SWDnovel Chapter 283 Battle Against the Abyss Again, Projected Divine Communication!
Chapter 283 Battle Against the Abyss Again, Projected Divine Communication!
Chapter 283 Battle Against the Abyss Again, Projected Divine Communication!
At the command of the berserker hero Olaf, the skeleton archers unleashed two more volleys of arrows, killing the dozen or so lesser demons running at the front.
Immediately following, the Flame Demons from the Abyss refused to be outdone.
They spread their arms, gathering the abyssal fire surging within them. One after another, blazing fireballs converged in the air, forming a sea of fire that hurtled towards the skeleton army.
Faced with this destructive force, Olaf demonstrated his exceptional command skills.
It calmly issued the command, and the spear-wielding skeletons quickly changed formation.
The skeletons wielding giant shields quickly raised them high, forming solid barriers in an attempt to withstand the impending onslaught of flames.
The fireballs, like meteor impacts, bombarded the defensive line formed by the giant shield skeletons.
Each collision was accompanied by a deafening explosion and suffocating heat.
Despite the giant shield skeletons' best efforts to hold them off, nearly ten were still blasted to pieces in the sudden fireball storm.
Their bones were scattered all over the ground, as if telling the story of the cruelty of war.
Fang Zhou stood at the back, his expression cold.
He didn't waste any mental energy to apply additional bone shields to these giant shield skeletons as a second layer of protection.
In his view, these skeleton soldiers were meant to be used as cannon fodder to wear down the enemy.
No matter how much he loses, he always has a way to summon more skeletons to fill the gaps.
However, the Flame Demons' achievements ended there.
Olaf did not give them a chance to calmly unleash a second round of fireballs.
Under Olaf's command, about half of the skeleton archers drew their bows again.
This time, their target was the high ground where the fire demons were located. Countless arrows rained down like a meteor shower in the night sky. The fire demons screamed in terror and scattered in all directions, trying to find any place to hide. Not all of them perished in this volley of arrows.
However, this action deprived them of the space and opportunity to continue casting fireballs.
This change undoubtedly greatly reduced the pressure on other melee skeletons.
Fangzhou stood at a distance, observing the situation on the entire battlefield.
With Olaf's command skills, this small-scale situation is no problem at all.
Therefore, he did not interfere or try to seize command from Olaf.
Seeing the demon army begin to fall into chaos under the onslaught of the skeleton army, Ark couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
Fortunately, he successfully deduced the Bone Blade skill, which allowed the apprentice-level skeletons, who originally could only rely on their pitiful claws and healing teeth and fight by instinct, to have their own bone weapons ahead of time, thus greatly enhancing their combat power on the front lines.
The giant shield-bearer stood at the forefront, raising its shield to block the arrows and magical projectiles that attempted to penetrate the defenses.
The square formation of spears and skulls resembled a forest of death.
Their skeletal spears gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and when the demons' medium and large units attempted to break through this seemingly fragile defense, they were met with a tidal wave of spear tips.
In the heart of the battlefield, the Greatsword Skull and the Giant Axe Skull became true killing machines.
Wielding giant swords and axes carved from bones, each swing was accompanied by the piercing sound of cracking bones and the screams of demons. The skeleton archers, positioned on the flanks of the battlefield, used the terrain to their advantage, constantly firing deadly arrows at the enemy, establishing the skeleton army's long-range advantage.
Although the power of a single arrow is limited, the demons' morale gradually declined under continuous harassment and suppression, and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. Of course, the Ark's skeleton army is also currently lacking.
Since these undead summons only have the strength of an apprentice-level cultivator, under the Skeleton Blade skill, these skeletons can only condense the most crucial weapons, initially forming two main categories: melee skeletons and skeleton archers.
The Ark's concept is missing two core unit types: mobile cavalry and flying units.
Furthermore, due to the extremely low racial strength coefficient of skeletons, despite the enhancements of various skills and the Death Coronation skill, the sheer power of the skeleton army is insufficient to defeat a demonic warband of the same size in equal numbers.
However, the Ark's own combat power, represented by the skeletal skill tree, and the existence of the berserker hero Olaf, perfectly fill the gap in the skeleton army's lack of high-end combat power.
Olaf, wielding two skeletal axes, charged ahead, taking the lead against the horned warlord who was charging wildly.
Fangzhou, on the one hand, was using the Resurrection skill to restore the skeleton army that had suffered losses in the battle against melee demons such as horned demons, lesser demons, and hound demons, and on the other hand, he was waving the crystal ball and releasing the Death Ripple skill at the dense demon warband.
At the same time, Ark did not forget to focus its attacks on the most threatening enemies.
Occasionally, he would also launch a surprise attack on the treacherous Flame Demon leader, sending a bone spear aimed straight for his vitals.
Although the Flame Demon leader barely managed to dodge the attack thanks to its superior agility, this blow undoubtedly instilled in it unprecedented pressure and fear, making it unable to cast spells and give commands with peace of mind.
To further enhance the combat power of the skeleton army, Ark also unleashed the [Brutal Aura] and [Iron Wall Aura] skills.
With these dual abilities, the skeleton army becomes even more indestructible and invincible.
The battlefield was littered with the remains of demons and their mournful cries, while the army of skeletons gradually adopted the posture of victors.
After the numerous cannon fodder units, the lesser demons, were all eliminated, the battle entered a new and more intense phase.
Horned demons and hound demons, these enormous and incredibly powerful demons, began to reveal their hideous nature.
Their muscles were taut in battle, and their eyes gleamed with a ferocious light.
However, even in the face of such a powerful opponent, the Ark's skeleton army did not back down in the slightest.
With their unique tenacity and fearlessness in the face of death, the soldiers launched wave after wave of attacks.
Neither the horned demon's sharp horns nor the hound demon's claws could stop the army's seemingly endless charge.
Each collision was accompanied by the sound of metal hitting bone, and each fall was filled by a new soldier.
The horned demon and the dog demon could no longer hold on and fell in this relentless battle.
The Horned Demon Overlord was also tightly bound by the Skeleton Lock skill released by Ark out of the blue.
Although it struggled desperately, its massive body appeared fragile and powerless in the face of the invisible lock.
Then, the berserker spirit Olaf stepped forward, wielding his heavy battle axe, and like a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, severed the warlord's head with overwhelming force.
Having lost the leadership of the Horned Demon Overlord and the protection of melee demons, the Flame Demon leader attempted to find a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos and break through the encirclement.
However, after losing the protection of its frontline meat shield, its massive body became the perfect target for the skeleton archers.
Countless arrows flew in from all directions, each carrying deadly force, piercing its body mercilessly.
The Flame Demon leader let out a desperate roar, but was quickly engulfed by a dense rain of arrows, and finally turned into a pile of charred remains.
As the last trace of the demon's mournful cry vanished into the night sky, Ark and his army achieved a complete victory in this decisive battle.
The only cost was that his army of skeletons was reduced by more than half.
After all, these skeleton soldiers were just pawns he could easily replace; the only loss he suffered was a portion of his mental energy.
If it were an army made of flesh and blood, it would be on the verge of collapse after suffering such heavy losses, and at best it could only be considered a Pyrrhic victory.
But for Ark and his undead army, all of this was just a small price to pay on the road to victory.
Throughout the battle, Ark relentlessly engaged the enemy head-on, forcefully slaying all the demons.
Therefore, there were no casualties among the shelter guards and refugees.
As the demon army gradually vanished into the hills, the guardians of the sanctuary stopped their pursuit.
The screen then froze, and a system notification appeared.
"Task completed, time taken 20 minutes, completion rating: [Perfect], reward: 13.5 contribution points."
"First-time completion of the [Defense of the Shelter] on Hard difficulty, earning 18 contribution points as a first-clear reward."
"Congratulations, Ark Sergeant! Your team is the first in this grade to clear the [Defense of the Shelter] on Hard difficulty. You have earned 45 contribution points as the first team to clear the level and received the achievement blessing: Simulated Battlefield loot drop rate +1% (cumulative 11%)."
Congratulations, Arkworld! You have completed the [Defense of the Shelter] challenge on Hard difficulty in 20 minutes, ranking #1 on the all-time speedrun leaderboard.
Rank. Expected ranking reward of 27 contribution points this month.
"Triggered a loot drop, obtaining 15 [Low-Grade Soul Soothing Potions], which can be exchanged for 30 Contribution Points."
"After 5 minutes, you can continue to challenge the Abyss difficulty."
First place in the grade!
First in history in speed!
Fang Zhou remained calm as he rose from the coffin, only to find that his simulation pod was completely surrounded by second-year students who were watching the battle. Their eyes gleamed with curiosity and admiration as they awaited the appearance of this new hero.
As the figure of Fangzhou emerged from the simulation chamber, Lu Renjia immediately stepped forward from the crowd.
His eyes were filled with excitement and admiration: "Fangzhou, you're amazing!"
Fangzhou smiled and waved his hand, his movements relaxed and natural, his tone carrying a hint of humility.
"Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother Lu, but now is not the time to talk about these things."
"We need to get ready quickly, because we're about to face the Abyss difficulty level of the Sanctuary Defense Battle." Hearing this, Lu Yiyi couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"Okay, Ark boss."
Fortunately, Lu Renjia and I had already done our best to raise our battle rating on the hard difficulty to good, which barely earned us the qualification to challenge the abyss difficulty.
Lu Renjia and I will enter the simulated battlefield now. Ark, please wait a moment!
After saying that, Lu Yiyi pulled Lu Renjia and hurriedly searched for an empty simulation pod, where they began to nervously adjust their virtual projection equipment and skills.
Fangzhou politely nodded to the second-year students watching around him, then turned and stepped into his simulation pod.
The second-year mage student who had previously wanted to get to know Fang Zhou gripped his staff tightly and sighed inwardly.
One step ahead, one step ahead.
In this world teeming with powerful individuals, those who have been surpassed by a genius like Fang Zhou will likely never have the chance to surpass him again.
These ordinary second-year students have been cultivating for nearly a year and have long understood the delicate balance between talent and hard work.
Talent is an innate advantage that determines the highest level a person can reach.
Effort, on the other hand, is the result of accumulated experience, and it determines how solid a person's basic abilities are.
All they can do is constantly raise their bar through hard work and perseverance, while hoping to unleash their potential talents through continuous real-world experience.
Meanwhile, Lu Hu's instructor was also watching all of this silently from a distance.
He quickly compiled the Ark's performance in the shelter defense battles at three difficulty levels: easy, normal, and hard, and sent these valuable video materials to the school's principal, Su Tiankuo.
With such irrefutable facts, Principal Su will surely agree to Fang Zhou's idea of operating alone.
In the simulated battlefield, Fang Zhou, Lu Renjia, and Lu Yiyi have successfully formed a team, naturally named the "Disaster Squad."
Ark, an apprentice-level necromancer.
Lu Renjia, an apprentice-to-warrior.
Lu Yiyi, an apprentice archer.
Both of them truthfully told Fangzhou about their equipment and skill configurations, and expressed that they would be at Fangzhou's disposal and would absolutely obey his orders.
Fangzhou nodded, satisfied with their attitude.
The main force for the next battle will naturally be Ark itself.
However, Lu Renjia and Lu Yiyi were also well-trained cadets at the Haicheng Military Academy, and they could always lend a hand.
Before entering the Abyss difficulty simulation battlefield, Lu Renjia said to Fang Zhou, "Fang Zhou, although Lu Yiyi and I haven't challenged the Abyss difficulty before, we've gotten some information from the seed students in our cohort."
The Abyss difficulty is completely different from the other three difficulties.
Although the name is also the same as the Shelter Defense War, the terrain, the enemies, and the strength of one's own side are all different. Some shelters may still have complete fortifications to rely on, but they are full of the old, weak, sick and disabled. Some shelters have long been destroyed into ruins and have no geographical advantage, but they have an NPC armed force that can help them.
Either way, it's very difficult.
For a necromancer like you, who can summon hundreds of skeletons, having defensive fortifications to rely on is definitely the most advantageous situation.
Fang Zhou nodded, agreeing with Lu Renjia's assessment.
However, this aspect is completely randomized by the simulated battlefield system, and Ark does not know what kind of situation it will face next.