An Aura Farmer's Guide to Another World-Chapter 19: Blood & ashes (Lucy POV)

POV - Lucy

The transformation in scenery was akin to stepping from the depths of hell into a realm of bliss.

The fourth section of Devil's Island was blanketed with vibrant green grasses. Strategically positioned, a legion of wisteria trees rose majestically. Their branches stretched out to shade a stone walkway, with long, cascading leaves resembling elegant chandeliers.

The purple leaves resembled the long hair of a princess, and the surrounding air was imbued with a sweet, inviting fragrance, akin to a natural perfume.

I approached one of the wisteria trees, its massive trunk was wide and contorted, resembling a colossal serpent emerging from the ground.

'Scrunch!'

My back struck the trunk, and I sank into it as though it were a cushion. Its softness was reminiscent of the belly of a pig.

'Growl, growl!'

I rested my hand on my abdomen, attempting to quell the persistent emptiness gnawing within.

'Damn that bitch, she took our rations and ranaway."

My gaze shifted to the wisteria trees ahead. I rubbed my eyes, closing them briefly before opening them again.

To my surprise, the wisteria trees were bearing fruit. The tree across from me bore mangoes the size of a pregnant cow.

The adjacent tree was a wisteria tree, bearing strawberries along its bark. Each of the red berries was large enough to accommodate an adult dog. It was both enticing and unsettling simultaneously.

Surveying the entire area, I observed that all the trees aligned along the stone pathway were laden with fruits of varying sizes and colors.

'Growl, growl!'

Rather than succumb to hunger, I placed my faith in a gamble and approached the wisteria tree before me. Biting into my thumb, I drew forth a stream of blood and turned it into a dagger, sharp as a razor.

Carefully, I sliced a cube from the massive mango, comparable in size to a cow. Its hue was a vibrant orange with a subtle touch of red. I brought the mango to my nose and detected a familiar aroma—exactly how a mango should smell.

'Crunch, crunch'

'Slurp.'

The soft, juicy meat of the mango cascaded down my throat. Surprisingly, it was cold like a block of warm ice.

Liam had been separated from me, making it impossible to team up with him. My only choice was to meet him at the center of the island.

'Whoosh.'

A hand emerged from the enormous mango and seized my wrist. Without hesitation, I fell back and firmly planted my feet on the stone pathway.

My blood forged another dagger, and I grasped both weapons firmly.

I lifted one of the daggers in my right hand, its point directed toward the gaping maw of the fruit. Meanwhile, I held the other dagger lower, maintaining it as a steady anchor, prepared to parry or execute a swift strike as needed.

My stance felt balanced, ready to spring backward or lunge forward in a heartbeat.

'Plonkkkk'

From the giant mango fruit, something descended—a baby, an enormous human-sized infant standing six feet tall and entirely naked.

The baby emitted a piercing screech, his cry so intense that it caused the viscous liquid clinging to his body to quiver.

His round eyes gazed at me, each resembling the size of an apple. His nose was reduced to two holes on pale skin, creating an unsettling sight.

'Thud, thud.'

The overgrown baby started walking towards me.

At that moment, the remaining seven mango fruits hanging from the wisteria tree burst, unveiling eight additional adult-babies.

I took a step back, clutching my daggers.

'Don't come closer,' I whispered.

The adult babies paid no attention to me. They walked closer, their gaze fixed on my chest.

Suddenly, the first baby to hatch surged forward, extended his hand, and managed to place it firmly on my chest.

His head leaned forward, and he parted his lips to expose a set of teeth resembling those of a wild rabbit.

Aggressively, I struck the hilt of my dagger against his head, causing him to collapse onto the stone pavement.

The seven remaining adult babies swarm around me. One of them threw a punch toward my face, but I deftly evaded the attack by weaving aside.

My daggers crossed above my neck, forming an 'X.'

Catching the incoming fist with the blades, I swung my hands in opposite directions, severing the baby's wrist.

Another surge of piercing sound reverberated in the air, accompanied by a splatter of green blood.

With the back of my hand, I wiped away the blood on my brows and drove my dagger straight into the skull of the weeping monster, ending its life.

A left jab was aimed at my right ribs while simultaneously one of the seven remaining babies spread his palms and thrust them toward my breast, his rabbit-like teeth poised to seize my nipple.

I ducked, the attacker's left jab slicing through the air just inches above me. Without hesitation, I dragged my leg in a sharp arc, sweeping their balance from under them.

The two attacking adult-babies fell to the ground with force. Using precise, swift movements, I rose to my feet and hurled two daggers, targeting their skull with surgical accuracy.

'Crack, crack.'

Green blood oozed out, thick and sluggish, revealing parts of their flesh.

My gaze shifted to the five remaining adult-babies; Rather than recklessly charging like the previous three, they strategically formed a circle around me. The expressions on their faces made it evident that they were devising a plan.

Two attackers advanced from opposite directions, targeting my chest and back. However, I twisted sideways, causing them to pass by me as if I were a matador wielding a red cape.

Taking advantage of my movements, another pair of adult-babies crouched low and lunged, seizing my legs to hinder my mobility.

The infant, positioned a short distance away, advanced towards me, reaching out to my hands, intending to grasp them.

He appeared to believe that I was incapable of fighting, because two of my blood daggers were embedded in the skulls of adult-babies I had slain earlier.

My right fingers straightened, as though compressed beneath an immense weight, resembling a flat sheet of paper. Each finger was extended, becoming a sharp, needle-like extension.

I didn't hesitate, I struck forward with a sudden, almost whip-like motion, aiming to tear into the baby with the razor-fine points of my fingernails.

At the moment, he ceased his advance toward me, but his destiny was already determined. I controlled my blood mid-strike, extending it to pierce through the attacking adult-baby.

I propelled myself forward with a forceful kick, breaking free and leaping into the air, twisting mid-motion to realign position beyond their formation.

While airborne, blood oozed from my injured thumb, forming droplets that transformed into sharp needles, cascading down upon adult babies.

By the time my feet touched the soft grass far from the stone pavement, only one of the adult-babies remained alive.

His body was pierced in several places by my needles, yet he continued to drag himself toward me.

His mouth parted as though intended to speak, but instead, expelled green blood in a cough. His left hand gripped his injured right arm tightly. With a low grunt, he propelled himself using his good leg, stumbling in a series of uneven and desperate leaps.

"Mmm, Mnnn."

Soft murmurs escaped his lips, and his eyes glistened with hunger as they gazed up at me.

"I am not your mama,"

I snapped my fingers. "Blood Art Technique: Inferno."

Instantaneously, his body combusted and turned into dust.

[Mana -10%]