Chapter 154: Chapter154-Shadow Crocodile
Cecilia opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
She simply patted her brother's shoulder gently.
"Let's keep racking up points."
Jonathan nodded silently and followed behind his sister.
The siblings said nothing, but their moves became exceptionally fierce.
Every opponent they encountered was slaughtered without mercy, not even the passing mobs were spared.
It was as if they had awakened the bloodline of a god of slaughter.
Meanwhile, John remained oblivious.
Little did he know that his single move, Hallucination Eye, had shaken Jonathan to the core.
John was now urgently searching for nearby bosses.
Although his points already far exceeded those of the second and third place contenders, he needed to level up quickly.
The experience gained from killing other players was nowhere near as much as that gained from bosses.
Moreover, defeating a boss would grant him a large number of points, making it his best option.
John swiftly navigated through the forest, soon arriving at the edge where the forest met a swamp.
If he remembered correctly, there should be a platinum-tier boss here.
Shadow Crocodile.
The stark contrast between the swamp and the forest was evident, with a faint green mist hanging over the swamp.
Miasma?
John frowned slightly.
This could be problematic.
He tentatively reached his hand into the thin layer of green mist.
After about a minute, he received a system notification.
[You have been infected with Forest Miasma, and will continuously lose HP. Lose 3 HP every 10 seconds. After 10 minutes, the buff will stack.]
3 HP every 10 seconds?
John's eyes lowered slightly.
It seemed he would have to finish this quickly.
Who knew what the effects would be once the buff stacked higher?
He did not hesitate at all and summoned the stone serpent.
"Thorned Rock Serpent!"
A giant serpent with a pale green hue appeared in mid-air, raising its head high, and its massive tail whipped towards the swamp with immense force.
Onlookers gasped in shock.
Has he lost his mind?!
This is a platinum-tier boss!
Does he really intend to solo it?
Is he tired of living?!
He does have some skill, having taken out so many players with a single move, but players are not the same as bosses!
A boss could send him to his grave in an instant!
Against a gold-tier boss, these students would need to fight as a team, let alone a platinum-tier one.
The vice principal's face also bore a heavy expression.
This was his most promising contestant; why was he acting so recklessly now? "Vice Principal, should we…"
A high-ranking official beside him lowered his voice, seeking the vice principal's instructions.
The vice principal shook his head, "Let's wait and see."
This kid is not reckless by nature; he must have his reasons for doing this.
John's summoned serpent lashed its tail towards the swamp with a fierce blow.
Boom!!
The previously calm swamp erupted into a wave of mud, reaching tens of meters high!
Yet, moments later, it returned to an eerie calm.
"Still not coming out? Then keep hitting it for me!"
A slight smirk curved at the corner of John's mouth.
He wanted to see just how long this boss could endure.
Boom! Boom!
Two more strikes resounded, causing such a commotion that even those in the distance couldn't help but look over.
A few players exchanged glances and quickly started running towards the source of the noise.
As the serpent struck for the fifth time, there was finally movement beneath the swamp.
Gurgle, gurgle...
Large bubbles surfaced on the swamp, followed by a pair of vertical pupils appearing in the middle.
The enormous back was covered with sharp bone spurs, and its tail stirred up massive waves as it moved.
Roar!!
The Shadow Crocodile emerged at last!
"Finally, you show yourself. I thought you were too scared to come out!"
John stood atop the serpent's head, looking down at the churning swamp with a commanding presence.
The earth-toned vertical pupils locked onto John, and the massive tail continued to thrash, creating waves upon waves.
The oppressive aura of the platinum-tier boss surged towards John like a tidal wave!
Many who had high hopes for John shook their heads slightly.
This young man is still too reckless!
Although he has broken through to the gold tier, attempting to solo a platinum-tier boss is madness.
It's something beyond his capability!
Even a well-coordinated team has to tread carefully against a platinum-tier boss, let alone John on his own!
It's simply an impossible feat! Even if he's trying to draw attention, this is too much.
"What do you all think of this boy?"
The vice principal asked the other high-ranking officials, a slight smile playing on his lips.
One of them shook his head, looking regretful.
"He seemed quite steady before, but now he's being so reckless. With his current points being the highest, if he just stayed cautious, he would definitely make it through."
"Yes, this was completely unnecessary for him. It's too risky."
"Indeed, he's still young and too eager for victory."
Although dying in the secret realm wouldn't result in actual death, it would mean losing this opportunity forever!
Everyone only has one chance at the trial; no one would take it lightly.
"What do you think, Principal?"
The vice principal turned to Sophia beside him.
She rested her chin on her hand, watching the secret realm with a slight smile, tapping her fingers lightly.
"Who will win and who will lose is yet to be determined."
This boy is quite clever. In the secret realm, while death isn't permanent, the experience and rewards gained are very real. While others are still striving to accumulate points, this boy has figured out how to use the secret realm to strengthen himself.
Interesting.
Though the others showed some displeasure, they said nothing more.
Such an arrogant boy didn't earn their admiration!
John had no idea the stir he was causing outside.
He raised his staff high.
"Fire Meteor!"
Boom!!!
Countless massive fireballs appeared in the sky, crashing down towards the swamp with immense force!
The moment the fireballs touched the swamp, a significant amount of water vaporized, filling the air with mist, which soon turned a faint green.
Roar!!
The Shadow Crocodile was enraged.
How dare this weak creature provoke it?! Unforgivable!!
Platinum-tier and above bosses possess intelligence, and in its fury, the Shadow Crocodile lashed its tail towards John.
Bang!
The serpent's tail clashed instantly with the Shadow Crocodile's.
Crash!
Almost immediately, the Thorned Rock Serpent's tail shattered into countless pieces of stone!
The once imposing serpent was now halved in size, letting out a wail.
Yet even in this state, it remained loyal, protecting its master and ensuring John did not fall.
"Repair!"
As long as John had MP, the summoned Thorned Rock Serpent would persist, and even if injured, it could be restored with his own magic power.
In an instant, the serpent that had been halved in size returned to its previous massive form.
"Thorned Rock Serpent!"
John summoned another serpent, causing those observing from the shadows to gasp.
How could he… how could he control two serpents at once? How powerful was his mind power?!
John leaped down from the serpent's head, and the two serpents immediately charged at the boss.
One serpent opened its massive jaws and bit down hard on the Shadow Crocodile's tail.
The other serpent coiled around the crocodile's neck, seemingly intent on strangling the life out of the creature!
"Thorn!"
John swung his staff, and countless thorns sprang from the swamp, binding the Shadow Crocodile's limbs tightly, rendering it immobile.
"Fire Meteor!"
Once again, countless fireballs descended from the sky, crashing onto the Shadow Crocodile's back.
4369! 4996! 5536! 10896!
Red damage numbers mixed with several critical hits, the values exceeding tens of thousands! The eyes of the onlookers narrowed.
Something was off with this damage.
Indeed, despite the continuous damage numbers, the Shadow Crocodile's health bar remained unmoved!
Hiss…
Those observing from the shadows couldn't help but gasp.
The boss's HP was terrifyingly high!
Even though John's attack power was astonishing, with critical hits breaking into the tens of thousands, it still didn't make a dent in the boss's health bar!
Those who had hoped to fish in troubled waters retreated further back.
It seemed the time wasn't right yet; to steal the boss, they would have to wait for the final, fatal blow.
Now wasn't the time to act, but they could be the ones to pick the fruit in the end...
John had the Shadow Crocodile under control, but he soon realized it wasn't as simple as he had thought!
Roar!!
The Shadow Crocodile let out a furious roar.
Angrily thrashing the ground, it shattered all the thorns, green fragments flying everywhere, leaving everyone stunned!
The Shadow Crocodile broke free from its restraints almost instantly!
Its massive claws flailed around, creating walls of mud in an explosive display!