The group advanced southward along the narrow trail between the swamps. The surroundings gradually became darker. It was already evening, and few players were around, making the path feel rather desolate.
A few minutes later, Nie Yan and his team arrived at the entrance of a swamp area. Beside the path stood two tall watchtowers, each guarded by an NPC hunter armed with a bow.
“This area ahead is the habitat of Manticore Beasts. It’s off-limits. You should return now,” one of the NPC hunters blocked Nie Yan’s way and said.
“We are adventurers heading to Ogmath. We seek the eye of the Manticore King to heal the injury of Village Chief Monta,” Nie Yan replied according to the mission dialogue.
“Oh, I see. Honored heroes, Manticore Beasts are dangerous creatures. Please bring antidote potions for paralysis. We wish you a safe journey,” the two hunters stepped aside and said.
Nie Yan stepped into the instance dungeon.
The temperature dropped sharply. The air was cold and damp, filled with the stench of blood and decay. Animal bones were scattered everywhere.
In the vast, gloomy marshes, the smell of rotting corpses lingered.
Soon, a Manticore nest came into view. Manticore Beasts were social creatures, often hunting in groups of ten or even dozens. They raised their young together. Usually, only one male Manticore leader resided in a nest, with the rest being regular female Manticores. These creatures were covered in brown fur, had sharp claws and teeth like lions, and possessed scorpion-like tails with venomous stingers. If struck by a Manticore’s tail, one would suffer continuous damage per second and a chance of paralysis. Without antidote potions, one might even be paralyzed to death.
Normally, as long as the team’s tank used antidote potions properly, there shouldn’t be any major issues.
“How many Manticores are over there?”
“I scouted a bit. There are about fifteen or sixteen,” Nie Yan replied. He usually took the lead in scouting for the team.
“Fifteen or sixteen? Good Lord.”
“In the easy and normal difficulties, we’ve only encountered groups of five or six at most.”
The team members exchanged uneasy glances. Manticores had high health, especially the leader-class ones. Previously, when they encountered groups of five or six Manticores, they often barely survived, nearly getting wiped out with just one mistake.
Now, there were a full fifteen or sixteen Manticores in this nest! Even with a 10% boost in stats, they couldn’t possibly fight so many at once.
Nie Yan used his Super Insight ability to check the stats of the Manticore leader and the regular Manticores.
Male Manticore Leader: Level 3 Leader, HP 1830/1830.
Female Manticore: Level 3, HP 620/620.
Since this was an expert-level instance, even regular monsters had significantly increased HP and defense. If all fifteen or sixteen Manticores charged at once, they would definitely be wiped out.
“These Manticores seem to act together. Do you have any good ideas?” Ban Xing De Hu (Half-Awake Fox) turned to Nie Yan. He admitted that Nie Yan’s skill in aggroing monsters with three consecutive crossbow shots was impressive, but that technique wouldn’t work against these Manticores.
The Manticores’ alertness was far beyond that of treants.
“If it were up to you, how would you deal with these Manticores?” Nie Yan asked Ban Xing De Hu in turn.
Ban Xing De Hu frowned slightly. He didn’t want to appear weak in front of Nie Yan. After a moment’s thought, he replied, “I do have a plan.”
Even Ban Xing De Hu had a way to deal with so many Manticores working together? He must have underestimated him a little earlier.
“Oh? What method will you use to eliminate them? Why don’t you take command first? You can assign me any task you want,” Nie Yan said, stepping aside. He wanted to establish his authority within the team. If someone in the team didn’t respect him, it would be hard to coordinate effectively, let alone face the Manticore King.
If Ban Xing De Hu couldn’t figure out how to clear the Manticore nest, Nie Yan would step in and prove himself with actions. At that point, the team members would naturally accept him. Since Ban Xing De Hu claimed to have a plan, Nie Yan was happy to take a back seat.
“Alright,” Ban Xing De Hu thought for a moment, then began mobilizing the players and arranging formations. Dealing with fifteen or sixteen Manticores made him a bit nervous. He looked at Nie Yan and said, “My people aren’t as skilled as you. Could you please go and draw the Manticores over?”
Nie Yan examined Ban Xing De Hu’s formation. Using nearby rocks and bushes as obstacles, the melee fighters would hold their positions, the mages would occupy high ground, the priests would stay in concealed and safer spots, and the paladins would be ready to provide support.
Ban Xing De Hu was indeed skilled at arranging formations, maximizing the team’s offensive power.
“Are you sure this will work?” Nie Yan asked cautiously. If they fought head-on, they’d only face certain defeat unless Ban Xing De Hu had some special advantage. He was also curious to see what special techniques the elite team of the Holy Roman Empire might possess.
Ban Xing De Hu nodded seriously.
“Alright, I’ll go draw the aggro,” Nie Yan agreed. He ran toward the Manticores, crossbow in hand. He found a suitable position and fired several bolts. Two arrows hit distant bushes, while the last struck the nearest female Manticore.
Three Manticores immediately spotted Nie Yan and charged toward him. The other Manticores were initially drawn by the first two arrows but quickly realized they’d been tricked and joined the pursuit.
The first three Manticores were now significantly separated from the main group. This was the best Nie Yan could manage.
“Not bad,” Ban Xing De Hu praised Nie Yan without hesitation. Nie Yan’s speed, quick reflexes, and unique techniques were truly extraordinary.
Privately, Ban Xing De Hu considered whether he could recruit Nie Yan into his own team, offering him a position in the Holy Roman Empire. However, after interacting with Nie Yan, he sensed that Nie Yan wasn’t the type to follow someone else’s orders easily.
Nie Yan ran back, with three Manticores chasing closely behind.
“Kuang Tao (Furious Waves), block them!” Ban Xing De Hu issued the command. Kuang Tao Man Juan (Furious Surging Waves) was the Holy Roman Empire’s top shield warrior and the team’s main tank. In the past, he was also a well-known shield warrior, though his achievements were often overshadowed by Ban Xing De Hu. Ban Xing De Hu obtained the Chapter of Courage early on and later wore the legendary Garreth divine armor, reaching his peak. At that time, few players in the entire server could rival Ban Xing De Hu. Thus, many players overlooked the elite team behind him. However, without an exceptional team, how could someone like Ban Xing De Hu become so powerful?
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