Grafted Noble and Lobster Head

Lake, fog, silence—these words combined make this place seem like the perfect filming location for the new movie, "Friday the 13th."

But when the songs of a few green elves echo in the air, all the terror vanishes.

Ethereal songs float in the humid air of Lake Liurnia, and if you close your eyes, you can almost imagine a lush green forest.

When these elves get serious, they really do fit people's impression of beautiful and elegant natural beings in fantasy works; any word that can be used to describe "beauty" can be applied to them.

In the forest, we can hear the calls of all sorts of animals: parrots, sparrows, and crows cawing at the top of their lungs.

Crow?

"Giggle, ah! Why did you hit me!"

The crow's grating cries abruptly ceased, and the cool elf Kunan clutched his smoking head, looking indignant.

"Everyone was singing peacefully, and you deliberately caused trouble, didn't you?" Mei Erjia withdrew her hand. "Where did these crows come from in the Elven Forest?"

"The forest should be more tolerant, right? How about I imitate a snow leopard next time?" Kunan said, pursing his lips.

"That thing shouldn't exist in the Elven Forest."

As for why they sing, it's simply because they're so bored.

Based on their physical senses, they have been on a westward-bound road and should not have gone astray.

However, we didn't encounter many things along the way. We did encounter some monsters here and there, but it felt like their numbers and strength were somewhat less than before.

This wasn't an illusion, because Lake Liurnia implemented a mechanism similar to Dynamic Difficulty. Every adventurer was matched with a certain number of monsters based on their strength the moment they entered the dungeon, and these monsters would actively attack the adventurers.

Once all the matched monsters are defeated, the exploration experience changes from "monsters actively attacking adventurers" to "adventurers actively seeking out monsters." In fact, monsters are quite scattered in the vast lake area, so encountering a group of monsters is rather rare.

The monster matchmaking resets approximately every two to three days.

On second thought, this mechanism actually benefits adventurers, giving them a way to fight monsters.

After the elves defeated the Jyuratodus, they had defeated all the matching monsters, and the other monsters naturally wouldn't come looking for trouble.

They sing to attract more monsters to attack them. As for why they do this?

Because Si Telan had told them that if they got lost in the dungeon, they should head towards the areas guarded by monsters, since there was a high probability that there would be something in the areas guarded by monsters.

People are generally willing to listen to advice.

The purpose of heading this way was to find the blacksmith Andre, but after walking for a long time, I didn't see a single ghost or any clues.

Out of boredom, the elves began to discuss what they had just witnessed.

"I'm hungry, do you have anything to eat?"

"I seem to remember you bought several shrimp. Don't even think about taking my food."

"Oh, I've already finished eating."

"Wait, you finished eating it? That was something with precious effects, like a magical item! You just ate it because you had nothing better to do?"

"Isn't food just for filling your stomach? Besides, cooked shrimp will go bad if you don't eat them."

"That makes sense, then I'll eat it too."

Mei Erjia couldn't help but stop them, saying, "Hey, hey, hey, have you forgotten about the preservation magic? Don't waste your items like that."

"But the magic of preservation can't maintain temperature, so it would be a shame to eat shrimp when they're not piping hot."

Mei Erjia was taken aback, then fell into deep thought, before nodding in agreement.

"Indeed, food tastes better when it's hot, and it would be even better if there was some wine."

"Shall we find some drinks after we get out?"

"Okay, okay."

Do you guys think this is a spring outing?

Wei En Ma was the only one who remained highly vigilant. She wanted to teach her overly relaxed kin a lesson, but then she realized that this complacency was a trait ingrained in most elves, and a simple reprimand wouldn't change anything.

Only after leaving the Elven Forest and venturing into the outside world will this trait gradually change, just like her and Si Telan. Mei Erjia can also be considered, but she can't get rid of her drinking habit.

"What are you writing?" She suddenly noticed that Li Zinei had taken out a notebook and was writing and drawing as she walked, with a very serious expression.

Li Zinei was about to speak when Wei En Ma gestured for her to shut up, then picked up the notebook and started reading.

The document records everything they saw and heard along the way. Is this girl trying to steal business from the Strategy Team?

No, if you look closely, you'll find that the focus of Li Zinei's writing is different from that of the Strategy Team. The Strategy Team analyzes how to fight a certain monster, analyzes the monster's behavior, the surrounding environment, and whether there is terrain that can be used, and is generally more practical.

Li Zinei, on the other hand, writes purely about the environment, from general impressions of Lake Liurnia to crayfish nibbling around the water plants, recording a wide variety of things.

As Wei En Ma looked at the document, she suddenly asked, "Are you studying ecology?"

Li Zinei nodded.

Ecology is something that all scholars are interested in. If you want to fully understand an unknown region, ecological research is essential.

She happens to have some research experience in this area. Although she looks small, Li Zinei is surprisingly intelligent. She is often invited by many magical publications to publish her research and is quite well-known in the fields of magical potion machines and monster ecology research.

She's the richest member of the team besides Wei En Ma, and she's a hidden little rich girl.

This passion for research even made Wei En Ma feel inferior. Although she was also vaguely interested in the ecology of Lake Liurnia, she had not yet thought of studying it in detail.

Li Zinei's notebook has even summarized a food chain—monsters such as lobsters and crabs eat aquatic plants and ordinary animals, and they are then preyed upon by powerful creatures such as Rogue and Jyuratodus, which may in turn become food for the legendary Glintstone Dragon.

Yes, Lake Liurnia is home to common animals, such as sheep that roll away in a ball, wild boars with tusks, deer, and eagles. They may not be numerous, but you can still encounter them occasionally on your adventures.

This was specially brought in by Gong Qiying to supplement the ecosystem, and perhaps it can also provide an extra meal for the adventurers.

Is this considered a different kind of feeding play?

In Li Zinei's doujinshi, Wraith become symbiotic beings with monsters. After losing his Wraith horse mount, he would find nearby lobsters or crabs to ride, and would even take out dirty dried fruit from his body to feed monsters, or even rescue lobsters in danger.

Miranda Flower by the roadside can disguise themselves as ordinary plants, using their toxins to paralyze any prey that dares to approach.

Lobsters and crabs can even engage in territorial disputes, and when they travel in groups, they dare to clash with Jyuratodus. When the Pokémon encountered the Jyuratodus earlier, there were many lobster carcasses nearby that clearly showed signs of battle.

Besides animals and monsters, the ecology of plants is also worth studying, but time was too short and Li Zinei didn't have time to observe them carefully.

Once she finishes organizing all these materials, she can put them out there to earn another income, making her savings even more substantial!

Who knows, maybe we can just shower Si Telan with money until she kneels at his feet and sings "Conquer"~

"Don't push yourself too hard." Wei En Ma handed the notebook back to her, her expression showing concern. "It's good to work hard and earn money, but don't exhaust yourself."

Just as Li Zinei was about to nod, she heard the other person continue:

"The Evil God Church that kidnapped you back then couldn't have been found with money alone."

"Hmm," she replied dismissively, seemingly not having listened.

But then she wrote something in the notebook and showed it to Wei En Ma.

But the higher the reward I can offer, the greater the chances of success.

Wei En Ma's expression shifted, she sighed, and didn't say anything more.

"Huffing and puffing—"

"Hey, a wild boar ran past! Catch it!"

A commotion erupted from the other elves, and then a wild boar with green plants on its back suddenly broke through her path and ran wildly.

Have you ever given it your all for yourself? Right now, Shiitake Pig is running for itself.

Watching Mei Erjia enthusiastically chasing after the Shiitake Pig, Wei En Ma sighed, too lazy to even help.

The speed that the Shiitake Pig burst forth with was incredibly fast. In no time, not only it, but even Mei Erjia, who was chasing it, ran into the mist.

Oh no, running alone into a place with poor visibility in a horror movie is a big no-no. Although the Zane Dungeon isn't a horror movie set, it feels pretty much like one.

Wei En Ma frowned. "Go after Mei Erjia and tell her not to—"

Wow!

Before she could finish speaking, Mei Erjia's scream suddenly rang out.

See, something really happened!

The other elves quickly perked up, some taking charge of magic and others of melee combat. Wei En Ma, in particular, displayed the excellent demeanor of a strong warrior, charging ahead at the forefront.

Using the word "rush" seems rather inelegant. In fact, she had cast Levitation Spell and Gale Spell on herself, flying at high speed in the air, and casually flicked a colorful firework shell forward to indicate the direction to Mei Erjia.

"Shuashuashua——"

They had only advanced a few dozen meters when a dense barrage of arrows suddenly came from the front. Fortunately, the elven mages had already deployed their Magic Shield.

A barrage of arrows rained down on the shield, creating cracks. The scene looked all too familiar; it was just like the erratic firing of the Puppet Soldier.

Could it be that Mei Erjia encountered Puppet Soldier? But an enemy of that caliber shouldn't have made her scream.

"Smack!"

The next second, a high-pressure Water Cannon suddenly appeared, completely shattering the precarious Magic Shield and even injuring Kunan, who was at the forefront.

Fortunately, Wei En Ma reacted quickly and erected a wall of highly elastic plants in front of the Water Cannon, thus blocking it.

But questions also arose in my mind.

Water Cannon? What's with the Great Lobster here?

But the instant the Water Cannon disappeared, a huge roar came, which formed a physical shockwave, and many people were knocked off their feet by the sudden noise.

What kind of monster is making that roar?

"Mei Erjia, where are you!" Kunan shouted.

"Hey over here! Come help me! This ugly monster has so many hands!"

Mei Erjia finally spoke, and the elves prepared to rush forward. Mei Erjia's figure gradually became clear in the mist.

She was leaping and bounding through the air in the fight, looking somewhat exhausted, while the shadowy figure of the monster she was battling was enormous, large and wide, like the giant crabs often found in the lake region.

But when everyone saw what it looked like, they shuddered. It was far more terrifying than a giant crab!

The monster had the head of a handsome young boy, looking pitiful, but such a small head was attached to a body as large as a small mountain, making the proportions look extremely disproportionate.

If it were just that, it wouldn't be too disgusting, but, but this guy has a bunch of arms attached to his body!

Various arms were brutally implanted on the body, and they swayed back and forth with movement, which was even more sanity-inducing than the mating scene of Mud Monster and tentacle monsters!

What's most terrifying is that each of their arms is holding a Repeating Crossbow!

Beneath the Repeating Crossbow, it wields a gun in one hand and a shield in the other, with two other hands in front of it representing Lobster Head and Rune Bear head! The Water Cannon and the beast's roar are emitted by these two things.

What kind of nightmare Frankenstein's monster is this?!

[The Grafted Noble: The Ideal Edition]

This is a wandering Elite Monster created by Gong Qiying, positioned to be comparable to the Bazelgeuse in the Forest Area, belonging to the level of a world police.

With its Shield Poke, Repeating Crossbow, Lobster Head, and bear head, the Grafted Noble has surpassed its master, Godrick. This is the ideal appearance Grafted Noble should have!

If only Godrick hadn't coveted his pitifully small dragon head and had instead donned a lobster costume, he wouldn't have been so easily killed by the Tarnished.

An elf vomited after just one glance at the Grafted Noble.

It was disgusting. Some of the places where the arms were forcibly attached to the Grafted Noble were ulcerated and oozing pus, with maggots crawling out in large numbers. With each movement, the maggots fell like raindrops.

It even comes with a mental attack; that's incredibly effective at accumulating Spirit Power.

Mei Erjia was skilled with a long staff, but he couldn't break through the Greatshield held by the Grafted Noble, not to mention the interference from the Repeating Crossbow above his head.

"Ugh, I don't want to fight this thing." Some elves stuck out their tongues in disgust.

"Stop talking nonsense and get going!"

Kunan charged forward to distract Mei Erjia, while the others unleashed their best skills, engaging the Grafted Noble in a fierce battle.

Each Arrow Rain would scatter the swarming elves, and taking advantage of this opportunity Grafted Noble would launch an attack with a beastly roar in one hand and a spear in the other. If anyone got close, they would raise their Greatshield to defend themselves, repeating this process over and over again.

As Wei En Ma sang softly, the lake beneath the feet of the Grafted Noble suddenly began to swirl.

This is the prelude to the high-level spell [Water Dragon Twister], and after realizing this, it chose to—start spinning the windmill!

Suddenly, the Grafted Noble pulled out two straight swords, his massive body spinning rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he broke out of the Water Dragon Twister's range and attacked the elves!

"Whoa, quickly use the shield!" someone screamed.

But would the shield really be effective against a giant windmill? It would probably be shattered in an instant.

In an instant, small Water Dragon Twister appeared beneath everyone's feet, lifting them into the air and allowing them to successfully evade the attack. The next moment, a large number of vines wrapped around their bodies, pulling them off the battlefield.

Looking back, the Grafted Noble had also fallen to the ground, entangled in a large number of plants, and was tearing at them in frustration.

The one who did all this was naturally Wei En Ma; her magical prowess was no exaggeration, but there was no fighting spirit in her eyes.

For some unknown reason, she had no intention of fighting and, after catching everyone, used her Flight Spell to quickly leave the battlefield.

The Grafted Noble naturally wouldn't let them go, chasing after them while shooting arrows. His crab-like lower body made him incredibly fast, almost like he was flying.

Wei En Ma repeatedly cast spells to obstruct him, but powerful spells required time to cast, and those that could be cast instantly were of little effect.

The Grafted Noble was getting tighter and tighter, and the spear was almost touching his back.

"Tsk."

She looked troubled; she had no choice but to fight, but the battlefield would soon become very chaotic.

Something was surging beneath her long dress, seemingly about to burst forth, but just then—

"Bang!"

A loud bang was followed by the screams of the Grafted Noble.

A third party has suddenly intervened in the battlefield!

Wei En Ma sensed a powerful, unfamiliar aura, a highly condensed aura that coalesced into the form of a tall, robust human.

Are they adventurers?

The Grafted Noble swayed as he stood up, revealing a pair of deep footprints on the side of his body.

It was kicked down by a powerful flying kick. Whose flying kick was so powerful?

"Tap, tap"

Footsteps came from ahead, and it saw a muscular man with a bare upper body, his white beard seemingly telling of his age.

"Do you see my hammer?"

The visitor asked this question and assumed a boxing stance.

Boxing champion/blacksmith Andre bursts into the battlefield!