Alessa didn't return to her own body. Instead, she strolled out of the ward like she was taking a walk. Through the filthy, grime-streaked glass of the hospital, she looked at the outside world, at this small town that had birthed her and raised her, feeling momentarily lost.
Bella didn't have time to accompany her in her melancholy. She nodded to express her thanks, then scooped up little Sharon with one arm, called out to Rose, and the three of them sprinted outward.
...
"Where are you running to? Hand that girl over to me!"
The trio had just left Alessa's ward when a pair of pale hands suddenly appeared in the air. The palms were devoid of any blood color, the fingernails glinted with a black sheen, and the five fingers hooked like five daggers, clawing viciously toward Sharon.
Alessa's Dark Side had caught up!
Bella certainly wasn't going to obediently hand Sharon over. She fired an Ice Ray, immediately followed by a Mind Blast.
Originally, she was worried about the opponent's willpower and magical depth. But after seeing Alessa's main body, she realized the Dark Side wasn't anything special. At best, she was a paper tiger; most of the magic power remained in the main body, while the Dark Side was merely the manifestation of negative emotions.
Dark Alessa was fast, drifting erratically like a ghost. However, Bella could sense the almost tangible malice; no matter how the entity hid, in Bella's perception, she shone as bright as a large light bulb.
The Ice Ray chased Dark Alessa's figure, sending ice shards flying. Dazzling frost skipped constantly between the walls, ceiling, and floor. Bella cast spells while retreating rapidly with the mother and daughter.
Dark Alessa was somewhat lacking in attack power, but her speed was extreme. She dodged repeatedly, seemingly planning to use her speed to drain Bella's psionic energy.
"Run! Fast!" Letting Rose hold Sharon, Bella dragged Rose along, occasionally looking back to throw a few Ice Rays and Lightning Rays at Dark Alessa.
The three of them burst out of Brookhaven Hospital. Immediately, they saw the silver-gray pickup truck and the wounded soldiers. The most miserable among them was still Comrade 006.
The Inner World and the Fog World were merging rapidly, causing a massive horde of enemies to suddenly appear in front of the hospital!
There were weirdos wrapped in what looked like plastic wrap (Lying Figures), faceless nurses holding sharp daggers (Bubble Head Nurses), and creatures made of two lower bodies connected together (Mannequins). The fiercest among them was a male humanoid creature wrapped entirely in bandages—the Bandaged Monster.
Not knowing when Bella and the others would come out, 006 was currently fighting alongside Shaw, the female cop, and the female lawyer, using the pickup truck as cover to hold the line against the monster army at the hospital gate.
The female cop's injuries were too severe; right now, she could only wave her pistol around weakly. The female lawyer, Jeri Hogarth, could technically shoot, but she was in a trance, so her combat effectiveness was negligible.
The main force intercepting the monster army was still 006 and Shaw.
"Sharon! Rose!"
"Oh my God! Christopher?!"
The family of three was finally reunited. However, this reunion scene wasn't exactly picturesque. Bella looked at the swarming mass of demons and monsters ahead, then at the relentless Dark Alessa chasing from behind, and felt her brain short-circuiting.
There was no time to explain. She pointed at Dark Alessa not far away. "Do you see that thing that looks somewhat like your daughter? Block her for me! Don't let her get close to Sharon. I'll clear a path!"
There were too many monsters. The pickup truck was completely surrounded; they couldn't rush out.
She created an Ice Rapier again and charged straight into the pile of monsters!
If only I had an AOE skill! Bella felt she really needed to research the principles of a Fireball spell!
She didn't pay attention to those grotesque, slow-moving monsters. Her rapier flashed with cold light; whether it was the wrapped people or the leg models, they all fell under her sword. Only that Bandaged Monster was a bit tricky.
This guy possessed immense strength—a punch to the wall left a massive crater—and his speed wasn't slow either. He darted back and forth, making Bella very uncomfortable.
She had to clear a path for the group, clean up the trash mobs, and guard against the Bandaged Monster's sneak attacks. Even with her skill, she was currently overwhelmed.
The Bandaged Monster suddenly jumped to Bella's side. She had just kicked a faceless nurse away and her center of gravity was unstable. Facing the enemy's vicious pounce, she had to twist her waist and swing her arm, feet up and head down, executing a backflip to dodge the attack while simultaneously thrusting the rapier into the Bandaged Monster's face.
The monster fell, but the wounds on Bella's shoulder and arm split open again, blood gushing out.
Continuous combat, spellcasting, plus the gunshot wound on her arm caused Bella's stamina and reaction speed to drop rapidly.
She had originally wanted to save this as a trump card, but she couldn't care about that now.
She reached out, dipped her finger in the blood on her shoulder, and quickly drew a symbol in the air. This was the gift Alessa had given her: Summon Pyramid Head!
Pyramid Head responded to the summon. However, the condition of this Brute wasn't great either. Not only was he covered in wounds, but there was also a finger-thick crack on that triangular helmet.
Bella felt a wave of annoyance. That crack... seems like, probably, possibly, perhaps... it was made by me?
006's family of three is absolutely toxic! Not only were most of her own side wounded, but now that she finally managed to summon a Brute, it turned out to be a heavily injured Brute!
Pyramid Head was hurt badly; he could barely swing his Great Knife. However, he still had some combat power left and could manage a few swings. Bella took out a few stronger monsters, and he swung his massive blade, cutting down more than ten enemies with a single strike.
Relying on the desperate struggle of Bella and Pyramid Head, the enemies within a ten-meter radius of the hospital gate were swept clean. Shaw floored the gas pedal of the pickup, carrying the passengers and forcing a way out.
While driving, Shaw threw a grenade at the dense cluster of monsters. Seeming to see her spirit form, Dark Alessa glanced at Shaw from afar. That single glance struck her ghostly form like lightning, making it flicker and turn unstable.
Then Dark Alessa glanced at Pyramid Head. The heavily injured Pyramid Head was blasted into flying ash; he couldn't be summoned again in the short term.
"Sit tight!" Bella hurriedly grabbed the steering wheel and stomped on the gas.
006 fought to the death to cover the rear. Having fired all his bullets, he used the butt of his gun to smash the monsters' heads. At the moment the pickup rushed out, he leaped, grabbing the tailgate of the pickup. With one leg inside the truck bed and one leg outside, he hung onto the vehicle, struggling to dodge various attacks.
The pickup carved out a bloody path, barely escaping Brookhaven Hospital.
006 was covered in injuries. He had been stabbed three times in the stomach by nurses, had slash wounds on his back and ribs, and his neck had been clawed by Dark Alessa. If not for his high level of training and fast reaction speed, that claw swipe would have torn his neck apart.
Bella's appearance was also miserable. The wounds on her shoulder and arm had burst open again due to the high-intensity combat. There was no time to bandage them; blood flowed as if it were free, dyeing her trousers red.