The hands appeared slowly, but Marco felt a force pulling him, preventing him from falling further.
He could only watch helplessly as the huge black hand drew closer and closer, slowly reaching out to grab him.
"quicksilver!"
A cold light flashed, and in an instant, the massive black hand was sliced into two, severed at the wrist, and the palm fell directly to the ground.
The dragging sensation on Marco's body disappeared, and he let out a sigh of relief.
He looked down at Rayleigh, who was holding a long sword, and said gratefully, "Thank you very much, Uncle Rayleigh!"
"Boy, come down!" Rayleigh shouted.
Marco quickly descended, and by then, everyone was already observing the severed palm that Rayleigh had cut off.
"Is this the danger we face on this level?" Rayleigh said with a hint of amusement. If this was the challenge at their current level, it seemed too simple.
Aside from everything else, this thing couldn't even withstand Rayleigh's sword, which made it seem far inferior to the black shadow they encountered on the previous level.
"Probably not," Larson replied, rubbing his chin. "Don't forget, besides those black shadows on the upper level, there's also the rule that we can't fly."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully.
Gaban said, "So, does this mean there are two rules per level now?"
"It seems like it," Rayleigh agreed.
"Then what's the purpose of this black hand?" Gaban asked.
They had all just witnessed the black hand suddenly appear and try to grab Marco, but as for what would happen if it succeeded, no one could tell.
Moreover, everyone realized that the black hand seemed to have been dealt with too easily. The rule on the upper level that prevented flying was absolute—no one could escape it, no matter how powerful they were. It was a strict rule that everyone had to obey.
No one, regardless of strength, could fly more than 20 meters above the ground.
The only variable was whether a black shadow would appear in the sky and attack you when you broke the flying rule.
But looking at this black hand now, aside from its intimidating appearance, it didn't seem to have anything special about it.
Even if it did, it wouldn't be able to pose much of a threat since Rayleigh had been able to cut it down so easily.
At worst, it would just take a few more strikes. For Larson and the others, as long as the enemy had a health bar, they could still be defeated no matter how much HP they had.
Of course, those unkillable beasts on the first level didn't fall into that category. Those creatures weren't just flesh; their ability to endlessly resurrect was enough to make anyone facing them feel hopeless.
Even Larson and the others had only managed to deal with them by knocking them unconscious.
Returning to the present, everyone was analyzing the black hand's abilities, except Larson, who had moved to the side, looking up at the leaves overhead—or rather, at the invisible barrier above them.
The black hand had appeared just as Marco was descending, which seemed different from the conditions that triggered the black shadow on the previous level.
The black shadow on the upper level had appeared because Marco had crossed the 20-meter threshold. In fact, Marco had learned his lesson and had been careful ever since, always keeping a good distance from that limit. He left plenty of room to ascend, wary of triggering the rule and getting knocked down again.
But this time, things were different. Marco was attacked before he even reached that distance, indicating that the rules at this level might not be limited to certain heights. It seemed likely that anything flying in the sky would be targeted.
However, Larson still wasn't sure what exactly their attack mechanism was. The black hand had tried to grab Marco, but what would have happened if it succeeded?
Would Marco have been transformed into something else, like another creature?
Larson furrowed his brow, deep in thought, but couldn't come up with a clear answer.
Rayleigh interrupted his thoughts.
"I think I've figured out the secret of this black hand."
Larson felt a bit surprised. Rayleigh had thought of something that he hadn't? It wasn't that he underestimated Rayleigh, but in moments of analysis and conjecture, Rayleigh's mind typically didn't shine in these areas.
However, something seemed different this time. Rayleigh had actively sought Larson out, claiming he had discovered the secret behind the Black Hand. Larson was intrigued, though not entirely confident.
"Tell me, what did you find?" Larson asked.
Rayleigh glanced at the sword in his hand. "I overlooked something. It didn't occur to me until just now."
Larson didn't interrupt and listened attentively.
"When I struck with the sword, the sensation I got from cutting that black hand felt exactly the same as when I cut through the shadows before," Rayleigh continued.
"Hmm?" This time, Larson was genuinely shocked.
Is this the mark of a true master? Rayleigh had severed the black hand with sword energy alone, yet he was able to detect such subtle nuances?
"Are you saying that this black hand might have been transformed from those shadows?" Larson grasped the implication of Rayleigh's words.
"Yes," Rayleigh nodded. "But I'm not sure if I'm entirely correct. It seems to me that, rather than being a stronger evolution, the transformation from shadow to black hand actually feels like a downgrade, like it's getting weaker instead of stronger."
"Not necessarily," Larson replied. "It's too soon to make that judgment. I believe this black hand isn't as simple as it seems. And you're overlooking one thing."
"What's that?" Rayleigh asked.
"This black hand encountered us, which is why you were able to deal with it so easily. It doesn't mean the black hand is weak—it's because you are strong," Larson explained.
Rayleigh, being humble by nature, felt a little embarrassed by the praise. "I'm not as strong as you're making me out to be, heh heh."
Larson couldn't help but smirk. Had he just discovered Rayleigh's hidden trait? Compliments seemed to make him a bit flustered.
"Ahem," Larson cleared his throat, steering the conversation back on track. "Do you think if the black hand encountered someone else, they could have handled it as easily as you did? And if they couldn't defeat it, we can't predict what kind of consequences it might bring. From what Marco described earlier, when he tried to descend, there was a powerful suction force preventing him from falling."
Larson continued, "That alone shows us this black hand isn't as simple as it appears. At the very least, we need to observe it further."
The previous black shadow revealed its rules only after Marco was hit three times. This time, the group wasn't eager to test the black hand repeatedly.