Chapter 17: Hidden Boss [4]
The valley is in a state of blood, smoke, and fear at this moment.
Kevin's white killed light faded as it left only the echo of his last curse and a suspended book glimmering in the air.
The players stared at him in numb disbelief.
No one dared speak until the system's cold notification chimed in Adrian's ears.
[Congratulations on successfully killing player Kevin. You have successfully triggered his passive talent and gained: Skill Point*1.]
[Congratulations on obtaining the Ice Mage's primary skill: "Ice Binding."]
Adrian's eyes narrowed. A new panel unfolded before him:
[Ice Binding]
[Quality: Primary]
[Required Class: Ice Mage]
[Required level: Level 5]
[Skill Effect: Freeze target for 3 seconds.]
[Cooldown: 32 seconds. Mana cost: 30.]
[The learning requirements have been met. Do you want to Learn? ]
The corner of his mouth lifted. Learn."
[Learning successful]
[Congratulations on obtaining the skill "Ice Binding."]
[You have enough skill points. Do you want to maximize this skill?]
"Yes, Max it."
[Congratulations on spending 18 skill points to raise Ice Binding to Lv4.]
[Effect: Freeze target for 3 seconds. Deals 800 magic damage + (120% of your physical damage).]
[ooldown is reduced by 24 seconds]
[ Current cooldown is 8 seconds.]
[Casting this skill consumes 30 mana points.]
[DING- This skill has now reached its highest level.]
A dangerous gleam lit his eyes. Three seconds of frozen time, transformed into a weapon.
He didn't stop there.
Twenty-eight skill points vanished in a blink. Adrian still had eight left.
Without hesitation, he poured them into Charge.
[Congratulations! You've successfully spent 8 skill points to upgrade Charge to level 3. ]
[Charge upgraded to Level 3.]
[Effect : Inflicts 300 physical damage + (10% magic attack) and stuns target for 2 seconds. ]
[Cooldown: 10 seconds.]
The upgrade was done the moment it was most needed. Adrian exhaled the air,now his chest rising slowly as though bracing for what was about to come.
It will take less than five seconds. But for the others watching, those seconds stretched into eternity.
They hadn't seen the notifications only Adrian's calm, unfathomable stare as his body seemed to sharpen with lethal intent
.
At this moment, they all looked at each other.
The fear of Adrian in my heart is no less than that of a rampaging Terrorclaw Bear.
Jason's lips trembled. "He's… he's not even human."
'The person in front of me is definitely a lunatic. Anyone who provokes him will definitely die miserably, at least in the novice area.'
Claire Summer clutched her staff tighter as look at Adrian who stood unshaken. If anyone could wrest victory from this nightmare, it was him.
The Terrorclaw Bear prowled as his claws dragged furrows in the stone then the violently ground trembling beneath its weight around the area.
The players each exhale thick with the metallic stench of blood smell around them.
Then saw the Terrorclaw Bear crimson eyes snapped toward Adrian.
The bear gave out a roar as it shattered the air and the ground shook as it charged towards them.
----
At the same time the players felt a glimmer of hope again by seeing Adrian's skills and his strength.
Now they can only put their hope on Adrian, hoping that he can show them an escape route again.
However, a scene that no one expected suddenly took place at this moment.
Adrian's body actually disappeared from the spot.
---
"Disappear," Adrian whispered.
His form shimmered.
The players were stunned by looking at Adrian's movement to them; it's like he had simply vanished from the spot.
"What the hell—Invisibility?!" a ranger blurted.
"It's over. He left us to die!" another wailed, pressing against the stone wall as if it could swallow him whole.
"There's actually an assassin's invisibility technique. Oh heaven and earth,"
"Damn it! Why don't I have a skill like that?!" someone cursed.
Their despair deepened but then, an object arced into the valley from outside.
The object hit the stones.
Bang~
It shattered the stone into pebbles with a wet sound.Now everyone can smell horrible things that were so bad it made everyone gag. The surviving players were filled with sorrow.
at the same time.
roar...
The Terrorclaw Bear killed the player closest to the valley entrance with one claw, then turned around and walked back towards Jason.
At this moment, Jason was completely desperate.
But at this moment, a rotten egg suddenly flew in from outside the valley.
The stinking cloud filled the valley like poison.
" What the hell? Is he using a rotten egg?" Jason's eyes widened by Adrian's creativity. His body shook. "He… he didn't abandon us. He's baiting it!"
Suddenly ,Adrian appeared at the entrance of the valley.
At the same time everyone's hearts were filled with raw emotion.
As they saw the rotten egg's foul miasma clung to the Terrorclaw Bear's golden pelt. It worked as its HP plummeted by nearly half to 20,000 but its fury doubled, its power spiking to a monstrous 3,200.
The survivors were frozen and torn between awe and terror of Adrian's boombarment. Who will even think of using a rotten egg in this way?
Jason clenched his fists, voice hoarse. "I swear… if anyone dares to insult Brother Adrian again, I'll kill them myself. That's a man who saves us when everyone else would run."
"He has such a kind heart despite his seemingly cruel appearance."
A voice emerged in everyone's heart.
At this moment, the Terrorclaw Bear roared.
Claire Summer's heart squeezed.
She stared at Adrian's back, feeling a fragile warmth bloom inside her chest even in this slaughterhouse.
---
The enraged roar of the Terrorclaw Bear split their thoughts. It lunged for Adrian with earth-shaking speed. But Adrian did not flee. Instead, he became a blur of motion, spear flashing like lightning.
"Charge!"
Steel collided with fur and flesh. With the use of skill 'Change' a deafening crack resounded as the colossal beast stumbled, frozen mid-lunge, stunned by the force of the impact it caused.
Adrian moved before the echo faded. His blade shifted. One smooth motion, then another, twin arcs carving the air.
Slash. Slash.
Numbers exploded above the boss's head.
-2794
-2794.
In an instant, a quarter of its health vanished. Blood sprayed, hissing as it hit the ground.
Gasps choked the valley. To the others, the bear was a nightmare no one could survive. To Adrian, it was a target.
But he did not linger. His weapon flickered, transforming into a staff as if conjured by thought. Blue light burst from the tip, icy energy spiraling outward.
"Ice Binding."
The bear froze mid-snarl, turned into a towering sculpture of gold-trapped ice. The air crackled as frost spread across its massive frame.
Adrian didn't hesitate. Fire coiled in his off-hand, blazing into a fireball the size of a cartwheel. He hurled it straight into the frozen beast.
Boom! The explosion thundered through the valley. Ice shattered. Flames engulfed the bear, melting fur and skin, bursting damage values in a flood
At this moment, a huge fireball fell on the ice sculpture.
boom!!!
-2194,
-279,
-279,
-279.
Fire danced across the melting frost, steam hissing upward.
The survivors' mouths fell open. Even Jason, hardened as he was, muttered,
"Gods help me… he's chaining skills… like he's playing with it."
Adrian had already moved. Staff gone, spear reborn in his hand. He rushed forward, faster than sight.
"The dragon raises its head!"
His spear drove upward with explosive force. The beast's hulking mass lifted, launched into the air like a ragdoll despite its titanic size. Its HP bar screamed downward.
-4851.
Before it could even fall to the ground ,Adrian used his spear to strike three more times and each thrust was ruthless and precise as it drove straight into the beast's eyes making him blind.
~boom!!
-4204.
-1768.
~Crunch.
The Terrorclaw Bear's body convulsed, then crashed to the ground with a seismic thud. Dust and stone erupted, rolling through the valley like a wave.
Silence. Complete silence.
The golden boss that had terrified them all lay broken at Adrian's feet.
The terrifying level 15 BOSS was taken down by Adrian with a combo of moves in less than 15 seconds.
But Adrian did not bleed at all.
Kill the level 15 golden boss without taking any damage.
No blood stained his body. Not even a scratch remained.
It's simply a miracle.
---
The system prompt appeared in Adrian's vision, calm and absolute.
[Congratulations on successfully killing the lv15 Gold Boss Terrorclaw Bear.]
[You gain: +10,000 experience points, 1 Exquisite Cloud Dragon Spear, 1 Primary Skill Book: Summon Terrorclaw Bear.]
Adrian's lips curved faintly. Weapon swapping is too clumsy. If the target had been stronger, I'd have been caught mid-shift. I need a weapon that adapts.
His experience bar glowed, just shy of Level 10. A hundred points left. One more kill experience point is needed and then he'll be the first to reach Level 10. He could almost taste the reward. His chest rose with confidence then he took a slow deep satisfied breath.
All the surviving players stood frozen behind him, as they are trembling. Some gaped with slack jaws.
Others clutched their weapons without realizing it.
They had survived, yes but not because of their strength. Because of him. And the fear they felt for Adrian was no less than the dread the Terrorclaw Bear had inspired.
He killed a golden boss in under fifteen seconds.
Without a scratch.
What kind of monster is he?
---
Then, the sky itself seemed to shudder.
A voice, vast and resonant, rang in every player's ears.
[System Announcement: Congratulations to Adrian, player #10010 of Novice Village, for completing the first kill of the Novice Village's Gold Boss. Rewards: +50 to all four attributes, +5 skill points, 1 Gold Treasure Chest, 1 Honor Point.]
[Warm Tip: Glory Points are only earned by achieving world-class feats such as first kills, first clears, or rare hidden quests. Accumulating a certain amount will grant special rewards from the Glory of the Gods system.]
The announcement echoed across every corner of the novice area. Every player froze, hearing that name.
Adrian.
_________
Inside the valley.
All the survivors stood speechless as they saw the Announcement, their hearts were thundering in their chests at this moment.
Thousands of players from different locations from Forest, Novice Villages, Street, as their eyes were all locked at the name 'Adrian' in their mind.
The legend of Adrian had begun.