Monsters Are Coming-Chapter 1104 - 296: Lone Wolf Mode, Hunter Form

In the early stages of cultivating a growth pet, massive sacrificial power investment is required.

However, controlling the Life Soul does not have this issue. You can simply embed a controlled Life Soul and then use it to capture defense-monsters externally, using them as damage tanks.

If the captured monster sustains limb damage during a battle, you don't even need to spend potions to heal it. Just discard it and replace it with another.

There's no worry about profit-sharing issues either.

Having a pet with you can significantly increase the error tolerance in exploration.

Ning Shu glanced at the detailed values of the controlled Life Soul.

The ratio of Qi-Blood to spiritual power increase from Life Soul Level up was 3:7, which is acceptable and doesn't need adjustment.

After all, using the control attribute to control targets is affected by one's own spiritual strength.

If the spiritual strength is too low, targets can't be captured at all.

Ning Shu, thinking this approach might be feasible, decided to conduct practical tests after the resurrection.

10 minutes later, Ning Shu was resurrected in the Eternal Silence Ice Lake space.

As soon as he came online, he was startled by the scene before him.

The newbie space was filled with players, and the resurrection teleport point beneath his feet kept spewing new figures like popcorn, pushing him out in the blink of an eye.

The majority within were players who had died in external exploration and resurrected.

He blocked the noisy regional chat channel and followed the crowd forward.

During this, he called up the Star Vein Interface, first spending 2000 sacrificial power to open the third Star Vein Slot, then another 3000 to purchase and embed the Second Generation controlled Life Soul.

Everything was ready, now for the test.

...

2 hours later.

Cold wind swept through the Eternal Silence Ice Lake with ice crystals.

Boom!

With a loud noise, a giant figure fell heavily, crashing onto the thick ice surface.

This was a monster called the "Frost Armor Giant," with a Hunting Level of 22. Its three-meter-high body was covered in interlocking ice spiny armor, with blue-purple frost forming at each bone spike tip.

Standing exhausted, Ning Shu lifted his gaze towards the fallen Frost Armor Giant, and the Scatter Arrow Bow in his hand dissipated.

Without pause, he retrieved a Physical Potion from his Space Bag, consumed it, and squatted in front of the monster, activating the control attribute.

Spiritual power turned into invisible threads shooting from his brow, penetrating into the monster's body.

After consuming two bottles of Spiritual Power Recovery Potion during this process, he finally etched a control mark within the Frost Armor Giant's spiritual sea.

Controlling the Frost Armor Giant's actions didn't need learning—it was engraved in his mind as naturally as breathing.

He then took a potion from his Space Bag to help the Frost Armor Giant recover its state.

From now on, this monster would become his damage tank, providing defense and protection for his exploration of the Ice Lake Region.

After feeding three bottles of Basic Potion, the Frost Armor Giant's injuries visibly healed.

"Rise!"

Upon command, the Frost Armor Giant shakily stood up.

After ensuring other command changes were effective for controlling the Frost Armor Giant's actions, Ning Shu decided to put it into practical hunting immediately.

Ten minutes later.

Ning Shu stood behind the Frost Armor Giant, watching as three "Ice-toothed Hunters" leaped out from the cracked ice layers ahead.

They resembled giant lizards with blade-like ice crystal fangs, had a hunting level of 19, and were pack predators, primarily preying on Snail Spirits.

The moment eye contact was made, the battle was on the verge of eruption.

"Block!" Ning Shu thought.

The Frost Armor Giant immediately began moving its heavy steps, its three-meter-high body like an ice wall.

The charges of the three Ice-toothed Hunters slammed into its torso, their sharp ice fangs screeched on its armor layers, leaving only shallow scratches.

The recoil caused the hunters to stagger backward, but the Frost Armor Giant stood steadfast, with blue-purple frost from its carapace spreading inversely along the contact points, freezing one of their claws.

Now's the time!

Ning Shu sidestepped from the Frost Armor Giant's leg side and fully drew his Scatter Arrow Bow instantly.

An Arrow entwined with Qi-Blood Power burst out, accurately piercing the eye socket of the hunter with frozen forelimbs.

The blood light on the arrowhead exploded, and the hunter's head burst open like a watermelon, ice-blue brain matter splattering onto the snow.

The other two hunters immediately altered their strategy, bypassing the Frost Armor Giant from left and right to attack Ning Shu directly.

"Shock."

The Frost Armor Giant suddenly raised its forelimbs and stomped hard on the ice surface.

Boom!

An ice wave exploded in a circle centered around it, throwing the two hunters off balance and skidding them.

One rolled right to Ning Shu's feet, and he unhesitatingly shot an arrow through its open throat, pinning it dead on the ice as the arrowhead burst out from the cervical vertebrae behind.

The last hunter, sensing its plight, turned and fled.

"Block!"

The Frost Armor Giant curled up into a ball, its bone spikes protruding, and rolled out like a giant ice meteor, catching up to the prey in an instant.

Its crushing weight pinned the predator underneath, as Ning Shu's arrow followed closely, piercing through the exposed head.

The battle ended effortlessly, sparing much of the pulling and wandering usually required.

The Frost Armor Giant walked back slowly to his side, bearing a few more claw marks, but otherwise unharmed.

Ning Shu patted its cold shell, quite satisfied with its performance.

This giant beast perfectly fulfilled its role as a damage soak shield, allowing Ning Shu peace of mind in output, increasing efficiency compared to solo hunting by several times.

He looked towards the depths of the Ice Lake, where vague shadows drifted within the howling white ice mist.

"Let's go."

The Frost Armor Giant growled lowly, following him with heavy steps, as the figures of one man and one beast slowly faded into the swirling ice crystals.

In the following days.

With the Frost Armor Giant's assistance, Ning Shu's hunting methods became more aggressive.

During the period, he used up three Frost Armor Giants, but he quickly captured new ones to serve as his damage tank.

The sacrificial power income steadily grew during this time.

But with only 8 days left, he had 46,000 sacrificial power, still 44,000 short of his goal.

At the current hunting speed, it was far from enough to fill the gap; he had to attempt challenging higher-level monsters.

Before that, he still needed to switch to a pet with stronger damage mitigation capability.

The pet's stability allowed him uninterrupted output capability.

During his hunting route, Ning Shu actively scouted for new damage-taking monsters, scanning them with decomposition whenever he encountered something new.

All other criteria were disregarded, with damage-taking endurance as the sole standard.

The output was solely his responsibility.

...

The next day.

Having dispelled a section of map fog, Ning Shu brought his four-meter-tall new companion to an area riddled with ground cracks.

From the Frost Armor Giant's perspective, Ning Shu felt an invisible pressure in the region.

This oppression was imperceptible to him as a player.

Feeling a potential threat ahead, he initially intended to follow the Frost Armor Giant's inherent perception and detour.

Yet, recalling the Exploration Faction players' forum comments that crises might sometimes be opportunities.

Recognizing his substantial sacrificial power shortfall, he gritted his teeth and decided to proceed, while planning to withdraw at the first sign of danger.

After walking a short distance, he discovered a half-submerged ice statue not far away.

The statue resembled a giant ape, with three pairs of eyes on its head, six arms on its back, and a chest seemingly impaled by some weapon, with dark purple ice crystals forming at the wound.

Though it was ice-bound, Ning Shu sensed an indefinable suppression emanating from the statue through the Frost Armor Giant's sight.

Curiously, he activated decomposition to scan the statue.

Soon, the statue's information appeared in his mind.

[Six-armed Profound Ice]:

Hunting Level: 42 (Original Life Level: 382)

Status: Critically injured and near death, ice-sealed dormancy, severe life force drain...)

Target Summary: A Guardian of the Six-armed Clan that descended, who fought the Mechanical Army to protect the Ice Lake Clan, ultimately failing and losing clan resources to be captured. After the battle, fell into Eternal Silence Ice Lake, entering a near-death dormancy state.

...

Reading the decomposition data, especially the original level, stunned Ning Shu.

Knowing the Champion Fighter's hunting level was only 358.

He couldn't fathom that this statue, so unremarkable at a glance that he wouldn't spare it a second look, once had a hunting level as high as 382.

"Hiss~."

Ning Shu's heart pounded, suddenly conceiving a bold idea.