This layout also made Lin Rui understand why, in so many territory construction games, you can clearly start with just one municipal hall, yet store large amounts of food, timber, iron ore, gems, and other materials.
"Take me to the cellar."
The municipal hall covers over a hundred square meters, and the Mad Snake might have eaten a bit too much recently, so its belly was swollen as it basked in the sun in the front yard.
Lin Rui and the others smoothly reached the cellar door from the back, without any danger along the way.
Here, Lin Rui felt somewhat assured and said to Chong Liu and others, "I'll try to use magic from a distance to kill this magical beast. You guys find a rope to tie around my waist, and if I become unconscious or confused, pull me into the cellar immediately."
As a long-range mage, the greatest advantage is naturally the ability to kite.
This Mad Snake's close combat attack is frighteningly powerful, but poses little threat to Lin Rui. The only threat is its two skills, Deadly Madness and Giant Python Devouring.
Although Lin Rui is only at level one, as long as he can maximize all favorable conditions, even if it's like primitive hunting filled with patience, consuming it bit by bit, it's possible to kill this giant creature.
After everyone held the other end of the hemp rope below the cellar, Lin Rui stood at the cellar opening, calmly gazing at the cold, terrifying giant creature a hundred meters away, and with a wave of his right hand, unleashed Level 0 Spirit Magic, Grip of Cyan Wave.
At that moment, it seemed as if heaven and earth had combined forces, countless streams of water interweaving in the air, a huge azure spiritual hand descending from the sky, grasping suddenly at the momentarily awakened Mad Snake.
[-165]
A massive red number emerged above the Mad Snake's head. It let out a painful hiss, twisting within the spiritual hand, shedding copious scales and blood.
Meanwhile, Lin Rui instantly felt drained, barely able to stand upright, and fell into the cellar.
Chong Liu, waiting beside him, immediately closed the cellar's wooden door, supporting Lin Rui to sit inside.
Just before the cellar door closed, everyone saw the Mad Snake outside crazily twisting its body, creating clouds of dust with its huge figure, its hissing filled with endless fury.
If it caught this ambush attacker, it would surely crush them into shattered bone.
Lin Rui was relieved to hide in the cellar, realizing this is the rookie protection; no matter how rampant the beast is, it cannot reach the people beneath the municipal hall.
However, he felt uncomfortable with his exhausted body after using up all his spiritual energy.
Lin Rui immediately checked the attribute panel; the spiritual energy now showed 1/180 and was slowly recovering, estimating it would take around ten hours to fully restore.
Lin Rui was in no hurry, ignoring the nervous five people, closed his eyes to recuperate his strength.
Once the spiritual power was fully restored, Lin Rui cautiously opened the cellar door. After a few hours of madness, the Mad Snake had tired and fallen asleep.
The moonlight like water made the dark beast appear even more menacing and terrifying in the misty darkness.
The Mad Snake still had bloody wounds on its body, indicating the spirit magic dealt damage exceeding one-third of its life value, unable to recover immediately.
Lin Rui opened its attribute panel and glanced at it: [Life Value 295/450]
After calculating for a moment, Lin Rui deduced the life value recovery speed to be one's Physique Value recovered in a day. That's 25 Physique Value, recovering 25 life over 24 hours.
The recovery speed of Physique Value seemed much slower than spiritual energy recovery, but it made sense; after all, who can recover fully from injuries by lying still for ten hours?
Grip of Cyan Wave was unleashed again, and the Mad Snake's cold eyes suddenly opened, its massive head swiftly lifted, glaring fixedly at Lin Rui.
In the next instant, the Mad Snake ignored the powerful harm of the spiritual energy and pounced at lightning speed toward the cellar door.
[-120]
A huge damage number exploded above the Mad Snake's head.
"Pull me down, quick!"
The Mad Snake bellowed in fury, but just before it reached Lin Rui, he swiftly retreated into the cellar.
The enormous golden slit pupils completely blocked the cellar entrance, plunging the inside into darkness, with only the massive lantern-like golden eyes emitting terrifying light in the dark, staring coldly at everyone inside the cellar.
Chong Liu and others felt enveloped in fear, trembling as they hid behind Lin Rui, asking, "Lord, will this magical beast go crazy and charge down?"
Lin Rui, however, calmly folded his arms and stared back at the ferocious giant beast. For if he did not fear, the one to be scared should be the giant beast.
He worried the Mad Snake might shrink back in fear and escape the Golden Pansy Domain.
The harm of [-120] was precisely controlled by him. Now, the Mad Snake's life value was merely 175 remaining.
This number allowed the Mad Snake to endure the next ordinary harm without dying, yet couldn't withstand Lin Rui's spirit magic augmented by sacrificing his body.
In Lin Rui's impression, snakes are especially vindictive creatures; even if their heads are chopped off, venomous snakes will leap up to bite the enemy. This giant python, after being so severely attacked, if it doesn't seek revenge, it absolutely won't leave easily.
Sure enough, after confronting each other for a moment, the Mad Snake left the cellar entrance, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Yet Lin Rui believed, this vengeful beast would certainly hide nearby, waiting for Lin Rui to appear again, and immediately deliver a deadly strike. With 175 life value, it still had the assurance to try and wouldn't flee in fear.
Lin Rui smiled faintly, recalling a quote from "Wolf": How sly indeed are the beast's deceitful changes? Mere laughable increases.
Since Lin Rui preserved portion of his spiritual energy this time, it only took six hours for his spiritual power to recover.
Now, beast, feel the terror of being hunted by humans!
Lin Rui then turned to the five farmers and said, "I need someone to go out and lure the Mad Snake to attack."
Everyone simultaneously stepped back in terror, shaking their heads quickly. Wasn't this sending us to our deaths, Lord?
Lin Rui had long anticipated this result, calmly analyzing, "The python doesn't bite small prey like you with its teeth to inject venom. It either swallows or strangles you. But neither would immediately kill. The instant it shows up, I will use Grip of Cyan Wave to kill it instantly. You have an eighty percent chance of survival."
Everyone still shook their heads in fear, it was still just eighty percent. Isn't that a twenty percent chance of death?
Lin Rui smiled faintly, raising his right hand with azure spiritual energy surging within it: "To lure the python is merely a twenty percent death chance. But if you anger me, facing my spirit magic, there's no doubt of death. Two choices, it's up to you, think it over and tell me. Ladies first!"
Darn the 'ladies first'! The village woman Jinhua felt, Lord must have some misunderstanding with that phrase!
But seeing the terrifying scene of spiritual power surging in Lord's hand, she dared not speak more, gingerly stepping out of the cellar entrance.
The next moment, a ferocious, terrifying snake head covered Jinhua's figure, spewing its pungent and cold wind into the cellar.
All the farmers screamed in horror at this frightening scene. Yet Lin Rui stood calmly in place, completely unmoved, fully casting the spell.
Raging spiritual energy surged, Lin Rui only felt a strong suction seeming to drain all moisture from his body, his vitality streaming continuously into the spirit magic.
The azure Grip of Cyan Wave even turned crimson, descending fiercely onto the snake head just poking through the cellar entrance, right at the vulnerable point.
[-278!]
Critical strike! Damage bonus!
A massive explosion! Multi-colored items scattered in the air, falling all over!
After spell-loading, Lin Rui felt a fiery pain in his throat, a burning hurt in every cell of his body. If not for all attributes doubling, he surely couldn't withstand such severe depletion.
Yet all this mattered little before the abundant blast fall right before him!
And above the skies, those few majestic wills started communicating again: "Interesting! He has boundaries, iron-blood, calmed meticulousness, yet does not lack aspiration and passion. I already look forward to cooperating with this first explorer one day."
"Haha, a good 'ladies first', amusing. Hope he lives to meet us one day, then fighting won't be boring."
"Other areas also have promising candidates, let's go check elsewhere first."