Elite Squad
The scarlet warning sound echoed briefly within Moonview Valley.
The aroma of roasted meat that had just lingered around the shed was instantly dispelled by the chilling aura of killing intent. The brief respite was abruptly interrupted, and the tranquility of the entire valley was utterly shattered by the sudden invasion.
The only Crossbow Tower guarding the center of the valley was instantly activated.
There was no overwhelming rain of arrows, only the precise sound of the mechanical structure meshing, cocking, and locking at high speed. The jet-black crossbow bolts were fired in rapid succession, cutting through the wind, each shot precisely locking onto the Green Demon that had entered the light field. The rhythm was steady, the force fierce, and it continuously suppressed the advancing enemy horde.
Combat readiness was activated simultaneously within the valley.
The Heavy Anvil Assault Mech's fuselage was taut, its metal frame trembling slightly, brimming with charging potential energy, ready to crush the advancing enemy horde at any moment. The Mech-Driven Butler stood guard on the flank, its posture steady, maintaining Global Region vigilance, monitoring the movements of all intruders, and firmly guarding the blind spots of the valley's defense line.
Lu Heng rushed out of the shed, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. He immediately raised his hand to stop the two machines from launching their attack.
The buzzing of the engine suddenly fell silent.
He remained calm.
There's no need to engage in close-quarters combat right at the start.
The terrain of Moonview Valley is narrow and the defense line is concentrated. The best tactic is to use a single Crossbow Tower to continuously wear down the enemy from a distance, while the Bloodthirsty Vine finishes them off at close range. First, wear down the enemy's combat strength and figure out their tactics, then send in two mechs to clear the field. This steady and methodical approach avoids any unnecessary losses.
Single crossbow bolts pierced the air and struck the Green Demon's body at the forefront.
Lu Heng noticed the difference at a glance.
This team of over twenty Green Demon was on a completely different level from the vanguard squad he had wiped out during the day.
During the day, the Green Demon is completely insane, acting irrationally, self-harming, and recklessly relying on brute force.
But this group of mutants before us clearly had a structured pattern.
They no longer ran wildly in disarray; most of them held standardized, rudimentary weapons, including sharp knives made from animal bones and short blades pieced together from rubble. Although their movements were still ferocious, they subtly revealed a sense of teamwork.
Most importantly, they have exceptionally strong vitality.
Pierced through the shoulder blade and chest by crossbow bolts, with large wounds bursting open, it still didn't collapse. Dragging its heavily wounded body, it continued to roar and charge forward, its ferocity undiminished, its resilience to injury far exceeding that of ordinary wilderness creatures.
The Bloodthirsty Vine lurking in the crevices of the rock wall simultaneously activated.
Dark red vines sprouted and slithered rapidly along the cracks in the rocks, precisely entangling the Green Demon who had been shot but not killed and were charging forward with broken bodies. The sharp thorns of the vines pierced through flesh and took root in the bodies, frantically sucking the blood energy from the Other Plane.
The Green Demon, which had been struggling fiercely, quickly withered and stiffened, its life force completely drained within seconds. It collapsed to the ground and was silently finished off by the Bloodthirsty Vine.
With ranged suppression and vine harvesting, the valley defense line remained as solid as a rock.
Lu Heng steadily stepped forward, closing the observation distance and meticulously examining the details of the entire intrusion team.
My gaze swept over the front row of miscellaneous soldiers; these were the most numerous ordinary Green Demon of the Black Iron Tier, serving as cannon fodder in the charge. Behind them was an elite squad of several, belonging to the Bronze Tier.
These Bronze Tier Green Demon wielded heavy bone shields, the rough and thick surfaces of which were pieced together from bones, and stood firmly in front of the formation. They worked in pairs, sideways to block and defend against the Crossbow Tower ' firing rhythm.
The moment the crossbow bolts pierce the air, a thin, dark-colored energy film instantly rises to the surface of the bone shield.
The dark energy diffused, effectively neutralizing most of the impact force of the crossbow bolts.
When an arrow hits a shield, it no longer pierces and explodes directly, but instead vibrates violently, deviates from its trajectory, and is forcefully blocked.
Lu Heng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Energy defense.
This is an ability that even Black Iron Tier Green Demon would never possess.
However, this energy layer is extremely thin and has limited endurance, so it cannot withstand continuous suppression.
The next crossbow bolt followed immediately, landing precisely on the same spot, repeatedly striking the same part of the shield.
Click--
The dark energy membrane shattered and disintegrated instantly.
The sturdy bone shield was pierced directly by the crossbow bolt. The arrow penetrated the shield and stabbed into the chest of the shield-wielding Green Demon, pinning him back several steps.
Even with energy-assisted defense, Bronze Tier Green Demon couldn't withstand the relentless barrage of Crossbow Tower fire.
Lu Heng's gaze passed over the Bronze shield soldier squad and landed on the tall figure in the very center of the group.
The monster was almost as tall as a person, and its size was a whole size larger than the other Green Demon. Its thick limbs were covered with solid muscles, and beneath its bluish-gray skin, blood slowly surged.
Lu Heng raised his left wrist, pointed the Wristband at the target, and a light blue screen displayed the scan results.
[Big Goblin | Rank: Silver]
Brief Introduction: A top member of the Green Demon faction, with an even more ferocious and ruthless nature, capable of mobilizing and utilizing a portion of his blood energy in combat.
Lu Heng stared at the words on the screen, his heart sinking.
Silver Tier elite.
It is fundamentally different from the Black Iron and Bronze levels. It is no longer a passive tank that takes the hits, but can actively activate its blood energy to release energy attacks, transforming from being "consumed" to being "able to counterattack".
He suppressed the urge to immediately engage in close combat.
We can't rush in and fight head-on. We should first wear down the enemy from a distance, and continue to probe with the Crossbow Tower to observe the way this Silver Big Goblin attacks, and figure out the power and interval of its blood attack.
Lu Heng raised his hand, signaling the Heavy Anvil Assault Mech and the Mech-Driven Butler to remain in place and not to initiate combat.
On the battlefield, the Silver Tier Big Goblin let out a deep roar, its blood aura growing increasingly intense. Gripping its giant axe forged from ore and beast bones, it slowly stepped forward, no longer merely directing its subordinates to charge forward, but preparing to personally break through the defenses of Moonview Valley.
The wind in the valley suddenly tightened, and the Crossbow Tower's mechanism snapped into action, ready to fire the next bolt.
The Big Goblin didn't wait for the crossbow bolt to be fired.
It took a sudden step forward, its thick feet slamming into the ground. Beneath its bluish-gray hide, its blood surged violently. A dark red energy erupted from its body, flowing down its arm and into the giant axe.
On the axe blade, blood energy condensed into a dark red arc of light, which remained solidified and did not dissipate.
The next instant, it swung its giant axe and slammed it down towards the base of the Crossbow Tower.
A dark red arc of light detached from the axe blade, slicing through the air in the valley, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression as it hurtled towards the Crossbow Tower.
Lu Heng's pupils contracted slightly.
Remote attack.
This was different from what he had expected. He originally thought that the Silver Tier was only stronger in close combat, but he didn't expect it to be able to release its blood energy and form a substantial energy strike.
The Crossbow Tower didn't have time to adjust its firing angle.
The crimson arc of light struck the base of the Crossbow Tower with a deafening roar, causing the entire Crossbow Tower to tremble violently and a deep crack to appear at its base.
The Crossbow Tower's firing rhythm was disrupted.
Without hesitation, Lu Heng immediately ordered the Heavy Anvil Assault Mech to advance and block in front of the Crossbow Tower, using their metal fuselages to withstand the next wave of attacks. At the same time, the Mech-Driven Butler flanked the Big Goblin, looking for openings on their flanks and rear.
The Big Goblin, having landed a successful attack, did not pursue the Crossbow Tower. Its murky eyes peered over the Heavy Anvil Assault Mech's metal body and precisely locked onto Lu Heng, who was standing behind it.
It recognized it.
This unarmored human, wielding a sharp blade, is the true core of this valley.
It let out a low roar, and raised its giant axe once more, blood energy frantically gathering on the blade. This time, it wasn't aiming at the Crossbow Tower, but at Lu Heng himself.
Lu Heng gripped the Insect Armor Sword tightly in his palm, and Blood Armor quietly appeared on his body.
He stopped retreating.
With the Crossbow Tower pinned down and the mech needing time to reposition itself, the effectiveness of the Bloodthirsty Vine on Silver Tier targets remains unknown. Ultimately, this battle will fall on his own shoulders.
A crimson arc of light tore through the air once more, hurtling straight towards them.
Lu Heng dodged to the side, a faint light shimmering on his Blood Armor armor as he withstood the aftershock of the arcing light. The impact made his arm numb, and the ground beneath his feet cracked with spiderweb-like fissures.
Using the momentum from his dodge, he sprang up, his Insect Armor Sword aimed Big Goblin's throat.
The real battle is only just beginning.