Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Abyss

Dealing with the mutated Soul-Devouring Python King primarily relies on the use of Thorn Vines, with Finina’s combos serving as the main source of damage. However, other skills must be coordinated to ensure there are no gaps in the assault.

If he possessed enough debuff skills, he could keep this mutated king in a constant state of weakness, which would make the raid much easier. In fact, after reaching level 25, most of the skill trees Zhao Nan had requested to be mailed from Dongyuan City were focused on debuffs and crowd control.

Once Finina hit level 25, the single-target output of her Sky Sword Saint class exceeded his own, even surpassing the double damage from his "Overwrite" ability. Therefore, Finina took the role of the primary attacker this time. Zhao Nan had learned ten new skills, and he estimated that over the next three days, he could at most master two of them to the top level.

Dense sounds of combat and monster roars echoed from the corner of the long street; Finina had already begun her training. Zhao Nan pondered for a moment before starting his own leveling path.

Currently, thanks to equipment enhancements, ten people had broken through 200 attack power over the last fifteen days, excluding Lin Yu and Fu Yun. It was estimated that these ten were the limit, and the number would likely remain unchanged after three days. However, they were barely sufficient to contain the mutated king. As for the elite monsters, Zhao Nan did not hold back and taught them the method for the "Self-Destruct Staff."

It was not a particularly difficult secret technique; people in existing cities would soon figure it out and spread it. Dongyuan City, in particular, had recorded this method after a monster siege, and every mage there now kept at least two or three staves in their inventory for emergencies.

Half a day later, Zhao Nan and Finina exchanged updates before returning to their individual skill practice. The area Zhao Nan chose was not ideal, as the monsters were not dense enough, so he had to find another spot nearby.

The Sky Dragon patrolled the sky above the devastated streets of Tingfeng City, using its "Dragon Might" to drive monsters toward Zhao Nan. The various skill effects flashed at the street corner like neon lights, brilliant and colorful as fireworks. Suddenly, Osiris circled down to Zhao Nan, growling low and shaking its tail to draw his attention to the corner ahead.

Zhao Nan stopped and looked over. In a cleared area where monsters had not yet respawned, a figure was stumbling toward him. The person’s body was riddled with bloody holes, and while his exact health could not be seen, his health bar was dangerously low. The man was gasping for air, his face pale, and his eyes burned with a hatred that made one’s heart shudder. More importantly, Zhao Nan recognized him—Huang Huaming, the first player from Tingfeng City he had met after emerging from the thick fog zone.

Seeing Zhao Nan, Huang Huaming ran toward him like a madman. Already weak, this frantic exertion caused blood to spurt from his wounds, putting his life in critical danger.

"Replenish yourself first!" Zhao Nan tossed him a health potion.

Huang Huaming drank it instantly and sat before Zhao Nan, panting heavily. Even after his narrow escape, Zhao Nan saw little relief in his eyes. Like a cornered, rabid dog, Huang Huaming glared at the path he had come from as his health recovered.

"It seems you’ve run into trouble," Zhao Nan said.

"I’m being hunted," Huang Huaming wheezed. Killing others to steal bracelets had become common since the 1.1 era. Given the current state of Tingfeng City, where people were desperate for food, such incidents were even more frequent.

"Where are your companions?" Zhao Nan shook his head, thinking it unwise for the man to be out alone.

"Those beasts are not my companions!" Huang Huaming finally turned to look at Zhao Nan. His eyes were sunken, his eyelids a stark, bruised black. He trembled with intense emotion. "Not beasts! They are worse than animals!"

"What happened?"

"My son... my son was eaten alive by them!"

With that, he let out a heart-wrenching wail, as if he were choking on his own grief. Zhao Nan’s expression darkened. He had encountered cannibalism once before when he met Yanan, and now he was hearing of it again.

"They're coming... I’m going to kill them all!"

Huang Huaming had truly snapped. He scrambled to his feet, his legs shaking, and charged forward with a hunched posture, his silhouette like a dying wolf. At the corner ahead, three players—a mage, an archer, and a swordsman—rushed out.

"Quick, there’s the old man!" the mage shouted.

"I know he’s carrying at least two bags of biscuits!" the archer added.

"Save the biscuits for later, let’s eat the fresh meat first!" the swordsman licked his lips.

Zhao Nan had heard that once people broke their psychological barriers and tasted human flesh, they easily became addicted. He didn't know if that was true, but judging by the lingering expressions on the three men, they weren't far off.

An arrow whistled, piercing Huang Huaming’s calf and sending him sprawling. The mage pointed his staff, and ten thorny vines erupted from the ground, binding Huang Huaming into a tight bundle. It was clearly a dark-attribute spell.

"Don't let him die; fresh is best. But hide him well later; we don't want the main group finding us," the swordsman laughed, taking the time to tie Huang Huaming up with ropes. Ignoring the man’s hateful curses, he hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"Wait, there’s another one over there... what a lucky day, two lambs at once!" The mage’s eyes lit up as he spotted Zhao Nan nearby.

The archer didn't hesitate to draw an arrow, while the swordsman dropped his captive and drew his blade to charge.

*Roar!*

The charging swordsman completely ignored the red figure circling in the sky. Zhao Nan watched coldly, indifferent to the skill-infused sword heading his way. Without blinking, he pointed a finger, and Osiris dove from the sky like a crimson meteor, slamming directly into the swordsman.

"Watch out!" the archer shouted.

The swordsman desperately tried to redirect his skill toward the sky, but—*Boom!*

The sword struck the jewel on Osiris’s head, dealing negligible damage. Osiris, undeterred, smashed the swordsman’s entire body into the concrete. With a scream, the swordsman was buried in the pavement, his shoulder and half his torso mangled into a grotesque shape.

A level 20 Osiris was far more powerful than a standard level 20 monster king; it could easily solo a level 25 mutated elite monster. The swordsman, at most level 20 and likely unadvanced, stood no chance. As he lay on the ground, his health plummeted to zero.

*Roar!*

Osiris stepped on the wounded swordsman, driving a claw into his cheek. "Ah... ah... save..."

*Crack!*

The man’s skull was crushed instantly. The mage and archer froze. The archer reflexively loosened his bow, firing an arrow that Osiris swiped out of the air with its tail.

"I remember you... you're the one from the kindergarten safe zone!" the mage shrieked. "I’ve seen you before!"

Zhao Nan snorted. With over a thousand people from nine different safe zones attending the negotiations, it was no surprise he was remembered. He signaled, and the Sky Dragon roared, streaking toward them like a cannonball.

The terror of Osiris was proven by the swordsman’s death. Seeing it charge, the two fled in panic. But they were no match for the Sky Dragon’s speed. Before they had gone ten meters, the mage was pinned by Osiris, his body torn apart before he could even cast a spell.

Zhao Nan had made up his mind to kill and gave them no chance to plead. After disposing of the mage, Osiris chased the archer. Just as it was about to strike, the archer shrieked and threw a black, fist-sized sphere behind him.

*Boom!*

The sphere exploded into a ball of fire and dust. Osiris roared as it flew out, having taken little damage, but the archer had used the opening to escape. Zhao Nan closed his eyes, searching with the "Wind of Listening," but could not find the archer within a hundred meters. He gave up and walked over to Huang Huaming, cutting his ropes.

Before he could speak, Huang Huaming began to laugh manically, crawling and rolling toward the mage’s corpse.

"Son, I’ve avenged you!!!"

With a scream, he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into the mage’s corpse. He bit into it, again and again, as fat tears rolled down his face.