Chapter 76: The Rocky Wilderness

In the Rocky Wilderness, besides the familiar skeletons, hungry dead, black wanderers, fallen ones, and mages found in the caves, several more powerful monsters have appeared. First, I encountered a sky full of stinking crows.

Yes, I can only describe it as a sky full of them. Looking far into the distance, they were densely packed, like a crowded ant nest.

Fortunately, these stinking crows are not very intelligent and have no sense of teamwork. When I approached, the outermost few stinking crows noticed me and immediately broke away from the group, flapping their fleshy wings and charging at me. These gray, unattractive stinking crows looked like large bats with long tails, but unfortunately, they lacked the sharp beaks of bats. On their heads, they had some beautiful short spines, resembling a hard-skinned rat. From a distance, it looked as if a flower was blooming on their heads.

These few stinking crows viciously charged at me, and even before their attacks reached me, a wave of stench hit me. Indeed, they are called "stinking" crows, and the name is very fitting.

However, watching these stinking crows "flap" towards me, I was speechless. Although their speed was indeed fast, their attacks were too "straight." I slightly moved to the side, and these stinking crows rushed past the spot where I had been standing, crashing into a towering boulder behind me.

Sweat, what is this? A suicidal poison bomb attack?

The strength of these stinking crows is far inferior to that of the fallen ones. However, I did not underestimate them. Their strength lies in their numbers. If there were only a few, their attack methods would be very monotonous and not threatening. But what if a large group charged at me? Where could I hide?

I casually killed the few reckless stinking crows and checked my status bar. As expected, the experience points were even fewer than those from the fallen ones. Indeed, the more strength, the more experience. Of course, with such a large number, if I could kill them all, the experience would be considerable.

After some consideration, I decided not to provoke these little things for now. First, the experience points are low, and the drop rate is low. Second, they are too stinky. The smell from just a few stinking crows was already overwhelming, let alone a large group. The smell would be comparable to a giant cesspool.

I bypassed the group of stinking crows and killed a wave of skeletons on the way. Then, I encountered a new species, called the Moon Clan. The name sounds fashionable, reminiscent of the Moonlight Clan from the original world, but their attire is not very fashionable. These so-called Moon Clan members are actually goat people. Judging by the slightly inward-curving horns on their heads, they are likely of the goat lineage—assuming this world has goats. They walk on two legs, and their bodies, except for their chests and abdomens, are covered in a layer of earth-colored fur. They wield large cleavers and, with their tall and sturdy builds, can intimidate new players. However, although they are indeed powerful, with high attack, defense, and health, the large cleavers they wield seem unwieldy, greatly limiting their attack speed and accuracy. Otherwise, they would be even stronger.

These Moon Clan members usually inhabit the areas under large boulders, in groups of three to ten. When I bypassed a cluster of rocks, I inadvertently entered their territory. Instantly, they charged at me like enraged bulls, their normally gentle sheep faces twisted in ferocity.

I was wielding a blue +1 short sword with maximum damage and wearing extremely strong leather armor. To be safe, I transformed into a bear person and led the Venomous Flower Vine and Ghost Wolf to meet them.

However, after the confrontation, I realized that although the Moon Clan members have high attack power, they are not as terrifying as I imagined. Even with my bear person transformation, I could dodge some of their attacks. After all, I am already level 12. Even without the bug amulet, if I were in a group, I could survive in the Dark Forest. If I were still troubled by these monsters, it would be ridiculous!

Besides the "Moonlight" Clan, the great fallen ones, the so-called "great transmuters" in the words of some idiot poet, have finally evolved into Blade Demons. Their attributes have improved significantly, but I feel their situation is even more dire. The Rocky Wilderness has no Blade Mages, and the Fallen Mages cannot resurrect Blade Demons. Thus, they have lost their greatest advantage. Even if they are slightly stronger than the fallen ones, how much stronger can they be?

Whether it's the old familiar cave monsters or the new species, the experience points for a level 12 player like me are already very low. Therefore, I do not plan to stay in the Rocky Wilderness for long. The only thing that interests me here is the small boss monster, Rakanoth, whom Cain warned me to be extremely cautious about. This small boss has low attack and defense, but its Lightning Enchantment ability causes lightning damage that is almost as terrifying as the Countess's firestorm. If you don't have high lightning resistance, don't provoke it.

To be honest, I have no confidence in defeating it. The Lightning Enchantment ability is terrifying, especially on a small boss. The elite-level Dark Hunter with Lightning Enchantment I encountered near the frozen lake in the Cold Plains almost killed me. Now, although I have 29% lightning resistance from the golden leather armor, I am no longer facing an elite but a small boss. The gap is significant, and it is quite frustrating.

In the dark world, each boss has its unique characteristics. For example, Rakanoth and the Countess are not particularly strong in terms of raw power, but their elemental damage is extremely high. For players without the corresponding resistance, they are almost unbeatable. However, if you have the right resistance, they are just like elite monsters with more health. The Blood Raven is similar; melee transmuters are practically suicide, but a group of high-level Amazons and a mage can kill it relatively easily. For small bosses with special abilities like being small, strong, and fast, Amazons find them more challenging.

Therefore, there are no absolute small bosses. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. If they can fully utilize their strengths, even the most powerful transmuter combinations in the Rogue Encampment would not dare to provoke them. Conversely, if you can find their weaknesses, like how Lar and Doug defeated the Countess, it is possible.

Besides the indecision about Rakanoth, I have two other purposes for coming to the Rocky Wilderness: to find the teleportation station and the underground passage to the Dark Forest. The underground passage is man-made. Between the Rocky Wilderness and the Dark Forest lies a towering mountain range. To reach the other side, one must climb over the mountain, which is quite difficult. So, the residents here had a brilliant idea and dug a tunnel at the foot of the mountain to connect the two areas.

However, due to a lack of experience, the tunnel was dug in a crooked manner. Although it eventually connected the two areas, the tunnel became a maze. More comically, at one point, they dug downward and created a second level. Of course, this is what Cain told me. My knowledge of the dark world's history is not much better than that of an illiterate.

First, I must find the teleportation station. I followed Akara's description, fighting off the monsters along the way, except for the stinking crows. On the third day, I finally reached the place Akara described. Hoho~~, this time I didn't get lost.

In front of me stood a massive boulder. I can only describe it as massive; it was at least several dozen meters high. Even if hundreds of large beasts tried to encircle it, they might not succeed. It was probably not much smaller than the six magic stone arrays Cain mentioned.

More surprisingly, the four sides of the boulder were almost vertical and very smooth. I don't know if Assassins or Amazons could climb it, but I certainly can't.

So, I followed Akara's instructions and found a small, inconspicuous rope at the base of the boulder. I pulled it, and soon, a simple rope ladder made of hemp was lowered silently. I was speechless; even during the Anti-Japanese War, the level of underground party meetings was probably no better than this.

Climbing up the ladder, I was greeted by two Rogue archers and a mage. I responded to their greetings while observing the situation on top of the boulder. The top of the boulder was as large as a football field, and the fierce wind at such a height almost blew me away. Standing there, looking down at the Rocky Wilderness, I felt a sense of "looking down on all the mountains." In the center of the boulder, a large pit had been dug, and the teleportation station was inside.

Although the scenery here is truly spectacular, I had no intention of lingering. After the mage registered my name, I bought some daily necessities from the two Rogues and followed their directions to the underground cave.

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