As Chu You pressed further into the depths of the dark and damp cave, the unmistakable hiss of serpents echoed through the shadows, confirming to him that he was indeed within a snake-infested nest.
Deep within the snake-infested nest, Chu You ventured further, encountering seven elite snake mobs. Although the process of eliminating these foes was painstakingly slow, Chu You garnered all the experience points. Unfortunately, none of these elite monsters yielded any equipment upon defeat.
The cave, shrouded in darkness and humidity, provided an eerie backdrop as the candle in Chu You's hand flickered ominously, threatening to extinguish at any given moment.
Unperturbed by the candle's precarious state, Chu You pressed on deeper into the snake nest.
As he continued his journey, Chu You noticed intermittent glimmers of shiny liquids oozing from the terrain. These peculiar fluids emitted a faint white smoke, and Chu You was well aware that stepping on them would result in a loss of health for the player.
Despite the dimly lit cave, Chu You's eyes adjusted to the surroundings, allowing him to make out the rough features of the underground environment. This newfound clarity prompted him to confidently stow the flickering candle in his backpack as he continued his exploration.
Soon, he encountered a rope bridge spanning a dark abyss, indicating the existence of an underground mine. Human-made structures like the bridge and traces of past construction work were evident, with some broken ropes dangling precariously above the bottomless chasm.
On the other side of the bridge, Chu You confronted two massive pythons, both one-star elite bosses at the 5th level, making the situation considerably daunting. He pondered the challenge ahead, realizing that facing two elite bosses at once was a formidable task. These low-IQ elites were relentless in their pursuit and, with no physical limitations, would relentlessly chase Chu You out of the 5th level experience area.
Chu You took a deep breath, knowing that it was time to draw upon the pinnacle of his previous gaming experience. In the darkest days of his past, he had honed his skills and strategies. While not a top-tier player, his abilities still stood out in the eyes of experts.
Carefully studying the terrain, Chu You's mind raced, recalling classic videos from his past life and browsing through various new strategies on gaming forums. Gradually, a plan took shape in his mind.
Step by step, Chu You made his way onto the cable bridge. As he set foot on the dusty wooden planks, the bridge quivered, alerting the two pythons on the opposite side. They slithered menacingly, not yet detecting Chu You.
In a matter of moments, Chu You gingerly stepped onto the swaying cable bridge. With his training sword in hand, he fixed his unwavering gaze on the lesser boss on the opposite end, advancing towards it one careful step at a time.
As Chu You entered the perception range of the two massive pythons, they immediately lunged onto the cable bridge with terrifying speed, emitting an intimidating aura as they closed in on Chu You. The bridge itself was rather narrow, and the presence of the two giant pythons quickly turned it into a crowded and unstable platform.
The cable bridge swayed even more violently, challenging Chu You's balance. A less experienced player would have likely tumbled off, but Chu You managed to steady himself just in time.
Recognizing the perilous situation, Chu You promptly retreated, exiting the cable bridge. In no time, the two boss-level pythons reached his location.
Drawing from past experiences, Chu You knew that these two boss-level pythons would initiate their first attack by employing their signature entangling skills, a tactic that not only inflicted physical damage but also wreaked havoc on a player's mental state. The fear factor would intensify within the player's mind, and if it became too overwhelming, the system could eject them from the game.
This fear factor often led to peculiar situations where some players, despite having high levels and excellent equipment, hesitated to enter certain dungeons or underground lairs with terrifying elements, as well as intricate puzzle-filled dungeons and other enigmatic challenges, let alone a solo horror scenario.
Chu You activated the running mode, prompting the two pythons to launch their assault. This time, Chu You refrained from fighting back and opted for a strategic retreat.
As the colossal serpents pursued Chu You, their enormous jaws appeared ready to devour him entirely. Fortunately, drawing from his past experiences, Chu You's expertise allowed him to maintain a lead over the pythons, making it impossible for them to catch up. Swiftly, he reached a stone column, executing a half-circle maneuver to evade the menacing snakeheads.
All the while, the snakeheads' cold, calculating gazes remained fixed on Chu You, intensifying the nail-biting intensity of the pursuit.
After completing a half-circle around the stone column, Chu You sprinted towards the cable bridge, even though it appeared to be a dead-end route.
As he stepped onto the bridge deck once more, Chu You maintained precise control over his speed, exuding a sense of calm amidst the chaos. Just as he neared the other side via the cable bridge, a sudden and violent tremor shook the bridge, and the two boss-level pythons closed in with unrelenting determination.
Chu You executed a light leap, landing gracefully on the sturdy rocky ground. He turned his head slightly, his gaze icy as he observed the two desperate giant pythons.
With a determined stride, Chu You proceeded to the right, the stone wall looming not far ahead. The left side led to a deeper, more ominous expanse, while to the right, there was only the dark abyss.
Suddenly, the two enormous pythons leaped from the bridge's end, their massive, sinuous bodies coiled, poised for a potentially lethal strike against Chu You.
As the colossal serpents rapidly closed the gap, Chu You calculated silently. When their proximity reached a critical point, Chu You made a swift dash towards the cliff overlooking the bottomless abyss.
The distance between the two parties grew increasingly narrow, and Chu You deliberately controlled his speed. At that moment, Chu You's eyes narrowed, and he slowed down slightly.
Just as Chu You stepped on the precipice's edge, the trailing giant python entered its attack range. With a sudden roll, the python executed a death-twisting skill, hurtling towards Chu You with lethal intent.
In the blink of an eye, it seemed that Chu You had no other choice. He abruptly jumped off the cliff, as if taking his own life.
The pursuing python, carried by momentum, plunged uncontrollably into the abyss. Chu You's eyes remained fixed on a dangling rope as he plunged. His hands deftly seized the lifeline with precision.
With a powerful inertia, the rope in Chu You's grasp swung him towards the opposite side of the cliff. He glanced back, witnessing the skill-using python's entire body suspended in mid-air before plummeting into the endless abyss.
Driven by momentum, the rope carried Chu You back to the original cliff, where another boss-level python awaited.
At the precise moment, Chu You released the rope and vaulted toward the solid ground.
He landed firmly, with the cliff behind him. At that very instant, his experience bar surged. Chu You knew that the fallen python had met its demise. As a consequential player, the experience points from the python's fall were added to Chu You's tally.
As gameplay in "Tian Shi" continued to evolve, players became increasingly inspired, shedding traditional concepts and boldly experimenting with innovation. Unusual terrains and elements in "Tian Shi" were now fair game, as long as players could identify their unique advantages.
Yet another colossal python remained in relentless pursuit of Chu You. As he regrouped, it initiated another attack.
With only one leader python left, Chu You's heart felt considerably lighter, and he drew his training sword, fully prepared to engage in combat.
The terrain limitations here proved challenging. After consuming a healing potion, Chu You successfully vanquished the python.
In a burst of brilliance, Chu You ascended to level 5. He swiftly equipped himself with items from his space backpack, discarding the novice clothes in favor of a broken breastplate, elegant snakeskin gauntlets, and Spider rings. He discarded his old weapon in favor of the white sword and immediately learned the "Decapitate" skill, the first to appear in Chu You's skill system.
Glancing at the lifeless and empty python corpse, Chu You pressed on deeper into the cave. Whether the giant python that had plunged into the abyss had left behind any equipment remained a secret known only to the system.
In the end, Chu You arrived at the innermost chamber and came to a halt. A figure, nearly as tall as Chu You, confronted him—a monstrous creature with a human head and a serpentine body, wielding a staff.
The grotesque Serpentine Sorceress, a level 5, two-star elite monster, and a leader-level species, stood with 3000/3000 health points.
Upon studying the information, Chu You's brows knitted in concern. It became evident that confronting a formidable system-enforced BOSS demanded a new strategy. The tactics that had proven effective against earlier adversaries were now inadequate.
With a touch of wry amusement, Chu You allocated his five free attribute points gained from the level-up, adding +3 to strength and +2 to intelligence.
At present, Chu You's attributes were as follows: Strength: 45, Dexterity: 14, Intelligence: 17, Stamina: 34, Health: 800, Mana: 220, Attack: 77, Hit: 21, Critical Strike: 11, Lethal Strike Chance: 17%, Magic Resistance: 13, Wisdom: 13, Attack Speed: 14, and Movement Speed: 13.
Chu You's physical defence +6.
As for the system-enforced BOSS, Chu You had a clear understanding of its characteristics. He knew he couldn't simply charge at this opponent; his movement speed was clearly inferior, and the BOSS's general attack damage was exceptionally high.
Though Chu You didn't remember the attack speed of the lowest-level wild BOSS from his past experiences, one thing was certain—the physical defense of the system-enforced BOSS should be its vulnerability. Its skin didn't appear particularly thick, and its standard attack seemed to involve an energy light ball. Mastering this detail was crucial, as it allowed for evasion. However, Chu You was apprehensive about the BOSS's skills, as they typically carried devastating damage.
In his past gaming experiences, Chu You had never faced a wild BOSS one-on-one. It wasn't because he didn't want to; it was because he'd never had the opportunity.
But now, the chance was finally here.
Chu You eagerly sat down to restore his character's condition, a tinge of excitement coursing through him. As he gazed at the BOSS before him, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
In the grand scheme of things, the worst outcome was death, a setback only involving novice experience and equipment from the early stages of the game. Fearlessly, he stood up, unsheathed the white sword with a liquid gleam, and advanced toward the first wild BOSS he encountered in this new life.
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