章節 8: Chapter 8: This Dungeon Actually Has a Second Phase?
Everything in the illusion instantly froze, returning to its initial state.
With lingering fear, Zhao Haiping touched his neck.
"Something's wrong. This 'Master of Archery and Horsemanship' skill doesn't seem to have any bonuses for close combat skills with blades…"
He realized he had been misled by the skill choice again. While "Master of Archery and Horsemanship" did allow him to enjoy shooting at the start, it became useless in close combat. And sure, archery had its use, but horsemanship was entirely pointless! He was just a small archer defending the city walls, with no chance to ride a horse!
Forget it. He decided to switch skills and try again.
Regarding the historical setting of this battle, Zhao Haiping could roughly place the era, but not the specific event. The soldiers were all dressed in black armor and referred to themselves as part of the "Great Chu," meaning it must be during the period of the second unified dynasty after the Great Yan.
As for the location, surrounded by endless yellow sand and defending an earthen city, it seemed like they were in a stage of resistance against the northern tribes.
Based on his limited knowledge of history, during the transition from the Yan to the Chu, the northern nomadic tribes had unified the northern deserts and steppes, then began invading the northwestern borders of Chu. Chu launched several campaigns, but the northern tribes always retreated into the northern desert, evading complete eradication.
Later, with internal strife and the decline of Chu, the northern tribes returned once again.
Though he couldn't place the specific time of this battle, he figured it didn't matter much. After all, he was just a disposable soldier on the city wall with no real impact on the course of the war. Surviving was more than enough for him.
After some consideration, Zhao Haiping chose to retain "Sea of Corpses and Blood" and "Endure Hunger and Thirst," while replacing "Master of Archery and Horsemanship."
A blue light flashed.
**[Guts of the Battlefield (Blue)]In close combat, you maintain composure and find openings to defeat enemies in a single blow.**
Zhao Haiping's spirit was lifted.
A good skill!
This was a pure combat talent, and it was blue-grade. With this, he could surely handle those tribal soldiers. Not choosing it would be a waste!
Without hesitation, he selected it.
Time in the illusion resumed.
The scenes ahead were largely the same as before. The tribal soldiers launched a fierce attack, and the defenders of Chu exhausted all methods to kill the enemy.
This time, without the "Master of Archery and Horsemanship" skill, Zhao Haiping's arrows mostly missed. Only when tribal soldiers got close to the wall did he manage to hit one in the shoulder from a downward angle.
He had actually aimed for the head.
But it wasn't a big deal. With the chaotic battlefield, nobody noticed his sloppy archery since accuracy wasn't a given in the first place.
In an instant, the tribal soldiers closed in again.
However, this time, the soldiers facing him weren't the same as before. It seemed that only the initial state of the illusion was fixed; after that, there was significant randomness. Zhao Haiping noticed that the actions of the soldiers around him varied each time, so each fight was a bit different.
With the curved blade of a tribal soldier swinging down, Zhao Haiping hastily blocked it.
This time, the feeling was distinctly different!
The tribal soldier's movements seemed slower, and Zhao Haiping's mind felt clearer, able to respond calmly and spot openings in the opponent's actions for counterattacks.
In such close-combat, finding an opening could mean the difference between life and death.
With a swift motion, his blade pierced the tribal soldier's chest, and Zhao Haiping rejoiced — victory came more easily than he'd expected.
The blue-grade skill was indeed effective!
However, he barely had time to celebrate before the stabbed soldier, gritting his teeth in a ghastly expression, lunged at him, knocking him to the ground!
Thinking he had killed his opponent, Zhao Haiping was caught off guard, and before he could recover, two other tribal soldiers hacked him to death.
"Damn it!"
"Not giving up! Let's go again!"
Zhao Haiping chose the "Guts of the Battlefield" skill once more and restarted the trial.
Clearly, he had overestimated his combat ability and underestimated the savagery of these tribal soldiers.
In the previous trial, he had controlled the body of Nie Rang, and with "Master of Swordsmanship," he had efficiently killed the red-armored guards. Despite being outnumbered, he initially managed to hold his ground.
But now he was just a regular soldier without specialized sword skills. Even with the blue-grade skill's enhancement, one small mistake could mean his end.
He realized he needed to be more cautious, to avoid putting himself in a position where he could be overwhelmed. Survival on the battlefield meant using every advantage, including strategically positioning himself behind his comrades.
It wasn't cowardice — it was tactical retreat.
The illusion reset once again, quickly reaching the point of close combat on the wall.
This time, Zhao Haiping had learned. Using the benefits of "Guts of the Battlefield," he fought the tribal soldiers with more control. Still, he frequently found himself killed by unexpected ambushes from tribal soldiers approaching from his blind spots.
Though he kept dying, he no longer switched to other trials.
This "Warrior" trial felt somewhat familiar, like the action games he had played before. He endured the suffering, knowing that he was improving with each attempt. Every death taught him something new, enhancing his close-combat skills.
…
Finally, after countless attempts, Zhao Haiping was able to hold his own.
Though there were several close calls, he managed to survive.
Of course, his survival was partly due to his strategic retreats, allowing his comrades to take the lead when needed.
He wasn't sure how long the battle lasted — maybe around half an hour. Eventually, the tribal soldiers retreated from the wall.
"Did… I pass?"
"Was it really that easy?"
"Strange, despite dying a dozen times, it still feels easy… Maybe it's because of the previous trial?"
His relief was premature.
Suddenly, a fog engulfed his vision, and the scene around him shifted!
This had only been the first phase, and now he was entering the second phase!
He was still on the same wall, but the scene was visibly different.
The earthen wall now showed signs of collapse in multiple places. The siege equipment was much fewer and looked neglected, with many parts beyond repair.
And to his shock, the soldiers around him had aged! They now appeared to be in their forties, with faces marked by deep lines.
Looking down, Zhao Haiping noticed his own worn armor, scarred arms, and an empty quiver with only a few arrows left.
On top of that, he felt a wave of hunger and thirst hit him, accompanied by a weakening sensation. Despite the game dulling pain to about 20% of real-world levels, these negative effects weighed heavily on him.
Below the wall, the tribal soldiers had gathered again, though they hadn't launched another attack yet, almost as if they were taunting the weakened defenders, waiting for them to collapse.
Just then, a nearby soldier handed Zhao Haiping a makeshift cloth pouch with a putrid smell.
Before he could ask, the soldier on his right took it first, squeezed it above his head, and caught the rancid liquid that poured out, suppressing his retching as he drank.
Zhao Haiping was stunned.
"Damn, this trial is even more brutal than the last one!"
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票