Although there was no panel to check, Lin Jun could tell the statues were stronger than the Thousand-Pivot Mayfly he’d fought before.
Just the fact that one had tanked over twenty Armored Pujis exploding at its feet and only lost a single leg… that level of defense left the Mayfly in the dust. Its only real advantage was flight.
With both statues attacking together, the difficulty had been far more than doubled.
By the ti Lin Jun managed to trap and crush one, the other had already charged into the Puji ranks, slaughtering with abandon.
Even though Lin Jun had ordered them to spread out, the casualties were horrific.
Add in flying stone fragnts and the occasional friendly fire, and their numbers had already been cut to less than half.
But at least one statue was down. That ant it was ti to unleash Gray!
She had been watching the whole ti, barely restraining herself. At Lin Jun’s call, her wings snapped wide and she shot forward like a black bolt!
The statue sensed danger, sweeping its stone club with a hurricane’s roar.
“Mire!”
A spellcasting Puji shook its staff, turning the ground beneath the statue’s foot into sucking mud.
Not that Lin Jun thought Gray would be hit so easily—but support was always necessary.
The statue’s step faltered. The club swung through empty air, just missing Gray’s charge.
Normally dopey, Gray’s instincts in battle were razor sharp.
The near miss didn’t slow her—she accelerated instead, claws slashing for the statue’s arm.
And here ca the problem.
She’d tried to tear the arm clean off.
But the stone’s hardness was beyond expectation—her claws gouged deep but failed to sever.
Montum carried her headlong into the statue’s shoulder.
Boom!
The double impact of claws and skull finally snapped the arm, sending it tumbling down. But Gray herself was slamd into the ground like a cannonball, half her body buried.
Her head really was absurdly hard. Even after smashing into stone, her health bar only dipped slightly.
Nearby Pujis scrambled over, mycelium tendrils hauling her free.
One already had a healing potion ready, uncorking it and pouring it straight down her throat.
Healing potions here weren’t instant miracles—they worked over ti, a slow regeneration buff.
While Gray reeled, the one-ard statue tried to press the attack.
Mire spells bogged its steps, Bat Pujis and Rolling Pujis suicidally flung themselves forward to stall it.
Suddenly, the statue hurled its remaining club like a javelin!
Not at Gray—at the chanting Mage Puji in the back who kept dropping mud under its feet!
Clearly, it had been driven mad by that harassnt.
But it didn’t understand—Mage Pujis were just mass-produced tools.
Another imdiately stepped up, staff waving, mire spreading again.
And by then, Gray was back on her feet. She wasn’t about to let it reclaim its weapon.
Her dark draconic body darted and weaved around its clumsy swipes, circling it in the air.
Each rake of her claws left another gouge across its stony hide.
Already slow, now missing an arm, the statue couldn’t defend itself. Gashes piled up across its flank, stone chips flying, cracks spreading.
Crunch!
The statue split at the waist!
Its upper half still writhed, until Gray tore off its last arm. Only then did it fall still, violet light glowing faintly from its hollow eyes.
The head. That was the core. Even Gray knew it.
Bright and shining—maybe treasure inside!
Eagerly, she leaned down to pry it open.
But before she could strike—
A violet crystal spear shot clean through the statue’s head—and through Gray’s belly!
Her scream ripped the cavern.
The ambush had co too suddenly. Even Lin Jun hadn’t had ti to react.
On pure instinct, Gray ripped the spear out and lashed her thick tail with all her strength.
The statue’s skull shattered. From within leapt a humanoid puppet, its entire body—aside from its joints of so unknown tal—ford from S-rank magic crystal.
A second phase?!
Lin Jun’s heart sank.
The crystal warrior twirled its spear, violet light flashing.
Slice!
Gray’s massive tail went flying.
“GRAAAH!” She spasd, agony forcing a reflexive roar.
[Acid Breath LV3]
Black, tar-thick acid gushed from her jaws, flooding the battlefield. Even the Pujis nearby were caught and dissolved.
“Gray, retreat!”
At Lin Jun’s urgent command, she burst free of the choking mist, fleeing desperately.
Thankfully, despite losing her tail, she still had over half her health left.
But within the acid fog, magical light flared.
Six Magic Missiles tore through, chasing after her.
At the last instant, Pujis flung themselves into their path.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just simple Magic Missiles—yet each exploded with the force of a suicide Puji.
One by one, her defenders were obliterated.
Even as another Mage Puji raised its staff to mire the foe, the massive fallen boulder suddenly split apart.
A second crystal warrior stepped free.
It vaulted like a cat, appearing behind the caster in an instant.
Slash!
The magic staff, and the Puji holding it, fell in two.
At least Gray had escaped the core, bounding away, spraying blood from her severed tail with every leap.
…
…
At the black gate of the platform, the two violet crystal warriors now stood silently.
They were smaller than the statues had been. But after that catastrophic defeat, Lin Jun knew all too well how terrifying they were.
Gray couldn’t handle even one of them.
A few sneaky Pujis crept close again.
The trigger chanism seed unchanged.
But Lin Jun wasn’t about to test a “second round.”
They darted forward, snatched up Gray’s severed tail, and bolted.
All the way back to Mushroom Garden No. 3.
Gray, traumatized, had fled much farther, hiding in what she thought was a safe distance.
“Wu… wu wu…”
When the Pujis brought her tail to her, she hugged it and wept—black though it was, it was still her precious tail.
Only after Lin Jun patiently explained did she let them press it back against her wound.
The cut had already begun to scab. The mycelium would handle the adhesion.
When it looked like it was reattaching, she finally stopped sobbing, and under soothing hallucinogenic spores, drifted into sleep.
Norris, watching, shivered in fear. He could not imagine what kind of monster could cripple the dragon he’d thought invincible.
Louisa crouched silently at a bloodstain, dipping her finger in it…
…
Sigh. Lin Jun had underestimated the dungeon.
He’d even tested ahead of ti. Who could have guessed a gate guardian would have a second phase?!
Who designed this dungeon?
So damned old troll?!
Now ca the real problem. If they couldn’t win—what then?
As Lin Jun racked his brain, a long-forgotten notebook—one that had been serving as a Puji butt cushion—was finally pulled back out into the light.
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