Chapter 4: Fierce Battle, Hunting the Venomous Worm!

In this world where everyone can change their profession, each race of ferocious beasts is limited by their innate abilities and living environment, leading to a cap on their level. In theory, the venomous worm can only grow into a level 10 beast. Its entire race is thus classified as a Bronze Race. The beast that reaches the peak of its race is known as the Dominator of its kind.

The venomous worm before him was a Bronze Dominator Beast.

"Roar!"

Upon seeing Wang Chen, the venomous worm shifted its massive body, muscles beneath its thick skin bulging and tensing, its menacing mouthparts contracting fiercely. With a deep, guttural screech, it launched an attack resembling a glob of phlegm.

"Damn!"
"So disgusting!"

Wang Chen quickly dove to the side, barely evading the attack, which struck a giant tree behind him. He scrambled up from the ground, immediately widening the distance between himself and the worm. Such ruthless and bizarre attacks were impossible to defend against at close range; he had to control the scope of the fight.

At the same time, Wang Chen noticed the tree hit by the venom was visibly wilting, drooping, and dying almost instantly. His heart tightened. Had he not dodged, he would have ended up just like that tree.

Clearly, this was the meaning behind the word "venomous."

"I never expected this," he murmured. "Not only is the venomous worm massive, able to crush others with sheer size, but its poisonous attack is so deadly!"
"It's truly worthy of being a Dominator Beast!"

After a brief sigh of admiration, Wang Chen tightened his grip on Forest Gale.

"Lightning Barrier!"

He swung his staff, and instantly three spheres of lightning shot out. The venomous worm, due to its size, couldn't evade. The crackling spheres struck its body, charring its greyish-yellow skin.

"Hissssss~"

The beast screeched in agony, its long body convulsing and thrashing. Yet the three lightning spheres clung to it relentlessly, no matter how it rolled and twisted.

Though the worm was in extreme pain, Wang Chen remained cautious, closely observing the damage caused by the Lightning Barrier. Soon he realized that the skills which had previously sliced through ordinary beasts now merely caused discomfort without penetrating its core.

To cook such a massive body inch by inch with electricity would exhaust him to death.

"If a single skill isn't strong enough, then let's give you the full combo!"

"Praise of Life!"

His mind raced as he swung his staff.

In an instant, a chain of death, black and blood-red, shot out and wrapped around the worm's mouthparts, the barbs digging deep into its flesh.

"Nature Totem!"

Seeing the worm temporarily restrained, another stream of water poured from the tip of Forest Gale, gathering into a column about two people tall and three wide. Each stream spun into the column, accumulating kinetic energy so that inside it seemed a tornado was forming.

Wang Chen directed the water column horizontally, covering the worm's head. The high-speed, blade-like currents within the column twisted violently around the worm, tearing its head segments apart, blood gushing everywhere.

From a distance, the water column looked like a brilliant ruby crystal pillar.

[Successfully killed Venomous Worm. Gained 200 experience points!]
[Congratulations! You have reached LV4. All attributes increased by 40 points!]

At last, yellow and green viscera from the worm appeared inside the water column, and Wang Chen received a notification.

"Such rapid leveling!"

His spirits soared as he waved Forest Gale to dispel the three skills. Suddenly, he froze.

On the worm’s battered corpse, a green sphere of light floated quietly. With a mental command, Wang Chen beckoned it over, and it burst into radiant brilliance.

[Obtained Equipment: Detox Bracelet!]
[Category: Accessory]
[Level Requirement: lv3]
[Durability: 50/50]
[Skill: Actively absorbs toxins; after continuous absorption, forms an anti-poison barrier. Note: Special absorption effect against venomous beast toxins!]

"As expected of a Dominator Beast, it even dropped equipment!"

"After all that monster hunting before, not a single item dropped!"

Despite his delight, Wang Chen was slightly puzzled.

"With such strong toxicity, shouldn't it drop something that lets me poison others? Why is the effect detoxification?"

He was a bit disappointed.

"Wait a minute!"
"I forgot about the system. System, reverse this item for me!"

Wang Chen spoke with anticipation.

[Ding!]
[Host skill reversal complete. Reversal can change the item back to its original effect!]

Wang Chen checked his panel:

[Detox Bracelet]
[Category: Accessory]
[Level Requirement: lv3]
[Durability: 50/50]
[Skill: Actively releases toxins; after continuous release, forms a venomous attack. Note: Special attack effect against toxic beasts!]

...

"That's more like it!"

"Equipment dropped from a poisonous worm should definitely be able to release poison!"

Satisfied, Wang Chen donned the Detox Bracelet.

"I've accumulated sixteen lottery draws. I should hurry and hunt more beasts!"

Next, Wang Chen planned to find some social beasts for greater efficiency, saving time on searching.

He skirted a low shrub, suddenly crouching down.

Ahead, beside a mound, three beasts were basking lazily in the sun. Clearly a single race, they had identical brown-purple shells, resembling centipedes but with six venomous hooks at their tails. While resting, their tails waved idly, the barbed hooks glinting coldly.

[Six-Tailed Venom Centipede. lv11!]
[Health: 1650!]

"After fighting level ten beasts, now level eleven. What should I do? Sneak past?"

Wang Chen pondered.

"No, less than ten minutes left in the hour!" He glanced at the Detox Bracelet on his wrist. "Go for broke—turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!"

He resolved to rely on the bracelet for a strong attack, and if things went south, to make a run for it. The sequence of attacks was critical.

Thus, Wang Chen swung Forest Gale, launching three lightning spheres at the centipedes. The beasts, caught off guard, were instantly ensnared—thankfully their bodies weren't as massive as the venomous worm’s.

Wang Chen pressed the assault.

The death chain followed immediately, snapping into the centipede group and bouncing between them. The centipedes shrieked, struggling to break free, but the combined restraints of the chain and the lightning barrier were not so easily overcome.

"Now for the poison attack!"

At the right moment, Wang Chen unleashed the Detox Bracelet, sending a stream of venom toward the centipedes.

Their bodies suddenly stiffened.

"How effective is it?" Wang Chen’s heart tensed.

The next second, every abdominal leg of the centipedes began to tremble, their six venom hooks twitching spasmodically, and the glossy brown-purple shells cracked open.

Wang Chen saw the flesh beneath the shells swell into tumors, forcing the shells apart.

Soon, after a final bout of convulsions, all three centipedes collapsed.

[Successfully killed Six-Tailed Venom Centipede. Gained 220 experience points!]

...

[Congratulations! You have reached lv5. All attributes increased by 50 points!]

At the same time, the system notification sounded:

[One hour reached. Task complete. Nineteen beasts slain. Nineteen lottery draws awarded!]