Su Bai had managed to escape the Corrupted Minotaur, but he could barely stay on his feet. Sweat covered his face as he moved away from the spot where he had nearly perished. The battle had been exhausting, and the furious roar of the minotaur still echoed in his ears as it struggled to break free from the Icy Cloud that had slowed it down.
After several minutes of running through the trees, Su Bai stopped, leaning against the trunk of a tree. His muscles trembled from the effort, and his mind was clouded with exhaustion. He quickly checked his inventory.
"No potions…" he muttered in frustration, looking at the empty screen. Not a single health or energy potion remained to restore his health or energy. He needed to be more cautious.
Knowing that another direct confrontation could be the end of him, he decided to avoid higher-level enemies until he could recover. Aware of his critical situation, Su Bai ventured into the shallower parts of the Dark Forest, where he knew he could find weaker creatures, enough to gather the experience he needed without taking too much risk.
Hunt in the Forest: Shadow Wolves
After walking for a few minutes, the forest began to show signs of life. In the distance, he spotted a group of Shadow Wolves prowling among the trees—agile and dangerous creatures, but more manageable than the minotaur. They were perfect for his plan to accumulate experience.
[Explore Activated]
• Shadow Wolf
Level: 7
HP: 3500
Physical Attack: 190
Skill: Wolf's Fury (+15% attack speed for 10 seconds)
"These will do," Su Bai thought, gripping the Celestial CloudSword tightly.
He had no potions, but if he played his cards right and used the mist from the Icy Cloud to slow his enemies down, he could avoid being outnumbered or outrun by the wolves. Taking a deep breath, he activated his Endless Icy Cloud ability, causing a thin, icy mist to spread around him. This would reduce the wolves' speed and give him a crucial advantage.
The first wolf lunged at him, but Su Bai was ready. He deflected the attack with a side swipe of his sword and immediately counterattacked.
832 HP (Weakness Critical)
The wolf retreated, wounded but not defeated. The second wolf seized the opportunity to attack from the flank, moving faster thanks to Wolf's Fury, but Su Bai dodged the blow with ease, using the mist to his advantage.
"I won't let them corner me," he thought, launching a Constant Strike at the second wolf.
754 HP
The wolves attacked in coordination, but Su Bai kept his cool. Every strike had to count. As he fought, his movements became more fluid, and the experience points accumulated quickly. After defeating a dozen more wolves, Su Bai checked his experience bar. He had accumulated 4,700 points but still needed 300 more to reach level 8.
He knew he couldn't rest until he reached that goal. The fatigue still weighed on him, but the desire to improve drove him forward.
Return to the Coral Snake Territory
With the experience gained from the wolves, Su Bai felt more prepared to return to the Coral Snake territory. Although the snakes were venomous and more dangerous, he needed a rare one to complete his mission.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the atmosphere grew more oppressive. Branches snapped underfoot, and the thick mist made visibility difficult. That's when he saw it: a snake slithering between the rocks, much larger and faster than the others. Its scales shimmered with a reddish hue, indicating it was no ordinary snake.
[Explore Activated]
• Rare Coral Snake
Level: 8
HP: 6000
Physical Attack: 230
Poison Damage: 120 per second for 10 seconds (stackable)
Special Skill: Toxic Bite (20% chance to poison with increased damage)
Su Bai smiled. Finally, the creature he had been searching for. However, his HP bar was at half, and with no potions, he would have to be extremely cautious. He decided to attack with a combination of speed and strategy, avoiding prolonged contact with the snake to prevent being poisoned.
The snake lunged at him with surprising speed, but Su Bai had already activated Endless Icy Cloud, slowing its movements just enough for him to dodge its initial attack. At that moment, he launched a Constant Strike, aiming for the snake's head.
1224 HP (Icy Critical)
The blow was devastating, temporarily freezing the snake's head. But before Su Bai could move in for the kill, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. The snake had activated its Toxic Bite, injecting venom into his body.
120 HP (Poison Damage)Poisoned: 10 seconds remaining
Su Bai's life bar began to decrease slowly. He cursed under his breath, knowing that without healing potions, he would have to finish the fight quickly before the poison weakened him too much. Despite the pain, Su Bai couldn't afford to give up. He kept the pressure on the snake, using his Icy Strike ability to deal more damage.
Finally, after a tense exchange of blows, Su Bai saw an opening as the snake prepared to launch another attack. With a final effort, he activated Frozen Edge, concentrating all the icy energy of his sword and delivering a finishing blow to the snake's body.
2310 HP (Finishing Critical)
The snake collapsed, its body lifeless and covered by the icy mist. Su Bai let out a sigh of relief as he picked up the rare snake gall he had been searching for.
+900 EXP earned
Su Bai checked his experience bar. He had reached the 5,000 points needed to level up to Level 8. As the golden glow enveloped him, he felt power flow through his body. His stats increased, and the Celestial CloudSword also glowed intensely, responding to his progress.
Su Bai's Stats after leveling up:
ID: White Night
Level: 8
HP: 1900/1900
Energy: 1200
EXP: 600/8000
Constitution: 28
Physical Attack: 500
Physical Defense: 500
Strength: 125
The sword had significantly improved. His new abilities, such as Mist Step and Frozen Edge, now offered him a much greater advantage in combat.
"Incredible…" he murmured, examining the sword as he marveled at its new capabilities.
With the rare snake gall in hand and the satisfaction of leveling up, Su Bai decided it was time to return to Eldoria Village. He had achieved much, but greater challenges still lay ahead.
As he left the Dark Forest behind, his mind was already planning his next move, knowing that the real battle had yet to begin.