Chapter 70: Burning the Abandoned Village
Not long after.
Hang Yu discovered through the Lord’s Vision.
The players had finished their preparations and were officially starting to act.
Two rangers cautiously sneaked to the dilapidated temple’s blessing point to observe.
They saw that near the He Ting Village’s broken temple teleportation point, hundreds of Abyssal creatures were densely occupying the area.
Ning Caichen II said, "My goodness, it seems that aside from the big boss, all the other monsters have come out, and even the Four Great Fallen Ones are among them. This is going to be tough to handle!"
Gray Wood nodded, "Heh, perfect timing. We’ll catch them all in one net!"
These two ranger players were also among the early first-test players, and had just recently reached level 6.
Moreover, both of them had acquired level 7-level Swift Steps, and had successfully trained in Shadow Step.
Their equipment was mostly of white quality with decent enhancements, so although their combat power was not quite on par with Rui Ge and Lone Boat, they were still among the top ranger players in terms of strength.
Gray wood said, "Although our mission this time is just to probe, if we can manage to kill one Fallen, it would be a great achievement."
Ning Caichen II said, "It won’t be easy to strike though!"
Gray Wood said, "Let’s give it a try!"
"Let’s do it then!"
The two began selecting their target.
The four mini-bosses were: Jian Shuo, Feng Xu, Zhou Bin, and Bao Hong!
Although their appearances were not as exaggerated as Ma Yuanyi’s, they had all undergone significant demonization and a certain degree of distortion.
From their appearances, one could partially deduce their abilities and combat styles.
First was Feng Xu.
Like Xu Feng, he was a Central Regular Attendant, so his clothing and appearance were very similar.
However, Feng Xu was skin-and-bones, his skin dry and shriveled, looking entirely like a skeleton wrapped in a layer of dried skin.
Through this shriveled body, it was clear to see a large amount of ghostly green, flame-like energy flickering inside him.
Coupled with his sinister, tattered black eunuch garments, he looked even more eerie and terrifying.
From his earlier performance.
It was obvious he was a mage-type, and his physical body appeared extremely fragile!
Zhou Bin’s skin had completely fallen off, revealing bright red muscle.
His arms had become thick and powerful, resembling a skinless, muscular giant gorilla.
He had grown grotesque fangs and massive claws, able to walk on all fours with great flexibility and agility.
Bao Hong looked like a 300–400-pound obese man, similar in build to the Luoshui Butcher.
His flesh was in a state of diseased decay.
He wielded a giant weapon resembling a meteor hammer.
Although he looked sluggish, he was likely extremely tanky and hard to kill.
Lastly was Jian Shuo.
The only level-7 mini-boss.
Jian Shuo’s appearance was the most striking among the four.
He rode a tall warhorse.
Both he and the horse were covered in armor that looked like cracked black asphalt stone.
The rough armor seams were filled with squirming blood vessels.
He wielded a massive blood-red halberd in his right hand.
There was no doubt.
Both by level and appearance.
Jian Shuo was the most troublesome of the four bosses.
Meanwhile, Feng Xu’s combat mechanics were the clearest.
After all, during the extermination of the Calamity Army, he was the only mini-boss who had made a move.
Gray Wood said, "In this type of game, acting rashly without understanding the enemy’s mechanics is very dangerous. Compared to the others, Feng Xu looks the easiest to kill."
Ning Caichen II nodded, "Mages are all fragile and low-HP. If we use Shadow Step to get close and ambush him, two strikes should settle it!"
They decided to act immediately!
After locking onto their target.
The two rangers activated Shadow Step and cautiously approached.
However, before they could get close, dozens of arrows flew at them from all directions.
"Shit!" the two rangers cursed, instantly turned into porcupines by the barrage and died on the spot.
Jian Shuo sneered disdainfully, "Such crude stealth skills, and you dare attempt an assassination? These Starspawn are not only bizarre in behavior but also astonishingly stupid!"
This failed assassination.
Not only was it ineffective.
It also enraged the Abyssal Fallen Ones.
Feng Xu hissed, "The Starspawn hounds are getting restless. It seems they don’t intend to sit and wait for death!"
Zhou Bin said solemnly, "According to reconnaissance, the Stars Lord is deploying a force at the abandoned village of He Ting Township. They must be trying to set up a defensive stronghold to hinder General Ma’s advance."
Bao Hong sneered, "Overestimating themselves."
Feng Xu rasped, "Though it’s like a mantis trying to stop a cart, it shouldn’t be underestimated. If that force keeps harassing us from the rear, it could cause trouble. Better to wipe them out before General Ma acts."
Zhou Bin said, "Kill! Kill them all! Leave none alive!"
Bao Hong added, "Only a few hours remain until the Ultimate Darkness. We must clear the obstacles for General Ma and weaken the Stars Lord’s forces."
The Fallen Ones quickly reached a decision.
They could not allow the Stars Lord to play small tricks.
After all, He Ting Township’s abandoned village was a key route toward the territory’s main base.
The Stars Lord, when facing an offensive, did not necessarily need to defeat the Abyssal forces.
Because the Ultimate Darkness Day was time-limited—sometimes just over ten hours, sometimes more than forty.
In most cases, the Stars Lord didn’t need to win against the core Nightmare Source.
They just needed to hold out until time ran out.
As long as the losses weren’t too devastating, they could gain a long period of recovery afterward.
The Abyssal Fallen Ones didn’t take the Stars Lord seriously.
In their eyes, this Lord would surely realize the power gap and adopt various delaying, obstructing strategies—not aiming to defeat General Ma, but merely to survive.
Thus, the Four Fallen Ones would not sit idly by.
Leaving a small force to continue holding the teleportation node.
They led hundreds of elite troops to the abandoned village.
Sure enough, they saw a large group of players carrying wood and straw, setting up barricades and traps among the ruins.
It looked like they were preparing a stronghold to resist and delay.
"Ah!"
"Oh no!"
"This is bad!"
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The dozens of players stationed in the abandoned village were thrown into panic at the appearance of the Abyssal forces.
They dropped their work in a flurry and hastily gathered, picking up weapons and forming a makeshift defense.
"As expected!"
The Fallen Ones sneered coldly at the players’ actions.
Bao Hong immediately ordered, "Kill them all! Leave none alive!"
Two to three dozen Luoshui Fiend Cavalry formed a charge formation.
With just one charge, they smashed through the unfinished barricades.
Other units followed the cavalry, storming in and slaughtering the nearly fifty players stationed there.
"Too weak!"
"Completely useless!"
"With this kind of strength, they want to stop us?"
The Four Fallen Ones, leading hundreds of elites, quickly took full control of the abandoned village.
Of the nearly fifty players, most were slaughtered within moments.
Fewer than ten survived, surrounded in the center of the camp.
Among them were Art Faction Leader, Niu Shisan, and several other level-6 players.
However.
Faced with such a desperate situation.
Faced with comrades falling one after another.
The Art Faction Leader and others not only didn’t panic further.
They even began to show uncontrollable excitement, their faces gradually lighting up.
"Hahaha!"
"They’re in!"
"They all came in!"
"These fools really fell for it!"
"......"
The Four Fallen Ones immediately noticed the players’ abnormal behavior.
Though they had fallen into the Abyss, their intelligence had not been greatly reduced.
A very bad feeling grew in their hearts.
"Something’s wrong here!"
Jian Shuo noticed that much of the ruins in the village were covered with strange dry straw and wood.
Under each straw heap was a large wooden barrel.
When a Luoshui Butcher smashed open a few barrels, a huge amount of black-brown oily liquid sprayed out.
"Not good!" Feng Xu’s face changed dramatically, and he shouted, "It’s an ambush! Retreat immediately!"
"Hahaha! Trying to run now? Don’t you think it’s a bit too late!"
Level-6 warrior Niu Shisan laughed wildly, "If we don’t leave all of you here today, it would be an injustice to the fifty brothers who served as bait!"
"Faction Leader!"
"Set the fire!"
"Stop pretending and do it!"
"Otherwise, we’re screwed!"
"Coming! Art is explosion!"
The Art Faction Leader conjured a flaming arrow and threw it onto the nearest oil barrel.
He and the nearby players were instantly engulfed in the explosion and flames, their bodies obliterated.
The next moment!
The flames roared up!
Firelight soared into the sky!
The abandoned village, full of wooden huts and thatched houses, now filled with fire oil and flammables set by players, could not resist the sudden blaze.
In an instant, the entire area turned into a hell of flames.
"Success!"
Ye Li Meng, Lone Boat, Black-Eyed Rui Ge, Salted Fish Charge, and over twenty other main force members were lurking near the abandoned village.
When they saw the sudden eruption of fire, they knew the plan had succeeded.
"Howl!"
"Charge!"
"Don’t let a single one escape!"
"Victory belongs to the Fourth Calamity Army!"
This ambush force immediately rushed toward the burning village.
Their mission was to clean up, eliminate any survivors, and completely root out all threats.