Chapter 209: Bone Naga

As a 【Sky Assassin】, the ability to glide and fly simply allowed Nie Yingying to save quite a bit of energy in the swamp; she left traces on various aquatic trees, and also scouted ahead for the team, avoiding several dangerous areas.

Even so, the three of them were still left in a sorry state by the various monsters in the swamp.

Mud giants made of humus, bones, and magical adhesive, giant leeches with visible ghostly blue phosphorescence inside their bodies, swarms of fist-sized beetles covered in rotting plants emitting a foul stench, and so on and so forth.

"I finally feel the intensity of this plot world; these are truly terrifying monsters."

Siwen, who had always been incomparably arrogant, spoke the common inner thoughts of the three.

"Perhaps it would have been a better idea if we had waited for that Viscount to come to this hellhole together!"

Aoruilian glanced at Nie Yingying, who was scouting ahead, and said with a pointed tone.

Even Siwen, who always had his eyes fixed on the top of his head, nodded in agreement with this.

There were no tall trees to stand on anywhere, and Nie Yingying, who was walking at the very front of the team, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Aoruilian thought Nie Yingying was preparing to refute his words, but who knew the other party just said in a low voice: "Do you notice anything wrong?"

Aoruilian and Siwen were both killers with outstanding strength, but their perception was not particularly exceptional.

However, having traveled this far, they still trusted their companion Nie Yingying, so they immediately became alert upon hearing this.

"You mean..."

"We haven't encountered any monsters for a long time! Now that we are deep in the swamp, this only means one thing..."

A bone whip with a terrifying whistling sound interrupted Nie Yingying's words.

"Snap!"

Nie Yingying was as light as a swallow, leaping backward to dodge this attack.

But the rock she had just been standing on was shattered by this whip, with stone fragments splashing everywhere.

A half-human, half-snake skeleton suddenly emerged from the mud, its spine twisted like a whip, and rotting water weeds wrapped between its ribs.

It held a rusted scimitar, ghostly green flames burned in its eye sockets, and its jawbone made a harsh grinding sound as it opened and closed, as if wanting to say something, but its body structure did not quite allow it.

And the bone whip that had just launched the attack was its own hideous tail.

"What the hell is this thing again?"

Siwen's double-edged battle axe was stained with a layer of blood red, and he muttered as he asked.

【Bone Naga】! Red Bloodline Trait! An undead creature with a snake body and human bones, holding a corroded scimitar, with green fire burning in its eye sockets. Be careful, this rank of undead creature always has a trick or two of curses!

【Ulceration】! Green Entry! Wounds caused by the Bone Naga will fester and rot; if this curse cannot be cleared, no healing Potion can help you!

【Damage Amplification】! Green Entry! One slash equals two, two slashes equal four! Double the damage, double the happiness!

【Bone Embrace】! Green Entry! Summons bone arms to surround the target from all directions, binding them tightly while absorbing their life force.

"Tier 4 monsters! Two of them, not too... too... Huh! Look, is that our mission target?"

Siwen, who was looking around, spotted with sharp eyes that deep in a large mud pool behind the two Bone Nagas, an apple tree twisted like a convulsing giant stood there.

The surface of the trunk was covered in vein-like vines, looking ancient and eerie, but the apples hanging between the branches were round and bright red, sweet and alluring, completely out of place with the rotting environment around them—as if it were a carefully laid trap.

"Hey, we've finally arrived! Time to work, Aoruilian!"

Siwen was full of energy, calling his companions to quickly deal with the two monsters so they could go pick the apples.

"Hiss~ Roar~"

The two Bone Nagas also rushed over after emitting a weird, incomparable roar, their hideous abdominal tails made of bone sliding smoothly between the mud and the swamp.

"Clang!"

The battle axe slashed toward the Naga's spine, but was blocked by the scimitar.

The moment the blades collided, the corroded edge burst with a black light of curses, and a bloodstain was cut into Siwen's right arm, the wound rapidly festering.

"Fuck! Does this curse not even need chanting or preparation?"

He retreated rapidly, blood-colored battle aura wrapping around the wound, barely delaying the corrosion.

A dignified Tier 5 powerhouse had actually been wounded by a Tier 4 monster in a single exchange, which the always-proud Siwen could not accept; his whole body erupted with blood-red battle aura as he slashed a heavy axe toward the monster's face.

On this side, Aoruilian also immediately engaged the other Naga.

The Sun Spear thrust toward the Naga's skull, but was grabbed by the ankle by a bone arm that suddenly reached out from the mud.

Aoruilian swung his spear to sever the arm, but more bones wrapped around his body like vines.

The sun emblem on his chest lit up again, and the familiar light shield wrapped around Aoruilian once more, burning the bone arms under his feet until black smoke rolled, blocking Aoruilian's vision for a moment.

Just then, two feathered flying daggers appeared at the right time, hitting the Naga's eye sockets, and the green fire was briefly extinguished. Nie Yingying leaped from mid-air like a falcon, taking the opportunity to jump onto the Naga's back, and her 【Assassin's Shadow Dagger】 pierced into the spinal joint.

A deep black light flashed, and the sound of bones shattering exploded like firecrackers.

The Naga's skull rolled into the mud, and the ghostly green flames were completely extinguished. But its jawbone was still opening and closing, seemingly intending to say something.

And Nie Yingying soon knew what it was saying.

A huge, hideous snake head suddenly emerged from the mud, spitting a mouthful of ink-green venom at Siwen, who was entangled with the other Bone Naga.

Unable to spare time to pick up the Entry dropped by the Bone Naga, Nie Yingying shouted a warning.

"Watch out! Behind you!"

Siwen was indeed a battle-hardened veteran; hearing his teammate's nearly cracking warning, he immediately realized the severity of the situation.

Completely ignoring the scimitar about to slash into his chest, the axe blade sliced across his raised palm, and a large amount of blood-colored energy accompanied by his own blood drenched his head and body.

In the blink of an eye, Siwen looked as if he had returned from bathing in a sea of blood, and even the wound cut by the Naga and the Ulceration curse on his body disappeared together.

"Splat!"

The venom sprayed like a rainstorm, and both Siwen and the Bone Naga in close proximity were drenched through.

That powerful Tier 4 monster, the Bone Naga, was like butter put into a microwave; within just a few breaths, it was melted by the venom into a pile of disgusting bone mud and debris.

On the contrary, Siwen, the primary target, although screaming "Ahhh" from the corrosion of the ink-green venom, ultimately survived.

Well, he survived in a state that wasn't too bad.

Because Nie Yingying and Aoruilian both heard his cursing: "Damn it! Bastard, son of a bitch! That was an Entry I was about to get! A mid-tier undead Bloodline Entry, just gone like that! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

At this moment, this monster that had appeared so rashly also revealed its full appearance.

Nine hideous and terrifying giant snake heads were its best calling card.