In order to find out what had happened, Alan quickened his pace and followed the trail of blood.
Finally, twenty meters ahead, Alan witnessed a scene that shocked him immensely. Thirteen corpses were scattered on the ground, identical to the previous one. Limbs twisted and internal organs devoured.
"Beast!" Jason roared angrily.
Everyone wore expressions of extreme anger on their faces. The doctor squatted down and carefully examined each corpse.
The more he inspected, the more panicked he became. It was evident that these people were killed by a monster.
"The wounds and cause of death are almost identical for each victim. It shouldn't be a group of monsters, but rather a powerful monster," the doctor concluded.
"Powerful?"
"That's impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Everyone knew that Alan was the only four-star black iron fighter in the team, surpassing everyone in strength. Only someone at his level could easily kill fourteen one-star black iron fighters.
Perhaps due to growing accustomed to death or having become desensitized to blood, most of the team showed no other expressions but anger and sadness.
"No matter what, we can't leave their corpses exposed in the wilderness. Let's bury them," the director suggested again. However, Alan's expression suddenly changed. He grabbed Jason and threw him to the side.
Boom!
A gigantic monster suddenly appeared, its razor-sharp claws, the size of a black bear, nearly brushing against Alan's scalp.
The ground trembled violently, dust filled the air, and a large pit formed on the ground.
It was a close call. If Alan hadn't acted swiftly and thrown Jason aside, Jason would have been killed.
"Roar!"
A deafening roar echoed through the mountains and forests.
A powerful gust of wind, accompanied by a putrid smell, emanated from the behemoth's mouth, affecting some students who inadvertently inhaled it. They suddenly felt dizzy, weak, and powerless.
Taking a closer look, a terrifying humanoid monster stood before them.
Alan immediately used his Analyze ability.
"Black Iron Corpse King, a five-star black iron beast, the ruler of the Black Iron Forest, leader of the corpse clan. It prefers to act alone, possesses great strength, incredible jumping ability, and has a taste for devouring prey's internal organs."
Black Iron Corpse King, a five-star black iron beast!
The information flooded Alan's mind, filling him with fear for the first time.
The five-star black iron beast was stronger than Alan, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He quickly shared the information with everyone.
"Be careful, everyone. This is a five-star Corpse King. We are no match for it. Find a way to escape!"
Hearing this, fear gripped everyone's hearts, and despair filled their eyes. They had believed that becoming evolvers would make survival easier. However, within just two days, they encountered a five-star monster—the Corpse King.
Escape was the only thought running through their minds. They had no qualifications to confront an existence that even Alan feared.
But the Corpse King had no intention of letting go of its delicious prey. Its enormous arm extended, and an iron chain shot out, instantly entangling a student.
With a tug of the chain, the student was rendered powerless, dragged back to the Corpse King. The corpse king opened his mouth wide and gnawed down on the target's abdomen.
Immediately, endless screams flowed out along with the blood. The scene was horrible.
"Bastard!" Jason roared angrily. His ability activated, and his entire body's skin instantly hardened, resembling a suit of steel armor. He charged at the Corpse King without hesitation.
Boom!
The Corpse King remained motionless, but Jason was nearly on the verge of vomiting blood. No matter how strong a one-star black iron warrior may be, shaking a five-star Corpse King was impossible.
The Corpse King lowered its head, a trace of disdain flashing in its black eyes. It raised its enormous foot, preparing to crush Jason like an ant.
[Spirit of Light, attack]
[Poisonous vines]
[Time bomb]
[Earth Swamp]
[Wind blade]
Attack after attack was unleashed upon the Corpse King. Jason's bravery ignited everyone's fighting spirit. They realized that escaping wouldn't solve anything.
If they continued running, the Corpse King would pick them off one by one and feast upon them. Witnessing this scene, Alan's heart was filled with determination.
"Everyone's fighting back! I can't just stand here and do nothing. Let's see if your five-star Corpse King is stronger or if my SSS talent is more dominant!"
"DEVOUR!!!"
Alan stepped behind the Corpse King and extended his right hand, initiating Devour.
Devour commenced, and an indescribable power surged continuously into Alan's palm from the Corpse King's body.
It felt as though an ocean was pouring into a stream. Within seconds, Alan felt his body brimming with strength.
[Congratulations! By devouring the Black Iron Corpse King, your strength has increased]
But it wasn't enough. To defeat the Corpse King, Alan had to break through to the four-star level and reach the five-star level.
"Roar!"
The Corpse King sensed the danger behind it and realized that the power within its body was constantly being plundered.
Enraged, the Corpse King swung its arms, piercing through the air. The surrounding trees were instantly uprooted.
The tremendous force surged, blowing away everyone's attacks. They themselves were unable to withstand the impact. Several students spat out blood as they fell to the ground, losing their lives in an instant.
The terror was unimaginable. The Corpse King's casual strike rendered the dozen or so one-star black iron warriors utterly defenseless, resembling ants crushed underfoot.
The only one who wasn't knocked away was Alan, but the sheer power still made his scalp tingle.
In a last-ditch effort, Alan could only stop devouring and dodge the Corpse King's incoming strike.
Narrowing its eyes, the Corpse King swung its other arm. Overwhelmed by the immense energy, Alan was unable to move.
"It's over!"
The five-star corpse king was so powerful that Alan would be seriously injured if he received a blow, and he was guaranteed to lose his ability to fight.
He couldn't hide. Alan gritted his teeth, because of his injury, he wanted to gamble.
"Devour!"
Once again, he activated Devour. Alan became consumed by it, solely focusing on urging the Devour ability. The enormous energy from the Corpse King's body continuously flowed into Alan's palm, transforming into his own energy.
It was obvious to see that it was working as thr speed of the corpse king's arm swing is gradually slowing down.
[Congratulations! By devouring the Black Iron Corpse King, your strength has increased]
[Congratulations! By devouring the Black Iron Corpse King, your strength has increased]
[Congratulations! By devouring the Black Iron Corpse King, you have become a five-star black iron warrior]
Before another voice could be heard, the Corpse King's arm struck. Alan was directly hit by the massive blow.
"Alan!" Sofia cried out in despair. Olivia shed tears, her heart pierced with pain.
Jason's eyes reddened, and he tried to stand up but couldn't. A hint of secret joy flickered in Victor's calm expression.
Boom!
An astonishing scene unfolded. The Corpse King's arm abruptly stopped, as if halted by an even stronger force.
Suddenly, a human hand rested on the Corpse King's massive arm, revealing a pair of eyes filled with fighting spirit.
Alan grinned.
"Five-star Corpse King, is that all?!"