sniper rifle, her right eye pressed against the scope.

This sniper rifle was a VMVD-46 that Ning Yu had bought for her with points on their journey. Originally priced at 15,000 points, Ning Yu used a 50% discount from a limited-time mission, so it only cost 7,500 points.

She also bought an infinite 12.7mm magazine for 4,000 points.

Ning Yu had already considered the limitations of her【Death Resist】, so she made a small agreement with Shen Yiyue.

"Bang!!!!!"

The sniper rifle spat out flames, and the 12.7mm bullet shot out, knocking Sloth off balance as it was about to attack Ning Yu.

Unfortunately, this weapon was more of a point-damage type, and without knowing Sloth's weakness, it was hard to kill it, only slightly hindering it.

In this indoor environment, it was impossible to use thermobaric rounds to destroy it completely, as the intense combustion would cause oxygen depletion and shockwaves that could harm their own team.

"Bang!!!!!"

She fired another shot, but this time the target wasn't Sloth—it was Ning Yu's head.

Ji Mengyao saw Ning Yu's head explode in a shower of blood, then collapse to the ground, her jaw dropping in shock.

But then Ning Yu stood up again, all her paralysis and weakness effects gone.

Her【Death Resist】had activated, and she still had two lives left.

This was the small agreement Ning Yu had made with Shen Yiyue: when Ning Yu was immobilized and couldn't trigger【Death Resist】herself, Shen Yiyue would help her do it.

Ji Mengyao scratched her head, feeling like this move was somehow familiar.

Ning Yu, now standing again, glared sharply at Sloth.

It watched nervously as Ning Yu got back up, while its hands of diligence had only recovered halfway.

Normally, it should have been fully recovered by now, but it wasn't the only one who could weaken enemies. Blood Kite also had the【Curse of Weakness】ability, and the previous strike had successfully harmed Sloth.

So it had weakened Sloth to some extent.

The hands of diligence were fewer than before and recovering slowly, but they were already eager to attack Ning Yu again.

Ning Yu easily sliced them one by one, closing in on Sloth once more.

These hands of diligence were nowhere near as powerful as the close-range explosion earlier, but they were still a formidable threat to ordinary awakened individuals.

Most would have been entangled by them and quickly paralyzed, then smashed to death.

Seeing Ning Yu getting closer, Sloth once again summoned all the hands of diligence to form a defensive barrier around itself.

Ning Yu struck again from different angles, testing the weak points of Sloth's body.

As expected, the hands of diligence suddenly disappeared, ready to explode with the same intensity.

Ning Yu revealed a sly smile.

At the moment the explosion's shockwave began to spread, she activated Blood Kite's active skill【Blood Mirror】.

The powerful explosion had no effect on Ning Yu.

Instead, it sent Sloth flying like a broken kite, doubling the effect of its own hands of diligence explosion.

It was covered in impact wounds, black blood flowing out, and it lay on the ground, unable to move.

Ning Yu naturally wouldn't miss such a great opportunity. She picked up Blood Kite and turned into a blur, following after Sloth.

Blood Kite, absorbing Sloth's blood, began to glow red, and the dark red blade aura transformed into a dense series of slashes, attacking the fallen Sloth.

At that moment, a blue wave barrier appeared in front of the blade light woven by Blood Kite, blocking all the fierce slashes.

For a moment, the barrier shimmered and shook violently.

Under the barrier, Sloth looked bewildered at what was happening.

Ning Yu narrowed her eyes, as this barrier seemed familiar to her.