Chapter 265 Chapter264-The New Overlord Level Boss, Soul-Devouring Serpent Mozambique
Hills walked over to Balga, taking in his weary yet satisfied expression.
He smiled and said, "Balga, well done! That was a formidable creature, but you defeated it with relative ease!"
"Thank you, Hills. It was your healing and enhancement that allowed me to persevere to the end," Balga replied with gratitude.
Hills shook his head gently with a smile, "No need for thanks. This is the strength of our team. As long as we trust each other and coordinate seamlessly, no monster, no matter how terrifying they appear, can defeat us."
John coughed lightly, shaking his head somewhat helplessly.
He couldn't ascertain whether their conversation stemmed from genuine feelings or if it was just resembling the rigid and awkward dialogue typical of game NPCs.
Yet, here they were, real entities with intelligence, far from mere data in a game.
"We should keep moving. Seeing the Abyssal Malevolence appear should make it abundantly clear to everyone here; there indeed exists a Devil of the Abyss here," John said casually, adding, "Going forward, everyone needs to remain highly vigilant. The Devil employs more than just physical attacks; we must be cautious not to fall into its traps."
Heeding John's warning, every individual present tensed, their nerves pulling taut.
They gripped their weapons tightly, surveying their surroundings with utmost care, keen to not overlook any minor disturbances.
Though they wouldn't be this tense facing ordinary creatures, this was a Devil they were up against, a being on par with a deity.
Among them, no one, except for John, had faced a Devil before; some hadn't even seen one.
However, it didn't prevent these native NPC powerhouses from harboring a deep apprehension towards the Devil, a fear ingrained in anyone who grew up on the Godslayer Continent, shaped by the legendary tales surrounding the Devils.
As they continued traversing the desolate and dilapidated Soulstone Temple, the further they delved into the darkness, the more skeletal remains littered the ground.
Mysterious winds echoed continuously, source unknown in this sealed ancient palace, weaving through a space that felt increasingly distorted and warped.
From the outside, the palace didn't look any different from a normal-sized building, yet half an hour into their journey inside, they still hadn't reached the innermost part.
Passing a wall constructed from piled stones, they entered a new, eerily empty area.
The environment here was even stranger, the ground covered with the corpses of unidentifiable creatures.
These remains were not decayed like the stark white bones in the front hall but appeared vividly lifelike, as if they had just recently perished.
Their shapes were bizarre, some with four arms covered in eyes, some with a single central eye, and others resembled nauseating flesh balls devoid of limbs.
While they couldn't pinpoint what these creatures were called, one thing was for sure; these weren't beings that originated from the Godslayer Continent.
Every fallen monster bore gaping mouths, faces twisted in agony, a testament to the immense suffering endured in their final moments. Their pupils were ashen, void of any light, as if their very souls had been drained from them.
Beyond these corpses, the air was saturated with countless green luminescent specks, akin to will-o'-the-wisps yet distinctly different. These specks seemed to harbor a form of intelligence, as they surged towards the group immediately upon their arrival.
"Be careful not to let those green specks touch your flesh..."
John's voice boomed, followed quickly by a sweeping gesture of his hand. An invisible barrier enveloped them all in a swift motion, with the luminescent particles crashing against it, creating a series of thudding noises.
"What are these things, a new species from the abyss?"
Saphir asked, his face distorted with horror.
As a member of the mage class, his spiritual senses were the sharpest, and he was the first to perceive the decay and corruption emanating from the green lights.
John uttered calmly, "These are not living entities but shattered soul fragments..."
The group glanced at the increasingly dense swarm of green specks, then down at the vivid corpses on the ground, a realization dawned upon them.
"Could it be that these green specks floating in the air are the souls of the monsters that perished here?"
Hills asked, his expression solemn. As a practitioner of the Holy Light profession, he abhorred evil magic that directly manipulated the soul.
John nodded gently, "It is highly probable..."
Berserker Balga's voice resonated with a deep and dull tone, "But these monsters are clearly offspring of the abyss. Who has the power to extract their souls and tear them to shreds?"
"Judging by the appearance of these creatures, their level when alive must have been no less than the Abyssal Malevolence we encountered earlier. Do such powerful beings exist among humans?"
John raised an eyebrow, his tone a mixture of humor and seriousness, "Do you believe these creatures fell at the hands of humans?"
"It couldn't possibly have been the work of a Devil, could it?"
John did not respond, but his expression conveyed a deep understanding of the nature of Devils — emotionless, cold-blooded beings capable of turning on their own kind without hesitation.
With an eerie smile curling on his lips, John spoke, "I think I might have an idea of which Devil is hiding here..."
Before John could respond, Dragonfang from the side scoffed coldly, "It wouldn't be surprising. Devils are emotionless, cold-blooded beings, capable of turning on their own without a second thought..."
John stared at the green specks in the air, a strange smile creeping across his face. "I think I might have an idea of which Devil is hiding here..."
Just as everyone turned in bewilderment, intending to press further, the surroundings underwent a drastic transformation.
The soul fragments, resembling the green luminous specks, seemed to perceive a great danger suddenly, scattering and fleeing in every direction.
They quickly dissipated, seeking refuge within the corpses on the ground.
The group came to a sudden realization, understanding that the green lights were indeed the soul fragments of the corpses below, typically concealed within their original bodies.
"What's going on with them?"
Someone scratched their head, wearing a face full of confusion.
Only two or three individuals with acute spiritual senses looked forward gravely into the thick darkness ahead.
"Something is coming!"
Dragonfang shouted, going into stealth mode at once.
Soon, everyone heard a heavy breathing emanating from the darkness ahead.
The ground began to tremble slightly, hinting at the massive size of the approaching entity, each of its steps causing the ground to shake.
Everyone tensed up, their eyes fixed steadfastly forward.
Eventually, a vast shadow slowly emerged from the darkness, becoming gradually visible to the group.
Upon sighting the creature, everyone involuntarily took a sharp intake of breath.
A colossal serpent monster manifested before them, its body extending tens of meters long and covered in black scales.
Three vertical pupils adorned its head, lending it a horrifying aspect.
"Soul-Devouring Serpent Mozambique..." someone identified the serpent almost moaning the name out, recognizing the horror before them.
John raised his eyebrow; the appearance of the Soul-Devouring Serpent Mozambique further solidified the suspicion he harbored regarding the identity of the Devil that descended here.
Silently, John activated the Eye of Artemis:
"[Soul-Devouring Serpent (Lord-class boss): A terrifying creature born in the inner layers of the abyss, reputed to directly siphon the souls of the living for sustenance. Once a general under a powerful entity, it earned remarkable merits on the battlefield, and was awarded vast territories by that being. Sadly, within a few short years, it devoured every soul within its domain...]
[Level: 350]
[Race: Undead]
[Attributes: ...]"
John's eyes twinkled slightly.
Unanticipatedly encountering an undead serpent creature here was indeed a fortuitous event; a reward gained without any effort.
"Level 350, not a low level indeed. Who wants to take on this giant snake known for devouring souls?"
The moment John's words fell, the ever-silent Spellblade Alcys suddenly spoke up, "I'll do it. Its level is roughly on par with mine; a good opportunity to test the fruits of my recent training."
As Alcys finished speaking, the archer Yunis, who possessed elf bloodline, immediately followed, "I will assist you, providing support and adding long-range offensive capabilities..." Both of them turned towards John, seemingly awaiting his approval.
John nodded, speaking nonchalantly, "Go ahead, but try not to kill it. I intend to extract something from it as a trophy of war..."
Perhaps understanding the implication in John's words, the Soul-Devouring Serpent Mozambique angrily raised its head, roaring as it charged towards the group.
The moment Mozambique lunged, Alcys and Yunis immediately readied themselves for battle.
In Alcys' hand, the slender magic sword burst into towering flames, showcasing the Spellblade class's expertise in battle by infusing their weapons with magic energy.
Meanwhile, Yunis had already drawn a magic energy-infused arrow to its full extent on her longbow.
With a shriek, the Soul-Devouring Serpent Mozambique launched its massive body, hurling itself violently towards Alcys and Yunis, enveloping them with a terrifying wave of soul energy.
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