Chapter 99: Rare Summoning Skill! The Dilemma Facing the Players!
Hang Yu opened the territory log to review the footage of the players being wiped out.
These players were reckless but definitely not foolish; they knew that the Dragon Lizard Tribe occupied Woniu Mountain and would not recklessly charge straight in.
In fact, before entering Woniu Mountain, the players had already anticipated the possibility of being attacked by Dragon Lizards, so they deliberately split into four small squads, advancing toward the target along different routes according to the maps provided by local villagers, ensuring that even if one or two teams suffered setbacks, the mission could still be completed.
However.
What the players did not expect was.
Shortly after entering Woniu Mountain, they were discovered by the Dragon Lizard Tribe’s troops.
It was as if the Dragon Lizards had installed eyes on the players, no matter how hard the players tried to flee or hide, it was useless.
The Dragon Lizards quickly located each group of players and eventually, relying on their absolute strength advantage, eliminated the players who had intruded into Woniu Mountain one by one.
Of course.
The players put up fierce resistance.
During the process, they managed to take down a total of nine Dragon Lizards.
Seeing this, Hang Yu nodded in satisfaction; although a kill ratio of sixty-one to nine was hardly worth boasting about, as long as it caused casualties to the Dragon Lizard troops, even just one was a pure gain.
The death of the players merely cost them a bit of experience, but Hang Yu could gain more from the process; the total wipeout of the Calamity Army was beneficial to the territory, and the Dragon Lizard Lord had no idea he was inadvertently aiding the enemy.
However, speaking of which.
Dragon Lizards were not good at tracking.
Why could they always so precisely lock onto the players?
At first, Hang Yu was puzzled as well, but after secretly listening to the conversations of the resurrected players, he discovered a key detail that was not easily noticeable.
Almost all players, before being ambushed.
Had heard the howling of wolves or Hounds.
If it had only happened to one or two players, it would not have been strange; after all, Woniu Mountain was mostly forest, and the appearance of wild wolves or stray Hounds nearby was not unusual, but for most people to hear it, that was not normal.
"So it was spirit Hounds!"
As an outstanding graduate of the Lord Academy, Hang Yu was well-versed in the data regarding basic constructions of various races and common architectural blueprints, and he was very familiar with the auxiliary creatures that might appear in the territories of Lords of the Stars.
It was highly likely that the Dragon Lizard Lord had built a structure called the "Spirit Hound Kennel" in his territory, which was similar to the "Spirit Horse Stable"—it had no function itself but could be used to recruit a creature called the Spirit Hound.
Of course.
Compared to stables, kennels were extremely rare.
Thus, very few Lords had seen this blueprint.
These spirit hounds had little combat ability but could turn invisible and had certain stealth capabilities; they were also skilled at detecting hidden units through scent, so they were usually deployed around territories or important facilities for alert purposes.
Hang Yu speculated.
After the previous disastrous defeat.
The Dragon Lizard Lord had stationed a large group of Hounds near the Abyss Mist Gate.
As soon as players emerged from the Abyss Mist Gate, their scent would quickly be detected by the Hounds, thus exposing their tracks and leading to their slaughter by Dragon Lizard troops.
The players, unaware of this.
Found that no matter how they hid, it was useless.
Because they could not mask their scent; even if they temporarily shook off their pursuers, the Dragon Lizards could use the spirit Hounds to track and kill them again, resulting in total annihilation, leaving none alive.
"Since that's figured out, it's actually easy to handle!"
Hang Yu rubbed his chin and thought, "Spirit Hounds aren't particularly high-level creatures; they mainly rely on scent to track prey. As long as we find a way to mask the scent, we should be able to avoid pursuit."
Of course.
The spirit Hounds themselves were still a nuisance.
Even if players could mask their own scent, preventing the spirit Hounds from detecting or tracking them, since the Hounds had invisibility and were scattered around the Mist Gate like alarm systems ready to trigger at any time.
As for this trouble.
There was no particularly effective solution for now.
Thus, Hang Yu directly opened the Trading Hall and posted a message.
Lord 2462: "Buying potions, equipment, items, or skill stones that can either detect invisible units or hide one’s scent!"
This was Hang Yu’s first time posting a buy request in the Lord’s Hall; these two functions were not rare, and he believed that with enough patience, he would definitely receive some offers.
Sure enough.
Several private messages appeared shortly.
This indicated that there were quite a few Lords watching the trading area.
Hang Yu guessed that some Lords mainly relied on the trading market for income, squatting in the trade zone every day to pick up cheap goods and later selling them at a higher price to needy Lords.
Lord 4211: "Bro, I have a cloak, a white-grade mid-tier item, with a scent-hiding function. If you want it, I’ll sell it to you for 200 Abyssal Magic Crystals!"
A non-weapon piece of white-quality equipment, not even top-grade, and yet the seller dared to ask for 200 Abyssal Magic Crystals—was he crazy for money or what!
Besides that.
Several similar offers also came in.
Hang Yu decisively rejected them all.
Although he needed a solution, he did not intend to be a sucker.
Lord 1842: "Boss, my territory can produce Concealment Potions that completely hide your scent for two hours, only five Abyssal Magic Crystals per bottle. How many do you want?"
This sounded acceptable.
Hang Yu immediately replied, "Let’s be friends—five bottles for one Abyssal Magic Crystal!"
Lord 1842: "Wow, boss, how can you haggle like that? I have material costs and have to pay the alchemist’s labor costs too. At that price, I’d be losing even my underwear!"
The other party indicated.
This friendship deal was not possible.
After some bargaining.
Hang Yu ended up purchasing one hundred bottles at a price of 200 Abyssal Magic Crystals.
One Abyssal Magic Crystal equaled 1000 Abyssal Magic Stone Fragments, and every 10 Abyssal Magic Stone Fragments equaled one Contribution Point; in other words, each bottle cost about 200 Contribution Points to procure, and Hang Yu planned to sell them to players at 400 Contribution Points per bottle.
Only earning a 100% markup.
Already quite fair.
With this potion, the scent-masking problem was solved.
Next, Hang Yu needed to help the players solve the issue of detecting invisible units.
Hang Yu communicated with several Lords one after another, but the results were either unsuitable, too expensive, or simply unaffordable for the players; just as he was considering giving up.
Lord 5421: "Boss, I have a skill stone—an absolute rare treasure. I bet you’ll be interested!"
Hang Yu: "So confident? Send it over for me to see!"
Lord 5421: "Please look!"
【Skill Stone: Thunderhorn Eagle Summoning Technique】, green-quality, learning requirements: Spirit 15, Will 28!
Hang Yu’s eyes lit up.
Originally, he just wanted to buy some potions, talismans, or specific functional equipment or scouting skills; he did not expect someone to offer a green-quality skill stone, and it was even a very rare summoning skill.
Lord 5421 hurriedly added, afraid that Hang Yu would not recognize its value, "The Thunderhorn Eagle is an extremely practical summoned creature, not only possessing considerable combat ability but also coming with Eagle Eye scouting. It might not have the highest perception, but it can definitely expose most low-level invisible units."
Hang Yu quickly took a sip of water to calm himself down: "The skill stone is pretty good. How much are you asking for it?"
Lord 5421: "Ten thousand Abyssal Magic Crystals!"
Hang Yu nearly choked: "Does your conscience not hurt? How could you even quote such a price!"
Lord 5421: "Boss, this is a very rare skill. If you miss this shop, there won't be another!"
Hang Yu: "No matter how much you hype it up, it’s still just an auxiliary-type summoning skill. Ten thousand Abyssal Magic Crystals is absolutely impossible. If you’re not sincere, forget it. It’s not like I absolutely need this to solve my problem."
Lord 5421: "Wait, we can negotiate! How about you offer a reference price?"
Hang Yu thought for a moment: "Flat price—two thousand Abyssal Magic Crystals!"
Lord 5421: "That’s way too low. Nowadays, even an ordinary green skill can easily sell for that much, and mine is a rare summoning technique. There’s no way I’m selling it for less than six thousand Abyssal Magic Crystals!"
It was rare to encounter a skill stone.
And this skill was indeed quite useful.
Not only could it perfectly solve the problem players were currently facing.
It could also play an important role in future territory expansion and the development of the Calamity Army.
However, Hang Yu could not possibly accept six thousand Abyssal Magic Crystals; that price could buy a small Spiritual Field, which was basically a money tree, and besides, he did not even have that many crystals at the moment.
After some tugging and bargaining.
Hang Yu finally managed to secure the relatively rare skill stone for two thousand five hundred Abyssal Magic Crystals, plus three thousand units of food, and fifty pieces of Yellow Turban Army series equipment, with a total value roughly equal to three thousand eight hundred Abyssal Magic Crystals.
Both parties were fairly satisfied.
Lord 5421: "Boss, happy cooperation, let's have a drink together back in the Stars someday!"
Hang Yu politely replied: "Sure."
Once the transaction was successfully completed.
His magic crystal reserves were almost depleted again.
However, with the support of "Thunderhorn Eagle Summoning Technique" and "Concealment Potion", the Dragon Lizard Lord’s deployment against the Calamity Army would no longer be a concern, and Hang Yu hoped that players would kill more enemy soldiers in the upcoming battles to help replenish the territory’s finances.
Hang Yu went to the Skill Tower.
And directly embedded the skill stone.
【Essence -2000!】
【You have comprehended the skill "Thunderhorn Eagle Summoning Technique"!】
Hang Yu immediately cast the spell, and with a crisp and resonant cry, a creature about the size of a normal hawk was summoned out of thin air, circling above his head before landing steadily on his shoulder.
"So this is the Thunderhorn Eagle?"
Hang Yu glanced at the bird perched on his shoulder.
It was a gray-blue hawk-like creature, with sharp eyes and claws, a single horn on its head, looking quite majestic; however, because the skill had not yet been upgraded, its body size seemed rather small.
Hang Yu immediately checked its attributes.
【Thunderhorn Eagle】, Level 10 Elite Unit, Health 380, Mana 450... Skills: Thunder Claw Strike, Eagle Eye Scouting.
Hang Yu further studied it.
This summoned beast, Thunderhorn Eagle, had a duration of ten minutes.
The Thunderhorn Eagle’s strength was not only related to the skill level but also to the caster’s level, mana cap, spirit, and will attributes; in short, the higher the caster’s attributes, the stronger the summoned Thunderhorn Eagle would be.
【Essence -16000!】
【Your "Thunderhorn Eagle Summoning" has been trained to the maximum level, and you have gained a permanent bonus of +15 Will attribute!】
The training difficulty of this skill was slightly higher than that of skills of the same grade, consuming a full ten thousand Essence Points before reaching the maximum level, and once Hang Yu upgraded the Thunderhorn Eagle Summoning Technique to the maximum level, the summoned eagle underwent a dramatic transformation.
A loud and piercing cry rang out.
The Thunderhorn Eagle’s size increased more than fourfold, its horn on the forehead becoming incredibly imposing, and each feather surface carried intricate patterns with faint arcs of electricity flickering around it, while its attributes changed drastically.
【Thunderhorn Eagle】, Level 13 Elite Unit, Health 750, Mana 1000... Skills: Thunder Summon, Thunder Claw Strike, Eagle Eye Scouting.
As expected.
The Thunderhorn Eagle’s strength increased significantly.
It evolved from a Tier-One Elite to a Tier-Two Elite.
This enhancement could be considered a qualitative leap.
Its duration also increased from ten minutes to one hundred and twenty minutes.
The Thunderhorn Eagle gained an additional ranged magic skill, which undoubtedly made its combat role much greater.
Of course, overall, the Thunderhorn Eagle’s strength was still not particularly strong; after all, Hang Yu’s comprehensive strength was comparable to a Level 13 Commander, while the summoned eagle remained an elite unit, at best a top-tier elite monster, still far from the level of a Commander unit.
This skill was positioned more as a support skill.
Three skills: one ranged attack, one melee, one scouting, fairly practical.
Although Hang Yu spent quite a bit of money to obtain this skill stone, it was not a waste at all; with such a powerful scouting support skill added to the Calamity Army, its future effectiveness would be even greater.
"Where are the players?"
Hang Yu had spent too much time at the trading market.
When he opened the Lord’s Vision, he found that the players had already rushed back to Woniu Mountain.
"What the hell?"
"Why so fast!"
"These guys are way too impatient!"
Actually, it was not the players’ fault for being anxious; Hang Yu had set a 24-hour time limit for the task, so players naturally dared not slack off, afraid that delaying would cause the mission to fail.
Of course.
The rewards for this mission were not particularly high.
Even if the mission failed once, there would not be much loss.
What players were truly worried about was that failing this mission would affect the triggering of subsequent missions, so after a brief rest following their complete wipeout, they charged back to Woniu Mountain once again, and naturally, the outcome was predictable.
Hang Yu thought it was not bad.
Dying twice in a day was still acceptable for players.
These high-level players were premium leeks; not harvesting them would be a waste.
As the Lord, Hang Yu had spent considerable effort and time bargaining with those other Lords in the Trading Hall to solve the players’ problems, so he considered this extra feast of leeks a well-deserved reward for himself.
Not long after.
As expected.
Those Dragon Lizard friends still performed reliably.
Hang Yu began receiving death notifications from players one after another, with streams of Essence constantly flowing into the territory.
【Player "Chenxi" has died, Essence +2000...】
【Player "Little Bell" has died, Essence +2000...】
【Player "Ning Caichen II" has died, Essence +1600...】
【Player "Lone Boat" has died, Essence +2500...】
【Player "Black-Eyed Rui Ge" has died, Essence +2500...】
【......】
Lord’s Hall.
One by one, players resurrected again.
Everyone looked at each other with heavy expressions.
"Damn!"
"What’s going on!"
"We got ambushed again!"
"And we were already being very cautious this time!"
"Dammit, those damn lizards are too disgusting, how are they everywhere!"
"I thought this mission would be simple, but it’s way harder than I imagined!"
"Ahhh, there are only a dozen or so hours left, and our food buffs are about to expire too!"
"......"
The players were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
At this time, high-level players and player leaders like Lone Boat, Ye Li Meng, and Black-Eyed Rui Ge also gradually resurrected.
"Something’s wrong!"
Even after two deaths, Black-Eyed Rui Ge did not panic like most players; after all, for a top strategist like him, victory and defeat were common, especially in such a hardcore, high-difficulty game.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge said, "I think we’ve been 'warded'!"
Salted Fish Thrust: "Old Black, you think so too?"
Ye Li Meng said angrily, "We clearly split into many small teams, yet those damn lizards always found us accurately—there must be some hidden trick!"
Chimera Wraith: "Any clues? Let’s discuss it together."
Little Bell rallied everyone: "There’s not much time left for our task, we must quickly think of a way to break through!"
"There are Hounds!"
At this moment, Lone Boat, who was usually silent, spoke.
Lone Boat said in a deep voice, "Before and after both ambushes, there were Hound barking sounds."
Mad Blade Old Wang: "That’s right, that’s exactly it! I’ve been suspecting it too; it feels like we’re being chased by a pack of invisible hunting Hounds... Do you think the lizardmen released Hounds!"
The players were not stupid.
After two wipeouts.
They had already pinpointed the key problem.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge’s expression was grim: "The real question now is... how do we break this?"