Chapter 813: Swallowing Fruit
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen wasn't sure whether or not he should go to the fruit, as Devil-Blood King had already reached out his hands to grab them.
Maintaining his restraint, he continued to stare at the four Empty Fruit that the Devil-Blood King sought to take. Then he asked Moment Queen, "Can you explain the anomaly you have noticed with the Empty Fruit? What's different about them?"
Moment Queen said, "Before I entered the Third God's Sanctuary, I was able to catch a glimpse of raw Empty Fruit. They possessed a very refreshing energy flow, but these four that I see now have a high concentration of power. They aren't lively and refreshing as I once saw them before; they're too powerful now."
Han Sen had never seen Empty Fruit before, so he couldn't personally validate what she was telling him. But he too could tell that the fruit was extraordinarily powerful and devoid of the sort of refreshing energy she spoke of.
Han Sen chose to believe what she was telling him, and so he did not make a move. He just watched the Devil-Blood King grab the four fruits.
It was easy and effortless for him. He picked up the first one, and it released an intoxicating scent. Its simple fragrance was enough to make you feel as if you were melting.
The Devil-Blood King looked extremely pleased, and he immediately consumed the fruit. After he ate it, his body emanated that same pleasant smell.
Han Sen thought a creature might have resided within the fruit, and was about to suddenly burst out and attack the Devil-Blood King. Unfortunately, despite watching his consumption of the fruit, nothing of the sort seemed to happen.
Instead, his body seemed to generate a holy aura; the effects of the fruit were indeed rather powerful.
"What is this? I thought you said there was a problem with the Empty Fruit?" Han Sen asked, with his eyes wide, fixated on the Devil-Blood King who was helping himself to the second Empty Fruit.
Moment Queen merely frowned and did not say a word; she seemed to be just as confused as Han Sen.
Han Sen had waited this long already, so he decided to be patient a while longer and not do anything rash. He wanted to stay and see if any problems arose.
"If there are four of them, and three of them may be fake, was the Devil-Blood King merely lucky enough to select the correct one for his first munch?" Han Sen wondered.
But when the Devil-Blood King picked the second one from the vine, nothing else seemed to happen. Everything that transpired on his first selection happened with the second. The fruit still smelled nice, as did Devil-Blood King; the fruit seemed as precious as it was supposed to be.
"Damn it! I should have run up there sooner." Han Sen's heart was feeling deep regret over his hesitation. Now, he felt like summoning his little angel and storming the mountain alongside her and Moment Queen. Perhaps there was still enough time for him to collect the other two fruits. But just as he contemplated these actions, he heard something in his ear. It was the phantom woman's voice that had been pestering him recently, except this time, it wasn't just a strange giggling. The voice actually told him something.
"Do not approach." Han Sen heard these three simple words with surprising clarity. He had already taken a step forward but now, he quickly pulled back.
"Who are you?" Han Sen looked around but could not see anyone. All he could espy were the vistas he had grown familiar with recently, and the only woman present in the vicinity was Moment Queen.
Moment Queen looked at Han Sen queerly, unsure of why he seemed to be scanning the surroundings. She looked around herself but made no discovery, even though she did not know what to look for.
Han Sen didn't hear the woman's voice again after that, and he received no answer to his question. But when he looked at the Empty Vine now, something seemed to change.
The Devil-Blood King was still holding the second Empty Fruit. He hadn't eaten it yet, but he looked drunk. His body swayed strangely until, after a while of being off-balance, he collapsed on the ground.
The Empty Fruit in his hand rolled down the hill towards the black tiger. Suddenly overcome with joy, the black tiger spared no time in quickly gobbling it up.
After he ate it, the creature tried to spread its wings and depart the area. But when it took off, its body seemed to tremble and spasm wildly until it lost its airborne composure and came crashing down to the ground.
The griffon that was previously fighting the black tiger leapt on top of it and ripped its throat out with a visceral bite.
Han Sen was frozen, watching the scene unfold. In his heart, he thought to himself, "This Empty Fruit really does have a problem."
Seeing the Devil-Blood King and the tiger both on the ground, unable to gather their composure and get back on their feet, Han Sen was suddenly relieved to learn he had made the right decision in staying put. Had he gone up there, it would have been him who was in that state.
The other super creatures now realized that there might indeed be a problem with the fruit. They all backed away to watch the Devil-Blood King and the black tiger convulse on the ground.
The super creatures near the Devil-Blood King, aside from the griffin, all stopped their fighting. They merely looked upon their master with profound confusion.
The griffin did not relent in its scathing of the black tiger. The black tiger was riddled with wounds and injuries in its defenseless state. As much as it may have wanted to, the black tiger could not stand up to protect itself, and it had no choice but to accept the griffin's brutality.
When Han Sen thought the black-winged tiger was on the precipice of death, it roared and delivered a blow to the griffin that knocked it away. It was like it had just been injected with a stimulant, and its strength suddenly multiplied.
The griffin cried out and hastily attacked the black tiger again, but then, the black tiger roared to the sky and gave off a terrifying presence. This shocked the griffin, and the roar stopped it in its tracks. It quickly stopped its advance and no longer approached the tiger.
As it roared to the sky again, the tiger's black, metallic body suddenly became decorated with a purple pattern.
The purple pattern was scribbled upon its belly, and it looked like two seedlings intertwined with each other. The strange diagram grew across its belly, and it covered the beast more and more.
The pattern itself was like a vine, and it was strange and mystic to witness. It grew all the way around the tiger's back, and continued until its entire body was covered.
The more the purple pattern grew, the stronger the tiger's lifeforce seemed. The other super creatures in the area were becoming extremely alarmed and unnerved by the developing situation.
Han Sen summoned his devil-eye mask and took a look at the black tiger, noticing how its lifeforce was almost reminiscent of a volcanic eruption. The intensity of the beast's heat signature had tripled, and it showed no sign of slowing down.
"Does this imply the Empty Fruit is good or bad, then?" Han Sen wore a puzzled expression, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.