Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Chapter 575 Invasion of Bones

The mist was still churning, like living tentacles, constantly licking the walls and the ground, hissing and emitting wisps of black smoke wherever it passed, and the metal lab bench was rusting and deforming at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Clementine was the first to be drenched in the concentrated liquid. The mist was now seeping into her body through her soaked clothes and skin. She could clearly feel a chilling coldness trying to penetrate her pores, seeping wildly into her veins, bringing a sharp, needle-like pain wherever it went.

"Uh..." she groaned, kneeling on one knee, barely managing to steady herself by leaning on the sickle.

“Miss Claire!” Zixuan said anxiously.

"I'm fine, protecting the child is the most important thing!" she said, enduring the pain.

Zi Xuan was frantic with worry, but she couldn't leave the barrier. The corrosive power of the poisonous fog was beyond her imagination; the Poison Guardian's ability to fight poison with poison meant she would probably have perished here long ago.

"Quickly... quickly get everyone out of here!" Claire urged, enduring the pain.

“But you…” Zixuan was about to speak when she was grabbed by the leg by the flustered Hakro.

"Please, save me! I don't want to die here!" he pleaded in terror.

Seeing this, Zixuan couldn't bear it any longer and kicked him: "So you're afraid of death too! What about those children? When you captured them to be used as experimental subjects, did you never think about whether they were afraid of death or not!"

Holding the Flame King's Token, she summoned the battle sword used by Lieyuan Chiye for the first time. Just as she was about to step forward and cut it in two, Zhao Heng grabbed her shoulder.

"Calm down, this is not the time to settle scores. The most important thing is to get everyone out of this workshop," he said seriously, frowning.

“That’s right, that’s right!” The researcher next to him immediately crawled over and said, “According to that guy, ‘Black Death’ develops by devouring life, so the more people die here, the stronger its toxicity will be!”

Hearing the researcher's words, everyone's hearts sank.

"Then we can't delay any longer!" Zhao Heng made a quick decision and said to Zi Xuan, "Maintain the barrier and take the child!"

Everyone nodded, and as soon as they finished speaking, they ran back to the passage they had come from.

Before she could even walk back the way she came, Zixuan suddenly turned around and saw that Claire was still standing in the same spot, her movements noticeably sluggish.

"Miss Clementine, let's go!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Clementine staggered and turned around. But at that moment, she suddenly saw the ventilation opening on the top of the wall, and the leaking poisonous gas was spreading upwards along the ventilation duct.

"A ventilation shaft? Oh no, if the poison gas leaks out..."

Zixuan looked at the ventilation duct and asked with a glimmer of hope, "When we came here, weren't we told that because of the contract with Rek'os, the poisonous gas would be purified once it touched the air? It should be fine, right?"

Claire gritted her teeth and replied, "No, if it were just a wisp of smoke, it wouldn't matter, but the virus here is extremely concentrated. Even if it can be purified, it will take time, so I can't take the risk!"

Then she looked at Zixuan and said, "You and Mr. Zhao Heng take the children and the others and leave here as soon as possible. Someone must stay behind to cover our retreat!"

"What? But your current condition..." Zixuan said in shock and worry.

Upon hearing this, Claire forced a smile: "Don't worry, as a paladin, I'm not so easily defeated!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she supported her battered and bruised body and walked to the center of the room.

Zixuan gritted her teeth, but since she was in control of the barrier against the poisonous gas, she had no choice but to steel herself.

"Okay... then take care..."

She turned around and, together with the others who were equally reluctant to leave, ran back the way she had come.

Clementine smiled slightly: "Of course, after all, I am also very afraid of death."

As soon as she finished speaking, she opened her arms and used the thorns to temporarily block the ventilation opening.

At that moment, a raging fire ignited in the palm of her left hand, but she quickly extinguished it.

No, flames can extinguish poison, but in such a confined environment, burning toxic fumes over a large area with flames could easily cause an explosion if not handled carefully.

Regardless of whether Zixuan and the others escaped safely, even if they returned to the ground safely, the shockwave from the explosion would push the incompletely burned toxic gas in all directions, which would be putting the cart before the horse.

"Since we can't use fire, then..."

After saying that, she made a snap decision and used the poison element to forcibly absorb the poison gas into her body.

This was an extremely risky, even crazy, decision, but for the sake of the glacier, she had to do it, just like Phoenix did back then, burning with desire, rising from the ashes.

The primordial liquid of the Black Death rapidly seeped into her body through elemental power, while its gas, under her influence, surged wildly into her body.

The excruciating pain instantly escalated into a tearing torture.

Claire felt as if countless red-hot wires were simultaneously piercing and churning her blood vessels and internal organs. An ominous purplish-black color appeared under her skin, spreading rapidly throughout her body along her blood vessels.

But she persevered to the end with her willpower and supported herself with her beliefs until the very end.

Each wisp of poison gas that entered her felt like a thousand venomous insects gnawing at her bones and blood. Her consciousness teetered on the brink of collapse amidst the excruciating pain, her vision blurred, and the sizzling sound of the toxins burning her meridians filled her ears. Yet she clenched her teeth, refusing to utter even a muffled groan.

"Don't... underestimate me!"

"Poison and fire, blood and moon... what a strange combination."

I remember that was the first time I did practical training with Peipei and our teacher.

In her first real battle, Pepe charged forward relentlessly. No matter how many times she was knocked down, she would get back up and attack again. In contrast, I, on the other hand, retreated countless times.

Compared to Peipei, I am simply a burden to her; this thought has crossed my mind more than once.

She had worked just as hard as Peipei, but in the end, her fragility became her biggest weakness.

"Strength is not innate; talent varies from person to person. Sometimes, you don't need to force yourself. Just do what you're good at, what you like, and what you believe is right. That's a form of proof in itself."

Sometimes the teacher would show a gentle side, but only towards me. But all this beauty came to a complete end with the conclusion of the trials that year.

"Krevy Schneizevna, your camaraderie during the trials was deeply moving; therefore, I bestow upon you 'Flawlessness' and bestow upon you the title of Blood Rose Knight. May you never forget the bonds you share with your companions, and with fire as your shield and thorns as your blade, protect the glacier's sincerity and purity."

Rek'os's voice still echoed in her ears in the great hall. It was not just a title, but a heavy responsibility and promise that she had to fulfill with her life.

Using flames as a shield and thorns as a blade, we protect the glacier's sincerity and purity...

Claire's consciousness gradually blurred amidst the excruciating pain, but those words remained etched into her mind like a brand.

She suddenly opened her eyes, and a defiant flame rekindled in her pupils, which had been blurred by the excruciating pain.