Chapter 68: The Chieftain of the Cavern Dwellers

The gigantic creature that burst out from the passage was precisely the target of more than forty second-tier players—a level 20 quasi-boss, the Chieftain of the Juren! Flanking it on either side at the front were two gnome mages, naturally the twenty-level magical beasts known as the Juren Mages, serving as its bodyguards.

The intelligence of boss-level monsters was indeed incomparable to ordinary beasts. It seemed to understand perfectly that those players trapped in the swamp no longer posed a threat. The Juren Chieftain strode with astonishing speed, sprinting directly after the second-tier players who were desperately fleeing for their lives…

This unusual move immediately threw the fleeing players into chaos. Each of them pushed themselves to the limit, turning the less-than-fifty-meter distance ahead into a final struggle between life and death:

"Ahhh!" "Run, hurry!!"

"Shit! Out of my way…"

Yet at that moment, I seemed to see the rapidly closing Juren Chieftain, an expression of chilling disdain and a cold sneer twisting its ugly face.

My heart suddenly went cold: Not good!

No longer caring to check the Chieftain's battle record, I swept my gaze over the scene, only to see massive black boulders appear out of thin air above the trapped players; and behind the two spellcasting Juren Mages, seven more towering Juren—each larger than a Juren warrior—had materialized, dual swords in hand, blocking the passage and completely sealing off any retreat.

At this, my heart sank even further! Pressed against the mountain wall, I could not help but reveal a look of horror, my eyes fixed on the Chieftain who had charged to the front.

Just as I suspected, the cunning Juren Chieftain, upon catching up to the first wave of players, did not attack immediately. Instead, it swiftly swept past them, overtaking them to pursue the second and third waves of second-tier players…

As more and more players were left behind to face the Juren warriors, the Chieftain drew ever closer to the exit of the cave passage.

At last, the second-tier players realized the Chieftain's sinister intent, but they simply could not outpace it, and panic finally overtook them!

Finally, the Juren Chieftain blocked the passage exit a step ahead of everyone else!

The massive sword and shield, planted at the mouth of the tunnel, brought everyone skidding to a horrified halt…

Looking back, they saw their escape blocked as well! In this moment, all hope of luck vanished, and with a furious roar, someone shouted, "Damn it! Fight them!!"

"Before the Juren Mages get here, we all attack together! Take this thing down!!"

This proposal instantly captured everyone's will. The fewer than thirty remaining players poured their battle energy into their weapons, all sorts of glowing blades and axes hurtling toward the Juren Chieftain!

"Kill!"

But at that moment, the Chieftain split its withered green lips in a scornful smile, and with a casual twist of its massive silver shield, a dazzling silver radiance burst forth, forming what looked like a giant shimmering shield in front of it…

The clangor of metal rang out incessantly.

From a distance, I watched in astonishment—the Chieftain, facing the combined second-tier skills of more than twenty players, only swayed slightly, effortlessly absorbing the attacks without a scratch.

Another chill ran through me…

How terrifying! No wonder over ten thousand players outside the White Cloud Mines dared not enter… Just a single level 20 quasi-boss was already this powerful and cunning, not to mention its obedient minions—players below third-tier simply stood no chance. When absolute power is involved, sheer numbers can never make up the gap.

These people, I feared, would have little chance of leaving the White Cloud Mines alive today.

Of course…

Even I myself might have caught the boss's attention—I'd heard from the White Juren Elder and the Poet Sage that a boss's vision range is several times that of ordinary monsters, almost as wide as a player's!

This cave was indeed vast, but I dared not risk my level and gear… After all, being killed by a monster meant losing equipment, with only slightly less chance than if you had a red name.

Now was the critical period for reaching level 15, which would determine how quickly I could train in the future…

I could not afford to take this risk! Nor did I intend to!

There was no way past the Juren Chieftain…

The two level-20 Juren Mages and seven level-18 Juren Fighters behind were not opponents a level-14 like me could handle. However… if I reached level 15 and equipped a full set of level-15 silver gear, maybe I'd have a shot!

…

In the blink of an eye, the situation in the field changed once again!

The second-tier players trapped in the black swamp were all wiped out by the falling rocks summoned by the Juren Mages.

Those attacking the Chieftain suffered another seven or eight casualties.

In fact, the Chieftain could have unleashed its full power and slaughtered everyone, but it seemed unwilling to let a single one escape, refusing to budge from the passage entrance, which gave the remaining players a brief chance to catch their breath.

However, the respite was short-lived. The two Juren Mages were already rushing over… Meanwhile, the Chieftain, perhaps sensing these prey might try to change targets, let out a strange roar, and a six-pointed star array five meters in diameter delivered six small, green-skinned, slobbering Juren Warriors, each armed with a black spear.

At its command, the Juren Warriors, under the Chieftain's orders, sheathed their spears, pulled black iron lumps from their waists, and focused all their fire on a single player, coordinating with the Juren Mages to battle the players…

Though the Juren Mages were outnumbered and not especially strong, their earth magic—specifically "Swamp Technique"—proved very effective against these miner-players accustomed to digging.

But this time, the players had learned their lesson and kept their distance. Some, when trapped, held out against the Juren Warriors' attacks, while the rest closed in rapidly on the Mages, launching melee assaults that left the Mages unable to attack the trapped players and fighting for their own lives.

For a moment, the players actually gained a slight upper hand.

Yet the Juren Chieftain proved as cunning as ever. Once more, a six-pointed star array appeared, and six half-wolf-sized, drooling, ugly green-skinned beasts leaped in to relieve the pressure on the Juren Warriors.

At the same time, three of the Juren Fighters who had been blocking the rear broke off to assist… With the appearance of a second "Swamp Technique," the scales of victory tipped once again!

But just then, several trapped players suddenly looked in astonishment at someone outside the battlefield: that guy, completely oblivious to the chaos here, was still busy killing the newly spawned Juren Warriors…