Accessories: Cyan Radiance Ring

"Tap... tap..."

Molly's footsteps grew even lighter.

The keen five senses granted by Fourth-Tier Basic Swordsmanship allowed her to clearly catch every movement ahead.

The purple mist grew denser, and the pungent stench mixed with the smell of decay invaded her nostrils, making her instinctively furrow her brow.

The gravel path beneath her feet became increasingly rough, and she occasionally kicked into something sticky.

Lowering her head and looking by the faint moonlight, she saw that it was half of a Monster Demon limb covered in purple-black scales.

"Roar—!"

A roar far heavier than that of the Zombie Demons from before suddenly exploded from around the corner ahead.

Molly's heart tightened. She immediately slipped behind a rusted steel pipe, exposing only half an eye as she looked toward the source of the sound.

In the open space beyond the corner stood a gigantic Monster Demon, a full three meters tall.

Its body was more than three times bulkier than an ordinary Zombie Demon's.

The purple-black scales covering its entire body resembled iron armor, gleaming with a cold, hard luster.

The muscles in its thick arms bulged, and its spread fingers bore nails half a foot long, flashing with chilling light.

Black saliva dripped from the gaping mouth on its featureless head, falling to the ground with a corrosive sizzle.

[Monster Demon: Zombie Brute Demon (Elite)]

[Level: 10]

Molly's pupils contracted slightly.

A level-ten elite monster was far stronger than the level-six Zombie Demon she had encountered before!

Just then, the Zombie Brute Demon seemed to sense something. It suddenly turned its head and looked toward where Molly was hiding.

"Roar..."

The giant mouth on its featureless face stretched wider, releasing a threatening growl.

"Was I discovered?"

Molly's heart skipped a beat. Before she could think further, she flicked her wrist, and the silver Broken Sword slashed out.

At almost the same moment, the Zombie Brute Demon stomped hard on the ground. Its heavy body crashed down, sending shattered stones flying.

Like a battering ram, it charged viciously at Molly!

A fierce gust rushed at her, carrying an overpowering stench.

Molly did not dare take it head-on. She pushed off with her feet and flashed sideways like a phantom.

The next second, with a thunderous boom, the Zombie Brute Demon's thick arm smashed into the steel pipe where she had been hiding.

Clang!!!

The steel pipe, as thick as an adult's arm, was smashed directly into a twisted shape. It let out a piercing metallic shriek as fragments scattered everywhere.

"What terrifying strength!"

A cold sweat broke out across Molly's back. If that blow had landed on her, her bones would have been crushed to powder.

She did not dare let her guard down and immediately pushed the Warrior's Breathing Technique to its limit.

The third-tier breathing technique drove the vital energy within her body, and a warm current surged through her limbs and bones, sharply boosting both her speed and strength.

"Ha!"

Molly gave a low shout and took the initiative to close in.

The Broken Sword in her hand struck like a silver serpent shooting out its tongue, precisely stabbing toward the Zombie Brute Demon's joints.

An elite monster's defense might be strong, but its joints were often weaknesses.

Clang!

The Broken Sword stabbed into a gap between the scales on the Zombie Brute Demon's elbow, producing a crisp clash of metal.

The scales dented inward but were not pierced.

Instead, a tremendous recoil traveled up the blade, numbing Molly's wrist.

"Such tough defense?"

Molly was startled and hurriedly withdrew.

Stabbed and pained, the Zombie Brute Demon roared furiously. Its other arm swept over, the gust it generated nearly sending Molly flying.

She rolled across the ground in a sorry state and barely avoided the strike, but the gust still swept across her back, leaving it burning with pain.

"I can't fight it head-on."

Molly quickly adjusted her breathing, her gaze rapidly sweeping over the Zombie Brute Demon.

Its strength and defense were superior, but it was relatively slow. That was her chance.

Molly stopped attacking proactively and instead circled around the Zombie Brute Demon.

Fourth-Tier Basic Swordsmanship made her footwork incomparably light. Like a butterfly dancing among flowers, she could always find a sliver of an opening between the Zombie Brute Demon's attacks.

At times, she stabbed its ankles with the Broken Sword; at others, she slashed at its knees. Every attack landed precisely on weak points between its scales.

Though she could not inflict a fatal wound, she could steadily wear down the Zombie Brute Demon's stamina while gradually accumulating proficiency in Basic Swordsmanship.

[Fourth-Tier Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency +1 +1...]

The numbers on the panel slowly ticked upward, and Molly's gaze grew increasingly resolute.

The Zombie Brute Demon was driven into a furious rage by her harassment, yet it could not even touch a corner of her clothes.

Its attacks became more and more violent, but also increasingly disordered. Every missed blow left a deep crater in the ground and sent gravel flying.

Gradually, the Zombie Brute Demon's movements began to slow, and its breathing grew heavier. Black blood started seeping from the gaps in its scales.

"Now!"

A sharp glint flashed through Molly's eyes.

She seized the moment of stiffness after one of the Zombie Brute Demon's attacks and suddenly accelerated.

Like an arrow released from a bowstring, she leaped into the air and landed on its shoulder!

The Zombie Brute Demon sensed the danger and roared as it tried to raise a hand and grab her, but it was already too late.

Molly took a deep breath and poured every last bit of vital energy in her body into the Broken Sword in her hand.

The Broken Sword hummed, glimmering with faint silver light.

She gripped the sword with both hands, raised it high, then brought it down with all her might!

"Slash!"

This strike contained all her strength and skill.

With unstoppable momentum, the Broken Sword chopped down at the Zombie Brute Demon's neck...

The scales there were the thinnest, and it was also its most fatal weakness!

Splat!

The sound of a blade entering flesh rang out.

This time, the Broken Sword was not deflected. It sliced straight through the scales and plunged deeply into the Zombie Brute Demon's neck!

Black blood erupted and splashed across the ground!

"Gah...!"

The Zombie Brute Demon let out a shrill scream. Its enormous body jerked violently, then slowly collapsed.

With a thunderous crash, it hit the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust.

Molly jumped down from its shoulder, panting heavily, her wrist still trembling slightly.

That strike had nearly drained all the vital energy in her body.

She put away the Broken Sword and looked at the Zombie Brute Demon's corpse.

Based on her previous experience, this level-ten elite monster should have dropped purple-black fragments.

Yet after waiting for a moment, no purple-black fragments appeared beside the Zombie Brute Demon's corpse.

Instead, a ball of cyan-green light slowly floated out from the corpse and hovered in midair.

The cyan light was not large, only the size of a fist.

It emitted a gentle radiance and carried a pure aura that was utterly out of place amid the surrounding purple mist.

"What is this?"

Molly frowned, her heart full of confusion.

She carefully approached and extended a hand, wanting to touch the ball of cyan light.

The instant her fingertips touched it, the light suddenly burst apart, transforming into countless cyan streams that swiftly gathered together.

As the streams flickered, a ring slowly took shape and fell into her palm.

It was an entirely cyan ring with an ancient design. A faint sword mark was engraved upon its face, and it emitted a weak cyan glow.

Molly picked up the ring, and the panel immediately appeared before her.

[Accessory: Cyan Radiance Ring]

[Attributes: Attack +5%, Restraint Resistance +10%]

[Description: Contains a faint power of Sword Intent. It can increase the wearer's attack power and provides a certain degree of resistance against binding-type skills.]

"Attack bonus? And restraint resistance? Monsters can even drop equipment??!"

Molly's eyes instantly lit up.

Without hesitation, she immediately put the ring on the middle finger of her right hand.

The moment she put it on, the ring turned into a streak of cyan light and merged into her skin, leaving only a faint cyan mark behind.

At the same time, a weak force flowed from the ring into her limbs and bones, making her feel that her strength had increased by a little more.

"Great!"

Molly clenched her fist, feeling the changes within her body. The corners of her mouth could not help rising.

She did not linger for long. After resting briefly and recovering some strength, she continued walking deeper into the factory.