A large number of mutated lord-level warriors, mages, and rogues gathered at the entrance of the inner sanctum of the Temple of the Goddess of Life. There were at least fifty to sixty of them. They chatted in small groups when, unnoticed, a fire mage dressed in red robes blended into their midst.
Nie Yan was very close to these mutated lords, practically within arm’s reach, and could clearly see their faces.
After passing by each mutated lord, Nie Yan continued walking forward without hesitation.
Surrounded by mutated lords, Nie Yan feared being discovered. His heart pounded violently, and he couldn’t help but take a deep breath to calm himself.
They didn’t recognize Nie Yan, and he passed by them unnoticed.
Nie Yan walked along a long staircase into a corridor. At least hundreds of mutated lords roamed these nearby corridors, all level 180. He couldn’t imagine how much manpower would be required to clear all these monsters.
He hoped to obtain the Abak set without alerting them!
After entering the inner sanctum of the Temple of the Goddess of Life, the Holy Light Stone became increasingly bright. Nie Yan was certain—the final piece of the Abak set was inside!
Moving forward, passing through corridor after corridor, Nie Yan entered a vast hall. It was about 500×500 yards in size, lavishly decorated in gold. The floor, walls, and pillars were all made of gold, and a red carpet led forward. At the front of the hall, atop a ten-step platform, stood a tall giant. Dressed in golden armor, he paced back and forth, occasionally sitting on the throne behind him like a mighty king.
Nie Yan was at least three to four hundred yards away from the giant, so he couldn’t determine the monster’s level.
The regular monsters outside were already level 180 mutated lords. This one must be even more terrifying. Nie Yan dared not approach too closely, dropped his disguise, and entered stealth mode.
Climbing up a pillar to a higher vantage point, Nie Yan looked toward the front of the hall. Near the giant’s throne were three treasure chests, their levels unknown.
The Abak Focused Legguards were likely inside one of these chests. Nie Yan considered his options and decided to try opening the chests.
He glanced at his skill bar and summoned his Shadow Assassin.
Under Nie Yan’s control, the Shadow Assassin stealthily approached the giant. Meanwhile, Nie Yan used a climbing skill to stick to the wall and quickly crawl toward the chests from another direction.
At about one hundred yards away, the giant’s appearance became clear. He was a middle-aged, muscular giant nearly five yards tall, wielding a golden greatsword.
Benkroft, Leader of the Death’s Kiss Bandits: Level 180 Demonized Lord.
Nie Yan couldn’t even see the giant’s health bar—it must have been in the tens of millions. This giant was merely a lieutenant of Death’s Kiss, already a level 180 demonized lord. He was likely the strongest boss here.
When Nie Yan was about ninety yards from Benkroft, the giant reacted. He abruptly stood up, scanning the area with his bulging eyes.
Seeing Benkroft looking his way, Nie Yan’s heart tightened. Time to get to work!
Nie Yan activated his Perfect Invisibility skill and swiftly darted toward the chests.
Benkroft had already detected Nie Yan and was about to approach when he suddenly lost track of him, frowning in confusion.
By now, Nie Yan had reached the chests and crouched beside them. There were three chests—red, green, and blue—nearly identical in shape, exquisitely crafted and adorned with gemstones. At the same time, the Shadow Assassin suddenly appeared over a hundred yards away.
“Cursed thief! You damned rats!” roared Benkroft, charging toward the Shadow Assassin.
Nie Yan immediately ordered the Shadow Assassin to flee.
Benkroft roared and swung his greatsword, unleashing a sharp arc of energy that swept toward the Shadow Assassin.
The Shadow Assassin activated Dash, accelerating in a desperate sprint.
Seeing the Shadow Assassin lure Benkroft away, Nie Yan chose the red chest and began opening it.
System: Opening treasure chest. Completion: 30%… 50%…
About twenty seconds later, a system notification rang out.
System: Shadow Assassin has died.
Through the final vision of the Shadow Assassin, Nie Yan witnessed its demise. Benkroft used a stun ability, freezing the Shadow Assassin in place, then rushed forward and instantly killed it with one strike.
Benkroft was now returning toward the throne.
Nie Yan glanced at the chest—it was at a critical stage. He absolutely couldn’t abandon it now.
Hurry, hurry!
He grew anxious. He could already see Benkroft approaching. In a few seconds, the giant would spot him!
Just then, a soft “click” sounded—an angelic melody to Nie Yan’s ears. The chest had opened!
He had just enough time to grab the contents and escape!
As Nie Yan reached to take the item from the red chest, a sudden, strong smell of gunpowder wafted out.
Not good!
His heart pounded. Instinctively, he activated Dash and sprinted away.
With a thunderous boom, a searing red flame erupted from the chest, scorching the area within a three-yard radius.
Feeling the scorching heat wave closing in from behind, Nie Yan shot out a strand of spider silk, yanking himself upward and clinging to the ceiling of the hall. Seeing Benkroft approaching in the distance, he quickly applied several passive skills to enhance his stealth.
He still felt shaken from the close call. If he had been a second slower, he might have been consumed by the flames.
He never expected the chest to contain a trap. Fortunately, he hadn’t foolishly reached inside.
Benkroft returned, discovering one of the chests had been opened. He roared furiously, cursing and searching everywhere, but found no trace of Nie Yan in stealth. Eventually, he gave up.
Nie Yan checked his Holy Light Stone. It emitted a brilliant white glow, vibrating with unusual energy. The red chest had been opened, leaving two more. One of them must contain the Abak Focused Legguards!
After about thirty minutes of calm, Nie Yan summoned the Golden Earth Dragon and Paladin Lefus, attempting to lure Benkroft away. However, to his frustration, the previous tactic no longer worked. Benkroft had become alert and refused to move more than a hundred yards from the throne, no matter what.
Nie Yan recklessly brought the Golden Earth Dragon within fifty to sixty yards of Benkroft. The giant chased forward and killed it with three strikes of his sword. Benkroft’s attack speed was too fast for Paladin Lefus to keep up with healing.
Lefus turned to flee, but Benkroft chased him down and killed him with two strikes.
Level 180 demonized lords were simply too powerful! Against such a superior being, the Golden Earth Dragon and Paladin Lefus stood no chance.
Now, Nie Yan couldn’t even get close to the remaining two chests, let alone open them!
What should he do? The Abak Focused Legguards were right here. He had come this far—could he really give up now?
Nie Yan felt deeply reluctant, yet helpless.
Time ticked by, and he still couldn’t devise a good plan. Continuing to waste time here wasn’t an option. The Abak Legguards were within reach, yet unattainable—a frustrating situation indeed.
Gazing at Benkroft still patrolling near the throne, Nie Yan furrowed his brow.
He remained quietly hidden, waiting for an opportunity.
A full day passed, and Benkroft never left the throne vicinity, causing Nie Yan increasing anxiety.
What if he summoned some elite guild members?
Nie Yan considered. If his guildmates could distract Benkroft while he opened the chests, success might still be possible. If Benkroft refused to leave the throne, they could gradually wear him down!
Though uncertain of success, it was worth a try—better than idling here helplessly.
Nie Yan opened the guild chat and issued a call to assemble, planning to bring in five hundred players. These weren’t just members of the Bull Tribe, but also twenty-six shamans from the Song of Heaven faction.
Upon receiving Nie Yan’s summons, the Bull Tribe players immediately mobilized toward the Temple of the Goddess of Life.
As they approached the temple, Xie Yao, King of the World, and another player first used teleportation rings to reach Nie Yan’s side, adding him to their group. Then, they ran back and forth, enabling the rest of the members to teleport using group teleport scrolls. Soon, over five hundred players entered the inner sanctum of the Temple of the Goddess of Life without passing through the outer hall.
The gathering of over five hundred players inside the temple immediately drew Benkroft’s attention. He paced restlessly near the throne but dared not stray too far, fearing someone might try to open the chests again.
Nie Yan counted the numbers—516 players total. He could form 26 teams.
Facing the towering, golden-armored Benkroft, the players felt uneasy. This opponent was a level 180 demonized lord!
“Form teams of twenty, each with one shaman!”
King of the World and others immediately followed Nie Yan’s instructions, organizing into teams. Soon, twenty-five twenty-player teams were formed, and Nie Yan’s group formed the final team.
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