Chapter 101: Revenge and Resentment! Players Reveal Their Origins!
Dragon Lizard Base Camp.
At this moment, the Dragon Lizard Lord Chin Lin was furious beyond belief.
Because he had already confirmed a fact:
"This human Lord’s soldiers simply cannot be killed!"
Although, due to racial differences, Dragon Lizards generally found it hard to distinguish human appearances.
Even so, after several rounds of encounters, Chin Lin gradually realized that it was the same batch of dozens of soldiers fighting against the Dragon Lizard soldiers all along, as their unchanging equipment alone was enough to make this judgment.
No wonder.
There were almost no drops after killing them.
Because they had never been truly killed.
These guys were just like cockroaches, extremely weak yet unbelievably tenacious, posing little real threat, but appearing repeatedly and making people feel utterly disgusted.
The Dragon Lizard Lord Chin Lin, with his ferocious and hot-tempered personality, was radiating a terrifying killing intent and pressure, making the seven subordinate Dragon Lizards present not even dare to breathe.
"Congratulations, Lord!"
"This is an enormous blessing!"
At this time, a Dragon Lizard elder, wearing a long robe and holding a staff, stepped forward.
Chin Lin roared in anger upon hearing this: "What nonsense are you spouting? Not only have I lost dozens of soldiers, even Black Fang has perished because of this, and the enemy hasn't lost a single soldier — what joy is there in this!"
The Dragon Lizard elder said, "Lord, think about it, they are merely ordinary human vassals, how could they possibly possess top-tier abilities like resurrection? It makes no sense!"
What he said did make sense.
Humans were a naturally weak lower race.
With a very low starting point and no special powers, it was unreasonable for them to have unkillable soldiers!
"I believe the only possibility is that this unidentified human Lord possesses a rare item or special relic that can revive soldiers."
The elder paused before continuing: "Such an item or relic would undoubtedly be extremely rare and precious, and now it has fallen into the hands of a weak human — isn't that a great blessing for you, my Lord?"
Upon hearing this, the Dragon Lizard Lord Chin Lin's aura slightly calmed down.
Indeed, just as the elder said, the enemy Lord likely held the means to resurrect soldiers; if he could seize such means or treasure for himself, wouldn't his growth potential skyrocket severalfold?
From that perspective.
It truly would be a great blessing.
If he could really obtain such a rare treasure.
The loss of dozens of soldiers would mean nothing.
The elder continued: "He only has a few dozen soldiers worth mentioning. Even if they can be resurrected repeatedly, they cannot possibly stop the advance of our Dragon Lizard troops. Once the Stars' Blessing ends, this human Lord will be doomed!"
Chin Lin calmed down: "What you say makes sense. I was indeed a bit hasty! Although this human Lord caused me some losses, his own losses may not be less than mine."
"Because, as far as I know, some special buildings, items, artifacts, and Abyss relics under the Stars have functions that can resurrect fallen soldiers — but such methods are rare and not cheap at all."
Chin Lin continued to issue orders: "From now on, intensify patrols and purges at the Abyss Mist Gate. I want to see just how many more times this Lord can resurrect his soldiers in the remaining days!"
"With just a force of soldiers who aren't even level 10, even if they cause occasional casualties, it's insignificant and not worth mentioning!"
However.
At that very moment.
A prompt came from the Will of the Stars.
【Your "Abyss Warrior" has died!】
【Your "Abyss Priest" has died!】
【Your "Abyss Mage" has died!】
【......】
Chin Lin’s expression changed drastically.
He immediately opened his Lord’s vision.
He saw an entire elite unit being attacked and quickly annihilated.
This unit consisted of twenty-four Dragon Lizard soldiers, including two level 11 second-tier advanced units.
It must be known.
Cultivating a second-tier soldier.
Required a massive investment.
Seeing this, Chin Lin’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot as he roared frantically.
"Ahhhh!"
"Lowly humans!"
"I will tear you all to pieces!"
The fury he had just suppressed once again blazed violently.
…………
Luoshui Base Camp.
Hang Yu was paying close attention to this operation.
Through the Lord’s vision, he saw that the elite forces of the Calamity Army had split into five squads.
Four small squads first entered Woniu Mountain, using themselves as bait to lure and scatter Dragon Lizard soldiers, creating more opportunities for the main force.
The main squad was composed of twenty core players plus NPC Zhou Ji.
This powerful team passed through the Abyss Fog Gate and immediately advanced rapidly toward the direction of Sangxian County, with a Thunder Horned Eagle released early on, circling near the team for reconnaissance.
Under the Eagle Eye scouting.
Several Stealth Hounds were quickly locked onto.
Although these hounds had powerful tracking abilities, they could only track by scent, and thus could not detect players who had used Concealment Potions.
After locking onto the hounds’ positions, Lone Boat and Black-Eyed Rui Ge used their fully mastered Shadow Steps, easily approached the hounds, and assassinated them.
In no time at all.
The nearby hounds were completely eliminated.
These spirit hounds were auxiliary creatures, not territory citizens, so their deaths did not trigger any alerts or perceptions in the enemy Lord, allowing the main squad to swiftly advance.
Finally, at that moment.
A Dragon Lizard unit appeared ahead.
The Thunder Horned Eagle reconnaissance revealed that this unit had twenty-four soldiers — twenty-two of them were level 8 to 10 first-tier soldiers, and the other two leading ones were level 11 second-tier soldiers.
They were second-tier soldiers!
Hang Yu was shocked upon seeing this.
This definitely counted as high-tier troops for this early stage.
Even if this Dragon Lizard Lord had operated in the Abyss for four or five years, such top-tier soldiers could not be abundant, and their strength was far superior to first-tier soldiers, roughly comparable to mid-to-lower-level elites of the same tier.
Logically speaking, ordinary Dragon Lizard soldiers already surpassed players in individual combat ability, and now with two second-tier soldiers, it would be impossible for players to challenge them — the best and smartest choice would be to retreat immediately.
However.
After discussion.
The players brazenly launched a challenge.
Because at this moment, they had two core advantages.
First, although the Dragon Lizards had two second-tier soldiers, the Calamity Army had NPC Zhou Ji, whose strength could rival that of the Dragon Lizard general Black Fang — Black Fang could be worth five to eight second-tier soldiers himself.
Second, the Dragon Lizards were completely unaware of the players’ presence nearby, while their every move was being monitored by the Thunder Horned Eagle; plus, the players had consumed Skeletal Scorpion-Tailed Bull meat or Scorpion-Tailed Bull meat to boost poison resistance before departure — their preparation was extremely thorough.
The odds of victory were high.
Why not fight?
The ambush battle finally broke out!
The players’ tactics and coordination were extremely smooth.
With the powerful assistance of Zhou Ji.
The players paid the price of only three casualties among them, successfully eliminating the sizeable Dragon Lizard unit, and, with Zhou Ji's help, secured effective kills including the two second-tier soldiers.
【You have killed a Dragon Lizard citizen and received 1200 Contribution Points as a reward!】
【You have killed a Dragon Lizard citizen and received 1200 Contribution Points as a reward!】
【You killed a Dragon Lizard tribesman and received 500 Contribution Points as a reward!】
【……】
【You picked up loot: Abyssal Magic Crystal +100, Abyssal Essence Points +10000, Refined Fire Copper Spear (Dragon Lizard) +1, Refined Fire Copper Breastplate (Dragon Lizard) +1, Refined Fire Copper Helmet (Dragon Lizard) +1……】
【You picked up loot: Abyssal Magic Crystal +100, Abyssal Essence Points +10000……】
【You picked up loot: Abyssal Magic Crystal +30, Abyssal Essence Points +5000……】
【You picked up loot: Abyssal Magic Crystal +30, Abyssal Essence Points +4000……】
This battle was over.
Just from the extra Contribution Points alone, 12,400 points were earned!
As for Abyssal Magic Crystals, the gains reached a staggering 800 pieces!
And the Abyssal Essence Points harvested were even greater; the essence and magic crystal drop rate from Starsea-favored units was higher than humanoid elites of the same level, making them the best for farming experience among all unit types!
Since encountering the Dragon Lizard people, Players had never fought such a glorious battle with such a low casualty ratio!
It was, without a doubt, a tremendous harvest, enough to let all twenty participants level up once, and even if the essence was evenly distributed among over sixty players involved, it would still be a considerable amount.
"Hahaha!"
"Feels so good!"
"Finally avenged the previous humiliation!"
"Slaughtering these lizards is so satisfying!"
"Why not go for another round and earn back our losses with interest?"
"……"
After suffering two consecutive defeats in a single day, Players had all been holding in their frustration.
This time, not only did they completely reclaim their dignity, but they also gained a hefty reward, and even counting the forty suicide squad members, today’s operation still came out profitable.
Exactly because it was a blood-earned profit!
Many Players were tempted!
Killing Dragon Lizard people yielded too much experience and Contribution Points!
If they could go for another round, it would be incredible!
However.
Obviously.
That was not realistic!
Black-Eyed Rui Ge said calmly, "Everyone, don't get carried away. The reason we won this time, besides Big Brother Zhou's help, was largely due to the element of surprise. Next time, it won't be so easy."
"True!"
"Take the win and leave!"
"Don't get greedy and reckless!"
Ye Li Meng also nodded in agreement, saying, "We came here today to complete the mission, not to grind Dragon Lizards for revenge. The effect of the Concealment Potion only lasts two hours; it’s already been over an hour. We need to leave quickly."
Mad Blade Old Wang added, "Exactly, the Dragon Lizard Lord has definitely discovered us by now, and all kinds of pursuers will probably be arriving soon. Maybe even a Dragon Lizard General. In that case, we would surely die."
"Right!"
"Move quickly!"
"Don't waste time here!"
Players weren't afraid of sacrifice at all, willing to die without even blinking.
The issue was that Zhou Ji was in the team this time.
If this important NPC died because of their greed, they would be considered sinners to the territory.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge said, "Old Pig, the scouting is up to you!"
"No problem!" Midnight Pig Slayer consumed a Mana Replenishment Pill and once again summoned the Thunderhorn Eagle.
There was a spiritual connection between a summoner and their summoned creature, not only allowing mental control but also enabling sensory sharing, allowing them to observe the environment through the summon’s perspective.
Midnight Pig Slayer closed his eyes, and a bird’s-eye view appeared in his mind, allowing him to view this strange and magnificent world from a different angle.
"This skill is amazing!" Midnight Pig Slayer said, full of satisfaction, "Even just to get an aerial view, it’s a skill totally worth learning!"
Chenxi and the other monks were full of anticipation.
They had witnessed the advantages of the Thunderhorn Eagle.
At this moment, they could not wait to learn and experience it for themselves.
The other Players looked on with envy and jealousy.
Although most skills in this game appeared to have no level restrictions, no one knew how long it would take before they could learn this skill themselves.
Thus.
The Thunderhorn Eagle scouted ahead.
Zhou Ji rode a Spirit Horse and advanced alongside the Players.
Everyone hurried forward while chatting.
By now, the relationship between the Players and Zhou Ji had become quite close, even reaching the point of calling each other brothers, especially after the recent battle, where Players' affection for this NPC increased significantly.
"Zhou has a question. You all seem very concerned about my foster father. You shouldn’t be people who know him personally, right?"
Because of their improved relationship.
Zhou Ji felt less reserved and voiced his doubt.
Ever since he had joined the territory, he had been constantly questioned by the Fourth Calamity soldiers about his foster father.
These soldiers behaved rather strangely, often saying things he couldn't understand, and they seemed to know an unusual amount about his foster father, Zhou Cang.
Street Slayer laughed loudly, "Who doesn't know the great name of Zhou Cang?"
Hearing this, Zhou Ji became even more puzzled.
When had his foster father ever become so famous?
Zhou Cang was just an ordinary general from the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army, and later became a bandit leader on a mountain.
At best, he was known within a few dozen miles radius.
Beyond that, no one had even heard of him.
Zhou Ji grew increasingly curious and finally couldn’t help but say, "You brothers and sisters don't seem like locals!"
He vaguely sensed it.
These Players were not from around here.
But where exactly did they come from?
And what was the deal with their immortality?
Zhou Ji had so many questions he wanted to ask.
However, some questions were sensitive and might involve the Fourth Calamity’s secrets, so he refrained from asking too much to avoid misunderstanding.
Salted Fish Thrust directly got to the point, "We are transmigrators!"
"What? Transmigrators?"
Zhou Ji had never heard that term before.
Street Slayer said directly, "Uh, you could understand it this way: our worlds are somewhat similar, but we are future people from nearly two thousand years later who have returned to this era."
"What? Two thousand years!"
Zhou Ji was stunned.
Chimera Wraith said, "In our era, we can see the unpolluted correct history. In that history, Zhou Cang was a loyal and righteous figure of the famous Three Kingdoms period during the late Han Dynasty."
Zhou Ji’s acceptance ability turned out stronger than expected.
After all, he was born in a world that had already been invaded by the Will of the Abyss.
He had seen countless strange and bizarre things growing up and often encountered problems that could not be explained by science.
He also knew his world had gone seriously wrong.
Even the Abyss invasion had occurred.
So it wasn’t so hard to accept the existence of future people and transmigrators.
Zhou Ji asked, "Were you summoned by Lord Hang Yu from about two thousand years in the future to purify this polluted history?"
"Exactly!"
"That's right!"
Players certainly couldn’t say they were just playing a game!
The immersion of this world was so strong.
Every expression, every emotion of NPCs like Zhou Ji was so vivid and real.
Zhou Ji was half believing, half doubting.
He thus asked about some details.
Salted Fish Thrust directly recounted the stories of Zhou Cang and Guan Yu, even briefly narrating the Three Kingdoms and post-Three Kingdoms history.
Shock!
Absolute shock!
If, before this.
Zhou Ji had harbored some doubts.
Then by now, he fully believed them.
Who would be so bored as to fabricate such complete historical materials and chronicles?
Moreover, the details were flawless.
If the Abyss had not descended, history would very likely have developed that way.
Could it be that they really were chosen ones destined to right the chaos?
Zhou Ji’s confidence in the Lord, the territory, and the Fourth Calamity Army surged with great anticipation.
However, just then.
Midnight Pig Slayer opened his eyes and said, "Everyone, the situation is not good. Several troops are moving toward us. It looks like elite forces urgently mobilized by the Dragon Lizard Lord."
Upon hearing this.
Everyone was greatly alarmed.
Their current situation was clearly very dangerous.
Fortunately, they had brought Spirit Horses, so their mobility was not bad.
At the very least, they could quickly flee and shake off the pursuers.