CHAPTER 151: THE NEXT FEW ROUNDS

Ning stepped forward as the countdown for Round 12 ended, his spear ready for whatever came next. The monster that emerged was a hulking bear-like creature with stone-covered fur, but Ning killed it easily, targeting its critical spots with a level of precision that was quite honestly impossible for most people.

Round 13 brought a reptilian creature that slithered across the arena floor. Ning danced around its tail attacks, while his spear found its weak points one after another. He easily killed it as well..

Round 14’s monster was a wolf with electric fur that sparked with each movement. Ning had to be more careful with this one, timing his strikes between the creature’s electrical discharges. But his patience paid off, and he landed all three critical hits.

Round 15 featured a massive spider that tried to trap him in webs. Ning used his enhanced speed to stay mobile, while going around the spider until he was out of sight of its eyes. Then he struck the critical spots one after another.

Round 16 brought an armored beetle that was the most difficult. Ning had to work harder for this one as it had no clear Critical spots. Its back was thick like armor, so the only Critical spots would be on its chest. Ning had to attack it multiple times to get it to either flip backward or attack him so it would expose itself.

He found all 3 spots when it jumped for him and stabbed it so quickly that his hands were a blur. When the beetle fell to the ground, it was already dead.

"Five in a row!" Roman called out admiringly. "You’re making this look easy."

"Just staying focused," Ning replied, collecting the loot from the beetle.

The countdown for Round 17 began.

"Do you need another help?" Lucille asked. "You can rest if you feel tired."

"No, I can keep going," Ning said. He was a warrior, so it would take a lot more for him to get tired. And unlike other warriors, he didn’t have to keep attacking the monsters over and over. Just three attacks in three specific spots were enough to kill any monsters.

Lucille nodded.

Once the countdown ended, Round 17 began.

Another monster emerged from the gate. This one was unlike the others. It was a massive cactus monster, but instead of the typical small thorns, it had several large, sword-like spikes protruding from its body.

Ning moved forward to engage it. He could already see the 3 spots he needed to hit, so he only needed to make sure he wasn’t hit by those long spikes when he was trying to do that.

When he got near, however, he suddenly heard gasps and movement behind him.

Confused, he turned around to see that the rest of the party was looking in the opposite direction, their expressions alert and concerned.

"What’s wrong?" Ning asked, following their gaze.

From the gate behind them, another monster was emerging simultaneously. Everyone stared in surprise for a moment, then quickly recovered.

"We knew this was coming," Lucille said grimly. "Multiple monsters at once."

The second creature was one that Jax recognized immediately. It was a Treehopper, a giant grasshopper that jumped from tree to tree, carrying a tremendous force in its jump. Anyone caught in-between would be wounded terribly.

"I’ve got this one," Jax said, stepping forward with his axe. "I’m the perfect counter for Treehoppers."

"Good," Lucille said. She had seen him fight those plenty. She turned Ning. "Do you need help there?"

Ning smiled. "I’ve got this."

The two fighters split up, each engaging their respective targets. Jax’s threads were particularly effective against Treehoppers as they immobilized the monster that relied on movement so much. It struggled in his Earth threads, but nothing it did could help it move.

With it down on the ground, Jax could just kill it freely.

Meanwhile, Ning carefully approached the spike-covered cactus monster, avoiding its defensive spines while striking its critical spots.

Both creatures fell within seconds, leaving behind some more loot for them.

"Well done," Lucille said as they gathered the stones. "But we need to be more careful now. Multiple monsters are going to be the norm from here on out."

Round 18 and 19 were straightforward with single monsters each time. The whole party fought in those two rounds, getting ready for Round 20.

When the timer for Round 20 began its 2-minute countdown, the entire party’s demeanor shifted, getting more serious.

"Boss time," Jax said, putting on his armor.

"Everyone gear up," Lucille ordered. "Full combat preparation."

They rest began wearing their protective equipment and checking their weapons. Lucille pulled out a bow and quiver of arrows as well.

"Didn’t know you could use a bow," Roman commented in surprise. She still had the knuckle on.

"I can’t deal much damage with them," Lucille admitted, "but I can provide some ranged support when needed. All damage is welcomed in the end, and I can be of some distraction for the boss at the least."

Roman didn’t question her. To him, she was the most confusing part of the entire group, but one that was necessary.

The countdown reached zero, and the second boss began to emerge from one of the gates.

Something unexpected happened right then.

The moment the boss began emerging from the gates, the entire arena transformed from that gate. The hard packed dirt floor disappeared, replaced by rolling grassland that stretched in all directions.

"What the hell?" Jax muttered, looking around in confusion.

"The bosses come with their own biomes?" Melayne questioned.

They turned toward the boss to see what it was.

The second boss of the trial was a massive plant creature, easily three times taller than any of them. Its main body was a twisted tree trunk covered in thorny bark, but grotesque fungal growths pulsed along its sides like infected wounds.

Thick roots emerged from its base, writhing like tentacles, while vine-like appendages covered in razor-sharp thorns dangled down from its branches.

The second boss was a Tree monster.