Ugly, Mad, and Sinister

Anse stood at the rear of the battlefield, occasionally casting a cantrip to help Zahir stabilize the defensive line, though his attention remained fixed on Land.

Listening to the combat logs popping up incessantly, he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

Land hopped along the defensive line, specifically targeting areas where monsters were densest, unleashing one or two Dragon Breaths before changing positions. The flashes of breath attacks significantly eased the pressure on the humans and sent their morale soaring.

A minute passed quickly; he had unleashed at least six breath attacks, averaging one every ten seconds or so—a highly efficient rate.

Toward the end, the monsters began to scatter whenever they saw him coming, which caused his kill count to drop, but nearly a hundred monsters had still been caught in the wake of his Dragon Breaths.

Anse's experience notifications never ceased, coming in intermittent bursts. While they were mostly small amounts from killing fodder, the sheer volume was more than satisfying.

As soon as Land finished, Zahir caught his signal, ran out of the fray, and reached Anse's side.

"Are there any more?" Zahir's eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Yes!" Anse laughed and reached out toward him.

"Lightning!" Zahir still had a vivid memory of the lightning effect Anse had produced earlier.

"Alright."

A moment later, Zahir also performed a massive leap into the northern cluster of monsters. After a brief moment of channeling, he opened his mouth and exhaled, filling the air with crackling electricity. He electrocuted countless Kuo-Toa, and even the nearby combatants had their hair standing on end, leaving them looking quite absurd.

To avoid friendly fire, Zahir had to venture deeper, even leaping to the edge of the floodwaters to wreak havoc. He was incredibly brazen; monsters with a Challenge Rating below 4 simply couldn't stop him.

The other combatants were happy to take advantage of the chaos, dealing lethal blows while the monsters were distracted, making the battle several times easier than before.

Seeing this, Anse tugged at Brat. "Let's go, we're pulling back to the rear."

Although the Kuo-Toa were stupid and deranged, they were still a sentient race. He had already spotted several Kuo-Toa professionals riding Giant Crabs heading toward their position; if they didn't leave now, something bad would happen.

"Huh?" Brat was still enjoying himself and felt stifled. "Can't you give me one too?"

"No, let's go."

Anse retreated quickly, soon reaching the earthen slope where Finn was stationed.

Brat looked disappointed, but he followed closely by his side.

"It's too dangerous," Anse explained.

The Dragon Breath spell cast quickly, comparable to an instant cast, but the caster required a channeling process. Without spellcasting experience, it would be very slow and easy to get targeted; if one's strength wasn't sufficient, it was genuinely dangerous.

Furthermore, Dragon Breath and Leap Spell together required 4 points of mana. He only had 11 points left; if his mana dropped too low or was exhausted, a spellcaster would enter a state of exhaustion. He had to keep some mana in reserve for emergencies.

Anse observed the battlefield and noticed more and more humans converging. With people constantly joining the fight, the human side had gained control of the situation, and casualties had plummeted.

"The contribution is already high enough; it's fine to slack off a bit."

He still remembered being a target earlier when he stood out too much, resulting in two javelins being thrown at him, nearly killing Brat. If he wanted to live long, it was better to play it safe.

Now, he only hoped that the monsters caught in the Dragon Breaths would die quickly—ideally, not letting a single one escape, even if that wasn't very realistic.

On the battlefield, Zahir unleashed his final Dragon Breath, feeling absolutely exhilarated. It gave him the illusion that his spellcasting ability had returned.

He stood on the bank of the Chongsa River and turned to look for Anse, but saw the old cleric nearby pointing at the river water, his expression anxious:

"Watch out for the water!"

With a loud boom, a massive armored creature leaped out of the Chongsa River. Amidst the spray of water, its enormous pincers snapped toward his body.

The attack was sudden. Zahir retreated while activating Devotion Shield, and a shimmering energy field enveloped him.

Clang—

The giant pincer clamped onto it, held firmly at bay.

Just as Zahir tried to take the opportunity to withdraw, a strange scepter suddenly poked out from the monster's back and struck the shield. Lightning erupted, shattering the barrier. He was blasted several meters away, crashing into the mud, his limbs stiff, unable to get back up.

<strong>[Armored Monster, Aberration, Challenge Rating 4]</strong>

<strong>[Kuo-Toa High Priest, Kuo-Toa, Challenge Rating 6]</strong>

"A High Priest?!" Anse saw it from afar, his heart sinking, and he felt an urge to run.

A Kuo-Toa High Priest had a Challenge Rating of 6, but he was a level 10 spellcaster—even more troublesome than a Duergar Warlord.

The Armored Monster wasn't easy to deal with either; it was a Large aberration, amphibious, immune to poison, and capable of sensing magic.

The Armored Monster carried the Kuo-Toa High Priest, sprinting rapidly toward Zahir, but both he and Land were too far away to provide rescue.

Whoosh—

At the critical moment, a javelin whistled toward the Armored Monster. The creature's reaction was too slow to dodge, so it had to swing its pincers to block.

The shell shattered like a spiderweb, and the javelin pierced halfway through. The Armored Monster faltered, letting out a piercing shriek.

"What immense strength!" Brat exclaimed in awe.

Anse looked into the distance. On the bank of the Chongsa River, a sturdy figure wearing a red robe with golden flames had already thrown a second javelin, then hoisted a Great Axe and launched a charge.

"Looks like someone from the Flaming Fist." He recognized the attire.

The second javelin struck true, accurate and ruthless.

This delay allowed Zahir to shake off the paralysis and stand up. A flash of Holy Light washed over him, restoring most of his injuries, and he followed the burly man into the fray.

The Armored Monster brandished its massive pincers, creating dull, whistling sounds—its momentum was terrifying.

Zahir and his companion focused on hit-and-run tactics; although the Armored Monster possessed greater strength than the Duergar Warlord, its slow reactions and low intelligence made it manageable for elite professionals.

They were far more wary of the Kuo-Toa High Priest riding on the monster's back.

Yet, aside from occasionally firing off a bolt of lightning that lacked significant power, the Kuo-Toa High Priest had little presence.

"He's out of spell slots!" Anse realized with a start.

The Weave was fair to everyone; aside from a few minor Spell-like Abilities, the Kuo-Toa High Priest relied on spell slots just like anyone else.

"Let's go, we're moving in too." Anse raised his Staff and ran toward the riverbank; such an opportunity could not be missed, and they might even be able to scrape up some experience.

By the time the three of them reached the riverbank, the Armored Monster had already lost one of its forelimbs; judging by the wound, it had likely been the work of that brawny Flaming Fist member.

Anse focused his gaze on him, as it was easier to scout attributes during combat:

[Flaming Fist Elite, Human, Level 8 Barbarian (Berserker)]

So strong. No wonder he can go toe-to-toe with an Armored Monster.

Even without mastering powerful feats, a level 8 professional would inevitably have seen significant improvements to their attributes.

The two of them clearly realized the Kuo-Toa High Priest was running on fumes, and they coordinated their attacks with fierce intensity.

The Flaming Fist Elite moved into the Armored Monster's blind spot, lowered his head, and crouched. A red glow emanated from his body, and the next moment, he charged behind the monster like a wild bull, moving so fast he left a trail of afterimages. He raised his Great Axe high, swirling with raging fury, and brought it down with the momentum of his charge.

The Armored Monster only had time to shift slightly before the Great Axe struck, slicing deep into its waist and abdomen near the thigh. A massive spray of blue-green fluid erupted, and the creature's body went limp, collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

Zahir seized the opportunity to step forward, driving his sword into the Armored Monster's neck up to the hilt.

Just as Anse raised his hand to deliver a finishing blow, he sensed a strange magical fluctuation coming from the Kuo-Toa High Priest.

"Look out—"

He shouted, immediately activating his Spell Storing Ring, and three Glimmering Missiles whistled toward the Kuo-Toa High Priest.

The next moment, a surging blue-purple energy erupted from the High Priest, covering a radius of over ten meters. A massive Thunderclap and waves of Corrosive Energy instantly engulfed Zahir and his companion; the standing water vaporized, and the ground was left covered in dark purple and black corrosive scars.

The three Magic Missiles dissipated into thin air the moment they drew near, unable to make any impact at all.

It's over. Anse felt a chill run through his heart.