By the time Law and Biscuit arrived at the hall, Atomu was already able to stand. At the moment, he was staring up at the ceiling of the hall with a look of surprise.
Bang, bang, bang…!
The sound of something knocking against the rooftop echoed through the hall. Each individual knock wasn't particularly loud, but the sheer frequency made it sound intense.
Atomu turned his head to look at Biscuit and Law as they emerged from the palace. He remained silent, but there was a hint of solemnity in his eyes.
He had no idea what was knocking against the roof, but he was certain it was a living creature, and Atomu immediately associated it with the roar they heard before.
He is seriously injured now, and can barely hold on relying on his physical resilience. However, if they encountered a particularly strong unknown creature, it could spell disaster.
Law and Biscuit looked up at the ceiling, where dust was falling down in thin layers with each thud.
At that moment, a hole was suddenly smashed through the palace roof, and rubble and dust rained down, followed by a glowing blue vine slithering through the opening.
The moment they saw the glowing vine, all three of them understood the situation clearly. The same thought crossed their minds, which was to leave here as soon as possible.
If this glowing vine could move and had the strength to break through the palace roof, then considering the sheer number they had seen earlier, which covered the entire cavern, staying any longer would be unwise.
"Go!"
Biscuit had barely shouted when Law and Atomu had already bolted without needing her reminder.
In the face of danger, Atomu ignored his injuries and pushed himself forward through sheer willpower, though his speed was not great.
As the three of them dashed toward the main entrance, more holes were smashed into the ceiling above them. One by one, vines slithered in through the openings.
However, instead of attacking them, the vines first went for the corpses scattered across the hall, lifting them into the air and writhing around them, draining every drop of blood.
More and more vines infiltrated the hall, competing to feast on the corpses.
Seeing this scene, Law clenched his teeth slightly. There was not much Aura left in his body, so he could not reinforce his legs. At this time, he was simply running relying on his body alone, but his body was already exhausted, making each step increasingly painful.
Noticing Law's slowing pace, Biscuit quickly understood what was happening. Without hesitation, she grabbed him by the collar like a kitten and sprinted toward the main entrance, leaving Atomu behind.
"Biscuit… I wouldn't mind if you carried me properly." Law shouted. At this time, he felt like a kite, being pulled by Biscuit, floating in the air.
"You have the nerve to ask me to carry you when I'm this petite?" Biscuit said without even turning her head.
"Then transform!" Law yelled, almost biting his tongue as the rushing wind filled his mouth.
The next second, Biscuit exerted force with her arm and flung him forward.
Law screamed and was thrown directly in front of the main gate. He instinctively activated Ren to brace for impact, but upon landing, he realized the force wasn't as strong as he had anticipated.
Having skillfully thrown Law to the entrance, Biscuit glanced back at the growing number of vines inside the hall and frowned slightly. There were likely even more outside, but they had no choice but to charge through.
If she were alone, escaping would be easy, but with Law in tow, it was a different story. She had to stay alert and prevent him from being snatched away.
'Judging by how fast the vines drained the corpses, they could completely siphon a person's blood in less than ten seconds.'
'Law doesn't have much Aura left now, so if he is caught, death would be almost certain.'
With that thought, Biscuit increased her speed and rushed to the entrance. Activating Ko, she punched the wall beside the main entrance.
With a resounding boom, the thick wall shattered, leaving a gaping hole.
Once again witnessing Biscuit's astonishing strength up close, Law's eyes widened with determination. He had to learn that technique. But before he could dwell on it, Biscuit's hand reached out to him.
"Holding me works too!" Law said seriously, looking down at the small hand gripping his clothes.
Biscuit said nothing, pulled Law over, and dashed outside. As they emerged from the palace, they were met with hundreds of vines hanging silently in front of them, swaying like willow branches.
Inside the palace, Atomu endured his injuries and mustered every ounce of his strength to sprint toward the exit. The vines behind him twisted mid-air, changing direction to pursue his retreating figure.
The sharp sound of slicing air told Antom all he needed to know, those vines had locked onto him. Without a second thought, he dashed through the opening, only to be met with the sight of countless vines outside. His expression grew graver, but at least, there's Biscuit clearing the path.
At this moment, Biscuit was simultaneously protecting Law and breaking apart the incoming vines.
Given the circumstances, she couldn't just carry Law and charge ahead, so she could only let Law follow closely behind her.
Each vine had sharp barbs, but against Biscuit's fists, they couldn't even penetrate her aura defense and were easily shattered.
Despite their overwhelming numbers, Biscuit handled them with ease and hadn't even needed to transform. However, their sheer quantity slowed her down.
Atomu wasn't foolish either. He swung his fist to break several vines and stayed close behind Biscuit.
The group of three steadily advanced toward the staircase they had used to enter amidst the siege of vines.
Law followed Biscuit closely, but he was not idle either, as he swung his sword to cut off the attacking vines from time to time.
'Good thing Biscuit's here... If it weren't for that dumb cat, these vines wouldn't be much of a threat at all.'
Law muttered, glancing at the writhing mass of vines in the air. If he didn't lose half of his Aura, his Domain could wipe them all out instantly. Instead, he was forced to keep swinging his sword, further exhausting his weary body.
The strength and toughness of the vines would pose a serious threat to ordinary people, but in front of Biscuit, they were no stronger than tofu.
Biscuit's experience shone through. Despite not knowing the exact nature of these vines, she instinctively avoided potential hazards. The blue liquid that splattered when she destroyed them was something she carefully dodged, preferring to move slower than risk getting hit.
As they drew closer to the staircase, the vines' movements became increasingly frantic.
Suddenly, the stone platform trembled violently, followed by a sharp screeching roar that echoed in their ears.
Looking toward the source, they saw black segmented limbs emerging from the edge of the stone platform. Under the eerie blue light, they resembled the legs of a crab, magnified dozens of times.
As Law Cai thought of this, the limbs dug into the rock with a powerful grip. In the next instant, the massive, roaring creature leaped onto the platform, causing the entire structure to quake.
Biscuit's movements briefly halted, and without enough aura to maintain balance, Law staggered sideways. Meanwhile, Atomu, with a sturdier stance, remained unaffected, standing firm like Biscuit.
Law's stumble took him out of Biscuit's protective range, just enough for an opportunistic vine to lash out and snatch him into the air.
'It's bad!'
Law's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly used up his remaining Aura to activate his Domain to cut off the vines that were wrapped around his body. Then, he fell from the air.
At this time, the surrounding vines surged toward him like a swarm of serpents.
Gritting his teeth, Law slashed at the incoming vines, but their sheer numbers quickly overwhelmed him, wrapping him tightly like a cocoon.
From below, Biscuit's eyes narrowed. Ignoring the massive creature on the platform, she gathered Aura beneath her feet, preparing to leap to rescue Law.
But just as she was about to act, the thick layers of vines suddenly split apart.
A black, panther-like creature emerged from within, gripping Law in its jaws as it landed gracefully on the ground. With a flick of its head, it tossed Law onto the ground and remarked with disdain, "You are useless."
"It's all your fault!" Law shot to his feet and immediately slashed his sword at the black panther, but it had no effect.