Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The main spectators of the Heroic Battle were the leaders of the alliance and the eliminated members of the Nine Teams. Most of the practitioners from the Nine Teams were not particularly strong, making it hard for them to imagine that four groups had decided to hunt dragons right from the start.
These four groups were the Fire Cult, Silent City, Ding Family, and Ye Family. After setting off, they attracted a giant dragon and quickly engaged in battle with it.
Mi Xiaonan was in high spirits, seemingly having made a breakthrough. As a scout, he hid behind a rock and waited for the dragon to pass before using his communicator to signal everyone to advance. He added, "I believe our team can take down this dragon." Although it was a giant dragon, its Force level was not very high. For Force Beasts, the Force level largely represented their strength.
"Because this is a trap," Cui Ming replied. "Considering that Wandering was involved in designing the Heroic Battle, I think hunting dragons would only waste our time."
"Why?" Mi Xiaonan countered.
"I don't understand dragons, but I do understand Wandering. Who would hunt dragons? Only strong teams would do that. If I'm not mistaken, Silent City and Fire Cult would definitely choose to hunt dragons. The dragon's strength can't be that high; that's why we see a dragon with an average Force level—it's bait for this trap. Furthermore, if we analyze Wandering's interests alongside those of the alliance, do they want to see Silent City and Fire Cult practitioners get by without fighting? The answer is no; they would rather leave those spots for weaker teams. They want them to have more matches to gain experience. But both Silent City and Fire Cult are strong; they might end up getting by without fighting. What then? A dragon trap." Cui Ming added, "I don't know where the trap is, but I'm sure the dragon is part of it."
"Ding Ze said: "Cui Ming, it seems you never think anyone is good."
Cui Ming laughed heartily but did not respond.
Was the dragon a trap? The answer was yes.
The four groups used various means to slay the giant dragon, spending considerable time to finally kill it. Just as they were celebrating their victory and preparing to set off again, another giant dragon appeared. Ding Family immediately protested, thinking they were the only group that had chosen to hunt dragons. They opted to speak with the referee, who responded: "Did you not look behind you at the starting point? In the distance stands a tall peak with a dragon's nest on top. Logically speaking, it's unreasonable for fifteen dragons not to have a nest. Moreover, unless they are mates, dragons do not hunt together; it's plausible for fifteen dragons to each patrol their own paths while hunting. Finally, someone tells you that you've killed a dragon—wouldn't there be new dragons appearing? Think about what name the alliance gave this Heroic Battle scene: Dragon Horde Heroic Battle. A horde of dragons implies there cannot be just one."
Ding Nuo cursed loudly; Dragon Horde Heroic Battle—he thought it was just a metaphor for experts being compared to a horde of dragons but didn't expect such a straightforward explanation. He felt frustrated for wasting ten minutes. Unless all competing teams chose to hunt dragons, Ding Family likely wouldn't get any chance at all.
"Vlad said: "Push forward quickly. There’s still an opportunity."
Wandering kept an eye on both Silent City and Fire Cult teams while also monitoring North Moon Group, whose combat power surprised Wandering. First was Cui Ming; who had always been seen as mere Fish Meat showed exceptionally high attack power. His hands moved swiftly as he threw flying cards with impeccable control over force—each card reached maximum lethality. His speed in taking down Force Beasts surpassed Li Qing's and matched Beiyue's performance; remember that flying cards were merely auxiliary enhancements without any treasure weapon boosts.
Li Qing may not have been fast in slaying Force Beasts but was incredibly steady. When an Ostrich charged at him, he kicked towards Ding Ze just as Ding Ze eliminated his own Ostrich opponent and effortlessly turned to face a new enemy. Li Qing utilized his strengths effectively, keeping Cui Ming and others' combat efficiency at peak levels.
Ding Ze exhibited terrifying lethality; although he only used lightning without any novelty, its color had changed from pale yellow to pure white—indicating that the energy purity converted from Force had risen significantly. Even if it was just lightning, it was ferocious; one bolt struck an Ostrich heavily injuring it while another bolt finished it off completely.
Beiyue was methodical, with both offensive and defensive capabilities. The Ostrich could not inflict any substantial harm on her, while she could deal significant damage to the Ostrich. Beiyue had stepped out of the realm of enhancement and had become a formidable practitioner who could both attack and defend.
Mi Xiaonan was the slowest in killing the Ostrich. Her Chidori had little power, and the shurikens caused limited damage to the Ostrich. Activating the Thunderstorm seal could kill the Ostrich, but it was inefficient, and there seemed to be no progress. However, Wandering sensed that Mi Xiaonan was unable to exert her strength, appearing somewhat distracted.
Wandering contemplated the North Moon Group. Initially thinking that Ding Ze was the only main attacker, he now realized that both Cui Ming and Beiyue were also capable of taking on that role, each with their own strengths. Beiyue was versatile in both defense and offense, while Cui Ming's various Card Plays combined with fierce output were also quite impressive. Li Qing played more of a tactical role, and Wandering found it hard to understand Mi Xiaonan's positioning; currently, she seemed to serve as a scout for reconnaissance.
"Stop kicking over here," Ding Ze shouted angrily at Li Qing.
Li Qing ignored him and delivered a flying kick that struck the Ostrich's body. The impact caused the Ostrich to tremble; this was a technique that could inflict damage through Force, akin to Paralysis, rendering the opponent unable to launch an attack for a short time. Then Li Qing kicked again, sending the Ostrich towards Ding Ze.
Ding Ze happened to eliminate the Ostrich sent by Li Qing and faced a new one. Although he was dissatisfied verbally, he greatly admired Li Qing's judgment. Li Qing clearly understood each team member's strength, which was not surprising; what was impressive was how well she grasped even the details and timing perfectly. When he wanted to change positions, Li Qing seemed to read his mind and sent the Ostrich over only after he had moved.
Beiyue was a tough woman who swung her Greatsword into the Ostrich's nest, wreaking havoc. She charged left and right, sending one Ostrich after another flying from their nests. Li Qing acted like a relay runner, passing each Ostrich along. Soon enough, Beiyue destroyed the nest and eliminated the scattered Ostriches as the group continued onward.
Cui Ming asked, "Mi Xiaonan, why do you look so down?"
Mi Xiaonan sighed, "I really support dragon slaying."
"Ah?"
"Well... let's go." It felt excessive to use her strength on such a small Ostrich when she had hoped for a stunning entrance to showcase what she had gained during her recent retreat.
Cui Ming understood this and smiled lightly as he took out a map—a magical crystal map that displayed their traveled route and the straight-line distance to their destination. Beiyue looked at Cui Ming beside her and said, "Actually, I want to say that we are only three kilometers away; we could send someone ahead, but I think you definitely wouldn't agree."
Cui Ming looked at Beiyue and replied, "Beiyue, I didn't intend to refute everyone's opinions just to show off my cleverness."
Beiyue explained, "I know; that's exactly what I'm saying."
Cui Ming nodded. "I've considered your thoughts; it's quite risky because we can't be sure if Wandering will dig a pitfall for us. Three kilometers in a straight line could turn into a serpentine path with several monster nests ahead—then we'd be in big trouble." The road was wide with cliffs on either side, and there were magical barriers at the top that couldn't be crossed, including teleportation.
Beiyue asked, "So what have you decided?"
"I don't know. I'm sure other teams would adopt a strategy at this point, leaving some to hold off the monsters while sending one or two to grab the flag. It's a gamble. If we use this strategy and Wandering has set a trap, it will be difficult for us to secure the bye. But if we don't use this strategy and Wandering hasn't set a trap, we still won't get the bye." Cui Ming tugged at his hair, "It's a tough choice."
This wasn't about deduction; it was a decision. Cui Ming looked ahead, seeing only two hundred meters, just around the corner. He said, "Mi Xiaonan, there's an archer formation ahead. You rush over and check if there are any enemies in front."
"Got it." Mi Xiaonan transformed into a streak of lightning, dashing across the stretch. Countless Goblin Archers appeared atop the cliffs on both sides, shooting at Mi Xiaonan, but she was too fast and made it through that section. She pressed the intercom: "Cui Ming, although I don't want to ask, I have to—how do you know it's an archer formation?"
"Look at the terrain. There are many rocks ahead that have a peculiar shape; they provide cover below. Plus, the cliff isn't smooth anymore; it has layers. So I deduced that projectiles would be thrown from above. To throw stones effectively requires larger monsters, and given the cliff's structure, larger monsters wouldn't be able to hide well. Therefore, I believe archers are more reliable."
Ding Ze chimed in through the intercom: "From now on, don't ask; there's always a reason. Cui Ming, I'm curious—your observational skills are definitely sharper than three years ago."
"There has been improvement, but it's a long story; we'll talk about it later." Observation skills are closely tied to focus. Due to Card Play, Cui Ming had developed strong concentration. A person who focuses on details naturally has good observational skills. Most importantly, Cui Ming tends to question things; when he notices differences in details compared to before, he asks himself why those changes occurred. The reason intelligent people tend to be suspicious is that they ask more 'whys.' Cui Ming understood that this wasn't purely an advantage; if an opponent had set up deceptive formations specifically targeting him, he would find it hard to convince himself of any decision. Just like earlier, Cui Ming couldn't decide whether to adopt a breakout strategy because he had heavy suspicions and felt there might be traps.
As it turned out, Cui Ming was wrong this time. Mi Xiaonan reported: "There's only a nest of Vampire Bats ahead; I can already see the red flag."
"Wrong tactic." Cui Ming immediately admitted his mistake. While Mi Xiaonan was fast enough to get past the archer formation, she couldn't get through the bat swarm. Only Beiyue could manage that due to her slower speed. Cui Ming instructed: "I can't get past the archer formation. Li Qing, protect Ding Ze as you cross the archers. Mi Xiaonan, you draw their attention from the bats while Ding Ze uses his dash." The cliffs were filled with magical barriers that prevented Cui Ming's teleportation; the serpentine terrain limited his long-distance movement.
"Beiyue, you go left while I go right to draw their fire."
"Okay." Beiyue and Cui Ming moved up the cliff from opposite sides as the Goblin Archers immediately targeted them with arrows. Despite dodging, Cui Ming still took quite a few hits. However, their goal was simply to absorb arrows—not to harm the enemy but to ensure all firepower was concentrated on themselves. (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count