My bloodline is so eager to improve.

Chapter 265 Twin Echoes and Purification (6K)

It was only when they entered the depths of this underground space that Alex revealed his true form.

“Young man, this thing is called crystal bone, and it’s not some ordinary gemstone.”

Alex ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the crystal bone, his eyes revealing undisguised greed.

"This is a top-grade alchemical material, and also a core auxiliary material for preparing high-level medicines."

Don't underestimate this small piece; it can sell for at least fifty gold Thorns in a shop!

If you encounter a knowledgeable monk, the price can double!

He paused, lowering his voice even further, as if afraid of being overheard by something in the darkness.

"It is said that the most precious crystal bone is the crystal skull, which is a treasure for the prophetic profession."

Holding it not only amplifies mental power and stabilizes the prophecy array, but also offsets most of the backlash from prophecy. Every prophet desperately wants to obtain one.

That thing is truly priceless; if you could dig up just one, you'd never have to work in this sewer again.

Otto stood opposite him, pretending to listen attentively, nodding occasionally, but his mind was racing.

I'm afraid the first two adventurers were also deceived by the person in front of them.

But Otto hid very well, and Alex did not notice anything amiss.

The man assumed Otto was interested and quickly went on to explain.

"When I went to explore deeper into the sewers, I accidentally discovered a hidden mineral layer."

Alex continued to draw up a picture, pointing to one of the dark passages behind him.

"There are many of these crystal bones embedded in the rock wall, in all sizes."

But as you know, this place isn't safe. There are swarms of rats and other random things. I can't dig in peace by myself; I need a strong helper.

He looked up at Otto, his gaze lingering on the silver coffin shield on Otto's shoulder for a few seconds, before a smile appeared on his face.

"Judging from the silver shield you're carrying, you must be strong and skilled."

Work with me, and we'll split what we dig up 60/40, me 60% and you 40%.

This is much easier and more profitable than hunting giant rats every day, what do you say?

Otto lowered his eyes, as if he was hesitating, but in reality he had already secretly activated the Burning Scale Seal to avoid an accident.

At that moment, the Magic Ape sent a prompt to Otto.

[After hearing Alex's words, the Magic Ape analyzed your surroundings. The structure here is chaotic, the earth's ley line energy is sparse, and there are no stable crystal mineral incubation layers.]

The Magic Ape believes there are no natural crystal veins here.

With the prompting from the Magical Ape, Otto's gaze turned even colder.

This man didn't utter a single word of truth.

However, Otto was puzzled. If there were no mineral veins here, why did Alexsfeld go to such lengths to lure him here?

If it were just about robbing money, there would be no need to go through all this trouble.

Although Alex is an experienced fighter, based on Otto's observations of him along the way, his strength is only at the proficient level. In terms of life level, the guild has not made a mistake in its assessment.

If it really came down to robbery, they might not be a match for other adventurers.

What kind of backup plan gave him the confidence?

But seeing that the other party had already thrown out the bait, Otto naturally wouldn't let it slip by.

He pretended to agree, and then followed Alex deeper into the area.

Just as Otto was rapidly pondering how to respond, the Eagle's prompt came.

The eagle has warned you that the floor beneath your feet has an abnormal structure, containing large hollow areas indicating the presence of large organisms.

[The eagle believes that the large creature's vital signs are abnormal, indicating it is in a state of preparation, ready to launch a surprise attack!]

Otto felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing this, but remained outwardly calm. He even raised his head and gave Alex a somewhat naive smile.

This performance indeed made Alex lower his guard.

He knew the time was right, and suddenly leaped back, instantly disappearing into the shadows behind him.

Almost simultaneously, a loud rumble came from the ground beneath Otto's feet, and the entire stone slab suddenly collapsed!

A foul-smelling wind swept over us, and a body far larger than that of an ordinary giant rat suddenly burst out of the collapsed burrow.

The creature was over a meter tall, with greasy, gray-black fur. Four yellowish fangs protruded from its lips, and its blood-red eyes were fixed on Otto. Suddenly, it opened its mouth and spewed a cloud of dark green poisonous smoke straight at Otto!

"Got it, hehe."

Alex's smug laughter came from the shadows.

He leaned against the rock wall, arms crossed, watching the poisonous smoke engulf the area, his tone full of determination.

"Kid, don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame yourself for being greedy and willing to make money from anything."

This giant rat is the king of this sewer and Alex's greatest asset.

The toxic fumes it emits contain deadly neurotoxins; any contact with the skin will cause numbness and stiffness, and inhaling them will leave one feeling completely weak.

Even the strongest adventurer would lose consciousness within ten breaths if their face was covered in this poisonous smoke, leaving them vulnerable to being slaughtered.

To ensure everything went perfectly, Alex also took action.

He gave a low shout, and quickly formed an obscure hand seal in front of his chest with his left hand, a faint gray mist rising around him.

The next second, a figure appeared out of thin air to Otto's left.

The man wore the same worn-out leather armor as Alex, had the same iron sword at his waist, and the same ferocious scar on his face. Even the greed in his eyes was exactly the same.

Two Alex, one on the left and one on the right, used the poisonous smoke as cover to block all of Otto's escape routes.

"To tell you the truth, there are hardly any mineral veins at all."

Alex's true form emerged from the shadows, the tip of his iron sword dangling from the ground, slicing through the sewage. He licked his lower lip, his tone filled with undisguised cruelty.

"I brought you here to be food for the Rat King."

Otto stood in the toxic smoke, his figure blurred, as if his body had been numbed by the toxins.

Seeing this, Alex felt more at ease and continued slowly.

"There is an ancient nobleman's tomb down here, full of traps and the earthen mound is as hard as iron. I can't dig it open."

But the Rat King can burrow; it can crawl into the tomb.

I made a deal with it; I provided it with live people as food, and it helped me retrieve the treasures from the tomb.

He smiled, his voice carrying a hint of pleasure.

"The two adventurers who came before also fed the Rat King in the same way."

You are the third one.

Once the Rat King has dug open the main tomb and retrieved the burial goods inside, I'll leave this hellhole and head to Silverfrost City to enjoy life.

There are quite a few good things inside, similar to crystal bone!

So, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you. Who told you to be so stubborn and impatient?

He spoke slowly and deliberately, actually stalling for time so that the toxins could spread completely to Otto's internal organs.

In Alex's view, the outcome was already decided. No matter how skilled a young man was, he couldn't possibly cause any trouble if he was shrouded in the Rat King's poisonous smoke.

As for that silver coffin shield?

When this person dies, it will naturally belong to him.

Just as he was full of confidence and preparing to go forward with his clone to finish off the enemy, a cold chuckle suddenly came from the poisonous smoke.

"Are you done talking?"

Alex's expression changed drastically.

The next second, the sound of rushing water rang out.

Otto lightly touched the puddle with his feet, and his body slid sideways along the curve of the waterway, instantly escaping the range of the poisonous smoke like a swimming fish.

At the same time, he reached into the pocket at his waist with his right hand, and a cold light flashed as he drew a long sword that was entirely dark blue.

Both iron swords that came slashing down from the front and back were simultaneously deflected by Otto's longsword.

The immense force traveled along the sword blade, causing Alex's main body to go numb and involuntarily take a half-step back. His clone also staggered.

The flickering firelight illuminated Otto's face.

His eyes were clear, and his breathing was steady. He wasn't stiff from poisoning, and his face didn't even change color.

The highly toxic smoke seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

"That's impossible!"

Alex cried out in disbelief.

"How could you not be poisoned?"

The Rat King's poisonous smoke can even incapacitate elephants!

But Otto simply held the sword, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground, a cold, eerie blue light swirling on the blade. He raised his left hand, his sleeve slipping down to reveal a warm-colored mark on the inside of his wrist.

The mark resembled scales coiling around a flame, or flowing patterns of light, radiating a soft yet resilient glow.

"You mean this toxin?"

Otto's lips curled into a cold smile.

"It doesn't seem to be able to break through my defenses."

The Mark of Burning Scales can resist curses and poisons. Although its level is not high at present, Otto relied on it to withstand the corrosion of shadow elemental creatures.

The venom of a mere underground rat king is not enough to impress you.

At that moment, Alex's face darkened completely.

He knew he had kicked a hornet's nest, but now there was no turning back; he had no choice but to fight!

As for Otto, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and before Alex could attack, he made his move first.

With a flick of his left hand, the silver coffin shield on his shoulder slammed into the ground with a clang, its surface facing forward.

Then, Otto snapped his fingers.

A scarlet horse leaped out of the coffin, and in the blink of an eye, the transformation began, and a complete set of scarlet heavy armor instantly covered Otto's entire body.

At that moment, Otto's aura surged instantly, transforming him from an ordinary adventurer into a demon that seemed to have emerged from a pool of blood!

As Maeve had said before, wearing leather armor in advance as an auxiliary medium for shaping would make the fusion speed of the Amber Heavy Armor several times faster.

After confirming that everything was ready, Otto's voice came from inside the helmet, with a hint of sneer.

"Now, you'd better struggle a bit more, otherwise it'll be too boring."

At this moment, Alex panicked completely.

He has met many ruthless characters and plotted against many people in his life.

But no one has ever been able to deal with the situation so easily while being poisoned by the Rat King's smoke and attacked by its clones!

Not only that, the opponent also has the bizarre ability to conjure heavy armor out of thin air, which is not the strength that an ordinary adventurer should have!

"Attack together! Kill him!"

Alex screamed, then shrank back first, directing his clone to charge forward with sword in hand.

The iron sword thrust at Otto from various angles, cutting off any room for him to dodge.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be riddled with holes in an instant.

Otto simply stood there, twirling his Soul-Snatching Sword in a flourish.

With a crisp crack, sparks flew everywhere.

The clone's iron sword was completely blocked.

Otto's strength was already far beyond that of ordinary people, and his clone was forced to retreat repeatedly, his hand holding the sword trembling.