211: Chapter 211 Tactics

"Don't rush to pull the mob yet. Let's discuss our tactics, and I'll wait to get my status back to full while we're at it," Xiao Niao said as he sat down on the ground, taking a bowl of fresh water from Tang Yao and sipping it slowly.

He wasn't particularly thirsty, but his mana had dropped significantly after using the 'Recovery Spell' several times in succession; he needed to return to full status before the battle. Although he didn't know if drinking water could speed up mana regeneration, he figured that since fresh water could help stamina recover faster, it might also speed up the recovery of the blue bar representing mana. So, Xiao Niao asked Tang Yao for a bowl of fresh water to try sipping it, and he found that the mana recovery speed actually did increase slightly, causing a smile to appear on his face.

However, even after drinking the water, Xiao Niao's mana bar still recovered at a snail's pace.

Fortunately, the Millennium Tree Demon seemed to be rooted in that partition and couldn't move. There was no need to worry about it running away or initiating an attack, giving them plenty of time to wait for Xiao Niao to recover.

Seeing Xiao Niao's slow mana recovery, Hu Gualing knew they couldn't rush. Although Xiao Niao wouldn't really be needed for damage output once the real battle started, his 'Recovery Spell' was still quite important for the team. One extra heal could increase the team's margin for error. Thus, he could only wait quietly for the mana to fill up. "As for tactics, Tang Yao, Sharp Tooth, and I will rush up to gang up on the BOSS later. Xiao Niao, you just watch from the back; heal whoever's health gets low. As for the loot dropped after killing the BOSS, we'll still follow our fair distribution method. How about it?" Hu Gualing, living up to his rich gaming experience, settled the tactics in a few words while Xiao Niao was recovering mana.

"I think that works," Tang Yao said without objection. After all, after her Sharp Tooth consumed the monster essence and evolved, not only did its tankiness increase greatly, but it could also be resurrected once every 24 hours. She could confidently let it participate in the battle.

"What about you, Xiao Niao? Any problems?"

"..."

Xiao Niao shook his head somewhat speechlessly, swallowed the water in his mouth, and said, "How can you have such a crude tactic? Besides, it's still uncertain whether we can even kill the BOSS, and you're already starting to distribute the loot."

Hu Gualing clearly didn't expect Xiao Niao to contradict him even while drinking water. He said a bit defiantly, "Then you tell me, what tactics do you have?"

Xiao Niao thought for a moment and said, "How about this: Gualing, you go over first to test the BOSS's attack methods. I'll keep a constant eye on your health. Once you've tested the BOSS's depth, Tang Yao will join the fight with Sharp Tooth to let Sharp Tooth help you share the BOSS's aggro. Tang Yao, stay a bit on the outer circle, outputting damage while watching for the BOSS's attacks. If you accidentally get hit by the BOSS, pull out immediately, use euphorbia humifusa to recover your health, and then rejoin the fight. Well, that's roughly it. If there are any temporary changes later, I'll be further back and can see clearly, so I'll remind you."

"Mhm, okay." Tang Yao quickly nodded to show she understood.

Hu Gualing, however, frowned, carefully considering the intent behind each arrangement before nodding secretly. "Your tactic isn't that great either, but seeing how much effort you put into saying all that, I'll reluctantly do as you say."

...

Xiao Niao stood up from the ground after his mana was fully restored. After thinking for a moment, he still took the bow and arrows out of his backpack and held them in his hand. "I'm ready. Let's go."

"Let's go, let's go!" Hu Gualing, who had long been unable to wait, strode forward, his fists already equipped with the steel knuckle duster.

"Mhm." Tang Yao also took out a steel longsword and held it in her hand. As for the 'Simple Taming Rope' around Sharp Tooth's neck, she had removed it and put it in her backpack while waiting for Xiao Niao to recover mana. Tang Yao had noticed that Sharp Tooth had become increasingly human-like after evolving; although it couldn't speak yet, it had no major problems understanding her simple commands. Therefore, there was no need to keep the collar and rope on it. Furthermore, they were about to face a tree demon; it would be troublesome if the rope accidentally got caught on a trunk or branch, so it was better to remove it for agility.

At this time, the Sharp-toothed Piglet, with its rope removed, didn't run around. Instead, it seemed to truly understand the tactics the three had discussed, following closely behind Hu Gualing and guarding in front of Tang Yao. Its four small hooves moved quickly but not frantically, assuming the role of the secondary tank in the team.

As they got closer and closer to the Millennium Tree Demon, the three of them couldn't help but slow their pace. Their hearts were heavy and tense; after all, the thing before them was too terrifying. A single tree filled the earth-walled partition, which was at least ten square meters, so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

And that was just the cross-section of the tree demon. As for its height, when they were further away, they could barely see the canopy by looking up, but now that they were close, even tilting their heads until their necks ached, they still couldn't see how tall the tree demon actually was. They hadn't even officially engaged yet, but the pressure was already overwhelming.

"I can only go this far; otherwise, if I go any further forward, I won't be able to see the BOSS's health bar," Xiao Niao said, stopping helplessly when they were still dozens of meters from the BOSS. After speaking, he plopped down onto the ground.

It wasn't because he wanted to be lazy, but because by sitting down and half-lying on the ground, he could see the BOSS's health bar without as much effort. Otherwise, if he kept his head tilted back at a hundred and eighty degrees, he feared his neck would give out before the BOSS was even killed.

Hu Gualing and Tang Yao both nodded in understanding. Anyway, Xiao Niao's current role was long-range support and healing; as long as he could reach people with his heals, the further from the BOSS he was, the better, so they wouldn't have to be distracted by him during the battle.

...

"Tang Yao, stop first," Xiao Niao reminded her when Tang Yao was still several yards away from the BOSS. Judging from the position where he had been attacked by the Earth Spike earlier, he feared that going any further would enter the BOSS's attack range.

Tang Yao stopped very obediently, and her pet, the Sharp-toothed Piglet, also came to a halt.

Among the three people and one pig, only Hu Gualing continued to advance.

Closer... closer.

Hu Gualing could already feel his heart thumping loudly inside his chest.

Although he knew this was a game, and although he knew that no matter how scary the BOSS looked, since it was in the same Dungeon as the Mutated White Wild Boar, the strength of this Millennium Tree Demon wouldn't be much higher than the Mutated White Wild Boar... even so, the pressure brought by the giant tree before him was still too powerful.

And this pressure didn't seem to come solely from the tree demon's terrifying size, but also from within the spirit.