Chapter 162
The dozens of hellish creatures guarding the spatial rift were suddenly swallowed whole by the Kraken.
It wasn't until there was nothing left to draw out that the massive red tentacle, which had obscured half of the view, finally released its grip and slipped back into the deep sea, revealing a slightly expanded spatial rift.
Standing atop the physical form of the Kraken, Ye Bai twitched her lips as she watched the little girl-like spirit let out a satisfied burp from within the fish basket, a small puff of visible black smoke escaping her tiny mouth.
Before the smoke could dissipate, the Kraken opened its mouth and swallowed it back in.
Ye Bai: "..."
Using her insight, Ye Bai saw that the Kraken's level had risen to 75, an impressive two-level increase, showcasing an astonishing conversion rate.
Meanwhile, her own experience pool had also risen from level 52 to 53 through sharing. If she could manage a few more of these, reaching level 60 wouldn't be out of reach. Wouldn't that mean she could undergo her third class change upon returning?
With this thought, Ye Bai felt a surge of excitement as she patted the little girl's head beside her.
"Well done! Just like that!" she praised. "Now, just like before, stay right here and don’t move. I’ll go lure them over to you."
"Okay! I won’t move!" The Kraken, having experienced the benefits once, obediently settled in the fish basket and replied loudly.
The next course of action was to repeat the previous scenario. The Kraken used its tentacles to send Ye Bai back into the spatial rift, then waited in the original sea area for food to come to its mouth.
This time, upon entering the spatial rift, the surroundings were completely empty. The hellish creatures that had been guarding this rift had all been absorbed by the Kraken, and no chain reaction had yet occurred.
The entire process was so swift, and given the chaotic nature of the hellish creatures, even with a hell lord suppressing them, the individuals were not very disciplined. This was in stark contrast to the undead, but after a while, the hell lord's fortress should react.
With other hellish creatures scattered across various regions, it would be quite troublesome for Ye Bai to lure them one by one. The best option at this moment was, of course, the hell fortress she had seen earlier.
By coming here now, Ye Bai could take advantage of the timing, luring a wave of monsters before the hell fortress became alert.
After some thought, Ye Bai directly removed her [Perfect Mask], revealing her true identity. The spatial rift was still indicated to last for six game days, and using this method to lure monsters would be more efficient and focused.
Ye Bai made her way to the hell lord's fortress. Unlike the cliff fortress she had seen before, this entire structure was larger and simpler, built from black stone, resembling a small volcano submerged in lava.
On the nearby black stones floating in the lava, she could see numerous hellish creatures either frolicking on the stones or swimming in the lava.
【You have discovered the 'Hell Lord's Fortress', gaining 10 historical experience points and 100,000 experience points.】
Ye Bai stopped as she approached the lava's edge. Stepping into the lava would inflict environmental damage, but from this distance, she could easily catch the attention of the small demons lurking at the edge of the lava pool.
As soon as seven or eight small demons spotted Ye Bai, they immediately ceased their play and charged at her, flapping their fiery bat-like wings.
Ye Bai didn’t retreat; instead, she advanced—
【Hellfire Ball】
"Boom!"
A black-red fireball infused with magic exploded upon reaching the group of small demons, instantly taking them out with flames and explosive damage.
Though the small demons were mere cannon fodder of the hellish type, their passive abilities were quite bothersome. Each small demon could 'steal' 10 points of mana (spiritual energy) from enemies per day, gaining a certain enhancement. While 10 points might not seem like much, hellish creatures excelled in swarm tactics, and in large numbers, they could drain a mage's mana pool, making them particularly troublesome for magic users.
Moreover, since it was a passive skill, Ye Bai couldn't use her Disintegration to return the stolen mana.
After defeating the small demons, the mana would return, but understanding the racial traits, Ye Bai prioritized clearing them out first.
The death of the small demons attracted the attention of more distant hellish creatures, who began to converge on Ye Bai, their red health bars lighting up.
The scene that had unfolded around the rift replayed itself. Ye Bai skillfully maneuvered at the edge of the lava pool, absorbing useful skills while casting Ice Spike to strike at the approaching monsters within her line of sight.
Compared to undead creatures, hellish beings had little discipline. Consequently, they were easily provoked and could lose their rationality, meaning it was quite simple to stabilize their aggro. Thus, after she had attacked them near the spatial rift, the nearby hellish creatures had recklessly pursued her across to the other side of the rift.
Once the Kraken began to exert its strength, there would be no escape for them.
Uncertain if the hell lord was present, Ye Bai decided to play it safe. Seeing that she had attracted all the hellish creatures active in this lava area, she turned and began to flee.
Just then, the entire massive fortress trembled violently, and the surface of the lava pool began to twist and shake.
"Oh no!"
Ye Bai's heart sank as she realized she had likely drawn the attention of the hell lord here, and she quickened her retreat.
"Rumble..."
From within the hell fortress not far away, a sound akin to friction echoed from the volcano-like summit, as if some enormous creature was stirring within.
"Who dares to intrude upon my—great Kedar's fortress!"
A booming voice came from behind Ye Bai, the words seamlessly translated, spoken in the demonic tongue reserved for high-ranking hellish beings. The tone was filled with not just anger, but also excitement and mockery.
Without needing to turn around, Ye Bai could tell from the content of the voice that it belonged to the hell lord of this layer.
She hadn’t expected that even from a distance of over five or six hundred meters from the fortress, she would still attract the attention of the hell lord.
But as the saying goes, if you walk by the river often, you’re bound to get your shoes wet. This was a risk she had to take by using this shortcut to lure monsters.
—Run! Just make it to the spatial rift!
For this unlikely scenario, Ye Bai was not unprepared. The rift was not far from the hell fortress, and as long as she could enter it, she would be safe.
The hell lord was at least a demigod-level creature, meaning its lowest level was above 80. The higher the level, the stronger the power.
Although the Kraken had yet to reach the demigod realm at level 80, the deep sea was the domain of the deep-sea race, allowing it to exert greater strength in the water. In contrast, the hell lord would face significant limitations in power. Even if it pursued her across the rift, the Kraken might not be able to defeat it, but it could use the advantage of the environment to escape.
Ye Bai ran at full speed, not even daring to look back at what the hell lord looked like, only feeling the noise and commotion behind her growing louder, shaking the ground beneath her feet.
"Ah!"
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out, and Ye Bai's eyes lit up as she noticed Ottofis running beside her.
Its ability to blend into the environment made it easy to overlook, not just by enemies but even by Ye Bai herself just moments ago.
Receiving the signal, Ye Bai quickly understood. While running, she reached out and grabbed Ottofis by the neck, swiftly flipping onto its back, moving in perfect harmony.
Riding on Ottofis, Ye Bai could clearly feel its speed had increased compared to before. During this time, they had consumed a large amount of high-grade fish together with the Kraken, and it seemed that Ottofis had also gained some unknown enhancements.
At this moment, Ye Bai finally had the energy to glance back at the hell lord she had stirred up.
In the next instant, she took a deep breath.
A thick, muscular body, black and red scales, and a massive serpent head emerging from the lava.
The serpent head was at least twenty meters wide, with crimson eyes that seemed to swirl with lava. The most terrifying part was that this head was not the only one.
As the lava churned, Ye Bai saw one giant serpent head after another rising from within—one, two, three... seven. A full seven giant serpent heads, all casting their cold, malevolent gazes upon Ye Bai.
This was a Hydra Demon boss.
Like any multi-headed creature, the more heads it had, the stronger it was. Typically, a Hydra Demon would have only three heads, with levels ranging from 60 to 65, and its size would never be this terrifying. With seven heads before her, Ye Bai didn’t need to use her insight to know that its level was at least above 85.
Each of the Hydra Demon’s heads resembled that of a cobra, and on the flattened areas of their necks, intricate, twisted patterns constantly shifted, embodying the essence of demonic language.
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