51: Chapter 51 is just praising me for being a coward, isn't it?

What does an S-rank mean?

Naturally, it means [Miracle Treasure] has been triggered!

"Calm down, calm down."

Xu Qin forced himself to sit down and opened the map to re-examine the battlefield terrain.

Both sides of the rift were open sandy ground with no cover.

The guards were lying along the edge of the rift, no more than fifty meters away, which meant they were constantly enjoying the benefits of the nest defense passive.

"I have to lure them away from the edge of the rift."

Xu Qin stroked his chin.

"Or... don't lure them. Just stand fifty meters away and bombard them. If they come out to chase, they'll leave the passive range. If they don't come out, then I'll just wear them down slowly."

In any case, the undead don't have fatigue.

Fighting for ten minutes or an hour makes no difference to him.

"But if I want to finish the fight quickly and get an S-rating..."

Xu Qin instantly thought of a tactic.

"All troops, return to the city!"

The order was issued through the command panel.

The two armies stopped advancing and began to turn back.

At the same time, Xu Qin selected twenty Skeleton Vultures and thirty Sand Rats, issuing a second order.

"Go to the rift immediately. Vultures, scout from high altitude and mark the guards' patrol routes and attack ranges. Sand Rats, go underground and confirm if there are any ambushes or underground passages around the rift."

"I want a complete topographical map within a five-hundred-meter radius of the rift."

After the order was given, the twenty Skeleton Vultures and thirty Sand Rats dispersed and set off.

...

About half an hour later.

The two armies returned to the territory one after another.

Xu Qin stood in front of the Graveyard, hands on his hips, reviewing the Undead Army as they prepared for departure, full of confidence.

The total force was about nine thousand, and the four heroes stood at the front, looking spirited.

"Jackal Hunter, come here."

Jackal Hunter stepped forward.

Xu Qin took out the two pieces of equipment that had just been forged.

[Bone Erosion Armguards] and [Bone Erosion War Boots].

Swish!

The moment the equipment was equipped, a layer of gray bone patterns appeared on the outside of Jackal Hunter's skeleton.

[Bone Erosion Armor Set (3/3) · Set Effect Active:]

[2-piece effect: Attacks have a 15% chance to trigger "Bone Erosion", reducing the target's defense by 20% for 4 seconds.]

[3-piece effect: Physical attack power increased by an additional 15%, melee attacks gain 5% life steal.]

Jackal Hunter's panel refreshed.

Attack power jumped from 34 to 39.

"Not bad."

Xu Qin nodded and turned to face the army.

"All troops, move out. Target: Abyssal Rift."

The army set off in a grand procession.

Four Bone Transport Carts followed at the rear of the team, their cargo beds empty, waiting to be loaded.

On the regional map, dense blue dots were moving towards the northwest.

The twenty Skeleton Vultures and thirty Sand Rats had already arrived at the rift and completed the terrain reconnaissance.

The aggregated data was transmitted back.

Xu Qin opened it to view.

Within five hundred meters around the rift, the terrain was flat, with no ambushes and no underground passages.

Seven guards were scattered on both sides of the rift, spaced about fifteen meters apart, with an activity range not exceeding fifty meters from the edge of the rift.

"Hmm, this is doable."

The army's marching speed was not fast.

More than an hour later, the team arrived at a point one hundred and fifty meters outside the rift.

Xu Qin ordered the entire army to stop advancing via the command panel.

The Undead Army quickly formed up.

Man Niu and Jackal Hunter led two thousand nine hundred undead on the left, while Tian Ming and Blade Guard led three thousand five hundred undead on the right.

In the middle were over two thousand ranged units.

One thousand one hundred and thirty Skeleton Elf Archers stood in the front row, and eight hundred and forty Undead Dwarf Musketeers stood in the back row.

One hundred meters ahead, the rift was clearly visible.

Dark purple demonic energy surged, and seven giant Rift Guards lay by the edge of the rift, occasionally raising their heads to sniff the air.

Xu Qin was in no rush to order an attack.

He switched to the bird's-eye view of a Skeleton Vulture to re-confirm the terrain.

"No problem."

He turned off the shared vision and his gaze fell on the Sand Jackal phalanx.

"Fifteen Sand Jackals, approach the rift and lure the guard on the far right."

The order was given.

Fifteen Undead Sand Jackals ran out from the ranks and charged towards the rift.

They ran on all fours, extremely fast.

Fifty meters, thirty meters, ten meters.

When they were less than fifty meters from the edge of the rift, the guard on the far right suddenly raised its head.

[Abyssal Rift Guard · Level 25 (Elite · Rare)]

Its massive skull turned towards the Sand Jackals, and its nostrils puffed out two streams of dark purple demonic energy.

Roar!

A low roar came.

The guard stood up and began to charge towards the Sand Jackals.

"Retreat!"

Xu Qin's order was instantly conveyed.

The fifteen Sand Jackals turned and ran.

But the guard was faster, catching up to the last one in a few leaps.

Bang!

It slammed down with a claw.

-124!

The Sand Jackal shattered into bone fragments on the spot.

"Keep running, hold the aggro."

The remaining fourteen Sand Jackals continued to retreat, with the guard in hot pursuit.

After the distance reached seventy meters, the guard suddenly stopped and turned its head to look towards the rift.

"Want to go back?"

Xu Qin sneered.

"Number Two, go up and offer yourself as a sacrifice."

The Sand Jackal numbered Two suddenly accelerated, charging back towards the guard.

It jumped directly onto the guard's face, its two bone claws clawing fiercely at the guard's eye sockets.

-12!

The damage was negligible.

But this hit completely enraged the guard.

Roar!

The guard raised its front claw and flattened Number Two with a slap.

Then it continued to charge outward, chasing the remaining Sand Jackals.

Eighty meters, ninety meters, one hundred meters.

"That's enough, disperse."

The thirteen Sand Jackals dispersed instantly.

After the guard lost its target, it was clearly stunned.

But just at this moment.

Boom!

Man Niu stepped out from the left flank with heavy strides.

[Taunt Roar]!

"Moo!"

The roar sounded, and the guard's gaze immediately locked onto Man Niu.

It abandoned the Sand Jackals and turned to charge towards Man Niu.

The distance closed rapidly.

Twenty meters, ten meters, five meters.

"Man Niu, Stomp!"

At the same time.

[War Stomp]!

Rumble!

Man Niu stomped the ground fiercely, and the earth trembled.

The guard's massive body was sent flying, and it fell into a two-second stun upon landing.

"Tian Ming!"

The Great Lich flicked his nether robe and pointed his bone staff forward.

[Shadow Cage]!

Dark purple light condensed into a cage, locking the guard, which had just woken up, tightly in place.

"All ranged units, fire!"

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Soul energy arrows and soul energy projectiles poured down densely.

One thousand one hundred and thirty arrows and eight hundred and forty projectiles hit almost simultaneously.

-48! -51! -52! -46! -50! -49! ...

Rain-like damage numbers burst from above the guard's head.

A single volley caused its health bar to plummet by one-third.

At the same time, Tian Ming cast another [Wither].

The guard's defense was slashed from 55 down to 22.

"Second volley!"

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Another wave of arrow rain washed over the ground.

The guard's health bar hit the bottom.

Finally, Jackal Hunter rushed up and plunged his bone claws fiercely into the guard's skull.

-65!

The guard collapsed with a boom.

Ding!

[Combat Settlement]

Target slain: Abyssal Rift Guard (Level 25 · Elite · Rare) × 1

Talent [War Gift Level 10] triggered!

All loot quantity × 11!

Final rewards:

Abyssal Guard Bone × 11

Soul Energy × 33000

elite soul core × 22

Abyssal Bone Seed × 11

Dark Erosion Crystal × 55

Combat Rating: A (Overwhelming advantage, steady and calculated, strategic planning, perfect tactical execution, extremely low casualties)

Leveling progress: 65/6000

After reading the evaluation, Xu Qin curled his lip.

"Tch, they say it so nicely, but isn't that just calling me a coward?"

He didn't care at all.

Are you kidding? Fighting a Level 25 Elite Rare for the first time, and I should just rush in without figuring out the mechanics?

What's the difference between that and seeking death?

Sure enough.

Less than five minutes after the battle ended.

Heavy footsteps came from deep within the rift.

A new guard crawled out of the rift to fill the vacancy.

"Just as I thought."

Xu Qin stroked his chin.

"It's not that there are only 7 elites left, but that it only wanted you to see that there are 7 elites."

"Since that's the case... this time, I'll lure two."