Monsters Are Coming-Chapter 1009 - 276: Adventure World, Dungeon Kickoff (Monthly Ticket Requested)_5
The scattered bones on the ground gathered on their own, forming twisted bone spikes that protruded from both sides of the road, as if the entire land was resisting their advance.
The outline of the Royal City in the distance became increasingly clear in their sight.
"We're almost there. Do you think the BOSS of the first act will appear at the city gate?" Hong Yang gripped his spear tightly, the spear tip exuding a battle aura, his body always in a tense state, ready to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
"It's quite possible. According to normal game settings, the city gate is usually where the first-level BOSS appears, and then you enter the city to start the second act," Ah Qi nodded in agreement, then continued along this line of thought:
"And it will likely jump down from the city gate to block our way."
"You guys are really good at analyzing, but this is just a new exploration. It's hard to believe you guessed it right," Xiao Ye couldn't help but remark.
While chatting, they arrived a hundred meters away from the city gate.
At this moment, the ground shook violently.
Countless bone fragments on the ground seemed to be drawn by an invisible force and converged toward the city gate, quickly stacking up and reconstructing under the team's gaze, finally forming a five-meter-tall gigantic Skull Knight. It was clad in heavy armor covering its entire body, holding a lance made of spine bones in its hand, while the Skeleton Warhorse beneath it raised its front hooves and spat out ghostly green flames, its eyes glowing red locked onto the party, emanating a fierce intent to kill.
A scan of decomposition swept through, and the information on the Skull Knight flooded into their minds:
[Skeleton Vanguard·Karon]:
Hunting Level: 71.
Target Introduction: Once the Forbidden Guard Commander of the Bone Clan Royal Court, it guarded the city gate with its flesh while alive. When the Blue Lantern Clan crushed the Royal City, its lingering soul and warhorse bones were twisted and fused by the Divine Lamp Rule, becoming the eternally wandering gatekeeper. The lance "Sobbing Spine" was forged from the marrow of seven defeated powerhouses. When the lance tip trembles, it emits a soul-stirring screech, serving as the first act BOSS in the Skeleton Throne Dungeon scenario.
...
After reading the decomposition information, Xiao Ye's eyes widened immediately.
"Damn, you guys really nailed it. The BOSS appeared right at the city gate, just as you guessed half of it."
"Finally, something worthwhile!" Ah Qi licked his lips, his figure blending into the shadow.
Wu, without a word, slammed his giant shield into the ground:
"Get ready to fight, Xiao Hua and Xiao Ye, watch your positions and don't get shattered."
As the words fell, the Skeleton Vanguard charged forward on its warhorse, lance aimed straight at Wu, the ground cracking under the iron hooves, trailing ghostly green flames.
Boom!
The lance collided with the giant shield, an explosion of airwaves, and Wu was forcibly pushed back a few meters, runes on the shield's surface alternately flashing.
At this moment, Hong Yang already sidestepped swiftly to the side, his spear enveloped in red battle aura, slashing fiercely at the foreleg joint of the Bone Warhorse.
Crack!
Bone fragments burst forth, the Bone Warhorse's body tilted, and Xiao Ye's arrows, having anticipated the BOSS's loss of balance, shot in a triangular formation toward the Skull Knight's skull, spirals of air around the arrows.
Skeleton Vanguard raised its arm to block, only for Ah Qi to leap out from the shadow behind it, dagger flashing coldly, stabbing towards the soul fire in the gap of the skull.
Roar!
The Skeleton Vanguard emitted a silent roar, a mental shock wave instantly making the players' heads throb in pain.
Suddenly, the bone armor surrounding the Skeleton Vanguard shattered, and innumerable bone spikes shot out in all directions.
Xiao Hua, having prepared, decisively moved behind Xiao Ye.
Wu also reacted quickly, lifting his hand to release qi-blood, generating a blood wall before Xiao Hua and Xiao Ye.
The bone spikes clashed against the blood shield, producing a dense sound like rain hitting banana leaves.
Hong Yang seized the opportunity, leaping up, his spear's crimson glow swelling fiercely, driving it down in a double-handed thrust position.
This strike pierced through the Skeleton Vanguard's chest instantly, the Bone Warhorse beneath also impaled, pinned to the ground.
Ah Qi's figure reemerged, switched positions with his Avatar behind the Skeleton Vanguard, and the dagger, empowered with the Critical Strike Attribute, hacked down fiercely at the skull, piercing through it before vanishing again with another Avatar switch.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hua in the rear had already activated the Extreme Speed Characteristic.
Her pupils reflected countless dancing runes, Ink Flame, Rushing Thunder, Dissolve, Frozen, four Rule Elemental Energies surging within her.
Finally, a "Void Grip" hand formed from the fusion of various Rule Elemental Energies abruptly appeared above the Skeleton Vanguard's head and slammed down fiercely.
At this point, the rest of the team had already retreated.
The not-yet-dead Skeleton Vanguard just attempted to raise its lance, but what greeted it was Xiao Hua's unleashed Destructive Torrent.
As the Void Grip made contact with the Skeleton Vanguard, it exploded, transforming into four spiraling Elemental Energies cascading down, Ink Flame incinerating, Rushing Thunder tearing, Dissolve eroding, Frozen freezing, enveloping the Skeleton Vanguard's body in blinding four-color light before exploding into sky-filled bone powder.
Xiao Hua withdrew her hand from the air, appearing nonchalant:
"What a pity, if it wasn't altered by 10% of its attributes, I wouldn't have needed any of your help to instant-kill it."
"Stop showing off, glass cannon." Ah Qi, emerging from Twilight Shadow Form, couldn't help rolling his eyes:
"Without us, a sneeze from the BOSS could have shattered you, don't forget last time when you got pierced by a splinter, rolling on the ground in pain."
"Nya-nya-nya, you're the talkative one. This Master Mage will crack your skull with one palm." Xiao Hua heard this, sticking her tongue out at Ah Qi, raising her hand for a mock slap with a fierce expression.
At this moment, the Challenger Tips sounded:
[Challenger Tips (Team): Defeated "Skeleton Vanguard·Karon", acquired City Gate Key, can proceed to the second act scenario of Skeleton Throne Dungeon.]
Simultaneously, at Karon's death spot, a globe of light emerged, the energy film on its surface dispersing at a visible pace.
When the globe shattered, three streams of light shot out, hovering for several seconds before falling.
A decomposition scan revealed a total of three items.
The first item was a bone named "Sobbing Spine", redeemable for 1300 sacrificial power at the Sacrificial Emperor.
The second item was a bizarrely shaped flower, the decomposition revealed it to be a Level 4 Spirit Plant, sellable at the Trading House for over 2000 sacrificial power.
When the team's attention focused on the third item, their expressions froze at once.
[Rule Fragment: March of the Dead (1/20)]:
Rule Introduction: One of the fragments of the "Rules of the March of the Dead" drained of its source, can be infused with sacrificial power to complete the missing part, only restorable to "Pseudo-rule" strength, retains partial rule power.
March of the Dead: Consumes Rule Energy (can be substituted with sacrificial power), exhumes the dead into "Skeleton Slave" form for combat, duration: eternal.
Tip: The integrity of the corpse, and the strength it possessed in life, determine the strength of the resurrected Skeleton Slave.
...
After reading its decomposition content, they were astounded to discover the third item was a Rule Fragment.
The entire team's eyes widened immediately.
"Damn, this is big."
Even though it's just drained of its source and one of the intact rule's 1/20th fragments, its value is immeasurable.
"Hiss, Sacrificial Emperor's reward alone is 468,000 sacrificial power, we're rich, really rich." Wu breathed heavily, unable to maintain any further calmness, his hand holding the shield trembling slightly.
"Hahaha, first exploration battle and we hit the jackpot, allow me to screenshot and post it on the forum." Saying this, Xiao Ye let his Guiding Avatar stray away from him, took a photo with himself and the Rule Fragment, uploaded it to the forum with the decomposition screenshot.
[Dungeon World Opening Report: Sometimes, when luck comes, not even the Emperor can stop it...]
As the team leader, Hong Yang stayed silent, sharing the decomposition screenshot in the regional channel.
Right away, the angry curses of raging brothers erupted continuously:
"You guys ought to die, why couldn't it have been me?"
"I spit, disgusting, why not silently get rich, but had to show it off, my newly obtained 3 Sacrificial Crystal Stones instantly feel less appealing, you guys are really despicable!"
"This thing isn't useful, private message me for a transaction, I'll buy it for 500 sacrificial power, no need to thank me."
