Lone Flame
The echoes of the system announcement had yet to fade completely when the absolute darkness shrouding the world seemed to be infused with a savage will, stirring restlessly.
In the darkness... there seemed to be something...
A cold system notification popped up. At the same time, Su Luo clearly felt an invisible pressure envelop his body. The darkness around him grew thicker, as though it were constantly draining his stamina and energy.
[You are in the "Fighting Alone" state: experience gain efficiency reduced by 70%, monster wave intensity increased]
Su Luo frowned as he listened to the sudden commotion in the darkness beyond.
The system's voice sounded again.
[The Monster Tide has begun]
[The first wave is about to arrive]
[All survivors, prepare to meet the attack]
Roars, impacts, bursts of gunfire, and the survivors' startled cries and curses quickly spread across the regional channel and the forum's live update threads.
[First wave: three level 0 Rot Hounds! No real pressure!]
[The Arrow Tower did great! Easy win!]
[Haha, this experience bonus buff feels great!]
The first wave was simple, equivalent to three Tibetan mastiffs. The survivors handled it easily with the help of their Sanctuaries.
Ten minutes passed. People in the channel were already discussing how the first wave seemed too easy and looking forward to the rewards from the second.
Meanwhile, Su Luo stood atop a stone pillar, isolated deep in the darkness. The fireballs around him still floated silently, illuminating the empty space around him.
Su Luo checked the system time again. That was right: the Monster Tide had started ten minutes ago.
"A delay?" He looked thoughtfully at the surrounding wall. "Because of my unusual location? Or because... my Sanctuary is actually in another world?"
Just then, the grating roars finally came from deep within the darkness, rapidly growing clearer as they drew closer.
The first wave had arrived.
But the three monsters that charged into the firelight made Su Luo's gaze sharpen.
They were not the level 0 Rot Hounds or Living Corpses described in the records, but three level 1 monsters, [Bloodthirsty Wolf Beasts], with stocky bodies, knotted muscles, and drool dripping from their mouths. Their speed and ferocious aura far exceeded those of the level 0 monsters described on the forum.
[Bloodthirsty Wolf Beast]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 8]
[Spirit: 3]
[Constitution: 6]
[Skill: Berserk]
"Increased intensity..."
Su Luo watched the three monsters, each like a big cat, charge over, only to be stopped by the wall.
"Roar!"
The three wolf beasts sprang forward like arrows released from a bow, growling low as their claws raked hard against the rough stone wall with an unpleasant scraping sound.
Two of them used their astonishing agility to leap onto their companion's shoulders and scramble up the wall in a few bounds.
With a thought, three fireballs blazed brightly and shot out with the precision of cannon shells.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out among the wolf beasts. Scorching blasts swept fragments through the air, instantly tearing open the flesh of all three and sending them to the ground, howling. Two died on the spot, while the last struggled with grievous injuries.
Su Luo did not finish it off. Instead, he calmly observed the wounded wolf beast's condition and the continuing damage inflicted by the flames.
[Berserk]!
An unnatural red glow appeared on the badly wounded wolf beast's body, and its Constitution temporarily rose by one point! It actually staggered back to its feet and crawled toward Su Luo, dragging its mangled limbs.
Only when five minutes remained did Su Luo finish off the wolf beast.
Far away, in other places, the vast majority of survivors had already finished their fights with ease.
But for some who had holed up in the deepest parts of their Sanctuaries, fear had overcome reason. They let the monsters keep attacking their shelters until the half-hour time limit ran out.
Everyone had to wait until the full half hour had passed or everyone had finished before they could enter the rest period.
When the first wave's half hour ended, these people were immediately judged to have failed the first wave and were stripped of their Sanctuaries on the spot.
[The first wave has ended]
[All survivors are entering a 10-minute rest period]
[Based on the state of their Sanctuaries, survivors receive minor buffs]
The channel was full of celebration, with everyone discussing their gains and experience bonuses. No one cared about those who had not dared to go out and fight.
The ten-minute rest period passed in a flash.
[The second wave is about to arrive]
[All survivors, prepare to meet the attack]
The darkness was torn apart once more. A [Skeleton Warrior] with a noticeably thicker frame, a ghastly white bone club in hand, and soul flames blazing fiercely in its eye sockets charged into the firelight, leading five drooling [Bloodthirsty Demon Hounds] with blood-red light in their eyes.
The soul flames in the Skeleton Warrior's eye sockets flickered with a hint of ferocity.
[Skeleton Warrior]
[Level: 2]
[Strength: 9.5]
[Spirit: 4]
[Constitution: 4]
[Skills: Rending Strike, Throwing]
Su Luo cast Appraisal, then raised his hand. A fireball suddenly expanded and blasted toward the Skeleton Warrior in the lead like a miniature sun!
As it flew, the scorching fireball's surface rapidly trembled, splitting off five smaller but extremely fast offspring fireballs.
Boom!
The large fireball struck the Skeleton Warrior squarely in the chest. The violent explosion blasted its bones apart, sending burning fragments flying in every direction.
At the same time, the five offspring fireballs traced tricky arcs through the air as if they possessed minds of their own, precisely catching up to and piercing the heads of the five demon hounds that were trying to climb over or go around the stone wall!
The fight ended in seconds.
Su Luo glanced at the channel. Other people's second waves generally consisted of one level 1 monster leading five level 0 monsters. The monsters attacking him, however, were once again a full tier stronger.
[The second wave has ended]
[All survivors are entering a 10-minute rest period]
[Based on the state of their Sanctuaries, survivors receive minor buffs]
Complaints began to multiply in the channel, with many people describing how they had nearly failed to stop the level 1 monster.
After all, only a little over two thousand survivors in the entire region had reached level 2 so far. That was the normal pace of progress, if anything a little fast.
People like Song Shige and Ye Xu, who were already level 3 or 4, fell into the category of "cheaters" and could not be judged by ordinary standards.
[The third wave is about to arrive]
[All survivors, prepare to meet the attack]
The monsters in the darkness attacked from the air and the ground at the same time!
Three [Axe-Wielding Skeletons] with rusty hatchets and astonishingly sturdy frames attacked in coordination with five broad-winged [Enhanced Corpse Bats], whose high-pitched screeches could cause stabbing mental pain.
[Enhanced Corpse Bat]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 2]
[Spirit: 7]
[Constitution: 3]
[Skills: Screech, Pack Coordination]
Su Luo had seen this type of special monster on the forum. Once three or more used [Pack Coordination] at the same time, the effects of their [Screech] could stack, enough to throw the vast majority of survivors into mental disorder and leave them with splitting headaches. They were extremely troublesome.
Su Luo's eyes brightened slightly, and he finally showed a little interest.
He did not choose a large-scale explosion; that would have been too inefficient. He raised both hands slightly, adopting a pose as if controlling a marionette. In an instant, the fireballs around him began spinning much faster!
Five fireballs shot into the air like falcons brought to life. Rather than charging in straight lines, they traced distinct, graceful, and deadly arcs through the air, weaving what looked like a net of flame as they precisely intercepted the swiftly maneuvering corpse bats trying to disturb his mind!
Five brilliant bursts of sparks exploded in midair almost simultaneously! The Enhanced Corpse Bats were instantly vaporized by the extreme heat before they could even scream, leaving only a few charred remains drifting slowly down.
Meanwhile, Su Luo chose a different method of attack to deal with the Axe-Wielding Skeletons outside the wall. He stamped lightly, sending mana surging into the earth.
[Earth Collapse Spell]!
The ground in the path of the three charging Axe-Wielding Skeletons instantly softened and collapsed, turning into a thick mire. Their heavy frames immediately became a burden, their speed dropping sharply as they sank into the tangible quicksand, their movements growing slow and clumsy.
The rolling earth poured mercilessly into the gaps in their joints, their rib cages, and even their eye sockets. Powerful pressure from the ground slowly pulled them apart before finally swallowing them completely.
After dealing with the monsters, Su Luo entered Meditation to restore some mana, then closed his eyes to rest and waited for it to end.