TOP SECRET: Adventures in the Dark Continent Chapter 493: Against five dryads

Tension filled the air at the entrance.

The seven cursed dryads faced solemn stares from Liu Yang, their glowing eyes fixed on him in return.

crack crack

Bones cracked audibly as his fists clenched hard beneath the steel glove.

Both parties stood poised for battle.

"Start !!!" The empress's command rang out.

stomp !!!!

Liu Yang didn't hesitate, stomping the ground forcefully before rocketing toward the seven dryads.

His massive frame hurtled forward at tremendous velocity.

Unfazed by his rush, the seven moved in unison, swinging their arms together with perfect coordination.

crack !!! crack !!!

Cracks split the earth as dozens of thorny-stem tentacles erupted upward.

These wooden tendrils lashed at Liu Yang like flexible, spear-like weapons.

"Ahh !!!!" Liu Yang roared, countering with punches and kicks.

pang !! pang !!! pang !!!

Every strike shattered a tentacle in two, though it demanded immense effort. Their strength was formidable.

Though dryads sat at level 400, the curse boosted them to level 500 prowess. Liu Yang thus battled seven such foes.

At level 400 himself, his village leader bonuses elevated him near level 500, letting him endure briefly. Yet time was short.

(This is tougher than expected. As cursed dryads, poison fails against them, leaving brute force as the sole path to victory) Liu Yang pondered.

Rhexia had detailed the dryads' strengths and flaws, so he simply had to exploit the latter to prevail.

Daughters of nature, dryads gained extra might near forests, flora, or fertile soil. Such environments amplified their abilities.

Liu Yang needed only to disrupt the soil and nearby trees, yet the vast area spanning tens of thousands of kilometers made it impossible.

The primary option lay beyond grasp. Fire remained the lone alternative.

Forest entities by nature, dryads feared fire deeply. Flames offered the simplest counter, though some wielded water to resist.

No chance to test this now—Liu Yang pressed the assault to discover.

shuoo !!! pang !!! crack !!!

Wooden tentacles struck with blistering speed, yet Liu Yang parried swiftly. Defense held, but not indefinitely.

clang !!!

"Ahh !!!" Multiple tentacles slammed his steel-armored form, hurling him back from the force.

(This proves truly grueling. No other path exists; fire is essential against these dryads) Lacking stamina for a drawn-out clash with seven level 500 entities, Liu Yang had to end it swiftly.

He charged the dryads once more without pause, though their tentacles kept coming. Not their sole tactic, but sufficient against him.

(Transform !!! Body Flame Transformation !!!) Liu Yang commanded inwardly.

Flames engulfed his steel-clad body, turning him into a fiery figure. The armor blazed entirely.

Liu Yang now resembled a fire-forged man, his armor the source of the inferno.

Prior to the journey, Rhexia warned of potential trials, prompting Liu Yang to prepare accordingly.

The slave market brimmed with diverse skills, leading him to request essentials from General Manager Etelka.

Skill slots being finite, choices demanded care. Among them: fire-man transformation.

Named Body Flame, this single-level skill cost five points to acquire.

Transformation - Flame Body (Active) (Max Level) - Transforms the user's body on fire. All of his attacks become the fire element. The power of transformation is increased according to the points in the attributes of intelligence and vitality.

Upon contact, his flaming form ignited the wooden tentacles like parched straw. The blaze spread rapidly.

High vitality points and solid intelligence fueled Liu Yang's potent transformation.

Cursed or not, the dryads couldn't shield their summons from the flames.

"!!!!!" The dryads hadn't anticipated Liu Yang's fire capabilities—a shocking revelation.

Yet they dismissed the shock promptly.

In synchronized motion, the group gestured again, their actions resembling a choreographed dance.

crack !! crack !!!

The fiery tentacles had grown far stronger than earlier, as the flames began to fade. Evidently, the group had empowered the tentacles with their abilities.

Beyond that, numerous massive carnivorous plants burst from the ground, snapping at Liu Yang with their razor-sharp teeth.

Regrettably, this failed to halt Liu Yang's fierce charge.

The blazing inferno fully engulfing Liu Yang's body proved overwhelmingly powerful; any plant brushing against the fire smoldered away gradually, enhanced as they were by the dryads' strength.

Pang!!! Pang!!! Pang!!!

For greater devastation, Liu Yang unleashed punches and kicks in his assault.

Flames had already scorched portions of the plants and wooden tentacles, while Liu Yang's physical blows merely accelerated their shattering.

The dryads saw that standard attacks couldn't handle Liu Yang, so they switched to a new approach.

The group commenced a bizarre dance, yet immense power emanated from it.

Crack!!! Crack!!! Boooooom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the earth emerged a colossal wooden golem, swinging its massive palm at Liu Yang.

"!!!!!!!!!!" Liu Yang gaped in shock at the spectacle. He realized the golem was no pushover, formed by fusing the energies of the five dryads.

"Impact!!!!" He bellowed fiercely.

A potent fiery radiance enveloped his fist as he launched it at the wooden golem. Liu Yang lacked time to fully charge the skill.

Boooooooom!!!!!!!!!!!!