Chapter 174 Chapter 173-Intimidation (2nd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
In the sunken sockets of the Bone Serpent, two clusters of dark green flames seemed to have pupils, quietly observing John and Snowla.
In comparison to its massive body stretching for hundreds of meters, John and Snowla were as negligible as two ants.
Yet, in such a standoff of size disparity, John was even more composed.
With his hands behind his back, he wore an expression of calm indifference.
It was also quite amazing to see Snowla, who had always been extremely terrified of reptiles, appear less panicked than when she first encountered the smaller bone pythons.
Instead, she lifted her head with interest to examine this colossal creature in front of her.
"Humans, why have you slaughtered my children?"
The Bone Serpent slowly twisted its head to gaze down at John and Snowla.
The dry friction sound of the bones at its neck gave an impression that it could snap at any moment.
Despite not having vocal cords, it was able to communicate clearly, its chilling voice ringing in John and Snowla's ears.
John didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze moved past the Bone Serpent and upward until it stopped directly above the Serpent's head.
Suspended in the void above was a pure white scepter adorned with a large crystal at its top.
Every now and then, it shed a ray of Holy Light.
Each time the Holy Light fell, the Bone Serpent's gigantic body would tremble slightly, and the green flames in its eyes would dim a little.
John immediately understood. The scepter floating above the Bone Serpent's head must be the holy relic Snowla was looking for to change her class.
Snowla, having spotted the scepter, instantly became excited.
She could clearly sense the pure Holy Light energy contained within the scepter, which resonated faintly with the Holy Light within her own body.
"Galewind, that's what I'm looking for! It's really here!" Snowla tugged at John's sleeve, speaking with excitement.
John gently nodded, "I see it. We just need to defeat this guy in front of us, and we should be able to get that scepter."
"Humans, answer my question. Why have you slaughtered my children?" The Bone Serpent's roaring voice echoed once again.
It seemed as though John and Snowla's disregard for its presence sparked anger in the Bone Serpent, audible in its voice. John raised his eyebrows and responded casually, "Slaughter? Not exactly... It was your children who attacked us first..."
The Bone Serpent fell silent for a moment before roaring, "That's because you intruded my territory. You humans, ever so weak, are always seeking out your own demise..."
John's lips curled into a disdained smile, as he casually asked, "Oh, really? Then why haven't I died yet, considering I'm standing right in front of you?"
Now, the Bone Serpent fell into complete silence.
Though it was bereft of flesh, with only its bones remaining, the soul flame in its eyes still burned brightly, and its ability to think wasn't impaired in the least...
The reason it patiently communicated with John was simply due to its apprehension.
This human was unlike any other who had dared to enter the Bone Cave.
There was a mysterious aura surrounding him, particularly the black flame he had unleashed earlier, which left the Bone Serpent shuddering with fear.
The chaotic dark energy it contained still sent shivers down the Serpent's spine when it thought about it.
It was a natural intimidation of a superior power over an inferior one.
Seeing the Bone Serpent fall silent, John continued, "I took a mercenary quest to clear out the Bone Cave. Initially, I assumed you had only recently claimed it, especially since it had been designated as a restricted area not too long ago. But now it seems like you've been here much longer..."
"I don't understand why you, who had been peacefully guarding the Bone Cave, suddenly started launching attacks on passing humans?"
The Bone Serpent was instantly consumed with rage, roaring angrily, "Isn't it because of this damned Holy Light that's constantly draining my power... That cursed woman who trapped me here for a thousand years, using my flesh and blood to seal that fallen deity... If this continues, my soul fire will extinguish..."
"Why should I pay for the mistakes of you humans? I need human flesh and blood to replenish my strength, my children need human flesh and blood to survive. There's nothing left here, we have no choice but to venture out for food."
"The cursed woman miscalculated one thing. She linked my soul fire to that damned scepter above my head, but didn't anticipate that as I weakened, the seal on the Bone Cave would also weaken, and my children would finally be able to step out of this cave that has imprisoned us for millennia..."
The Bone Serpent's roars of anger reverberated throughout the space, causing the stone walls on either side to tremble.
John's gaze narrowed slightly as he gleaned a lot of extra information from the Bone Serpent's words.
A fallen deity? Blood Ritual?
It appeared that there were deeper secrets hidden behind this Bone Serpent.
Quite evidently, Snowla had also picked up on the unusual nature of the situation.
When John turned his head, he saw her looking at him with a serious expression.
John pondered for a moment before asking nonchalantly, "Are you saying that the person who sealed you here did so to use your Blood Ritual for some Dark God?"
"Dark God?" The Bone Serpent sneered, continuing its roar, "There's no such thing as a Dark God in this world. There are only self-proclaimed righteous deities and the great demons of the abyss. What you call a Dark God is merely a deity who has fallen from your righteous alliance, abandoned by those hypocritical gods of justice..."
John didn't have the patience to listen to the Bone Serpent's incessant rambling.
Perhaps being sealed here for such a long time had made this creature a little verbose.
He silently activated the Eye of Artemis:
[Bone Serpent (Lord-level boss): Once an ordinary python, but contaminated by the leaked abyssal aura, gradually transformed into a powerful Lord boss with chaotic and evil abilities. A thousand years ago, it was sealed in the Bone Cave by a mysterious power to perform a Blood Ritual, gradually becoming what it is now...]
[Level: 230]
[Race: Undead]
[Attributes: …]
Seeing the attributes of the Bone Serpent, John smiled faintly.
Indeed, it was entirely consistent with the information displayed in the quest.
This giant python, made entirely of bones, was indeed an Undead creature.
John took a sudden step forward, exerting a bit of force under his feet.
His body rose into the air without any warning, until it was level with the Bone Serpent's massive head.
"Since life seems to be such a burden for you, I'll help you let it go," John said calmly.
He then spread out his palm, and the Shadowflame Seed, radiating a refined dark energy, appeared again.
"Damn it... take it back... quickly!"
At the sight of the Shadowflame Seed, the Bone Serpent's huge body slid backwards, its voice revealing an unmistakable fear.
The reason this creature had been babbling so much to John was because it was hoping to leverage the secrets of its past to avoid a fight.
As soon as John had wiped out all the elite monsters in the Bone Cave using the Shadowflame Seed, the Bone Serpent had sensed the Seed's extraordinary power.
In its perception, nearly all of its offspring had died due to soul dissipation.
This meant that the unimpressive-looking black flame possessed the ability to directly annihilate souls, which, to the Bone Serpent, was undeniably the deadliest poison.
The Bone Serpent had sacrificed all its flesh to the Dark God over its lifetime.
Now, all its remaining power was dependent on the spiritual realm.
Previous purges of the Bone Cave by the Cloud Sea guards had all ended in failure due to the Bone Serpent's formidable psychic attacks.
But now, facing John's Shadowflame Seed, this monster's prized psychic attack was obviously useless.
It would only fuel the black flame...
This was why the Bone Serpent was so terrified, even suppressing its craving for human flesh to patiently explain so much to John...
John gave a faint smile, tossing the Shadowflame Seed lightly in his hand.
Seeing the black flame bouncing up and down in John's hand, the Bone Serpent was frightened.
The closer the distance, the more the monster felt threatened by the Shadowflame Seed.
It was an energy that could eradicate him from the soul level!
John leisurely said, "Since you're scared, how about we strike a deal? You give me some of your essence blood, and I'll spare you..."
The Bone Serpent was taken aback.
Essence blood?
What did this human want with its core essence blood?
Although curious, the Bone Serpent shook its head, saying, "Look at me. I've been sacrificed, all flesh and blood taken. Where would I have any essence blood?"
John's mouth curved upward, his face bearing a teasing smile.
"So you think I'm easy to deceive?" he asked.
"Since when has essence blood had anything to do with your physical body?"
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