Chapter 211 - 149: Level 3 Mage, Ice Crystal Fall
Punching Fist!
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the Demons they encountered along the way were much stronger than before.
Take the Mutated Puji that had just appeared before them, for example. It was over a person tall and had a row of sharp teeth.
Lin Mo didn’t bother with pleasantries. He rushed forward and unleashed a Punching Fist, leaving a deep fist-shaped imprint on its body.
’Judging by the feel of the impact, its Threat Level is around Level 1.5?’
In any case, he had one-shotted it.
Still, even though they were both soft-bodied creatures, this mushroom-type Demon was much easier on the eyes than a Slime. It wasn’t as disgusting to fight, either.
’I wonder if this thing is edible?’
’It would probably make a delicious soup, right?’
’Better not...’
’The thought of eating something that was baring its fangs and claws at me just half a minute ago is a bit too... grotesque.’
[Punching Fist Skill Level +11]
With the new Skill Level points, Lin Mo’s Punching Fist skill leveled up immediately.
"Skill [Punching Fist] Level 2 (20/20) has leveled up!"
"Current Skill: [Punching Fist] Level 3 (6/40)"
"Gained attribute point: Strength +1!"
His Basic Strength was now 35 points, and he was halfway to Level 4.
For the time being, he should focus his energy on practicing the Ice Cone Skill.
The skill was still 51 Skill Level points away from leveling up.
They spent the better part of the morning traveling.
Along the way, they encountered numerous Demons: Goblins, Minotaurs, Puji, and even Slimes.
Lin Mo didn’t spare even the Slimes. Since he could now take them out from a distance with his Ice Cone Skill, they weren’t so annoying anymore.
By the time they were finally about to reach their target area, Lin Mo’s [Ice Cone Skill] Skill Level had reached (77/100).
Only 23 points to go.
"Let’s take a break," Landon said, stopping in a relatively open area.
The next battle would likely be difficult, so they needed to be in peak condition and approach it with caution.
For Adventurers, encountering Demons beyond the scope of a quest was a common occurrence.
The distribution of Demons was inherently unpredictable. Guild intelligence could only provide a rough estimate; it was perfectly normal for the actual number or location of the Demons to vary to some degree.
Take their last quest, for example. The intel operative spotted one Flame Cat Demon, but the other one might have been hiding deep in the cave for a long time and wasn’t seen. As a result, the quest information would only record a single Flame Cat Demon.
If they encountered a situation they couldn’t handle, they could choose to abandon the quest. By returning to the guild to help update the intelligence, they could even receive a small consolation reward.
As for any losses or casualties incurred, the guild could only cover a portion of them. After all, adventuring wasn’t child’s play; it was inherently risky.
After resting for a while and getting into peak condition, the group roused themselves, raising their alertness to the absolute maximum before finally stepping into the area for their last quest.
As mentioned before, the quest area was large due to the highly unpredictable movements of Undead Creatures. They walked for half an hour without seeing a single Demon, let alone Skeletons or Rotten Corpses.
However, this very abnormality only served to confirm that the area had indeed been taken over by Undead Creatures, scaring away any nearby Demons.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Ali, who had been diligently trying to parse the scents in the air, made a discovery.
"This way!"
She pointed to the front right and immediately took the lead, heading forward.
Lin Mo hurried to follow, moving to protect her from behind.
Ali was strong, but this was the heart of the Loran Forest Deep Forest Area, a dangerous region overrun by the Undead. Naturally, Lin Mo couldn’t feel at ease letting her walk in front.
Following Ali’s directions, Lin Mo and the others soon caught a whiff of a foul, rotting stench. Pressing forward, they quickly found its source.
It was a Rotten Corpse, followed by several skeletons. They looked like they were...
’Patrolling?’
Lin Mo hadn’t forgotten that behind these Undead Creatures, there was likely an Undead Mage pulling the strings!
’So he deployed these Undead here... Is he treating Loran Forest as his main base? Or is he plotting something...’
’Things are getting more and more troublesome.’
He shook his head. For now, he should just focus on the quest and not think too far ahead.
Lin Mo acted immediately. An Ice Cone formed in an instant and flew toward the Undead ahead, striking one of the skeleton’s heads with pinpoint accuracy and shattering its skull.
Ordinary Skeleton Monsters are the weakest of all Undead Creatures. They are also classified in the lowest tier of Demons, their strength only about half-a-Slime greater than a Goblin’s.
Naturally, Lin Mo could one-shot a Demon of this level.
[Ice Cone Skill Skill Level +1]
Lin Mo raised his right hand and shot another Ice Cone, killing another Skeleton Monster.
By now, the Undead Creatures had spotted their enemies and charged toward them.
Huck and Benny immediately rushed forward and took care of the remaining Skeleton Monsters as if they were slicing melons and chopping vegetables.
As for the Rotten Corpse... its Threat Level was only Level 1, so Lin Mo unapologetically claimed the kill with his Ice Cone Skill.
In total, he had gained 10 Skill Level points.
It’s just like the saying goes: when you see one cockroach in your house, it means there’s already a whole nest of them.
After discovering the first group of Undead Creatures, Ali began to continuously pick up the scent of the dead things.