Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Storm City West, Dusk Swamp
Coordinates: −8779, 0198
A Level-45 Swamp Rock Crocodile was hiding in the foul-smelling, muddled water filled with mud and leaves. Only its mouth, which was almost the same color as the swamp water, as well as its eyes, which had the same color as the mud and were easy for players to overlook, were exposed.
In its line of sight, a strange creature covered with a layer of a red carapace that was around half a meter in length was around ten meters away from it. It looked like a large bug and had two knife-like pincers on top of its head.
Although the creature looked strange, it was a legendary hunter of the swamp; as the master of the swamp that did not even fear a five to six-meter long Swamp Python, the Swamp Rock Crocodile never feared any other creatures in this region.
Except… those adventurers who always had weapons in their hands and never fought using their natural strength alone!
Half the eye of the Swamp Rock Crocodile floated above the water. It looked around cautiously. After confirming that those humanoid creatures that only knew how to rely on external objects were nowhere to be seen, it slowly dove into the muddy water and swam toward the “prey” located not far away!
The red bug clearly looked like it lacked vigilance. It was only scratching the ground with its six blade-covered legs continuously, as if it were looking for something to eat. It was only when the crocodile was very close that it felt that something was off. It turned its head left and right but did not detect the dangers lurking in the muddled water.
Boom!
The Elite-grade Swamp Rock Crocodile leaped from one meter underwater. Its entire body soared across a distance of around five to six meters before it opened its bloody mouth while flying toward the bug.
Pu!
However, the moment its four-meter-long body landed, it felt nothing but a dark crimson light flash across his eyes.
The carapace-covered bug creature that it had treated as its prey actually jumped forward a certain distance as it leaped, which meant that its confident tackle completely missed its mark.
Moreover, apart from that, the red bug quickly hopped and ran toward the thicket not far away immediately after that!
How can this be?!
The Swamp Rock Crocodile’s simple AI did not do much thinking. It immediately moved its webbed crocodile foot covered with scales and started pursuing its food. However, after pursuing the hopping “prey” across the thicket, the yellow eyes of the crocodile showed surprise.
In front of it were five red bugs that looked exactly the same. The only thing was that these were slightly smaller than the one it was pursuing!
While it was still dazed, five red bugs with knife-like legs leaped towards it, and before long, their bodies landed on its flat and wide back.
Pu!
−980
The Swamp Rock Crocodile felt pain in its back. Its proud, thick, tough skin covered by a layer of mud with amazing defense was pierced through by something, leaving it with an injury.
No, not just one wound!
Immediately following the initial pain came some less painful cuts. Four consecutive cuts were made. And over its head, numbers appeared as a result!
−466
−498
−655
−494
Roar!
The Level-45 Elite Swamp Rock Crocodile instantly went into a rage. As the overlord—the ultimate predator of the 50-meter swamp in the southern area of Dusk Swamp—it was actually being injured by small creatures like these that looked like bugs!
The enraged Swamp Rock Crocodile began to twist and spin its body like crazy. It swung its tail in an attempt to throw the bugs on its back off. However, the bugs’ six limbs pierced deep into its tough skin like the blades of knives. The two tough, crescent-shaped pincers on their heads also continuously slashed at the crocodile as ear-piercing shrieks came from their mouths.
−1530
−760
−698
−735
−704
The bugs were ruthless and merciless. Upon creating a wound after slashing at its thick skin with their big, knife-like pincers, they would continue to attack and slash at the same position nonstop. The thick skin on its mud-covered back had a high defense, but when that layer of skin was cut, the flesh inside did not have any way to protect itself. As such, beneath the continuous slashes, it could feel blood gushing continuously from its back.
From another perspective, the Level 45 Elite Swamp Rock Crocodile, which was mainly a defensive monster and had over 30,000 HP, had already had its HP reduced by one-third in less than five seconds.
Finally, it instinctively found a method of defense, which was to rotate and roll its body in the thicket. As expected, by doing this, the big red bugs could no longer stay on its back. They were all thrown off. They leaped away one by one.
However, what it did not consider was that by rolling on the ground, it left its white belly—that did not have much defense—exposed, and before long, the extremely agile red bugs had already made a few cuts on the side of its belly.
−1938
−907
−898
−934
−876
It was more painful than before. With the pain, the continuous blood loss, and these ridiculously agile opponents, the originally enraged Swamp Rock Crocodile began to show panic in its yellow eyes.
Immediately after that, it rolled over and stood on the ground before turning around and rushing toward the swamp that wasn’t far away. The five red bugs, on the other hand, jumped on its back again and resumed attacking its wounds mercilessly. But the Swamp Rock Crocodile did not roll on the ground crazily this time; instead, it just charged straight toward the swamp.
As long as I enter the swamp, I can even defeat a Level-48 Swamp Python. If these tiny things dare to enter my home turf, then I’ll let them know who’s boss!
The Swamp Rock Crocodile pushed its four limbs to their limit as it charged toward its home turf. As less than a quarter of its HP was left, it was finally only just one step away from its “home turf.”
However, this distance of one step was clearly a step that would never be taken because…
Bang!
After a muffled gunshot. A searing hot bullet rotating through the air, tinged with a light layer of electricity, entered its back!
−676
−3255
Yellow weak-point damage. A finishing blow!
The HP of the Swamp Rock Crocodile fell to zero in an instant. It finally dropped to the ground not more than three meters away from the swamp.
Among the five Bladed Beetles, the largest one was a Level-34 Elite Bladed Beetle. A flash of light signifying a level-up flashed across its body, and its size, which was already bigger than its other Normal-grade compatriots, grew even bigger. Its level was also increased to Level 35.
However, its level-up light was incomparable to that of the other side. The level-up light on the young male player holding the M110 sniper rifle and wearing a camouflage combat uniform was much more significant.
Killed Swamp Rock Crocodile (Level 45, Elite). Contribution: 21.5%. Obtained Experience: 430.
Congratulations. You’ve leveled up. Current Level: Level 45!
Level 45!
Finally, Level 45!
Feng Luo stood up beside a bush with the M110 in his hands. A bright smile that could not be hidden was on his face. Over the past half month, he had expended a lot of effort trying to level up. Although he had chosen not to continuously do Hunting Missions because he needed to increase the levels of the “Pet Beetles,” he still had finally managed to increase his level to 45 today!
On Feng Luo’s shoulder was 24K, who looked funny after being painted with camouflage paint again. Its size was one size larger than before. It was currently the size of half a fist.
At that moment, it was swinging its head on Feng Luo’s shoulder, instructing two scorpion-like Gatherer Beetles to crawl toward the corpse of the Swamp Rock Crocodile. As for the Scout Beetle beside the swamp, it flew slowly toward Feng Luo and surveyed the surroundings above Feng Luo.
At the moment, 24K was already at Level 29. As a Boss-grade pet, the experience required for it to level up was certainly very high. It was a good thing it was currently at 80 percent at Level 29. With a little bit more effort, it ought to be able to level up to Level 30 by today or tomorrow.
Even more noteworthy was that while hunting over the past few days with Feng Luo, 24K had managed to grasp several methods to work and cooperate with Feng Luo by relying purely on its AI. This made it a lot easier for Feng Luo to command the previous five Bladed Beetles when creating traps and encircling prey. It could even replace Feng Luo and command the little beetles itself.
Of course, right now was not the time to talk about this. For Feng Luo, who had finally made it to Level 45, the thing he wanted to do more than anything else was to replace the “Main Body” part of the M110 with the “Main Body” part of the Eye of the Thunder so that the sniper rifle he had been longing for all this time could realize its true potential!