Help Me Take Down Hogger

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Games never had monster templates or boss templates before, which made the monsters really dumb. So why did Sky World design the game this way? Simple. It makes the game more challenging and competitive. If the game company organized an event, like a monster siege, how much effort would that take? And they might not even get the details right. But it's different if we monsters organize a siege ourselves. The company wouldn't have to lift a finger, but adventurer players would still get a challenge and a thrill. Wouldn't they be delighted?"

"In fact, the adventurer players themselves would probably be even happier. Think about it: when a monster siege happened in a game before, didn't everyone rush to log on?"

Hearing Xiao Yu's explanation, Derek and Black Rod both looked as though they'd realized he was right.

The three of them were deep in conversation, but Hogger the gnoll and Big Gold Tooth the kobold looked bewildered. Clearly, they couldn't quite follow such a sophisticated discussion. Big Gold Tooth was one thing; he was too timid to do anything but stand there blankly. Hogger, however, was getting unhappy.

Hogger (gnoll leader): "Hogger doesn't understand what you're saying. Hogger is very unhappy!" Hogger seemed unable to make sense of Xiao Yu's words and said angrily, "Hogger doesn't want to join. Hogger is leaving."

Seeing Hogger about to leave, Big Gold Tooth prepared to go too. He was clearly following the gnoll's lead. Xiao Yu grew anxious at once. If these two leave, this alliance meeting will be a complete bust. Players always chase benefits and avoid danger. If there aren't enough of us, Black Rod probably won't join either.

But before he could ask them to stay, Derek grew even more anxious than he was. He had put a lot of effort into upgrading to a rare elite, originally thinking he'd be able to strut around unchallenged. Instead, players had given him trouble at every turn. He struggled to beat even one player in a fight, and players usually traveled in groups. On top of that, rare elites dropped good equipment. As a result, his life hadn't improved since he advanced to rare elite; instead, he'd been farmed again and again. He'd already spent hundreds of yuan on resurrections alone, and it was sheer misery. Now that he'd heard there was a chance to upgrade to an elite template, how could he hold back? He clearly remembered Hogger slaughtering adventurers from all over. How imposing he had been!

He was also pretty shocked that the two monster leaders in front of him were players. It would be amazing to become the boss of a monster faction.

Seeing Hogger and Big Gold Tooth walk out of the tower, Derek had a sudden idea and said to Xiao Yu, "Help me take down Hogger and make me the gnoll leader, and I'll bring the gnolls over to join you."

Xiao Yu was impressed. This guy really knows how to seize an opportunity. But Hogger had a fearsome reputation, and Xiao Yu wasn't confident he could beat him one-on-one. Even with Derek's help, he couldn't do it. He glanced at Black Rod. "Brother Rod, what do you think?"

Black Rod suddenly drew the two daggers at his waist and examined them in the moonlight, wearing the miserable expression of a master lonely at the top. Then he abruptly turned his head and gave a cold smile. "Of course I have to be part of something this interesting. I'll join."

Come on, man, would it kill you to stop showing off? Xiao Yu rolled his eyes inwardly at Black Rod's theatrics, but his face lit up with surprise. "That couldn't be better. In that case, how about proving your loyalty first? Help us take down Hogger."

"No problem. You pull him in a minute, and I'll follow up."

Seeing that Black Rod had agreed too, Xiao Yu was brimming with confidence. "Good. Derek, come with me and invite Hogger back. I'll summon a fire elemental, and when you see my Flame Missiles, everyone attacks together."

"All right, it's a deal."

Xiao Yu hurried after Hogger with Derek. "Boss Hogger, wait! There's actually something else I need to tell you."

Hogger didn't turn around. Instead, he looked wary. "Hogger is very angry. Hogger doesn't want to listen to you."

"I have a treasure to give you."

"Treasure? Hogger likes treasure!" Hogger said, blinking his pair of vicious little eyes.

Sure enough, Hogger's a bit short on brains. All I had to do was mention treasure, and he fell for it. But I like that.

"Then please come back. The treasure is inside the tower." With that, Xiao Yu turned and went into the tower first.

Hogger followed him back into the tower with two gnoll guards. Big Gold Tooth had wanted to leave, but when he saw Hogger go back, he had no choice but to follow.

Back in the watchtower, Xiao Yu turned and glanced at the others. Seeing that everyone was ready, he gritted his teeth and prepared to pull.

Hogger looked around in confusion. "Where's the treasure you mentioned?"

"The treasure's right here. Look-"

Xiao Yu raised his staff and began casting Summon Fire Elemental.

A red magic circle appeared on the ground. Flames emerged from several runes and gradually gathered in the air, coalescing into a two-meter-tall fire elemental.

The fire elemental had a full two hundred health, was immune to fire spells, and took double damage from ice spells. It had two skills: Fire Bolt and Fire Nova.

Hogger took a frightened step back.

Hogger (gnoll leader): "This isn't treasure. This is a monster. Hogger doesn't like this monster."

Xiao Yu abruptly raised his staff and roared, "Now!" He lifted his hand and blasted Hogger with a string of Flame Missiles.

Bang, bang, bang! Boom, boom! Amid the explosions, numbers appeared: -6, -7, -8, -8, -7. The Flame Missiles took only thirty or forty health off Hogger. There was nothing Xiao Yu could do about it. Like him, Hogger had an elite template with 20% damage reduction, and his own resistances were high too.

Xiao Yu's Flame Missiles seemed to be a signal. In an instant, the three orc brothers behind him, Black Rod and his two bandits, and Derek all rushed forward. The fire elemental even blasted Hogger in the face with a Fire Bolt.

That round of concentrated fire took a full quarter off Hogger's 666 health, but Hogger immediately reacted.

"Hogger is very angry! Hogger is going to eat you!" he roared. "All of you, attack!"

The two gnoll guards behind him immediately roared and charged together, only to be stopped by the two human bandits under Black Rod. Big Gold Tooth and the several kobolds behind him didn't know what to do. He instinctively wanted to obey Hogger's orders, but he also hated Hogger. Besides, the timid kobold was a little afraid to fight the enemies in front of him. He finally worked up the courage, gritted his teeth, and raised a pickaxe to charge, but Derek suddenly charged and stopped him.

"All of you, get out of the way. This has nothing to do with you," Derek said fiercely.

These kobolds really were useless. Big Gold Tooth was a local leader, after all, yet even with four kobold underlings, he didn't dare advance against a single gnoll. All he could do was huddle there timidly with his underlings.