"Benefits? Is there even a need to ask?" the Painter chuckled. "The benefit is ’everything.’ Everything you need, everything you desire.

However, I’m sure you won’t agree, so that’s enough for pleasantries. Enjoy the funeral I’ve meticulously prepared for you."

Twenty-seven painted creatures swarmed him. Zhou Chen immediately used his Magic Wand to turn a large patch of empty ground into a pool of water. Several of the painted creatures carelessly fell in, but they were not afraid of the water, bursting out from the surface one after another.

’I should have turned it into sulfuric acid...’ a regretful thought flashed through Zhou Chen’s mind. His Magic Wand shot out a high-temperature flame, but the pencil-filtered Siegfried dispelled it with its own Magic Wand. Since they were the same Forbidden Object, one couldn’t overcome the other’s technique.

The outline of a sharp blade silently appeared in the air. Zhou Chen dodged in a flash, the dangerous edge grazing past him. The earth groaned as tremors spread, a deep gash appearing on its surface.

The one wielding the blade was a pencil-filtered old mercenary from the Eastern Continent. His Swordsmanship was superb and his experience was formidable. Although the strike missed, it exposed a flaw in the dodging Zhou Chen’s defense. The mercenary immediately followed up with a horizontal slash. At the same time, several other replicas with Tier Three Power attacked, their sharp, storm-like assault sealing off every inch of Zhou Chen’s escape route.

Zhou Chen’s pupils contracted. He immediately used his Magic Wand to create some distance, thinking, ’Tier Three is Tier Three after all. Even with only half their strength, their combat power is terrifying. Especially when they coordinate with each other, the slightest mistake could be fatal.’

’In that case...’

’I’ll turn these replicas against her!’ Zhou Chen roared in his mind.

[Wish Value -4100]

The replicas that were attacking Zhou Chen came to a sudden halt. After a brief stupor, they turned around and charged toward the "Painter" instead.

"’You can even brainwash painted replicas?’ The Painter frowned. ’That Ability is truly bizarre.’"

Facing the charging replicas, she was completely unfazed. She picked up an eraser from her easel and gave a light wipe in the direction of the twenty-seven replicas. They vanished without a trace, and a corner of the eraser was stained pencil-black.

Seeing this, Zhou Chen was a little surprised. He observed it carefully and confirmed that it wasn’t Forbidden Object B-026: Void Eraser, but an eraser the Painter had created using her own Ability. It could probably only erase her own creations.

"’With an Ability like that, you’re actually still with the Salvation Army, fighting for some so-called ’greater good’.’"

The Painter was incredulous. "’You could easily build a business empire, or become a regional warlord... No, you could even become president if you wanted!’"

"’Siegfried, have you gone mad?!’"

The Painter was right. If Zhou Chen wanted to, he could use his "brainwashing" to become a king or a tyrant. But he had a decent, if flexible, moral compass and couldn’t bring himself to commit such a deranged act as brainwashing innocent people. Besides, he wasn’t the type who enjoyed ruling over others.

"’Enough talk. You’re the next one I’m brainwashing,’ Zhou Chen threatened calmly."

"’You can try,’ the Painter said, unconcerned. She had made thorough preparations. Forget a Tier Two, not even a Tier Four ’Siegfried’ could brainwash her."

The moment her voice fell, Zhou Chen’s figure abruptly appeared in front of her, his Magic Wand tapping forward.

TAP.

It struck a paintbrush.

The paintbrush was instantly shattered into several pieces. In her other hand, the Painter gripped a brush dipped in scarlet paint and swung it at Zhou Chen.

Blood burst from Zhou Chen’s chest. A horrific, slanted wound ten centimeters wide appeared on his body. The flesh within had vanished, directly erased by some force. The neat, cross-sectioned edges of bone and internal organs were visible on both sides of the gash, and blood gushed out like a waterfall.

Zhou Chen’s eyes widened in astonishment. He subconsciously tapped his foot with the Magic Wand, and the injury on his body vanished instantly—this was the Magic Wand’s Recovery Ability.

The Painter didn’t stop. She retreated backward, the paintbrush dripping with scarlet pigment slashing toward Zhou Chen again, like the most dangerous blade in the world.

This time, Zhou Chen relied on his speed to dodge. Instantly, a scarlet streak appeared on a distant mountaintop—a graffiti-like scarlet line over ten meters long.

’Is this really fucking Tier Two?!’

Zhou Chen was shocked. The Painter’s Power was beyond his imagination. And neither the Sea Monster nor the Joker had ever mentioned she had this kind of Ability.

He couldn’t really blame the Sea Monster and the Joker. The Painter was a recent addition to Fallen Paradise, so they didn’t know the full extent of her capabilities. If they had seen the Power she was demonstrating now, they probably would have been shocked too.

Zhou Chen stomped forward, unleashing a massive sound. He closed in on the Painter with explosive force, giving her no more chances to strike. He threw a sweeping roundhouse kick, the air cracking with the sound.

BANG!

The Painter’s delicate body shot away like a cannonball, crashing violently into a nearby hill.

Zhou Chen used Instant Teleportation to appear at the spot. He raised his Magic Wand and unleashed a Jet Flame. In the sunken crater, a human-shaped silhouette was set ablaze by the Fiery Fire.

But then, Zhou Chen realized something was wrong.

In the flames, colorful pigments gradually melted away, revealing the "Painter’s" true nature.

It was actually a humanoid painting!

"’Siegfried, you didn’t really think a weak little woman like me would come to kill you without any preparations, did you?’ Bathed in flames, the Painter’s body gradually burned and melted, a mocking smile on her face."

"’You win this time, but it’s not over. We’ll meet again soon. You’re an excellent model. I will... definitely... turn you... into a specimen... for my collection...’"

The Painter’s body completely melted into a pool of ink, which was finally burned by the Fiery Fire into a charred black mass.

’Just a painted Clone was this hard to deal with. I wonder how strong her real body is...’ Zhou Chen fell silent for a moment, then turned his head to look at the conspicuous scarlet graffiti on the distant mountain, his guard rising. ’It’s a good thing it was me. Anyone else would probably have been swarmed and killed by the painted creatures before they could even get close... No, they probably wouldn’t have even been able to get out of that bamboo forest painting. And even if they did get close, they definitely couldn’t withstand the Painter’s pigment attack. That’s a Skill capable of instantly killing most Tier Two Ascenders. The fact that the Painter dared to come and intercept me alone shows how confident she is in her own strength.’

RUMBLE... The massive sound that reached his ears broke Zhou Chen out of his thoughts. He looked toward the source of the noise and froze.

’The earth... is shattering!’

A violent tremor traveled through the ground, as if mountains were collapsing and the earth was splitting apart. Zhou Chen planted his feet firmly to keep his balance.

In the distance, enormous, pure crystals pierced through the surface from underground. These columnar crystals grew at an insane, frenzied pace, occupying the entire battlefield in a short time. They grew chaotically, some strewn about haphazardly, others soaring straight into the sky. The crystal pillars never collided with each other; if they were about to touch, they would instantly merge.

A few minutes felt exceptionally long. Just as many thought they were going to die there, the tremors ceased, and the growth of the crystals stopped. Looking out, one could see towering, pure white crystals everywhere. They were so immense they had practically become majestic mountain ranges, looming over everyone’s heads. In front of them, fighter jets looked as tiny as flies.

These crystals contained no impurities. They were perfectly translucent, glittering under the sunlight so brightly it hurt to look at them. They were also highly corrosive. The glittering crystals on the ground grew rapidly, spreading out in all directions like an army conquering new territory, turning everything into a crystalline kingdom.

The earth, rocks, trees, guns, bullets, corpses, tanks, drone wreckage... even living people!

Anything that came into contact with the crystals was mercilessly devoured, eroded, and transformed into a part of the crystal mass.

The battle between the Salvation Army and the Government Army was temporarily halted because of this, and the troops began to retreat rapidly.

This was not a secret weapon from either side.

"’What is this stuff...’"

Zhou Chen’s expression gradually grew grim.