Perilous Situation

The fierce offensive of the Wind Serpent pack slowed, and a sudden, eerie silence descended upon the deck that had just been filled with angry shouts, cries, and screams. Everyone stared at the young man with incredulous eyes, completely at a loss for words.

Just a moment ago, almost everyone had assumed this young man was a dead man walking. They had never seen anyone escape unscathed from the siege of dozens of Wind Serpents. Of course, high-level professionals or shield warriors clad in full plate armor might be able to pull it off. But this young man did not look very old, and other than the white longsword in his hand, he wore no protective gear whatsoever.

Yet, he had actually done it.

At this moment, not only the mercenaries but even Lize and Carter stared at the young man, stunned, their hearts surging with turbulent emotions.

Who on earth was he?

Perhaps intimidated by Rhode's attack, the Wind Serpents that had been frantically assaulting the Airship all scattered and retreated. For a time, aside from the whistling wind, the deck was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The mercenaries were shocked by Rhode's performance, but Rhode himself did not care much about what he had done. Instead, as he looked at the pile of corpses at his feet, he felt a lingering sense of relief.

Although Wind Serpents were among the lowest-tier monsters and not particularly powerful, they were creatures that relied on sheer numbers. Rhode's Summon Swordsman class was a solo-grinding profession, but it wasn't very effective at large-scale soloing. In truth, the reason things had gone so smoothly was mainly due to the innate +3 attribute of the Star Trace he held. This meant that while wielding this sword, Rhode's attributes were boosted by three points. This boost was enough to drop a monster's danger level from red to green, so for Rhode, wiping out this pack of Wind Serpents wasn't particularly surprising.

However, thinking about it, Rhode still found it strange. If his attributes were calculated as a human's, even with the Star Trace, he shouldn't have been able to sweep through them like autumn leaves, gaining such an overwhelming advantage. According to his original estimate, Shatter Blade should have at most left the pack crippled, and he had already prepared to move in for the finishing blows. He hadn't expected the power of this Shatter Blade to far exceed his imagination, actually killing the entire pack in one go.

Could it be that his attributes weren't calculated based on a human's?

At this thought, Rhode instinctively tried to pull up his attribute table, but to his frustration, his attributes remained hidden and inaccessible until his race was identified. Fortunately, this battle had earned him 1900 experience points—the fact that he actually received experience points surprised Rhode quite a bit.

Of course, for Rhode, this only took two or three seconds. To others, he simply stared at the pile of corpses in silence for a moment before looking up again.

It was then that Rhode noticed the strange silence surrounding him. It wasn't because of the others' shock, but because of a more dangerous, lethal presence.

Where did the Wind Serpent pack go?

The thought flashed through Rhode's mind, and then, as if realizing something, he hurriedly turned around and shouted.

"Everyone, watch out...!"

Just then, the Airship jolted violently.

The intense vibration caused many to fall to the deck, and two unlucky souls didn't even have time to steady themselves before slipping and falling overboard. At the same time, the deck at the bow emitted a crisp cracking sound, and a massive serpent head emerged from within.

"Everyone, be careful, it's the Wind Serpent Lord!"

Carter finally appeared, shouting as he drew his twin blades and sprinted toward the massive Wind Serpent. The other mercenaries scrambled to their feet; though they were covered in wounds, they gritted their teeth and followed their captain, attempting to strike the behemoth.

However, Rhode was faster than all of them.

He crouched down, and lines of system prompts immediately appeared before his eyes.

[Experience points 1900/200, level up available, gained 1 skill point, Level 2]
[Experience points 1700/400, level up available, gained 1 skill point, Level 3]
[Experience points 1300/600, gained 1 skill point, Level 4]
[Experience points 800/1000, gained 1 skill point, Level 5]
[Consumed 1 skill point, upgraded Moon Shadow Swordsmanship 1/3, Proficiency E]
[Consumed 1 skill point, upgraded Moon Shadow Swordsmanship 2/3, Proficiency E]
[Consumed 1 skill point, upgraded Moon Shadow Swordsmanship 3/3, Proficiency E]
[Consumed 1 skill point, upgraded Moon Shadow Swordsmanship 1/4, Proficiency D---Shadow Blink unlocked]

Activate.

Rhode leaped into the air.

In that instant, everyone felt a blur before their eyes. They saw the young man who had been standing on the ground transform into a black shadow, slicing through the sky like a sharp blade. Even the massive Wind Serpent Lord didn't have time to react. When Rhode vaulted up and arrived before it, the creature even seemed puzzled—it was clear it had never encountered prey that would actively jump up and deliver itself to its mouth.

Rhode raised his longsword. The radiance of the Star Trace seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, condensing onto the pristine white blade. He then aimed for the Wind Serpent Lord's eyes, which were as large as copper bells, and thrust with all his might.

"Shatter Blade!"

Facing the incoming sword light, the Wind Serpent Lord's first reaction was to dodge. After raising his Moon Shadow Swordsmanship by four proficiency levels, the Shatter Blade had improved significantly in both quantity and power. Dozens of silver-white light blades erupted from the sword in that instant, spiraling forward.

One, two, three...

At first, the Wind Serpent Lord's tough scales barely managed to withstand the initial light blades, but even with its Lord-level defense, it only held out until the twentieth strike before collapsing completely. The subsequent blades easily tore through scales and flesh, piercing its body. Although the Wind Serpent Lord was massive, Rhode was clever enough to focus his attack on a single point. Under his control, the light blades did not scatter as before but concentrated on the creature's neck, successfully breaking through its defenses.

"---!!"

The Wind Serpent Lord let out a sharp hiss and fell heavily downward. Even so, it showed no intention of giving up. Although the left side of its neck was a bloody mess, the Night Crow Lord suddenly raised its head, staring fixedly at Rhode before snapping its jaws wide open.

Rhode's figure flickered, turning into a phantom as he retreated rapidly. Just as he pulled back, a stream of foul, toxic venom shot upward, narrowly grazing Rhode's afterimage and spraying onto the mast behind him. Within seconds, the thick, sturdy mast melted completely under the corrosion of the venom and came crashing down.

A boss is a boss, after all.

According to Rhode's experience in the game, the average level of a Wind Serpent was around level three, while their leader was usually level ten. The boss before him shouldn't exceed level ten. Although it wouldn't be difficult to defeat this boss with the cover of Carter and the mercenaries, Rhode realized after that last strike that this was likely not an ordinary Lord-level monster, but an elite. If it were just a normal Lord-level monster, that strike would have been enough to sever its wings. In reality, even though Rhode had put his all into it, he had only left a deep, bone-reaching wound, which spoke volumes.

"Attack its wings! Stay away from its mouth! Move to its flanks to attack!"

Rhode commanded Carter and the other mercenaries while tangling with the Wind Serpent Lord. As a Summon Swordsman, he wasn't the main tank, but it seemed no one else had experience fighting a Wind Serpent Lord. In the game, if a party wiped due to lack of experience, they could just try again, but Rhode wasn't willing to take that risk here—the wound on his left chest that had just healed was burning with pain, as if it had reopened. If he were to die here from a party wipe, it would be a joke so tragic he couldn't even cry. Moreover, although he was only level 5, Rhode was confident he could fight anything as long as the opponent didn't exceed level 15. After all, in the Dragon Soul Continent, there were three classes famous for over-level grinding: Mages, Rangers, and finally, the Summon Swordsman. Mages were known for their unpredictable spells, Rangers for their long-range "kiting," and Summon Swordsmen for their ability to overwhelm with numbers—for these three classes, even a five-level gap was as easy as eating or drinking, and they could grind non-elite bosses up to ten levels higher with ease.

Even so, these three classes each had their flaws—a Mage without mana was no different from a target, and could be beaten to death by a group of low-level fairies; a Ranger was doomed if someone got close; and a Summon Swordsman was too reliant on randomness, with controls so complex they were nearly impossible to template. This was why these three classes hadn't reached a fever pitch in the game. It was also a reality of the Dragon Soul Continent—either gamble on an unconventional path or walk a steady, slow road; players could decide their own fate and future.

The Wind Serpent Lord before him was a level 10 elite boss, but because of the bonus from the Star Trace he held, its defense was at most at the level of a level six or seven monster. So, Rhode didn't have to worry about a lack of damage, but in terms of offense...

"Whoosh!!"

A violent gust of wind rose from the ground.

Rhode's figure flickered violently, dodging and retreating with a trail of afterimages, barely avoiding the wing strike. The wing, having missed its target, slammed heavily into the deck, instantly punching a large hole through the thick, sturdy planks.

It was worthy of a level 10 elite's attack power.

Rhode wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He was only level five and lacked any equipment; if he were to be grazed by a hit like that, not even the gods could save him. Although he was worried about Carter and the others, fortunately, it seemed that because he had dealt significant damage to it, the Wind Serpent Lord had focused all its aggro on him. The misfortune of being targeted by a boss with such high attack power was that, for a non-tank class, the pressure was truly immense.

His soul power had dropped to only one-third, and Rhode was already feeling somewhat exhausted. Although he had anticipated a grueling battle upon seeing the Wind Serpent Lord, the current pressure was simply too great. He needed Shadow Blink to help him evade attacks, as with his current speed, dodging the Wind Serpent Lord's strikes was a pipe dream. On the other hand, he also needed Shatter Blade to deal damage so he could take down this troublesome existence in the shortest time possible.

However, it didn't look easy right now.

The Airship was slowly losing altitude, but under the Wind Serpent Lord's attacks, it swayed from side to side, like a small boat in a raging storm, making one's heart race with fear. Two mercenaries had already been thrown off in succession, and it was clear they wouldn't survive. Carter was still struggling to drive the Wind Serpent Lord away; his twin blades danced before him, nimbly attacking the creature's flank, yet with little effect. If not for Lize in the back, who was casting Healing Light on these mercenaries from time to time, they likely wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.

He had to find a way, otherwise, before the Airship could even land, it would be shaken to pieces by this damned snake.

Thinking of this, Rhode bit his lip.

The Wind Serpent Lord's attacks did not weaken. Its wings spread wide, and the two claws on the edges of its wings gripped the edge of the bow tightly. Although Rhode's previous attacks had dealt it considerable damage, as a Lord-class monster, it certainly wouldn't retreat just because of these minor injuries. On the contrary, this cunning Wind Serpent Lord seemed to have sensed the weakness of its enemies; its two sharp claws dug firmly into the outer hull of the Airship, violently shaking and pulling at its prey.

Although the Airship's hull was not fragile, it was already scarred from the previous battle with the wind serpent swarm. Coupled with the howling wind currents battering the ship, it began to twist and deform. Even the deck showed several shocking cracks, emitting bone-chilling sounds of splintering.

"God!! God!"

Cowering in a corner of the captain's cabin, the fat merchant stared at the terrifying Wind Serpent Lord outside, his body trembling. Due to tension and fear, his voice had become somewhat distorted.

"That damned Richard!! Don't let me run into him, or I'll definitely take his life! To point me down such a path—this is murder!!" Saying this, the fat merchant shuddered violently, then glared at the captain beside him.

"And you! Why didn't you warn me sooner about such a terrifying thing!?"

The captain did not respond to the fat merchant's angry roar. At this moment, he was gripping the helm tightly, his eyes fixed on the front. Deep down, he cursed this damned bastard. He had warned him earlier that taking this route at this time of year would likely attract a wind serpent swarm, but this guy hadn't taken it seriously. Now, look at this—when death was at the door, he was actually blaming him! If he had known it would turn out like this, he would never have taken this job, even if it killed him!