Chapter 323: You are not worthy
Back in the chaos, Damon continued his act and pretended as if he was still only barely holding on. He really had the aura of a true hero who should have died long ago, and yet was still somehow surviving and struggling with just an inch of his life.
[Ding! You have extracted the ability ’Minor Mental Corruption’.]
[Ding! Minor Mental Corruption has been upgraded to level 3.]
"Damn. That took a lot of time. One to two was easy enough, but two to three was a real pain in the ass. Even if I continue to kill a hundred of these, this skill is not getting to 4 today." Damon clicked his tongue and continued to farm.
Though it was still level 3, some skills can already be powerful even at that level. Since Damon was pretty much chilling at the moment, he decided to try out a couple of the new skills.
[Minor Mental Corruption], [Mental Rot], and [Terror Bloom]
"Alright... let’s see what these babies can do when I apply them together." Damon picked one of the corrupted monsters from a distance and targeted it with all three skills.
The chosen beast was a hulking brute, its body twisted with bone spurs and patches of scaly hide. It was charging straight for him, eyes wild, mouth foaming black sludge.
It did not have much of a mind in the first place, but as soon as Damon activated the skills, the creature stumbled and fell as if whatever was left of it was also completely gone. It was then crushed by the others, killed in the stampede in the blink of an eye.
The blood essence twirled and flew towards Damon. It was the fastest kill he had made in this shit hole.
[Ding! You have gained +1 Strength.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
Damon grinned inwardly as he started picking off more and more targets in the distance, spread out enough to make sure that the anomalies went unnoticed. His farming efficiency went up just like that. He happily continued the shenanigans when suddenly a frown creased his forehead.
Not a fake one, but a real one. Trouble was coming.
C rank? Peak C rank?
Damon could sense someone powerful coming his way. The big boss was finally making its move. He clenched his fists, preparing for the worst. Though he thought that his info could be wrong, it looked like the big boss was C rank after all.
But a C rank boss was no joke in itself. This was not Kaelthorn or Ellora. This was a peak C rank creature, even rumored to have draconic features. If he underestimated this opponent, he would without a doubt lose the fight and be either forced to run away or get killed.
Damon continued to act oblivious and kill the mindless creatures surrounding him when a low, vibrating hiss slithered through the poisoned air, cutting through the howls and screeches of the swarm like a blade.
The corrupted monstrosities nearest to Damon froze mid-charge, their movements faltering as if someone screamed at them to move aside.
And they did.
Through the gap stepped a figure, tall, lean, and unnervingly graceful despite the heavy miasma clinging to it. Scaled skin shimmered faintly under the dim light, the hues a muted blend of stone and ash. Slit-pupiled eyes locked onto Damon with a predator’s calm focus, and a long, sinuous tail swayed behind it in a slow arc.
[Ding! Scale Fiend, level 148]
Its armor looked grown rather than forged, bone-like plates fused seamlessly into its scaled body. In its clawed hands, it carried a weapon that seemed more like natural extensions than a crafted tool, a blade that glimmered faintly with a poisonous sheen.
The Scale Fiend’s tongue flicked out like a serpent’s, tasting the air as if savoring the scent of Damon’s blood. Its chest expanded with a deep inhale, and a low growl resonated from its throat.
The nearby abominations didn’t just make way; they cowered, shrinking back into the miasma as though fearful of being caught in its path.
"Vessel..." the Scale Fiend growled. "You are nothing but a filthy bloodsucker. You are not worthy."
Damon’s face twitched. What is up with these guys constantly wanting his body?!
Damon, still keeping up his act, let his eyes widen as though finally realizing the danger in front of him. He took a half-step back, letting the blood spheres falter and spin sluggishly around him. Outwardly, he looked like a man whose stamina was on its last threads. Inwardly, his mind was racing.
A Level 148 Peak C-rank... this fight was going to be interesting.
The Scale Fiend charged forward, slashing down its weapon at Damon, bursts of miasma erupting from it, miasma rich enough with poison that could instantly kill a normal player. However, Damon only received a few notifications.
[Ding! You have acquired 1 new type of poison]
[Ding! You have acquired 1 new type of poison]
[Ding! You have acquired 1 new type of poison]
[Ding! You have made small progress in the second cycle of the Nine Million Poison Body Refining Technique]
The miasma swirled violently as the Scale Fiend’s blade carved through the space Damon had been standing in a heartbeat earlier, the ground erupting in a hiss of corrosive smoke.
Damon staggered back, clutching his side as though the blow had nearly gutted him, when in reality, everything the Scale Fiend had done had only invigorated him.
His stats were already up by 30%. His attack damage was further boosted by another 50%. His blood’s toxic potency was technically higher than the miasma they were currently standing in. He was in a perfect position to end this fight!
The Scale Fiend’s lips curled in something between a snarl and a grin, its tail lashing behind it like a whip. "You bleed... good. I will savor every drop."
Damon coughed, forcing a rasp into his voice, even letting his knees bend as though they might give out. "Guess... I’m not... going to make it..." he panted, all while using his toxic blood energy to form six blood spheres that swirled around him.
The Fiend lunged again, a streak of scaled muscle and poisoned steel, but this time Damon didn’t retreat. Instead, his blood spheres darted forward at blinding speed, two slamming into the Scale Fiend’s eyes and mouth while the rest turned into sharp blades that attempted to cut through the creature’s body.
Shadowstep.
In a blur of darkness, he was behind it, Blood Lance already forming in his grip. The weapon stabbed forward, its tip glowing faintly as fire mana bled into the crimson spear, his fusion skill ready to explode on impact.
However, the creature was already writhing in agony from the effect of the poison. "How?" It growled in horror as its tail whipped around in a frenzy. The creature convulsed violently, tail lashing, claws gouging deep trenches in the ground as blackened miasma boiled off its flesh.
Damon only grinned before slamming his lance into its skull. His mana core surged with energy, pumping energy into the attack so much so that it looked like a miniature sun blew up from inside its head.
The creature’s body shuddered one last time before collapsing into the sludge-covered ground, its once-proud scales now cracked, blackened, and steaming from the inside out.
The poisonous miasma it had exuded so dominantly began to unravel, curling away like smoke dissipating in the wind. Without its master, the haze lost its oppressive weight, though the battlefield still stank of venom and rot.
[Ding! You have gained +1 soul strength]
[Ding! You have gained +1 strength]
[Ding! You have extracted the skill ’Miasmic Dominion’.]
[Ding! You have gained +2 Poison Resistance.]
[Ding! You have killed Scale Fiend Lvl 148]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! You have leveled up!]
[Ding! You have leveled up!]
[Ding! You have leveled up!]
[Ding! You have leveled up!]
[Ding! You have leveled up!]
A C rank beast was a C rank beast. It was very generous with the experience points. Damon had gained 5 whole levels from the single beast. It was a good deal!
He stood over the corpse, breathing steadily, his earlier act of exhaustion long forgotten. Blood spheres lazily orbited him. His eyes glowed crimson as he inspected his newly acquired prize, Miasmic Dominion, a domain skill!