Chapter 8: Bloodline Awakening, Kill Reset

This is exactly what I was waiting for!

Gu Chen immediately activated his talent. A familiar pitch-black radiance blossomed before his eyes, followed by scarlet light and shadow interweaving like veins, appearing within his field of vision.

【You have obtained: Dark Bloodline · Descendant】
【Dark Bloodline · Descendant: Can transform ordinary creatures into dark creatures, or allow first-generation dark creatures to undergo one bloodline awakening.】

"Bloodline awakening?"

Gu Chen’s eyes lit up. Although this descendant bloodline was inferior to the first-generation bloodline, it certainly did not disappoint. He immediately fused the descendant bloodline into Dracula.

【Bloodline awakening successful】
【Summoned Beast: Dracula (Epic)】
【Level: LV.2 (Follows Summoner’s level)】
【Health Points: 3,200】
【Attributes: Strength 38, Agility 42, Constitution 40, Spirit 39】
【Talents: Vampire Instinct (Epic), Blood Shadow Fury (Epic)】
【Skill I: Deadly Shot LV.10 (Epic)】
【Skill II: Scarlet Feast LV.10 (Epic)】

With the bloodline awakening, Dracula’s health nearly doubled, all attributes increased by 10, and a new talent was added.

【Blood Shadow Fury: Whenever Dracula kills a target with a skill, the cooldown of that skill is reset.】

Good heavens! Kill-reset! As long as he kills a target with a skill, the cooldown resets. It was a god-tier ability! If used against low-level Fallen Guards, wouldn't he have infinite firepower?

Though it took a while to describe, it all happened within a few breaths. Under Gu Chen’s instruction, Dracula continued to lead the way, with Lin Yuan and the others following closely behind.

The ruins of the temple were not particularly large, but the paths inside were intricate and confusing; one wrong turn could lead to a dead end, wasting precious time. After passing several severely damaged sculptures, the group reached a relatively open plaza.

The plaza was in ruins; the flower beds were shattered beyond recognition, the black soil was overgrown with messy, withered grass, and the fountain in the center had dried up completely. Further back stood a headless humanoid sculpture, gray in color and covered in cracks.

Wu Ziyi surveyed the surroundings and spoke at the right moment: "The guide mentions that a Level 4 guard is hidden behind this sculpture. It’s best not to engage it, or it will attract more guards."

Lin Yuan nodded. Although he couldn't stand Wu Ziyi’s self-righteous attitude, he had also read some dungeon guides before entering the novice dungeon. The wisest choice right now was not to disturb that Level 4 guard, otherwise, the difficulty of clearing the dungeon would skyrocket.

If it were ordinary professionals, they would certainly follow the guide. But Gu Chen was no ordinary professional, especially when he heard it would attract more guards; his eyes brightened noticeably. Since Dracula had just gained the kill-reset talent, how could he pass up such a good opportunity?

Dracula kicked out at the humanoid sculpture, and with nearly 40 points of strength, he instantly shattered it into pieces. A dull roar erupted from behind the rubble, and immediately after, a massive black shadow emerged from the pile of stones.

【Alien Race: Fallen Guard】
【Level: LV.4】
【Health Points: 2,400】
【Attributes: Strength 38, Agility 20, Constitution 40, Spirit 30】
【Skill I: Oath Sword】
【Skill II: Ultimate Judgment】

Thump! Thump! ...

Accompanied by heavy footsteps, the Level 4 Fallen Guard appeared in their sight. It was a massive corpse covered in pitch-black armor, with a pair of turbid, dead eyes peeking out from beneath the shadow of its helmet. It walked to the front of the statue, drew the longsword from its waist, and pointed the ink-black blade toward the sky. A black halo rippled out from the tip of the blade, spreading in all directions.

【Oath Sword: Summons nearby Fallen Guards to attack intruders.】

At the same time, commotion erupted from all sides as a dozen guards emerged from the surrounding stone walls and corners. Lin Qingqing looked around, her face turning ugly. "Why are there so many guards suddenly?"

Su Ran exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no, that Level 4 guard is activating a skill!"

Lin Yuan’s eyelids twitched, and he instinctively gripped the heavy sword on his back, as if that would provide enough security. Wu Ziyi quickly retreated toward the open space behind them, putting distance between himself and the battlefield immediately; such a scene was completely beyond what a Level 1 Fighter like him could handle, even in his excellent-grade gear.

"The novice dungeon is already this hard? What must the Abyss be like?"

As they spoke, Lin Yuan and the others also retreated. "No wonder no one wanted to team up with us before. Now I know—even if there were ten of me, I doubt we could beat that Level 4 Fallen Guard."

"2,400 health, 38 strength, and it can call for backup? Is this something a Level 1 professional can handle?" Lin Yuan looked at the Level 4 guard covered in cold, terrifying armor, and he couldn't even muster the thought of fighting back. It was too horrifying! Even if he unleashed his maximum damage, it would be like trying to scratch an itch.

Lin Qingqing nodded in agreement. "If I had known the Level 4 guard was this terrifying, I never would have joined your team."

Lin Yuan laughed and said, "Yeah, if it weren't for Old Gu, I'm afraid we’d all be finished here today."

Hearing this, Lin Qingqing’s lips curled slightly, and she felt a sense of relief. Su Ran didn't speak, but her beautiful eyes were shining brightly.

Although the Level 4 Fallen Guard was powerful, it was still inferior to Dracula. The dark red figure wove through the dozen guards like a ghost. His black and bright silver heavy pistols spat tongues of fire, and every time a gunshot rang out, a guard fell. Combined with the kill-reset from [Blood Shadow Fury], there was no need to wait for skill cooldowns; in just a few breaths, a large swath of low-level guards had been wiped out.

"It’s a good thing we have a Summoner. If this were a team of ordinary Level 1 professionals, we’d probably have been wiped out by that Level 4 Fallen Guard!" Lin Qingqing said, looking at the guard's stats.

"That wouldn't be the case," Gu Chen’s voice sounded beside her. "As long as the team has a Warrior and a Paladin, plus a Cleric, defeating a Level 4 Fallen Guard is more than enough—it would just take a bit more time."

Lin Qingqing didn't pay attention to his explanation, asking with a strange expression, "Why did you come over here too?"

Gu Chen smiled. "The fighting over there is too chaotic; it's easy to get caught in the crossfire."

Su Ran, standing nearby, asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in charge of killing the monsters?"

Gu Chen pointed at Dracula, who was currently fighting a group of Fallen Guards. "I am."

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran exchanged glances, their expressions becoming even stranger. They were just "actors," so staying away from the combat zone was perfectly normal, but they hadn't expected Gu Chen, the leader, to be here as well.

Su Ran gave him a blank, naive look. "So, you just command your summoned beast to kill the monsters and don't participate in the fight yourself?"

Gu Chen shrugged. "Isn't that how Summoners are supposed to work?"

Well, that seemed correct. Su Ran nodded, though she felt a bit lost. A Hard-mode dungeon? This was way too easy!

Gu Chen sat casually on the edge of a flower bed, watching the battle in the plaza, his experience points climbing steadily.

【Killed Fallen Guard LV.1, Experience +8】
【Killed Fallen Guard LV.1, Experience +9】
【Killed Fallen Guard LV.1, Experience +9】
...

After leveling up, the damage of [Deadly Shot] had increased significantly. Even without a headshot, a single bullet could blast a guard's body apart, killing it instantly. Coupled with the skill-reset effect, all the dozen guards that had been summoned were killed within just a few dozen seconds.

Looking at the piles of guard corpses, the Level 4 Fallen Guard finally made its move. It let out a low roar, and the pitch-black longsword in its hand suddenly erupted with blinding black light.

Skill [Ultimate Judgment], activated!

A massive black blade descended from the sky like black lightning, cleaving down toward the top of Dracula’s head.