Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 507 Demonic Fire and Immobilization

"Rotten Vulture" Grylls acted almost immediately upon hearing the news.

Even though the "Tidefall Gang" was not a very powerful criminal organization that could be established in the Southern Islands, it occasionally did some inappropriate and reckless things due to the greedy nature it had developed as an adventurer.

However, as a gang leader, Gerry still possesses relatively reliable abilities in handling affairs.

Faced with the invaders who had broken into his base and attacked his men, he did not rush to pursue them. Instead, he first ordered his men to notify the Shahua fish people who were also on the island at that moment.

Currently, the Tidefall Gang and the Shahua Fishmen are in a cooperative relationship, which can be considered a kind of "honeymoon period." Even if it's for the sake of the sacrifices in the dungeon, they can't remain indifferent.

As it turned out, Gerry's idea was correct.

Upon hearing that hostile forces might have invaded Wildberry Cliff, the merfolk took it very seriously. The merfolk priest, as their leader, immediately led the elite forces of the community and went with the Tide Receding Gang to search for the invaders.

Led by the gang member who first noticed the anomaly, the group quickly arrived at the area where the Iron Shield squad attacked Hogan and found the bodies of the thugs other than Hogan nearby.

Gerry, with his extensive experience, immediately deduced that the other party might have deliberately spared Hogan's life to interrogate him and gather information.

But why would the intruders risk antagonizing the Tidebrook to infiltrate Wildberry Cliff?

Could it be that they discovered their cooperation with the Shahua fish people, or were they just a group of opportunists who accidentally stumbled in?

With so little information available, Grief could hardly make a judgment.

What is known is that the closest key location to this area is the warehouse that the Tidebrook Gang built on Wildberry Cliff, which was also Hogan's original destination.

They stored all the supplies and spoils of war they had collected there.

Considering that the invaders chose to infiltrate stealthily instead of launching an attack, it was indeed a suitable target if they wanted to seize enough profits on the island without being detected.

Soon, the guard camp in front of the warehouse, littered with corpses, proved Grylls's idea right.

The faint flickering firelight inside the warehouse also indicated that the intruders were inside at that moment.

"Rotten Eagle" Grylls was very confident in his own strength and that of the Tidefall Gang.

In his view, if the invaders' actual combat strength was far superior to theirs, they probably wouldn't have sneaked into the island; they would have just launched a direct attack. Therefore, he had some idea of ​​the combat strength of the enemy they might face.

In addition, they were reluctant to part with the supplies stored in the warehouse.

He originally planned to have his men surround the warehouse under the cover of night, and then carry out the encirclement operation once everything was ready.

But the suggestion from the Shahua fish-man priest changed the pirate leader's mind.

"Warehouse...enemy...danger..."

Its common language was not fluent, but it made Grylls realize that the intruders in the warehouse at this moment were probably not as simple as he had imagined.

Out of caution, as they were at a crucial stage of their cooperation with the Shahua fishmen, and also out of responsibility to their brothers.

In the end, Grieg gritted his teeth and handed over the decision-making power on the field to the murloc priest beside him.

That led to the scene where a fireball spell was fired directly into the warehouse.

He watched as the large warehouse he had painstakingly built on the deserted island using local materials was almost completely destroyed, with flames engulfing the supplies stored inside.

Gerry's eyes were filled with heartache.

But soon, the noise coming from inside the warehouse caught his attention.

"Huh? Only one was blown up?"

The expected scenario of ending the battle with a single fireball did not occur.

Under the orange-red firelight, he could see the orc Howl, who was howling and rolling on the ground, and he could also see the figures standing behind him.

Their already tense faces became even more serious.

Meanwhile, the same was true for Xia Nan on the other side.

The serpent scale shield, still shrouded in white smoke, retained a scorching heat. He gripped the hilt of the [Emberfall] straight sword tightly in his right hand, his sharp gaze sweeping over the figures rushing rapidly towards the warehouse, assessing the situation on the field.

First, let's talk about our own side.

The orc Howl was already severely injured, and his miserable state of screaming and rolling on the ground clearly meant he was no longer capable of fighting.

He wasn't seriously injured, but [Echoes of Ember] was still on cooldown and unusable, leaving him one less trump card.

The other three members of the Iron Rock Shield team were also in relatively good condition, thanks to their timely reminder and the quick-reacting dwarf Habik.

Thus, there are a total of four professional-level combat strengths.

What about the enemy?

His keen senses spread silently as Xia Nan carefully perceived the attacker's strength.

Fireball is a third-circle spell. Unless it is cast using a spell scroll, it means that the murloc priest in the distance is at least a level 5 caster.

Beside the murloc priest, the leader of the Tidecaller gang, "Rotten Vulture" Grylls, whom Habik mentioned, was probably around level 4 or 5.

These two core combatants alone are troublesome enough.

Not to mention the many henchmen used to incite trouble.

Among the dozens of figures rushing towards them, the vast majority were small-time thugs who had not yet obtained a professional level, or the most common ordinary Sakawa fishmen.

However, it also included low-level professionals and many four-armed merfolk elites who were noticeably more muscular.

Even without the two leaders behind them, this number was already enough to give the Iron Rock Shield squad a run for their money.

How should we make a decision?

Xia Nan's brain was racing.

A temporary retreat might be feasible, but it would mean that his mission to help Oriel retrieve the goods would fail, and he would also miss out on the [Proof of Indulgence], which had top-notch attributes.

Unless the situation on the field develops to the most dangerous point, Xia Nan will not consider the option of fleeing or retreating.

If he needs to confront the enemy head-on, according to his habit, his primary target will naturally be the spellcasters in the enemy ranks.

Can……

His gaze swept over "Rotten Vulture" Gri, who was standing next to the murloc priest.

It's unclear whether they knew someone might launch a surprise attack on their side, or if it was simply to protect the spellcasters in the group.

The leader of the Tide Receding Gang simply stood beside the merman priest, showing no intention of making a move, as he faced the crowd in the warehouse.

"Tsk."

Xia Nan couldn't help but feel troubled.

There was no time for him to make any more plans; the first wave of enemies had already poured into the warehouse in front of him.

"Garu!!!"

The air, which had been scorching hot from the surrounding flames, suddenly became damp and smelled fishy.

An ordinary saka fishman, wielding a harpoon, roared as he charged in.

Without the slightest hesitation, almost the instant he saw Xia Nan, he hurled the harpoon in Xia Nan's direction.

Ding--

Suddenly, a metallic clanging sound rang out inside the warehouse.

With the intention of using the [Fang Hunt]'s dash and movement ability to catch the Murloc Priest off guard, Xia Nan did not dodge as nimbly as usual. The [Ember Meteor] straight sword drew a perfect arc in the air, and the harpoon was directly knocked away by him.

He suddenly took two steps forward. [Spinning Slash] Unleashed in rapid succession!
The fine scales on the surface of the Shahua fish offer no defense whatsoever against the sharp, blue-quality blade.

With a flash of sword light, a murloc head, still displaying a roaring expression, was severed from its neck and flew high into the air, carried by a surge of fluorescent blue blood.

For Xia Nan now, with his all-around superior equipment, physical qualities, and combat skills, there is no essential difference between the 0.5 challenge level Shahua murlocs and the 0.25 challenge level green-skinned goblins.

"Ahhh!"

A battle cry from the dwarf Habik rang in my ears.

This [Shield Guardian], with a professional level of lv4, showed no fear in the face of the enemy's siege.

He held a heavy tower shield in his left hand and a prism in his right.

One can see that its body surface, slightly reddened by the flames, has somehow developed a steel-like luster, greatly increasing its strength and defensive capabilities.

The hammer tapped lightly on the shield, and blurry ripples spread rapidly outwards.

This caused enemies who originally wanted to bypass him and attack from the side with his shield to instinctively attack the tower shield, as if they were affected by some kind of taunting effect.

"Shhhhhh!"

It is the sound of a sharp object tearing through the air.

Three illusory figures flashed by and disappeared.

With a slurring sound of flesh being pierced, the three wooden arrows with trembling tail feathers had each pierced the head of an enemy with unparalleled precision.

A little further away, Sally held her wooden bow in her left hand, the bowstring vibrating violently, and with a slight flick of her right hand towards the quiver behind her, three more wooden arrows were already drawn from between her fingers.

Having worked together for many years, the team members' coordination is impeccable.

On the contrary, the dwarf wanderer Agu had already disappeared.

Xia Nan's heart skipped a beat.

With a slight swipe of his sword, he sliced ​​off half the head of a lowly member of the Tide Gang in front of him.

But his gaze followed his senses, looking straight into the depths of the night.

While Iron Rock Shield may sometimes seem a bit amateurish, they are still a professional-level adventurer team that has been venturing into the Southern Islands for many years and has extensive experience in team combat.

There's no need for much communication; everyone knows what they're supposed to do.

Currently, they are facing an attack from both the Tidebringer Gang and the Murlocs.

Agu, a dwarf who had taken up the job of "Wanderer" and was positioned as an assassin in the team, made almost the same judgment as Xia Nan at this moment.

—We must first eliminate the spellcasters within the enemy camp!
However, having just recovered from the bombardment of "Fireball", Agu's figure had already disappeared from the field.

His already short stature, combined with the power to manipulate shadow energy granted by his profession, made him incredibly adept at maneuvering in the night.

Even as he brushed past several mermen, no one noticed his presence.

Until the bugle sounded again.

A ball of magical light drifted down from the moonlight and landed on an open space fifteen feet away from him.

"Om..."

A dazzling burst of light erupted, turning everything within a twenty-foot radius a vibrant blue.

——First Ring, Energy Shaping System, Demonic Fire Technique!
This first-level spell itself does not have any damaging effect.

However, for Agu, who was within the spell's range, a very conspicuous faint light covered his body.

The dwarf wanderer, who had been hiding for a moment, was exposed to everyone's sight as he tried to sneak up on the murloc priest under the cover of night.

Just as Agu was about to completely abandon his original plan to sneak up and instead use his speed and explosive power to rush towards the priest.

Another pink magical light descended from afar amidst the sound of horns.

——Ring 2 · Bewitching and Control System · Human Immobilization Technique!
Although the name says "Human Freeze Spell," this extremely common second-circle spell is actually designed to target "humanoid beings."

Dwarfs were, of course, among them.

It still failed the test.

Agu, who was already surrounded by a striking blue light, was now adorned with a dazzling pink.

The action of preparing for a sprint seemed to freeze in an instant, as if time had stopped. His short body stood motionless, like a statue enveloped in light.

The murloc priest, who had cast two spells in succession, looked somewhat tired and put down his horn while panting.

However, "Rotten Vulture" Grylls beside him had already disappeared.

Without anyone noticing, he had somehow arrived behind the wanderer Agu.

He held a curved knife, about the length of his forearm, high in his hand.

He slashed down fiercely!

"Shoot."

The crisp, grating sound of flesh being torn apart by a sharp object echoed eerily in the night.

When attacked from the outside, the pink light that symbolized the "human immobilization spell" turned into scattered fragments and dissipated.

Agu, who was out of control, did not retaliate or struggle.

His body was cut in two diagonally from his right shoulder to his lower left waist and abdomen.

Before he could even throw the two short daggers he was holding, his internal organs and intestines spilled all over the ground.

"what!!!"

A series of shrill screams echoed across the field.

The usually taciturn wanderer's cries of pain were the loudest he had ever heard Xia Nan since they met.

His legs convulsed violently, while his detached upper body dragged his intestines and crawled meaninglessly on the ground, his fingers digging deep into the mud.

Its body surface was even covered with the blue light of the "Demon Fire Technique".

"Agu!!!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Habik, as the team captain, was filled with rage, his eyes bloodshot and his expression extremely furious.

Unlike the orc Howl, who was still rolling on the ground and howling in pain, Agu was an old teammate who had been with their squad since its inception. Their relationship was much closer than that with Howl, who was just a consumable.

Over the years, while we wouldn't say we've become family, we're definitely among the closest of friends.

Witnessing his opponent being severed from his body by the enemy instantly enraged the dwarf captain.

He couldn't wait to grab his shield and rush forward to take revenge.

"hold head high--"

Even faster than his thoughts came the long, mournful howl of wolves that suddenly rang out on the field.

Subconsciously turning his head, he saw that Xia Nan, who had been fighting with the surrounding enemies, had disappeared from the spot.

Instead, a jet-black winter wolf, bathed in moonlight, was pouncing towards the murloc priest while the "Corrupted Vulture" was temporarily away.

(End of this chapter)