MMORPG: The Elementalist

The Underground Dungeons of the Aricus Ruins

Here, monsters lurked within the endless shadows, grinding their teeth and sharpening their claws. Ever-ready to pounce into the attack, like great waves crashing against the coast, wave after wave, tide after tide… If the adventurers showed even the slightest weakness, enormous monstrosities would come charging forth, all jagged fangs and razor-sharp talons to tear to pieces the human adventurers who had intruded in their territory!

Within the Underground Chambers, the second wave of attacks from the Gorefiend Spiders was already underway…

Here came a flood of emerald Green Goblin Spiders, supposedly similar in level to Chameleon Spiders and Violetwing Venomspiders. However, packed tightly together and continuously spraying webs of sticky Green Goblin Goo at them, this attack was far too powerful compared to the previous wave.

Standing boldly at the forefront, Wang Da got it the worst, with no chance to fight back under the unending barrage. All he could do was watch as sheets of webbing descended upon him, wrapping him up good and proper. The more he struggled, the tighter the Green Goblin Goo held him, like a carefully bundled rice dumpling. The agony was excruciating.

Even so, Wang Da was doing alright. Only just yesterday he had learned some important lessons from the party, to correct some mistakes he’d been repeating. Also to his advantage was a full set of Gold Equipment, which could stand up to tremendous punishment. Violetmoon Devilite would occasionally cast Dispel on him, which would completely dissolve all the webbing holding him down, ensuring he could remain above 50% HP.

In contrast to Wang Da’s direct approach to things, the other three were much savvier: Slayer’s Heart and Gold Digger Babe waited until Burning Rose had caught the enemy’s attention with her Meteor Shower before they revealed themselves, holding off the Green Goblin spiders which were trying to get around the Frostramparts Formation.

Little Apple wielded the Dark Phoenix Spellbreaker Sword, absolutely untroubled by such a sluggish assault. Violet lightning flashed along the blade, and any incoming webs were instantly cut to ribbons.

In terms of speed and timing, Little Apple skills only continued to improve.

Intercepted by the anti-magic properties of the Dark Phoenix Spellbreaker, the webs of Green Goblin Goo melted away like snow in a furnace.

Seeing this, the wrapped dumpling nearby recognized salvation, and began struggling with all his might while shouting, “Little Apple! My lady! Teach me how to do that!”

Little Apple considered this request in silence. Just as she had thought of how to respond, suddenly there was a great shockwave which shook the earth.

Little Apple, Wang Da, and those behind them felt the unusual tremors beneath their feet, and looked up and down the corridor in bewilderment, searching for the source.

“Orchid, you never told me the second wave Boss would make such a terrifying entrance!” Qin Ruo hollered, as he drained another 50 MP from a Green Goblin Spider he had spied through a crack.

“This isn’t the Two-Headed Green Goblin Spider!”

“Everyone, watch out! Something’s different!”

“Rose, get a scroll ready!”

“Slayer!” Violet Orchid’s panicked voice rang in their ears.

Qin Ruo had no idea what was happening. If it was not the Two-Headed Green Goblin Spider, what was it then? It was not even in sight yet—what could possibly be making such tremendous noise?

Still in confusion, he looked ahead and saw Slayer’s Heart immediately downing two potions, then turning back to bellow, “Qin Ruo! Use a Darkfrost Potion!”

No sooner had he said this when there came the sound, *Boom!*

An incredible shockwave rocked the corridor! Everyone could feel a phenomenal earthquake going on underfoot! It was as though something was ramming against the ground from below, trying to break right through the floor tiles. The unimaginably immense force of impact not only shook the entire corridor, it quite nearly stopped their hearts.

“Below us!” In a sudden flash of realization, Qin Ruo figured out what was going on. “The Boss is underneath us! Orchid! Devilite! Get out of the way!” Even as he shouted this, he reached into his backpack and tore out a sparkling white potion, the bottle wreathed in frost.

*Boom!*

Above the Twelve Frostramparts Formation, the air became so cold it almost seemed to freeze solid, billowing in curls of mist. The sudden increase in Chill effectiveness by 24% rendered the few Green Goblin Spiders within the enclosure into stumbling infants. Even those spiders still some way from reaching the Frostramparts were instantly covered in a layer of frost, their Attack and Movement Speed greatly reduced.

Holding off the enemy at the front, Little Apple, Wang Da, Slayer’s Heart, and Gold-Digger Babe were greatly aided by this.

In the center of the enclosure, Violet Orchid and Violetmoon Devilite fled from the epicenter of the earthquakes, pressing up against the walls of the corridor.

Burning Rose and Dinosaurcerer had to keep the AoE spells going, and so were unable to move from their spots. They could only wait to see what would come next—after all, they were already surrounded by monsters. Even if they were to run, where could they go?

“Qin Ruo, Million Arrow Sleet!”

Slayer’s Heart turned on his heel and dashed back, allowing Qin Ruo and Dinosaurcerer to concentrate their fire and destroy the monsters at the rear. In the event that a Boss really appeared, it would be up to him to hold it in place, so that everyone else could flank it from behind.

Without question, Qin Ruo immediately gulped down another MP Potion and whipped out a Magic Scroll.

With Magic Damage approaching two hundred, the blizzard of a million frigid bolts far exceeded the potency of Dinosaurcerer’s spells. The magical assault ramped up greatly, burying all the Green Goblin Spiders behind them in ice within a single moment.

***

And yet, just as the ten of them were scrambling to prepare counter-measures, the violent shockwaves that had been coming from beneath Qin Ruo and Violet Orchid’s position quietened down. Half a minute passed, but it seemed to have stopped for now.

Watching the Green Goblin Spiders being rapidly eliminated around them, their puzzlement grew deeper with each passing moment…

… and so too their dread!

At last, Little Arrow could not stand it any longer. Producing another Illuminating Crystal from her backpack, she ran to the front and shone its light down the corridor ahead of them.

What the light revealed was a stream of Green Goblin Spiders, and nothing else. It was the same towards the rear.

“What’s going on?”

“Where’s the Boss?”

Slayer’s Heart continued to stand guard at Qin Ruo’s side, but those terrifying noises, which surely could only have come from a Boss monster, seemed to have vanished entirely. Perplexed, he held Pazuzu’s Warhammer at the ready and remained in place, scanning up and down the length of the corridor. Through all the commotion along the corridor, he paid close attention for even the slightest murmur beneath his shoes.

But there was nothing.

Minutes passed. At length, Qin Ruo had to ask, “Leader, what was that just now?”

Slayer’s Heart shook his head, unable to answer.

“Orchid! You don’t know, either?”

Violet Orchid shook her head as well, giving him an apologetic smile. It was precisely because they didn’t know what it was, that was what made it so dangerous. Perhaps the presence of two parties had caused the entire dungeon to rise in difficulty. This never-before-seen underground Boss was most likely more fearsome than a Tier 4 Two-Headed Green Goblin Spider.

Were they to face a Tier-4 Elite Boss already?

But then why had it calmed down all of a sudden?

Violet Orchid had a thought, ‘Could it be because of the Twelve Frostramparts Formation?’ The shockwaves seemed to have been concentrated at the very center of the Formation—right where Qin Ruo had been standing.

Was it possible that the mysterious Boss below them had also been affected by the Twelve Frostramparts Formation? When Qin Ruo had used the Darkfrost Potion, and the effectiveness of all Chill effects had risen by 24%, greatly hampering all movements… Maybe it had denied the Boss the strength to break through the floor, or maybe it was the Frostramparts themselves reinforcing the corridor against being breached?

Violet Orchid shared these thoughts with everyone. Everyone agreed that it sounded likely—even Slayer’s Heart thought that it made the most sense.

“Qin Ruo, look through your Battle Log, see if any Boss ever came up.”

Straight away, Qin Ruo called up his Battle Log, erased all mention of Green Goblin Spiders, and was left with a few lines of red text.

Earth-Enchanted Spider affected by Frostramparts Formation, Movement Speed reduced by 15%

Earth-Enchanted Spider affected by Frostramparts Formation, Movement Speed reduced by 30%

The time between these two notifications was almost instantaneous. Probably the first effect happened when the Spider got close to the Formation, and the second one was when it was actually considered as having entered the enclosure.

Earth-Enchanted Spider affected by Frostramparts Formation, movement speed reduced by 15%

Earth-Enchanted Spider has been Frozen!

That last line had been the most recent notification. Qin Ruo released a nervous breath he did not realize he had been holding in.

Although it was still unclear why an Earth-Enchanted Spider would Freeze after being slowed by 60% on the floor beneath them, he knew the Battle Log never lied. This could only mean one thing: an Earth-Enchanted Spider was vulnerable to Freeze effects.

That being the case, as long as the Twelve Frostramparts Formation still held, along with the effects of the Darkfrost Potion, the Earth-Enchanted Spider would remain trapped underneath.

After he had explained this analysis with everyone, there was laughter and delight, albeit accompanied by a chilling thought: If not for Slayer’s Heart instructing Qin Ruo to take another Darkfrost Potion, that immensely powerful monster would already have burst out from the ground… with unthinkable consequences!