At that moment, a voice rang in Fang Zhouâs ears. "There seems to be some commotion over there. It sounds like itâs coming from the direction of the Shelter. Perhaps somethingâs happened."
Fang Zhou turned his head and saw an average-looking middle-aged warrior staring into the distance, his brows furrowed. This warrior was evidently the guide NPC for this Simulation Battlefield, and his appearance marked the true start of the battle. The red light still flickered in the distance, like Hellfire dancing in the dark and illuminating half the sky.
The middle-aged warrior NPC stood beside Fang Zhou, gazing at the burning light as his expression grew solemn. He murmured to himself, his voice tinged with unease, "To see such a sight from this distance, could it be a fire? No, no, an ordinary fire couldnât be so fierce. Itâs demons! Demons are attacking there!"
From the side, Fang Zhou calmly observed the middle-aged warrior NPCâs performance.
He couldnât help but feel a touch of helplessness. There was no option to skip the cutscene, so he could only wait patiently for the introduction to end.
The middle-aged warriorâs voice sounded strained, his hands clenched into tight fists, his gaze firmly fixed on the direction of the red light. "Senior Sergeant Fang Zhou, this isnât the first time demons have attacked the Shelter."
The middle-aged warriorâs voice was heavy. "Although the Shelter barely withstood the demonsâ assault back then, almost all of its powerful warriors were killed. The leader of the Shelter himself died heroically on the battlefield resisting the demons."
At this, the middle-aged warrior suddenly turned to face Fang Zhou, his eyes shining with a determined light. "Senior Sergeant Fang Zhou, we should go rescue the Shelter. Based on past experience, the number of demons attacking the Shelter is usually not large. The situation only seems so dire because the refugeesâ ability to defend themselves is too weak. With your strength, if we launch a surprise attack, we might easily eliminate them. When that happens, weâll be the heroes who saved the Shelter!"
The middle-aged warrior spoke logically. Fang Zhou listened and played along with his performance, nodding slightly in agreement. "Youâre right. And since those refugees are all humans from Blue Star, we should at least try to rescue them for that reason alone."
Hearing Fang Zhouâs response, the middle-aged warrior let out a battle cry full of fighting spirit and clenched his fists.
In the distance, the firelight grew brighter against the night, like the gates of hell slowly opening to release a blazing glow. The rescue operation was imminent and could not be delayed for a single moment.
Fang Zhou immediately took out the Undead Magic Ball, which brimmed with powerful energy. As his fingers gently touched its surface, an icy aura spread out. His Spirit Attribute had grown significantly, and the Undead Magic Ball provided powerful augmentation effects. Thanks to this, he felt the Summon Skeleton spell flow with unprecedented smoothness and ease. He lightly chanted the spell, and with a flash of ghostly light, fifty Upper-level Apprentice Skeleton Warriors answered his call, arranging themselves neatly before him.
After completing the first summoning, Fang Zhou didnât stop. He concentrated his Spiritual Power again and cast the Skeleton Blade skill to enhance these fifty unarmed Skeleton Warriors. After a burst of light, forty of the skeletons gained melee capabilities. The remaining ten became Skeleton Archers, holding longbows made of bone. After their enhancement, the Skeleton Warriors appeared far more formidable and intimidating.
To further bolster his forces, Fang Zhou then took out the Sealed Bone Bell, which had already been enhanced twice, and gave it a gentle shake. Instantly, a clear and melodious ringing echoed, and the Pearl Bird, Gugu, was released. Despite the jungle being shrouded in a fog that obstructed vision, Gugu could see far more clearly than anyone else thanks to its keen Perception. It circled a few times in the air, seemingly searching for the best path.
With all preparations complete, Fang Zhou gave the order to move out. Over a dozen melee Skeleton Warriors took point, protecting the middle-aged warrior who walked at the very front to guide the team. Fang Zhou himself, fully armed, followed closely behind, under the tight protection of another dozen melee Skeleton Warriors and the ten Skeleton Archers. The rearguard duty was given to a final group of over a dozen melee Skeleton Warriors. They held their bone weapons aloft, occasionally swinging them at roadside thickets and weeds and letting out sharp CRUNCHES to warn any potential enemies.
Perhaps they were disturbed by the distant fire and clamor, or perhaps they were intimidated by the glinting bone weapons in the skeletonsâ hands, but they encountered no obstacles along the way. To prevent his surprise troops from being discovered prematurely by the Abyssal Demons besieging the Shelter, Fang Zhou took out the Marvel he had never used in combat before: the Celestial Curtain Magic Bottle. Following the method he and Su Xinyan had researched, Fang Zhou manipulated the Celestial Curtain Magic Bottle to release a plume of gray smoke, thoroughly concealing his and the Skeleton Armyâs movements.
In this mist-shrouded jungle, Fang Zhou and his Skeleton Legion advanced steadily toward the Shelter.
As the distance shortened, various sounds began to converge, assaulting Fang Zhouâs eardrums. The hoarse shouts of men, filled with fear and determination, mingled with the sharp screams of women, which revealed only helplessness and despair.