Hero Appears!

"Wait, doesn't this guy look a little different from everyone else?"

Unlike the Gargoyle of the Bell Tower, Galio has a more human-like appearance and a more robust physique, with a ferocious-looking head.

When the Starfire Knight saw Galio's appearance, which was somewhat different from the other Gargoyle but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was different, they were momentarily at a loss for words to describe their feelings.

After all, they're all Gargoyle; they're all made of stone, so the appearance is ultimately a test of the sculptor's skill.

However, the art style is such a subtle personal feeling that it's really hard to describe.

But there was one feeling they could describe: a premonition that something terrible was about to happen!

This scene seems somewhat familiar.

That is, whenever they think they have finally grasped some of the rules of the Zane Dungeon and intend to use those rules in turn, it may indeed work for a period of time, but once something goes wrong, then something terrible will suddenly happen at that moment!

The Gargoyle before them, which looked exceptionally strong and powerful, was the most obvious change in the Starfire Knight's perception!

As a group—no, a team—that could deduce dozens of possible ways a boss might appear from an open area, the Starfire Knight were already contemplating how they would all die when they saw Galio.

Their desire to fight has diminished, because they feel that no matter what, they will suffer a setback due to the factors caused by this unexpected turn of events.

Their efforts will likely become a laughing stock in the Zane Dungeon, if that dungeon truly has a mind capable of mocking people.

This is probably the difference between the Starfire Knight and Strategy Team like Leon Lu Lu Wo.

The former, because he knows the Zane Dungeon too well, tends to imagine all sorts of things when something unexpected happens, which affects his emotions. The latter, also because he knows the Zane Dungeon too well, thinks about whether he can make things easier when something unexpected happens.

"I knew you would do this."

Hervey immediately unleashed a high-level spell, [Mass Hysteria], and in an instant, the people who had just been showing signs of wanting to give up suddenly became excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

"When will you all stop having such wild thoughts and start improving your strength? Damn it, isn't there any magic that can motivate you to be more proactive?"

Hervey, rubbing his forehead and sighing as if in pain, looked at Galio and waved his hand, giving a command:

"You guys deal with the newly appeared Gargoyle, I'll quickly take care of the old one and then catch up with you!"

The division of labor was completed in an instant, and the Starfire Knight began to move, dashing off towards different destinations, seemingly intending to deploy their formations from different directions to surround Galio.

Lightning spears deal relatively little damage to stone-type enemies, but compared to fire, the explosive properties of lightning can still damage some more solid objects. Therefore, when facing Galio, Starfire Knight who did not have armor-piercing blunt weapons picked up lightning spears, and some even drew Lightning Arrow on the spot.

That said, didn't they all enter and complete the world of Sun Warrior's Painting World? Why didn't anyone use a reward like the [Splitting Lightning Spear]?

That's because they basically relied on Solaire to get through the dungeon, unlike Hervey who had a major battle beforehand. So their performance was naturally not considered outstanding by the standards of the Zane Dungeon. Giving them some souls and miscellaneous items was already considered a bonus.

Magic? Equipment? Those aren't things someone who hasn't even killed a dragon should get their hands on. No pain, no gain!

"It shouldn't take me long to solo kill the Gargoyle."

Hervey focused all his attention on the bell-guarding Gargoyle in front of him, while the Choking Dragon Fang behind him were fully extended, piercing the enemy's scales like a torrential rain!

The Gargoyle of the Bell Tower raised its heavy stone weapon high and fiercely swung it at the oncoming scales. Every scale that came into contact with its power, amplified several times over, shattered, much to Hervey's pain.

However, there were simply too many scales, and in the blink of an eye, the Gargoyle was submerged in the torrent.

Hervey raised his hand towards the Gargoyle, clenching his outstretched palm in a swift motion. At the same time, the Choking Dragon Fang also began to retract inward, unleashing a full-force attack that would leave the Gargoyle severely injured, if not dead.

However, the feel transmitted back from the Choking Dragon Fang seemed a little off.

"Return!"

Just as he issued the command, the Gargoyle's halberd suddenly pierced through the "iron ball" made of Dragon Scale, and many more scales shattered as it swung wildly. Fortunately, Hervey stopped in time, thus avoiding greater damage.

It was at this moment that he finally understood why the feel of his touch was off.

Because the Choking Dragon Fang's tooth didn't even hit the Gargoyle.

Instead, it deals all the damage to the opponent's shield!

A translucent magical shield covered the Gargoyle's entire body. How did this thing appear, and when? Gargoyle don't seem to know magic.

A thought flashed through Hervey's mind, and he turned to look at Galio, just in time to see that the other also had a shield similar to the Gargoyle's, and his was clearly thicker.

Okay, now we know where the shield comes from.

Before Hervey could react and shatter the shield, Galio's eyes suddenly emitted a powerful Shockwave. The Starfire Knight, who had just jumped in front of him, was violently blasted away. Judging from the degree of distortion of his body, the impact of the Shockwave must have been extremely strong.

Even the shield held by the Starfire Knight at the very front was cracked by the impact!

"They even have ranged attack capabilities?" Starfire Knight exclaimed in surprise. "The Gargoyle we know aren't like this!"

Those in the group who knew magic immediately replaced everyone's sturdy Magic Shield with Bubble Shield designed to withstand magical attacks. The latter were more flexible and less likely to break when faced with shockwave-type magical attacks, and they could also help the caster filter out a significant amount of damage.

This move was correct; it's a prime example of switching tactics in actual combat. However—

With a flap of his wings, Galio unleashed a powerful hurricane that instantly blew away the Starfire Knight who were encased in bubbles!

Moreover, the distance it was blown away was even farther than before, because the bubble was filled with air!

Hervey's face darkened instantly. He manipulated his scales to pop the bubbles and save everyone, but at that moment, the Gargoyle suddenly launched a sneak attack from behind, forcing him to consume more scales to defend against the attack.

Sensing the murderous aura coming from the side, Galio looked again and saw that his eyes were already poised to strike, and the next shockwave was about to hit.

He found himself in a predicament, attacked from both sides, simply because the mage in his team failed to anticipate that Galio's Blow would be incredibly effective against the Bubble Shield!

Fighting is like playing rock-paper-scissors; if you can't predict your opponent's next move, your initial advantage will vanish!

"I'll fly myself!"

In that instant, Hervey reacted, his legs exploding with power as he flew backward in the opposite direction from Galio. The shockwave followed him relentlessly, but its destructive power was greatly reduced due to the increased distance, allowing him to successfully conserve his scales.

But at the same time, the Gargoyle's halberd had already swung above his head, and his posture didn't look like he could dodge it.

Don't underestimate us!

The voices of the Starfire Knight rang out at that moment. They appeared behind Hervey without her noticing. Two of them supported Hervey as she flew backward, while the others worked together to steadily catch the Gargoyle's attack, even managing to make it stagger backward.

The knights, skilled in combat, would not let this excellent opportunity of the enemy being out of balance pass by; they grabbed their weapons and charged forward to subdue the Gargoyle.

Seeing this, Hervey finally smiled with relief, realizing that his men were quite reliable when they needed to be.

So, the opponents have switched places, and I'm going to fight that strange-looking Gargoyle next.

Where are the Gargoyle?

He was stunned, because only now did he suddenly realize that Galio had disappeared.

How could that be? Where did a giant Gargoyle like me go?

A huge shadow was then cast down from the sky.

Hervey's face darkened further; this situation seemed all too familiar.

The adventurers were at a disadvantage, but then they found a strategy and began to fight back. The monsters unleashed unprecedented skills and won a resounding victory!

So, is it going to be their turn to suffer a setback next?

"I will absolutely not let you succeed, Saine!"

Although they usually admired and respected the Zane Dungeon, at this moment the Starfire Knight had only one thought: they absolutely did not want to suffer such a simple defeat.

Without wasting even a moment to look up, Hervey directly commanded the countless Dragon Scales to combine and condense into a sturdy multi-layered shield in front of him. The Starfire Knight also used their best defensive techniques to deal with Galio's skill, the effects of which were unknown.

The shadow cast by the sky rapidly expanded, and a pressure as heavy as a falling meteorite crashed down on the group. At that moment, what reached their ears was Galio's deep, muffled voice:

"The Hero Appears!"

"Boom!"

"What a fruitful day, everyone, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, hahaha."

"I've really seen something amazing; I'll probably never forget this day."

"I really want to share this with everyone right away."

Laughter and giggles came from the portal in the Zane Dungeon. The portal flickered and a group of people wearing cloaks made of messy plants walked out, their muddy faces all beaming with smiles.

As soon as they emerged, their cheerful aura immediately infected those waiting near the portal, filling the air with joy.

"It's our Wild Forest Church members who came out first, hahaha!"

People from various churches were gathered near the portal. They were in the logistics department and were ready to check on the health of their respective church members and provide treatment as soon as they came out.

"Damn it, it's the Wild Forest Church!" The logistics officer from the Sparkfire Church gritted his teeth in indignation.

"A bet's a bet, here's the silver coin." The logistics officer of the Golden God Cult exhaled a breath of stale air, his face full of displeasure as he tossed a silver coin to the logistics officer of the Wild Forest Church. It seemed that these people had made another bet while they were waiting.

After receiving the money, the Wild Forest Church's logistics personnel excitedly rushed over to greet their team, offering words of comfort and concern.

"Now it's just the two of us competing." Spark Logistics looked at Golden Logistics, and a moment later, a group of soldiers wearing golden armor walked out triumphantly.

"What's going on? What are Hervey and the others doing?!" Spark Logistics scratched his head in frustration, his face filled with dejection.

"Snort."

The captain of the Wild Forest Church team noticed the commotion, a smirk playing on his lips as he snorted and asked the logistics officer beside him, "Where's my father?"

"His Holiness the bishop is handling affairs in the camp. Would you like to take a bath before seeing him?"

The logistics officer asked cautiously, for he knew this young master's temperament best.

The other party was the son of one of the high-ranking bishops of the Wild Forest Church. Although he was only the youngest son, he was favored and no one in the church dared to offend him, so he was raised to be the most arrogant.

"No need, thank you for your help. I'll just go find my dad. You can take the others to rest."

The young captain waved his hand and walked excitedly towards the church's camp, leaving the logistics officer standing there with an incredulous and bewildered expression.

". ah?"

What's going on? Why has my young master changed his personality?

I've never seen this guy so polite before; I've never heard him say thank you once!

"Could you please take us to bathe?" the Wild Forest Church members said to the logistics staff.

"This is trouble!?"

The polite wording only made the logistics department more confused, and he looked up at the sky with a somewhat blank expression.

It's late at night, and there are less than ten minutes left until the next day. That means the people who come out now will be able to enter the dungeon again in about ten minutes.

But that's not the point. The reason he looked up at the sky was:

Am I dreaming?

On the other side, the captain had already entered the camp and met his father, a middle-aged man whose hair and beard were dyed green, representing plants.

The Wild Forest Bishop immediately began to curse at his own child upon seeing him.

"What did you just send me a telepathic message, you unfilial son? You actually want to betray the sect? Has the Sparkfire Church Brain Control you? Just wait until today—"

"I'm sorry, Father. I was possessed by a demon just now, which is why I said those strange things."

The captain bowed deeply and apologized sincerely.

The bishop's voice stopped abruptly, and he looked as if he had seen a ghost.

What the heck? My youngest son, whom I deliberately spoiled to discipline my eldest, is so polite now!

Possessed by a monster? How come you're more polite than a human?

He couldn't understand it at all, and was about to start searching when he heard his son say:

"Father, we've found something amazing in the Zane Dungeon. It's of utmost importance, and we must go inside so you can see it for yourself."

"Oh?"

The bishop, initially puzzled by his son's strange behavior, was instantly drawn in by the "good stuff." He immediately became interested and said, "Take me inside quickly, I want to see it."

This act of prioritizing personal gain over one's own interests fully demonstrates what it means to be despicable.

The captain gave a sincere smile. "I guarantee it's something good."

About ten minutes later, it was past midnight, and the world ushered in a brand new day.

The bishop and the captain also eagerly stepped into the portal at that moment.

As soon as he entered, the bishop turned around and asked, "What exactly is this 'good thing' you're talking about—"

"Smack!"

As he turned around, a piece of paper was suddenly smeared on his face, interrupting his next words.

"What is this--"

Before he could even utter a complete sentence, a powerful attraction pulled his body in, and in the next second he was drawn into the painting!

This is Painting World themed around Sun Warrior!

"You'll understand me when you get out, you old fool. This is the best thing ever!"

The captain smiled with a look of paternal affection and filial piety.

On the other side, in the city lord's room.

Seeing this, Gong Qiying let out a helpless sigh.

"I'm still adjusting the intensity of the Hypnosis Magic, don't just dump anyone in here."