18: Chapter 18 New Unit: Tank-Style Minotaur

Xu Qin became more excited the more he thought about it.

The hidden racial advantage of the Undead Race.

It wasn't just simple numerical suppression.

It was psychological warfare.

Using the faces the enemy was most familiar with, the War Cry they knew best, to turn into their most terrifying nightmare.

"Good!"

Xu Qin put away his thoughts and looked at the remnants of the outpost's buildings.

"Same old rules, tear it all down."

The Skeleton Warthog and Undead Sand Jackal swarmed forward.

The low walls were pushed over, the shacks dismantled, the campfires razed, and even the foundation stones were dug up.

Five minutes later, the outpost was razed to the ground.

[Demolition Recovery: Mud Brick × 165, Wood × 88, Stone × 110, Hide Tent × 10, Campfire Stone × 25]

Xu Qin collected the last mud brick into his inventory.

"Next."

The army set off.

...

The third outpost.

A Sand Jackal village.

The scale was slightly larger, with sixty-one red dots.

Xu Qin didn't even have to dismount from the pig.

"Charge."

Four minutes later, it was completely annihilated.

Zero casualties, S-rank rating.

The fourth outpost.

Still Sand Jackals.

Forty-seven of them.

"Charge."

Two and a half minutes later, completely annihilated.

Zero casualties, S-rank rating.

The fifth outpost.

Xu Qin had assumed it would still be Sand Jackals.

However, in the vision transmitted back by the Skeleton Vulture, a new creature appeared.

Its build was a head shorter than a Sand Jackal, but much sturdier. Gray-green skin, short and thick limbs, and holding a stone hammer in its hand.

Two short horns on its head.

[Sand Minotaur]

Level: 4

Attack Power: 20 (Physical - Heavy Strike)

Defense: 9

Health Points: 65/65

Trait: Tough Physique: When Health Points are below 30%, Defense is doubled.

Xu Qin raised an eyebrow.

Defense 9, Health 65.

Much tougher than a Sand Jackal.

And it even has a passive... Defense doubles when Health is below 30%.

Meaning, when at low health, its Defense becomes 18.

Interesting.

But that's all.

Xu Qin counted the red dots.

Fifty-five ordinary Minotaurs, two large red dots.

He clicked on the information for the large red dots.

[Sand Minotaur Chieftain]

Level: 6

Attack Power: 30 (Physical - Heavy Strike)

Defense: 13

Health Points: 120/120

Trait:

Tough Physique: When Health Points are below 30%, Defense is doubled.

War Cry Inspiration: Increases the Defense of surrounding kin by +3, lasting 10 seconds. Cooldown 20 seconds.

Two Chieftains.

A defensive race.

Xu Qin thought for a moment and slightly adjusted his tactics this time.

"Undead Sand Jackals go first, focus fire on single targets. Three or more surrounding one will trigger Pack Hunt."

"Leaders, activate War Cry, suppress and increase attack."

"Skeleton Sand Snakes, use Poison Mist to slow them down, don't let them group up."

"Skeleton Sand Scorpions, focus specifically on the low-health ones. Defense doubles at low health? Then use poison. Poison damage ignores Defense."

Xu Qin waved his hand.

"Attack!"

Rumble!

The army surged out.

This time, the fear effect of racial suppression was gone.

Minotaurs wouldn't be afraid when seeing Undead Sand Jackals because they weren't the same race.

But that didn't matter.

Six hundred against fifty-seven.

Quantity was the greatest form of suppression.

The moment the Undead Sand Jackals charged into the outpost, the six leaders simultaneously used War Cry.

The entire army's Attack Power +3.

The Minotaur Chieftains were howling too.

War Cry Inspiration, everyone's Defense +3.

Defense went from 9 to 12.

But the Undead Sand Jackals had a total Attack Power of 31, minus the Minotaurs' 12 points of Defense.

A single claw could still deal 19 points of damage.

The Minotaurs only had 65 Health Points.

It only took four claws to kill one.

And what about the Minotaurs' counterattack?

Attack Power 20, minus the Undead Sand Jackals' Defense of 13.

One hammer strike dealt 7 points of damage.

The Undead Sand Jackals had 55 Health Points.

It would take eight hits to kill one.

But it wouldn't last eight hits.

Because three Undead Sand Jackals were surrounding and hacking at it, it was gone in a few claws.

It was still a slaughter.

The only trouble was those two Chieftains.

Health 120, Defense 13. After reaching low health, Defense became 26.

Xu Qin watched the two Chieftains surrounded by Undead Sand Jackals, their health bars steadily dropping.

120... 90... 60... 40...

36.

30%.

Defense doubled.

26.

The Undead Sand Jackals' attack of 31 minus 26, left only 5 points of damage per claw.

The speed slowed down.

But Xu Qin had been prepared long ago.

"Sand Scorpions, go."

Four Skeleton Sand Scorpions burrowed out of the sand from the side.

Poison Tail Sting!

-8! -8! -8! -8!

Poison damage, ignores Defense.

The Chieftain's health bar continued to drop.

36... 28... 20... 12...

The Skeleton Sand Snake added a puff of Poison Mist.

-6!

The Chieftain fell to the ground.

The other Chieftain's fate was exactly the same.

It only took five minutes from start to finish.

The battle casualty report popped up.

Undead Sand Jackal × 2 (crushed by the Chieftain's stone hammer), Skeleton Warthog × 1 (beaten by three Minotaurs while charging).

Total casualties were 3.

Xu Qin nodded.

Not bad, barely acceptable.

Ding!

[Battle Victory!]

[Calculating loot...]

[Targets Killed: Sand Minotaur Level 4 × 55, Sand Minotaur Chieftain Level 6 × 2]

[Basic Drops:]

Minotaur Skeleton × 55

Minotaur Chieftain Skeleton × 2

Soul Energy + 920

Stone Hammer × 55

Thick Hide × 110

Meat × 275

Minotaur Chieftain War Hammer (Green · Fine) × 2

Mud Brick × 70

Wood × 40

Stone × 65

[Talent "War Gift Level 5" triggered!]

[All loot quantities × 6!]

[Final Gains:]

Minotaur Skeleton × 330

Minotaur Chieftain Skeleton × 12

Soul Energy + 5520

Stone Hammer × 330

Thick Hide × 660

Meat × 1650

Minotaur Chieftain War Hammer (Green · Fine) × 12

Mud Brick × 420

Wood × 240

Stone × 390

[Battle Rating: A (Large-scale annihilation battle, enemy forces completely annihilated, casualty rate < 1%)]

[Experience Points full! Lord Level increased!]

[Level 16 → Level 17!]

[Attribute Increase: Attack Power + 2, Defense + 1, Health Points + 10]

[Talent Upgrade Progress: 41/500]

Xu Qin looked at the number of 330 Minotaur skeletons and licked his lips.

"New unit."

"Defensive-style meat shield."

"Once I convert them all and combine them with the Sand Jackals' burst damage..."

Front row tanks damage, back row tears through with output.

Simply perfect complementarity.

"Tear it down!"

The outpost was razed to the ground.

The army continued to advance.

...

Three and a half hours later.

Xu Qin led the army back to the territory.

He couldn't remember how many outposts he had breached.

Anyway, all the ones marked on the map had been cleared.

Not a single one left.

Xu Qin

Level: 18 (156/1800)

Attack Power: 44 (+8) (Physical - Piercing)

Defense: 20

Health Points: 200/200

Talent: War Gift Level 6

Effect: During battle settlement, all loot acquisition quantities × 7

Upgrade Progress: 12/1000

Talent upgraded to Level 6.

Seven times settlement.

Xu Qin rode on the back of the pig, sporting heavy dark circles under his eyes, but he was so excited he felt no sleepiness at all.

The army marched imposingly through the Novice Protection Light Shield.

Just as they entered the territory, three prompts popped up simultaneously.

Ding!

[Level 3 Crypt upgrade complete! Renamed to: Level 3 Graveyard]

Ding!

[bone vault has upgraded to Level 2! Storage limit comprehensively increased!]

Ding!

[soul hall has upgraded to Level 2! Soul Energy production increased to 50 points per hour!]