Chapter 767: Sea Serpent Priest
After sensing the strength reduction caused by the water pressure,
Ling Zhan realized that he didn't even need to buy underwater equipment to venture here.
Land-based Professionals couldn't breathe underwater, but Ling Zhan had a highly powerful general-purpose underwater skill, Turtle Breath Technique.
When this skill was at F-rank, its effects were fairly basic.
[Turtle Breath Technique (F): Upon activation, you can hold your breath underwater for one hour.]
Thanks to the system's daily rewards,
Ling Zhan not only possessed beginner-level skills from all major classes, but he had also learned all general-purpose F-rank skills comprehensively.
At least...
He had learned every beginner-level skill (both class-specific and general-purpose) that appeared in the skill compendium.
Now, his Turtle Breath Technique had been upgraded to SS-rank.
Its effects had undergone significant changes.
[Turtle Breath Technique (SS): Upon activation, the waters will part around you. You can freely breathe underwater and will be unaffected by the negative effects of water pressure. Duration: 30 minutes.]
Additionally...
There were several other general-purpose skills designed for underwater combat.
Fish Swim Technique allowed for smooth movement underwater, granting freedom of action like a fish.
Dart Swim Technique greatly increased underwater traversal speed.
Water Control Technique allowed mastery of water elements to cast water-element magic attacks.
Ling Zhan had initially refrained from using these skills because he wanted to experience the underwater environment firsthand.
After familiarizing himself with it, he had a good sense of the conditions.
The mythic-level underwater dungeon likely had a level-9 water pressure.
For most other Professionals, this would require extremely expensive underwater equipment to attempt.
Alternatively, Professionals belonging to deep-sea races could ignore the effects of water pressure.
But for Ling Zhan, the most basic underwater equipment would suffice.
With several SS-rank underwater skills activated, Ling Zhan was no longer affected by water pressure.
"Let's move forward."
At this moment,
Ling Zhan, having activated Turtle Breath Technique, felt completely at ease in the seawater.
With Fish Swim Technique activated, he felt even more comfortable and agile in the water than on land, swimming as effortlessly as a fish.
He began advancing forward.
Ansely and Avril nodded in response.
The former waved her staff and cast powerful buffs on Ling Zhan and Avril.
For Ling Zhan in particular, Ansely cast an SS-rank skill, Divine Blessing of the Holy Spirit.
This skill not only enhanced all of Ling Zhan's attributes but also granted him one instance of death immunity.
Avril rolled her eyes upon seeing this.
"Falling for someone and forgetting your bestie, huh?"
Ansely blushed deeply.
If it weren't for her concern about conserving mana, she would've cast all her best skills on Ling Zhan.
As the trio continued descending, they finally encountered sea serpent monsters!
And it was a group of them!
These sea serpents were massive in size—the smallest one was at least several hundred meters long!
They coiled together within a dark undersea trench, their blood-red eyes locking onto the unfamiliar presence of the three intruders.
Under the Eye of Appraisal skill, Ling Zhan quickly gathered detailed information on the sea serpents.
[Monster: Venomous Sea Serpent]
[Level: 130]
[Race: Deep Sea Tribe]
[Skills: Venomous Water Jet (A), Venomous Bite (S), Blindness Curse (A), Self-Destruct (S), Frenzied Wrath (S)]
[Rank: Minion (White-name monster)]
[Strength: 2.2 million]
[Intelligence: 2.5 million]
[Constitution: 2 million]
[Agility: 2.8 million]
[Note: Ordinary sea serpents that inhabit deep-sea trenches.]
......
[Monster: Giant Strength Sea Serpent]
[Level: 130]
[Race: Deep Sea Tribe]
[Skills: Mighty Constriction (S), Rapid Swim (A), Tidal Surge (S), Self-Destruct (S), Frenzied Wrath (S)]
[Rank: Minion (White-name monster)]
[Strength: 2.7 million]
[Intelligence: 2 million]
[Constitution: 2.5 million]
[Agility: 2.4 million]
[Note: Ordinary sea serpents that inhabit deep-sea trenches.]
......
[Monster: Sea Serpent Priest]
[Level: 135]
[Race: Deep Sea Tribe]
[Skills: Battle Frenzy (S), Attribute Conversion (S), Bloodthirsty Blessing (S), Sacrifice (S)]
[Rank: Elite (Blue-name monster)]
[Strength: 1 million]
[Intelligence: 3.5 million]
[Constitution: 2 million]
[Agility: 2.2 million]
[Note: Sub-boss that commands ordinary sea serpents.]
......
The first wave consisted of over a hundred monsters.
Apart from the ordinary Venomous Sea Serpents and Giant Strength Sea Serpents, there were thirty Sea Serpent Priests.
The Sea Serpent Priests had serpent heads and tall humanoid bodies, wielding staffs.
Additionally...
The Venomous and Giant Strength Sea Serpents were white-name monsters at level 130.
In the wild, level-130 monsters were already considered very strong and wouldn't be classified as mere white-name monsters.
But as previously mentioned,
dungeon monsters never evolved.
The dungeon's system kept them permanently at a fixed power level.
Even if they died, they would respawn with the same stats as before.
Their combat strength remained unchanged.
In contrast, wild monsters
followed the same survival conditions as Professional adventurers.
They could grow infinitely stronger.
Monsters that developed intelligence could continuously gain combat experience and evolve, much like human Professionals.
Thus...
Below level 100, dungeon monsters were stronger, while wild monsters were weaker.
After level 100, dungeon monsters were weaker, while wild monsters were stronger.
Regardless...
This was still an epic-level dungeon. While the monsters here weren't as strong as wild ones, they weren't to be underestimated.
Ansely and Avril entered battle-ready states.
Whoosh!
At that moment,
under the command of the Sea Serpent Priests, over a dozen Giant Strength Sea Serpents charged toward Ling Zhan's team!
The Sea Serpent Priests were cautious.
They kept the Venomous Sea Serpents and some of the Giant Strength Sea Serpents around them for protection.
As the Giant Strength Sea Serpents lunged forward, Avril hummed softly and waved her staff, summoning over a dozen massive war spirits that roared and charged toward the sea serpents.
Roar!
Within ten seconds, the war spirits easily crushed the Giant Strength Sea Serpents.
Avril, a level-140 prodigy, had effortlessly annihilated the level-130 sea serpents.
The audience outside was stunned by Avril's powerful war spirit summoning.
"That girl's incredible!"
"Looks like the non-specialist can just lie down and be carried!"
"Damn! I'm so jealous!"
Ba Quanming and his team looked grim.
They hadn't expected the first move to come from the beautiful Warlock rather than the non-specialist.
If this continued, the non-specialist really wouldn't have to lift a finger.