"This guy... isn't he a lot bigger than before?"
"It's about 30 meters long by now, it has definitely gotten bigger."
After a brief moment of shock, the group quickly accepted the fact that the King Snow Ape was still alive.
Vane looked at the ground where the Ape King had emerged; there were even deeper caves beneath the ice cave.
"Where did you come from, guy? Are the Boss rooms interconnected?"
With no time to answer Vane's question, the King Snow Ape, after paying his respects to his king, once again plunged into fierce combat.
[Angry hiss!]
After being stunned by a series of attacks, the Crystal Giant Crab briefly regained its senses.
Sensing the weight on its body, the crab immediately swung its massive pincers upwards while frantically shaking its body.
Caught off guard, the Ape King was struck in the abdomen by the giant pincers, and along with the pain came a surge of rage.
The large beast gripped the area below the limbs, its sharp teeth covered in frost, and it took a bite.
The carapace, covered in crystal-clear rock, was incredibly hard, but as the Ape King continued to exert force, chilling ice crystals began to spread from the joints.
Realizing something was wrong, the Crystal Giant Crab immediately clamped its grip on the Ape King's shoulder.
The pristine white fur was stained crimson with blood, and the group heard the distinct sound of shoulder blades shattering.
But the cracking sound came from more than one place.
As blood flowed out, the Ape King's eyes gleamed with ferocity.
With its feet braced on the crab's abdomen, its muscles were taut like those of an angry snake.
"Roar--!"
The roar of the King Snow Ape was accompanied by the screams of the Crystal Giant Crab as its giant pincers, which occupied one-third of its body, were forcibly torn off.
The intense pain caused the Crystal Giant Crab to struggle frantically, its remaining pupils bloodshot.
The massive crystal pillars rose from the ground, flipping the two Behemoth over at the same time.
The Ape King immediately bit down on the other giant pincer, preparing to repeat the same trick, while the Cancer also remembered whose territory this was, and kept manipulating the crystal pillars to bombard its body.
The sharp crystal pillars attacked indiscriminately, friend or foe. The two enormous wrestlers tumbled and rolled in the ice cave, their sprayed blood staining the Daichi.
Aren't we going to help?
Gorth watched with eager anticipation, the shadow beneath his feet silently spreading towards the battlefield.
"Let's control the Crystal Giant Crab; we've seen enough Behemoth movies already."
With Gregor's command, countless twisted giant trees emerged from the shadows and took over the battlefield at lightning speed.
Skimming over its crystal-covered shell and weaving through its wildly flailing limbs, the Crystal Giant Crab, caught in the heat of battle, was instantly turned into a dumpling.
"What a terrible technique! Where did you learn that, Third Brother?"
"... Isn't this how crabs are always tied? You're the one with the problem if you think it's terrible!"
Looking at Vane with disdain, Gorth activated an enchantment to freeze the crab.
"What about this guy? Should we tie him up too?"
Seeing that the four people were looking at him, the King Snow Ape obediently squatted down on the spot.
"Do you remember us?" Vera asked tentatively.
The Ape King nodded vigorously, trying to gesture with his hands.
"Speak, we have a translator here."
With the Behemoth's soft roar accompanied by Ten Percent Off translation, the group quickly learned about the Ape King's experiences.
After the four defeated him and left, the Ape King regained his senses.
Initially, he tried to find Vera and the others, and after failing to find them, he tried to summon his people.
But the former tribe had lost its minds, and the helpless Ape King could only continue downwards into the ice cave.
While feeding on crystal worms and ores, their bodies continued to develop under the nourishment of magic.
However, his continued hunting of crystal worms attracted the lord's attention, and with the Crystal Giant Crab's obstruction, he could only fight and retreat.
They arrived after hearing the commotion of the battle, hoping to take advantage of any mishaps, but unexpectedly ran into Vera and the others again.
The four people fell silent after listening, sorting through the large amount of information in the conversation.
"You mean... your room really is an ice cave, connected to other areas below?"
The Ape King didn't understand what was so strange about this, but he nodded nonetheless.
Gregor remained silent.
A single-layered ice cave, a three-layered volcano.
The Ape King's words seemed to confirm the earlier suspicions; the Dungeon was becoming more and more like a realistic environment.
"Then what is the meaning of your tribe? And why do you call me king?"
Vera asked a question, Ape King scratched his head and gave a soft roar in explanation.
He is the king of the Yeti race, inheriting the position after the death of the previous king. Vera and the others, having defeated him, are naturally the new kings.
"Wait! The previous king? What happened? He died in battle? And how did you all get here?"
Disrupted by a series of questions, the Ape King pondered for a long time before giving an answer.
[A war broke out on the Snow Mountain; many holes fell from the sky, and the king and the gate fought.]
[The king is dead, and I led my people to migrate. The little white people brought us here.]
[As I grew up, my people gradually fell silent, and what happened after that... I don't remember.]
After listening to the Ten Percent Off translation, the four of them quietly watched the small television.
Are you sure you didn't omit anything?
"Bilibili!"
Ten Percent Off frantic shaking of the head, electronic tears streaming down.
Although it is usually very frugal, it really went all out this time.
It's really because this guy didn't say much; it has nothing to do with it!
Based on the little guy's usual behavior, everyone only believed half of it, but...
"I'm even more confused! What do you mean 'fighting with the door'? Is that hole that fell from the sky some kind of UFO spaceship?"
Vane grabbed the Ten Percent Off and shook it vigorously.
"Translator, please translate this properly! What kind of nonsense is this?!"
"Bilibili!˚º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º"
"Alright, alright, let's put that aside for now. It's time to deal with the war criminals."
Vera rescued Ten Percent Off and turned her attention to a Cancer who was secretly struggling.
The ice-breaking motion froze, Crystal Giant Crab struggled violently, only making the restraints even tighter.
[Incomprehensible hissing!]
"Don't worry, the pain will only last a moment."
Vera strolled forward and placed the Demon King's Oath into the Cancer's mouth.
Blinding lightning slowly gathered, then suddenly erupted in Cancer's terrified gaze.
The bound ice block suddenly shattered, convulsed violently, and then a plume of smoke rose.
Rumble--
A portal and a treasure chest rose from the ground, and the Crystal Giant Crab died.
"Whoosh! It's time for the exciting unboxing!" Vane rubbed his hands together and stepped forward.
"I have a feeling... this time it'll be a huge success!"
As he spoke, Vane began to perform a spell beside the treasure chest.
Seeing that he had taken over the unpacking work, Gorth breathed a sigh of relief and began to study the Crystal Giant Crab's corpse.
"Speaking of which, are all the crystal mines here the ones I'm thinking of?"
"Probably, we'll know once we break one."
Gregor picked up a crystal and smashed it with his black sword, blue fluorescence emanating from it and flowing into his body.
"It is indeed a blue crystal from the game, and breaking it does restore stamina."
"It should be called magic now, so this should be called Magic Crystal Ore?"
Gorth named the crystal mine and then began to break off the ore from the back of the Crystal Giant Crab.
"The quality of the items from the Boss seems to be higher, but just a little bit, my energy has been fully restored."
"Could it be an ingredient for making blue potion?" Vera guessed.
"Very likely, and judging from what the King Snow Ape said... there are many more in the ice cave?"
Gorth looked at the King Snow Ape, who quickly nodded.
"What should we do, boss? Should we go mine some? Restoring mana is still very important."
Gregor remained silent, simply staring at the corpse of the Crystal Giant Crab.
"Do you think... the Crystal Giant Crab's healing mechanism is useful for the crystal on its back?"
Several people turned to look at him, Gregor raised a finger.
"I've thought of a bug."
"Take the crystal from the Crystal Giant Crab, bring it to near death, then use its mechanism to repair the crystal. If you accidentally kill it, you can try to revive it with the second one."
"Doesn't that mean we have an unlimited Magic Crystal Ore?"
"..." x4
The King Snow Ape instinctively retreated, but the noise caused by its enormous body could not be concealed.
Facing the looks of several people, an awkward and flattering smile appeared on his ferocious face.
I don't have any ore on me, so if I hit him, he can't hit me back.
The group looked away, Vera was the first to raise an objection.
"But we can't take the lord's body away, didn't you try, boss?"
Gorth tried to pick up the flesh and blood of the Crystal Giant Crab, but as expected, it was as if it were a phantom and he couldn't touch it.
"Indeed... while we can take the Magic Crystal Ore, we still can't take the biological tissue."
"What if... we choose to keep them alive?"
Gregor looked up at the King Snow Ape.
"We can indeed touch the living boss, but we can't take him to the next level, can we?"
Vera sighed, while Gregor seemed lost in thought.
"What if we put them into the third brother's shadow?"
"Um?"
Gorth, who was silently collecting ore, suddenly looked up, exchanged a glance with Gu Si, and then turned his gaze to the King Snow Ape.
"Roar?"
"Will you come in by yourself, or should I help you?"
The King Snow Ape stared at the shadow that resembled an abyss, and moved his steps stiffly.
With his stamina greatly depleted, Gorth completely disappeared into the shadows.
"... It worked?" Gregor asked cautiously.
"It's a success." Gorth nodded seriously.
Once confirmed, the group's gazes towards the Crystal Giant Crab's corpse suddenly became intense.
Vera rushed forward, intending to revive him immediately.
"Alas--!"
A ghostly howl echoed, Vera turned her head to glare angrily.
What are you barking like a dog?!
"Sold! I've shipped!"
Vane turned around and raised the crimson katana in front of him.
[Magic Flame Crystal Crab Titanium Knife]
The blade, forged from blood, has white, shark-tooth-like markings on its edge.
Down--
The hilt is a striking blend of dark red and black, and the guard features dark claws pointing downwards, with a crimson gemstone resembling blood jade at its center.
As the exclusive red weapon for Crystal Giant Crab, it boasts both impressive looks and extremely high strength, enhanced by its skin.
[There is a 30% chance to freeze the enemy upon a critical hit;]
Unlock special attack: Hold to enter defensive mode, illusory wings protect your body, during which you are invincible but your movement speed is greatly reduced;
When the defense ends, ground spikes will be summoned based on the number of blocks performed during the defensive stance; these spikes will transform into blood-red hands with the skin's enhancement.
Such a powerful weapon is truly awe-inspiring.
"Is this just pure luck...?"
"That's right! It's that expression... that jealous look on my face!"
Vane spun around smugly, clutching the Flame Titanium Sword.
"It's fate! Don't you guys think the art style of this sword matches me perfectly?"
"They are very similar, just as flamboyant."
Vera's criticisms were still sharp, but they did nothing to spoil Vane's wonderful mood.
Say what you want~
After picking up his weapon and striking a few poses, Vane surveyed his surroundings.
"Quick! Bring me some monsters so I can chop them down!"
"This is the lord's quarters... where did these other monsters come from?"
Having sensed Vane's excitement, Gregor did not try to stop him.
"Let's revive the Crystal Giant Crab first, then head to the next level... Here we go again?"
As Gregor fell silent, the entire ice cave trembled once more.
"Could it be that the previous battle caused this place to collapse?"
Gorth looked around with concern, while Gregor seemed lost in thought.
"Speaking of which... who was Crystal Giant Crab calling for before?"
Crystal Giant Crab's earlier actions were mistaken for a call to the Ape King, but the latter confirmed that the Monkey King was merely there to pick up scraps.
The lord's target was...
Boom--!
The ice and rock have cracked open again!
There wasn't even a moment to grieve for the passing of Crystal Giant Crab; what arrived on the scene was—
Huge!
Its massive body broke through the rock layers, and its size, almost identical to that of Crystal Giant Crab, testified to its status as a lord.
Powerful!
The giant pincers swung, sending rocks flying in all directions as the Behemoth throbbed with power and charged forward menacingly.
Shining!!
Unlike the Magic Crystal Ore on the Crystal Giant Crab's back, the newcomer's back and carapace were covered with shimmering gold.
Indeed, the visitor is --
"Closure Happy Crab!!"
Vane's eyes lit up, while Vera subtly turned her head away.
"Is that name for real?"
"You don't understand! Even Closure herself came, she'd have to admit it!"
Vera didn't understand, but even the Golden Giant Crab was somewhat confused.
The aggressive charge gradually slowed down, and the Golden Giant Crab finally saw the tragic scene before it.
His kin, who should have fought alongside him, were now scattered across the land.
Before him stood a group of monsters, their eyes gleaming, clearly not to be trifled with.
Gregor: "Buy one get one free?"
Vera: "Looks like I won't be short of money anymore."
Gorth: "Gold... it's a very useful mineral."
Vane: "Let me try the knife!"
Zekrom: "Roar--!"
The roaring dragon flames ignited the air, and the shimmering gold instantly liquefied upon contact.
The Golden Giant Crab frantically mobilized its magic, and its golden armor temporarily solidified under the enhancement of the magic.
Despite the increasingly fierce flames, the crab tried to burrow into the ground, but its giant pincers swung slower and slower.
The mutated dragon flames scorched his body and also drained the magic power he depended on for survival.
Before the Golden Giant Crab could notice anything amiss, the twisted giant tree entangled its limbs.
Like a young girl rebelling against a bully, the Golden Giant Crab was helplessly dragged towards the Butchers behind her, their eyes gleaming.
[A terrified hiss!!]
LATER...
The two resurrected giant crabs squatted pitifully in the corner, all the minerals and gold on their bodies gone, like two girls whose clothes had been stripped off.
Nearby, several bullies were discussing something with great interest.
"It really works, but can gold circulate in Terra?"
"You're overthinking it. Gold is a hard currency in every world. What do you think those Crowns and thrones are made of, boss?"
As Vane explained, he rummaged through the new treasure chest.
"... Looks like my luck ran out. The weapon I got is Fire Sword. I thought it would be the Crystal Crab Warhammer."
"Be content... Only our boss in his Apotheosis state could wield a weapon of that size."
Gorth mentioned Vane and used shadows to store the new supplies.
"What's next? Should we continue looting?"
"No, with two resource packs, let's go straight to the next level."
Gregor stood up, Gorth knowingly extended the shadow over the two giant crabs.
[Rapid, hissing words!]
The Crystal Giant Crab brandished its massive pincers, Vane glared at it with hostility.
"You dare to breathe on me?!"
Crystal Giant Crab looked on in disbelief, Vane sneered upon seeing this:
"No? Shake your head if you don't!"
State--!
Vera punched Vane on the head and said irritably:
Why do crabs shake their heads?
Ignoring Vane's cries for help, the translator, who had been in charge of Ten Percent Off translations, returned to the scene.
[Next level... Enemy... Long... Unstoppable!]
"Hmm? You even know about the enemies on the next floor?"
Vane looked at the crab suspiciously, and the crab immediately began to swing its giant pincers up and down.
As if to prove himself, he dug downwards into the ice cave.
The group exchanged glances, then suddenly realized what was going on.
"The next layer of the Snow Mountain map needs to be dug down further..."
"Map of the ice cave?"
In stark contrast to the dark and gloomy landscape of the Snow Mountain map, the ice cave, filled with minerals, has no neat bricks or stones, but rather a mirror-like ice surface.
On the pristine ice surface, a large Ice Worm thrashed about joyfully.
The enormous worm's body was covered with sharp ice spines, and its spiral-shaped mouth had two huge ice teeth that gleamed coldly.
Its extremely long body is translucent, and one can vaguely see the ice-blue veins inside.
The Cave Ice Worms gleefully gnawed at the ice, celebrating their recent battle.
The crystal worm leader, who had been locked in a protracted battle with him, seemed to have run into trouble and was driven back to the surface.
Now, almost the entire ice cave is under his control.
Although the crystal worm leader had a brother, the Cave Ice Worm was not afraid.
Once he has swallowed all the mineral ice crystals, his body will grow to a terrifying size.
Back then... Giant Crab Twins were no match for them!
Imagining the wonderful prospect of dominating the entire snowfield in the future, the Cave Ice Worm couldn't help but speed up their feeding, rolling around even more smoothly.
Just then, the translucent organ in the head sensed the vibration of the ice cave.
That guy is here again?
Stopping its feeding, the Cave Ice Worm activated its ability, causing the solid ice surface to ripple like water as its massive body disappeared into it.
They sped towards the source of the tremor, the Cave Ice Worm growing increasingly murderous.
When he was still small, he might not have been a match for the Crystal Giant Crab...
However, as he grows, with his current size, his ice fangs can easily pierce through the enemy's armor and devour their internal organs.
This time... he'll never return!
Moving even faster, the Cave Ice Worm arrived beneath the vibrating ice rock, its spiral teeth spinning like a chainsaw.
Click... Click...
A crack appeared in the ice rock, and a small, blood-red figure came face to face with him.
The Cave Ice Worm cannot see this scene, but they can hear the mocking laughter.
Are you home alone?
"Little~bug~bug~"
"Roar--!"
The next moment--
A dragon descended from the sky, its flames menacing.
[Ice Worm profanity!] Is this your map?!