The sound of chewing was incredibly clear.
Even the noise of the flames burning couldn't cover it up.
John and Brian heard it.
Edward, who was closer, naturally heard it too.
Even more so, Edward felt a deeper sensation.
He could distinctly feel his hand-staff slipping away from him.
Immediately, Edward stopped the flames, his expression anxious as he looked over.
He absolutely didn't want anything to happen to his hand-staff; after all, this was a high-grade item that could only be used through 'ritual,' and even the former Edward could only find three such items after exhausting all his resources.
Therefore, when he clearly saw that Jason, his body charred black, was chewing vigorously on what should have been the hand-staff sticking out of his chest, the color drained from the face of the once uncrowned king of Cherry City.
He pointed his hand towards Jason.
He hoped to use the power he had obtained through 'ritual' to bind Jason.
But it was utterly useless.
Compared to the 'hand-staff,' such a 'ritual' gained power was far too childish for Jason.
On the contrary, Edward's action had caught Jason's attention.
The Jason whose body was blackened from searing flames, shoved the remaining piece of the hand-staff into his mouth, chewed a few times, and then spat out the remnants of the hand-staff.
Then, he grinned at Edward.
Jason's mouth split open all the way to his ear roots, his ghastly white teeth gleaming coldly under the street lamps.
"Roasted sugarcane, tasty," Jason murmured in a low voice.
Edward was taken aback.
He had not expected Jason to utter such words.
Or rather, he had never imagined his 'hand-staff' could be eaten.
You see, his 'hand-staff' was incredibly sturdy, impervious to both flame and ice, not only could it be used as a 'sword,' but it could also bind opponents.
But now it was being eaten by Jason?!
In utter disbelief, Edward watched Jason, blackened from head to toe, mask half-lifted from chewing, grinning at him, feeling an involuntary shiver in the pit of his stomach.
It was an instinctual response from his body, not at all voluntary.
It was like walking through a wilderness and suddenly encountering a hungry wolf... no, not a wolf.
A hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Edward stared at Jason, frozen in shock.
The next moment, Jason, who had launched a [Charge], charged towards Edward like an arrow shot from a bow.
He moved so fast, Edward had no time to react.
A flash of cold light!
Edward felt a sudden pain in his right hand.
By the time he realized what had happened, he found his right hand was gone.
Sliced off by that Broad Blade Cleaver.
And Jason was now holding his hand in his hand.
"Ah!" Edward couldn't help but cry out in pain.
Jason, however, plucked off the Ruby Ring and casually tossed Edward's severed hand aside in disgust.
Then, a Flame flickered in Jason's hand.
High-temperature disinfection is never wrong.
Without further ado, he tossed the ring into his mouth.
That familiar chewing sound began again.
Different from the previous roasted sugarcane taste of the hand-staff, this Fire Ruby Ring was a bit... spicy.
However, it was quite delicious.
It was like an egg with tiger-skin pattern dipped in chili oil.
The exterior was slightly crispy while the egg white inside was incredibly bouncy, and upon biting into the yolk, the soft texture made Jason's eyes light up.
But what surprised Jason the most was that the remaining caramelized taste of roasted sugarcane in his mouth had mixed with the spiciness, creating a very unique sweet and spicy flavor.
[Devouring the Binding Staff!]
[Physical Strength, Energy, Injuries greatly recovered!]
[Devouring Flame Ring]
[Physical Strength, Energy, Injuries greatly recovered!]
"Delicious!" Jason couldn't help but comment again.
It was well worth the burns he suffered under the intense flames, dying three consecutive times.
It was more than enough!
If dying three times could give him a taste of such deliciousness again, Jason was truly willing to do it all over, and if such 'death' had a limit, he wished it were ten thousand times over.
The deliciousness stimulated Jason's brain.
His gaze couldn't help but turn towards Edward, who was clutching his wrist and slowly retreating.
There was still a 'food' scent emanating from the other party!
Without the concealment of 'ritual,' Jason's nose was doing its job!
Besides the hand-staff and the Ruby Ring, there was still 'food' on the other party!
And it was even more aromatic than the hand-staff and the Ruby Ring!
"Don't come any closer!"
"I..." Edward didn't finish his sentence before Jason's blade swept across his neck.
The blade sent back that distinct sensation of cutting through flesh, but Edward did not die.
He just staggered and fell to the ground.
And this 'death' finally brought Edward completely back to his senses.
Looking at Jason, who seemed surprised, Edward sneered.
"You think you can kill me?"
"The King of Cherry City..."
Edward's sentence was once again cut short as Jason struck again, this time grabbing Edward's ankle and swinging him around like a sandbag before smashing him into the ground.
In the heavy sound, Edward was forcefully slammed into the ground by Jason's immense strength.
The asphalt road cracked, and a large puddle of blood appeared.
However, Edward did not die.