Cough cough, the men's basketball game is about to start soon. I quickly wrote a chapter and uploaded it first so I can watch the game with peace of mind later, hehe. Also, tomorrow marks the start of another week. I hope everyone can give me some votes if possible. Thank you all in advance, thank you for your support. Without you, this book wouldn't be where it is today.
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I sighed. How could a Party like this pay attention to a low-level Character like me? And looking at their Coordination, they clearly had Corpsefire completely suppressed. There was no dramatic scenario of two sides fighting and a third party benefiting. I was quite disappointed. After all, I had been stuck in this godforsaken place for over ten days. It wasn't easy to finally meet a few people, but it seemed I wasn't in a position to talk to them.
However, watching their battle also benefited me greatly, especially that Female Druid. Although her ability to control Summons wasn't very proficient yet, she was clearly much better than me. Her Attack and positioning were very precise.
This was a battle with a clear outcome. After about ten minutes, Corpsefire's Health was almost depleted. I had memorized the trio's skilled Coordination and their individual Attack methods. I yawned boredly, preparing to leave. Anyway, these High-Level Characters definitely wouldn't look down on a small fry like me. It's not that I can kill a bunch of people with one swing, but aside from anomalies like Lars, I really haven't met an Expert who would be pleasant towards me. Well, besides the Old Mage in the Tavern, maybe Akara counts too. I always feel that neither of them are simple Characters.
Just as I was turning my head, I suddenly heard a sound of shock and anger, followed by a deep and steady voice. It sounded particularly loud in this Cave, which was otherwise eerily quiet except for the sounds of battle.
"Ha... ha..., Na, switch positions, I... I'm almost done for."
What? What did you hear?
An adult film? A bedroom scene?
This is definitely not a bedroom scene, and I don't have a hobby of peeking at others doing *that*. Anyone whose mind wandered, go face the wall and flick your little [censored]. My thoughts are pure; it's just that you're too perverted.
I quickly turned back to look. Damn, what a disappointment. It wasn't what I imagined. I thought they had already won and were having a special celebration.
It turned out that at some point, the Paladin, who had just had two-thirds of his Health left, now had less than one-fifth. This was an extremely dangerous level, especially when facing a Boss. It was highly possible that in the next moment, an Elite member fighting against the Hell Forces would perish. Oh, please forgive me for using this term for a male, but Adventurers are truly too precious, more precious than peerless beauties, so he deserves this term.
And beside the Paladin, the Spirit Wolf that had just been harassing Corpsefire was now lying in a pool of blood.
What happened? Corpsefire Mutated? What a cliché plot. But if there was really such a setting, Akara should have told me.
Facts proved I was overthinking. Corpsefire was indeed enraged, but even if it were a hundred times more enraged, it wouldn't be enough to cause a change. In the Diablo World, Strength has to be accumulated little by little. If just getting enraged could cause some kind of Evolution, how would those Angels and Demons get by?
However, although Corpsefire didn't get stronger from being enraged, the Ghostly Strike, which had a certain chance of appearing, was showing up with eerie frequency. That Spirit Wolf, and the Paladin's sudden loss of half his Health, were its doing.
Fortunately, the Paladin remained calm in the face of danger. Even though he could be killed at any moment, his judgment didn't falter in the slightest. Amazing, I sighed sincerely. If it were me, I would have been scared stiff by now and slapped by Corpsefire to meet King Yama. This is the gap between me and an Elite! It's too discouraging. No matter how powerful your Skills are, it's useless if your Mindset isn't good; you'll capsize in the gutter sooner or later. I felt a bit dejected. After all, I transmigrated from a greenhouse-like Earth. Aside from Wretched Style, I dare say I don't lose to anyone, but in other aspects, I'm far worse than others.
At this moment, the Paladin retreated while drinking Red Potions. With the addition of Prayer Aura, his Health recovery wasn't slow. Behind him, the Female Druid named "Na" roared and charged forward, casting Werewolf Form simultaneously, intending to block Corpsefire, who was pursuing the Paladin. The Assassin beside them, at the critical moment, threw a Fire Blast. Although the Damage wasn't high, the violent airflow it generated caused Corpsefire, who was tightly clinging to the Paladin, to pause. In that moment of pause, the Female Druid, transformed into a Werewolf, had already positioned herself between the Paladin and Corpsefire, blocking Corpsefire's fatal Attack on the Paladin.
Beautiful! Their calmness and Coordination truly amazed me. Every move was just right, calculating everything. Even when a companion (or themselves) encountered danger, they could calmly choose the best way to handle it. This is what makes an Expert – experienced, a true Expert who grew up in life-and-death battles.
Today was truly an eye-opener. Not only did I see exquisite Coordination, but I also witnessed such a spectacular scene of survival in danger with my own eyes. If any one of these three people had hesitated even slightly, or made a single mistake, the Paladin would have surely died. And without the Paladin, their Tank and Attacker, whether the remaining Druid and Assassin could escape would still be a question.
Just as I was marveling at the brilliance of their Infinite Skill Style, the Female Druid was also frequently in distress. I don't know what kind of expired aphrodisiac Corpsefire had eaten, but it was foaming at the mouth and its eyes were rolled back, looking incredibly ferocious. Ghostly Strike was appearing frequently. The Female Druid Summoned another Spirit Wolf, and only with it and herself could she barely withstand Corpsefire's Attack.
Originally, if things continued like this, even if Corpsefire was now displaying great divine power, with only a little Health left, it wouldn't last long. The final victory would still belong to these three Adventurers.
However, just when the trio thought victory was within their grasp, a small Party of Fallen and a Mage suddenly appeared from the depths of the Cave.
Normally, this group of Fallen would be a piece of cake. Any one of the three of them could wipe them all out. But now, their appearance was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing hesitation and retreat in the trio's Mindset.
The Paladin saw that the situation was bad—he and the Druid had little Health left, and the Assassin alone couldn't block all the Fallen. If those Fallen charged forward, coupled with the enraged Corpsefire, then he and the Druid would likely be in some danger.
Although this chance was relatively small, the Paladin, as the Captain, weighed the pros and cons and felt that taking this level of risk for one Corpsefire was not worth it.
"Na, Madun, retreat."
So, after only a moment's pause, he decisively chose to retreat.
"Okay."
The Female Druid clearly deferred to the Paladin's lead. Obediently, she Summoned another Raven to attract Corpsefire's attention and disengage from its frenzied Attack. The Assassin named Madun glanced back at Corpsefire unwillingly, but didn't make any impulsive moves. Instead, he followed the Paladin and Druid unhurriedly, occasionally throwing a Fire Blast to slow Corpsefire down. Soon, the trio disappeared from the Cave before the newly respawned Party of Fallen discovered them.
Did I really activate Protagonist Mode? This is too cliché. Watching Corpsefire, with less than one-tenth of its Health, chase after them, my mind was blank. According to Protagonist Mode, I should now hide, wait for Corpsefire to return, then suddenly jump out, deliver a long speech full of righteous indignation, pick up a Mythical Item, and finish it off in a few moves.
Should I snatch it, or not? Honestly, I have no grudge against those three, and morally, I shouldn't take advantage of this.
Cough cough, alright, I admit it again. Who cares about morals? Only a fool wouldn't take advantage of a good deal. I was just worried about being discovered. As a mere Rookie, if I accidentally left any clues and they caught me, my old man's reputation would be ruined.
But Corpsefire's appeal was too great, and I couldn't help but entertain such crooked thoughts. "Justice" and evil wrestled fiercely in my mind. Trembling, I took out a Gold Coin and lightly tossed it up.
If it lands heads up, kill. Otherwise, escape.
The Gold Coin fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and wobbled precariously but just wouldn't fall over, making my intently staring eyes almost pop out.
After spinning a few times [censored], the Gold Coin rolled and, with a *slish*, fell into a crack. I quickly crawled on the ground and stared with wide eyes. Damn it, the Gold Coin was stuck vertically in the crack!
Oh God, it's fine if you mess with me, but you can't treat me like this! That's a Gold Coin! If it falls in there, how am I supposed to get it out? I wanted to cry but had no tears. I fiercely flipped the bird upwards, wishing I could slap myself. Was my brain kicked by a donkey or something, to play with a Gold Coin? Wouldn't a Silver Coin have been the same??
This cruel lesson tells us that a Gold Coin is definitely worth more than a Silver Coin. Also, good kids shouldn't play with Money. Cough cough...
Forget it, I should just run. I knew perfectly well that in Corpsefire's current state, even with only one-tenth of its Health left, it wasn't something I could provoke. If only I had learned Firestorm... Sigh, it's true that you can't have your Bear Paw and fish too; there's always a trade-off.
I stood up, walking back with a dejected, slumped face, clearly not having recovered from the blow of losing a Gold Coin. Suddenly, a strange cry came from behind me.
I looked back and saw that the group of Fallen that had just appeared had discovered me. They were charging towards me, holding Small Knives. The Mage was also swinging its Ghost Head Staff without hesitation.
Damn it, I couldn't handle Corpsefire, but you little minions dare to charge up and court death? I commanded my Poison Creeper, and in a few moves, I sent this Party of Fallen and the Mage back to Hell...
After dealing with this trash, just as I was about to head back, I heard a rustling sound of footsteps. When I curiously raised my head to look, I happened to meet its eyes...
Once, a precious chance to escape was right before my eyes, but I didn't cherish it properly. I only regretted it when it was gone. The most depressing thing in the world is this. If God could give me another chance, I would say three words to the Corpse in front of me: "Come back later." If I had to add a time limit to that, I hope it would be after I learn Firestorm...
Corpsefire, who had just turned back, clearly didn't expect anyone to be in its home base and was momentarily stunned.
At this moment, my heart raced. What should I do? Escape wasn't the problem. I had Level 8 Werewolf and Level 8 Poison Creeper. With Corpsefire's Speed, escaping would be quite easy for me.
So, the question before me was, fight, or not fight?
(end of chapter)