Chapter 60: Listen to How the Cat Died!

Like an evil cave, to prevent any ambush at the entrance, I first transformed into a werewolf and had the Venomous Flower Vine and the crow cautiously guard before slowly stepping inside.

There was no ambush, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Compared to the Evil Cave, this cave was much more comfortable. The Evil Cave was called evil because it was filled with a cold and dark aura, while this cave was just a bit darker and inherited the cold and dryness of the Icy Plain. As soon as I entered, I felt a bone-chilling coldness surge to my heart.

Perhaps because the environment of the cave was better, there were relatively more monsters here. Not long after I took a few steps, I heard a "clack clack" sound from not far away. When I got closer, I was almost scared out of my wits. Damn, they were several completely white skeletons.

This was the first time I saw such skeletons. They were probably close relatives of the corpses, but with all the rotten flesh gone, their bodies were more agile, though their defense was slightly lower. They held a chain mace, which had a high attack power, and every time they moved, their bones would rattle, making me worry if they could even safely reach me. To prevent the fat meat from slipping away, I hurriedly approached, not daring to let them walk any further.

After knocking these brittle skeletons into pieces, I felt a bit depressed. These skeletons had some resistance to the Venomous Flower Vine's poison attacks, and the experience they gave was not much, only 12 points. I immediately listed these skeletons as the least welcome monsters, and I would avoid them whenever possible in the future.

There was another new type of monster called the Hungry Dead. This was truly an evolved form of the corpses. Although they were also dead, they had starved to death, unlike the corpses, which looked as if they had been run over by a truck. Although they were withered, their bodies were relatively intact, making their defense and health naturally higher. However, they still inherited the slow movement of the corpses, giving 20 points of experience, and they looked much better than the corpses. Alright, the Best Monster Award goes to you.

In addition, there were Fallen Ones, mages, large beasts, Dark Hunters, Dark Female Gunners, Ice Worms, and Hard-skinned Rats, all old acquaintances from the Icy Plain. Of course, there were also the cave-top spiders that had once terrified me. Hehe, now that I have the crow patrolling the air, hiding on the cave ceiling won't do you any good.

Like the Evil Cave, there was no distinction between day and night in the cave. When I was tired, I would sleep, and when I woke up, I would continue training. When I was lonely, I would chat with the Venomous Flower Vine, think of Lar, think of the Barbarian brother, think of my little Sara and Linya, and I could just about endure it. Sometimes, I would suddenly burst into tears for no reason, which puzzled me. What are you crying for? Don't be so weak, okay?

I don't know how many days I spent in this boring cave, but my mind was filled with mechanical slaughter. Even the more troublesome skeletons were no longer spared. For a camp of more than a hundred Fallen Ones, I would activate the Ice Armor, withstand the chaotic blades, cast a Firestorm, and then transform into a werewolf to wipe them out. The original blue short sword had long worn out, and the military knife in my hand now had only half of its durability left. The durability of my armor had dropped to single digits, and my food and water were also running low. It seemed I would have to return soon. I wondered if I could find the second level of the cave in the remaining time. It was said that there were elite-level monsters and a gold chest there. If I could encounter them, I believed the rewards would not disappoint me.

However, as I began to venture deeper into the cave, I finally encountered a troublesome enemy.

The Black Wanderers, these damned pseudo-hoodlum archers. Although their attack power was not high, the most troublesome thing was their fast movement speed. They always gathered in groups of four or five, hiding in corners, ambushing people, and playing guerrilla warfare, running and shooting. If I didn't transform into a werewolf, I couldn't catch up with them at all. Fortunately, their defense and health were very low, and once I caught up, I could take them out one by one in a few bites. Of course, the "one bite" referred to the Venomous Flower Vine. Although I had transformed, I had no interest in attacking with my mouth unless necessary.

Since the Black Wanderers appeared, the rain of arrows never stopped. Although my current defense made the attacks feel like nothing, the durability of my armor dropped much faster. Damn, were they the legendary equipment durability terminators?

I had no good way to deal with these Black Wanderers. They were fast and had sensitive hearing. If they didn't ambush me, I would have to thank God for being so kind. Could I ambush them? Well, after killing a skeleton leader a few days ago, I got a white short bow and some arrows, which a Fallen Mage "kindly" gifted me. However, considering my poor archery skills, I wisely abandoned this arrow-wasting behavior. Of course, I thought of other methods, such as luring them into narrow caves to kill them, but these guys were very regular. If you ran away, they would chase a few steps and then stop. Damn!

One day, I dragged the Venomous Flower Vine and the crow, turning through more than a dozen cave entrances, and finally forced a group of Black Wanderers into a dead-end.

"Hehehe..."

In my angry laughter, they were sent to hell one by one. If they didn't look so pathetic, I would have had the urge to rape and kill them. Why? Look at the large group of monsters following me. To chase this group of trash, I had attracted all the nearby monsters.

After learning Firestorm, I truly felt confident enough to walk around the cave without worrying about my safety. Unless I was surrounded by a dozen elites, even if I accidentally attracted a large group of monsters, I could use my speed to find a narrow spot and cast a Firestorm to wipe out a large group, which was incredibly satisfying.

However, as satisfying as it was, I couldn't keep doing it. The "lure and group" mode gave more experience, but it also dropped my durability much faster. I wasn't a mage, and Firestorm was my only area-of-effect skill. During the cooldown, if the monsters surrounded me, my durability would drop rapidly. With my armor's durability already in single digits, every drop made my eyelids twitch.

After dealing with the monsters behind me, I found a dry spot to sit and rest, ignoring the bodies and blood on the ground. Looking at the gold leather armor that had lost more durability, I felt a mix of sorrow and anger...

"Ah..."

Sitting and resting was boring, so I picked up the military knife and looked at my reflection on the white blade. I touched my chin: my beard had grown a lot!

The reflection on the military knife was a young face, a bit dirty with a few spots of dried blood. Whether it was the cold or the lack of sunlight, I looked very thin and pale. My chin was covered in stubble, giving me a somewhat haggard appearance. The military knife, if I were to sell pork in the original world, might even be considered a marvel. Hoho...

However, seeing the cold eyes in the reflection, I couldn't laugh anymore. When did those originally harmless eyes become so chilling that even I felt a chill? I suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity with myself, feeling that my eyes were becoming more and more like those of the advanced players, especially the Necromancers. Was it because I had been in the cold and dark cave for so long? Indeed, during both training sessions, I spent most of my time in caves. Damn, this wasn't by choice!

My gaze left the cold eyes on the military knife, and I turned the knife to make a classic throat-slitting gesture. Uh, don't misunderstand, I just wanted to shave...

After a while, I touched my smooth chin and felt secretly pleased. It seemed my skills had improved.

However, where was I? Although the cave was full of tunnels, this place felt different. I couldn't quite say what was different, but the atmosphere was oppressive. Especially from the dark tunnel ahead, I felt a special presence, similar to when I was targeted by the Corpse Fire.

Could there be a small boss-level monster inside? I was startled. Killing Biswaf was a fluke, and Biswaf wasn't very strong. If I had to face a small boss head-on, I wouldn't stand a chance.

However, driven by curiosity, I slowly moved forward. It would be good to broaden my horizons. After all, I could transform into a werewolf and escape if needed. Maybe I would encounter something I could counter, hehe...

I slowly approached the tunnel ahead. The darkness inside seemed deeper than anywhere else, and the pressure was increasing. I swallowed hard and slowed my steps even more.

The tunnel was long. Although I wasn't walking fast, it had been a few minutes, and I still hadn't reached the end. Ah, I could see the exit ahead. I thanked the +2 lighting leather armor again; it was really useful.

Just then, a dull and rapid footsteps caught my attention.

Generally, the footsteps of skeletons were crisp, always making a "clack clack" sound. Fallen Ones were light, so their steps were light and couldn't make such a sound. Hungry Dead, please, could they run?

So, the only ones left were the Dark Hunters, Female Gunners, and Black Wanderers. The ones who could sense my presence from so far away were definitely the Black Wanderers.

A small boss-level Black Wanderer?

I almost cried. Why was I so unlucky!

In an instant, I instinctively transformed, turned, and ran.

However, the Black Wanderers were already behind me. One of them, a deep blue Black Wanderer, shot an arrow that hit me just as I completed the transformation.

Instantly, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice pit. My body was unresponsive, and my movements slowed by at least a quarter.

Damn, as I ran, I glanced back— it was a small boss-level monster with a freezing enhancement attribute, followed by 8 or 9 ordinary Black Wanderers. I was in big trouble this time!

---

End of Page

---

Start of Page

---

End of Page