Chapter 62
The only difficulty lay in the water pool, where, accompanied by the gentle ripples, a massive shadow would occasionally emerge.
“Employer?”
Blaize, the leader of the guard team, cast a questioning glance at Ye Bai, who nodded in response.
He held a standard crossbow, cautiously stepping into the canyon alongside two other mercenaries.
“Shh, shh…”
Blaize and the two warriors treaded carefully on the shallow bank, their eyes fixed on the water pool. After walking for over ten meters, the surface remained calm, seemingly devoid of movement.
If they could pass through the shallows without disturbing the crocodile swarm, it would undoubtedly be a stroke of good fortune.
However, Ye Bai was not optimistic. In the process of opening trade routes, any biological community would inevitably react; this was the system's established 'minimum threshold' for trade routes. If they managed to slip through this time, what would happen the next time an ordinary caravan came through? If they weren’t careful, they could end up as crocodile bait.
Of course, to the monsters, the logic was even simpler: Oh, the scent of the lord~
Sure enough, the next moment, the water erupted, and a robust striped crocodile shot out of the pool.
Its massive jaws, lined with sharp teeth, exuded the fierce aura and strong stench characteristic of a powerful creature.
【Bloody Bite】
Monsters above level 20, like the transmuters, also exhibited transformations in their skills. Even non-BOSS and elite monsters possessed their own abilities.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
The ever-vigilant mercenaries reacted immediately, their standard crossbows unleashing a relentless barrage.
Against such a large and slow-moving creature, the effectiveness of this equipment was maximized, which was why everyone dared to venture forth.
‘-345’, ‘411’, ‘-368’…
A series of high damage numbers flashed, one of which was a critical hit, as a bolt struck right into the crocodile’s gaping maw.
“Roar!”
The first crocodile let out a pained scream; not only did it fail to bite anyone, but it also suffered a heavy blow, losing a significant portion of its 3000 health points.
However, with that cry of pain, the water began to churn violently, shadows shifting as more than a dozen striped crocodiles surfaced, their cold gazes locking onto the group that had entered the canyon.
The battle was about to erupt.
“Prepare for battle.” Blaize shouted, retreating while drawing his sword. “Protect the employer!”
…
In the valley, the sounds of clashing weapons and crocodile roars filled the air.
“Bart! Shield bash it on the head… Beck, use Blade Storm!”
“Hayden, fall back to the left!”
As Ye Bai’s familiar voice rang out, the fierce battle began to take on a rhythm.
This was a habit Ye Bai had intentionally instilled in the mercenaries during their skirmish two days prior.
The mercenaries present were a loosely assembled group, familiar with one another but lacking any hierarchy in battle; even Blaize, representing authority, did not have the clout to command them all.
Instead, it was Ye Bai, the employer who paid and treated them to drinks, who garnered their respect.
Initially, the mercenaries thought Ye Bai was merely indulging in noble habits, and they reluctantly listened to her commands out of consideration for the commission and drinks. However, they soon realized that her instructions were not arbitrary; they were crucial and demonstrated a deep understanding of each of their professional traits and skills.
After unconsciously following her lead once, the mercenaries discovered that under Ye Bai’s guidance, their classes could actually coordinate in such a way… It was a feeling where every combat movement was in sync with one another.
If one were to find an accurate descriptor, it would be ‘rhythm.’
In battles led by Ye Bai, those involved felt an invisible rhythm.
After several skirmishes, this originally scattered group of mercenaries began to exhibit the combat synergy of a fully formed unit.
At this moment, Blaize’s first instinct to shout “Protect the employer” was not merely a matter of duty; it held tactical significance as a call to “protect the commander.”
The air was thick with the scent of blood, and under Ye Bai’s command, the mercenaries gradually seized control of the battle’s rhythm.
One by one, the health bars of the striped crocodiles emptied, their bodies collapsing on the shallow bank, blood flowing down and staining half the pool red.
Only five severely wounded crocodiles remained, struggling, while the expressions of the mercenaries gradually relaxed, with some even smiling, feeling that this dangerous battle was finally coming to an end.
Yet Ye Bai and Dilina, who were protected in the back, did not let their guard down.
Dilina suddenly changed color, looking toward the center of the pool.
“Glub… glub…”
A series of bubbling sounds erupted from the depths of the pool, the water roiling as its color darkened. From above the canyon, one could see a massive shadow rising from the depths of the pool.
“Splash…”
“Roar!!!”
Water sprayed everywhere, and with a terrifying roar, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged from the pool, revealing a gigantic crocodile over ten meters long.
Ye Bai cast a quick glance, the BOSS’s distinctive thick health bar and some attributes appearing before her eyes.
【Crocodile King】
Level: 2?
Health: ?????/???????
Skills: Bloody Pounce, Hardened Skin, ???
Weaknesses: Abdomen, Throat, ???, ???
Indeed, it was unacceptable for such a large biological community not to produce a BOSS-level monster.
This was no ordinary BOSS; it was a BOSS above level 20, stronger than the Ragehorn Beast Ye Bai had battled for over twelve hours in the Nightmare-level city-building dungeon.
As this creature emerged, the mercenaries’ faces turned pale.
The terrifying size of the Crocodile King alone was enough to instill immense pressure.
This behemoth was far beyond what their nine-person team could handle, especially after just enduring a fierce battle.
Blaize took a deep breath, watching the giant crocodile swimming rapidly toward the shore, and instinctively shouted, “Protect the employer, we need to retreat…”
But in the next moment, as the mercenaries were about to follow Blaize’s orders to cover the ‘commander’ and ‘tactician’ in retreat, they saw—
The employer was warming up!
The employer, wielding her seemingly decorative yet ineffective snow-white longsword… charged forward!
Why was the employer moving forward instead of retreating?!
…
“Ah?!”
Blaize heard the incredulous exclamations from the mercenaries behind him, confusion rising in his heart.
What was happening?
But he didn’t dare turn back; he could only nervously keep his gaze fixed on the pool.
However, there was no need for Blaize to look back; soon, he saw a familiar figure darting past him, agile and swift, her white cloak billowing in the wind like a nimble bird, leaping toward the Crocodile King that had just emerged from the water.
“Continue to kill the remaining crocodiles.”
Ye Bai tossed out this command as she charged toward the Crocodile King, meeting the BOSS head-on as it came ashore.
Except for Dilina, who wore an intrigued expression, everyone else looked utterly terrified, struggling to deal with the remaining wounded ordinary crocodiles.
What was the employer thinking?!
Earlier, someone had asked the employer about the attack power of that longsword, and hadn’t she said it was about the same as a wooden sword? How could she possibly take on the Crocodile King?
Before long, Ye Bai’s actions would answer everyone’s doubts.
Closing the distance to twenty-one meters, Ye Bai flicked her hand.
【Ice Bolt】
A frost-laden ice projectile appeared out of thin air, striking the Crocodile King’s massive red eye.
The normal effective range for Ice Bolt is thirty meters, but due to her class characteristics, Ye Bai had reduced the spell’s range by 30%, making the maximum distance for this spell only twenty-one meters.
‘-153’
Not a particularly high damage number appeared; Ice Bolt was a basic spell skill, and this was merely to draw aggro.
“Roar!”
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