Though he couldn't see their status panels, Lin Jun could sense that the stone statues' strength likely surpassed that of the Thousand-Pivot Mayfly he'd encountered before.
Setting aside everything else, just their defensive power—able to withstand the self-destruction of over twenty armored puffshrooms and only lose a foot—was something the mayfly couldn't match. The mayfly's sole advantage had been its ability to fly.
With two stone statues attacking together, the difficulty had more than doubled.
Just as Lin Jun was eliminating one of them through his trap strategy, the other statue had already charged into the puffshroom formation, wreaking havoc.
Despite Lin Jun's best efforts to spread out their positioning, casualties were still severe. Combined with flying debris and various friendly fire incidents, the puffshroom count had already fallen below half.
Fortunately, he'd finally dealt with one—now he could release Little Black!
Little Black, who had been watching the entire battle and could barely contain herself, heard Lin Jun's summons. Her wings suddenly spread wide as she transformed into a black shadow, diving straight toward her target!
The stone statue sensed the threat. Its long staff swept horizontally with malevolent wind.
Swamp Technique!
A magic puffshroom waved its staff, turning the ground beneath one of the statue's feet into a muddy bog.
Though Lin Jun didn't think Little Black would be easily hit, the support was still necessary.
The statue's foot suddenly sank deep. Its stone staff swept through empty air, missing Little Black's charging trajectory by mere inches.
Though Little Black usually seemed rather simple-minded, her combat instincts were extraordinarily sharp.
Facing the deadly stone staff that passed within a hair's breadth, she showed no fear. Instead of slowing down, she accelerated, her claws aimed directly at the statue's staff-wielding arm!
A small mishap occurred.
Little Black seemed intent on tearing that arm clean off in one decisive breakthrough.
But the arm's hardness exceeded expectations. Her claws raked across it but failed to completely sever it!
Unable to check her momentum, Little Black crashed headfirst into the statue's shoulder with tremendous force!
*Bang—!*
Under the combined impact of claw strike and collision, the statue's arm finally broke off and fell, but Little Black also shot into the ground like a cannonball, with only half her body visible above ground.
Little Black's head was truly tough—despite the collision, her status panel showed only a minor drop in health.
The surrounding puffshrooms quickly gathered around her. Their mycelial tendrils worked together to pull the dizzy Little Black from the earth.
A prepared puffshroom immediately produced a healing potion and force-fed it to her without ceremony.
The healing potions of this world weren't instant miracle drugs, but rather provided a continuous recovery buff that required time to take effect.
Taking advantage of Little Black's dazed state, the one-armed statue tried to pursue.
Magic puffshrooms continuously cast swamp techniques to slow its steps, while bat puffshrooms and rolling puffshrooms fearlessly threw themselves forward in suicide attacks to disrupt its movements.
Suddenly, the statue hurled its remaining stone staff like a javelin with tremendous force!
But its target wasn't the just-recovered Little Black—it was the magic puffshroom in the distance that kept "dancing like a shaman," continuously casting swamp techniques!
It seemed truly annoyed by this puffshroom that kept creating mud beneath its feet.
Unfortunately, the statue didn't understand that magic puffshrooms were merely mass-produced tools.
Soon enough, another magic puffshroom seamlessly took over, its staff swaying as familiar swampland once again spread around the statue's feet.
The statue tried to retrieve its weapon, but Little Black wouldn't give it the chance.
The black dragonkin figure nimbly dodged its clumsy swipes, circling around the statue in aerial maneuvers.
Each time her claws swept past, they left deep scratches on the statue's hardened surface.
Already at a speed disadvantage and now missing an arm, the statue could no longer defend its entire body. Wounds rapidly accumulated on its armless side, stone chips flying as it became increasingly battered.
*Crack!*
The statue split in half at the waist with a resounding break!
Its upper torso still struggled, but Little Black showed no mercy, completely dismantling its only remaining arm. Only then did the statue finally cease movement, though purple light still glowed in its eyes.
The head was the core—even Little Black could figure that out.
It was glowing brightly—there might be shiny treasures inside!
Little Black excitedly approached, determined to crack open this stone head to see what lay within.
However, before she could extend her claws, a purple crystal spear appeared without warning, piercing through the statue's skull and then brutally impaling Little Black's abdomen!
The intense pain made Little Black cry out in agony!
The turn of events was too sudden—even Lin Jun couldn't react in time!
Driven by beast-like instinct, Little Black endured the pain and yanked the spear from her belly. Her thick dragon tail swept toward the direction of the attack with tremendous force!
The statue's head exploded, and a humanoid puppet made entirely of purple magic crystal leaped out from within.
What was this?
A second phase?!
If he wasn't mistaken, its entire body was composed of S-grade magic crystals, save for the unknown metal at its joints!
Facing the incoming dragon tail, the purple crystal puppet's spear instantly crossed in a cutting motion!
*Swish!*
Purple light flashed, and a massive dragon tail went flying through the air!
"Uwuu—!" Little Black convulsed in agony. In her extreme pain, she suddenly opened her mouth wide!
【Acid Breath LV3】
Thick, ink-black acidic mist gushed forth, instantly spreading everywhere. Even the puffshrooms rushing to her aid were engulfed, quickly perishing in the corrosive fog.
"Little Black, retreat!"
At Lin Jun's reminder, Little Black burst from the mist and fled for her life without looking back!
Fortunately, though her tail was severed, she still had most of her health remaining!
Deep within the acid fog, piercing magical light blazed forth.
Six magic missiles tore through the corrosive mist, pursuing Little Black's retreating form!
At the crucial moment, puffshrooms threw themselves at the magic missiles.
*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Though they were merely basic magic missiles, their power rivaled that of fatty puffshroom self-destructions.
The puffshrooms shielding Little Black's retreat were blown to smithereens in moments!
A magic puffshroom tried to cast swamp technique to slow the enemy, but a massive fallen boulder nearby suddenly exploded, and a second purple crystal figure emerged from within.
With a graceful leap, it appeared behind the magic puffshroom.
Its slender crystal leg swept across, cutting both the magic puffshroom and its staff clean in half!
Fortunately, Little Black had successfully escaped the core area and was still bounding away frantically, leaving a trail of blood from her severed tail.
......
......
......
At the platform's far end, beneath the pitch-black gate, two purple crystal figures stood silently.
They looked far less imposing than the original stone statues, but Lin Jun, having just experienced an epic defeat, understood exactly how terrifyingly powerful these things were.
Little Black couldn't even handle one of them...
Several puffshrooms stealthily crept to the edge of the core area, observing carefully with each step.
Though their forms had changed, the trigger mechanism seemed to remain the same?
Lin Jun hadn't come to challenge a second round. The puffshrooms quickly lifted the black severed tail from the ground and scurried away.
They carried it all the way back to Mushroom Garden No. 3.
Little Black, thoroughly traumatized, had fled to what she considered a safe distance.
"Uwu... uwuwu..."
Seeing what the puffshrooms had brought, Little Black hugged her severed tail and began to cry—though it was black and unattractive, it was still her precious tail!
After much explanation from Lin Jun, she finally released her grip with sniffles, allowing the puffshrooms to carefully position the severed tail back against her rear.
Though the wound had begun to scab and heal, the mycelial network would handle the subsequent reattachment process.
Seeing her tail seemingly restored, Little Black finally stopped sobbing and fell into deep sleep under the soothing influence of hallucinogenic spores.
Norris watched from the side, trembling with fear. He couldn't possibly imagine what could defeat Little Black, who seemed nearly invincible in his eyes.
Louisa silently crouched beside a bloodstain and extended her finger...
......
*Sigh*... He had underestimated the dungeon.
He had clearly tested their strength beforehand—who the hell knew that a guardian stone statue would have a second phase?
Who designed this dungeon?
Some sadistic developer?!
The current problem was: he couldn't win, so what now?
After much brain-wracking deliberation, a certain notebook—long forgotten and reduced to serving as a puffshroom cushion—finally saw the light of day once more.
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