Arcane Impact was the mainstream brainless damage skill for Arcane Faction mages. Its base damage was 22 points. Each time it dealt damage to a target, it added a stack of a buff that increased damage by 40%, lasting 8 seconds and stacking up to three times.
This skill dealt high damage, but every increase in damage also increased mana consumption by 40%. If they were killing low-health monsters, Lu Yang would definitely recommend it. But against high-health monsters, especially in a group battle like this where they had no way to recover after killing several monsters, it was a trash skill.
Lu Yang could not help shouting, "Zheng Yuan, switch to Fireball."
Zheng Yuan ignored him and continued casting Arcane Impact. He only had 250 mana to begin with, and after stacking three layers of Arcane Impact's buff, each cast cost him 33 mana. As a result, Zheng Yuan ran out of mana after killing the first Rebel Soldier and could only stand idly to the side.
There were only twelve damage dealers in total, five of whom were physical classes. Their damage had already been insufficient, and now they were down one mage. The other mages' mana consumption suddenly increased. If not for Lu Yang's high spell damage and Fierce Wine Clear Wind and Xiao Liang's high defense, these two monsters could have wiped out their party.
After both monsters were killed, Lu Yang walked over to Zheng Yuan while everyone recovered and asked, "I told you to use Fireball. Why did you use Arcane Impact?"
Zheng Yuan lowered his eyelids and said, "What, you got a problem with me using Arcane Impact for damage?"
"I'm asking you why you used Arcane Impact when I required all mages to use Fireball." Lu Yang's gaze turned cold.
Xiao Liang picked up his weapon and walked to Lu Yang's side. Fierce Wine Clear Wind came over as well.
Lu Yang was not someone without a temper. He could let minor matters slide before, but Zheng Yuan now dared to delay the dungeon run. Lu Yang absolutely could not accept that.
Seeing Lu Yang about to lose his temper, Xia Yuwei hurried over and asked, "What happened? Is there a problem?"
Zheng Yuan pointed at Lu Yang and shouted, "Yuwei, I tolerated everything before, but I can't tolerate this. What right does he have to demand that I use Fireball to fight monsters? My Arcane damage is clearly higher. Why should I use Fireball? He's obviously picking on me because he doesn't like me."
Xia Yuwei did not understand either and looked at Lu Yang.
Lu Yang said, "Is your damage really that high?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Do you even understand? After I attack three times with Arcane Impact, I get a buff that stacks my damage to 2.2 times. Other than you, who rely on equipment, my damage should be the highest!" Zheng Yuan shrieked.
Zhang Zibo and the others came over. Although they did not approve of Zheng Yuan's character, what he said was indeed true.
"Zheng Yuan, listen to Lu Yang's arrangements. He's the party leader, and we should follow his command." Worried that more trouble would arise, Zhang Zibo could not help trying to persuade him.
"Why should I? Why should I put up with him when he's wrong?" Zheng Yuan refused to let the matter go.
Lu Yang sneered, pulled up the damage statistics from the game, projected them in front of everyone, and said, "Then let me show you exactly how much damage you dealt."
DPS Statistics: First, Lu Yang, total damage 6415 (79.4 DPS) Second, Golden Serpent Swordsman, total damage 1914 (21.2 DPS) Third, Ao Shi, total damage 1911 (21.1 DPS) Fourth, Half-Life Morningstar, total damage 1846 (20.5 DPS) Fifth, Salted Fish Squad, total damage 1845 (20.4 DPS) Sixth, Black Guitar, total damage 904 (10.0 DPS) Seventh, Zheng Yuan, total damage 901 (10.0 DPS)
From first through fifth, including Lu Yang, they were all fire mages. Sixth was a warlock, and only seventh was Zheng Yuan.
Seeing those DPS figures, everyone was stunned. Zheng Yuan repeatedly cried that it was impossible.
"How could Fireball's damage possibly be so high? Did you hide equipment from me?" Zheng Yuan turned around and glared fiercely at the four hired mage players.
The four mages hurriedly shook their heads.
Half-Life Morningstar said, "Boss, don't falsely accuse us. How would we dare hide equipment? Besides, even with equipment, our damage couldn't possibly be this high."
"Then what's going on?" Zheng Yuan asked.
"It seems Captain Lu Yang used some skill. The monsters had an extra buff on them, and each time we attacked, our damage increased by 75 points," Half-Life Morningstar said.
Xia Yuwei and the others looked at Lu Yang.
Lu Yang said, "That's right. It's my skill, which is why I required you to use fire mage spells."
Zheng Yuan was speechless.
Lu Yang continued, "Also, your mana can only support eight Arcane Impacts. After that, you're out of mana. In other words, against these two monsters, you only have damage data for one of them. You didn't even have mana to attack the other. Do you know how much damage that costs the team? How much extra damage others have to make up for you?"
Zheng Yuan's expression became incomparably ugly. He wanted to say that these people were hired by him and that it was only right for them to do so, but when he saw Lu Yang and the other two, he could not bring himself to say it.
Seeing the situation, Xia Yuwei sighed helplessly inside. Her father and Zheng Yuan's father were business partners, and their two families had a good relationship. She could not simply watch Zheng Yuan get humiliated by Lu Yang like this.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lu. I apologize to you on his behalf. He definitely won't do it again," Xia Yuwei said.
Lu Yang looked at Xia Yuwei, sighed, and said, "Keep indulging him like this. One day, you'll learn the consequences."
Lu Yang remembered clearly that in his previous life, Frost Ice Studio had been unable to develop in its early days because of Zheng Yuan's interference. Later, Xia Yuwei finally could not endure it any longer and kicked him out of the team. Only then did Frost Ice Studio begin to grow.
When Xia Yuwei became the Rose Queen and the Lord of Nine Cities, Zheng Yuan begged Xia Yuwei to let him return to Frost Ice Studio. Out of respect for their elders, Xia Yuwei allowed him back and even made him the lord of one city. But Zheng Yuan lacked resolve and fell for a honey trap, causing Xia Yuwei to lose seven of her nine cities and nearly get driven out of the game.
Of course, that was all in the future.
"Alright, everyone, follow me and keep moving," Lu Yang said.
They killed Rebel Soldiers all the way until Lu Yang led the party into a circular cave hall. The hall was very tall, roughly six meters high and about eighty yards in diameter. At its very center stood an Ogre nearly three meters tall, holding a massive wooden club in his right hand.
Ogre Cliff (Boss) Level: 8 Health: 50000/50000
"Why is he so much sturdier than the one in the normal dungeon?" Lan Yu asked in surprise.
"Is he?" Lu Yang asked.
"Of course. The Ogre in the normal dungeon is only two and a half meters tall, but this one is three meters tall. And his muscles are much bigger than the normal one's." Lan Yu gestured as she spoke.
The one-headed Ogre Cliff before them had horns on his head, dark-red skin all over his body, and bulging, powerful muscles on his arms and abdomen. He brought tremendous pressure upon Xia Yuwei and the others.
Fierce Wine Clear Wind said, "Brother Expert, this one won't be easy. Why do I feel like my hundred-plus defense won't be enough to withstand him?"
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