As the group ventured further into the labyrinth, they encountered a tunnel illuminated by glowing crystals, casting an eerie light in the darkness. Following the tunnel's path, they eventually reached a smaller gate adorned with mysterious ancient patterns. With little hesitation, they pushed open the gate, finding it much easier to move than the entrance gate. Beyond it lay a vast open space, flanked by four pillars on each side.
In the middle stood a creature resembling a rat, its mangy fur illuminated by the glowing crystals, its red eyes piercing the darkness with an eerie glow. With sharp claws and a size larger than that of a child, it stood motionless, as if anticipating the group's arrival.
---
Name: Mother Rat
Race/Species: Gloom Rat
Age: 10
Health: 150/150
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 10
Will: 9
Intelligence: 12
Mana: 10
Skills:
Swarm (Passive): Can command a large swarm of rats to attack the enemy.
Poisonous Teeth (Level 5): Each bite contains a potent poison that seeps through bones, causing a paralyzing effect.
Swarm Poison (Level 10): Can infuse a swarm with poison, making it toxic to enemies.
---
"Shit…" Wang Jun cursed under his breath as he assessed the Mother Rat's status. Her attributes were manageable, but it was her skills, particularly Swarm and Swarm Poison, that posed a significant threat. Fighting her head-on would be risky.
The group seemed to hear Wang Jun's concern, and Grimlock turned to him with a grim expression. "What's the plan, chief? That oversized rodent doesn't look too friendly."
Wang Jun frowned, his mind assessing every possible solution. "We can't take a chance with that thing, especially with that swarm of rats it commands." He paused, hearing the chirping sound of rats around them. "They're everywhere."
Draven, at the side, proposed, "We could aim to bring it down before it gets the chance to call its swarm. Swift and decisive."
Wang Jun nodded and said, "Let's do that. Grimlock, you take the lead. Try to distract it while Draven and the rest of us move in for the kill."
As they approached, Grimlock grunted in agreement, already starting to lumber forward with purpose. The Mother Rat let out a low growl, and Wang Jun could feel the tension in the air, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Thanks to their hunting and his willpower, Wang Jun could remain calm despite the situation. The purpose of their hunting expeditions was not only to gain experience points but also to steel his mind. After all, he was just a normal young man who had never seen blood before.
Well, strictly speaking, he had seen some blood in movies and on the internet but experiencing it in real life was a different story altogether. It brought a sense of realness and immediacy that no screen could replicate.
He knew the importance of a calm mind especially since he was the leader of the entire tribe.
The Mother Rat growled at them, then turned around. In her place, a swarm of rats formed around as they rushed at them. Grimlock smiled and roared as he charged head-on. Draven suddenly quickened his pace, leaping onto Grimlock's back, then jumping at the Mother Rat. With a sword in each hand, he spun around and landed gracefully beside the Mother Rat, slashing his swords. However, the Mother Rat was quick to evade, causing only minor injuries to her skin.
Meanwhile, the remaining hunters had been killing the swarm while also aiding. Wang Jun observed Draven's actions and couldn't help but feel admiration for him. The status only allowed him to see the attributes and skills of a person, but not their talent. Draven was talented in dual swordsmanship.
And then Wang Jun realized that after this encounter, he must learn more about their talents so he could help them become even stronger by refining their innate abilities.
Wang Jun then swung his sword, his movements appearing somewhat amateurish as if he were a child holding a sword for the first time. This was understandable since he had never held one before.
Meanwhile, Draven, Grimlock, and some hunters flanked the creature, aiming precise strikes at its vulnerable spots. The Mother Rat was weak in terms of physical combat; she was slowly losing her edge. She couldn't command the swarm properly as she became increasingly distracted by the humans.
And she could hear the cries of her dying children echoing through her mind, making it impossible for her to further control the swarm.
The battle was fierce and chaotic, but through their combined combat efforts, they managed to overcome the Mother Rat and emerge victorious. The head of the Mother Rat rolled on the ground, and the remaining rats began to scatter in disarray.
'Your subordinate, Drave, killed Gloom Rat, you gained 30 EXP.'
Wang Jun couldn't help but sigh in relief as he began to scan the body of the Mother Rat. He realized that the reason they could win the battle so easily was because of her. Wang Jun observed that when Draven was fighting her, the Mother Rat seemed to want to flee. This led him to realize that she couldn't properly control her swarm if she was getting distracted.
"A weakness?" Wang Jun pondered.
He realized that if monsters had powerful skills, they must also have weaknesses. He recalled the encounter with the Mimic creature, which possessed the skill to shapeshift into anyone it saw without any side effects. Despite its powerful ability, they defeated it easily because it copied a troll, which lacked intelligence.
Reflecting on this, Wang Jun concluded that if the Mimic possessed high intelligence, it would understand that it couldn't just shapeshift into anyone it saw. In theory, the Mimic must be a formless entity that requires a form to continue living. Adding to this, Grom mentioned they had never seen a Mimic before, despite living for hundreds of years. Therefore, in theory, the Mimic is a formless creature that needs a form to survive. They don't inherently possess intelligence; they only gain the intelligence of the creature they shapeshift into. However, this was only a theory, and Wang Jun still didn't know much about them.
The Mother Rat's weakness is requiring a place without distractions to properly control her swarm.
"Nicely done, everyone," Wang Jun said as he smiled to his companions. There's no casualty just a few injuries, especially Grimlock but thanks to his constitution it didn't seem to affect him.
With that, they continue to move forward.
The group encountered another tunnel illuminated by the glowing crystal, and they soon reached another gate leading to another boss monster.
"There nothing else here?" Grimlock said.
It was the same place as before, with a large space with four pillars supporting each side, but the place was empty.
"Still, don't let your guard down." Wang Jun said.
The place was shrouded in complete darkness, beyond the reach of the crystals' light. Wang Jun commanded one of the hunters to light a torch, and the hunter nodded in acknowledgment. He ignited his torch and then passed the flame to his companions, ensuring that each had a light source to guide them through the darkness.
The group continued to move forward.
Suddenly, they heard a cry and turned around to find one of the torches missing, indicating that the hunter who was holding it had disappeared. Everyone became alert, their senses heightened as they scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger.
Then they heard another cry, this time near Wang Jun. However, it quickly disappeared, echoing into the darkness. Grimlock grunted, "A phantom? Ain't that just preachy."
Grimlock's keen eyes caught sight of the suspect: a phantom that disappeared and reappeared. The reason they couldn't see it was because part of its body blended into the darkness.
Suddenly, through the corner of Wang Jun's vision, a black hand appeared on Draven's shoulder. Wang Jun widened his eyes, about to yell a warning, but before he could do so, Draven suddenly disappeared as if he had been teleported away.
"Fuck..." Wang Jun cursed under his breath. They could only press forward, but with each passing minute, hunters disappeared one by one, leaving only a few remaining. Fortunately, Grimlock remained by his side, he was the only powerful hunter around.
The phantom or ghost seemed to avoid confrontation, preferring to elude the group rather than engage in battle. Darkness was its home ground, and with the limited distance their light could reach, the group found themselves effectively blind from all sides, unable to discern the phantom's movements or intentions.
Suddenly, an idea struck Wang Jun's mind. "I hope it works, or else we're dead," he muttered, his heart pounding with anticipation.
And then he ordered the group to surround him, creating a wider field of vision to detect the next target. As he peered into the darkness, a holographic screen popped into his vision.
---
Name: Venomous Specter
Race/Species: Specter
Age: ???
Health: 50/50
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 20
Will: 10
Intelligence: 15
Mana: 50
Skills:
Phase (Passive): Can pass through walls or solid objects.
Cry of Fear (Level 3): Can manifest into the target fears.
Shadow Manipulation (Level 5): Can manipulate shadow, concealing or creating illusions.
Regeneration (Passive): Can slowly regenerate health over time.
Spectral Scream (Level 6): Can unleash a piercing scream that can disorient and damage.
---
"There!" Wang Jun immediately pointed toward where he saw the enemy status. With his command, the hunters quickly raised their torches, illuminating the area. Grimlock swung his axe toward the direction Wang Jun pointed, driven by instinct and Wang Jun's command, even though he didn't know what kind of entity he was supposed to hit.
Suddenly, there was only smoke that quickly faded away, leaving the group standing in the darkness once again, uncertain of what had just transpired.