Chapter 68: Appearance of the Boss-tier Monster

Han Xing gritted his teeth and cursed, "Damn it, this mission was a trap from the very beginning!"

"That piece of metal was deliberately thrown out by this strange bird. It has used this method to lure many people in!"

"The corpses on the ground are all the unlucky bastards tricked in by the monster."

Hearing this, Zhang Lianmeng turned pale with fright, her hand barely able to hold her staff steady.

She said with a trembling voice, "I... I'm sorry, I didn't expect this mission to be a trap!"

"I... I'm sorry... Wuwuwu..."

Han Xing was about to speak.

The next moment, the strange bird's captivating red pupils locked onto him.

A terrifying figure lunged fiercely toward him.

The bird leader activated its skill: Shadow Assault.

At the same time.

Han Xing crouched down immediately, swallowed a bottle of Mighty Bear Strength Secret Elixir, and unhesitatingly unleashed his most powerful burst skill.

Multi-Shot!

Thud, thud, thud!

Arrows fired in rapid succession.

This attack triggered several special effects simultaneously.

Moonlight Flow, Barbarian Might, Armor-Piercing Arrows.

Under the multiple enhancements, the offensive power of Han Xing's arrow had reached a formidable level.

Puff! Puff, puff!

Among them, three arrows accurately struck the charging strange bird, burying themselves deep into its skin.

"Screeech!!"

Following a hoarse, miserable cry, the strange bird's charging momentum stalled before it crashed heavily to the ground.

The monster seemed utterly surprised that a human with such a weak aura could actually injure it.

Even Zhang Lianmeng looked at him in utter shock.

This was a Level 10 boss-tier creature! Ordinary Level 6 survivors couldn't even break its defense!

Her perception of Han Xing's formidable offensive power was once again elevated to a new level.

However, at that very moment, the strange bird activated another skill: 'Wailing Wind'.

A fierce gale swept over them, carrying sharp gravel that blew both Han Xing and Zhang Lianmeng flying backward.

The two slammed heavily onto the ground, their bodies lacerated with numerous bloody gashes by the flying stones.

By this time, Zhang Lianmeng's mage robe had been shredded into strips by the roaring onslaught, leaving large areas of fair, snowy skin exposed, painting a somewhat alluring picture.

Yet, Han Xing had no mood to appreciate this right now.

The hurricane whipped up by the strange bird earlier had blasted several bloody holes into his body.

He suddenly felt a sweetness in his throat, and a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out.

"Damn it, is this what a boss-tier monster is like? Its attack power is truly terrifying..."

Han Xing muttered as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He seemed unable to match the monster before him, and the situation had turned severely unfavorable.

Seeing him in this state, Zhang Lianmeng seemed to have made up her mind.

She gripped her staff tightly and stepped in front of Han Xing.

"What are you doing?" Han Xing asked with a puzzled expression.

Gritting her teeth and summoning all her strength, Zhang Lianmeng spoke with forced courage: "I'm sorry, I'm the one who dragged you here. I... although I'm very weak, I should be able to hold this monster off for a while. You... you run first!"

Her weak voice carried a trace of steadfastness.

The strange bird was charging over again, but perhaps wary of Han Xing's attack power, it did not strike immediately.

Instead, it chose to circle around him, seemingly searching for the optimal angle to attack.

"Screeech! Screeech!"

The piercing, bizarre cries echoed continuously.

After a moment of bewilderment, Han Xing suddenly asked, "You're going to hold this monster off? How?"

Zhang Lianmeng turned pale and shook her head, "I, I don't know..."

Han Xing chuckled, "That could work, I suppose. This bird loves drinking blood, and since you have so much meat on you, you probably have plenty of blood to keep it satisfied for a while."

Hearing this, Zhang Lianmeng knew Han Xing was teasing her.

She gritted her teeth and softly retorted, "I... I'm not fat! I don't even weigh 120 pounds, I just look a bit plump..."

Han Xing shook his head, having no intention of teasing her further, and said, "Alright, get back here. It's just a Level 10 boss monster, not a life-or-death situation yet."

Zhang Lianmeng looked at him blankly. At that moment, the strange bird lunged forward fiercely.

Han Xing pulled Zhang Lianmeng behind him, glared at the strange bird, and said coldly, "Ugly thing, today I'll let you witness my true power!"

Zhang Lianmeng looked on in nervous suspense, thinking Han Xing was about to unleash some ultimate move.

Instead, Han Xing suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: "Coal Ball! Save me!"

"???"

Zhang Lianmeng's face was plastered with question marks.

However, right as Han Xing finished speaking.

A dark shadow rushed from the tunnel behind them at breakneck speed.

With a velocity surpassing that of the strange bird, it instantly appeared right above the monster's bald head.

Coal Ball extended its wolf claws, a cold gleam flashing in the gloomy cavern.

Swish! Swish, swish!

The next moment, the strange bird shrieked as several new bloodstains appeared on its body.

And this was merely the beginning.

Coal Ball once again demonstrated the formidable mobility it had shown against the elite puppet, carving a dozen wounds into the strange bird before the monster could even react.

The defense-reduction status stacked to the maximum instantly.

Furious beyond measure, the strange bird let out a sky-shattering roar and began flapping its leathery wings wildly in an attempt to strike the little fur ball.

However, with Coal Ball's terrifying dodge rate and speed, even a Level 10 boss couldn't touch it.

It barely bothered to dodge, taking the strange bird's attacks head-on while continuously inflicting damage.

This form represented Coal Ball's true combat prowess. Having just leveled up, it was capable of fighting psionic puppets with boss-level strength and completely suppressing them.

As for this strange bird, in terms of threat level, it fell short of an elite-tier psionic puppet.

Its constitution and spirit attributes seemed affected by some negative status, dropping drastically.

Its physical body was exceptionally frail, entirely lacking lord-level defense.

Its only advantages were agility and strength, yet it remained completely suppressed by Coal Ball.

Unable to see clearly in the darkness, Zhang Lianmeng could only dimly make out a dark shadow frantically attacking the strange bird.

And judging by the looks of it, the strange bird was actually getting the worst of it?

The strange bird wailed endlessly.

She was utterly bewildered, unsure what kind of creature that dark shadow was, but she knew it must be connected to Han Xing.

The sense of mystery and strength this man held in her heart deepened once more.

Meanwhile, after several failed attempts to lay a single claw on Coal Ball, the strange bird found dozens of fresh claw marks on its own body.

Driven mad with frustration, the bird took a deep breath, its skeletal chest expanding slowly, appearing to brew a major area-of-effect ultimate skill.

At that moment, Han Xing suddenly recalled the strange bird's fifth skill.

Dancing Gale.

That seemed to be a wide-range lethal ultimate attack.

With a solemn expression, Han Xing muttered, "Damn it, casting an ultimate right in front of me? Do you completely not take me seriously?"

Hearing the voice, the strange bird glanced sideways at Han Xing with its bloodshot eyes.

The next instant, it suddenly saw five arrows hurtling straight toward its head.

It was already too late for the strange bird to dodge.

In the nick of time, it was forced to interrupt the buildup of its ultimate, raising its leathery wings to desperately shield its vital spots.

Puff! Puff, puff!

All five arrows struck home, sending pillars of blood spraying into the air.

"Screeech!"

The strange bird shrieked in agony, having suffered severe trauma.

Han Xing injuring the strange bird was well within expectations.

After all, his attack power surpassed even Coal Ball's; he had been able to damage the boss leader from the very moment it appeared.

Now, compounded by Coal Ball's multiple debuffs, his arrow attacks had become even deadlier.

Realizing it was outmatched, the strange bird beat its wings, a sudden gust of wind forcing Coal Ball back.

Without a second thought, the bird plunged deeper into the cavern at an even faster speed.

The strange bird had actually run away.

Han Xing paused for a moment, wanting to press the advantage and pursue.

Yet, a sudden thought struck him, his expression shifting as he instantly abandoned the idea.

Coal Ball flashed forward, preparing to give chase.

Han Xing quickly called out, "Coal Ball, come back."

Coal Ball halted its pursuit.

The battle came to an abrupt end.

At this moment.

In the deep cavern, only the heavy breathing of two humans and one wolf remained.

Han Xing took a deep breath, staring fixedly in the direction the strange bird had fled, and said after a moment, "Let's go."

Zhang Lianmeng seemed to just snap out of a trance. "Ah? Go where?"

Han Xing glanced at her sideways. "Where else? That strange bird was beaten into retreating, not killed. It could make a comeback at any moment."

"This is its territory, and who knows what other tricks it has up its sleeve. Best to leave while we can."

With that, Han Xing looked at her with a chilling, eerie smile and asked, "Or do you happen to love the ambiance here and want to stay a while longer?"

Hearing this, Zhang Lianmeng's delicate body trembled, and she stammered in panic, "No! I don't want to stay here alone!"

"Then let's move."

Han Xing smiled and took the lead, walking toward the tunnel exit.

Zhang Lianmeng followed closely behind him, sticking to him almost shadow-like.

Nervously, she asked, "What was that dark shadow that helped us fight just now?"

Knowing she was asking about Coal Ball, Han Xing replied casually, "A pet I raised. Don't ask unnecessary questions."

"Oh..."

Though deeply curious, Zhang Lianmeng had vaguely gauged Han Xing's temperament and asked no further.

As Han Xing walked leisurely toward the tunnel exit, a faint sensation crept over him—as if an evil pair of eyes was watching him from the depths of the cavern.

Ever since he had seen those murals, a lingering sense of unease had weighed on his mind.

Even after the strange bird was repelled, that unease hadn't faded in the slightest.

At that moment, Han Xing recalled the contents of the murals.

The strange bird was clearly transformed from the elven man, and the murals recorded that a terrifying dark shadow had continuously followed him, even trailing him all the way here.

In other words, the enemy in this cavern might not be limited to just the strange bird.

This place was far too eerie.

Until he possessed sufficient strength, Han Xing never wanted to set foot in this ghost place again.

This was also the real reason he had called Coal Ball back.

Coal Ball trotted silently behind them.

Only upon stepping back into the tunnel did Han Xing finally let out a slow breath.

Over those mere hundreds of meters, his back felt soaked in sweat, as exhausting as a full-scale war.

……