My thoughts were still racing when the ground in the distance suddenly trembled. Immediately after, I saw a monster emerge from beneath the earth.
I froze for a moment upon seeing this creature.
I had initially expected it to be extremely large, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a dwarf-like monster.
However, the aura it exuded clearly indicated that its strength far surpassed my expectations. Without a second thought, I charged towards another monster.
“All of you, focus your energy on dealing with the others!” I said in a deep voice. “I’ll handle this one!”
“It’s alright, Brother Lu. I’ve got this little guy!” Someone who was relatively close to the dwarf monster grinned and charged forward without hesitation.
Since I was further away, it was too late to stop them by then.
That person also unleashed their Shepherd God Power, flames coalescing around their body as they threw a punch towards the dwarf monster.
The force of this punch was immense. Based on past experience, even if this punch didn’t kill the monster, it would at least severely injure it.
After all, with such terrifying power, even a giant boulder could be blasted into pieces.
*Boom!* A dull thud echoed as the person’s fist landed squarely on the dwarf monster’s body.
Seeing this, a look of excitement appeared on that person’s face.
But in the next moment, their expression changed.
The expected scene of the monster being heavily wounded and writhing on the ground did not materialize. The creature stood there quietly, as if the punch had had no effect whatsoever.
I immediately sensed that something was wrong. That person also realized it and prepared to retreat.
Then, the monster raised its hand and viciously slammed it into the person’s abdomen.
I stomped my foot hard on the ground, and a surge of Shepherd God Power shot out.
Just as the monster’s fist was about to strike the person, my power reached them.
*Boom!*
A dull sound rang out. The person’s body, like a rag doll, was sent flying high into the air by the terrifying force, then slammed hard into the ground in the distance.
*Thud!*
As a heavy thud sounded, the person lay on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, their face contorted in pain.
Seeing this, I too was shocked.
If I hadn’t blocked most of the force with my Shepherd God Power at the last critical moment, the power of that blow could have directly obliterated him.
Was this dwarf monster truly that powerful?
“Brother Lu…” the person lay on the ground.
“Be quiet and rest. Do not speak. This creature is not something you can handle!” I said sternly, gripping my short sword and charging at the monster.
Once within my striking range, I swung my short sword without hesitation.
The next moment, my short sword, wreathed in flames, was actually caught by one of the monster’s hands!
My expression flickered slightly as I surged Shepherd God Power.
*Roar!*
The flames erupted in a fearsome explosion, forcing the monster to recoil.
Seizing this opportunity, I quickly retreated, putting distance between us.
Before I could even regain my footing, I saw the dwarf monster charging towards me again.
Its speed was astonishingly fast.
Without any hesitation, I slashed out with my short sword.
Simultaneously, the monster’s fist swung fiercely towards my face.
I forcefully twisted my body, narrowly dodging the punch.
The fist struck the ground, instantly creating a large crater.
As I steadied myself, my expression became exceptionally grave.
If not for the conditioned reflexes developed from dodging arrows in a previous encounter, that punch would have directly hit my face.
Even with my Shepherd God Power to block it, I would likely have been severely injured and unable to fight for a considerable time.
Seeing its attack miss, the monster did not pause and continued its assault.
Its fist, carrying terrifying power, slammed into my abdomen. At the last moment, I braced my short sword against my abdomen, deflecting part of the attack. Coupled with the cushioning effect of my Shepherd God Power, the impact of this blow was significantly reduced.
However, even so, I was still forced back several steps by the sheer force of this impact.
At this moment, I understood that this creature's combat prowess was far greater than I had anticipated. This was likely to be a fight for my life.
The monster attacked again. This time, I did not wait to be struck. Shepherd God Power surged, spreading across the desolate land.
At the same time, the power of lightning and flames intertwined, enveloping my short sword.
Facing the charging monster, I swung my short sword without hesitation!