Chapter 221 - 219 – Crystal Hunt.
Rusty slowed his steps and raised a hand. Gleam immediately froze beside him, her antennae twitching.
"( ╹-╹ )…"
"Better not get too close. Some of those adventurers probably have high-level detection skills."
While he was not planning on attacking anyone in the dungeon just yet, he was unsure how people would react to a lone adventurer emerging from the shadows. He knew from experience that the morality humans displayed in open cities often vanished the moment they entered a dungeon.
They crept forward until the tunnel widened enough to give them a clear view of the next chamber. Rusty pressed himself against a crystal-studded outcropping and peered around it. Gleam scuttled up his shoulder and settled there, her silvery white body blending almost perfectly with the pale glow of the cavern.
What they saw made Rusty's visor widen with interest. A group of five adventurers was locked in battle at the center of the chamber. Judging by their equipment, posture, and coordination, they were all D rank.
"Poor formation. Mediocre gear. Overconfident."
Aburdon's voice echoed inside Rusty's helmet, his dark glow emanating from one side of the visor.
"They are alive, though. They seem to be managing."
Alexander replied quietly as they continued to observe the fight.
"They aren't that bad… but neither…good."
Rusty had only recently evolved and grown stronger, reaching the middle of D rank himself. Even so, as he watched the way they moved and fought, he was convinced that he could have defeated the entire group even in his previous form.
The monster they were fighting was unlike anything Rusty had seen before. It resembled a massive lizard, roughly the size of two horses standing side by side. What made it truly interesting were the crystals erupting from its flesh. Jagged growths of blue and violet crystal burst from its shoulders, spine, and tail, as if the creature had grown around them rather than the other way around. Each movement produced faint chiming echoes as the crystals brushed against one another.
Its scales were dark and matte, absorbing light instead of reflecting it and making the glowing crystal growths stand out even more. Mana pulsed visibly through the veins inside the crystals, flashing brighter as the creature grew more enraged. As the battle dragged on and it sustained more injuries, the glow continued to intensify.
"It's around the strength of that bear, but not quite."
| Classification:
| Crystalhide Giant Lizard L5 [ D - ]
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| Type:
| Reptilian
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| Description:
| Crystalhide Giant Lizards are found within deep crystalline regions where ambient mana seeps into living creatures over long periods of time. Their bodies adapt by forming mana-conductive crystal growths, which both protect vital areas and amplify mana discharge.
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