leonardwarren Chapter 257 The Disaster Squad's Strength Increases Dramatically!
Chapter 257 The Disaster Squad's Strength Increases Dramatically!
Chapter 257 The Disaster Squad's Strength Increases Dramatically!
Faced with the provocation from his two teammates, Fang Zhou smiled lightly and snapped his fingers.
"I don't think you can tell who is the king and who is the queen."
Xiao Chan, you are a Vocal String professional.
Red Makeup, you are a Nature Summoner.
I am a necromancer.
"In that case, how about we call ourselves the 'Disaster Squad'?"
Upon hearing the name, Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang exchanged a glance and, unusually, reached a consensus.
They nodded and said, "It sounds alright."
Let's call it the "Disaster Squad".
"I hope that in the future we can grow into the 'Disaster Team' and the 'Disaster Legion,' truly becoming the natural scourge above the abyssal demons."
After deciding on the team's name, Ark led the "Disaster Squad" into the Horned Demon Outpost instance.
Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang are both newcomers at this stage, so naturally they can only start from the lowest difficulty level.
"【Horned Demon Outpost】Easy Difficulty (Apprentice Mid-Tier), Team Mode"
Fangzhou touched the portal with the projection and immediately heard a familiar notification.
"Ark Sergeant, this simulated battlefield is a team mode and is quite difficult. It is recommended that you participate in a team of three."
Are you sure you want to enter?
Previously, Ark would never have paid attention to this notification.
But now, he has two teammates by his side.
Although, given his current strength and terrifying combat power, his two teammates are largely just decorative figures.
Fangzhou smiled slightly, paid 2 contribution points as the entrance fee without hesitation, and then led the two new members of the "Disaster Squad" into the simulated battlefield.
The moment they entered, the three were teleported into a dense, foggy jungle.
For Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang, everything here was so new and mysterious.
They curiously surveyed the surrounding jungle shrouded in mist, while the Ark had already expertly unfurled its skeletal wings.
He took the lead, guiding his two teammates as they sped towards the Horned Demon Outpost.
In his view, although Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang are not strong enough to directly confront powerful enemies, their existence is crucial for competing for the historical speed rankings.
Their mission was to lure the lone horned demon boss lurking in the corner as quickly as possible, so that the Ark could concentrate its efforts on dealing with other threats.
As they moved swiftly through the dense forest, Ark pulled a reel of power from his pocket.
This is a loot seized from the kobold warlock leader, a white, common-quality rare item.
It emits a faint glow and can effectively enhance the power of the next direct-damage skill by charging it in advance.
The Ark completed the preparation of the charging reel while speeding along.
As he walked, the surrounding scenery gradually transitioned from dense jungle to the dimly lit passageway inside the outpost.
Upon reaching the fork in the road inside the outpost, Fang Zhou unhesitatingly directed Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang to proceed to the right fork.
He then charged straight toward his target—the room where the little demon was hidden.
He knew very well that in order to complete this speedrun mission, he had to lure the Horned Demon BOSS to the central corridor as soon as possible.
Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang's task is to attract the BOSS's attention at the end of the room, buying precious time for the Ark.
Fang Zhou himself didn't summon a single skeleton, and charged straight into the room where the group of lesser demons were staying.
This is a good opportunity to test out the Death Ripple skill that he just deduced a few days ago.
Fang Zhou's footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, and soon he arrived at the door of the room where the group of lesser demons were.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and the room was crowded with about a dozen lesser demons of the lower apprentice rank.
They were relaxing and resting, completely unaware that uninvited guests would suddenly intrude.
However, the Ark didn't give them any time to react at all.
He gripped the fully charged reel tightly in his hand, a powerful energy surging within his palm.
Without a word, Fang Zhou waved his Apprentice Staff, fully unleashing the power of the Charge Scroll, and then released the Death Ripple skill.
Almost instantly, with the powerful boost from the charging scroll, a gray energy ripple shot out from the tip of the staff, spreading out like a wave and covering the entire room in the blink of an eye.
These lesser demon apprentices were covered with a thin layer of scales, which they thought would be able to withstand some attacks, but they were powerless against the Death Ripple.
The death ripples not only penetrated their physical defenses, but also carried a variety of special damage attributes—spirit, corruption, and death energy.
These attributes intertwined to create a devastating blow.
The psychological damage initially threw the lesser demons into a brief period of confusion.
Their eyes were filled with confusion and fear, as if they were bound by an invisible force and unable to move.
Immediately afterwards, the putrefactive toxins began to spread rapidly in their bodies, damaging their bodily functions, causing their skin to turn a sickly bluish-green, and their breathing to become rapid and difficult.
The death energy directly erodes their vitality, causing their bodies to weaken rapidly.
Mottled grayish-white spots appeared on the skin, as if the flame of life was being extinguished rapidly.
For a moment, the room was filled with Yuan Hao watching the little demons and screams.
They tried to escape the deadly attack, but the death ripples had already completely enveloped the entire space.
Escape is no longer possible.
Fangzhou stood in the center of the room, coldly watching everything unfold.
Only by quickly eliminating these minor demons can we ensure the smooth progress of subsequent plans.
As the last lesser demon fell, its eyes lost their light, and its life force dissipated into the air.
Activating his Soul Vision, Ark carefully surveyed his surroundings, ensuring that not a single demon had survived the battlefield.
His sharp gaze swept across every inch of land like a falcon's, until he was certain that nothing was left alive, before he withdrew the light of his soul vision.
Without looking back, he activated the Bone Wings skill again and sped off towards the Horned Demon BOSS.
At this moment, Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang, their two companions, had successfully lured the Horned Demon BOSS to the central courtyard corridor, fulfilling their mission.
The corridor was wide and deep, with ancient runes and patterns carved on the stone walls on both sides.
With its skeletal wings fluttering gently in the air, the Ark arrived at the pre-arranged battlefield in just a few breaths.
He then unleashed his familiar double attack of bone lock and bone spear once again.
The horned demon BOSS, who had just single-handedly chased Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang away like wolves and foxes, was originally arrogantly preparing to deliver his opening lines.
However, the silence effect attached to the Bone Lock skill put it into a silent state, preventing it from uttering even a blasphemous word.
With the support of Ark's spiritual attributes, skill proficiency, and luxurious equipment, the Skeleton Lock skill he now unleashed was no longer something that the Horned Demon BOSS in this easy-difficulty dungeon could withstand.
A hint of terror flashed in the eyes of the Horned Demon BOSS, but it could not make a sound and could only helplessly watch as the black lock silently fastened around its body.
The ensuing Bone Spear skill, after being greatly enhanced, became incredibly sharp, piercing the air with a whooshing sound as it flew directly from the Horned Demon BOSS.
It pierced through the chest scales.
Although its scales were hard, they were as fragile as paper in front of the Ark's reinforced skeletal spears.
The Horned Demon BOSS's body trembled violently, then lost all its life force, collapsed to the ground, and fell into an eternal slumber.
Under the incredulous gazes of Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang, the once imposing and incomparably powerful Horned Demon BOSS collapsed to the ground after being struck by the Bone Spear, its massive body unable to withstand the enormous impact.
It was as if a mountain had collapsed, dust was flying everywhere, and the entire simulated battlefield seemed to be trembling.
This happened so suddenly that both teammates were stunned.
They could hardly believe their eyes; their once invincible and powerful enemy had been defeated so easily.
Almost simultaneously with its fall, the simulated battlefield system's notification sounded.
"Mission completed, time taken: 5 minutes and 30 seconds, completion rating: [Perfect], reward: 3 contribution points."
Immediately afterwards, another system notification came through.
"The Disaster Squad, members Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang, have cleared the [Horned Demon Outpost] on Easy difficulty for the first time and have earned the first-clear reward of 4 contribution points."
"Congratulations, Sergeant Fang Zhou, Corporal Bai Xiaochun, and Corporal Meng Hongzhuang. Your team, the Cataclysm Squad, is the second team in this grade to clear the [Horned Demon Outpost] on Easy difficulty. In addition to Sergeant Fang Zhou, all team members received an extra 9 contribution points as a first-clear ranking reward for the grade, and also received the achievement blessing: Increased drop rate of simulated battlefield loot by 1%, bringing the total to 6%."
"Congratulations, Sergeant Fang Zhou, Corporal Bai Xiaochun, and Corporal Meng Hongzhuang. Your team, the Cataclysm Squad, has cleared [Horned Demon Outpost]."
The time taken on Easy difficulty was only 5 minutes and 30 seconds, placing it at number one on the all-time speedrun leaderboard. An additional 6 contribution points are expected as a ranking reward this month.
"Ark Sergeant triggered a loot drop, obtaining 1 [Apprentice-level Crystal Ball], which can be exchanged for 10 contribution points."
"Corporal Bai Xiaochun triggered a loot drop, obtaining 1 [Level 1 Jade], which can be exchanged for 10 contribution points."
"Corporal Meng Hongzhuang triggered a loot drop, obtaining 1 [Level 1 Refinement Stone], which can be exchanged for 10 Contribution Points."
"After waiting for 5 minutes, the Disaster Squad can continue to challenge the Normal difficulty."
A series of system notifications echoed in the ears of Fang Zhou, Bai Xiaochuan, and Meng Hongzhuang.
Although they didn't receive the reward for being the first in the grade to complete the challenge—that honor had already been claimed by Fang Zhou alone—it was only natural that they became the second team in the grade to complete the challenge.
Because Fangzhou had already secured the top spot in the grade's first-clear ranking, he didn't manage to exploit any loopholes to obtain another first-clear reward this time, even though he cleared the game with Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang.
However, Fangzhou didn't seem to care much about this.
What truly delighted him was that their team, known as "Calamity," had taken the top spot on the all-time speed racing leaderboard.
Fang Zhou raised his eyebrows slightly, not surprised by the result.
This is a team-based instance, and no matter how efficient he is individually, he can't compare to a well-balanced, offensive and defensive three-person team.
Moreover, the historical racing rankings are calculated based on each team member's best performance, which means they can continuously challenge themselves to break records.
Those teams that managed to leave their mark on the leaderboard were all masters whose strength had reached the peak of the apprentice level.
They possess comprehensive skills and equipment, and their teamwork is seamless. They are also very familiar with the process of clearing the [Horned Demon Outpost].
In contrast, Fang Zhou, the necromancer, along with two newcomers who had just broken through to the mid-level apprentice rank—Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang—were able to easily surpass these seniors and ascend to the top of the leaderboard.
This is not surprising at all; on the contrary, it proves the potential and strength of their trio.
Fang Zhou shook his head slightly. He stopped thinking about those complicated and distracting thoughts and focused his mind on the results in front of him.
After carefully tallying up his gains from the trip, and deducting the entrance fee for the simulated battlefield, his net profit reached a staggering 17 contribution points.
Such results are quite remarkable for a collaboration that is only the first time they have worked together.
Fangzhou's gaze fell once again on the enormous and ferocious horned demon's corpse, and a sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.
He waved to Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang, who were not far away, indicating that they could leave.
However, as Fang Zhou turned to leave the simulated battlefield, he found Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang still standing there, seemingly lost in some kind of deep shock.
Bai Xiaochun and Meng Hongzhuang are both first-year students at Haicheng Military Academy. They are usually the center of attention and are always the focus of crowds wherever they go.
Today, fighting alongside Fangzhou, they were mentally prepared to be merely decorative and carried by the powerful, but they never expected Fangzhou to be so strong that they had almost no chance to make a difference.
Bai Xiaochun, in particular, had planned to use her musical magic to play several pieces that could enhance the Ark's combat power, hoping to speed up the process of clearing the level.
She was full of confidence and eagerly anticipated demonstrating her value to the Ark in this way.
However, she didn't expect that her skill level was far inferior to Fangzhou's.
This directly resulted in her casting speed being far behind the Ark's pace.
As they lured the Horned Demon BOSS to the central courtyard corridor, Bai Xiaochun had just taken out her apprentice-level violin and hadn't even started playing when she saw a blinding white light flash before her eyes.
Immediately afterwards, a thick and sharp skeletal spear shot out from Ark's hand, piercing through the horned demon's body like a bolt of lightning.
He was shot dead on the spot.
At this moment, the violin in Bai Xiaochun's hands seemed to have lost all meaning.
Her original idea of using this opportunity to curry favor with Fang Zhou vanished.
She stood there blankly, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
I was amazed by the power of the Ark, but also felt a little disappointed that I had not been able to contribute.
The two girls stood there quietly, unable to come to their senses for a long time.