Chapter Eight: Guardians of the Divine, Soldiers of War, Warriors of Defeat
Boom! An arm as thick as a train burst from the earth, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air! Then, a massive monstrous head broke through the ground! With an even more tremendous tremor, the boss’s entire body surged free from the soil!
The boss boasted arms thick as locomotives, a colossal head, and a mighty chest—every inch radiating overwhelming power. The only regret was the absence of its legs, so vital to its form…
Relying on its formidable arms, Scorched Earth supported its body and moved forward with slow, ponderous effort, like an elderly man navigating a treacherous mountain path.
Scorched Earth: Second-tier boss—a powerful earth-attribute behemoth, said in legend to be the loyal guardian of Gaia, the Earth Goddess. During the war between Gaia and Doronto, the God of Flames, Scorched Earth was defeated by Blazing Fury, one of Doronto’s Twelve Generals, its legs crippled. From tier eight, it fell to tier two! Most of its skills can no longer be used…
Skills: Rockburst Sphere, Summon Rock Soldiers, Magma Body; Passives: Stone Helm, Earth’s Breath—increases defense and life recovery (effects greatly diminished!)
Most of Scorched Earth’s skills were easy to understand, with the sole exception of Magma Body. Its description was but a handful of words: Unknown mutation! Players, beware!
A skill even the GM knew nothing about—this was serious trouble! …But really, had there ever been a time without trouble?
“Humans—must all die!”
“The boss can talk?!”
“It can talk? That’s… far too intelligent!”
“This isn’t strange,” Chen Ling explained calmly. “Scorched Earth was once an eighth-tier boss. Even if its power has waned, its intelligence remains.”
“Be careful!” Chen Ling shouted.
In a flash, the boss had already closed the distance to Chen Ling and his group.
Scorched Earth brought its right fist crashing down upon the crowd, while its other hand plunged into the ground.
Seeing this, Chen Ling immediately realized Scorched Earth was about to unleash Rockburst Sphere! A boss with intelligence was far more dangerous than one that only used basic attacks—it could even use feints to disguise its true intentions!
“Scatter! The boss is about to use a skill! Spread out, now!”
Chen Ling’s authority was unquestioned—the crowd swiftly dispersed.
It happened in an instant. As soon as the players separated, Scorched Earth hurled a Rockburst Sphere like a shot put right into their midst. Two players, too slow to dodge, were instantly pulverized, their bodies unrecognizable. Dust surged, obscuring the entire battlefield.
“This is bad!” Chen Ling narrowed his eyes, thinking quickly, then realized the danger.
“Don’t stop, keep running! Attack the boss as you go!” Chen Ling kept moving, shouting as he ran. If the players stayed still, they’d be met with a relentless barrage of rockballs!
Beyond the swirling dust, Scorched Earth had already summoned countless rockballs… what awaited Chen Ling and his group was endless carnage.
“Hahaha! All of you—die!” Scorched Earth laughed with chilling humanity, grabbing rockballs in both hands, pouring its power into them—Rockburst Sphere—and hurling them into the dust-shrouded chaos.
“Aaagh!”
“Damn it! The boss is out to get us!”
Screams and curses erupted; Chen Ling knew people had been caught in the onslaught.
“Don’t panic! Don’t stop—keep running!” In the haze, Chen Ling glimpsed a slender player halt in fright and shouted frantically.
But the small player had no chance to flee—a Rockburst Sphere ended her life. Before such a powerful boss, humans were insignificant indeed. Such was Chen Ling’s thought upon witnessing another player’s demise. He loathed to admit it, but it was the truth… Hopes are grand, but reality is harsh.
This round was already rare—yet it seemed there was more to come…