Forge Contest (Third Update)

"Boss, what happened?" Wu Chaojie, the square warrior, exclaimed in the public channel.

"No one assisted... Was he killed in a one-on-one fight?" Zheng Bing asked in a panic.

Qiao Rui sighed and shook her head. There was something she kept to herself.

Why am I so stubborn? This round is going to be tough again.

Ouyang Heng was oblivious to his teammates' astonishment. He was currently in Ghost form, waiting to be resurrected in one minute at the Life Altar in the Main Base, a situation commonly known as "reflecting on one's mistakes."

"Damn it... Why did that shot do so much damage? Why did I get one-shotted even when I was at full health and had a shield? Could it be... that I really can't beat him?"

Ouyang Heng's confidence had a small crack.

At this moment, the public channel of the blue Jinghai University Team, was filled with jubilation.

"Well done, Captain! You took down Ouyang Heng again, this time in a pure one-on-one fight. Those who were criticizing you have nothing to say now." Feng Zi'ang shouted "666" with all his might.

Xiang Hui said quietly, "In the last match, I always felt like we were the ones who dragged the team down, but we still managed to win... So I'm not surprised at all that Lao Bai was able to take down Ouyang Heng in a one-on-one fight."

"But Ouyang Heng has a naval combat buff! Isn't he Navy Marshal ... oh no, Tidal Giant Fighter, known as invincible in naval combat!" Feng Zi'ang exclaimed.

"Alright, everyone sit down. Basic operation." Bai Xiaowen smiled. He had successfully captured the Gold Mine flag, and the blue flag fluttered above the Gold Mine.

Prior to this, the other four resource buildings had also been assigned owners: the stables and foundry near Jinghai University (blue team) belonged to Jinghai University, while the mill and research institute near Yanda University (red team) belonged to Yanda University.

"The first objective has been achieved. Next, we need to ensure the Gold Mine is in our hands. For the remaining four resource buildings, maintaining a 2-2 capture rate is sufficient. With other resources evenly matched, and considering the extra 2 resources from the Gold Mine, we can win this game in about 80 minutes."

Everyone agreed with Bai Xiaowen's analysis.

"What should we do on this journey?" Li Shuyi asked from the Beast Pen island on the western route. "Should we go to the Gold Mine to meet up with you? Or should we head south to attack the Mill?"

"You three stay where you are and don't move," Bai Xiaowen said. "The squad that occupied the Mill will definitely head in your direction. The three of you lack ranged attack capabilities, so just stay on the island and fight them on land... If they don't land and start long-range bombardment, Shu Yi will activate the backup plan."

According to Bai Xiaowen's deduction, the opponent should be in a 2-1-2 formation, with two people on the west side. Two people against three on Bai Xiaowen's side, even if Yanda University's overall strength is stronger, Bai Xiaowen's side will not collapse easily.

However, the Forge island where Xiang Hui is located needs extra attention. In naval terrain, Xiang Hui's Thunderforged Grappling Hook Gun is ineffective, and the Forge he is guarding is of paramount importance.

Bai Xiaowen immediately decided to take a boat to support the Forge.

"What about the Gold Mine? It's a building that generates two resources per minute. It would be a shame if it got stolen," Xiang Hui said.

"No, don't worry."

Bai Xiaowen raised his hand and summoned the Vampire Kitz.

"You stay here and guard this flag. If anyone tries to take it, you interrupt them... Just one attack is enough. If they retaliate, you can use your Bat Transformation ability to avoid the fight," Bai Xiaowen said.

Kitz trembled. "Boss, can I... manage on my own?"

"Okay, I'll leave Fatty here too," Bai Xiaowen patted Fatty's thick waist. "With him providing cover, you can rest assured... As long as I can hold out for one minute, I'll definitely get there."

Fatty muttered something.

"Fatty, listen to Kitz. Do whatever he tells you to do, just like you would obey my orders," Bai Xiaowen commanded.

Kitz possesses full intelligence and can move freely even when far away from Bai Xiaowen. Other similar beings include Zombie Doctor and Rageclaw. Of course, Rageclaw's intelligence is not as high as the former two.

However, summoned creatures without full intelligence, such as Shadow Assassin or Skeleton Sword-and-Shield Soldier, cannot be summoned. They must be within Bai Xiaowen's Divine Might range to act, and will be automatically recalled if they leave.

After the mutation, Fatty developed a basic sense of self, but his intelligence level was still very low, equivalent to that of a three- or four-year-old child. Of course, the advantage was that he didn't have the bad temper of a child.

Once away from Bai Xiaowen's mental influence, Fatty won't be automatically recalled, but its mobility will be very poor, requiring someone to give it commands.

The idea of having the Butcher and Kitz act together was a concept that Bai Xiaowen came up with after careful consideration for the Resource Raid Mode. In the Resource Raid Mode, having an extra unit that can move freely is very important.

While the Butcher and Kitz, as summoned creatures, cannot capture the flag themselves, they can disrupt the opponent's flag-capturing efforts. Entering combat within the 15 seconds the opponent is capturing the flag will interrupt their capture, which is a reasonable use of the rules.

Kitz asked cautiously, "Boss, will it really listen to me? If it goes berserk, I might not be able to beat it."

"Don't worry." Bai Xiaowen gave the Butcher some instructions, and the Butcher's small eyes flashed with confusion as he mumbled a few words in response.

Bai Xiaowen left the uneasy Kitz behind, boarded a small boat, and headed straight for the Forge.

The Beast Pen increase movement speed outside of combat, and this effect also applies to boat speed in naval terrain. The Skeleton Sword-and-Shield Soldier's rowing motion remains unchanged, but their speed is significantly increased, and the small boat propels itself forward like an arrow.

Soon, news of Xiang Hui came through the public channel.

"Two people are coming from the other side."

"As expected, it's a 2-1-2 split. Who's on the lane?"

"That square, and the Snipe... damn it." Xiang Hui started to say, but suddenly let out a muffled groan and cursed, clearly in pain and injured.

"I'll be there soon, just hold on a little longer," Bai Xiaowen said in a deep voice.

Xie Yixin lay prone at the bow of the boat, squinting one eye as she slowly adjusted her angle, aiming at Xiang Hui who was fighting.

Bang!

Another bullet, exceeding the speed of sound, shot through the air. Although Xiang Hui had anticipated the danger and moved aside, Wu Chaojie slowed him down, and he was shot in the arm again, losing more than half of his Life Value.

Wu Chaojie muttered under his breath, "Show off, keep showing off! You guys are so arrogant, aren't you? I'll show you what a real CUAA ace tank is..."

Xiang Hui's two sword strikes landed on Wu Chaojie, but only left two white marks on the opponent's heavy armor, dealing only single-digit damage—not even as fast as the health regeneration! Without inflicting any significant damage, the bleeding effect was not triggered.

Assassins are at a disadvantage against heavily armored warriors, let alone when there's a Snipe taking sniper shots from the sidelines.