Chapter 201: Strange Digging Tree Deer (April 3700 Monthly Ticket Bonus Chapter)

Ah!!!!!

At the moment of choosing the strategy, after teleporting and regaining firm footing, a fleeting scream echoed in Qin Chuan's ears.

It was a high-pitched scream mixed with a high-frequency noise like fingernails scratching a blackboard, reverberating long in the fog‑shrouded dense forest, causing an instinctive sense of discomfort the moment it is heard.

Qin Chuan's brows furrowed instantly.

Before seeing any enemy inside the dungeon, this eerie sound alone cast a shadow over his heart.

【Dungeon: Screaming Magic Lake】

【Dungeon Introduction: 313 years ago, this place was the Mother Lake most proudly boasted of by the Crystal Clan tribe of the Masisuo Territory, one of Masisuo's "Four Treasures"; but one day a sudden scream destroyed everything, becoming an eternal nightmare for the displaced Crystal Clan.】

【Dungeon Rank: A-Level】

【Horizontal Difficulty Rating: ★★】

【Dungeon Boss: Abyssal Death Demon·Kasakaban】

【Dungeon Talent: Gnomon (Gold)】

【Worn Title: 【Blue】 Corpse Wolf Conqueror】

【Dungeon Minimum Clear Requirement: Slay Abyssal Death Demon·Kasakaban】

【Dungeon Clear Time Limit: 48:24:30】

【Give Up This Clear】

【00:00:45】

Crystal Clan...

Qin Chuan quickly skimmed the dungeon introduction, finding information that could be useful.

At yesterday's Special Affairs Group dungeon information discussion meeting, this race was also mentioned.

The Crystal Clan possesses an appearance highly similar to humans, each with extremely delicate features, yet essentially the two differ greatly.

The Crystal Clan's bodies are in an anomalous crystalline state; whenever injured, the internal crystal hidden beneath their human‑like exterior is exposed.

Because of this unique bodily structure, their defense is weaker and they shatter easily.

Fortunately, shattering into many pieces is not fatal for the Crystal Clan; they merely need to properly gather the broken fragments, and they can restore their bodies in a special way—even if a part is missing, they can recover quickly.

The crystal constituting the Crystal Clan's bodies can store and manipulate extraordinary power to a great extent, so they innately wield stronger supernatural power than other races.

Such crystal, consequently, has attracted the covetousness of many races.

Relevant information about the Crystal Clan flashed through Qin Chuan's mind, and his eyes glinted.

Gnomon Third Talent Effect, activated.

In an instant, the dungeon's full map appeared before Qin Chuan's eyes; at the map's center, a bright point flickered.

Dungeon boss: Abyssal Death Demon·Kasakaban.

It was a humanoid presence submerged in the lake water, countless seaweed‑like dark blue hairs obscuring his bodily details, four terrifying steel pillars piercing his limbs, their other ends extending far away and anchoring into the bottom of the magic lake.

The moment he saw the opponent's condition, a crystal‑clear scream exploded in Qin Chuan's ears, far clearer than the distant echo, as if the foe were howling desperately right beside his ear.

Qin Chuan let out a muffled grunt, without hesitation shut off the display, his eyes filled with bewildered uncertainty.

Could the opponent sense the Gnomon's lock‑on and affect me from afar?

Or perhaps the opponent possesses some special ability whereby seeing him inevitably triggers that dreadful scream? Regardless of the cause, Qin Chuan cannot try again for now.

Fortunately, that brief glance was not completely without gain.

First, this dungeon's boss lies at the lake bottom.

Second, this dungeon's boss appears to have restricted movement. With the passive Star·Water Master, fighting underwater does not diminish Qin Chuan's combat power.

Moreover, the boss's limited movement is likewise good news in Qin Chuan's view.

While thinking, Qin Chuan caught a glimpse of a shadow flashing in the mist beside him with his peripheral vision.

The next instant, the mist was torn apart, and a monster about two meters tall lunged at him.

It floated up like a wraith, its whole body shrouded in tattered black robes; beneath a wide hood only a pair of scarlet eyes, flickering with bloody light, were visible.

【Dungeon Monster: Wraith Servant】

Sensing an aura comparable to a Hall Tier Lv40 Spirit Beast, Qin Chuan's brow twitched slightly; his body turned into black flames of light, he dodged the attack at a tricky angle, appearing as he brushed past, and placed one foot on the opponent's shadow.

Star·Shadow Eclipse Form, activated.

Having flown past Qin Chuan, the Wraith Servant behind him let out a piercing howl; black robes burst open with a sudden gleam of gloomy light, and it was utterly melted away.

Qin Chuan didn't even glance, charging straight toward the Abyssal Death Demon·Kasakaban.

Several seconds later, a line of text popped up before his eyes.

【Discovered Dungeon Clue】

Looking at the arrow's indication, Qin Chuan unhesitatingly changed direction.

The arrow's direction was not fixed; during his pursuit, Qin Chuan saw the guiding arrow shift repeatedly.

A kilometer's distance passed in an instant, yet the distance between him and the clue did not shorten.

The dungeon clue moves, and its speed is quite fast.

Interesting.

Qin Chuan stepped with one foot onto the shadow of a nearby tree; as if plunged into water, ripples spread faintly within the shadow, and then his entire body sank into it, even his breath concealed.

Star·Dark Shadow Escape.

While using shadow‑to‑shadow shifts to swiftly close in, Qin Chuan also noticed that the arrow indicator of the Gnomon First Talent Effect suddenly became fixed.

It seems the opponent is deliberately avoiding him.

After a few breaths, Qin Chuan, through the shadows, saw a five‑meter‑tall creature resembling a deer.

It had a slender build; its twin antlers bore many branches, like tree limbs spreading out, and on those antler branches were numerous flower‑like structures.

Originally a wondrously beautiful living being, now its eyes lacked luster, its body reeked of decay, and it walked twisted in a posture no ungulate should have, like a walking corpse.

【Dungeon Creature: Soul-Lost Corpse Tree Deer】

Confirming that the dungeon creature before him was the indicated dungeon clue, Qin Chuan no longer hesitated and quickly appeared.

Looking at the opponent's current appearance, his heart stirred, and a wolf fang dagger appeared in his hand.

Dead Corpse's Wolf Fang.

The dagger aimed at the opponent's neck flashed with a faint light, and in the next instant it directly beheaded the Soul-Lost Corpse Tree Deer before him.

Looking at the smooth cross-section at the opponent's neck refracting jewel-like light in the sunlight, Qin Chuan's pupils shrank sharply.

Crystal Clan?! The Soul-Lost Corpse Tree Deer crashed to the ground, and in the instant Qin Chuan was stunned, its head flew toward its body, but the wound failed to heal under the effect of the Dead Corpse's Wolf Fang reducing recovery by 70%.

The matching skin membrane pulled the brain split into two halves, the tree deer's neck twisted nearly 180 degrees, using its branch-like antlers to brace the ground, its elongated hind legs propping it up to stand, its pair of front legs leaning to the same side, paddling along the ground like oars.

Such a posture was bizarre, yet the opponent's speed was astonishingly fast.

Qin Chuan slipped into the shadows and without hesitation pursued.

(End of Chapter)