The group's drop rates were clearly much higher than the large sample of results players had posted on the forums. They'd nearly completed their sets of basic skills.
Wang Qianduo could actually learn the basic skills for all three attributes, but he didn't want to reveal that secret yet.
Besides, Wang Qianduo felt he needed to choose a path soon. The effect of Mecha skill proficiency on one's strength couldn't be ignored.
If he kept trying to master all three branches, he'd end up spreading himself too thin.
He'd also just upgraded the Phoenix Blood Heart's engine to level five, and the Phoenix Blood Heart was about to undergo its first Evolution.
He had all the materials needed, but they were in his warehouse. He planned to deal with that after the Instance Dungeon.
His only regret was that the Propulsion Device he'd been longing for was still nowhere to be seen.
He wasn't interested in the equipment for the other slots, and the Energy Shield he still needed hadn't dropped either.
Sword of Miracles and the others had also made a decent haul. To Wang Qianduo, these basic skills simply added variety to his attacks, but for the others, they were a huge boost.
They could turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with every skill, especially when combining skills. After watching them, Wang Qianduo could only say, "I learned something."
"Should we head back to town and regroup, or keep going while we're on a roll?"
After they finished three Hard Mode dungeons, Song in the Clouds looked at Wang Qianduo and asked.
After all, this was his quest, so the others wanted to respect his opinion.
"Do you need to upgrade your equipment?" Wang Qianduo asked the others in return.
They'd just obtained several blueprints, but none of them would improve Wang Qianduo's equipment.
"No need. This equipment won't make a qualitative difference. You'll have to tank the monsters and deal damage in the Nightmare Dungeon. We can only help with crowd control and support, so improving those stats won't do much. There's no point wasting time," Sword of Miracles said.
"Okay, then let's enter the dungeon!"
After speaking, Wang Qianduo activated the dungeon Portal. Sword of Miracles had already made him the party leader.
The Nightmare-level Dark Forest was different from its Normal and Hard Mode versions.
The sky in the Nightmare Dungeon was not only darker, but also filled with drifting Magic Power elements. The forest was gloomier and more eerie, too.
They hadn't gone far when two enormous Dire Wolves burst out of the tall bushes on either side of the forest and Ambushed Wang Qianduo, who was at the front of the party.
"Use Rising Strike on the one to your left!"
Sister Cat's voice rang out. Wang Qianduo immediately followed her instructions, swinging the Minghong Blade upward. A silver arc flashed through the air.
-260
A damage number appeared, and the Dire Wolf on the left was launched backward. Just then, Sister Cat spoke again:
"Follow up with Double Strike. Aim for its waist if you can."
Wang Qianduo obeyed without hesitation. He took a step forward and thrust the Minghong Blade at the Dire Wolf twice in quick succession.
-140
Critical hit, Weak Point Break -739
Two damage numbers appeared above the Dire Wolf Wang Qianduo had knocked back, and its HP bar emptied completely.
Four times damage from a critical hit on a weak point was almost absurd.
"There's no way Old Wang's damage is normal!" Bright Moon over the Blue Sea exclaimed, watching the damage Wang Qianduo had dealt.
As the Dire Wolf on the right pounced, Sword of Miracles charged forward in her Mecha and smacked it down with her shield.
After knocking the Dire Wolf back, they didn't immediately pursue. Instead, they watched the others from a distance.
Then, seeing what had happened to its companion, the Dire Wolf fled back into the forest.
They tried to stop it, but the three ranged attackers didn't have enough damage, Sword of Miracles couldn't reach it, and Wang Qianduo's shot went wide. None of them managed to stop it.
"Get ready for the pack and the boss. Old Wang, when the boss gets close, use Chain Lightning on it.
"Then launch it into the air and follow up with Double Strike to hit it hard. After that, start charging. If the boss comes to you, hit the boss. If it doesn't, hit the smaller monsters we draw over.
"Remember to charge Charged Slash horizontally, and keep a firm grip on your weapon. Don't let your strength go slack as soon as the strike begins. That's how you get an area attack.
"Then wait for the cooldowns. Use normal attacks when you can, but don't force it. We'll hold off the smaller monsters for you."
When she saw the Dire Wolf flee, Sister Cat immediately gave her instructions. The others focused and readied themselves.
This was the Nightmare Dungeon. The monsters' intelligence was astonishingly high; they were practically indistinguishable from real creatures.
The Dire Wolf hadn't fled. It had gone to get reinforcements. Before long, the rest of the Dire Wolves in the forest would join the Dire Wolf King and surround them.
That was also why they couldn't use some of the tricks that worked in Normal and Hard Mode. The Nightmare Dungeon was a true test of skill.
Not long after Sister Cat finished speaking, pairs of blood-red eyes appeared in the forest around them. One pair, as big as headlights, stood out in particular.
The Dire Wolf pack had arrived.
The Dire Wolf King at their head was much taller than it had been in Normal and Hard Mode. It was still a level 5 leader, but its stats were in a completely different league from those versions.
Dire Wolf King
LV5
Nightmare Leader
HP 7000
MP 1000
Attack 240
Defense 30
Skills: Ambush, Bite to Shreds, Earth Spike Burst, Savage Roar (The Dire Wolf King lets out a Magic Energy-infused roar, increasing its and its minions' Attack and Speed by 20% while reducing their Defense by 10%), Rampage (Abyss bosses enter Rampage when their HP drops below 20%, increasing their Attack by 50%).
"Those stats are more than twice as strong as the Normal version, and its skills are much more dangerous.
"Be careful, Old Wang. I'll warn you," Sister Cat said, looking at the Dire Wolf King's stats Wang Qianduo had sent her.
"Got it!"
After a brief discussion, they decided to engage the monsters. Song in the Clouds shot an arrow at the Dire Wolf King's eye, but it dodged.
That's right, it dodged. That was how insanely intelligent the monsters in the Nightmare Dungeon were.
Awooo!
After dodging Song in the Clouds's attack, the Dire Wolf King let out a howl and charged at them. Its body was huge, yet it was remarkably agile.
It bounded from trunk to trunk through the forest and reached the area above them in just a few leaps, then dove toward Song in the Clouds.
But just as it was about to reach her, a bolt of silver lightning struck it in midair.
-727, Stunned 0.2s
The lightning took a tenth of its HP, but that wasn't all. After striking the Dire Wolf King, it leapt into the pack charging in alongside it.
Six unlucky Dire Wolves were caught in the blast. The second one hit even had its HP completely depleted.
The Chain Lightning's paralyzing effect also stunned the Dire Wolf King for a moment. Wang Qianduo seized the opportunity and quickly used Rising Strike, a normal attack, and Double Strike.
-220
-143
-126
-126
Resetting the normal attack's recovery animation with a skill was a technique Wang Qianduo had learned from Sister Cat.
Resetting a skill with a normal attack was trickier, and he hadn't dared try it.
A string of damage numbers appeared above the Dire Wolf King's head as its HP rapidly dropped.
Then Wang Qianduo began charging the Minghong Blade, but the Dire Wolf King had already recovered from its stagger and leaped backward.
Wang Qianduo didn't cancel his charge, though, because Sword of Miracles and the others were already bringing the Dire Wolf pack over to him.
The others used every trick they had, drawing the pack together around Wang Qianduo from seemingly impossible angles.
Just then, Red Light flashed in the Dire Wolf King's eyes. It let out a roar, and a red glow spread over the pack as the wolves all lunged at Wang Qianduo.
"Whoa, Old Wang, watch out!"
They hadn't expected this turn of events. They'd still underestimated the intelligence of the Abyss Dungeon's monsters.
But Wang Qianduo didn't panic. The experience he'd gained over two lifetimes gave him a composure that most people lacked.
With most of the pack now around him, ready to attack, the Minghong Blade in his hands moved.
A crescent of icy light burst forth.
Critical hit -1012*N
Wang Qianduo had fully charged the Charged Strike, and it landed as a critical hit. Every Dire Wolf that had charged him was sent flying. They hit the ground with a whimper and died on the spot.
That single strike took out two-thirds of the Dire Wolves, immediately easing the pressure on the group.
"Nice!"
After Song in the Clouds praised him, she immediately drew the few remaining Dire Wolves back. Sword of Miracles and the others did the same.
There was no time to relax. The Dire Wolf King's cunning had already taught them a lesson, and they had to give it everything they had to prevent any surprises.
When the Dire Wolf King saw its companions wiped out, it roared again and leaped high into the air.
It wasn't stupid enough to repeat a mistake. It leaped because it needed to jump before it could unleash Earth Spike Burst.
But a golden gleam lit up in Unit Zero's eyes, and the Dire Wolf King was met by another bolt of Chain Lightning.
Weak Point Break, Critical hit -3934
As far as the others could tell, it had simply gotten unlucky.
Chain Lightning landed a critical hit and struck its abdominal weak point.
The damage was nearly 4,000, leaving the Dire Wolf King on the verge of death. Wang Qianduo followed up with another combo and brought it down to a sliver of HP.
Song in the Clouds and the others had been watching the fight closely. Seeing its HP was low, they unleashed their attacks and emptied the last of it.
Before you continue