Chapter 84: Unveiling the Final Secret of the Underground Palace...
Kandar's loyalty increased once more.
Cao Xing nodded. Now he had another elite-level creature under his command, further strengthening the overall power of the team.
Challenging the powerful creature inside the palace now seemed more achievable.
At this time, Liu Muxue continued to cast [Purification Skill], expelling the [Frost Ice Corruption] status from everyone's bodies.
It took about ten minutes, and everything was ready.
Cao Xing took out the Palace Key once again.
A System Prompt appeared.
[Do you want to use the Palace Key to open the door?]
"Yes."
The key in Cao Xing's hand disappeared.
The next moment, everyone saw the metal door before them begin to shake again.
Rumble!
The two doors split from the middle, revealing a crack.
Through the crack, Cao Xing saw bright lights inside.
When the door fully opened,
A luxurious palace appeared before them.
Everywhere inside was adorned with gilded decorations.
Floor tiles covered in patterns, golden pillars carved with designs, and all sorts of extravagant embellishments.
Amidst it all, Cao Xing even spotted a throne.
The throne, golden in hue and inlaid with numerous gemstones on its back, shone bright under the light, reflecting dazzling gemstone glows.
Just from its appearance, the throne clearly had incredible value.
Cao Xing was instantly tempted.
However, a silhouette leaned against the throne.
It was a goblin dressed in azure armor and wearing a crown.
Like the goblins outside, its body was also covered in a thick layer of frost.
Moreover, its condition seemed even more severe than those outside.
The frost had even spread to its face.
Yet, this goblin seemed to retain a last thread of sanity.
It spoke hoarsely: "You have arrived."
Cao Xing stood behind, puzzled as he looked at it.
What do you mean, we've arrived?
Do you know we were coming?
Cao Xing questioned in confusion: "Were you waiting for us?"
The crowned goblin did not answer, remaining seated on the throne.
However, its right hand kept trembling, as though trying hard to suppress something.
Meanwhile, Cao Xing glanced at the goblin's attributes.
[Corrupted Goblin King: Nagmu Earthquake Lv25]
[Race: Goblin]
[Rank: Third-tier Leader Level Creature]
[Life Value: 41740/61740]
[Attack Power: 2738~2943]
[Armor: 415~432 (Extra +300)]
[Skills: King's Sweep (Swings the longsword, dealing 139% physical damage to all enemies in front)
Thrust (Instantly thrusts forward, dealing 177% damage to the target and stunning them for 2 seconds)
Earth Spike (Summons numerous earth spikes, dealing piercing damage of Attack Power * 155% to enemies)
Earth Uprising (Inserts the longsword into the ground, awakening the will of the earth, dealing multiple earth element damages to enemies within 50 meters, with a damage coefficient of 20% of Attack Power, and cripples them)
Summon Earth Element (Summons two third-tier elite Earth Elements to assist in attack, with a duration of 120 seconds)
Advanced Corrupted Shell (Armor +300, additionally reduces physical damage received by 30%)]
[Talent: King's Heart (Increases all attributes of goblins under command by 20%, and increases one's own blood volume by 50%)]
[Status: Corrupted]
...
"Holy crap!"
Seeing this guy's attributes, Cao Xing exclaimed outright.
A level 25 third-tier leader-level creature, with five skills and an advanced corrupted shell.
Over seven hundred armor! Even if it stood still for Cao Xing to attack, he still couldn't dent it!
Obviously, this was not a monster he could handle at his current stage.
At this moment, Cao Xing almost wanted to flee with his team.
However, the Goblin King slowly spoke.
"I've made a mistake..."
"This mistake has led my people to be cursed with that dreadful curse..."
Hearing this, Cao Xing keenly sensed that it might be related to the Goblin King's current situation.
The Goblin King slowly opened its mouth: "Brave human warrior, can I ask you to lift this curse for me?"
Hearing this line, Cao Xing was stunned.
With his years of gaming experience, he keenly sensed he might have triggered some kind of hidden task.
He asked in confusion: "Help you? How?"
The Goblin King slowly stood up, saying: "Kill me."
Yet, just as it finished saying this, its expression changed drastically.
The Goblin King's features turned terribly ferocious.
It suddenly turned around, its head rotating 180 degrees, exposing the back of its head to Cao Xing and the others.
However, on the back of its head, a twisted visage appeared.
That visage hardly looked human, more like a beast.
This eerie scene made Liu Muxue subconsciously grip her weapon tightly.
It let out a threatening roar towards them.
"Roar!! Get out!!"
The roar was as thunderous as a detonation.
Andrew and Sarah, among others, immediately prepared for battle.
But in the next moment, the Goblin King turned its head back, resuming its pained expression.
It struggled to say: "As you can see, my consciousness grows more chaotic, and I can no longer resist the corruption."
"If this continues, my body will be entirely controlled by this monster."
"Warrior, please, liberate me..."
Now, Cao Xing finally understood.
The Goblin King had also been engulfed by corruption, even more severely than other goblins.
There was indeed something terrifying parasitic within it.
But it relied on its willpower, battling the entity behind it for control of its body.
And now, it seemed it could no longer hold out.
Cao Xing scratched his head and said: "I could kill you, but that guy at the back of your head might not agree, right?"
"If you go berserk, I'm no match for you."
The Goblin King said slowly: "It's alright, I'll try to help you suppress the curse behind me."
The next moment, before Cao Xing could react,
The Goblin King suddenly drew the longsword from its waist, thrusting it into its own chest.
Pfft!
[-21072]
A horrifying damage number floated up.
The Goblin King's blood value plummeted to slightly above twenty thousand.
However, this move from the Goblin King seemed to provoke the face on the back of its head.
"Roar!!"
A beast-like roar resounded again.
It started struggling frantically, seemingly vying for the Goblin King's body control.
The Goblin King held the longsword in its chest firmly, preventing it from being pulled out.
"Quick... kill me!"
"I can't suppress it for much longer!"
Hearing this, Cao Xing's face lit up with joy.
Damn, was there such a good deal?
"Everyone, attack the Goblin King with everything you've got!"
"Let us aid this pitiful victim in liberation!"
Assam, Andrew, and the others immediately charged forward to besiege the Goblin King.
Renice was the fastest.
She directly drew her bowstring, her proud chest standing firm once more.
Whoosh!
[-67]
A feeble damage appeared.
This was Renice's first time dealing damage in double digits.
Cao Xing clicked his tongue from the side.
"My goodness, this monster's defense is really thick."
This was with Liu Muxue's Aurora Blessing and Courage Blessing.
Otherwise, Renice's attack would have been even weaker.
Boom!
Assam, Andrew, and Sarah's attacks all followed.
[-74]
[-112]
[-257]
The only considerable damage came from Sarah's attack.
In one wave of concentrated fire from the group, the Goblin King lost about 500 life points.
In comparison to its over 20,000 life points left, it was truly negligible.
Fortunately, though, the Goblin King did not fight back.
It continued to press the longsword in its chest, trying hard to suppress the beastly face at the back of its head.
Cao Xing regained hope and promptly ordered, "Output! Quick, output!"
Everyone quickened their attacks.
[-94]
[-68]
[-77]
[-114]
[-374!]
Sarah triggered [Blessed Relief], causing her damage to spike.
Meanwhile, the head at the back of the Goblin King constantly let out low growls.
"Roar! Roar!"
The Goblin King's entire body trembled violently.
"Quick... faster!"
The Goblin King called out through gritted teeth.
Cao Xing felt helpless too, "I'd love to be fast!"
"But your defense is too high!"
"I can't do it!"
Shush! Shush!
Everyone continued their vigorous attacks.
Three robots and two centaur warriors also joined the battle.
Judging by everyone's speed,
The Goblin King's life value was decreasing by about 500~600 per second.
Ten or so seconds later,
The Goblin King's life value dropped to eleven thousand.
At that moment, the Goblin King suddenly pulled out the longsword from its chest.
It said its final difficult words, "I... I can't suppress it anymore!"
A ferocious aura erupted from its body.
Cao Xing paused, "What the hell, weren't you supposed to suppress it?"
"We haven't even gotten halfway through your life yet!"
However, the Goblin King's pupils already turned white, with a ferocious aura surging from within.
Seeing this,
Cao Xing hurriedly ordered: "Retreat! Everyone back off!"
But Cao Xing's warning came a moment too late.
The Goblin King swung a sweep.
Slash!
Assam, Andrew, including Sarah and Da Bai, were all swept by this sword.
[-2543]
[-2341]
[-2413]
[-2205]
Seven terrifying damage numbers floated up.
Assam and Andrew's life values plunged drastically.
The three robots and centaurs, almost instantly killed by this one sword!
Watching as the Goblin King was about to execute a second sweep!
Seeing this scene, Cao Xing urgently shouted: "Kandar, control it! Quick!"
At the critical moment, Kandar, who had just reached elite status, directly threw his blunt weapon over.
Bang!
[-114]
Though the damage was minimal, the Goblin King successfully showed a whirl symbol over its head.
It was stunned.
Cao Xing breathed a sigh of relief and promptly ordered: "Everyone else, retreat!"
...