What is an offensive priest?

Chapter 7 Singles with a Standing Stick

"What on earth is going on with these blasphemous creatures?!"

The adventurers from Baldur's Gate had clearly never seen anything like it.

The monster that crawled out of the hyena's abdomen had a fierce, abyss-like gaze and was dripping with slime.

Richard's gaze swept over the staggering, approaching monsters.

"They're gnolls!"

"They are not capable of reproducing naturally," he explained calmly, his voice unusually clear in the eerie silence.

"A gnoll chosen as the Yenogu fang will feed the enemies it kills to ordinary hyenas, and the hyenas that are fed to it will then transform into gnolls."

Upon hearing this, Krok flicked his wrist, and his longsword drew a silver arc in the morning light.

"They're just a few blind beasts; we can handle them."

Good cooperative relationships require equally matched strength.

Richard displayed impressive combat prowess yesterday, and Klo felt it necessary to showcase the strength of his own team.

Richard did not object to this.

If they can't even handle a few gnolls, they shouldn't try to challenge the authority of the devils of hell!

The longsword hummed.

Fine golden runes appeared on the surface of the blade, like molten gold flowing on steel.

That is the blessing of the sacred weapon, a characteristic of the paladin class.

After blessing his longsword, Kro resolutely charged forward.

The blade slashed wildly at the gnoll, without the dull thud of bones breaking; the blade, enhanced by the holy weapon, slid across the monster's neck like a hot knife through butter.

The gnoll's head flew high into the air, thick black blood gushing from the severed wound, beginning to rot and evaporate in mid-air, emitting the stench of decaying flesh.

"Left side," Kro said in a low voice without turning his head.

Before the words were finished, two faint green streaks of light flashed out from the shadows.

Like a shadow rising from the ground, the thief Maurice had somehow already circled around to the flank of the jackal pack.

His two poisoned daggers traced treacherous trajectories; one pierced the jackal's eye socket, while the other cut through the gap in the ribs, precisely piercing the heart.

The poison applied to the dagger spread instantly into the bloodstream.

The gnoll didn't even have time to scream before it collapsed, its body stiff, its muscles still twitching violently after death—the residual effects of the neurotoxin.

"Longstrider!"

Avel's chanting came from behind.

A pale blue magical aura enveloped Kro and Shadow Fox's legs, instantly increasing their speed and making their steps so light as to leave almost no trace.

At the same time, Avel spread his five fingers on his left hand, and a blazing arrow condensed above his palm.

"Go." He flicked his fingers.

The flaming arrows whistled through the air, leaving a fiery trail, and struck precisely a gnoll that was trying to ambush Kro.

The moment the flames exploded, a stench of burning flesh and screams erupted simultaneously. The gnoll rolled around, trying to extinguish the magical fire on his body, but only made the flames burn even brighter.

It's a magic fire arrow.

Richard stood by, quietly observing the battle.

It must be admitted that this team's teamwork is indeed excellent.

Kro, acting as the spearhead, launches a frontal assault, while the thief slithers and assassinates like a viper, and Avir provides magical support and control from the rear.

Although the three individuals are not top-tier in terms of individual strength, Kro's Divine Weapon Blessing can only last for a short time, the thief's dagger requires surprise, and Avir's spell slots are obviously limited.

But their teamwork made up for their shortcomings.

After observing for a moment, Richard shifted his gaze from the front lines of the battlefield to the figure that remained motionless high up on the hillside.

Jackal overseer.

It was a full head taller than a normal gnoll, with several rusty iron shoulder spikes stuck in its shoulder blades, and a necklace made of humanoid finger bones hanging around its neck.

That despicable and ugly beast.

Seeing its companion killed, it made no attempt to intervene; there must be something fishy going on.

In just twenty breaths, faced with the adventuring team's coordinated attack, only two of the nine gnolls remained, barely clinging to life.

Seeing Kro holding a fine iron longsword, he slowly walked forward.

The two gnolls suddenly stopped moving.

They stiffly turned to each other, then opened their blood-red mouths and bit down hard on each other's throats!

Tear and chew!

A nauseating sound echoed through the silent valley.

The two gnolls devoured each other like mad beasts, black blood and bits of flesh flying everywhere, until they both collapsed to the ground, leaving only gaping, bloody holes in their throats.

"Are they...committing suicide?"

Avel was surprised by what he saw.

Kro stood leaning on his sword, slightly out of breath.

The blessing of the sacred weapon is fading, and the golden runes on the blade are gradually dimming.

But his eyes were full of the light of a victor, even though the final process was a bit strange, the threat had been eliminated.

"It seems these two beasts know they're no match for them, so they simply..."

The paladin's words came to an abrupt end.

Smoke began to rise from the fallen gnoll corpses.

It wasn't smoke from burning, but a thick, purplish mist with a sweet, fishy smell.

Slowly seeping from the wounds, mouths, noses, and even pores of the nine gnoll corpses, the mist quickly spread and converged on the three as if it were alive.

"Hold your breath!" The thief Maurice was the first to react and quickly retreated.

But it was too late.

The three of them froze the moment the purple mist touched their skin.

Kro tried to raise his sword, but his arm only rose half an inch before falling limply to the ground.

The muscles inside his silver-white armor spasmed involuntarily. He could clearly feel a cold, numbing sensation spreading from his extremities to his torso. His mind was clear, but his body no longer obeyed his commands.

Avel was in even worse shape; he couldn't even hold onto his staff, which clattered to the ground. His dark purple eyes were filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.

"Nightmare's Gift of Potion..."

Avel squeezed the word out between his teeth, his voice muffled by the numbness of his tongue.

"This is a nerve-paralyzing toxin unique to the Underdark, how could it be here...?"

The thief knelt on one knee, and two poisoned daggers slipped from his fingers and plunged into the soil.

The body beneath the cloak trembled slightly, a final struggle of muscles against complete paralysis.

The jackal overseer, who had been watching from the hillside, finally smiled.

That wasn't the baring of a wild beast's teeth, but rather a mocking, malicious laugh that seemed almost human, as if it were enjoying the desperate look in its prey's eyes.

It charged down the hillside like a hunting dog, showing no mercy in its eyes, and pounced straight at the drow mage Avir, who had the lowest armor stat in the group.

With its jaws wide open and filled with fangs, it dripped putrid saliva and lunged straight for Aiver's throat.

Avel stared wide-eyed at the gnoll overlord rushing towards him, utterly powerless to resist.

Just as the fangs were about to pierce the skin.

A figure burst forth from behind the three like a shooting star tearing through the mist.

The speed was too fast; the gnoll warlord could only catch a fleeting glimpse of it before being punched squarely in the face.

There was no dazzling holy light or complicated divine magic, only the purest physical impact!

click-

A crisp sound of bone cracking.

The gnoll overseer's head jerked violently, and three fangs flew out, spraying blood and foam. His entire body was sent flying as if struck head-on by a battering ram, crashing into the rocks on the hillside before coming to a halt with a thud.

Richard stood in front of Avel and slowly withdrew his fist.

[When a teammate is incapacitated, the "Standing Staff One-on-One" skill is triggered, temporarily increasing Strength attribute by 50%.]