To defeat this three-headed Chimera, brute force was clearly not an option. The creature's colossal stature alone, capable of a devastating 'Mount Tai' crushing move, would be overwhelming.
Following the advice of the resplendent Lady of the Falling Flower City, Eddie decided to first seek the Silence Scepter in the left annex to neutralize the dragon head and then the Blindness Stone in the right annex for the sheep's head.
This would leave him with just the central 'flaming' lion's head to contend with. Surprisingly, this seemed to be the weakest and possibly the Achilles' heel of the Chimera.
The Shadow Barbarian Bull, under Eddie's command, quickly shook off the persistent sheep-headed creatures and rushed towards the entrance to the hall.
However, these creatures ceased their attack upon reaching the entrance, bellowing lowly and crowding the passageway, yet not daring to enter, clearly fearful of the Chimera.
Feeling the pressure of time, Eddie hurried along the perimeter of the arena towards the left annex. But as soon as he moved, the Chimera woke up.
Its six eyes opened wide, and upon spotting Eddie, it roared furiously, its sound shaking the very earth. The sheep-headed creatures in the passageway scattered in terror.
The Chimera stood up, its immense body resembling a moving mountain of flesh.
The dragon head roared and spewed a torrent of liquid that fell like rain. Eddie kicked Grey, the Iron Spine Wolf, sending it flying to safety while commanding the Shadow Barbarian Bull to retreat swiftly.
The sky darkened as the green liquid poured down, but thankfully, the absolute defensive shield protected Eddie from becoming a drenched chicken.
The green acid corroded the black stone floor, hissing and dissolving it like sugar in hot water. "My goodness!" Eddie was startled by the potency of the Chimera's acid.
No wonder Golden Sovereign Beasts were said to be capable of instantly killing ordinary war beasts.
The acidic venom of the Chimera seemed to be much more potent than anything else Eddie had encountered, including the alien species known for their corrosive blood.
Indeed, the Chimera, a Level Six Golden Sovereign Beast, was terrifying.
Had it been any ordinary war beast, even the Bronze Barbarian Bull in its heyday, it would have been severely injured or even killed by such an acid attack.
As for Grey-Wolf, at its current level, challenging the Chimera would be akin to suicide.
Had Eddie not received critical intelligence from the resplendent Lady of Falling Flower City about the necessity of acquiring the Silence Scepter before directly engaging the Chimera, facing its acid attack head-on would have been suicidal.
Yehken, the slender guide, might have met his tragic fate under such circumstances.
As the central flaming lion head shot a fireball that exploded near Eddie's feet, he realized how perilous the situation was.
The protective shield saved him from being blown away. Eddie cursed under his breath, frustrated by the Chimera's seemingly endless arsenal of attacks.
Fortunately, the rightmost sheep's head remained passive, offering some relief amidst the chaos.
As Eddie raced towards the left corridor, he couldn't help but humorously ponder the profitability of featuring the Chimera in a circus act.
The Chimera, a sovereign among beasts, was unbothered by the presence of Eddie, whom it deemed inconsequential.
In its eyes, all challengers were mere insects, engaging in futile attempts at combat.
The left corridor extended about a hundred meters, shrouded in darkness.
Thanks to his recent soul-blood pact with Queen Vivien, Eddie had gained the ability to see in the dark, turning a potential disadvantage into a minor inconvenience.
The annex, as large as a basketball court, housed dozens of sheep-headed beings. Unlike their counterparts outside, these transformed into massive twisted-horn rams upon Eddie's entry.
Their formidable, spiraled horns posed a significant threat, more dangerous than a cavalry's lance.
The rams charged at Eddie with a thunderous rumble, their lowered heads signaling an impending assault.
"Expose your hindquarters to distract the spiraled-horn rams," Eddie instructed, uncaring of the Grey Wolf's feelings. He had no time to spare for such considerations. As the rams charged, Eddie swiftly commanded the Shadow Minotaur to leap high into the air and execute a powerful stomp, targeting the rams chasing the Grey Wolf.
The Grey Wolf, realizing the impending danger, panicked and bolted, wishing for additional legs to escape faster.
The Shadow Minotaur's massive silhouette cast a looming shadow as it ascended, then descended with a thunderous stomp.
The impact was so forceful that the ground trembled, and the surrounding area was engulfed in a shockwave of tremendous power, leaving Eddie astonished at the display.
The rams directly beneath were crushed beyond recognition, while those nearby were sent flying, unable to rise again. The farther ones were stunned, halting their charge. The Shadow Minotaur, adhering strictly to Eddie's command, refrained from further carnage and instead rushed to aid the fleeing Grey Wolf.
The disparity in strength between the Grey Wolf and the Shadow Minotaur was stark, despite both being Bronze Level 3 creatures.
The Grey Wolf, despite its six-star rating as a superior beast, paled in comparison to the Shadow Minotaur's overwhelming prowess. Ordinary Bronze Level 3 creatures stood no chance against it, let alone challenge its authority.
The Grey Wolf, narrowly escaping the onslaught of the spiraled-horn rams, regained its brazen demeanor. It lunged at the nearest ram, biting ferociously into its throat. The wolf's bloodthirsty gaze seemed to declare its victory over the loneliness of the hunt.
Another ram, attempting to charge, found itself outmaneuvered by the Grey Wolf's agile leap and vicious claw strike. The wolf's tactics were ruthless: first, it blinded its foe with a swipe to the eye, then leveraged its diving momentum to overpower the larger ram, delivering a fatal bite to the throat.
While the Grey Wolf couldn't handle dozens of transformed rams single-handedly, tackling two or three was well within its capabilities, especially given its mutation from absorbing the dark energies of the Infernal Lord Hasin.
Eddie, preoccupied with his quest for the Silence Wand, paid little attention to the skirmish unfolding. He had assumed the wand would be prominently displayed or secured in a chest.
Instead, he discovered it suspended high on the smooth wall of the side hall, with three identical wands to choose from. Only one was genuine; the others were traps. Choosing incorrectly could prove deadly.
Each wand had cryptic text inscribed near it, serving as a clue for the challengers. Eddie nearly stumbled in frustration. "Isn't this just a game dungeon?" he thought, exasperated by the life-threatening puzzle. He silently protested against the deity-run game company of the Heaven-Reaching Tower for their excessively perilous challenges.