2: Chapter 2: Flanking and Sneak Attack, Lord Skill Unlocked to Slay Elite Troops!

Lin Chen led Brick Mover King and five melee players, sprinting along the outer wall of Ruststone Fortress.

The wind of the Gobi Desert whipped against their faces like knife cuts. Gro's roars grew closer, and the ground vibrated more violently.

[System Notification: Distance to Goblin Lesser Lord Gro: 200 meters remaining]

[System Notification: Player party detected entering Stealth state (temporary), duration 30 seconds, movement speed increased by 10%]

"Lord Big Shot, can this stealth buff hold out?" Brick Mover King lowered his voice, his footsteps never stopping.

"It's enough." Lin Chen's gaze was sharp. "Wait for my command. First, burst down the elites, then focus fire on Gro!"

The five melee players nodded, gripping their iron swords tightly, their palms slick with sweat.

"This is the first time my iron sword will see blood; I hope it doesn't break!" the player 'Swordsman Akai' tapped the blade.

"Don't worry, if it breaks, Lord Big Shot will definitely give you a new one!" the player 'Mad Blade Leizi' grinned.

The 30-second stealth ended, and the group hid behind a massive Gobi rock.

Ahead, Gro, leading 20 Elite Goblins, had already charged to within a hundred meters of the main gate of Ruststone Fortress.

Old Hei's shield formation stood ready, while the ranged players on the walls began throwing stones.

[-1] [-2]

The stones hitting Gro were like a mere tickle.

Gro roared, raising his giant axe and swinging it down fiercely toward the main gate.

[System Notification: Goblin Lesser Lord Gro has released the skill 'Great Axe Sweep', range 10 meters, damage 80]

"Shield Wall!" Old Hei hissed, raising his wooden shield above his head.

*Clang!*

The giant axe slammed into the shield formation with a deafening crash.

Above the heads of Old Hei and the five shield-bearers, [-60] damage values floated up simultaneously.

"Healers! Heal, fast!" Old Hei's voice was already hoarse from shouting.

Little Dumpling and three other healers raised their hands at the same time, and four glimmers of light descended.

[+25] [+25] [+25] [+25]

"The healing is barely holding!" Old Hei breathed a sigh of relief. "One more hit and we're done for!"

Lin Chen seized the opportunity and charged out from behind the Gobi rock.

"Move!"

He took the lead, lunging at an Elite Goblin trailing at the back of the pack, his Ruststone Sword piercing straight toward its heart.

[Critical Hit! -120]

The Elite Goblin didn't even let out a scream before it collapsed, vanishing into white light.

[System Notification: Lin Chen killed an Elite Goblin, gaining 50 Experience Points and 10 Copper Coins]

"Keep up!" Brick Mover King shouted, throwing a punch at another Elite Goblin.

[-35]

"Holy crap! My fist damage is higher than an iron sword?" Brick Mover King's eyes lit up.

"Your Strength is high, it's normal!" Lei Zi swung his blade at an Elite Goblin, [-40].

A Kai and two other players surrounded a third Elite Goblin, their iron swords slashing repeatedly.

[-38] [-36] [-39]

The Elite Goblin spun around, its short blade stabbing toward A Kai.

"Watch out!" Lin Chen rushed over, blocking with his scabbard.

[-10]

"Thanks!" A Kai countered with a sword thrust, piercing the Elite Goblin's throat.

[System Notification: Player A Kai killed an Elite Goblin; Lin Chen gained 25 Experience Points]

"Lord Big Shot, two elites are coming from the side!" Lei Zi shouted.

Two Elite Goblins came howling toward the squad, their short blades flashing with a cold light.

Lin Chen's gaze turned cold as he raised his hand.

"Heavy Strike!"

The Ruststone Sword, carrying a gust of wind, slammed into the head of the Elite Goblin on the left.

[Stunned! -150]

The Elite Goblin spun in place, and Brick Mover King took the chance to rush up, landing a punch on its face.

[-45]

"Done!" Brick Mover King clapped his hands.

The Elite Goblin on the right was cut down by the combined efforts of Lei Zi and A Kai.

[System Notification: Party killed Elite Goblin x5, remaining elite count: 15]

[System Notification: Congratulations to player Lin Chen, cumulative Experience Points reached 200, Level increased to 2, gained 5 Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point]

Lin Chen dumped all 5 Attribute Points into Strength, and his combat power soared to 20.

He opened his skill panel and unlocked the new skill: Lords Deterrence (Tier 1).

[System Notification: Unlocked Active Skill: Lords Deterrence (Tier 1). Consumes 5 Stamina. Inflicts 1-second Stun and reduces Defense by 10% for 5 seconds on enemy units with a lower level than the user]

"This skill is top-tier!" Lin Chen rejoiced inwardly.

He looked toward the battlefield; Gro had already broken through the first line of defense at the main gate. Old Hei's shield formation was scattered, and two shield-bearers had fallen and were respawning.

"Lord Big Shot, the main gate can't hold anymore!" Little Dumpling shouted from the wall.

Gro raised his giant axe, about to release a skill again.

"Now!"

Lin Chen led the squad, charging toward Gro's back.

"Gro, take my sword!"

Lin Chen leapt up, his Ruststone Sword stabbing toward the back of Gro's neck.

Gro seemed to sense the danger and spun around abruptly, his giant axe sweeping across.

Lin Chen pushed off with his feet, sidestepping the blow as his blade grazed Gro's shoulder.

[-80]

"What tough hide!" Lin Chen frowned.

Gro roared, staring at Lin Chen with eyes full of killing intent.

"Lord Big Shot, you've pulled the aggro!" Brick Mover King shouted. "We're coming to help!"

Brick Mover King, Lei Zi, A Kai, and the others surrounded Gro's legs, outputting damage frantically.

[-30] [-32] [-28]

Gro's health bar began to decline slowly.

[Gro (Level 3), HP: 4840/5000]

"This boss is way too tanky!" Lei Zi had slashed over a dozen times, yet only that much health was lost.

"My arms are getting sore from hacking, and his health bar has only moved one tick!" A Kai complained.

Lin Chen took a step back, pulled out a Stamina Potion, and drank it.

[System Notification: Restored 10 Stamina, current Stamina: 25/30]

"Use Lords Deterrence!"

Lin Chen raised his hand, and a pale golden light shot toward Gro.

[System Notification: Lords Deterrence took effect. Gro is stunned for 1 second, Defense reduced by 10%]

"Everyone, focus fire!"

Lin Chen was the first to charge, his Ruststone Sword slashing repeatedly.

[-90] [-95] [-92]

Brick Mover King and the other players also gave it their all.

[-40] [-42] [-38]

Gro's health began to drop rapidly.

[Gro (Level 3), HP: 4500/5000]

The stun ended, and Gro let out a furious roar, his giant axe swinging down toward Lin Chen.

"Get out of the way!"

Lin Chen slid his feet, dodging the axe, and stabbed his blade into Gro's knee.

[-100]

Gro grunted in pain, dropping to one knee.

"An opening!"

Lin Chen jumped onto Gro's back, stabbing his Ruststone Sword toward its head.

[Critical Hit! -200]

[System Notification: Lin Chen triggered a Weak Point Attack, damage doubled]

Gro let out a miserable shriek and stood up violently, trying to shake Lin Chen off.

Lin Chen gripped Gro's hair tightly, his blade delivering a series of stabs.

[-180] [-185] [-190]

"Lord Big Shot is awesome! He's outputting damage right in its face!" the players on the wall shouted.

"I could spend a lifetime learning those mechanics!"

[Gro (Level 3), HP: 3800/5000]

Gro was completely enraged, charging wildly toward the wall, trying to smash Lin Chen against it.

"Not good!" Lin Chen was startled.

He let go, jumping off Gro's back and landing steadily on the ground.

Gro slammed headfirst into the wall with a thunderous crash.

[System Notification: Ruststone Fortress Durability -50, current Durability: 750]

"This boss has gone crazy!" Old Hei reorganized the shield formation. "Healers, heal the wall!"

"You can heal the wall?" Little Dumpling was stunned.

[System Notification: Special command detected. Healer skills can take effect on buildings; effectiveness is halved]

"Learned something new!" Little Dumpling raised her hand, and a glimmer of light landed on the wall.

[+10]

"The healing is small, but it's better than nothing!" Old Hei shouted.

Lin Chen looked at his territory panel and consumed 100 Copper Coins to activate the territory defense buff.

[System Notification: Activated Territory Guardian. Garrison damage increased by 10%, defense increased by 10%, duration 5 minutes]

The players instantly erupted.

"Lord Big Shot even has this move? The attention to detail is insane!"

"With this wave of buffs, we're solid!"

Lin Chen led the squad and charged toward Gro once more.

"Lords Deterrence!"

A pale golden light shot out, and Gro was stunned again.

"Heavy Strike!"

Lin Chen swung his sword, slamming it into Gro's head.

[Stunned! -220]

Gro was double-stunned and unable to move.

Brick Mover King and the players output damage frantically.

The ranged players on the city wall also concentrated their fire, as stones and crude wooden arrows rained down on Gro.

[-5] [-6] [-4]

Gro's health dropped at a rate visible to the naked eye.

[Gro (Level 3), HP: 2500/5000]

[System Notification: Congratulations to player Lin Chen. Accumulated 500 experience points, level increased to Level 3, obtained 5 attribute points and 1 skill point.]

Lin Chen added the 5 attribute points to Strength, and his combat power rose to 25.

He spent the skill point on Lords Deterrence, upgrading the skill.

[System Notification: Lords Deterrence has been upgraded to Rank 2. Consumes 5 Stamina, stun duration 2 seconds, defense reduced by 20%, lasts for 8 seconds.]

"Again!"

Lin Chen released Lords Deterrence again, stunning Gro for 2 seconds.

He raised the rust stone sword and slashed down with all his might.

[Cleave! -300]

Brick Mover King slammed a fist into Gro's stomach.

[-50]

Lei Zi and A Kai hacked at Gro's legs.

[-60] [-58]

Gro's health dropped to 1,000 points.

[Gro (Level 3), HP: 980/5000]

Gro's stun ended. He let out a desperate roar, raised his giant axe, and unleashed his ultimate skill.

[System Notification: Goblin Lesser Lord Gro has released the skill 'Furious Charge'. Range 15 meters, damage 150. The lower his own health, the higher the damage.]

"Get out of the way!" Lin Chen shouted.

He turned and ran, with Brick Mover King and the other players sprinting after him.

Old Hei's shield formation instantly broke apart as the players scattered to dodge.

Clang!

The giant axe slammed into the ground, creating a massive crack in the earth.

No players were hit.

"The skill missed!" Brick Mover King laughed. "The BOSS is getting desperate!"

"That was basically a suicidal attack!" A Kai complained.

After releasing the skill, Gro's stamina was exhausted. He knelt on one knee, gasping for air.

"Now's the time! Finish him!"

Lin Chen was the first to charge, thrusting his rust stone sword toward Gro's heart.

[Critical Hit! -500]

Gro's health was instantly emptied.

[System Notification: Congratulations to player Lin Chen for killing the Goblin Lesser Lord Gro. Obtained 1,000 experience points, 500 copper coins, and Territory Experience Pill (Small) x1.]

[System Notification: Ruststone Fortress has successfully defended against an Elite BOSS siege. Territory level increased to Level 1. Unlocked functions: Territory Shop, resource production increased by 20%.]

The players instantly exploded with excitement.

"We won! The BOSS has been taken down!"

"Lord Big Shot is the GOAT! This was awesome!"

Gro's corpse turned into a beam of golden light. A treasure chest and several pieces of equipment dropped onto the ground.

The treasure chest was golden, engraved with goblin patterns. The equipment included three iron swords, a piece of leather armor, and a black badge.

Lin Chen walked over and opened the treasure chest first.

[System Notification: Opened Goblin Lord Treasure Chest. Obtained: rust stone battle axe (Rank 3 · Lord Exclusive), Gro's Legguards (Rank 3 · Fine), Territory Upgrade Token x1, 1,000 copper coins.]

[rust stone battle axe (Rank 3 · Lord Exclusive): Attack +50, Strength +10, damage to Goblin race increased by 50%, 10% chance to trigger 'Fury' effect, increasing damage by 30%.]

[Gro's Legguards (Rank 3 · Fine): Defense +30, Stamina +15, movement speed increased by 10%.]

"Holy crap! Attack +50! This battle axe is insane!" Old Hei ran over, his eyes fixed on the battle axe.

"These legguards increase movement speed, I want them!" Lei Zi shouted.

Lin Chen picked up the battle axe and legguards; the equipment automatically bound to him.

He put on the legguards and raised the battle axe, testing its weight. It felt heavy and powerful.

A terrifying pressure washed over him.

Just then, at the end of the desert plain, a massive army appeared.

A huge skull was painted on their banner. The soldiers beneath it were all Skeleton Soldiers clad in black armor, numbering at least a hundred.

Leading them was a knight riding a skeletal horse, with the words [Skeleton Knight · Barton (Level 5)] floating above his head.

[System Notification: Warning! The Undead Legion vanguard is attacking. Quantity: 100, Level: 3-4, Leader: Skeleton Knight Barton (Level 5), Countdown: 10 minutes.]

The players' cheers came to an abrupt halt.

"Undead Legion? A Level 5 BOSS? This game isn't letting us live!" Brick Mover King's face turned pale.

"I'm already exhausted from running back after respawning. We just caught our breath and another wave is coming?" Little Dumpling clutched her wooden staff, looking like she was about to cry.

Lin Chen raised the rust stone battle axe, pointing it toward the Undead Legion with a determined gaze.

Lin Chen said calmly, "What are you afraid of? We have a Level 1 territory, why fear a bunch of bone racks?"

"Lord Big Shot is so boss!" Old Hei immediately raised his wooden shield. "I'll organize the defense line right away!"

"Let's do this! Follow Lord Big Shot and fight another round!" Brick Mover King raised his fists, his fighting spirit surging.

Lin Chen opened the territory panel and used the Territory Upgrade Token.

[System Notification: Territory upgrade complete. Ruststone Fortress level increased to Level 2, durability increased to 2,000. Unlocked: Wall arrow tower (Level 1), Militia Barracks (Level 1).]

He spent 500 copper coins to set up two arrow towers on the city wall.

[System Notification: arrow tower installation complete. Level 1 arrow tower, Attack +20, range 500 meters, automatically attacks enemy units.]

He spent another 300 copper coins to upgrade the Militia Barracks, unlocking Level 2 Militia recruitment.

[System Notification: Militia Barracks upgrade complete. Can now recruit Level 2 Militia, combat power increased by 50%.]

Lin Chen used 5 Militia Recruitment Orders to summon 5 Level 2 Militia.

[System Notification: Recruitment complete. Current Militia count: 11 (including Captain Iron Wang).]

Iron Wang walked over and bowed. "Lord, the Level 2 Militia are in position and awaiting orders!"

"Iron Wang, take the Militia and 20 players to guard the East Gate. The arrow towers will provide support!"

"Old Hei, take the shield formation and the healers to guard the Main Gate. The arrow towers will focus on the BOSS!"

"Brick Mover King, take 10 melee players and guard the West Gate with me to prevent the enemy from circling around!"

"All ranged players on the wall, get on the arrow towers and operate them!"

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.

Little Dumpling ran over and asked, "Lord Big Shot, can I operate an arrow tower?"

"Yes. The arrow towers aim automatically; you're responsible for replenishing mana!" Lin Chen said.

[System Notification: Detected player operating arrow tower. Unlocked arrow tower Manual Mode, damage increased by 10%.]

"Great!" Little Dumpling cheered and ran to an arrow tower.

Lin Chen looked at his skill panel and added his newly acquired skill point to Cleave.

[System Notification: Cleave has been upgraded to Rank 3. Consumes 3 Stamina, deals 3x damage, critical hit probability increased to 15%.]

He took out three bottles of Stamina Potions and drank them all at once.

[System Notification: Recovered 30 Stamina. Current Stamina: 30/30.]

"Check your equipment! Replenish your supplies!"

Lin Chen stood at the West Gate, his rust stone battle axe gleaming coldly. Brick Mover King and 10 melee players stood behind him with solemn expressions.

Iron Wang had set up the defense line at the East Gate with the Militia and players. The two arrow towers had already begun to rotate their muzzles.

Old Hei's shield formation stood ready at the Main Gate, while Little Dumpling and three healers guarded the arrow towers.

In the distance, the Undead Legion drew closer. Barton rode his skeletal horse, the knight's sword in his hand glinting with a cold light.

"Lord Big Shot, Barton is charging!" a player on the wall shouted.

Barton raised his knight's sword toward Ruststone Fortress and let out a chilling roar.

The Skeleton Soldiers howled and launched a charge toward Ruststone Fortress.

"Lord Big Shot, if we win this wave, you'll be my eternal god!" Brick Mover King shouted.

Lin Chen glanced at him, the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Win?"

"If we want to gain a foothold in the Myriad Heavens, this is only the beginning!"

As his voice fell, Lin Chen was the first to charge out, his rust stone battle axe carving a dazzling arc in the sunlight.