Chapter 87
Just as Gorehowl had predicted, several other orcs also leveled up by 1-2 levels.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind: could this high-intensity battle stimulate his body's potential and accelerate the absorption of Soul Stone?
Is this an ability unique to orc units, or is it possessed by all unit types?
Shen Xing was a little puzzled, so as usual he opened the forum and searched for some information, and sure enough he found relevant records.
In the Land of Mist, most flesh-and-blood units are not very popular with novice lords.
Because they need to eat and drink, and they will cry out in pain when they are beaten, and may even try to run away.
Compared to units like skeletons, undead, and machines, which require no logistics and unconditionally obey their lord's orders, the difference is significant.
But precisely because they are made of flesh and blood, these units possess hidden advantages that mechanical and skeleton units do not have.
One of these methods is to stimulate the body's potential through high-intensity combat, thereby accelerating the absorption of Soul Stone.
After reading the information on the forum, Shen Xing nodded in understanding.
"I see. Just like a person needs to replenish a lot of nutrients after strenuous exercise, soldiers who have experienced high-intensity combat also crave to absorb a large amount of energy."
"As expected, this game is quite balanced."
"Mechanical undead units do not require additional resources, but their growth potential is relatively limited."
"While flesh-and-blood units are troublesome, they have more hidden abilities and can occasionally bring the lord a little surprise."
Shen Xing nodded to himself, having learned another little piece of knowledge.
Chapter 71: Taking Stock of Troops, The Lord Attacks
"Gorehowl, you're quite good."
Shen Xing gave a compliment, then solemnly said, "Next, I'll promote you to Boss One Star."
This was something he had promised before.
Once Gorehowl reaches its maximum level, make him have the same Boss Rank potential as Hellscream.
"Thank you, boss! I can't wait!" Gorehowl gripped his long-handled axe, his expression excited.
Under his expectant gaze, Shen Xing opened the talent interface.
[Use 'Life-Sacrifice Evolution' to upgrade the territory orc 'Gorehowl' to Boss One Star ★?]
[Note: This evolution requires sacrificing 100 Agility.]
As Shen Xing clicked "confirm" without hesitation, a ball of red light fell upon the tall orc.
In the light, the excitement on Gorehowl's face vanished instantly, replaced by a mask of pain.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
A series of sounds of flesh being torn apart rang out.
Underneath the green skin, veins bulge and blood vessels protrude, as if the bones of the entire body are being reorganized.
Like Hellscream, he is enduring the pain of pushing his unit's limits.
But it only took a moment for Gorehowl to adjust.
You could even hear his excited roars.
"Roar! Again, again!"
"You think this little bit of pain can defeat me? Absolutely not!"
The guy shouted and yelled as he got up from the ground.
He let the wound tear open, and blood covered his entire body, making him look like a blood-soaked figure.
A moment later, a system notification flashed before my eyes.
[Evolution successful! Your territory unit 'Gorehowl' has successfully broken through its limits and has the potential to become Boss One Star ★!]
[This evolution grants a 30% increase to all attributes, and an additional 100 to Agility!]
[Profession: Wolf Rider → Wolf Rider General]
[Activate Empowerment: Bloodthirsty Instinct]
[Activate Skill: Blood Pursuit]
"Good heavens, another talent has been activated?!"
Shen Xing was amazed.
It's worth noting that even when Hellscream defeated the Boss One Star, he only activated two skills.
Including [Blood Ignition], Gorehowl now has two exclusive talents.
With a hint of anticipation, Shen Xing glanced at the two new abilities he had just activated.
[Bloodthirsty Instinct (Gorehowl's Exclusive Empowerment)]
[Talent Effect: As blood continues to be lost, Gorehowl will enter an excited state, greatly increasing its attack power and attack speed.]
The lower your health, the greater the boost, up to a maximum of 200%!
It can also sacrifice 30% of its own blood to put all orcs into a "Bloodthirsty Frenzy" state, increasing attack speed and movement speed by 30%, and giving all attacks a "life steal effect".
Duration: 50 seconds, Cooldown: 30 minutes
(Note: The power of blood is captivating!)
[Blood Pursuit]
[Skill Effect: Applies "Blood Mark" to a single enemy, increasing damage dealt to that enemy by 25% and pursuit speed by 50% for the next 30 seconds, and granting 100% lifesteal.]
Cooldown time: 5 minutes
[Additional effect: Gorehowl can track enemies over extremely long distances by remembering the scent of their blood.]
(Note: I smell... the smell of blood!)
"These two abilities... are so overpowered, I love them!"
Excitement flashed in Shen Xing's eyes.
[Blood Pursuit] significantly increases the burst damage of Gorehowl against single enemies and also adds a tracking function.
[Bloodthirsty Instinct] makes him stronger with each battle, and can even cause the overall combat power of the orcs to surge.
As Shen Xing analyzed the situation, he also thought of Hellscream's Empowerment [Spirit of the Horde], which seemed to be able to increase the level of all orcs by 1.
The combined talents of these two make even a newly recruited, low-level orc infantryman capable of fighting as well as some three-star units.
"According to what's said on the forum, such special beings that can activate unique talents and amplify the entire race, even just one of them can bring about a qualitative change in the combat power of a unit."
"But two were born in my territory, and both of them are from the same race."
"The odds of that are even more outrageous than winning the lottery in the middle of the night."
"Oh, I think I really did bump into something. It's alright now."
At this moment, Gorehowl, having completed its breakthrough, strode towards Shen Xing.
His physique has undergone a dramatic change.
Its height suddenly increased to two meters, and its skin changed from dark green to dark red, with thick blood vessels winding under its skin like earthworms.
The red lines between his eyebrows grew brighter and brighter, even evolving into the outline of a battle axe.
"Boss, I feel full of power!"
Gorehowl clenched his fist tightly, his eyes filled with Fervor and loyalty.
You're very good.
Shen Xing didn't hold back his praise, "Now go and get used to your new power."
"Yes, sir!"
Gorehowl nodded solemnly, then turned and left.
Next, Shen Xing checked his attribute panel.
[Wolf Rider General: Gorehowl]
[Level: 9]
[Potential: Boss One Star]
[Detailed attributes: Click to view]
"256 agility points, slightly less than Hellscream, but compared to other units of the same tier, it's already twice as strong," Shen Xing analyzed.
Moreover, Hellscream is a being that has fused with the Lesser Demon's Blood, so its base attributes are 30% higher than those of other units!
Shen Xing closed the attribute panel and waved to the bald orc sitting on the boulder in the distance.
"My lord, please give your orders!"
The tall, muscular Hellscream over and respectfully bowed his bald head.
Shen Xing nodded slightly and asked, "What's your opinion on Gorehowl?"
Hellscream glanced at the imposing Gorehowl in the distance and said in a low voice, "He's very strong."
"Very strong, what else?"
"His fighting talent is no less than mine."
A solemn expression appeared on Hellscream's face, followed by intense confidence. "However, I will surpass him and become the most powerful orc in history!"
Shen Xing laughed heartily, seemingly quite satisfied with his answer.
"Very good."
He took the Orc Totem from his backpack and tossed it over. "Catch this, let's see how far you can go."
Hellscream sensed the power contained within and was immediately jolted, disbelief appearing in his eyes.
Shen Xing said calmly, "Let's begin the breakthrough."
"Yes, my lord!"
Hellscream a deep breath, grabbed the breakthrough item, and turned to walk towards the boulder.
The breakthrough from the Tier One to the Tier Two is different from the potential advancement; it requires absorbing the power contained in the materials.