Chapter 27: The Green Elite Steel-Spine Beast (Part One)

Amidst the piercing howl, Liang Jing emerged from his immersive training, glancing at the equipment that had fallen nearby and hurriedly reciting a silent command to pick it up.

"Warrior's Leather Shoes—Quality: Common, Resistance: 4, Toughness: 10, Weight: 4, Requirement: Strength 1."

"Warrior's Leather Gloves—Quality: Common, Resistance: 4, Toughness: 10, Weight: 3, Requirement: Strength 1."

He immediately commanded them to be equipped. Covered in blood and shredded flesh, Liang Jing couldn’t discern what his new leather attire looked like.

"Ding... Full set of Warrior's Gear equipped, activating set attributes: Special Effect—Resistance +5, Toughness +5."

Excellent! These bonuses applied directly to his entire body, meaning all his equipment gained an extra 5 points of resistance and toughness. His defense and durability soared.

But there was no time for further thought—the distant sky was growing pale. Dawn was approaching.

Yet danger seemed only just to begin. The mutated beast that had howled so wildly now regained its senses and withdrew. The scene felt uncannily like the arrival of a boss monster.

"It’s... that one."

He watched the massive creature sprint into the house. It stood as tall as a man, resembling an oversized mongrel. Its limbs were thick, its claws and fangs gleamed coldly, and its reddish-brown fur bristled like steel needles, even in the dim room reflecting metallic, unyielding light. Its tail hung like a steel whip; the upper jaw bore two canine teeth, each over fifteen centimeters long, protruding outward like the saber teeth of a Smilodon, exuding a chilling aura.

"Steel-Spine Beast: Elite (Green), Level 11. Evolved from a domestic dog. Its steel needle fur offers formidable defense; its strength is fierce, its speed extraordinary, claws and fangs are the marks of a brutal predator. Extremely dangerous."

Liang Jing recognized this mutated dog. On the first day of the world’s transformation—yesterday—he’d seen it. It hadn’t been as savage or towering as now, only about a meter and a half tall; now it had grown to around one meter seventy, matching a human’s height. Judging by its name, it seemed to have shed its previous bloodline restrictions, no longer called a mutant of something, but now bearing a new species designation. This was an elite monster.

Liang Jing’s expression became grave. He gripped his blade tightly, readying for battle, and casually probed with Basic Insight.

"Yang Yuyuan, I’ll distract it in the main hall. Wait for the right moment to unleash your fireball. This monster is formidable. If it gets out of hand, prepare to escape. I have a way to keep it occupied for a while and can get myself out," Liang Jing instructed, eyes locked on the Steel-Spine Beast’s heavy breathing, not turning as he spoke.

Yang Yuyuan had rested for two or three hours and should have recovered somewhat; his fireball skill had been depleted earlier, forcing him to fight with a machete. Facing the Steel-Spine Beast, Liang Jing was not confident alone. He had to make things clear. With Yang Yuyuan’s help, perhaps they could slay this elite monster, which was guaranteed to drop equipment. Liang Jing wouldn’t let such a chance slip, nor would his foe let him go.

"Don’t worry, Liang Jing. We won’t run first. I can probably cast about five fireballs now. I should be able to help," Yang Yuyuan replied, biting his lip, refusing Liang Jing’s suggestion that he hold the beast while the others fled—no one knew if safety awaited outside.

Besides, Liang Jing seemed to be testing their resolve. If it came to flight, he’d likely outrun them all.

Seeing this, Liang Jing simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Inside the dimly lit room, the thick scent of blood hung heavy. With the mutated monster’s withdrawal, only the beast’s breathing and chesty growls echoed in the space.

He studied the Steel-Spine Beast before him—just a size smaller than the Golden Boss Baroque (evolved Caucasian dog). Though not as majestic, it was equally ferocious. If Golden Boss Baroque was the tiger king of beasts, the Steel-Spine Beast was a leopard hunting on the wasteland—robust and swift.

Surveying the battleground, Liang Jing’s expression darkened. The hall was carpeted with thick layers of corpse fragments and congealed blood, turning the floor into a swamp-like morass. Dodging here would be difficult. Liang Jing would not choose to fight head-on unless he understood his opponent’s strength—rushing in blindly was suicide, like an egg against a stone.

He wasn’t arrogant from having killed Golden Boss Baroque; that had been a lucky ambush, a product of coincidence. Even then, a single blow at its weakest nearly cost him his life. If an ordinary person managed to slay Golden Baroque, they’d likely perish from internal injuries—no hospital now, just endure it.

He kept his eyes fixed on his foe. The environment disadvantaged him, but the beast suffered similarly—perhaps more so. The cramped space and swampy ground limited its speed, and its bulk was less maneuverable than Liang Jing’s nimbleness.

In Liang Jing’s "system," monster ranks were: Common (white), Elite (green), Boss Leader (blue), Super Boss (gold). The Steel-Spine Beast was in the second tier, several times more powerful than a regular level 11 monster.

He dared not underestimate it; monsters’ hides were far tougher than any human’s.

"Oooh... oooh..."

The Steel-Spine Beast let out deep, thunderous growls. Its bestial eyes flicked between Liang Jing and Yang Yuyuan, sensing their threat. Its instincts for danger were keen.

Liang Jing felt his heart race. Excitement surged. His weariness faded as adrenaline coursed through him. Here was a rare opponent of comparable strength—a worthy match!

Previously, he’d had to use intelligence and environmental advantages to defeat overwhelmingly powerful mutated monsters, or simply hacked down weaker ones. But to Liang Jing, that wasn’t real combat.

Boom...

The Steel-Spine Beast, perceiving Liang Jing as the greatest threat, charged at him with ferocious speed, like an unstoppable locomotive. A chilling aura and wind swept over him. Liang Jing reacted instantly; his muscles flexed, agile as a monkey, darting aside.

With a crash, the wall burst open, dust and debris spraying everywhere, thudding against the surroundings.

The moment after dodging, Liang Jing pivoted and lunged at the beast.

"Kill..." he growled.

His body exploded with force, a lightning bolt slashing toward the Steel-Spine Beast. His Short Blade flashed coldly, aiming at the beast’s stuck neck. The creature, caught in the wall, couldn’t turn in time—but as Liang Jing closed in—

Oooh... swoosh!

A dark shadow struck at Liang Jing’s head, lightning-fast, leaving no time to react.

"So fast." Liang Jing was startled, but he’d endured worse. Prepared, he pushed off with both feet, twisting to avoid the shadow.

It was the beast’s tail, like a drooping iron whip—a detail Liang Jing had kept in mind.

Dodging, his hands worked swiftly, shifting angle, fierce and direct, slashing at his target like lightning.

After its tail swung, the Steel-Spine Beast turned with astonishing speed, lunging at Liang Jing, bursting a chunk of wall from its neck. Its thick paws and saber-like fangs snapped at him.

"Bang! Clang..." Blade met paw in a hard clash.

"Damn, this Steel-Spine Beast is ridiculously fast and powerful," Liang Jing thought, springing back to lessen the impact, hacking his short blade in front of him.

The previous exchange had been evenly matched, but Liang Jing had struck preemptively in "combat mode," while the beast had merely reacted. Even so, it gave Liang Jing confidence; the beast wasn’t invincible.

Bang!

His short blade, swung forward, dodged the beast’s savage fangs and struck its neck. At the moment of impact, Liang Jing used the rebound to propel himself backward, rolling on the ground to dissipate force, rising to his feet, keeping his distance and circling the hall with raised blade.

The Steel-Spine Beast couldn’t immediately find its mark, growling deeply, its eyes gradually bloodshot and wild.