Winged Kuriboh, Absolute Defense!

No, this isn't a Kuriboh!

Xiao Wen's eyes widened as he stared at the small creature that resembled a chestnut, covered in brown fur, with two big, watery eyes shining brightly, and a pair of small white wings on its back.

"Is this Winged Kuriboh?" Xiao Wen blinked.

[Winged Kuriboh]: Level 1; Winged Beast/Light

ATK: 300; DEF: 200

Duel Effect: When a monster is destroyed, damage taken that turn becomes 0.

Description: A beloved creature of the Winged Beasts, a small being filled with mysterious power, it will become a strong shield for its summoner!

Looking at the herd of Ironback Rhinos, Xiao Wen activated the system's search function to check the Ironback Rhino's stats.

[Ironback Rhino]

Level: 7

Attack: 100

Defense: 250

HP: 600

Temperament: Gentle

Description: Ironback Rhinos that live in the grassy waters outside the novice village. They are herd animals with a gentle nature; however, if angered, they will attack as a whole pack.

"300 Attack? I guess it'll do,"

Xiao Wen muttered, pointing forward at the Winged Kuriboh.

"Peck peck peck..."

Winged Kuriboh flapped its small wings, circled Xiao Wen, and then charged at the nearest Ironback Rhino, hitting it with a strong impact that sent the creature flying.

Defense Broken!

Critical Hit!

HP -600!

Golden-red numbers floated up from the Ironback Rhino's corpse.

Player EXP +500.

"Holy crap, this attack is amazing!" Xiao Wen exclaimed, looking at the rapidly increasing experience bar.

"As expected of a Level 7 monster, so satisfying! It won't be long before my level catches up to those show-offs."

"Moo!"

"Moo!"

"Moo moo!"

While Xiao Wen was lost in his thoughts, dozens of Ironback Rhinos instantly turned their attention to him, their eyes turning red, glaring menacingly, their hooves scraping the ground, ready to charge.

"Uh... I think I just kicked a hornet's nest, but it's probably fine."

Facing the gaze of so many Ironback Rhinos, Xiao Wen remained composed.

Is that all?

Just a small situation!

Xiao Wen calmly looked at Winged Kuriboh and shouted, "Winged Kuriboh, save me!"

"Kuri-gu!"

Winged Kuriboh let out a long cry and zipped back, hovering above Xiao Wen's head. Its two white wings spread out, emitting a milky white light that formed a large bell, covering him from above.

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

The Ironback Rhinos charged, crashing into the illusory bell, producing clear ringing sounds, but only causing ripples to spread.

[Winged Kuriboh]'s Monster Spirit Skill: Absolute Defense!

Effect: Can withstand attacks from monsters up to 10 levels higher than the summoner for 100 seconds. For every level the opponent is higher, the effect duration decreases by 10 seconds, and it can be affected by other debuffs. Can only be used once per summon.

"It can withstand attacks for 40 seconds, which is an incredible skill for crowd control," Xiao Wen thought to himself.

Although he could handle the current stampede of monsters even without Winged Kuriboh's protection, having an extra layer of safety to avoid some trouble was a good thing.

Therefore, Xiao Wen completely disregarded any protective measures, raised his fist, and smashed it into the nearest Ironback Rhino.

HP -50

Red damage numbers floated up from the Ironback Rhino, and Xiao Wen's eyes narrowed slightly, showing no surprise.

The current outcome was entirely within his expectations.

"Level one fighting level seven and still dealing 50 damage. Looks like my initial stats, with no equipment bonuses, are truly monstrous."

Xiao Wen sighed, his playful grin fading as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He shifted his body, raised his fist, and brought it down again, striking the Ironback Rhino's neck. The damage instantly turned a fiery orange.

Critical Hit!

HP -350!

Xiao Wen's expression remained unchanged. Seizing the moment while the Ironback Rhino's head was slightly turned, he punched its soft underbelly again, dealing another critical hit. The Ironback Rhino collapsed onto the ground.

"First one down. A bit weaker than I imagined."

Xiao Wen grinned, looking at the remaining twenty-five Ironback Rhinos.

"Moo!"

"Moo!"

The death of their companion only fueled their ferocity. Their eyes turned blood red as they stared intently at Xiao Wen, snorting and charging forward without any regard for their own lives.

Grunts echoed continuously as the defenses around Xiao Wen rippled with each impact.

But instead of panicking, he chuckled, a smile spreading across his face. He raised his fist and struck, each blow landing precisely on the Ironback Rhino's weak points, dealing double damage.

The forty seconds passed quickly. During this time, Xiao Wen, with his astonishing control, had defeated seven more Ironback Rhinos. His experience bar was now just a sliver away from leveling up. Xiao Wen estimated that killing just two more Ironback Rhinos would allow him to level up.

However, his Absolute Defense had expired. Without any protection, finding two easy targets among the eighteen Ironback Rhinos would not be simple.

He glanced at his full HP bar, 50/50, and a wry smile touched Xiao Wen's lips.

With his current defense and HP, even the slightest graze would be enough to send him back to the novice village.

Ding! Kyushu Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Ice Snow Flowing Cloud for jointly defeating the Level 5 Lord BOSS. Reward: 100 Reputation Points.

Ding! Kyushu Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Ice Snow Yi Feng for jointly defeating the Level 5 Lord BOSS. Reward: 100 Reputation Points.

Ding! Kyushu Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Ice Snow God King for defeating the Level 5 Lord BOSS. Reward: One Green-grade Class Weapon.

Three consecutive prompts echoed through the Kyushu server of "Phantom Gods," causing a stir.

The sounds reverberated in Xiao Wen's ears, his smile growing wider.

"The Ice Snow Trio, those three are starting to make their move. If that's the case, there's no way I can fall behind! The name of 'God' from back then will be gradually reclaimed by me today!"

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Wen's eyes as the Absolute Defense effect on his body disappeared.

Sensing the mysterious protective power around Xiao Wen vanish, the surrounding Ironback Rhinos immediately charged at him with bloodshot eyes.

Attacks came from all directions, and a strong sense of danger enveloped Xiao Wen, as if death were imminent.

"Still such clumsy attacks. It seems the game's AI for early-stage monsters is still using the same old routines," Xiao Wen muttered to himself.

Anyone else facing such an onslaught would likely have resigned themselves to their fate.

But Xiao Wen was different. Or rather, every King-tier or higher elite player in Kyushu had their own unique way of dealing with such situations.

Whoosh!

A dark blur shot towards Xiao Wen. He took half a step back, narrowly dodging the attack. Simultaneously, he threw a punch, using the attacker's momentum to send it flying back, blocking the charge of several other Ironback Rhinos and creating an opening in the impenetrable encirclement.

Xiao Wen's lips curved upwards:

"Now, the slaughter... begins!"