Chapter 86: The Core
"Captain! What should we do?" someone asked, trembling with fear.
Chuck gritted his teeth but remained silent for a long time. What could he do? Returning to the savage forest wasn''t practical, and he wasn''t willing to go back either. They had come so far, and it would be a shame to flee without securing any spoils. Yet, given the current situation, he couldn''t think of any viable strategy.
Han Ming stood calmly to the side, observing the surrounding terrain. If the monster truly possessed the ability to turn earth into water as he had described, it would be incredibly formidable. If such a creature were to reach land, it could move freely underground, making it nearly impossible to defend against its sneak attacks.
Although the monster was a fourth-tier magical beast, its abilities seemed exaggerated. Han Ming was certain that while the monster might have some unique capabilities, they couldn''t be as extreme as described. Even if it did possess such powers, there would surely be limitations.
Boom! Another loud noise erupted, and this time the monster emerged right beneath Han Ming''s feet.
"Ah!" The crowd screamed and scattered in panic.
The five experts immediately sprang into action, sending several wind blades flying towards the monster. The other four rushed towards Han Ming, hoping to kill the creature before it could submerge back into the ice. However, the distance was too great, and the ground was too slippery for them to reach in time. Only the wind blades made it, but they merely glanced off the monster''s scales.
Han Ming stepped onto a piece of broken ice, propelling himself into the air just as the monster''s massive jaws and sharp teeth came at him.
"In the future, you''ll encounter all sorts of bizarre enemies, many beyond your imagination. Some might use strange techniques to harden their bodies like stone, while others might be as slippery as eels. What will you do when you face such foes?"
"Well... if they''re hard-bodied, I''ll... I''ll run..."
"Nonsense! No matter how strong someone is, they always have a vulnerable spot. If their entire body were as hard as diamond, they''d be invincible. You need to know the weakest parts of the human body, the areas that are hardest to train."
"Um... the eyes, throat, groin, and... the mouth!"
"Ha, you''re clever. But what if you face an enemy whose entire body is incredibly slippery?"
"Then... I''ll slash them with a sword!"
"Wrong. A sword might be sharp, but it won''t do much damage to such an enemy unless it''s a magical blade."
"Then what should I do?"
"Well, theoretically, such enemies are the most troublesome. Direct physical attacks won''t be very effective. You could use fire."
"What if I don''t have fire?"
"Then look for any depressions on their body. They can''t be perfectly spherical. Focus your attacks on those areas, like the armpits or groin. This will minimize the chance of your attacks sliding off. To defeat your enemies, you can''t just rely on brute force. You need different strategies for different foes. Understand?"
Li Xiaotian''s teachings suddenly flashed through Han Ming''s mind.
"Depressions!"
"Gills!! This thing has gills!!"
A gleam of insight shone in Han Ming''s eyes. He stepped onto another piece of ice, spinning 360 degrees to dodge the monster''s jaws. At the same time, he extended his right foot, aiming a powerful kick at the monster''s massive gill.
The gill was a vulnerable, deeply recessed part of the monster''s body. Han Ming''s foot plunged into the gill, and with a forceful twist, he tore it off. The monster let out a deafening roar as the two-meter-long gill was ripped away, splattering blood everywhere.
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Only Han Ming could have executed such a move—spotting the monster''s weakness in such a short time, using agility beyond that of an ordinary warrior, and combining it with his own immense strength. The result was a perfect, flawless strike.
The monster crashed onto the ice, creating massive cracks but failing to submerge again.
"Well done!! That was amazing!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. In such a dire situation, where death seemed imminent, Han Ming''s strike was a much-needed morale boost. Even the five dubious individuals couldn''t help but roar in excitement.
Han Ming landed lightly on the ground, the crowd''s cheers ringing in his ears. However, he remained calm, his mind not clouded by the small victory. He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
The monster, recovering quickly, leaped up and smashed through the ice, disappearing into the water below.
"Brother Han! Great job! I never expected a mage to have such physical prowess," Chuck shouted from a distance, praising Han Ming. However, he still didn''t hold Han Ming in high regard. To him, Han Ming was just a mage. Even if he had shown exceptional physical ability, it didn''t change the fact that he was a mage.
Han Ming ignored everyone, his eyes fixed on the spot where the monster had submerged. His mind raced.
"Wood element... the wood element is missing... There''s not a trace of wood element in that thing," Han Ming muttered to himself. His extraordinary elemental perception, dozens of times greater than an average person''s, finally proved its worth.
"Aim for its gills! Everyone, aim for its other gill!" someone shouted.
"What does this mean?" Han Ming continued to ponder.
"Could it be... Ah! I get it!" Han Ming suddenly realized something, slapping his forehead.
The monster''s body lacked the wood element! That meant its abilities could only be used in the barren ice plains, where no vegetation existed. No wonder it couldn''t venture outside. The outside world was filled with plants, and the wood element in those plants would counteract its powers. The forests must be its natural enemy.
With this realization, Han Ming quickly understood the situation.
"Are there any wood-element warriors here?" Han Ming shouted.
"I am!" a young, burly man replied. Since everyone was spread out, they had to shout to communicate.
One of the five experts hesitated for a moment before nodding at Han Ming, curious about his intentions.
"This creature''s body is incredibly slippery. Don''t waste time trying to cut it with sharp weapons! It''s weak against the wood element. When it reappears, you two wood-element warriors, use your wood-based energy to attack it directly! Everyone else, gather around the wood-element warriors!" Han Ming instructed.
The two wood-element warriors hesitated. Gathering everyone together seemed risky. If the monster leaped out again, it could easily take out a large group with a single bite.
Chuck, also a mage, pondered Han Ming''s words and quickly grasped the reasoning behind them. With his sharp mind, he understood the implications.
Given Han Ming''s status, he couldn''t command the group, so Chuck stepped forward. "Do as he says. I suspect the monster has a severe weakness to wood element. Everyone, follow my orders and gather together!"
"So that''s it..." The crowd finally understood.
Chuck''s words effectively took credit for Han Ming''s discovery, but Han Ming didn''t care. He had no interest in gaining their trust.
The monster, clearly injured by Han Ming''s earlier attack, hadn''t reappeared for some time.
The group gathered together, leaving just enough space to maneuver. If the monster emerged again, the two wood-element warriors wouldn''t have to chase it down. It was a risky move, but an effective one.
The group stood in a tight circle, each person keeping an eye on the ground and planning their escape route.
After about ten minutes, a massive shadow appeared beneath their feet. With everyone focused on the ground, they noticed it immediately.
"Scatter!" Chuck ordered.
The group dispersed just as the ice beneath them shattered with a loud crash, and the monster leaped out again.
"Roar!" The two wood-element warriors, who had been waiting, unleashed their energy, striking the monster with powerful punches.
The weaker warrior''s punch landed first, and this time, it didn''t slide off. The wood-based energy corroded the monster''s skin, emitting wisps of white smoke.
The wood-element expert among the five, a sixth-tier warrior, followed up with a heavy punch. To Han Ming''s surprise, this warrior had a beast soul—a rare pangolin.
The pangolin drilled a bucket-sized hole through the monster''s body, emerging from the other side. It continued to burrow through the monster, which howled in agony.
The wood element had completely nullified the monster''s abilities. As the monster crashed onto the ground, it tried to dive back into the water but only managed to smash the ice, revealing the frozen yellow earth beneath.
"Quick! Before it recovers, finish it off!" Chuck commanded.
The group, now emboldened, charged forward with their weapons, hacking at the monster. The slippery scales, now eroded by the wood element, offered no protection. In moments, the monster was reduced to a bloody pulp.
The pangolin, formed from wood-element energy, dissipated and was reabsorbed by the warrior.
Han Ming was inwardly shocked. Energy projection! Ordinary warriors, even with beast souls, could only manifest them on their bodies. Only at the fourth-tier could they project their energy outward. This warrior, capable of such a feat, must be at the peak of the sixth-tier, on the verge of advancing to the fourth-tier. Though his energy projection was still rough, it was impressive nonetheless.
"The core! It''s a fourth-tier water core!" someone shouted excitedly, spotting the core within the monster''s remains.
Others quickly noticed the round core lying amidst the monster''s pulverized body and began cheering.
"We''ve struck gold! A fourth-tier core! We''re rich!"
The group celebrated, their cheers echoing across the icy plains as they marveled at the spoils they had obtained at the cost of eight lives.