Chu You remained still as a group of spiders appeared not far ahead, blocking all the paths and leaving no room for escape.
Chu You checked his health gauge, which was now fully replenished. He then allocated the 5 upgrade points to enhance his power, boosting his attack to 52.
Surveying the surroundings with the expertise of a seasoned player, Chu You realized there was no apparent "safe zone." Upon careful reflection of his journey, nothing stood out as a clue. It was evident that he needed to venture into this treacherous terrain to uncover a solution.
"To the solo players, the nightmare mode in the dungeon was known as the death mode, aptly named because it required numerous deaths to accumulate experience and discover a viable strategy. Success would only come through repeated attempts and a clear understanding of the obstacles to improve and adapt."
Once discovered by any monster in the dungeon, regardless of how far the player runs or how great the distance between the player and the monster, the monster will always locate the player. As long as the player remains inside the dungeon, the monster will incessantly track the player's scent. Hatred will drive the monster to pursue the player until the player finds a hiding place.
If the player goes offline during their journey, upon logging in again, they'll be surprised to find themselves outside the dungeon's entrance. Therefore, there must be a concealed location within the dungeon, depending on whether the player can locate the key point.
This dungeon can be considered one of the simplest dungeons, populated with 5th-level one-star elite monsters. Given that this dungeon can appear in the novice area's quests, its difficulty is not meant to be overly challenging. There are no branching paths here; thus, finding the hidden location should be relatively straightforward, especially for Chu You on a fresh start.
Chu You took a deep breath, having clarified his thoughts on the matter. Now, it was time to rely on his insight and observation. Chu You crouched down, ready for any challenge, with his health bar at full capacity, standing at 100%.
In an instant, He sprang into action!
Chu You's tall and slender figure surged forward, swiftly closing in on the cluster of elite monsters.
Getting closer and closer, contact was imminent!
As Chu You entered a range of ten meters, the first white sac spider detected the intruder, and its companion behind it also spotted Chu You due to the early warning, even though Chu You had not yet entered the white sac spider's perception range.
Suddenly, a cacophony of growls and howls erupted as the white sac spiders bellowed toward Chu You.
When both sides were only three meters apart, on the brink of entering the white sac spider's attack range, Chu You leaped into the air with a powerful sprint, soaring above the white sac spiders.
The white sac spiders looked upward, their gazes fixed on the adversaries now hovering above.
Then, Chu You found himself surrounded by the swarm of spiders!
Suddenly, the white sac spiders all around converged on Chu You simultaneously.
His health bar plummeted rapidly, but Chu You didn't stop; he continued sprinting forward as soon as his feet touched the ground. With a nimble jump, Chu You moved backward, aided by his high speed, causing some of the white sac spiders' attacks to miss.
In an instant, Chu You burst out of the mass of monsters, sporting a bloodied wound. This game felt remarkably real, even simulating pain, though not intensely, but enough to make players feel uncomfortable, akin to a mosquito bite.
Chu You showed no sign of distress. After breaking free, he swiftly surveyed his surroundings and noticed he hadn't continued deeper into the dungeon. A substantial horde of white sac spiders pursued him, showing no intention of giving up their potential meal.
It appeared that the elite monsters were concentrated in that area. Ahead, Chu You saw a dead end, and a colossal, horrifying figure stood guard there. Chu You recognized it as the ultimate boss of the dungeon.
With a dead end ahead and the pursuing spiders behind, there must be hiding spots on this journey.
Chu You pondered carefully, and soon he pinpointed a location.
The terrain here was slightly broader. Chu You noticed a stone pillar that jutted three meters above the ground. This stone pillar had watermarks seeping out, and the rest of the terrain appeared entirely ordinary.
This is it!
Chu You swiftly sprinted towards the stone pillar and leaped once more.
He hurled himself onto the stone pillar, his hands gripping the edge of the top firmly. As he pulled himself up, Chu You discovered a well on top of the stone pillar. The stone pillar was hollow, and its interior was filled with water at the top, forming a circular pool. The entrance to this hollow space was just large enough to accommodate a person.
Without hesitation, Chu You jumped into the stone pillar, diving headfirst into its interior.
By this time, the surrounding white sac spiders had encircled Chu You's stone column. Several spiders began to climb up, and soon they appeared on the stone pillar.
However, upon realizing that Chu You had disappeared, the white sac spider's initial state of hatred quickly reverted to its original state. It promptly relayed this message to its companions below. Upon receiving the message, the spider that had been encircling the stone pillar slowly returned to its previous position.
The spiders that had been crawling above also began to disperse.
After 10 seconds of submersion in the water, Chu You noticed a gradual decline in his health.
-10, -10, -10.
Every two seconds, he lost 10 HP. Peering up from the water, Chu You could see no spiders on the stone pillar. He promptly floated to the surface.
With a quick scan of his surroundings, Chu You observed the white sac spiders advancing toward him. At that moment, his gaze fixed on one particular spider.
He noticed that this white sac spider had lagged, with a significant gap between it and its companions up ahead. After assessing his health, he believed he could endure the attacks of this lone white sac spider.
Chu You deemed it to be sufficient for his plan.
This was adequate for Chu You.
He promptly leaped to catch up with the lagging spider, leading it back to the stone pillar. Following the same guerrilla tactics as before, Chu You managed to eliminate the white sac spider.
Counting, there were nine elite spiders ahead.
Chu You decided to prioritize restoring his health and stamina and sat down.
After ten minutes, Chu You had fully recovered and rose to his feet once more.
Chu You resolved to deal with all nine spiders one by one. In the early stages, encountering elite monsters was a rare opportunity for players. In the wild, players didn't mind dying; instead, they relished the challenge.
Using his previous tactics, he lured the nine spiders, jumped into the stone pillar well, and quickly climbed out after losing their aggro. At this point, a lone white sac spider would appear, which Chu You swiftly subdued.
While this gameplay style may be time-consuming, it currently represents the fastest method for gaining experience. Chu You didn't find it bothersome in the least. As he observed his experience points rising, he felt a sense of joy. This method was significantly faster than leveling up in the open field. It was important to note that, in the field at level 5, aside from the elite leader, the other creatures were ordinary monsters.
After all the other creatures were dealt with, Chu You approached the position of the leader.
There, he found a nest, and within it was a giant spider, about the size of a lioness. Its body had a purple-brown hue with a pattern on its back, and it remained still, quietly crawling there.
To Chu You's surprise, behind the spider leader, there was a treasure chest emitting a faint glow, placed on a stone platform.
White Sac Spider Leader, Level 5, One Star Elite, Species: Leader Level.
Just as Chu You took his first step into the karst cave, his foot touched the ground where the spider was weaving its web. The once-quiet spider chief awakened, though it didn't move. It continued to wait patiently, with its eyes slightly open, sensing that its prey was approaching.
What perplexed the white sac spider leader was that the approaching prey seemed to have stopped moving.
Chu You halted in his tracks. When he stepped on the ground where the web was being woven, he noticed a slowing effect on his movement. It dawned on him that this might be a trap.
Chu You remained at the entrance of the cave, separated by invisibility.
Chu You understood that if an average player encountered this situation, even if they noticed the anomaly, the spider leader would remain still, potentially misleading the player into thinking they had to enter further to awaken it, creating a "normal start." It was an unexpected twist that the spider leader would only strike when the player came very close, catching them off guard.
Currently, it displayed more patience than either of them.
Chu You was well aware of certain game rules, which allowed him to maintain his patience.
However, after five minutes passed, even Chu You couldn't help but feel a trace of suspicion, realizing the cunning spider had lost its patience.
The spider leader swiftly locked onto Chu You and abruptly stood up! Chu You was immediately on high alert, recognizing his lapse in vigilance.
The white sac spider leader surged forward, its eight legs moving like a well-oiled machine. It moved with incredible speed, while Chu You sprinted at a pace somewhere between average and swift.
Chu You swiftly turned and made a run for it.
The nests were all woven with webs, which had the effect of slowing down movement speed, making it an unfavorable place for a confrontation. If Chu You had ventured further earlier, he might have been in an extremely passive situation now.
After escaping the nest, Chu You felt significantly lighter. The imposing figure of the spider leader emerged from the nest as well, hot on Chu You's heels.
Chu You returned to the side of the half-pillar column, the chosen battleground.
The spider leader wasted no time and charged at Chu You, delivering a fierce strike.
Chu You used the stone pillar to continue dodging, patiently waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.
-17
This was Chu You's first injury. The spider leader had a substantial amount of health and a thick defense, making it a formidable adversary.
However, Chu You was no ordinary player. He was a seasoned veteran, having been reborn with experience from his previous life. He had already honed himself into a skilled and patient hunter.
Understanding the importance of patience, Chu You remained fully focused, acutely aware of the need to avoid any carelessness. Facing a leader of this caliber, even a single mistake could result in a devastating attack.
It was crucial to maintain a steady rhythm in battle, not rushing or becoming overly aggressive.
Each time the spider leader launched three attacks, Chu You seized the opportunity to land a sword strike. The damage might have been low, but following this method gradually whittled down the spider leader's health.
Utilizing his agility, physical endurance, and taking advantage of terrain cover, Chu You skillfully avoided most of the spider leader's attacks.
When the spider leader's health dropped to half, it revealed a new skill!
However, instead of targeting Chu You directly, it unleashed a wave of green venom into the air.
The venom descended like raindrops, unavoidable, and some of it splashed onto Chu You's body.
-15, -15, -15.
The venom effect took hold, causing his health to decrease by 15 points every three seconds for a total of 30 seconds.
After 30 seconds, Chu You would have lost 150 HP. Fortunately, Chu You had consistently allocated points to enhance his strength attribute. Besides boosting his attack power, strength also increased his maximum HP.
Chu You remained composed, his body steady, and his thoughts clear as he thrust his sword once more.
Following the venom spray, the spider leader continued its assault on Chu You.
However, the spider leader's fighting style had shifted. After a series of regular attacks, it would suddenly release a small green sphere towards Chu You.
The green sphere moved swiftly, and after Chu You successfully dodged it, the sphere struck the rock wall, leaving behind a sticky substance.
Being hit by this not only inflicted direct damage but also subjected Chu You to the negative effects of the venom.
Each time the spider leader used this skill, Chu You would use the stone pillar as a pivot, extending half of his body to the other side and swinging his sword at the spider leader.
Gradually, the spider leader's health dropped to nine-tenths, and as it reached this low health, it seemed to become agitated. However, its intelligence was limited, and it only realized the gravity of the situation when it was on the brink of facing a life-threatening threat.
Once again, the spider leader unleashed its skill into the sky, but this time it wasn't venom; instead, it released numerous spider webs.
The spider leader once again deployed its skill into the sky, but this time it released a multitude of spider webs.
The web mesh had the effect of slowing down movement speed, and getting entangled in it would severely restrict one's mobility.
Chu You swiftly distanced himself from the area, with the spider leader now underneath him, successfully driving the relentless predator out of its cover.
Upon noticing Chu You's escape, the spider leader ceased spinning its web and immediately pursued, launching a green sphere toward Chu You.
Chu You managed to dodge in time and realized that it was now a life-or-death struggle.
A sense of madness surged within Chu You. In this moment, fear was absent, replaced by a determined resolve. He checked his health gauge and saw it had partially recovered, now at seven or eight. Since the spider leader no longer used its venom raindrop attack, Chu You's health would gradually recover during the ensuing battle.
Do you want to fight? Then bring it on!
Chu You let out a fierce roar and kicked off with his back foot, closing the distance between them rapidly!
The giant mandibles of the spider leader lunged at Chu You, but he leaped forward, expertly controlling his body's trajectory. With one hand firmly gripping the hilt and the sword's tip pointing downward, he thrust it decisively into the spider leader's head. Chu You's feet landed accurately on its back.
The spider leader let out a furious roar, tossing Chu You off its back, and its left third leg swung at him with deadly force!
-89
Chu You's health dropped by half in an instant.
Rather than displaying surprise, Chu You broke into a smile. A certain determination within him seemed to ignite.
He wasn't one for finesse; he preferred a brutal, physically tough approach!
It was a battle where there was no room for mercy – either he would emerge victorious or face defeat.
Chu You laughed, his demeanor filled with an almost frenzied determination as he engaged in a ferocious battle, a display of raw primal rage, and he didn't shy away from it.
-21!
-83!
-23!
-81!
Defeated!!!
______________________________________
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