Chapter 272: Three Hearts Of The Earth; Light Ahead
Chapter 272: Three Hearts Of The Earth; Light Ahead
The monsters went berserk, viciously attacking the skeletons. Countless tentacles surged from the lava, whipping the Skeletal Warriors. Thousands upon thousands of these tentacles lashed out, striking at an incredible rate—dozens of times per second. Fortunately, the attacks weren't powerful, and the Lich General managed to keep pace. The skeletons retaliated fiercely, their blades swiftly cutting down the monstrous fish in pursuit.
[Killed level 55 Earth Fire Fish, EXP +1,100,000]
[Obtained Earth Shard]
Lin Moyu noted the notifications. Although the level 55 monsters were weaker than those in the core area, but the Skeletal Warriors were killing them too quickly. By the time Lin Moyu arrived, dozens had already been slain, costing him dozens of Earth Shards.
Lin Moyu cast the Detection spell, curious about the plant-type boss
[Flower of the Earth (elite leader)]
[Level: 56]
[Strength: 80,000]
[Agility: 20,000]
[Spirit: 20,000][Physique: 120,000]
[Skills: Flail, Pollen, Regeneration]
[Traits: Fire Elemental Immunity, 50% Elemental Damage Reduction, 50% Physical Damage Reduction]
It turned out to be an elite leader, not a boss. With total attributes of 240,000, it was noticeably weaker than a boss of the same level, which could have attributes totaling up to 300,000.
Without waiting for instructions, Mu Xianxian charged forward.
Skill: Group Collection!
Her skill scattered like fireworks, engulfing the monsters, including the Flower of the Earth. Instantly, the flower ceased its attacks on the Skeletal Warriors and redirected its tentacles toward Mu Xianxian. The Earth Fire Fish also swarmed her.
Mu Xianxian squealed and quickly retreated as the tentacles lashed out at her with incredible speed. Despite being struck repeatedly, her Bone Armor absorbed all the hits, shimmering with each impact. Unaware of the Bone Armor's protection, she dashed back to Lin Moyu’s side without looking back, which amused him. As a level 59 player who had conquered countless dungeons, how could she still be so timid?
A faint red light flickered as Lin Moyu cast Damage Curse, followed by a series of explosions. It was harvest time.
The Earth Fire Fish were obliterated in the blink of an eye. The Flower of the Earth was severely injured, its petals blown off and falling into the lava. Enraged, the Flower of the Earth caused the entire lava field to tremble. Countless tentacles burst from the ground, transforming the area into a forest of writhing vines. Every hundred tentacles twisted together, forming thick, powerful vines that struck with immense force, sending the Skeletal Warriors flying.
"They actually merged. The attack power has increased significantly." Lin Moyu mused, assessing the damage inflicted on his Skeletal Warriors.
Although the combined tentacles were stronger, but that still wasn't enough. The Skeletal Warriors counterattacked, slicing through the vines, while the Skeletal Mages unleashed a barrage of spells aimed at the Flower of the Earth. As long as its main body was destroyed, the tentacles would become lifeless.
As the Flower of the Earth raged, hundreds of Earth Fire Fish leaped from the lava and sulfurous water. The sheer number of monsters, combined with the flailing tentacles, caused the timid Mu Xianxian to break out in a cold sweat again.
Despite being only nightmare rank monsters, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. For a mere 6-person party, entering the dungeon would be suicidal. A minimum of 18 people, if not more, would be necessary to ensure safety.
Eartheart dungeon had no party size restriction, allowing for larger groups. But for just two people to clear it seemed impossible. This was why neither the Abyssal Demons nor the Dragonkind had tried to stop Lin Moyu and Mu Xianxian—they expected them to perish inside. But things didn't go as they had predicted.
Glancing at the composed Lin Moyu, Mu Xianxian felt reassured. She knew that Lin Moyu was essentially soloing the dungeon, with her merely a supporting character. But she didn’t mind; she had grown to enjoy this role.
"It's your turn." Lin Moyu said.
"Okay!" Mu Xianxian responded cheerfully, darting forward to launch another round of fireworks.
The monsters were so numerous that one round wasn’t enough. She kept setting off fireworks until all the monsters were glittering, then quickly retreated, just in time to hear the deafening explosions.
Skill: Corpse Explosion!
Lin Moyu detonated one corpse after another, turning the area into a chaotic inferno of flying lava and sulfurous water, filling the air with thick smoke and the stench of sulfur. The Bone Armor activated automatically, shielding them from the toxic fumes.
The Flower of the Earth was severely injured once again, its vines and tentacles blasted apart and scattered across the ground. But then it glowed, drawing large amounts of lava toward it, rapidly regenerating itself.
Skill: Regeneration!
Mu Xianxian observed, "Plant-type monsters have exceptionally high health. The only way to deal with them is to take them out in a single blow."
Lin Moyu understood her meaning—plant-type monsters were notoriously resilient.
Suddenly, the Flower of the Earth released a cloud of pollen that exploded in midair. The Bone Armor absorbed the impact, while the skeletons began hurling Earth Fire Fish corpses toward the Flower of the Earth. Lin Moyu resumed his Corpse Explosion skill.
The explosions were relentless. With hundreds of corpses available, there was plenty of fuel. The skeletons kept throwing while Lin Moyu kept detonating, determined not to stop until the kill notification appeared.
The lava pool housing the Flower of the Earth was completely destroyed, with lava flying in all directions. The lava waterfall reversed, raining molten rock down and turning the area into a fiery wasteland.
[Killed level 56 Flower of the Earth, EXP +2,240,000]
[Obtained Earth Shard x500]
[Obtained Earth Shard through Collection x500]
The kill notification finally appeared, and Lin Moyu ceased his attacks. Plant-type monsters were indeed tough, requiring at least 50 explosions to completely destroy the Flower of the Earth.
The harvest was bountiful. The Flower of the Earth provided 500 Earth Shards, with another 500 obtained through Collection, equivalent to one Heart of the Earth. Combined with the shards from the Earth Fire Fish, Lin Moyu now had enough for another Heart of the Earth.
In one go, Lin Moyu had acquired two Hearts of the Earth, a rare and valuable resource.
With three Hearts of the Earth in hand, and the dungeon raid far from over, Lin Moyu and Mu Xianxian pressed on. After the Flower of the Earth was vanquished, the lava waterfall disappeared, the land lost its vitality, and the flowing lava cooled and solidified. The sulfurous water stopped boiling.
"Let's go." Lin Moyu said.
They leaped onto the cliff and continued forward. The new land they reached should have had channels of flowing lava, but the lava had cooled, leaving solid ground in its place. They traveled for a while without encountering any monsters. Even the Skeletal Warriors, scouting ahead, found nothing.
The vast, empty black land felt eerie. The elemental aura was even more intense here, as if every inch of the ground exuded a rich earth element. The stranger the situation, the more cautious Lin Moyu became.
This area was enormous, even larger than the previous two. The light from the glowing mushrooms grew dimmer, and the space darkened.
"There's light ahead." Mu Xianxian suddenly pointed out.
After walking for what seemed like ages, they finally saw something different—a red light, like a distant lamp, glowing on the dark ground.