Did You Hear My Whistle?

The monotonous yet fulfilling cycle of killing monsters and leveling up continued for a week.

During this week, Isabel faithfully executed Lu Yao's orders, reaping Corruptors en masse in her Forest Sword form. Whenever her Mana ran low, she would temporarily retreat, waiting for natural recovery before resuming the assault.

Lu Yao estimated that, counting those that respawned after death, she had slaughtered at least ten thousand of them.

However, after Isabel's level stalled at 26, she could no longer advance.

"Milord, the Corruptors are too low-ranked. Fighting them no longer grants me any experience, ability boosts, or inspiration," Isabel explained.

Lu Yao felt a twinge of regret.

The strategy of leveling Isabel all the way to the cap by relying on Corruptors was clearly a dead end.

Even so, the week of monster-killing had yielded tremendous gains.

Now, when she activated the Holy Sword, Isabel's combat panel looked like this.

[Apostle Lv26] Forest Sword

Health Points: 325/325

Mana Points: 615/615

Damage: 39

Defense: 37

Speed: 18

[Wisdom Lv26]

Wisdom is the key for an Apostle to heed the Deity's will. The higher the level of Wisdom, the easier it is to improve and comprehend various abilities.

[Lingering Prayer Lv6] (30 Mana)

Pray to the Sea of Lingering Souls, temporarily awakening sleeping spirits to gain their aid. The type of spirit depends on the ability level and Mana.

[Forest Sword Lv1] (100 Mana)

[Isabel's Exclusive Ability] Isabel summons the Holy Sword, fully amplifying combat attributes. Duration and amplification depend on ability level and Mana. After battle, Isabel creates some Forest Elemental Creatures, whose number and type depend on ability level and the strength of the combat target.

Isabel's stats had risen dramatically.

Now, relying solely on her extreme speed and high attack frequency, she could take down Corruptors with a combo of slashes and thrusts from the Holy Sword.

The entire battle process was just like Lu Bu riding Red Hare, mowing down grunts with overwhelming force.

Additionally, the extra effect of [Forest Sword] was triggered frequently, creating a type of elemental creature called [Forest Wolf] from the corpses of countless Corruptors.

[Forest Wolf Lv13] [Created by Isabel]

Health Points: 248/248

Mana Points: 40/40

Damage: 8

Defense: 8

Speed: 7

[Evasion Lv7]

Can evade damage from some attacks. This probability is higher against weaker lifeforms.

[Pack Tactics]

When gathered together, combat power increases. The greater the number, the larger the boost.

[Forest Element Lv1]

A Forest Elemental Creature, beneficial for rapid forest growth. All attributes are amplified within a forest. Effect depends on ability level and Health Points.

The Forest Wolf's individual stats were inferior to the Corruptors, and its damage was even lower than that of the lower-level [Striped Lynx]. It wasn't a solo fighter, but the [Pack Tactics] ability was a powerful buff.

This time, by killing over ten thousand Corruptors, Isabel had created a total of 60 Forest Wolves at Lv13.

When these 60 Forest Wolves gathered together, the [Pack Tactics] ability changed their panel.

[Forest Wolf Lv13] [Created by Isabel]

Health Points: 248/248

Mana Points: 40/40

Damage: 10

Defense: 10

Speed: 9

Lu Yao did the math with a calculator.

The numerical coefficient boost from Pack Tactics was roughly 0.5%. That meant if a hundred Forest Wolves gathered and acted together, each wolf could exert 1.5 times its base combat panel.

In group combat, Forest Wolves actually had the advantage against Corruptors—the more wolves, the stronger the pack.

Considering the Forest Wolf's panel was very balanced, with offense and defense integrated and speed not lagging behind, they were an extremely talented combat species.

Lu Yao gave the order to Isabelle, having this pack of Forest Wolves temporarily stationed in the mountains to cut off the only route between the Salt Pool Tribe and the Garlic Tribe. This was to prevent the Corruptor from suddenly going berserk and attacking outward, affecting the Garlic Tribe.

The situation was basically under Isabelle's control. The newborn Corruptor of the Salt Pool Tribe no longer posed any threat to her.

Having fully reaped the Corruptor's dividends, Isabelle's level and strength had risen. So the next experiment could begin.

Lu Yao gave the order: go check out the castle.

Isabelle charged into the castle.

Lu Yao clicked on the castle, and sure enough, it entered another instance world screen.

The inside of the castle was much larger than it appeared from outside. Inside was a hall paved with stone, with headless corpses hanging in the air and bloodstains covering the ground, leading all the way deep underground.

Along the way, Corruptors kept rushing out to attack, but Isabelle cut them all down one by one and continued exploring deeper.

Underground, pits had been dug out one after another, each filled with a kind of white powder, from which Corruptors occasionally crawled out.

Other Corruptors threw various mutilated corpses into these pits, as if using the bodies to create more of their kind.

Beside these pits that bred Corruptors were small channels, filled with a viscous green liquid, as if some evil ritual was being performed.

Following the trail of this liquid, Isabelle fought her way to the deepest part of the cave.

Here, the space opened up. On the wide stone wall behind, a giant's corpse was fixed in place with chains.

The giant had four curved horns on its head, its skull already reduced to bare bone, with faint flames flickering in its hollow eye sockets.

Its body was covered in slashes, the wounds and flesh long rotted, oozing thick green fluid. This fluid flowed all the way to the ground, following the channels carved there to become the catalyst that gave birth to Corruptors.

Facing this Decaying Giant, an exclamation mark suddenly appeared above Isabelle's head.

"Forrest?!"

Lu Yao looked—this name seemed familiar somehow.

Oh, wasn't he the Forest God's chief Apostle?

It was actually this giant?

Lu Yao woke the Cactus Follower in the pot beside him: "Little Fire, is Forrest a giant?"

The Cactus Follower said respectfully, "God, Sir Forrest indeed comes from the Giant Race. He is a reliable and powerful Apostle, and the Forest God's most capable right hand."

Unfortunately, the Forest God had fallen, and this chief Apostle's body had become an instrument for creating Corruptors.

Lu Yao turned his attention back to the screen.

He noticed that the giant Forrest's posture was very strange. Forrest was kneeling on the ground, his arms pulled up into a cross shape, as if he were atoning or worshipping something.

Behind the giant's shell stood an even taller stone carving.

It was a very odd statue, looking like a humanoid tree covered in branches of varying lengths, yet completely leafless.

Lu Yao moved his mouse over the sculpture, and a name appeared.

[Whistleblower God Statue]

--Outlander, have you heard my whistle?

Those words made his heart skip a beat.

Lu Yao finally realized what the stone carving really was.

It was a person covered in short whistles.

These whistles grew like some kind of organ all over his body—from his head, shoulders, chest, arms, and face. Because the image was somewhat physically unsettling, Lu Yao had subconsciously avoided thinking in that direction.

On Forrest's skull, a tall knight clad in black armor slowly coalesced.

Above his head appeared: [Blood Knight Nevid].

"Blasphemer, die."

The Blood Knight wielded a crimson greatsword, turning into a blur as he charged at Isabelle.

Thanks to Xiyu Qianmeng for supporting with 500 Qidian coins.