The impact was sickeningly wet and final. Ming Hao let out a single, choked scream that was instantly cut off by the sound of snapping bone and tearing flesh. The Mire Lurker, a creature of pure marsh-bred savagery, didn’t just strike; it enveloped. Its powerful forelimbs, tipped with hooked claws designed for gripping prey in mud, slammed into Ming Hao’s chest, crushing ribs like dry twigs. Simultaneously, its wide, tooth-filled maw clamped down on his shoulder and head.
There was a horrific crunching sound, followed by a spray of blood and brain matter that painted the nearby moss and swirling mist crimson. Ming Hao’s body convulsed violently for a second within the beast's grasp, limbs flailing uselessly. One of the Lurker’s claws tore downwards, ripping through Ming Hao's Inner Sect robes and flesh beneath, spilling viscera onto the muddy ground in obscene, steaming ropes.
The Lurker shook its head savagely, tearing Ming Hao's upper torso nearly in half, his spine snapping with an audible crack. It slammed the mangled remains onto the ground, one claw pinning the twitching lower body while it began ripping and tearing at the torso with horrifying, slobbering eagerness, chunks of flesh and ruined organs vanishing into its gullet. The air filled with the coppery stench of blood and the gruesome sounds of the beast feeding.
Kai watched none of this directly. The moment the Mire Lurker hit Ming Hao, he had already reacted.
Activate Pressure Fog Orb! Tossed towards the carnage.
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Activate Grapnel Launcher! Fired into a high, sturdy branch overhead.
Hiss! Thick white vapor instantly obscured the horrific scene, muffling the sounds slightly but not the raw horror of them. Just as the fog bloomed, Kai engaged the retraction on his grapnel, swinging upwards and backwards, landing silently on a higher branch overlooking the chaos, concealed by the fog and mist. He appeared to have narrowly escaped the beast's initial lunge and subsequent feeding frenzy, using the fog to cover his desperate scramble to safety.
From his perch, he watched the scene unfold below through gaps in the mist. Jian Feng, Ren Jie, and Mei Xia stared in stunned horror at the obscured area where Ming Hao had been, the sounds alone painting a terrifying picture. The Mire Lurker, momentarily distracted by its meal, was still tearing at Ming Hao's ruined corpse.
"Ming Hao!" Jian Feng finally yelled, his voice tight with shock and fury. He clearly hadn't anticipated the sheer speed and brutality, nor Ming Hao being the target.
Now was the time for Kai to rejoin the fight, appearing as a survivor. He waited another second, letting the horror sink in for the others. Then, from the foggy canopy, he called out, "Senior Brother! It's distracted! Attack now!"
He dropped from the branch, landing relatively quietly near the edge of the Fog Orb's dissipating cloud. He materialized the Lightning Wand, its tip crackling ominously.
Activate Lightning Spirit Wand!
"For Ming Hao!" Kai shouted, charging towards the still-feeding Mire Lurker. The beast looked up from its gory meal, alerted by the shout and the crackling energy. Kai jabbed the wand directly into its thick, slimy hide.
ZZZZZAAAAAPPPP!
The powerful electrical discharge caused the large beast to spasm violently, dropping the remains of Ming Hao. It roared in pain and confusion, its nervous system overloaded. Jian Feng, Ren Jie, and Mei Xia finally shook off their shock and launched their own attacks, pouring Qi into the convulsing creature.
Kai zapped it again for good measure before deactivating the wand, panting as if from exertion and fear. A few moments later, under the combined assault, the Mire Lurker finally shuddered and collapsed, dead amidst the gore and dissipating fog.
