65: Dragon Skeleton, Different World
When Su Qingxue's team finally managed to kill the Level 10 regional mini-BOSS, the Swamp Hydra, after one of their teammates was severely injured and teleported out, the entire team erupted in cheers of relief.
"We won! We won!"
"Oh my god, a Level 10 elite monster, we actually managed to defeat it!"
All the surviving team members collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. But their faces were filled with irrepressible excitement and pride.
Su Qingxue was the only one still standing.
Her beautiful face was somewhat pale from the massive consumption of Mental Energy. But in her cold eyes, a light of satisfaction flickered.
She glanced at her Rank panel.
After killing this BOSS, which provided a massive amount of experience points, her Rank had finally successfully increased from Level 10 to... Level 11!
This leveling speed, if word got out, would be enough to make any newcomer despair.
"Look! Equipment dropped!"
Someone let out a surprised shriek.
Beside the massive corpse of the Hydra, a piece of leather armor, emitting a faint blue light, lay quietly.
"Hydra's Guardian" (Rare Rank)!
"It's Rare Rank equipment! Blue equipment!"
"We actually got a blue equipment drop!"
The entire team instantly boiled over again!
They surrounded the powerful leather armor as if looking at a peerless treasure, letting out gasps of envy and excitement!
Su Qingxue looked at this loot, which was enough to drive any newcomer crazy, and her heart was filled with a great sense of accomplishment from having defeated a powerful enemy through her own efforts and wisdom, and receiving a fitting reward.
She slowly raised her head and subconsciously looked in the direction of that lonely figure who had disappeared two days ago. In her cold eyes, an incredibly complex expression, full of pity and superiority, flashed.
"...It's been two days..."
"...He must have already crushed the teleportation talisman and fled back because he couldn't bear the environment here."
She thought to herself silently.
"...That's good."
"...This was never the place for him to come."
"...I hope this lesson will make him thoroughly recognize the gap between him and me, which is already like a chasm."
...She would never know.
Just as she was feeling satisfied with reaching Level 11 and a "Rare Rank" equipment, the young man she thought had already fled was standing before a massive Dragon skeleton, like a black mountain, lying across the deepest part of the Swamp, looking somewhat troubled at his backpack, which was almost filled with various "Epic Rank" Materials.
"...Sigh, the backpack capacity is still too small."
"...It seems these slightly lower quality 'scraps' on the surface of the Dragon skeleton will have to be abandoned for now."
He shook his head helplessly, then cast his greedy gaze towards the Dragon skeleton he had already thoroughly cleaned... its most core and most precious part... the skull!
He knew that was where the true essence of this Dragon skeleton lay! It hid all the Legacy and mysteries of this giant Dragon during its lifetime!
He slowly extended his hand and placed it on the huge and cold Dragon's head, which was like a small black mountain.
Then, he activated his Gathering Skill, which had already been upgraded to Lv7! And his brand new characteristic, Analysis, full of infinite possibilities!
"Ding! You used Gathering Skill (Lv7) on 'Ancient Red Dragon's Skull', Analysis characteristic triggered!"
"You successfully analyzed part of the Ancient Red Dragon's Legacy memories!"
"Due to the Analysis target containing an extremely vast Origin energy, your Gathering Skill gained a massive amount of proficiency!"
"Ding! Your skill 'Gathering Skill' proficiency is full, Rank increased to Lv8!"
"Your Gathering Skill has gained a new characteristic — 'Origin Draw'!"
"Origin Draw: When you use Gathering Skill, there is a very low chance to directly draw a trace of the purest Origin energy from the target, permanently increasing one of your basic attributes. The type and value of the drawn attribute are related to the gathering target..."
"Origin Draw? Directly increase basic attributes?"
Lin Feng's eyes instantly lit up! This new characteristic was simply a Divine-Grade leveling skill tailor-made for him!
He no longer hesitated and immediately pushed his Gathering Skill, which had already been upgraded to Lv8, to its limit again!
He was going to perform a second... no, countless... "extraction" on this huge Dragon head!
"Gathering Skill!"
"Ding! You used Gathering Skill (Lv8) on 'Ancient Red Dragon's Skull', success!"
"Double yield triggered!"
"Your 'Strength' attribute is permanently +0.2!"
"Your 'Physique' attribute is permanently +0.2!"
"Your talent 'Flame Monarch (A Rank)' proficiency +100!"
"You obtained Epic Rank forging Materials — 'Quenched Dragon Skull' * 2!"
"Gathering Skill!"
"Ding! You used Gathering Skill (Lv8) on 'Ancient Red Dragon's Skull', success!"
"New characteristic 'Origin Draw' triggered!"
"You successfully drew a trace of the Origin of 'Dragon Power'!"
"Your 'Strength' attribute is permanently +0.5!"
..."Gathering Skill!"
"Ding! You used Gathering Skill (Lv8) on 'Ancient Red Dragon's Skull', success!"
"New characteristic 'Origin Draw' triggered!"
"You successfully drew a trace of the Origin of 'Dragon's Tenacity'!"
"Your 'Physique' attribute is permanently +0.5!"
...He was like a tireless, highly efficient miner, frantically accumulating his primal wealth on this unknown Divine-Grade mine!
His Strength, Physique, Spirit... all his basic attributes were soaring at a speed almost like a bug!
Time, in the Black Mist Swamp, lost its precise measure.
For the members of the "First Elite Team," every minute and every second was a hard struggle against exhaustion and danger.
After successfully killing the Level 10 regional elite monster, the Swamp Hydra, they did not choose to end this fruitful training session.
Under the leadership of Instructor Lei Yan and their spiritual leader, Su Qingxue, they chose an even more difficult and glorious goal — to delve deeper and challenge the ultimate ruler of this Swamp, the true Lord Rank BOSS, the Abyssal Corrosive Megalisk, which was Level 15 and entrenched in the "Heart of Decay"!