Chapter 217-2: The Bully’s Primordial Test (2) |
Thinking of this, the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s gaze jumped to the foremost edge of the surging Black Tide.
With a thought it moved, and the Black Tide became like a black primordial python waking from sleep, transforming into a sky-darkening curtain that swept across the land.
Where it passed, the earth trembled.
The once flat plain was torn and churned wantonly by this majestic force.
Fertile soil was ripped up by the roots and rolled into the Black Tide like shattered flecks of fluff.
Emerald ancient trees and golden rice spirit fields were swallowed in an instant, not even roots left behind, only desolation remaining.
Clear streams turned turbid the moment they met the Black Tide, then merged into it, the water level soaring into an even more violent flood.
Villages built by small races were as fragile as paper toys under the impact of the Black Tide.
They were mercilessly swept up and drowned in darkness.
Just then, in its perception view the Earthmind Evil Spirit discovered a strangely shaped lifeform.
It had purple-black scales with a metallic sheen, batlike wings tightly folded at its sides, a slender tail coiled beneath it like a lizard’s, and eyes like two glowing cat’s-eye gems. It was staring at the surging Black Tide, curiosity written across its features.
With a single glance, the Earthmind Evil Spirit saw its extraordinariness.
“Earthmind, that is a Primordial Monster.”
As the Earthmind Evil Spirit expected, this was a rule embodying lifeform of Monster World.
Unlike ordinary beings, a Primordial Monster emanated an energy wave that felt natural anywhere, its aura melding easily with the environment.
Seeing the Primordial Monster, the Earthmind Evil Spirit at once thought of the riddle that had never been solved.
Could the player race really obtain power from Primordial Monsters, or in other words, could the player race imitate the rule abilities of Primordial Monsters.
On this question, the Evil Eye’s conjecture was that the player race perhaps mastered a rule power that imitates rules.
It was precisely through power granted by imitation that the player race grasped abilities similar to that Lord Primordial.
But the exact truth was unknown.
Right now was a very good chance to test it, and to thoroughly disgust the players in passing.
In a flash of thought, the Black Tide swept toward the Primordial Monster.
The Primordial Monster immediately beat its wings to take off, but was quickly bound by countless pitch-black tendrils stretching from the Black Tide and dragged into it.
This time the Earthmind Evil Spirit did not harm the Primordial.
He knew that even if he killed a Primordial, not a shred of energy could be extracted.
Next he would use this Primordial to test the players’ reaction.
Before that, he needed to understand what abilities this Primordial Monster possessed.
The Black Tide tendrils dispersed, and Evil Entity troops were generated to actively assail the Primordial Monster and provoke it.
At once, the batlike Primordial Monster in the image began spraying icy mist at the nearby Evil Entities.
After several minutes of testing, the Evil Eye’s voice sounded in the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s mind.
“Earthmind, this Primordial Monster’s ability is to release an elemental attack with a freezing effect. Even Evil Entities with ice-element resistance will find it hard to withstand.”
Having clarified the Primordial Monster’s ability traits, several tendrils formed again from the Black Tide to bind it, and the Black Tide turned toward the Emperor’s Mound Mountain Range.
An hour later, the Black Tide met the united warband led by God King head-on.
Seeing the Black Tide launch the attack, God King was stunned.
The Earthmind bully was detestable, but usually they were the ones to take the initiative while the bully avoided them like the plague.
Every encounter it would put up a natural-catastrophe barrier in response.
Lately even the taunt lines had become all kinds of disdain, a clear attitude of keep your distance.
A proactive assault like this was truly rare.
With doubt in mind, the great battle began.
But what left God King and the players of the united warband dumbfounded was that they actually saw a bound Primordial Monster within the Black Tide.
A parse swept over, and information on the Primordial Monster appeared in the players’ minds.
[Ice Mist Breath (First-Generation Primordial)]:
Primordial introduction: A Primordial Monster that has mastered the Ice Mist Breath trait. The ice mist it releases applies a frost effect upon contact, reducing the target’s movement efficiency. With continued application the target can be frozen. The frost effect applied by the ice mist is affected by inherited soul level, one’s own mental strength, and the target’s vitality strength. Freezing requires reaching a certain amount of accumulated frost on the target.
—
Seeing that it was a spellcaster-type Inherited soul, the spellcaster players in the united warband were all very excited.
Though it was a first-generation Primordial, it dealt offensive elemental damage.
It could be paired with the universal Spell Tower build, or combined with Void Grasp to apply Ice Mist Breath to targets at long range.
It was a very versatile Inherited soul type.
What puzzled them was what the Earthmind bully meant by holding a Primordial.
The answer was revealed quickly.
Because the Earthmind bully’s trolling operation started yet again.
As the Black Tide surged, the bound Primordial Monster was actively thrust to attack the players.
But when the front-line players were ready to strike, the Black Tide quickly swallowed the Primordial Monster back inside.
It just brought it out to show off now and then.
In the midst of the battle, the Black Tide’s taunt lines had been updated.
“Oh dear, you are working so hard to catch it. Want me to wipe your sweat. Primordial Monsters are not something just anyone can touch.”
“You are trying so hard that I want to give you a best effort award. What a pity, the Primordial Monster is still in my hands. Let me show you one more time.”
“Bro, can you or can’t you. If you can’t, kneel and beg me. Beg and I will give it to you, really.”
“Eh, that was close, you almost caught it you bunch of brats. What a pity, it is always just a little short, just like your sacrificial power. Never enough to spend.”
—
Even though they had developed some immunity to the taunt script, under the Earthmind bully’s constant harassment the players still gradually redlined.
This behavior of repeatedly showing off the Primordial and then taunting was simply bestial, treating them like monkeys in a show.
The problem was, they really did want this Primordial Monster.
Especially the spellcaster players and support players in the united warband, who felt this was a rare Inherited soul with both elemental damage output and control effects.
But under the Earthmind bully’s control, the Black Tide only let them look and would not give it up, adopting a stance of what can you do to me.
The more the players fought the more irritable they became, while the Earthmind bully grew ever more delighted.
This was exactly the battle effect he wanted.
Often tortured by the player race, he could finally have some fun.
Originally he planned to torment them for a bit and then give the Primordial to the player race to test his conjecture.
But now he decided to play a while longer.
“Earthmind, if you keep applying pressure, be careful that the powerful commander behind the player race appears again.”
“I have never been afraid, I only think he is formidable. So what of it. Only by facing difficulties head-on can I grow.” On the tower platform, the Earthmind Evil Spirit stood with arms crossed, expression cold.
“A fine thought. Fear only makes you regress. As a Black Tide commander, any opponent of yours will ultimately become nourishment for the improvement of your command ability.” The Evil Eye nodded in deep agreement, then continued. “Recently my ability has increased somewhat. Perhaps I can find a way to counter the player race’s mysterious commander.”
With his mind made up, the Earthmind Evil Spirit chose to continue toying with the players.
During this time, the bound Ice Mist Breath flickered in and out of the Black Tide, sometimes appearing above the players’ heads, sometimes diving low across the battlefield.
Each time the players moved to strike, Ice Mist Breath would swiftly roll back into the Black Tide, all attacks blocked by the Black Tide.
The thoroughly redlined players could not help cursing loudly.
Having learned to be smart about players’ counterattacks, the Earthmind bully immediately said.
“Evil Eye, mute the battlefield.”
Hearing this, the Evil Eye muted all sound transmitted in perception state.
In silence, the players’ taunts became meaningless.
“Earthmind, you just said avoiding only makes you regress, and that only by facing difficulties can you grow. Why are you avoiding again.”
“Shut up. I just do not like hearing it, not that I cannot hear it. This is not avoidance, it is disdain.”
Then the Earthmind Evil Spirit said viciously.
“Right, keep the sound transmission on your end and collect all the player race’s insults. You do not mind being cursed anyway.”
The Evil Eye blinked and nodded solemnly.
“No problem. These insults are no pressure to me. I am collecting the information now.”
A few seconds later, the Earthmind Evil Spirit suddenly flew into a rage.
“Idiot Evil Eye, I told you to turn off the sound, not to convert the sound into text and cram it into my head.”