mijobooks Chapter 104 Encounter with Void Beasts
Chapter 104 Encounter with Void Beasts
Chapter 104 Encounter with Void Beasts
Shen Zhaozhao, trailing behind the group, listened to Lu Youhe and the others' conversation, her heart filled with resentment.
How could the adorable Haruki have fallen into the hands of such a pervert? Or is it that Haruki originally liked this kind of thing?
And the two of them were actually holding hands!
They're already holding hands when they're just dating, so what would they be doing if they were engaged? And if they got married, well, wouldn't they be shoving each other in the face?!
Shen Zhaozhao watched from behind as her beloved woman was snatched away by another man, like an incompetent husband, practically biting a rag in his mouth. Suddenly, she stopped and looked in one direction.
Is the "year-old, dilapidated area here" really that bad? Should we report it and apply for a repair shop to fix it?
The first to notice something was wrong was Gu Manman from the Black Mountain High Moon Squad at the very front of the group. Lu Ren and Shen Yaoxing also sensed the abnormal life force approaching them.
Gu's profession is "illusion weaver", which means he has the magical ability to materialize fantasy things. But in the end, he belongs to the category of mind manipulator. The role of mind manipulator in a professional team is mainly to detect enemy information.
When he suddenly stopped, the members of the Black Mountain team looked at him.
"What's wrong, Brother Gu?"
"Is something wrong?"
Gu Manman spoke slowly and deliberately, stating, "It's a group of rock-shelled lizards ambushing us by the mountain path over there. Should we avoid them? If we do, we'll have to go back to that fork in the road and go back into the mountains. Speaking of taking a detour, that path is actually wider. I was just thinking about what kind of scenery I would encounter if I took that path. It reminded me of a little poem, 'The Road Not Taken'—"
After traveling all this way, everyone has gotten used to it; just ignore him.
"Just a few rock-shelled lizards, Mei, let's go take care of them!"
"Shut up! How many times have I told you? When you're out on a mission, follow my orders!"
The dark-skinned girl scolded her brainless companion, then looked at Shen Yaoxing.
"Miss Shen, shall we discuss a solution together?"
Shen Yaoxing activated her spiritual eye technique and glanced at the fork in the road ahead.
The material world began to collapse into ripples in her eyes, and about five hundred meters ahead, those strange spiritual objects that seemed to be floating in the air were extremely conspicuous.
"At the fork in the road ahead, there are 18 creatures clinging to the upper rock layer and 6 creatures clinging to the mountainside below the road."
Her move surprised everyone in the Black Mountain High Moon Squad. Even Gu Manman, the mentalist, could only vaguely sense that this little girl could so accurately determine the number of virtual beasts.
"This is one of my divine spells, Spirit Eye. Although it's a divine spell, its function is reconnaissance."
"I see, that's amazing."
Wizards focus on healing, mind sorcerers focus on reconnaissance, but there is no set pattern for divine sorcerers. They have all kinds of skills, including reconnaissance, control, recovery, enhancement, curse, restraint, and offense. Although most of their abilities are supportive, they are still considered to be well-rounded professionals.
The dark-skinned girl thought to herself, "Miss Shen is clearly a divine mage, but there's also a sorcerer in the team. Two divine cultivators forming a team is too strange. Is such a team strong enough?"
Of course, that's their business. Xiaomei said, "The number isn't large, but in these mountainous and narrow passes, the rock-shelled lizards can climb the cliffs, making it difficult for people to stand. If someone falls, they'll be in trouble. Moreover, being attacked from both sides makes an encounter somewhat disadvantageous for us."
Shen Yaoxing said, "We'll handle the six coming up from below. The larger ones on the left are yours, okay?"
"No problem. By the way, Miss Shen, you're from out of town. Are you familiar with the Rock-Shelled Lizard's abilities?"
"We've looked into it, but we only got the information online. Ms. Mei, as a local professional, could you tell us about the situation here?"
"Can."
Xiao Mei nodded and explained, "This area belongs to the Yanzhou Realm within the Void Realm. There are six types of Void Beasts in the Yanzhou Realm. Our mission this time is to hunt two of them: the Bronze-level Rock Shell Lizard and the Silver-level Crimson Sand Scorpion."
The few virtual beasts that ambushed the humans earlier were bronze-level rock-shelled lizards.
Rock-shelled lizards are not unique to Yanzhou; they can be found in many regions of Central Asia. It is said that they taste quite good when grilled, and there is a famous local delicacy called "grilled lizard skewers."
This type of ethereal beast is not strong. If the Swamp Mud Monster is considered a strong Bronze-level creature, then the Rock Shell Lizard is probably a lower-middle-level creature. What is worth mentioning is its armor-like shell, which provides strong defense. Moreover, it is a social creature, and dozens or even hundreds of them often appear in the ethereal realm. When there are many of them, they become very troublesome to deal with.
"The rock-shelled lizard has good defensive capabilities, but its abdomen is a weak point. Its attack methods are relatively simple, mainly relying on its tongue. A single strike can penetrate a reinforced concrete wall. Its attack range is generally between 50 and 70 meters, so just be careful to control the distance."
"Understood."
The dark-skinned girl explained the key points to them and then went back to communicate with her teammates.
"Prepare to engage. Same old routine. I'll draw the Void Beasts' attention. Bai Zhi and Ah Hei, you cover me. Hulk, you protect Bai Zhi and Ah Hei. Gu Xiaoge, you—"
Shen Yaoxing looked at Ji Liguang and said, "The absorption condition for this Rock Shell Lizard's Bronze-level Hardening is 400 Life Force. Ah Li, you can absorb it then."
"Bronze-level hardening, huh? I've been wanting to buy one to replace it for a while now, perfect."
Hardening is a common skill possessed by many tough-skinned and thick-skinned Void Beasts, and its quality ranges from black iron to gold.
Ji Liguang also has Hardening, a skill that is simple, pure, and easy to use. The initial learning conditions are low, and later you can find higher-level skills to upgrade it. It is simply a divine defensive skill, and almost every shield warrior has one.
Seeing how professional the other team was, Ji Liguang looked at Shen Yaoxing and asked, "Auntie, what tactics do we have?"
"It's not us."
Shen Yaoxing glanced at her and said, "It's you, Yueying, and Youhe. Lu Ren and I won't make a move."
"Huh? The three of us?"
"You guys are so lacking in training. A few rock-shelled lizards are just the right amount of practice for you."
Jiang Yueying felt like she'd seen this scene somewhere before. Oh right, last time it was her and Lu Ren—why am I in it again this time?!
Could this be what Lu Ren meant when he said he was being targeted by his boss?
Lu Ren once said that there are many hidden rules in the workplace. If you think that as long as you work honestly, your boss will like you, then you are too naive!
Shen Yaoxing felt someone tugging at her clothes. Looking down, she asked, "Xiaoying, what's wrong? Is there something you need?"
"Should we talk over there? Xiaoying, you can just say what you need to say here."
"What did you give me? Your bank card? What would I need your bank card for?"
"You know everything, I really don't want to—Lu Ren! What have you been teaching her!"
Lu Ren quickly went over and, with the air of unwavering love, lifted Jiang Yueying up from under her arms and hurriedly took the idiot away.
Ji Liguang protested, expressing his dissatisfaction: "But there are six bronze-level ones. Xiaoyueying and I are only at the Candle Illumination Realm, and Youhe is even at the Flowing Firefly Realm."
Because professionals are highly specialized, the strength of professionals and Void Beasts before the Star Cocoon Realm is not equal. Only a Silver-level team can be compared to a Silver-level Void Beast, or a dozen Bronze-level Void Beasts, just like the Black Mountain High Moon Team.
Shen Yaoxing glanced at her coldly: "Are you going to measure yourself by the standards of ordinary people?"
Ji Liguang scratched his head, looking troubled. "I'm not afraid of a few bronze-level monsters, especially the bulky, thick-skinned kind. Even if I can't beat them, they probably can't do anything to me. But how can I protect the two of them by myself? I'm asking Lu Ren to come with us. Or you can replace Xiao Ying or You He with Lu Ren."
"Lu Ren's nine attributes are all at the Flame level. He can wipe out several Rock-Shelled Lizards by himself. What's the point of letting Lu Ren do it for you to practice? Lu Ren and I will watch from the sidelines, just to give you some practice."
Shen Yaoxing, leaving no room for argument, looked at Jiang Yueying and Lu Youhe, giving them a pre-battle pep talk: "Xiaoying, this mountain path is narrow and the soil isn't firm enough. You'd better not use swamp gas explosions later, as it could easily collapse the mountain. The rock-shelled lizard's shell is hard, so your burning spell probably won't be very effective. You can try earth and rock magic. Although the effect will be a bit weaker without the skill, but—"
"Youhe, although you are still young, your talent is no less than your brother's. You just lack opportunities. Back when your brother and I were in the virtual world, we were also like that—"
The young lady was scolding people, while Lu Ren was just laughing on the side.
Shen Yaoxing turned to look at him, frowning slightly: "What are you laughing at? Don't you have anything better to do?"
Lu Ren: "————" I really have nothing to do. You won't even let me laugh anymore. Chinese education wins!
"Go catch one and kill it later, then absorb its spirit remains."
"oh."
Seeing that his aunt looked like there was no room for negotiation, Ji Liguang could only helplessly accept the fact.
She then looked at her companion, Lu Youhe, who took out her magical gadgets. She had six bronze-level alchemical gadgets, two functional ones and four weapons. She was already wearing a set of dark green full-body armor, wiping the lens of her sniper rifle, with a shield on her back and a steel knife at her waist—she sounded quite imposing, but she was so small that it looked like she was sending a child to the battlefield.
Jiang Yueying, meanwhile, was clutching her magic wand, muttering incantations, probably asking for someone's blessing, and saying something like, "If I survive this time, I will definitely do this and that in the future." She then took out her phone and started typing away, as if giving someone her last words.
Looking at the two little ones, Ji Liguang had an even bigger headache.
It feels like her parents are going on a long trip, and it's her turn to take care of her two younger sisters!
Lu Youhe looked at Jiang Yueying and comforted her, "Xiaoying, don't worry, I will protect you."
Seeing Lu Youhe's composure, Jiang Yueying calmed down a little, but still asked curiously, "That...that's a bronze-level void beast, Youhe, aren't you afraid?"
"Don't worry, Lu Ren told me he's already bought me insurance, the Tai X Yang Professional Accident Insurance, which can cover up to [amount missing]"
"Holy crap!"
Seeing Jiang Yueying's reaction, Lu Youhe became anxious, "Xiaoying, you didn't buy it, did you? What are we going to do now?"
"I...I didn't buy it—no, that's not right!"
"Then I'll have Lu Ren process it for you now. Can you put my brother as the beneficiary?"
"That's not the point! I mean, Yuhe, aren't you afraid of dying?"
"It's alright. I heard from Miss that my brother became a professional less than a month ago, and he's already fighting against bronze-level Void Beasts, and he's taking on one by himself."
"That's because of you. Your brother is a monster."
"No, my brother isn't a monster."
Lu Youhe corrected, "My brother is an idiot."
Ji Liguang rubbed his forehead and sighed, "You two, remember to hide behind me later. I'll protect you."
Huh? Why do I suddenly feel like I'm such a reliable adult when I say this?
Ji Liguang looked at the two children and asked, "Don't you think I looked cool when I just said that?"
"Ah Li is so cool!"
"Ah, Ali, so handsome!"
"Right! Hahahaha!"
Following behind the three, Shen Yaoxing remained expressionless, watching the three who still looked foolish.
"Are these three idiots?"
She began to doubt their ability to complete the mission.
As the group reached the fork in the road, several grayish-brown creatures, about a meter tall and covered in rock-like armor, suddenly emerged from behind the rocks to the upper left and below the mountain path to the right.
"Hiss!"
「嘶
—"
As the Void Beast charged out, the Black Mountain High Moon Squad quickly entered the battle.
After all, they were just a few bronze-level Void Beasts against a well-prepared silver-level squad, so the situation was almost one-sided.
On the other side, it's "burning".
Jiang Yueying is not the same as before. Although she says she is afraid, she no longer trembles with fear when facing the Void Beast.
A burst of crimson-gold flames erupted, instantly raising the temperature of the space.
Her incredibly powerful burn instantly covered two or three rock-shelled lizards; if they were mud monsters, this one strike would have cooked them.
However, the attacks were not very effective against these monsters. It wasn't that they were stronger than the swamp monsters, but rather that these monsters had a layer of rock and soil on their bodies, which slightly suppressed fire elemental magic.
She currently has two skills: burning and swamp gas explosion.
She was confident that a single methane explosion could kill one or two people, but as Shen Yaoxing said, if she used methane to explode in this terrain, the mountain would collapse.
"Sizzle—"
'
The tongue, like a black, fleeting shadow, came with deadly force.
In the past, Jiang Yueying would have been too scared to walk by now, and in fact, her legs were trembling with fear.
Although her body was sluggish, her manipulation of the elements never stopped.
Although she had no other skills, after studying with Grandpa Wang for more than a month, she had already mastered the means to cast magic without needing any special skills.
Jiang Yueying's thoughts froze completely at that moment, like a clock that had been emptied. However, her body moved faster than her consciousness.
Just as the sticky, giant tongue, like a cannonball, hurtled through the air, the ground beneath her feet trembled violently, and a solid rock wall, nearly ten centimeters thick, rose up from the ground like a loyal guardian, standing before her.
"boom"