yasinovel Chapter 25 The Sludge Devourer
Chapter 25 The Sludge Devourer
Chi Chi Chi!
The sound of corrosion echoed continuously, and a bloody hole was quickly corroded in the belly of the Darkscale Python, causing its struggling strength to rapidly weaken.
Ultimately, with the combined efforts of the four, the nearly mature Scaled Python was successfully killed.
The battle ended, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Holm looked at Rowling, his eyes filled with approval: "Well done, Rowling!"
"That interruption was crucial; the reaction was very quick."
The other two team members also cast grateful glances at Rolin, especially the apprentice who was almost hit by the acid.
Luo Lin nodded calmly and walked to the corpse of the Darkscale Python.
He first carefully collected samples of the acid it spewed.
This acid is extremely corrosive and is an excellent material.
Then, he took out a dagger and began to skillfully dissect the body.
Luo Lin accurately located the venom glands and gallbladder of the monstrous python, which were the most valuable materials.
The gallbladder, in particular, is one of the core ingredients in the preparation of various antidotes and high-grade acid potions, and it is quite expensive within the academy.
He also peeled off some intact dark scales, which have good resistance to energy supply and can be used to make leather armor or shields.
Holm and the others were once again surprised by Rolin's skillful handling of the situation.
The level of skill in processing these magical materials far surpasses that of a typical combat apprentice.
"You kid, used to work in materials processing?"
Holm couldn't help but ask, after all, for apprentices like them who were good at fighting, the handling and preparation of materials were only something they could say they understood.
But if they were to actually take action to handle it themselves, it would be a huge headache for anyone.
"I worked as an assistant in the college laboratory."
Luo Lin gave a simple answer, and then put the processed materials into specially made containers.
By the time the reinforcements arrived at the outpost, the battle was already over.
Only the corpse of the Darkscale Python, which had been mostly disposed of, remained.
The stern-faced official wizard leading the team briefly inquired about the situation, reviewed the scene and the core materials submitted by the Holm team, and affirmed the team's successful killing of the nearly mature Spectral Python without any casualties.
According to regulations, most of the hunting spoils must be handed over for outpost reserves and mission settlement, while individuals may retain a small portion or convert it into contribution points.
Rowling played a key role in the battle, and the materials were handled properly, preserving their value intact.
The wizard granted him special permission to retain a small portion of the gallbladder essence and twenty of the most complete dark scales.
At the same time, the team also gained a considerable amount of collective contribution points, with Luo Lin having the highest individual contribution and receiving the most points.
This encounter made Rolin somewhat famous among the patrols at Gray Tower outpost.
It was not only because of his composure and precise attacks at crucial moments, but also because of his material handling skills, which far surpassed those of ordinary combat apprentices.
In the days that followed, Rolin continued his daily routine of patrolling, guarding, and maintaining the outpost.
The Black Forest has a harsh and realistic environment, and every trip out is accompanied by risks.
He had encountered hordes of razor rats with gleaming teeth, and had kept his distance from the twisted woodlands that exuded an ominous aura.
He gradually learned how to judge potential dangers by the smell in the wind, the traces on the ground, and subtle changes in the energy field.
Luo Lin's practical experience accumulated rapidly.
The [Acid Splash] skill is now cast more quickly and its prediction is more accurate.
[Weak Force Field Armor] After withstanding several real attacks, its maintenance skills and energy allocation have become increasingly refined.
He even began to try incorporating more finesse into the [Hand of the Mage] to move quickly in complex terrain or disrupt the opponent's balance.
Occasionally, familiar patrol members would come to him for help with some spoils that were difficult to handle.
For example, the ironback beetle with its particularly hard shell, or the spotted venomous spider with its unique venom.
Depending on the difficulty of the task, Luo Lin would usually charge a small amount of contribution points or ask to share some non-core materials.
He wasn't helping for free; it was out of respect for his own skills, and it also allowed him to accumulate more diverse materials for research.
He compared these materials from the Black Forest with the knowledge he had learned at the academy.
Using the outpost's rudimentary facilities, he attempted to analyze the composition of the Scaled Python's acid, considering how to incorporate it into his [Acid Etching Ray] to further enhance its corrosiveness.
He also studied the scales that had energy resistance and considered how to fine-tune the model of the [Weak Force Field Armor] to better utilize the types of energy attacks common in the Black Forest.
This approach, which closely integrates practice and theory, has enabled him to continuously improve his understanding and application of his own abilities.
About four months after arriving at Grey Tower Outpost, the outpost issued an exploration mission.
Beyond the eastern patrol area lies a region known as the Silent Swamp.
Recent energy readings have been somewhat abnormal, requiring a small team to conduct preliminary investigations, create a simple map, and collect environmental samples.
The task is high-risk, but the rewards are also relatively generous.
Holm's squad accepted the mission.
After several joint operations, he came to highly regard Rowling's abilities and prudence.
The Silent Swamp was completely different from the previous woodland.
The air was thick with the smell of humus and a faint odor of marsh gas, and underfoot lay soft, sinking mud and puddles.
The twisted, withered trees stretched towards the gray sky like the claws of a monster.
The light here is even dimmer, and visibility is very low.
The team members were all on high alert.
Luo Lin quietly cast [Gentle Breeze Cleansing], which, although unable to dispel the swamp gas, could slightly purify the air in his breathing area and smooth out the subtle energy disturbances around him, making his senses a little clearer.
This unassuming spell played an unexpected supporting role at this moment.
They carefully ventured into the swamp, recording the terrain and collecting water samples, silt, and several types of swamp mosses that emitted a faint fluorescent glow.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of attacks from creatures unique to the swamp, including stinging leeches that could suddenly launch themselves from the water and disguised tree spirits lurking in dead trees.
The team managed to defuse the situation without any major incidents.
Rowling noticed that Holm seemed more wary of the environment than before, as if he was on guard against something.
Just as they were about to complete their exploration of the designated area and prepare to return, a sudden change occurred!
A seemingly calm puddle suddenly churned violently to the side, and murky muddy water, accompanied by a powerful suction force, swept towards them.
At the same time, several pale white limbs covered in mucus, resembling octopus tentacles, burst out of the water and rushed towards the nearest Holm and another team member with lightning speed.
"It's a sludge-devouring monster! Watch out!"
Holm roared, his body radiating a bright, earthy-yellow light as he struggled fiercely.
However, those tentacles were extremely powerful and had a paralyzing effect, making his movements sluggish.
Another team member was dragged to the ground and slid into a puddle.
Rolin reacted extremely quickly, almost instinctively activating the [Acid Erosion Ray], targeting not the enormous, mysterious entity hidden underwater, but the connection point of the tentacles that were entangled with Holm.
laugh!
The dark green ray struck precisely, its strong corrosive properties taking effect instantly. The tentacle snapped off, and a viscous, dark liquid spurted out.
With the pressure relieved, Holm roared and broke free from the restraints of the other tentacles.
At the same time, Rolin cast [Hand of the Mage] on the team member who was being dragged, and a powerful pulling force acted on him, slowing down the speed at which he was dragged into the puddle.
The other team members also reacted, and fireballs and wind blades shot towards the tentacles and the center of the puddles.
The monster beneath the puddle winced in pain, letting out a deep roar as more tentacles extended, while a powerful mental shock swept over the group.
Luo Lin felt a slight dizziness, but the stable mental sea brought about by the perfect-level meditation technique allowed him to recover quickly.
He noticed that the other team members, including Holm, showed obvious signs of stiffness and pain.
"It's a psychological attack!"
"Be careful!"
Rolin gave a low shout, continuously using [Acid Erosion Ray] to target the most threatening tentacles while quickly devising a countermeasure.
This mud devourer is clearly more difficult to deal with than the Scaled Python, not only physically but also with its mental attack capabilities.
In this situation, Rolin quickly took out a small metal disc from his dimensional bag.
This is the base of a simple mental protection array that he made at the academy. Its effect is very weak, but it may still play a certain role.
He quickly channeled his magic power into it, activating it. A weak mental protective field spread out from him, enveloping several nearby team members.
The force field is weak and cannot completely resist mental shocks, but it is enough to mitigate most of the effects.
Holm and the others immediately felt their minds clear and their movements became smooth again.