paranoianovel Chapter 275 Simulated Battlefield NPCs: Combat Power Index Surges
Chapter 275 Simulated Battlefield NPCs: Combat Power Index Surges
Chapter 275 Simulated Battlefield NPCs: Combat Power Index Surges
The knight rode on a warhorse also clad in dark armor.
Both the man and the horse were dressed in heavy black armor, with sharp iron spikes protruding from the edges.
The iron spikes were covered with a thick layer of rust, resembling terrifying weapons and exuding a chilling aura.
As the knight appeared, a strange and hoarse voice rang out.
The voice carried a heavy, demonic tone, like a low growl from the depths of hell, sending chills down one's spine.
Then, a monster with two huge bat wings on its back appeared on the treetop.
Its face resembled a hybrid of an ape and a dog, its expression a grotesque, wicked grin, its eyes gleaming with ferocity.
It reveals an unspeakable malice.
These two powerful monsters are likely the leaders of the invading demonic warband.
Fangzhou stood atop the wooden wall, continuing to watch the performance of the two monster leaders in the opening scene.
The abyss knight, dressed entirely in black, took a longbow, taller than half a man, from beside his saddle, nocked a black and sharp arrow, and the bowstring was taut. The arrow, like the ray of death, pointed straight ahead.
"Goat-Headed Monster Band, attack!"
The Abyss Rider gave the order in a cold tone, then abruptly released the bowstring.
The jet-black arrow emitted a sharp whistling sound as it shot towards the refugees who were lined up in defense, like a black lightning bolt!
The arrow was not aimed at any specific target, but its power far exceeded the refugees' expectations.
The twisted black arrow first pierced into the tallest barricade in the center.
Immediately following a loud bang, four or five logs that required several people to lift snapped in two, and flying fragments scattered like sharp blades.
The entire barricade collapsed with a deafening roar, the immense force causing the ground to tremble. Several refugees who couldn't escape in time were buried underneath, and a series of pitiful cries rang out.
The refugees scattered in terror, creating chaos.
At the same time, the elusive goat-headed monsters all around also began their actions.
These monsters slowly drew their sharp, short spears from behind, gripped the shafts tightly with their thick arms, and then, after a moment of preparation, hurled them all at once.
Accompanied by a powerful gust of air, these weapons pierced the air at astonishing speed, emitting a chilling, piercing whistling sound.
Most refugees had no idea they would be attacked like this.
They suddenly felt darkness engulf them, followed by an indescribable pain that came from different parts of their bodies.
Some refugees were hit in the shoulder, others in the thigh, and some unfortunate ones were left with a bloody hole in their chest.
The refugees were thrown backward by the immense force of the short spears, crashing heavily onto the cold ground.
Their bodies curled up in a ball, struggling helplessly, and they soon lost the ability to continue fighting.
Although the goat-headed monsters' throwing technique wasn't very accurate, the power of this attack was enough to instantly render any untrained ordinary person powerless.
Only three refugees were hit directly in vital areas by short spears and died on the spot.
Even so, one-third of the refugees suffered severe trauma in this raid.
Adding to the refugees trapped beneath the collapsed logs, the middle-aged warrior NPC realized that he had lost more than half of his demonic power.
The surviving refugees were completely disorganized by this series of sudden blows.
Their hands and feet trembled, and the logging axes and saws slipped from their grasp with a crisp clanging sound.
Faced with such a tragic scene, the middle-aged warrior NPC knew that there was no point in continuing.
He took a deep breath and shouted with all his might, "Run! Everyone, run to the shelter!"
His voice awakened the refugees' survival instincts.
In an instant, the clearing in the woods was filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps and desperate cries.
The refugees were like headless flies, wandering aimlessly.
Some people couldn't even find their way to the camp and blindly rushed into the depths of the dense forest.
Fang Zhou witnessed all of this and couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance.
It seems that this opening scene is coming to an end.
Just as he had predicted, before long, scattered refugees began to emerge from the dense forest.
Meanwhile, alarm bells rang continuously at the shelter at the foot of the Ark.
The refugees who were carrying out repair work on the outskirts were startled by the sudden alarm.
But they quickly realized what was happening, dropped what they were doing, and ran frantically toward the shelter's gate.
In a corner of the sanctuary, the punitive knight Li Guang heard the alarm bell and immediately rushed out of his dwelling, clutching a silver longbow tightly in his hand.
His gaze swept across the surrounding watchtowers, and he nimbly leaped onto the wooden ladder, climbing to the top of one of them.
Outside the shelter, the shadows of the trees swayed, and the pitiful screams of dying refugees could be heard from time to time.
"Quick, quick, the demon is coming! Close the door!"
1
A refugee rushed out of the shelter, breathless, and shouted at the camp guards at the entrance.
His face was pale, sweat was streaming down his forehead, and he was breathing rapidly, clearly having just experienced a life-or-death escape.
The guards exchanged glances, their eyes fixed on the ark atop the wooden wall, awaiting his instructions.
Afterwards, Fangzhou felt that his perspective had returned to normal and he could move freely.
Ignoring the shelter guards and refugees, he quickly retrieved his Necrosphere, began chanting incantations, and cast a summoning spell.
As Ark cast his spell, gray vortexes rose into the air and eventually settled on the watchtower inside the wooden wall.
Dozens of skeletons appeared silently on the watchtower, taking up advantageous firing positions.
Subsequently, Ark's [Bone Blade] skill transformed all the skeletons into skeleton archers.
They held longbows, arrows already nocked, making the originally sparse shelter defenses impregnable.
Just then, one of the refugees was clearly terrified and lost his mind.
He screamed as he charged toward the winch that was controlling the gate.
Behind him, two or three other refugees, also driven by fear, rushed forward.
The camp guards tried to stop them, but not decisively.
Soon the lead refugee rushed to the winch, gripped it tightly with both hands, and was about to turn it when he suddenly felt a heavy and cold touch on his shoulder.
The refugee turned around and saw an incredibly burly skeleton warrior standing behind him, holding two sharp and heavy giant axes.
The axe blade emitted a cold, eerie blue light and rested firmly on his shoulder.
"My lord mage, the demons are coming! If we don't close the gate, we'll all die!"
The refugee let out a hoarse scream, his legs swaying precariously, barely able to stand.
Several other refugees nearby joined in, and the scene descended into chaos.
Clearly, this is a small level at the start of the Vault Defense campaign on Normal difficulty.
If the camp gates are firmly sealed off, it will naturally be advantageous for defense.
However, this would mean that the lumberjacks fleeing for their lives outside the shelter would face death right under the noses of the Trialers.
This will undoubtedly significantly lower their pass rating.
Fangzhou remembered the strategy guide that Lu Renjia had given him.
The test of the trainees' ability to adapt to unexpected situations is to deal with them; there is no standard answer.
If you're not strong enough, you can't force yourself to be a saint and sacrifice the defenses you painstakingly built for the sake of a few dozen people outside the camp.
If one is strong enough, one doesn't need to think too much and can act based on one's own judgment.
What should I do?
Fang Zhou remained calm and quickly issued orders to his main combat force, Olaf.
Olaf's hand holding the axe was steady and powerful, without the slightest tremor.
"Click!"
With a crisp sound of metal scraping against rope, Olaf swung his axe, the sharp blade leaving a silvery trail in the moonlight, easily severing the thick rope on the winch.
The moment the rope snapped, it seemed like an enraged snake, quickly coiling around several times before suddenly springing into the air, creating a whistling sound.
The heavy wooden door collapsed with a deafening crash after it was freed from its restraints.
Amidst a group of refugees stunned by fear, Olaf led a formation of weapon-wielding skeletons that kept emerging from his sides, slowly advancing towards the wooden door.
Just then, a group of goat-headed monsters riding strange mounts rushed out from the depths of the forest.
They gripped spears and machetes tightly in their hands, the crimson bloodstains on their weapons a particularly shocking sight.
These mindless monsters, along with their mounts, roared like wild beasts as they circled the open space in front of the sanctuary.
Their eyes gleamed with greed and ferocity, but they did not attack immediately, seemingly waiting for something even more terrifying. Then, the black-armored Abyss Knight appeared on horseback at the edge of the dense forest, both man and horse exuding a chilling aura.
Its hooded cloak swayed gently in the wind, like a symbol of darkness and misfortune, instilling an indescribable sense of fear in people.
"Go! Kill them!"
The Abyss Knight's voice was deep and hoarse, coming from the shadows beneath his cloak.
This command was an inviolable will for the goat-headed monsters.
So, a short, goat-headed monster took the lead.
It spurred its mount forward, making a gurgling sound.
The spear in his hand was raised high, ready to viciously stab the middle-aged soldier who was standing at the rear, protecting the refugees during their retreat.
The middle-aged soldier remained remarkably calm in the face of the oncoming threat.
He stood firmly on the ground with his feet apart, like an old oak tree that has stood the test of time.
The spear hurtled towards them with a whooshing sound, but the middle-aged warrior was already prepared.
He deftly sidestepped the fatal blow, and at the same time, retaliated with the force of a thunderbolt from his wood-chopping axe.
The axe blade tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, instantly slicing through the goat-headed monster's hard hide armor, penetrating deep into its body, cutting through tendons and bones, and finally embedding itself deep into its spine.
"Pfft meow!"
After a muffled thud, the middle-aged soldier pulled hard.
The axe, carrying the sulfurous smell of blood from the goat-headed monster, splattered out, staining his armor red.
The goat-headed monster's mount was terrified by this scene and howled in agony, fleeing to the side in a panic and throwing its still-breathing master heavily to the ground.
"Two of them go up!"
The black-armored Abyss Knight remained unmoved and coldly issued the order.
The goat-headed monster, completely devoid of any moral compass, immediately obeyed the order.
Two goat-headed monsters appeared from the left and right sides like ghosts.
They charged toward the middle-aged warrior, wielding spears with tips coated in a foul-smelling poison.
A cold smile appeared on the middle-aged soldier's lips.
He suddenly yanked his arm, and the heavy wood-chopping axe in his hand let out a tearing roar as it flew out of his hand, heading straight for one of the goat-headed monsters.
*Smack!*
A nauseating sound rang out, like something rotten being smashed open, filling the air with a suffocating stench.
One of the goat-headed monsters never expected its opponent to throw its only defensive weapon so decisively. Before it could even make a defensive move, the woodcutter's axe slammed into its head.
The thin leather helmet on the goat-headed monster's head was as fragile as paper in front of the logging axe, offering absolutely no protection.
With a muffled thud, the goat-headed monster's head exploded from the immense impact, sending bizarre, blood-red proliferating tissue flying in all directions, creating a terrifying scene.
The other goat-headed monster was taken aback, but then it saw the middle-aged warrior's empty hands and couldn't help but reveal a bloodthirsty smile. It raised its spear high and, filled with anger and greed, thrust it forcefully at the middle-aged warrior.
However, the middle-aged warrior remained firmly on the ground, only suddenly leaning his upper body backward, cleverly dodging the goat-headed monster's fatal blow.
The goat-headed monster's spear whistled past him.
It originally thought this strike was a sure thing, so it used all its strength.
However, due to excessive force, he ended up lying face down on the back of the mount, completely losing his balance.
Taking advantage of the moment, the middle-aged soldier let out a muffled roar, gripped the spear in front of him tightly with both hands, and pulled it down sharply.
Using the momentum generated by its backward lean and the force of the spear thrust forward, the goat-headed monster let out a terrified cry, was thrown off its mount, and crashed heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
If an ordinary person had fallen like that, they would likely have suffered multiple fractures, resulting in serious injuries that would be difficult to recover from.
But the goat-headed monster was unusually resilient, and it managed to stand up despite the excruciating pain.
Before it could even let out a howl, a long spear had already pierced straight through it.
"Pfft!" The spear pierced through the goat-headed monster's forehead without mercy, with half of the spear tip deeply embedded, and blood gushed out.