Chapter 57: Chapter57-Defeating the Behemoth, Alchemy Shines!
"Elowen, we're ready. We can set off at any time."
John opened the door and smiled at Elowen, who was waiting outside. "Could you draw us a map, marking the location of the behemoth?"
"There's no need for that; I'll take you there myself."
"Are you sure? The process of defeating the behemoth might be quite dangerous. Even if you don't go, I won't mind."
"This is an issue for the elves. I've already troubled you by asking for help, so no matter what, I must accompany you. My mind is made up, John; you don't need to say more."
Meeting Elowen's determined gaze, John smiled wryly. "Then let's go!"
If John remembered correctly, the behemoth should be a high-level monster found in snowy mountain maps, with average strength exceeding that of players undergoing their second class change.
He couldn't understand why a behemoth would appear in the [Deep Forest].
But now that they were here, they would only know if they could defeat it by confronting it.
Following Elowen out of the elven habitat and back into the [Deep Forest], John patted Elowen on the shoulder.
"Elowen, how much do you know about the behemoth?"
"Well... not much. It suddenly appeared in the [Deep Forest], and even the Queen doesn't know why. The behemoth is proficient in magic, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach.
The Queen has to remain in the habitat and cannot act lightly, so we can only tolerate the monster's rampage nearby.
John, rest assured, if the behemoth proves too difficult to defeat, we will withdraw in time to avoid unnecessary sacrifices."
"If it's appeared in the [Deep Forest], an early-game area, it can't be unbeatable. Don't worry; we'll be safe."
"Early-game... area? What does that mean?"
Faced with Elowen's question, John only smiled wryly and did not explain.
This remark was meant for his companions, so it was natural that Elowen couldn't understand it.
As for why John hadn't known about the behemoth's previous appearance in the Deep Forest in his past life, it was likely due to his poor relationship with the elves; naturally, they wouldn't share such information with him.
After speeding along for nearly two hours without catching sight of the behemoth, Elowen began to think he had led them the wrong way.
However, John, with his map fully revealed, knew for certain that the behemoth was in this direction.
"Could we have taken the wrong path? Maybe we should try a different direction."
"It should be around here. Haven't you noticed? The number of wild monsters has been decreasing.
For powerful monsters, their territorial instincts are very strong. If an intruder enters their territory, they will attack indiscriminately.
For the past half hour, I've noticed that the number of roaming wild monsters has been dwindling. I think we must have entered the behemoth's territory."
"Really?"
Elowen scratched his head, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes.
He had confidently declared he would lead the way, yet now they needed John and his companions to confirm the behemoth's location. It was somewhat...
However, Elowen could sense that John and his group were probably formidable even in the human world.
Otherwise, how could they have so easily injured his comrades?
"Mr. John, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead, if I know the answer."
"Mr. John, you must hold a high position among humans, right? You're very strong and always manage to stay calm."
"In fact, I don't hold any significant position. I'm just a passing adventurer."
During their conversation, a sudden notification flashed before John's eyes.
[You have entered the Behemoth roaming boss's territory. Prepare for battle at any moment!]
John wasn't the only one who received the notification. Exiled Immortal and the others did as well.
"Prepare for combat."
"Huh? Mr. John, you said..."
Before Elowen could finish her sentence, the ground started to tremble, the shaking so intense that they almost lost their footing!
"It's here!"
Roar!
A deafening roar echoed, causing John to furrow his brow and glance at Lily.
[Stars above! Shine your light and protect all beings! Star Shield!]
A cerulean barrier unfurled before John and the others, blocking the rippling sound waves entirely.
"Elowen, find a place to hide. Leave the rest to us!"
Seeing the level displayed next to the Behemoth's HP, John finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Level 39, similar to the lord-tier Goblin in the large-scale event.
Just as John said, bosses appearing on early maps were never too overwhelming.
"Lily, can you find a way to restrict its movements?"
"It might be tricky, but I can give it a shot."
"No problem. Exiled Immortal and I will create an opening for you. Helena, wait for the right moment to strike."
"Understood!"
With a casual wave, Exiled Immortal summoned a dozen longswords from his inventory.
They hovered around him, and at his command, the swords shot out like streaks of light!
"Let me test if the alchemy that woman taught me is truly as terrifying as she claimed."
With a thought, John's alchemy table materialized, and he began to perform alchemy on the spot!
Following the alchemical diagrams in his mind, John retrieved various materials from his inventory, his accumulated experience over time making the process effortless.
In less than five minutes, three alchemical products were freshly prepared.
John grabbed three greenish-blue seeds and quickly tossed them to Exiled Immortal.
"Exiled Immortal! Scatter these seeds around the Behemoth!"
"What seeds?"
Although puzzled, Exiled Immortal instinctively caught the seeds, soared into the air, and took advantage of a gap in the Behemoth's attacks to throw the seeds down.
The moment the seeds touched the ground, they instantly took root and sprouted.
Thick stalks shot up, nearly ten meters long, with hideous, terrifying mouths hanging from them, dripping with a foul, sticky liquid!
"What the hell! Are these man-eating plants?"
"Precisely speaking, they are giant man-eating plants modified through alchemy!"
Seeing the astonishing effectiveness of his newly learned alchemy, John's spirits lifted!
"Coordinate with the man-eating plants and strike at the right moment, but be careful not to get hurt by them!"
John reminded them, his attention fully focused on the potion he was currently preparing.
After evaporating the last drop of water, John ground the solid residue into powder, added chant essence powder, mixed it with spirit spring water, and carefully applied it to a magic scroll in a specific pattern before slamming it onto the ground.
"Come forth, Earth Golem!"
Boom!
As John's words fell, the ground immediately cracked, spreading like a spider web.
The ground beneath John's feet seemed to come to life, rising and transforming into a three-meter-tall Earth Golem, which, under John's command, charged at the Behemoth!
Seeing this, Exiled Immortal was momentarily stunned, forgetting he was still hovering mid-air.
His body began to fall uncontrollably until Elowen's reminder brought him back, prompting him to once again command the green wind to lift himself up.
"Damn! Is this alchemy too? This already seems like magic!"
Exiled Immortal couldn't understand. Both had hidden classes, so why was he still struggling while John was pulling out these powerful tools?
Every bite from the giant man-eating plants and every strike from the Earth Golem dealt considerable damage.
In just twenty minutes, the Behemoth's HP had dropped to three-quarters.
Apart from the minimal damage they inflicted, the combined firepower over twenty minutes totaled nearly forty thousand points!
Moreover, judging by John's stance, this was just the beginning!
Bamboo Knight, Bramble Cage, Sleep Pollen—more and more alchemical skills were being deployed by John, making Helena and the others feel as if their presence in the battle was almost unnecessary.
"If I'd known alchemists were this powerful, I wouldn't have bothered becoming a swordsman!"
Imagining himself floating in the air, calmly performing alchemy and annihilating all enemies, Exiled Immortal felt a surge of excitement.
"Don't zone out! The boss is entering its second phase!"
"Second phase or not, with John alone, we could probably..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive ice sphere, nearly thirty meters in diameter, began to form above the Behemoth's head, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet!
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