Chapitre 17: The Corrupted Area
Following the fierce battle, Shao Qiang's power increased to level 8, while Hao Ren achieved an impressive level 10. Meanwhile, Long Tao's strength rose by three levels, landing him at level 6, but he couldn't celebrate his victory as he felt disappointed that he had only blocked ten attacks. He needed to fend off ten more strikes to unlock his coveted shield form. On the other hand, Sun Jing's experience points didn't suffice to upgrade his level, and his cross had reverted to its original shape. After reaching their seats in the audience, Shao Qiang and Long Tao realized they were pressed for time and and they hurried to purchase the paper lanterns. Meanwhile, Hao Ren had accumulated a significant amount of coins after defeating five level 5 combat chickens, which he planed to buy a lantern for Sun Jing as a gesture of gratitude for his invaluable support during the battle. "Yours will be free," the pale guy surprised everyone by offering Sun Jing a free lantern. Sun Jing, having already revealed his impressive shield form in front of the crowd, was hesitant to draw any more attention to himself. Therefore, he was perplexed by the pale stranger's offer of a free lantern, which would only serve to make him stand out even more. "Well, I am kind of fond of you." the pale guy explained. Sun Jing politely accepted the gift, after he had piece together the reason behind the unexpected gift.
"Alright, everyone's got their lantern. Stick close to those who possess them, and maintain your vigilance. If you let your guard down, you'll perish without even realizing it," the guy warned nonchalantly. "Attend to your business when you've left this place," he added with a smirk of anticipation, directing his gaze towards Shao Qiang and Hao Ren. Shao Qiang couldn't help but grin at the suggestion as he strode past Hao Ren and out of the colosseum. The remaining group decided that it was safer to remain together, waiting for Sun Jing's team. As they prepared to depart, the pale guy bid Sun Jing adieu with a heartfelt "Hope to see you again." Sun Jing's countenance radiated warmth as he returned the sentiment, exclaiming, "We shall cross paths again!" After the crowd had left, the guy quipped to the pale guy that it was time to make haste and pray for another fortuitous encounter. In response, the pale stranger shook his head resolutely, expressing his unwavering confidence, "He will make it."
As the group made their way into the new area, they were greeted by an unexpected spectacle - an all-encompassing darkness. The atmosphere was eerie, with a chilly air that permeated the space. From the dampness of the ground, the crowd guessed they might be in a forest. They searched for a volunteer to turn on their lantern, as the pale guy had warned that the lanterns would not last long and could be easily damaged. Yu Mu bravely stepped forward, flicking on his lantern to reveal a strong, white light that illuminated only a small portion of the area. As the light was turned on, the crowd was taken aback by the sight of the massive alligator king with its jaws wide open, ready to pounce on them. The creature was dangerously close and they could feel its hot breath on their faces. Sun Jing quickly transformed his cross into its shield form, which radiated with red energy, and slammed it onto the beast's head, causing its jaws to snap shut. However, this only served to agitate the alligator king, which began thrashing its massive tail furiously at the crowd. Long Tao saw an opportunity to intervene and stepped forward to block the attack. The remaining four members with the "Blocked" skill also quickly positioned themselves in front of the crowd, ready to defend against the beast's onslaught. Though they managed to block the attack, it was still strong enough to send them flying back, crashing into the trees.
Long Tao stood up, his palm covered in a strange, slimy black substance. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, and he collapsed. The other four members of the group also had the same substance in their palms, and they, too, fainted. The crowd looked around and saw that the trees were covered in the same substance. Hao Ren rushed to Long Tao's side, pulling a pair of rubber gloves from his backpack to protect himself from the potentially poisonous substance. Though he was uncertain if they would be sufficient to resist it, he had no other options. He also retrieved some wet wipes he had brought along for cleaning purposes in dirty environments. Wearing the gloves, he used the wipe to quickly remove the substance from Long Tao's palm. To his relief, the wipe and gloves were able to wipe the substance off without any issues. Soon after, Long Tao regained consciousness and found himself staring at Hao Ren with confusion.
As Hao Ren tended to Long Tao, the rest of the crowd launched their attack at the alligator king. Sun Jing wielded his shield to repel the beast's tail swipe, which, although not deflecting it, was potent enough to halt the creature's attack while the others joined in the assault. "Enlarge! Enhance!" Ya Hui amplified her cross's size and hurled it at the monster. Following the same tactic, the crowd focused their attacks on one spot, attempting to break the beast's defense. After Hao Ren had saved the four members, they and Long Tao, along with Sun Jing, moved to intercept the beast's next attack. The creature grew agitated by the assault and stood up on its hind legs. Sensing the impending danger, the crowd covered their ears as the alligator king let out an ear-splitting roar, far more powerful than the one they had faced earlier. "Ride!" Sun Jing and Yi Lin swiftly activated their skill, mounting their crosses and soaring towards the creature's head. Jia Le struggled to remain standing as his team members fell unconscious, while Mei Zhen collapsed into the arms of Ya Hui. However, Sun Jing and Yi Lin refused to be deterred, their eyes fixed on their target. With a final burst of speed, they crashed into the beast's head, silencing its roar.
"Enlarge! Multiply!" Hao Ren summoned two extra-large crosses in addition to his own and hurled them at the same spot where the crowd had attacked the beast. The three massive crosses managed to penetrate the beast's defense and inflict a deep wound on its back, enraging the creature. The alligator king then slammed its front leg heavily onto the ground, causing cracks to appear on the ground, and most of the crowd lost their footing and fell. The beast then charged towards the crowd at high speed, but Sun Jing's cross changed into shield form and managed to stop the attack. Meanwhile, Yi Lin and Yu Mu used their speed to attack the wound on the beast's back. As the battle ended, everyone tried to catch their breath and wake up those who had fainted. "Detect!" Sun Jing realized that Shao Qiang had vanished after the battle. Suddenly, the lantern's light went off, plunging the crowd back into pitch darkness.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone