As the giant turtle retracted its head and limbs entirely into its black shell, the massive shell lay on the ground, paused briefly, then began to vibrate slightly. Suddenly, it started spinning like a top at incredible speeds! As it spun, the hollow parts of the shell sliced through the air, creating a series of "buzzing" sounds.
Xiao Hua was familiar with tops from his childhood. When a top collides with objects at such high speeds, either the object is knocked away or the top itself flies off. If a person's limb accidentally gets hit by a spinning top, they could easily get injured.
Compared to a regular top, the giant turtle, now resembling a mountain-sized super-top, was hundreds of times more powerful. Anyone hit by it would be instantly killed.
Xiao Hua's expression changed, and he immediately entered stealth mode and fled from the giant turtle. As for the illusion, after a moment's hesitation, Xiao Hua decided not to put it into stealth but instead sent it fleeing in another direction. Until he was sure how the giant turtle would behave as a top, Xiao Hua didn't want to take any risks and preferred to let the illusion draw its attention.
The giant turtle's skill wouldn't last long; once it ended, Xiao Hua would be able to defeat it alone.
As the giant turtle continued to spin rapidly, the surrounding black mist churned violently, forming a massive black tornado connecting the ground to the sky.
In an instant, the giant turtle had transformed into a spinning top and, defying the laws of physics, shot forward at lightning speed, quickly catching up to the fleeing illusion.
—4233! —4512!
The giant turtle's attack strength hadn't increased, but upon hitting the illusion, two damage values appeared above it, and it died instantly.
One rotation produced one hit!
Although Xiao Hua wasn't sure about the specifics of the giant turtle's skill, he could guess the principle of damage generation. More importantly, the speed was astonishing, making escape impossible. Xiao Hua had previously thought his speed could match that of Andrew and the Queen of Silence, but seeing this speed in action made him realize he had been overly arrogant.
Entering stealth mode, theoretically, the giant turtle couldn't detect him anymore. However, Xiao Hua was worried about the giant turtle egg in his backpack.
Just as he thought this, the giant turtle suddenly turned and sped towards him!
"Damn!" Xiao Hua immediately dropped the giant turtle egg and ran away as fast as he could. Items respawn in five minutes, giving him plenty of time to retrieve it after defeating the giant turtle. With only 100,000 HP left, he was determined to finish it off!
As Xiao Hua dropped the egg, the giant turtle lost track of him and began spinning wildly in all directions, venting its frustration.
Xiao Hua looked back and saw the giant turtle's frenzied state, feeling relieved that he had anticipated this and kept a safe distance. Otherwise, he would have been tossed into the air like the other monsters.
Under the giant turtle's relentless spinning, nearby monsters suffered greatly. Smaller ones were flung into the air and crashed back down, creating clouds of dust. Larger ones were swiftly dispatched by the turtle's repeated spinning attacks, their health draining rapidly until they vanished in white light.
The fierce winds generated by the giant turtle's rapid spinning were felt even from dozens of meters away. The black tornado formed above it had a destructive force capable of obliterating everything in its path. If the giant turtle used this skill in the ocean, stirring up the water, the effects would be even more devastating.
However, seeing the giant turtle use such a monstrous skill, Xiao Hua felt reassured. The cooldown time for this skill must be significant. Once it ended, defeating the turtle would be a sure thing.
The giant turtle's frenzied spinning lasted almost a minute. During this time, countless nearby monsters died. Xiao Hua surveyed the battlefield, hoping to find valuable loot but found nothing except monster corpses.
The giant turtle's spinning gradually slowed and came to a stop, and the black tornado dissipated. Xiao Hua quietly approached the giant turtle egg, picked it up, and called out the illusion. Together, they charged at the giant turtle. This was definitely its weakest moment, and he aimed to finish it off within ten seconds.
The giant turtle was the type of boss that went berserk before dying. As long as you were tougher than the boss, it was yours for the taking. In the next few seconds, the giant turtle collapsed under the fiery attacks of Xiao Hua's Scorching Thorn, letting out a mournful cry.
The giant turtle didn't drop much loot. There were no items or gold coins; only two gem-like objects fell, glowing blue and white as they landed.
"A million-HP boss that doesn't drop any gold? How poor can you get?" Xiao Hua grumbled inwardly.
However, gems dropped from bosses were usually valuable. Excited, Xiao Hua rushed over to pick them up.
Suddenly, he noticed the giant turtle's corpse moving!
No way, can it resurrect?
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Xiao Hua was shocked.
But upon closer inspection, he burst out laughing. Under the darkness and black mist, the giant turtle had turned brown—the color of a puppetized monster!
The giant turtle had become his puppet? Doubtful, Xiao Hua checked the system logs and found the confirmation:
System Prompt: Giant Turtle has become your puppet!
System Prompt: Killing elite-level boss Giant Turtle, rewarded with 20 reputation points!
Reputation points were trivial to Xiao Hua. With the giant turtle now his puppet and countless monsters around, he was ecstatic. He hurriedly picked up the two items, regardless of what they were. Even if the giant turtle dropped nothing else, this was worth it!
With the giant turtle dead, nearby monsters charged at Xiao Hua.
"Hehe, come on!" Seeing several level 55 monsters rushing towards him, Xiao Hua wished there were more.
Running low on poison, Xiao Hua ordered the giant turtle to attack and watched from a safe distance. With the giant turtle as a massive target, any passing monsters would be drawn to it. Standing still, he would gain experience steadily.
As long as they weren't elite bosses or higher, the giant turtle was invincible. Level 60 and below monsters couldn't break its defenses. Even if they did, its million HP would take ages to deplete.
The giant turtle was indeed formidable. The monsters surrounding it lost thousands of HP per hit, and these were area-of-effect attacks with rapid frequency. Groups of monsters with around 30,000 HP were wiped out in tens of seconds, and more kept coming.
"Ha ha! Awesome!" When the stealth cooldown ended, Xiao Hua sneaked to the side, making room for the incoming monsters. Watching the constant influx of experience, he laughed heartily.
Stepping back, Xiao Hua examined the two items dropped by the giant turtle.
The first was a pale blue bead named the Sea God Pearl.
Sea God Pearl: Use to enable underwater activity for 12 hours, with a 24-hour cooldown. Can also be used as advanced enchantment material, adding 30% fire resistance to jewelry in addition to underwater capabilities.
Wow, unexpected treasure!
In the game world, players could enter underwater areas but needed appropriate items. Common items sold in city stores were less effective than those obtained from quests or drops. For example, the "Diving Mask" allowed players to stay underwater for two hours but reduced their combat effectiveness to 70%. If they stayed too long, their HP would drop rapidly.
Xiao Hua had never done underwater quests but had heard stories of failed missions due to insufficient diving time. Six-hour underwater items were rare, but the Sea God Pearl, lasting 12 hours, was like the difference between blue and dark gold equipment.
The second item was a silver coin-sized piece named "Black Tortoise Fine Iron."
Black Tortoise Fine Iron: A piece of the divine beast Black Tortoise's shell hardened over millennia under the ocean and various substances, making it incredibly tough. Adding it to armor during crafting or refining significantly increases its defense value.
Another great item! An elite boss, likely on its first death, dropped these exceptional items!
Xiao Hua was extremely satisfied. Initially, these items alone would have made his efforts worthwhile, but now he couldn't stop gaining experience.
The giant turtle's attacks were strong, but the surrounding monsters had high HP and defense. As more monsters arrived, the turtle was surrounded by multiple layers, limiting its movement.
"If only the giant turtle's attacks were stronger!" Watching it surrounded, Xiao Hua wished it could wipe out entire groups instantly.
Suddenly, the giant turtle began lying flat on the ground, retracting its limbs into its shell.
"Damn! Is this really happening? Is it going to use that skill again?"
The giant turtle confirmed Xiao Hua's fears as its shell started spinning slowly. Clearly, the conditions for using the skill were met under the monster swarm.
Soon, the giant turtle resumed its top-like form, generating strong winds and a towering black tornado. Nearby monsters too close to the giant turtle were swept into the air.
The giant turtle moved without hesitation, and countless red damage numbers floated from the surrounding monsters. Within seconds, ten monsters were dead.
The giant turtle acted like a monster reaper, swiftly moving to new groups and continuing its slaughter.
"Hahaha!" Watching the insane experience gain, Xiao Hua laughed uncontrollably. At this rate, leveling up tonight was inevitable.
Tonight was just the beginning. Puppets had no time limit, and as long as the giant turtle didn't fight bosses, it was virtually indestructible. After tonight, Xiao Hua could roam with the giant turtle, gaining experience from higher-level monsters. Fighting level 70 monsters would be no problem. Even elite or super bosses would be manageable, especially elite bosses, which were easy prey for the giant turtle.
Killing an elite boss yielded millions of gold coins, making Xiao Hua a millionaire again soon.
Envisioning this, Xiao Hua's eyes gleamed, eager to claim those bosses.
It was a beautiful prospect, but Xiao Hua returned to reality. Focusing on immediate gains was best. The future could wait.
The giant turtle's spinning lasted a full minute, clearing all nearby monsters. Numerous items dropped.
Taking advantage of the lull, Xiao Hua rushed over.
Many items, mostly green, with a couple of blues. But seeing their levels, Xiao Hua was disappointed. They were all level 55, useless at the current stage where the highest player was level 52. Selling them was the only option.
However, level 50+ blues could fetch 150 gold coins, so Xiao Hua collected them. Over time, he'd accumulate a full set of blues.
In the process, he found a purple level 55 warrior weapon and a purple level 53 mage ring, a huge score!
Experience surged, but Xiao Hua noticed the puppet's kills didn't count as his own. His PK points remained unchanged despite the puppet's kills.
Another wave of monsters was slaughtered, and Xiao Hua checked for purples. His backpack was already full of blues.
It was 4 AM. With non-stop monster waves, Xiao Hua's experience soared, reaching level 35 with 99% progress.
After ten consecutive kills, a white light rose from Xiao Hua, signaling his level-up to 36!
At this rate, reaching level 40 within a month was possible. Feeling the rapid progress, Xiao Hua felt level 40 was within reach. Wearing a full set of gear, returning to Snowfall City, and facing Icebound World would be easier.
The black mist was dissipating by 6 AM, ending the five-times experience bonus. Monsters now were level 60, indicating the end of the invasion.
Xiao Hua doubted these monsters were targeting Black Mist City. The city was too small for such numbers. These monsters seemed to be heading elsewhere, with Black Mist City just in their path.
Approaching 6 AM, Xiao Hua wondered if the monsters would return once the mist cleared. Would they remain in place until cleared by players?
Regardless, Xiao Hua led the puppet away from Black Mist City, as a giant turtle couldn't appear near the city without causing chaos.
Tick-tock. It was 6 AM exactly.
Instantly, the world brightened as the black mist faded, revealing a pale dawn. The raging monster horde froze, standing motionless like statues. The sudden shift from chaos to silence was eerie.
Hmm, what will happen to these monsters?
Watching the motionless monsters, Xiao Hua was curious.
Suddenly, a faint black mist rose from each monster, ascending into the sky.
The monsters didn't revert to normal but turned pale, like weathered rocks, crumbling into white powder that drifted away in the morning breeze, vanishing without a trace.
What about the giant turtle?
Xiao Hua quickly turned to look at the giant turtle!