[Your summoned creature Corrupted Three-Headed Lion has died!]

The sudden game text flashed like a death sentence, informing Lin Xun that his time was running out.

There was no time left to think or hesitate.

He quickly opened the Shell Panel and clicked on the beastman Shell.

[You have Possessed the Shell of the Corrupted Blood Beastman.]

He opened the Inventory and used the Beastman Pill.

[You have used the Beastman Pill!]

[The pill’s mystical power spreads through the Shell. The Corrupted Blood Beastman’s eyes turn bloodshot, veins bulge all over its body, and its muscles swell like inflating balloons.]

[The Corrupted Blood Beastman begins to grow larger and larger, and your field of vision rises accordingly…]

[In the blink of an eye, you become five to six meters tall, like a small mountain.]

[Power surges through the Shell. You can’t help but roar, fully immersed in the overwhelming strength.]

[You step forward and pull on the thick chain. The Shell’s massive muscles bulge as boundless strength wells up inside you.]

[The chain begins to move slowly under your pull. As the chain moves, the giant gate in front of you gradually rises…]

[With a loud clang, the giant gate reaches its highest point and locks firmly in place.]

[Do you want to step through the giant gate and enter the Beastmen Giant tribe’s territory?]

Was that even a question? Lin Xun quickly clicked “Yes.”

If the Beastmen Giant returned before he got through, he would definitely see the dreaded ’You are dead’ game text again.

[You step through the giant gate. The scene before you opens up into a vast, fertile plain.]

[A fragment of the Corrupted Blood Beastman’s memory stirs within the Shell…]

[You remember that moving straight ahead will lead to the Beastmen Giant tribe’s chieftain’s palace.]

[Heading to the left leads to the residences of ordinary Beastmen Giants.]

[Heading to the right leads to the tombs of the successive chieftains of the Beastmen Giant tribe.]

[Hesitant Apostle, where will you go?]

Lin Xun suspected that after taking the Beastman Pill and increasing his size, the Beastmen Giants might mistake him for one of their own.

That might allow him to enter places he would otherwise be barred from, without needing to fight.

But according to the item’s description, the Beastman Pill’s effect was temporary and could not maintain the giant form indefinitely.

Lin Xun decided to prioritize his main objective. The tomb of the Beastmen Giants.

[You step forward, following the map’s guidance, heading to the right…]

[As you travel, the once lush and fertile land gradually dries up and turns sandy. A gentle breeze kicks up layers of coarse, swirling yellow sand.]

[Through the dust and sand, you spot a massive structure the color of the earth at the far end of your vision.]

[You stride toward the massive structure…]

[As you get closer, you see that it is an imposing tomb.]

[The above-ground tomb is built from countless giant stones. Thick stone columns support a colonnade over ten meters tall, and behind the colonnade is an arched doorway.]

[A shimmering, translucent barrier covers the archway. Two Corrupted Beastmen Giant Guards, each nearly ten meters tall, stand motionless to either side, gripping enormous grayish-white bone clubs as they vigilantly guard the entrance.]

[Do you want to enter the Tomb of the Successive Beastmen Giant Chieftains?]

The Beastman Pill’s effect had already been active for some time. Lin Xun figured the remaining duration was short and quickly clicked to enter.

[As soon as you pass through the colonnade, the two Beastmen Giant Guards step forward and shout at you.]

[Unless you can present the Chieftain’s Scepter of the Beastmen Giants, you cannot enter the tomb.]

[Do you want to insist on entering, or quietly retreat?]

Good news: the enlarged Corrupted Blood Beastman seemed capable of passing as a Beastmen Giant, as the two massive guards did not attack him outright.

Bad news: entering the tomb required a specific key item.

As for forcing his way in and going head-to-head with the two Beastmen Giants…

The beastman Shell Lin Xun was currently Possessing, even after taking the strength-enhancing pill, was only about five to six meters tall.

Facing two ten-meter-tall Beastmen Giants, calling it a suicide mission would be flattering.

Knowing the pill’s effect wouldn’t last much longer, Lin Xun had no choice but to quietly retreat.

After moving a safe distance away from the tomb, the game text suddenly updated.

[The Beastman Pill’s effect has worn off. The surging power within you gradually fades…]

[Your tall and muscular body slowly shrinks and deflates, as though drained of all strength, and you revert to the small and scrawny Corrupted Blood Beastman.]

Good thing Lin Xun had retreated quickly. If he had shrunk back down right at the tomb’s entrance, the two Beastmen Giants would likely have crushed him on the spot.

He frowned, thinking through his next move.

Lin Xun noticed that the earlier game text describing the tomb’s entrance had mentioned a shimmering translucent barrier over the archway, which was likely some kind of alarm system.

“Maybe I should try sneaking in?”

He decided to give it a shot. After all, he had an invisibility skill, and if it really triggered an alarm, he could always just run away.

If he could slip in unnoticed, he might be able to skip getting the key item altogether.

Once he obtained a Beastmen Giant Shell and boosted his strength, he could explore properly.

[You have Possessed the Shell of the Corrupted Theater Dancer.]

[You have used Bloodshadow Step. Moving with nimble dance steps, your Shell’s figure gradually fades and disappears.]

After activating the invisibility skill, Lin Xun approached the tomb again.

[You advance, staying invisible, passing through the colonnade of the Tomb of the Successive Beastmen Giant Chieftains. The two massive creatures standing guard on either side of the archway remain completely unaware.]

[Just as you are about to step through the giant archway, the doorframe’s shimmering translucent barrier materializes, blocking your way.]

[You lack the required key item and cannot enter this area!]

[The barrier at the archway suddenly lights up, making the two Beastmen Giant Guards alert. Their huge scarlet eyes scan the area, but they fail to detect your invisible presence.]

Lin Xun let out a sigh. The barrier wasn’t just an alarm system; it was also an identification system. Without the key item, there was no way to get in.

It seemed clear now. He needed to acquire the key item known as the Chieftain’s Scepter of the Beastmen Giants.

Having failed his stealth attempt, he retreated all the way back to the fork in the road near the giant log gate.

[You look toward the gate’s entrance. The Corrupted Beastmen Giant is leaning against the mountain wall, fast asleep, completely unaware of your presence.]

This hidden map’s difficulty was truly insane. The Beastmen Giants’ strength far exceeded Lin Xun’s expectations.

If he didn’t have the Dancer’s invisibility skill, he probably would have died countless times here.

He opened his Inventory. Only two Beastman Pills remained, he needed to conserve them.

The game text popped up again, prompting him to choose a direction.

The tomb on the right was off-limits for now. The middle road led to the chieftain’s palace, and the left road led to the ordinary Beastmen Giants’ residential area.

Lin Xun thought it over carefully. The Chieftain’s Scepter was probably in the palace.

But from the name alone, it was obvious that the chieftain’s palace would be much more difficult to explore than the residential area.

It seemed smarter to search the Beastmen Giants’ residential area first. He might stumble upon some useful items there.

With that in mind, Lin Xun chose the left path.

[You stay invisible and proceed down the road to the left.]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep