Chapter 194: Dungeon Run II

The group continued deeper into the Myriad Serpent Abode.

Although the serpents they encountered weren’t particularly strong, they were troublesome to deal with because of their poisonous abilities. Some released clouds of toxic gas, while others spat poisonous liquid or fired venomous needles from their mouths.

A few serpents even used their surroundings to conceal their attacks, making it difficult to predict where the next strike would come from.

Fortunately, the students had their Rules.

Whenever a serpent released poisonous gas, they used their Rules to protect themselves from its effects. When faced with venomous projectiles, they either deflected them or destroyed them before they could reach their bodies.

Since they couldn’t use their classes or other abilities, they had to rely entirely on their Rules to deal with the monsters. This made every encounter a useful opportunity to practice controlling their powers under pressure.

As they advanced, Kaiser also learned more about his teammates.

The three students who had joined their group were John, Henrick, and Pascot. Interestingly, all three had comprehended the same Rule: the Lesser Rule of Shadow.

Although their Rule was identical, each of them had developed a slightly different way of using it.

John could extend shadows across the ground to restrict the movements of their enemies. Henrick was better at using shadows to defend himself and deflect attacks, while Pascot could manipulate shadows to conceal his movements and launch surprise attacks.

Their abilities worked well together, allowing them to support Alex and Kaiser during the fights.

"Your Rule is quite versatile," Kaiser remarked as he watched John use a shadow to bind a serpent before Henrick struck it with another shadow-based attack.

John smiled.

"That’s one of its advantages. Shadow can be used for both offense and defense, though we’re still learning how to make the most of it."

"Having the same Rule doesn’t mean you’ll all develop the same abilities," Henrick added. "It depends on how we understand and use it."

Kaiser nodded. Their situation reminded him of what Abigail had said earlier. The potential of a Rule depended not only on its category but also on the user’s understanding and creativity.

As they continued through the forest, the group encountered more serpents. Some attacked from the trees, while others emerged from holes in the ground. The poisonous gas released by certain monsters was particularly troublesome, forcing the students to coordinate their Rules to protect everyone.

However, their teamwork gradually improved.

Alex used his Blood Sap to strengthen his jade vines, binding the serpents and preventing them from moving freely. John and Henrick controlled the shadows around their targets, while Pascot concealed himself whenever he needed to launch an attack from an unexpected direction.

Kaiser focused on using the Shatter aspect of his Rule to break through the serpents’ defenses. Rather than relying on powerful attacks, he concentrated his energy on specific points, gradually improving his control.

Though he could have easily just used the Soul aspect to kill them all easily but then he won’t have been able to practice with his Shatter side.

Although the process was still somewhat inefficient, each battle gave him more experience.

After clearing another group of serpents, the five students stopped briefly to rest.

"We’ve been moving for quite a while," Pascot said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "How much farther do you think we need to go?"

"We won’t know until we find the dungeon’s main area," Kaiser replied. "Let’s keep moving. We still have plenty of time, but there’s no reason to waste it."

Alex nodded and looked toward the deeper part of the forest.

"Then let’s get going. The sooner we clear this place, the sooner we can return to the academy."

The group resumed their journey, unaware that the serpents they had encountered so far were only the weaker inhabitants of the dungeon.

After walking for another fifteen minutes, they finally reached a clearing surrounded by enormous trees. Unlike the areas they had passed through earlier, this place was unusually quiet. There were no rustling leaves, no hissing sounds, and no movement among the bushes.

Kaiser stopped at the edge of the clearing and looked ahead.

"We’ve probably reached the first miniboss area," he said.

Alex nodded as he examined their surroundings.

"That would explain why there aren’t any ordinary monsters around."

Just as they were discussing their next move, a loud hiss echoed from the other side of the clearing.

A massive figure slowly emerged from behind the trees.

It was a snake-man with a muscular humanoid upper body and a long serpentine tail covered in green scales. Its head resembled that of a giant snake, with two yellow eyes and a long forked tongue flicking in and out of its mouth.

The monster held two swords, one in each hand. Both blades had a greenish hue, and a faint poisonous mist surrounded their edges.

A notification appeared before Kaiser’s eyes.

[Miniboss Detected!]

[Name: Twinblade Serpent Warrior]

[Rank: 4]

[Level: 450]

[Type: Serpent Monster]

[Description: A powerful serpent warrior that has mastered the art of dual-wielding. Its twin blades are coated with potent venom, and its physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary serpents.]

Kaiser briefly examined the information before looking at the monster again.

"So, this is our first real challenge."

The Twinblade Serpent Warrior stared at the five students. It raised both swords and dragged the tips across the ground, producing a sharp scraping sound.

Then it suddenly moved.

Its long tail propelled its body forward with astonishing speed, and both green swords swept toward the group.

"Scatter!"

Kaiser immediately moved to the side.

Alex and the others reacted just as quickly, avoiding the incoming attack. The two blades struck the ground where they had been standing, releasing a burst of green poisonous mist.

The mist spread rapidly across the clearing.

"Don’t breathe that in!" Henrick shouted.

The students immediately activated their Rules to protect themselves from the poison. John extended shadows across the ground, while Pascot used them to conceal his movements and reposition himself.

Alex summoned several jade vines and infused them with the power of Blood Sap, preparing to restrain the monster.

However, the Twinblade Serpent Warrior didn’t give them much time to prepare.

It swung both swords again, sending two green arcs of energy toward Alex.

Alex quickly raised his vines to block the attacks.

BOOM!

The impact shattered several vines and forced him to retreat.

"Damn! It’s much stronger than the other serpents!" Alex exclaimed.

"Of course it is," Kaiser replied calmly. "It’s a miniboss."

He raised his hand, and black energy gathered around his fingers.

Unlike the ordinary serpents, whose defenses he could break with a few concentrated attacks, this monster possessed much stronger scales and a considerably more powerful body.

Kaiser focused on the Shatter aspect of his Rule, aiming at the monster’s right arm.

A burst of black energy shot forward.

Crack!

A faint fracture appeared on the green scales covering the monster’s arm, but the damage was far from enough to stop it.

The Twinblade Serpent Warrior turned its head toward Kaiser. Its yellow eyes narrowed, and it immediately changed direction, charging straight at him.

Kaiser sidestepped the first sword and leaned backward to avoid the second.

The blade passed close to his face, releasing a wave of poisonous energy.

He quickly retreated before the poison could reach him.

’Its speed is troublesome. I need to find a way to restrict its movements before I can attack its weak points.’

"Alex, hold it down!" Kaiser called out.

"Got it!"

Alex thrust both hands forward, and thick jade vines erupted from the ground. Infused with Blood Sap, they rushed toward the serpent warrior and wrapped around its long tail.

The monster roared and swung its swords, cutting through several vines.

However, more vines immediately replaced the destroyed ones, gradually tightening around its body.

John joined the attack by extending shadows across the ground, attempting to bind the monster’s tail. Henrick and Pascot also used their Shadow Rules to interfere with its movements.

For a brief moment, the Twinblade Serpent Warrior was forced to slow down.

"Now!" Kaiser shouted.

He gathered Shattered Soul’s energy around his right hand and focused the Shatter aspect on the damaged scales covering the monster’s arm.

This time, he didn’t spread the energy across the entire surface. Instead, he concentrated it on the small fracture he had created earlier.

The black energy struck the same spot.

CRACK!

The fracture spread rapidly across the monster’s scales, breaking through its defenses and injuring the arm beneath.

The Twinblade Serpent Warrior hissed in pain. One of its swords slipped from its injured hand and fell to the ground.

Kaiser narrowed his eyes.

’Good. Concentrating the Shatter aspect on an existing weakness produces a much better result.’

However, the monster was far from defeated.

With a furious roar, it released a powerful burst of poisonous energy. The green mist engulfed its body, forcing the jade vines and shadows to retreat as the monster struggled to free itself.

Its remaining sword flashed toward Kaiser.

Kaiser immediately raised his hand, preparing to meet the attack with Shattered Soul.

The next exchange would determine whether they could defeat the miniboss through their Rules alone.