Chapter 431: Misha's Trial (3)
"Khehehe..."
A low, raspy chuckle echoed from the top of the Rock Wall.
Dozens of glowing, tiny eyes suddenly appeared—red-brown skin blending almost perfectly with the molten lava, like stalactites hanging from the cavern ceiling.
Sharp hisses and clicking sounds filled the air as scalding steam erupted from the cracks between the "rock" formations—the Steam Demon Bats had awakened.
"It's the Steam Demon Bats!"
A Player shouted in alarm.
Instantly, the entire colony of bats launched into the air, a black storm of wings surging downward like a tidal wave, accompanied by a searing blast of steam.
"Shit... so many?"
The archer Player froze in shock. Before he could react, dozens of bats swarmed him, clinging to his body, wrapping him in a suffocating mass—then tearing him apart limb from limb.
By the time the bats dispersed, only a charred, steamed corpse remained.
The scattered Players met the same fate. The Steam Demon Bats moved with eerie stealth through the cave’s fissures—seemingly everywhere at once.
Worse still, they possessed a Spell-like Ability: Veil of Illusion. The deadly steam mingled with thick, dense white fog, shrouding the entire cavern in a disorienting haze. Visibility dropped to near zero.
"Spellcaster! Dispel the mist!"
"Can't see a thing—our visibility is dropping!"
Singo rode his Wyvern, weaving effortlessly along the Rock Wall. As he moved, he drew his longbow to full tension and loosed a magical arrow—its energy slicing through multiple bats in rapid succession.
Any bat that got too close was instantly torn apart by the Wyvern’s claws and fangs.
"Kill them!"
Stuffed Bun urged his Wyvern, Noodles, to flap its wings hard, clearing the smoke and plunging into the swarm. With his Longsword, he hacked and slashed, cutting through the horde again and again.
"Roar!"
Noodles let out a thunderous cry, swiping with one massive claw and sending several bats tumbling into the abyss.
But the bats retaliated with streams of searing steam—scorching Noodles and Stuffed Bun alike. Even with their high concentration of Red Dragon Bloodline, they couldn’t fully resist the intense magical heat.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu floated serenely through the chaos, her body encased in a shimmering Force Field Sphere. She repelled incoming bats with precise, powerful bursts of energy, sending them crashing into the walls.
"Wind Generation Spell!"
Charlotte and the Magic Coin Players raised their Staves in unison. A powerful Gale Surge erupted, sweeping away the smoke and revealing the monstrous forms of the bats in clear detail.
The Mechanical Divinity Player roared:
"Opportunity! Charge through!"
"Push Lever, Armor Classtivate Piston and Pump!"
"Engage Engine, Ignite Turbine, Inject Life!"
They slammed the Lever to the maximum.
"Whirr—!"
"Boom—!"
With a deafening roar, the propulsion unit at their backs erupted in a blazing light flame. The Aether Armor surged forward, accelerating rapidly.
The towering, five-meter-tall,几十-ton machine—painted in bold red—plunged straight into the bat swarm like a colossal, armored hammer.
"Boom!"
First came a deep rumble, then a chain of explosions.
The entire cavern trembled. Debris rained from the ceiling. Dozens of bats were crushed against the front armor, exploding on impact—splattering into fiery fragments and molten rock.
"Steel, protect us!"
"Fireproof me—now I'm invincible!"
The Players inside the Aether Armor cheered triumphantly, then slammed the Lever again, charging into the next wave of battle.
"Gurgle… gurgle…"
Suddenly, a dull, bubbling sound echoed from the magma pool.
All combatants turned their attention toward the source. The Steam Demon Bats had been mostly eliminated.
"Shatter!"
A colossal entity erupted from the molten depths.
Magma splattered across the surrounding rock, melting it into craters. The Monster was composed of jagged stone blocks, with burning sulfur at the joints of its limbs. Its chest bore spiderweb cracks, and at its core pulsed a blinding flame. Its eyes—like molten lava balls—glowed with malevolent light.
"Roar—!"
It exhaled thick white smoke, surrounded by toxic volcanic gas. Lava dripped from its jaws.
This was the Magma Stone Golem—a Fire Elemental Creature born of magma and stone, a being that could only survive in the most extreme heat.
"Roar!"
With its cry, more Magma Stone Golems surged from the magma. Dozens now—over a dozen in total.
Normally, they appeared as unremarkable rocks. But now, faced with intruders, they revealed their true, terrifying form.
"Intruder. Die!"
One Golem hurled a burning sulfur block at a Paladin from the Royal Power Guild. The Paladin raised his shield—
"Boom! Pang!"
The block exploded on impact, blasting the expensive shield into fragments. The shockwave knocked several players off their feet.
The Steam Demon Bats seized the moment—swarming in, spewing scalding steam.
The same scene unfolded across the cave. Even the Fireproofer Aether Armor from Mechanical Divinity lost an arm in the blast.
Burning sulfur blocks flew wildly through the air. Stuffed Bun narrowly avoided being hit, barely dodging with a desperate leap from Noodles.
"Target the chest!"
"That's their core!"
Xia Ye Qiu Yu called out calmly.
These Golems drew power from fire, absorbing magma energy over centuries. Massive, immensely strong, their only weakness lay in the Lava Core at their chest—their life force.
Why hadn’t she warned them earlier?
Simple—she wanted to eliminate rivals. The fewer competitors left, the easier it would be to claim the final position.
The Great Guild Players understood the strategy too. They all shared the same silent goal: pass the trial and weaken their rivals.
So the lone, unprepared Solo Players became the first casualties.
The result? Within minutes, over twenty more Players turned to charcoal. Only fifty remained.
"Got it!"
"Hey!"
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang suddenly hurled his Great Axe. The weapon spun through the air, splitting a sulfur block mid-flight—then plunged straight into the chest of a Magma Stone Golem.
The blade sank deep into the stone. The Lava Core cracked down the middle—split in two.
"Boom!"
The Golem let out a final, agonized roar before disintegrating entirely—crumbling into rock and sulfur fragments, collapsing with a thunderous crash.
"Whoosh—!"
Singo released his arrow. It streaked forward, piercing the chest of another Golem dead center.
"Boom!"
The arrow flared violently—then detonated.
The second Golem shattered, screaming as it collapsed into a pile of stone debris, falling back into the magma.
"Preparation Complete!"
"Turn these rock monsters back into dust!"
Seeing the opening, the other Players followed suit—raining attacks, destroying the Golems one by one. The Mechanical Divinity Fireproofer unleashed a Force Field Beam, obliterating multiple stone titans in rapid succession.
—Requesting Moon Tickets—
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
