Novel Boss
Chapter 53: Awakening the ghoul High Priest, Mental Attack?
"Roar!!!"
Terrified howls echoed throughout the ghoul tribe .
Only then did the other ghouls realize what was happening. Their hearts were immediately filled with fear. They scrambled to escape in a panic.
With so much experience and attributes at stake, Jeremy certainly wouldn't let them get away.
Blue light flickered in his eyes, and a chill spread around him, causing the temperature to plummet suddenly.
"Ice Arrow Barrage!"
Silvery snowflakes drifted down as ice arrows formed in the air.
In an instant, the sky was densely packed with ice arrows.
The countless arrow tips gleamed dangerously in the sunlight.
With a thought, Jeremy directed all the ice arrows toward the fleeing ghouls.
The ghouls were instantly terrified, wishing they had more legs to run faster.
Jeremy snapped his fingers softly.
The next moment, the ice arrows rained down from the sky!
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Despite their frantic dodging and even hiding behind cover, the ice arrows seemed to have eyes, avoiding obstacles and finding their targets.
The ice arrows pierced precisely through each ghoul's body, filling the ghoul tribe with countless agonizing wails.
[You have killed a Level 21 ghoul (Normal), gaining 3,017 experience points!]
[You have killed a Level 25 ghoul Archer (Normal), gaining 4,631 experience points!]
[You have killed a Level 27 ghoul Elder (Elite), gaining 26,919 experience points!]
...
In just a moment, Jeremy had killed over a hundred ghouls!
The entire ghoul tribe was littered with corpses, the ground stained red with blood, and the stench of death filled the air, making it nauseating.
Jeremy felt nothing about it.
Having endured the trials of the battlefield, he was long accustomed to blood and corpses.
Moreover, Jeremy sensed that there were still many ghouls hiding in the shadows within the tribe.
But time was limited, and Jeremy had no time to hunt them down individually.
He picked up the ghoul chieftain's head and strode toward the altar at the center of the tribe.
It was a stone-built altar, circular in shape with three levels. At the center of the top level was a cylindrical sacrificial platform covered with obscure and intricate patterns.
Jeremy glanced at it and found the patterns looked like childish doodles, abstract yet exuding a mysterious aura, reminiscent of the Stone Age.
He stepped forward and placed the still-bleeding ghoul chieftain's head on the sacrificial platform.
Ten seconds passed, and everything remained calm...
Thirty seconds passed, and still, nothing happened...
"Did I remember it wrong?" Jeremy wondered, just about to step forward and adjust the head.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a fierce wind erupted around him, and thick black smoke rose from the sacrificial platform, surging straight into the sky!
The sky filled with turbulent clouds, and the sun was obscured by dark clouds.
The world plunged into darkness.
An immensely powerful aura descended upon the altar!
At the same time, a notification appeared before all players in the instance.
[Player "Jeremy" has triggered a hidden mechanism, summoning the hidden BOSS "Ghoul High Priest"!]
Everyone was taken aback and turned their gaze toward the rising black smoke.
Ritchie exclaimed in shock, "Since when did Jeremy get this kind of dumb luck, running into a hidden BOSS?"
"Yeah, that jerk doesn't exactly strike me as a lucky guy!" Bonnie added, equally puzzled.
"You two..." Emma shot them a glare, clearly displeased with their backhanded comments about Jeremy while he wasn't around.
Then, with a hint of worry, Emma said, "A hidden BOSS isn't easy to deal with. Do you think Jeremy might be in danger?"
"Let's go help him!" Ritchie suggested eagerly, his face lighting up with excitement.
Bonnie looked at him in surprise.
This guy was usually the first to run away. So why was he so enthusiastic this time?
Claire retracted her gaze and said calmly, "Let's keep leveling up. We don't need to worry about him. If Jeremy can't handle it, going over there would just be suicide for us."
That made sense. After all, the four of them together probably couldn't even take on Jeremy with one hand tied behind his back.
Ritchie felt a bit regretful.
He was hoping to go over and snatch the hidden BOSS from Jeremy.
...
On the other side of the Death Plains' core area.
The Black Dragon Squad, currently besieging a giant wolf, also saw the notification about the hidden BOSS being triggered.
Tre dodged the wolf's claws and exclaimed, "That guy's luck is unbelievable, running into a hidden BOSS!"
"I want to fight him!" Ramone, who had transformed into a black bear, said excitedly as he fended off the wolf's attacks.
"If I remember correctly, this should be the first hidden BOSS of this apocalypse game. If we kill it, we might get titles and rewards." Kelvin reminded as he cast his lightning spells.
From the back, Rafael looked at Ella and asked, "Should we go over and steal it? It could also teach that arrogant guy a lesson."
Ella thought for a moment before making a decision.
She said calmly, "A hidden BOSS isn't easy to deal with. Let's kill this wolf king first, then go for the hidden BOSS. If we kill two BOSSes in a row and add the first-clear reward for the instance, our levels should shoot up to the top tier."
The Black Dragon Squad was quite lucky; the monster they were currently besieging was the Death Plains' instance BOSS, the "Death Wolf King."
The others naturally had no objection to Ella's decision.
The thought of not only returning to the top tier of players but also having a chance to claim the first-kill reward for the hidden BOSS excited them, and they immediately intensified their attacks.
...
Meanwhile, Howard and his team, who were advancing toward the core area, also saw the notification.
Carrying a giant sword, Howard smiled, "Jeremy's luck really isn't ordinary. He just walks into an instance and runs into a hidden BOSS."
His lieutenant, knowing how much Howard valued Jeremy, chimed in, "General, should we go help? It's not going to be easy for Jeremy to claim the first kill on the hidden BOSS. Not only is there the question of whether he can defeat it, but the Black Dragon Squad won't just sit back and do nothing."
Howard thought for a moment and nodded, "It took a lot to get that kid to wake up. We can't let the Black Dragon Squad mess with him. Pass on my orders: everyone, pick up the pace."
"Yes, sir!" The lieutenant took the order and left.
Soon, Howard's hundred-man squad began to swiftly advance towards the core area of the Death Plains.
...
In the ghoul tribe , thick black smoke enveloped the entire altar.
"￥%￥#@#￥%..."
From within the black mist, an eerie sound emerged, as if someone was whispering or chanting a spell, making it hard to distinguish.
Shortly after, under Jeremy's watchful gaze, the black mist began to coalesce.
In no time, the dense black fog formed into a small figure in mid-air.
[Ghoul High Priest (Hidden BOSS)]
[Level]: lv35
[Attack]: 34,938-35,779
[Defense]: 3,410
[Skills]: Necromantic Curse, Wraith Spear, Summon Undead...
[Note]: Strong mental attacks, fast speed, average strength and defense. Light-type skills can deal extra damage to it.
The Ghoul High Priest was small and hunched, clad in a wizard's black robe. Its face was gaunt and ghastly, somewhat resembling an ghoul.
Holding a bone staff, it floated in the air, surrounded by tendrils of black aura, with faint wails of tormented souls. It exuded an overwhelmingly malevolent presence.
Glaring at the ghoul chieftain's head on the altar, the Ghoul High Priest's face twisted with anger.
"%￥#￥#@..."
It looked up at Jeremy, its eyes filled with malice, muttering words that Jeremy couldn't understand.
Listening for a while and realizing he couldn't make sense of it, Jeremy lost interest in what it was saying.
"Light-type skills can deal extra damage..." he muttered, his eyes flickering as he considered the hint from The Eye of Omniscience.
He did have a light-type skill, though he wasn't sure if a physical attack would work...
"Screech!!!"
Seeing Jeremy ignore it, the Ghoul High Priest's wrinkled face twisted with rage. It let out a sharp, piercing roar.
It pointed its staff at Jeremy, and the black mist around it surged, releasing a powerful burst of mental energy.
A black spear, enveloped in dark aura, materialized in front of it.
"Wraith Spear!"
The spear's tip was aimed at Jeremy, radiating intense malice.
"Mental attack?" Jeremy couldn't help but laugh as he sensed the Ghoul High Priest's mental energy.
His mental strength had undergone a transformation in the spiritual world.
This level of mental attack wouldn't even tickle him.
Seeing Jeremy still able to laugh, the Ghoul High Priest's eyes burned with fury.
This arrogant human would soon pay for his insolence!
With a vicious gaze, the ghoul High Priest swung its staff down fiercely.
"Whoosh!"
The Wraith Spear shot out like lightning, aiming straight for Jeremy's head.
However, Jeremy didn't even flinch, letting the black spear strike his forehead.
Seeing Jeremy hit by the Wraith Spear, the Ghoul High Priest let out a horrifying laugh.
It envisioned the scene of Jeremy bleeding from his eyes, nose, and mouth, writhing in agony.
But in the next moment, the Ghoul High Priest's expression froze.
"Boom!"
The moment the Wraith Spear touched Jeremy's forehead, an unparalleled surge of terrifying mental energy erupted from him!
The sheer force of this mental power was so overwhelming that even the Ghoul High Priest felt a moment of suffocation!
How is this possible!!
Staring at Jeremy, now enveloped in a massive, towering mental force, the Ghoul High Priest's eyes were filled with utter disbelief.