Chapter 156: The Angler's Loss
"Lazy Crow, go..."
I quietly gave the command to the Lazy Crow, who was holding its breath and watching from the side, using a gesture like a devil entering a village.
The Lazy Crow's dark, round eyes emitted an excited Glow. Although the appearances of both the Hammer and the Greatsword were unremarkable, far from the shiny Level it was interested in, just the act of Snatching Food from a Tiger's Mouth from the two Mini-Bosses seemed to have ignited the Lazy Crow's self-proclaimed (?) Treasure Hunter's Soul. As for what it was stealing, it no longer cared at this moment.
"Coo coo..."
The Lazy Crow carefully jumped down from my shoulder, like a cautious Wild Pheasant foraging in the Jungle. It poked its Head out tentatively, looking left and right. Its black eyes, the size of green beans, flickered with cautious but fervent Light. It even slightly imitated a chicken's call. What is professionalism? This is it!
I sighed behind it, thinking that if it could put half of that Energy into Battle, it would probably have Leveled Up long ago.
In the dim Barracks, the black feathers provided excellent cover for the Lazy Crow. Not to mention the two Bosses who were fighting fiercely, even the agile Shaman nearby didn't notice the Lazy Crow's constantly moving Figure. It tiptoed on its Claws, moving swiftly across the Ground with a gliding pace like a Ghost. It was very planned; it didn't rush straight in from the start, but instead weaved left and right, using Obstacles for cover, slowly Approach the two Weapons bit by bit.
"Pfft..."
I quickly covered my mouth. That was close, I almost burst out laughing. There was nothing I could do, the Lazy Crow's appearance was simply too comical.
Time seemed to slow down, yet in an instant, the Lazy Crow had already moved next to the two Weapons. Using a small wooden barrel nearby to hide its Body, it once again poked out its rolling eyes, making sure no one around noticed this side (except for me, of course), before tiptoeing closer. Then, it extended a sinful Claw and grabbed towards the closer Hammer.
"Coo coo..."
"..."
"Coo coo..."
"..."
The Hammer didn't budge at all. No matter how hard it pulled, its Claws couldn't drag the Hammer even a single point. It was anxious. The Treasure Mountain was right In Front of it, yet it couldn't lift it. This was a disgrace to the title of Treasure Hunter! The Lazy Crow's eyes darted around anxiously, but this wasn't "The Crow and the Pitcher" (referencing elementary school textbooks); it wasn't a problem that could be solved by throwing a few Stones.
"Caw caw..."
The Lazy Crow was enraged, erupting with astonishing Presence. Just as I thought it might ignite its Battle Intent in this strange direction and transform in one go, it suddenly used both Claws to grab the Hammer, flapping its Wings desperately, looking like it wouldn't give up until it achieved its goal. It seemed to be completely fixated on this Hammer.
"Flap flap..."
The Lazy Crow's Strength was no joke. Although it usually seemed weak and timid, just thinking about how it could take down Monsters that an adult strong man couldn't deal much Damage to with just a few pecks and scratches from its beak and Claws, you could tell its Strength wasn't weak. It was just that the Summons around me were all even more abnormal Pets, which made its Presence in Battle seem very weak.
"Clang..."
The Hammer slowly trembled, making a heavy dragging sound as it rubbed against the Ground. Seeing that there was hope, the Lazy Crow flapped its two Wings even more vigorously, completely entering a Realm of forgetting everything else. Those strong and powerful Wings, "Flap flap," created a huge momentum, complementing the Battlefield on the other side.
Hey, hey, I say this isn't quite right. Why do I have an ominous premonition...?
I suddenly felt a chill surge through me, and for a moment, I actually forgot to recall the Lazy Crow in time.
Just as I was about to poke my Head out to remind the Lazy Crow, I found that at some point, the entire House seemed to have quieted down considerably. Looking left and right, the Battlefield that had just been so lively had somehow turned into the Lazy Crow's solo performance...
"Ugh..."
I covered my forehead with my hand, letting out a powerless groan. It was too late to recall the Lazy Crow now; it would clearly just be telling them that the person responsible was here. I could only pray that the Lazy Crow would be a little smarter and not expose my Existence. With its Speed and flying advantage, getting rid of the Enemies In Front of it shouldn't be difficult.
The Lazy Crow was immersed in the satisfaction of success. There was nothing happier than seeing the effort one put in bear fruit. After dragging the Hammer back later, how would Master reward it?
Huh, why did the Surroundings suddenly turn dark? The Lazy Crow, intoxicated in its world of joy, suddenly felt the Light dim. It raised its round Head in dissatisfaction, wanting to see which tactless fellow dared to cause trouble when someone was enjoying the joy of success.
It lifted its Head and only saw that a Wall seemed to have suddenly appeared In Front.
What's going on? When did this thing appear? It continued to raise its Head higher, following the base of the Wall upwards, until its neck was almost vertical to the Sky. Only then did it realize that the top of the Wall seemed to have two faces growing on it, and the eyes on those faces were currently wide open, emitting Killing Intent towards it.
"Caw caw..."
The Lazy Crow felt a few drops of sweat appear on its Brain. It called out a few friendly sounds to the two "Walls," seemingly wanting to explain that it had no Malice. Then, realizing its Claws were still gripping the Hammer, it quickly released its grip and jumped away to show its innocence. Afterward, it cautiously extended a single Claw and pushed the Hammer towards the "Wall" with a pair of horns growing on its face, calling out a few fawning sounds.
What greeted it, naturally, was a huge Fist.
"Caw caw..."
The Lazy Crow, whose attempt at showing goodwill failed, screamed and flew up. Only then did it realize it was inside the House and couldn't shake off the Enemies using Height. Facing the Presence of the two Boss-level Monsters, it panicked. It actually forgot that besides Height, it also had Speed to rely on. Shaking off two Mini-Bosses with Extra Strong Stats wasn't very difficult. It flapped its Wings and subconsciously flew towards its Master. For it, only there was the safest place.
"Oh my god..."
Seeing the Lazy Crow, after causing a fuss, immediately flew towards me without even a second of thought, I groaned painfully. Please don't suddenly develop a sense of trust in me at such a troublesome time!
By the time I stepped out from my hiding place, the Lazy Crow had already dragged the two mountain-like Mini-Bosses rushing towards me. What should I do? Facing two Mini-Bosses, fight or not fight?
"Woof..."
Light Snow , who had been lying beside me, suddenly stood up, full of Battle Intent, and let out a low growl towards the other side. An excited expression was revealed in its eyes.
Sigh. I'm impressed by you guys. Why do all my Summons have such unique personalities? There's clearly a simpler Method, but you just have to choose this most tiring Battle Method.
I shrugged helplessly and smiled. Just treat it as an Experience. The opportunity to deal with two Mini-Bosses simultaneously isn't something you just stumble upon.
It seemed that the muscular Shaman named Maldas was slightly weaker in Strength/Power, so the Tactics were quickly decided. In Fact, even before the Lazy Crow exposed itself, I had already considered the Method to deal with them simultaneously. Was I actually expecting this situation to happen all along? Was it the innate adventure factor of a Man at work again?
Sigh... This actually doesn't count as much of an adventure, right?
While undergoing Werebear Transformation, I rushed forward together with Light Snow and the others. The Tactics were simple. I would hold back the strongest Blacksmith by myself, while Light Snow , Poison Creeper, and the others would seize the time to take down Maldas.
"Roar..."
I roared loudly and was the first to greet the Blacksmith enthusiastically with my bear Claws. The others then rushed towards Maldas. With Light Snow and Poison Creeper, these two Elites, plus the four Ghost Wolves and the Lazy Crow's Harassment, dealing with Maldas, who only had half Health remaining after fighting the Blacksmith, was just a matter of Time.
Grabbing the Blacksmith's waist, I pushed hard, trying to separate the two battlefields so that Light Snow and the others could focus on dealing with Maldas. As for why I grabbed its waist? Damn it, the Blacksmith was four meters tall, and I was only a little over three meters tall after Werebear Transformation. At most, I was only half a Head taller than Maldas, and I only reached up to the Blacksmith's Chest. If I didn't grab its waist, did I have to hug its thigh instead?
But soon, I realized I was overly confident in my own Strength. All along, in Werebear Form, I hadn't encountered an Opponent/Rival with Strength stronger than mine, so Instinctively I wanted to knock the Blacksmith away with my own Strength. But the moment we just made contact, I knew I was wrong, and very wrong. That Feeling was like trying to block a tank with bare hands. The Blacksmith's Body just paused for a moment, and instead, it grabbed my shoulder. In an instant, I only felt as if my shoulders were firmly fixed in place by two large pincers, pinched painfully, and I couldn't move at all. I remained in the bullfighting (bear?) stance, with my hands wrapped around the Blacksmith's waist and my Head against its abdomen, and was continuously pushed forward by it. Even though my feet had crushed the hard brown Stone Ground, it couldn't stop the Blacksmith's Footsteps at all, only leaving two deep scratches and Stone Fragments on the Ground in vain.
Damn it, I estimate this Strength can compare with a Level 30 Barbarian. No wonder they say the Blacksmith already has Strength/Power approaching Andariel. I started to regret my carelessness. To deal with the Blacksmith, Werewolf Transformation would be better, right?
Just as the Blacksmith was about to push me to the Corner, I quickly reverted to my original Body, taking advantage of the situation to break free from the Blacksmith's restraint, and then went around it to get behind it.
"Howl..."
An arrogant Wolf Howl echoed in the Secret Room. I didn't suppress the hearty and unrestrained roar during the Shapeshifting at all. Anyway, there were two Bosses pressing down here, so even if I wanted to lure monsters, I couldn't.
The Blacksmith's huge Body was unexpectedly agile. At this moment, it had already turned its Head. Seeing that I had changed appearance, it seemed slightly startled, and then immediately rushed over. It had once again gripped that Hammer in its hand, which was raised high and smashing towards me.
If I were hit by that Hammer, I estimate that not to mention Stun, I could be directly knocked flying and end up as a level 3 cripple. Even Maldas had its Skin and flesh split open by its Hammer. I asked myself, I don't have that kind of Defense, so now I can only Dodge far away.
"Boom..."
The Blacksmith's Hammer smashed where I had just been standing, and a half-meter deep Crater immediately appeared on the Ground. Countless Stone Fragments exploded outwards, scraping painfully against my face which I couldn't dodge in time. Just now when watching from the side, I didn't feel much, only now when truly facing the Blacksmith could I deeply experience its terrifying Strength. Moreover, the moment that Hammer struck the Ground, it seemed to ignite a burst of flames, and the Ground faintly had a burnt smell. Only then did I notice the Hammer's color; it was actually a slightly reddish Glow. Could it be that after the Blacksmith's long-term use, it already possessed a certain amount of Fire Damage? Damn it, Cain didn't note it in the Book either. I quickly changed the Helmet I was currently using to a Skull Cap that added Fire Resistance.
Fortunately, although the Attack was fierce, dodging it wasn't difficult. It's not that its Speed wasn't fast enough; on the contrary, that mountain-like Body actually had the Dexterity and Speed of a Fallen. It's just that the Blacksmith's Brain wasn't very flexible, and its Tactics and Attack Pattern were too simple. It often just rushed In Front of you and then swung the Hammer straight down, making it very easy for people to guess its Movement and dodge it. Otherwise, its Strength/Power would definitely not be much weaker than Andariel.
Therefore, until Maldas let out a mournful and unwilling scream, the Blacksmith's Hammer still hadn't landed on my Body even once. Even so, the fur that accidentally brushed past the Hammer was also scorched black. Damn, the Hammer indeed had Fire Damage Stats attached.
Seeing Light Snow and the others rush over, I knew there was no more suspense in this Battle. The only regret was not being able to fight against the Mini-Boss named Maldas, and not being able to see Light Snow and the others' exquisite group attack Tactics.
Under normal circumstances, besides Hardened Skin, Bosses with Stats like Extra Strong have the highest Defense, and their Health is also the thickest among all special Stats. The Blacksmith and Maldas fought for so long and could still jump around lively; this is the reason. Among everyone, only my Attack and Light Snow 's Attack could deal relatively high Damage to the Blacksmith. The other four Ghost Wolves were mostly only Responsible for Harassment. Originally, I also wanted to switch to the Divine Language Staff to properly utilize its high Attack and the 5-30 points of Fire Damage attached to it, but I didn't expect Fire Damage to not be very effective. That's right, dealing with the Stove year-round, it could also gain a bit of Fire Resistance.
So I could only settle for the next best thing, retreating far from the Battlefield. Blizzard and Polar Storm were cast in turns. I didn't expect the effect to be surprisingly good. The Blacksmith's Cold Resistance seemed relatively low. As soon as the Chill hit, its Movement slowed down, and the other four Ghost Wolves, with relatively weak Defense, immediately became much safer.
Of course, to deal with this kind of Monster with high Defense, the real killing move was still Poison Creeper. The corrosive potent poison attached to its Attack is definitely not something mere Defense can resist. Therefore, our main Quest was still to provide good cover for it.
The Blacksmith, who originally only had a little over half Life remaining, in the end only lasted for a little over ten minutes. After letting out a final tearing roar, it raised the Hammer high, but it never fell again. Its Body, standing straight like an iron tower, even though it was already dead, still exuded a powerful aura. After a good while, it only then stiffly fell onto the Ground.
"Howl..."
Just as I impatiently went closer, wanting to see what good Equipment dropped, the four Ghost Wolves, who had been standing motionless since the Blacksmith died, suddenly all howled towards the Sky. A powerful Presence emanated from their Bodies, and the four grey Bodies were gradually surrounded by milky white Light.
Could it be...?