Chapter 246: Elite Demon, the Snow Lady’s Curiosity

Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Elite Demon, the Snow Lady’s Curiosity

Immediately after, the brand-new buff effect jumped directly into the center of Lance’s vision.

[Ring of Iron Blood: Wearer’s Crown Value gain +10%. Actively attracts Ordinary Demons within a 50-meter radius. Increases the drop rate of "Basic Materials" from Ordinary Demons by 10%.]

Lance only gave it a cursory glance before immediately turning his attention back to the battlefield before him.

This basic buff couldn’t satisfy his appetite at all.

Since he had come here today, he planned to grind this special mechanic to its absolute limit!

The bloody slaughter continued.

Half an hour later.

A phantom crown, woven from intersecting blue and red light, began to slowly materialize above Lance’s head.

[Boiling Blood Copper Crown: Wearer’s Crown Value gain +30%. Attraction radius doubles again. Ordinary Demons have an extremely low chance to drop "High-Quality Materials."]

Another full hour passed.

The phantom copper crown above his head underwent a qualitative change, beginning to emit a dazzling silver light.

[Mad Slaughter Silver Crown: Radius doubles. Wearer’s Crown Value gain +50%. Additional Trait: Aberration! Demons within the attraction radius have a 3% chance to directly mutate into an Elite Level or a special Aberrant-type!]

By now, Lance’s appearance was completely different from when he had first stepped into the nest.

The Leather Vest he wore, which had been in decent condition, was now nothing but tattered strips of cloth.

In such a dense encirclement of monsters, expecting to remain completely untouched was pure fantasy.

His sturdy muscles were covered in a crisscrossing mess of bloodstains and fresh claw marks.

Although the number of wounds looked frightening, none of them were actually serious. They were mostly superficial scratches that had just broken the skin.

This battle was fundamentally different from the one in the Destiny Track Dungeon.

Back then, the Demons had at least charged in waves from a single frontline.

But now, these attracted monsters were assailing him from every angle.

Thankfully, he had the rear-guard warning and frontal damage reduction provided by Death Line Defense.

Otherwise, he would have suffered far more than just a few superficial wounds.

BAM!

Lance’s sharp Dragon Leaping Tail lashed out like a whip, snapping the neck of a nearby Bomb Goblin.

As for the Iron Spear he had been holding earlier...

It had been completely destroyed tens of minutes ago by the corrosive acid relentlessly spat out by the Slimes.

With the formation of the Mad Slaughter Silver Crown,

the number of monsters pouring into the nest began to grow at a terrifying, exponential rate.

This endless siege caused the defensive pressure on Lance to skyrocket.

Just as he finished off the Goblin, the moss-covered rock wall to his left suddenly shattered with a deafening CRASH.

A Blind-Eyed Crystal Lizard, over three meters long and covered in thick, dark blue crystals, charged straight out.

The beast was more than double the size of the ordinary ones he had encountered before.

Its tail, covered in sharp Crystal Clusters, swept toward Lance’s waist like a scythe, letting out a piercing whistle.

It was too fast!

Lance’s pupils contracted. He made an instant judgment as it closed in.

’This Elite Monster’s Agility Attribute must be nearing the 30-point mark.’

’And the Burst Power behind that tail strike is probably over 35 points!’

Lance’s brain issued the command to dodge, but his body was half a beat too slow.

He was brutally struck in the waist and ribs by the thick lizard tail.

An irresistible force slammed into him, sending Lance flying sideways into a dense pack of Demons.

The surrounding Slimes and Ghouls immediately pounced, piling on top of him layer by layer.

In the blink of an eye, Lance’s figure was completely swallowed by the pile of Demons.

This was the despair-inducing tide of monsters drawn by the Mad Slaughter Silver Crown’s Aura—a tide that seemed as if it could never be slain.

But.

The next second!

BOOM!

A pillar of white steam, searing with terrifyingly high temperatures, erupted from the center of the Demon pile, sending a group of Demons flying in all directions.

Phantom-like Energy Dragon Scales flashed within the white vapor.

[Dragon Form: Activation]!

Now, Lance was covered head to toe in translucent Energy Dragon Scales, his eyes transformed into Dark Gold Vertical Pupils.

A wave of Dragon’s Might instantly spread out with him at the center.

The surrounding Low Level Demons reacted as if they had met their natural predator, all of them freezing in place.

It seemed the intimidating presence of a True Dragon had a significant suppressive effect on these low-intelligence Demons.

His Power and Agility Attribute skyrocketed under the terrifying amplification of his Dragon Form.

Lance ignored the small fry that were stunned around him.

He stomped his right foot on the ground, creating a deep crater where he stood.

His entire body transformed into a streak of light, leaving an afterimage as he shot straight toward the still-frozen Elite Blind-Eyed Crystal Lizard.

The beast had no time to react as Lance’s right arm, drawn back like a powerful bow, unleashed a fully charged [Dragon-Slaying Spear], plunging directly through the gap in its most vulnerable scales under its jaw.

His arm tore through the thick crystal and flesh with unstoppable force, bursting out from the top of the Crystal Lizard’s head.

Lance clenched the fingers of his left hand.

"Suicide Bombing!"

A ball of silver-red light, several times larger than its normal state, exploded directly inside the Crystal Lizard’s skull.

Fragments of dark blue crystal and scalding beast blood splattered everywhere, showering the surroundings.

A few warm drops of blood even splattered onto Lance’s cheeks.

[Dragon Form: Remove]!

The instant the target was killed, Lance deactivated his transformation. The Dragon Scales dissipated, minimizing the drain on his life force.

As he watched the Elite Monster collapse with his own eyes, he felt something from within its body get absorbed directly by his Ethereal Melting Furnace.

But there was no time to check his spoils.

Because the Demons, having recovered from the shock of his Dragon’s Might, were once again surging forward like a frantic tide.

Lance took a quick glance. Just within a three-meter radius, twenty to thirty Demons had him surrounded.

And countless more red eyes glinted from the darkness beyond.

"Fuck!"

Lance cursed under his breath.

He could feel that maintaining the attraction of the Mad Slaughter Silver Crown had pushed him to the absolute limit of what he could handle solo.

If he kept fighting like this, he might very well be completely overwhelmed by the sea of monsters.

「Several hundred meters away from Lance’s battle.」

Nieve was also here, grinding monsters.

She was actually a Level 3 Frost Knight with a Rare Profession.

The Iron Throne had destroyed their outpost’s supply depot, and the squad was wary of a sneak attack from the Crimson Bell of Death. For safety’s sake, they had Nieve stay behind in the relatively safe First Area to rest and recuperate.

At this moment, a faint Ring of Iron Blood also encircled her.

She had just swung the Broadsword in her hand, which emanated a frosty air.

The sharp, frost-wreathed blade cleanly cleaved a pouncing Ghoul in two.

Ice crystals shattered and flew, mixed with foul blood.

Unlike her usual dazed and absent-minded state, once she entered combat, Nieve’s gaze would become intensely focused.

Just then, a new Sound Wing Beast seeped out from the rock wall of the cavern ceiling.

Nieve tightened her grip on her sword hilt, ready for a fight.

However, the newly spawned Sound Wing Beast only glanced down at her for a moment before turning its head to look toward another part of the pit.

Immediately after, it completely ignored Nieve, flapping its Wings and hurriedly flying off in that direction.

Nieve tilted her head, confused.

But something even stranger was yet to come.

She had just turned her head when she saw a Bomb Goblin, its back laden with Alchemy Explosives, scurrying past her on its short legs.

The little green-skin even turned its head and met her gaze for a second.

Then, as if it hadn’t seen her at all, it just kept running straight ahead.

Nieve had never seen anything so bizarre in her entire life.

Driven by curiosity, she gripped her sword and started jogging after the Goblin.