Chapter 38: Chapter38-Rock Python

Upon ascending to the bronze tier, John's level-up not only granted him a base attribute boost of 7 points but also endowed him with 15 random attribute points, a significant increase of about 50%.

With each major advancement an awakener makes, both the base and random attribute points received escalate, rewarding higher levels with increasingly abundant attribute points.

Now, surrounded by the carcasses and blood of bloodthirsty bunnies, a thick scent of gore assailed John's nostrils, causing him to involuntarily furrow his brow.

In the secret realm, the corpses of monsters do not vanish; meaning with every beast slain, John could harvest materials from their remains, underscoring one of the reasons why the secret realm is renowned for its rich resources.

Scanning his surroundings to confirm the eradication of all bloodthirsty bunnies, John then proceeded to collect the equipment they had dropped.

The drop rate for equipment in the secret realm is significantly higher, almost on par with that of dungeon bosses.

Thus, the mere twenty-odd bloodthirsty bunnies provided John with three pieces of level 15 iron-tier equipment, a fruitful bounty indeed.

The only pity was that none of the three pieces of equipment were suitable for John's use.

However, he didn't mind; his gear was at least of the bronze-tier, and unless it was an iron-tier piece of exceptional quality, he hardly gave it a second glance.

After collecting the equipment, John began to process the corpses of the bloodthirsty bunnies.

Lacking a life-skills class "extraction" ability, his only option was the primitive manual method.

Fortunately, he had come well-prepared to the secret realm.

Retrieving a boning knife from his storage ring, he wielded it with the grace and agility of a butterfly in flight.

In the blink of an eye, John had processed a bloodthirsty bunny, valuing mainly its fur and claws while discarding the rest, making the task relatively straightforward.

With swift efficiency, it wasn't long before he had dealt with the corpses of the twenty-odd bloodthirsty bunnies.

[Material]: Bloodthirsty Bunny Fangs

[Level]: lv18

[Quality]: Common

[Description]: Derived from a blood-sucking rabbit species in the "Crimson Realm," these can be used to craft weapons and jewelry.

...

[Material]: Bloodthirsty Bunny Fur

[Level]: lv17

[Quality]: Common

[Description]: Originating from a blood-sucking rabbit species in the "Crimson Realm," this material is suitable for crafting armor.

...

Though the materials from the bloodthirsty bunny are of low tier, their abundance, coupled with the unique provenance from the Crimson Realm, commands a price slightly higher than ordinary low-tier materials.

Hence, despite the inconvenience, John didn't leave them behind; after all, he had gone from a millionaire to penniless once more and was truly in need of money now.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, John stored all the materials into his storage ring. Then, he stood up, ready to continue his journey towards the mysterious forest.

Suddenly!

A sense of alarm surged through John, his body prickling as if stung by needles, jolting him into high alert.

He knew this was his powerful intuition, forewarning him of imminent danger.

However, just as they were about to strike, three thick stone walls abruptly rose in front of the python.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

"-2637! -2783! -1956! -2278! -1879!"

All three stone walls shattered, several of the Rock Python's scales were blasted into oblivion by the thunder arrows, yet no paralysis ensued.

John frowned, finding his adversary more troublesome than anticipated.

His five thunder arrows had all collided with the Rock Python's stone walls.

Though they shattered the barriers with unstoppable force, the final impact on the Rock Python was less damaging than expected.

Given the Rock Python's high defense and its resistance against lightning, coupled with the thunder arrow's primary role as a control skill rather than a high-damage one, the outcome was somewhat expected.

Despite not inflicting severe damage, John's attack had successfully enraged the Rock Python.

"Hiss!"

The Rock Python opened its massive maw, letting out an angry roar at John.

Being wounded by a mere human was an insult to the predator of this region!

John nonchalantly cleaned his ears, taunting, "Think you're tough just because you're loud? Kill me if you can, otherwise, wait and see how I strip your hide!"

Though the Rock Python couldn't comprehend John's words, his provocative demeanor was unmistakably clear.

Just as John's voice faded, a dull yellow glow ignited in the Rock Python's large vertical pupils.

"Ground Spike!"

Sharp Ground Spikes, each two to three meters in length, suddenly erupted from beneath John's feet.

A direct hit would likely impale him like a hornet's nest!

Yet, John was well-prepared; as the Rock Python unleashed its skill, he moved with swift agility.

Dodging nimbly, the lethal spikes continued to emerge in his wake, failing to graze him in the slightest.

The sight infuriated the Rock Python, its massive tail lashing out in anger, each strike narrowly evaded by John's deft maneuvers.

Frustrated and powerless, the Rock Python could only rage in vain.

Despite its formidable defense and HP, its innate species traits of slow spell casting and movement speed were glaring vulnerabilities, not easily overcome by mere roaring.

John weaved through the spikes, exploiting the Rock Python's momentary weakness as its assault waned.

His staff suddenly glowed with icy blue and aqua blue lights, moisture and chill mingling above him before swiftly coalescing.

In the blink of an eye, an Ice Meteorite, twice the size of the Rock Python, materialized in midair.

This was the name John had bestowed upon his unique fusion skill.

With a gentle tap of his staff in the void, the colossal ice sphere, with a diameter of thirty to forty meters, transformed into a terrifying ice-blue meteor.

It plummeted towards the Rock Python, which watched in horror, its cumbersome body twisting desperately in an attempt to evade.

But its once formidable bulk, akin to a mountain, now became its fatal flaw.

In the end, the Rock Python could only watch in despair as the crystalline meteor bore down upon it.