“We really have no path of retreat left...” This feeling gradually birthed in the hearts of team Africa whether they admitted it or not.

The two from team Devil were indeed as Neos analysed, one magic user and one melee combatant. Their strength wasn’t poor either. The magic user had actually taken advantage of the smoke to hide, while the melee combatant rushed forward to welcome them fearlessly.

The melee combatant’s enhancement was quite the strange one. He would become more powerful as he was attacked. It was unknown what extent the increase in power was and how long he could maintain it, but team Africa had currently indeed met a powerful opponent.

“SO! You wish to continue running?” The melee combatant from team Devil was dragging along the armoured man from team Africa, as he stood before Neos and the rest. He had actually shattered this resilient flooring as he directly ascended from the second to third floor. He was blocking team Africa’s path forward, and he didn’t have the slightest hint of fear on him.

“What was Xuan’s mission for you?” Neos wasn’t wordy, and bluntly asked the man who was ten meters away from him.

The melee combatant was stunned, before chuckling, “So curious right before your death? Correct, Xuan gave us the mission of delaying the time as much as possible and make you unable to pass on the message before team China reaches. Or, you can die from the sickness. The best would be to kill you at least. But your team is soooooooooooo weak. Killing all of you doesn’t matter as well. Hahaha...”

“Smart alec. Why exactly does the world keep producing smart alecs like you?” Neos gave a deep sigh. “But that’s fine as well. It’s people like you that spice up life. Accidents always follow accidents... right, idiot?”

That melee combatant began to laugh loudly. He stomped his foot down and charged towards Neos. There was a hideous wound on his back deep enough to show bone, as if he had been cut open by a sharp weapon. However, the flesh at both sides of the wound was squirming and repairing itself at a visible pace. The speed at which he pounced over was shockingly fast.

A clear sound rang out as the melee combatant slammed into a blood-red trident. Numerous symbols of three eyes were engraved on it as well as some unknown texts. The trident was quite strange, as it floated three meters before Neos for no rhyme or reason. It seemed to be swaying weakly, but it actually managed to tank the collision with the melee combatant, instead sending him flying several meters away.

“Even calling you an idiot is high praise for you. Team Devil would have been wiped many times over if it just had idiots like you to fight and didn’t have clone Zheng and clone Xuan. If you’re blocking our last path to survival, then we’ll drag you along with us as we go to hell!”

Neos grasped the trident as he began to chant loudly, “Respect the covenant of the ancient times, with my blood and eye as proof of it. Live together with me! And die together with me!”

A bloody red radiance was emitted as the chant progressed just as the melee combatant stabilized himself. He was still a member of team Devil after all, who had experienced countless battles. He immediately rolled to the side to avoid it, just as a streak of red light flashed past his previous position.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Neos had hurled out the trident, and it was deeply embedded in a nearby wall, despite God having reinforced it. It seemed to have corrosive properties as well, with the wall around it slowly starting to dissolve.

“What, what a joke! Xuan never said team Africa had people as powerful as this! AZASOLAH! If you don’t do anything now, I’ll leave first!” The melee combatant was immediately stunned and immediately began to shout.

As if in response to him, the sound of metal clanging rang out. At the entrance from the second floor behind team Africa, several skeleton soldiers swarmed out. They were even wearing metal, and the clanging sounds had been produced from the weapons in their hands colliding with their armour.

“Magic type combatants?” All of the members took out their weapons, but it was obvious the rest weren’t too strong, or could even be described as weak. All they took out were sci-fi weapons. According to the common sense of God’s Realm, the vast majority of the truly strong chose melee weapons.

The melee combatant didn’t dare exit his passageway, instead shouting, “Since you just slightly qualify as strong, fighting you is no longer a humiliation for us! My enhancement is the Muscle Muscle Fruit [1], that can convert damage taken into strength, expanding my muscles! My defence increases, and my power increases! I can easily kill you all as long as I can withstand one attack of your trident! So, think hard before you attack! You have but ONE chance!”

Neos ignored him, instead asking, “And your companion? What’s his enhancement?”

“That gloomy fellow? He exchanged some summoning enhancement for skeletons or something. I can easily shatter his skull as long as I don’t give him time. Dammit, what’s your enhancement?” The melee combatant only suddenly responded now, realizing he had unknowingly spoken out much about the fighting styles and weaknesses of his side, He immediately shouted.

Neos laughed coldly. He didn’t hide it, “My enhancement is the Three Eyes Race... The rest, I’ll tell you in hell!” He gestured with one of his hands, and that trident floated out as if it had a life of its own, until it landed in his hand. A bloody red radiance was emitted once again by the trident.

(Not good. They’ve tied us down here, and I don’t know what happened to Richard... Looks like this guy isn’t exaggerating. Their power is actually strong. What should we do? How can I leave a message for team China? We don’t have much time left.)

“All of you think of a way to deal with those skeleton soldiers below. They should be weak. Leave this one to me!)

Neos grasped the trident with one hand and roared towards those behind him. He was already charging forward as the words rang out.

The melee combatant wasn’t a complete idiot. He peeled off an ornamental wooden board from the wall besides him, then hurled it as Neos. At the same time, he launched himself up into the air.

All Neos saw was a wooden board flying towards him. It was as hard as granite after being reinforced, and he could only raise his trident to block it. The red light flashed, and it immediately transformed into green vapour. But at the same time, the other man had descended from above, and a fist was crashing towards him. The powerful fist seemingly tore apart the air and a series of booms resounded. The momentum was menacing, but surprisingly, the fist only struck twenty centimeters from Neos, as if there was something there, which actually even repelled him away.

“Telekinesis? Our team Devil also has a telekinesis expert, but his is innate. Could you possibly be stronger than him?”

The melee combatant wasn’t panicked, and the him that had been sent flying used a foot to stomp on the wall. In the instant the wall cracked, he had already rolled away from Neos, neatly avoiding a thrust from Neos.

When he had stabilised on the ground, he abruptly punched out once again. Although he didn’t hit Neos once again, he managed to send him flying backwards. The force was huge and sent Neos colliding into a wall. It wasn’t over yet as the man unleashed a kick. Neos seemed to be stuck in the wall, and although he managed to block the two attacks from him with telekinesis, the sensation of being sent flying wasn’t pleasant. He only felt sweetness in his throat and he couldn’t even react in time before being viciously kicked ten meters away. This time, his telekinesis only abated half the force. The other half passed through the barrier and landed on his right shoulder. It was bent as easily as bamboo, now crippled.

(As expected... For person without aptitude for melee combat, even if they use other methods to forcefully reach the power of a melee combatant, they won’t have the means to retaliate when they face a true melee combatant of the same level. Will I die here?)

[1] This fruit belongs to Urouge, the muscular monk guy who’s a part of the Worst Generation in One Piece like Luffy. However, his fruit’s name was never explicitly given in the manga/anime.