Chapter 197: Dungeon Run V

Kaiser approached the Twinblade Serpent Warrior’s corpse and stored it in his inventory.

The others watched him, but none of them seemed surprised by his actions.

"So, who’s going to keep the weapon it dropped?" Alex asked, glancing at the Twinblade of Blooming Poisons lying on the ground.

The weapon had belonged to the miniboss, and judging by the poisonous energy lingering around its blades, it was probably a valuable item.

"You can divide the drops among yourselves," Kaiser said. "I’ll just take the corpse."

He had little interest in ordinary weapons compared to the materials he could obtain from powerful monsters. As a Necromancer type, monster corpses were far more useful to him than most equipment.

"Yeah, that makes sense. Your class is a Necro Lord, after all," John remarked with a nod.

Kaiser nodded in response and looked at the others.

"We should collect the drops from the monsters we’ve killed and distribute everything at the end of the dungeon run. That way, we won’t waste time sorting through every item after each fight."

"I agree," Henrick said.

The others nodded as well. There was no reason to stop and divide their rewards after every battle, especially when they still had a dungeon to clear.

Pascot walked over to the Twinblade of Blooming Poisons and carefully inspected it without touching the blades.

"Let’s leave this one for now, too. We can decide who gets it after we’ve cleared the dungeon."

After making sure they hadn’t overlooked anything important, the five students took a few more minutes to rest.

Kaiser used the opportunity to review what he had learned during the fight. Although he hadn’t gained a great deal of comprehension, he now had a better understanding of how to apply the Shatter aspect against physical defenses.

He also realized that fighting alongside others forced him to pay attention to more than just his own attacks. He had to consider his teammates’ positions, the monster’s movements, and the best moment to strike.

This was different from fighting with his undead, where he could rely on their strength to overwhelm most enemies.

’It’s a good opportunity to practice. I should make the most of it.’

Once everyone was ready, Kaiser stood up.

"Let’s continue. We still have a lot of ground to cover."

Alex picked up his jade-green greatsword, and the others prepared their Rules.

The group left the clearing and continued deeper into the Myriad Serpent Abode, following the faint trail that wound between the enormous trees.

The group continued deeper into the Myriad Serpent Abode.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of poisonous serpents. Although the ordinary monsters were no longer much of a threat, the five students remained cautious. The deeper they went, the more dangerous the serpents became, and they couldn’t afford to underestimate any of them.

Fortunately, their teamwork had improved considerably after the battle against the Twinblade Serpent Warrior.

Kaiser continued using the Shatter aspect of Shattered Soul to break through the monsters’ defenses, while Alex used his Blood Sap to strengthen his jade vines. John, Henrick, and Pascot supported them with their Shadow Rules, allowing the group to deal with most enemies without wasting too much time.

After another twenty minutes of exploration, they reached a second clearing.

A massive figure stood in the middle of the clearing, blocking their path.

Unlike the previous miniboss, this monster wore heavy armor covering almost its entire body. Its upper body was broad and muscular, and its thick serpentine tail was covered in dark green scales. It held a massive shield in one hand and a heavy sword in the other.

A notification appeared before Kaiser’s eyes.

[Miniboss Detected!]

[Name: Ironscale Serpent Knight]

[Rank: 4]

[Level: 450]

[Type: Serpent Monster]

[Description: A powerful serpent warrior specializing in defense and heavy combat. Its reinforced scales and heavy armor provide exceptional physical protection, while its shield allows it to withstand powerful attacks.]

Kaiser examined the monster before turning toward his teammates.

"Another miniboss. This one looks like a tank."

"Let me test its defenses," Alex said, tightening his grip on his jade-green greatsword.

Before anyone could respond, the Ironscale Serpent Knight raised its shield and charged.

Despite its enormous size and heavy equipment, its speed was surprisingly high. Its serpentine tail propelled it forward, allowing it to cross the clearing in a few seconds.

BANG!

Its shield slammed into the ground where Alex had been standing moments earlier.

Alex quickly moved aside, but the impact sent dirt and broken stones flying in every direction.

"Damn! It’s fast for something that heavily armored!"

The monster immediately turned toward him and swung its massive sword.

Alex raised his greatsword to block the attack.

CLANG!

The collision forced him backward several steps. His arms trembled from the impact, and he realized that fighting this monster head-on would be difficult.

John immediately extended his shadows toward the Ironscale Serpent Knight’s tail, attempting to restrict its movements. Henrick reinforced the binding while Pascot moved toward its blind spot.

Kaiser also attacked, concentrating the Shatter aspect of his Rule on the armor covering the monster’s shoulder.

CRACK!

A small fracture appeared on the armor, but the damage was limited.

’Its defenses are much stronger than those of the previous miniboss.’

Kaiser focused his energy on the same spot and attacked again.

This time, the fracture spread slightly farther, but the monster reacted before he could continue.

It turned its shield toward Kaiser and slammed it into the ground.

A powerful shockwave spread across the clearing, forcing the students to retreat.

The shadows binding its tail were disrupted, and Alex had to use his vines to protect himself from the flying debris.

The Ironscale Serpent Knight roared and charged toward Kaiser.

Kaiser immediately moved aside, allowing the monster to rush past him. As it turned around, he attacked the damaged area on its shoulder again.

CRACK!

The armor finally broke apart, exposing the scales underneath.

"Alex, attack that spot!" Kaiser shouted.

Alex understood immediately.

He infused his jade-green greatsword with Blood Sap and swung it toward the exposed shoulder.

BOOM!

The attack struck the weakened area, forcing the monster to stagger.

John and Henrick seized the opportunity to bind its tail again, while Pascot launched a concentrated shadow attack against its exposed back.

The Ironscale Serpent Knight struggled fiercely, swinging its sword and shield to repel them. However, the students continued attacking the same weakened areas instead of wasting their energy against its strongest defenses.

Kaiser joined them, using Shattered Soul to break through the monster’s armor piece by piece.

After several minutes of coordinated attacks, the Ironscale Serpent Knight finally lost its balance.

Alex stepped forward and brought his greatsword down with both hands.

BOOM!

The monster crashed onto the ground. Before it could rise, Kaiser concentrated the Shatter aspect on the fractured armor covering its chest.

CRACK!

The remaining defenses broke apart under the combined pressure of their attacks.

The Ironscale Serpent Knight let out a final roar before collapsing.

[Miniboss Defeated!]

The five students took a moment to recover before continuing their journey.

"This one was even harder to deal with than the first," Alex said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Because its defense was much stronger," Kaiser replied. "We couldn’t damage it effectively until we found a weak point."

He stored the monster’s corpse in his inventory, leaving the equipment and other drops for later distribution.

The group continued forward.

However, they hadn’t walked very far when they encountered another miniboss.

This time, the monster looked completely different.

It had a slender humanoid upper body covered in green scales, while its long serpentine tail moved slowly across the ground. Several ornaments made from bones and strange crystals hung around its neck. In one hand, it held a long wooden staff decorated with poisonous fangs.

Dark green energy flowed around its body, and the air surrounding it carried a faint but unpleasant smell.

Kaiser immediately inspected it.

[Miniboss Detected!]

[Name: Venom Sage Serpent]

[Rank: 4]

[Level: 450]

[Type: Serpent Monster]

[Description: A serpent mage that has mastered poisonous magic. It can manipulate toxic energy, create poisonous barriers, and launch attacks capable of spreading venom throughout a wide area. Its magical abilities make it a dangerous opponent even at a distance.]

Kaiser narrowed his eyes.

"Another one. And this time, it’s a mage."

The Venom Sage Serpent raised its staff.

Green magic circles appeared around it, and several poisonous projectiles formed in the air.

"Spread out!" Kaiser shouted.

The moment he gave the warning, the projectiles shot toward them.

The five students immediately moved in different directions.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The projectiles struck the ground, releasing clouds of poisonous smoke. Several nearby trees began to wither as the toxic energy spread through their leaves and branches.

Henrick quickly used his Shadow Rule to deflect a projectile heading toward him, while John extended shadows to pull Pascot away from another incoming attack.

Alex raised several jade vines, forming a barrier in front of himself.

However, the poisonous energy corroded the vines almost immediately.

"These attacks are troublesome!" Alex shouted.