Facing the tide-like surge of Brutes, Leo felt a surge of heroic pride in his heart. Only a dangerous moment like this could ignite the fighting spirit of a true man.
"Everyone, fall back! Fast, fast, fast! To that corner behind us, it's narrower there." While shouting orders, he retreated swiftly, looking for a terrain that would prevent the enemy from firing their volley all at once.
After rounding a few corners, they found a passageway that could accommodate at most a dozen Brutes entering at a time.
Leo activated Lightning Resist. A white aura appeared beneath everyone's feet; they felt the hairs on their bodies stand on end. They were enveloped in static electricity from head to toe, as if they had become a part of the electrical current itself. Raising his light shield to protect his vitals, Leo blocked the passageway and waited quietly for the monsters to arrive.
Gerdie quickly applied the buffs. Her current damage could no longer keep up with the pace; facing monsters with long-range output, her priority was to pull out her shield and protect the backline.
The Brutes charged in shortly after. Majesty immediately used Cloak of Shadows; the Brutes in the front lost their vision and fell into confusion, being shoved to the ground by the monsters surging in from behind. The Lightning Sentries on the ground continuously spat out lightning dragons, but unfortunately, the Brutes were also masters of electricity. The damage caused by the lightning element was very poor, so she eventually resorted to using Mind Blast with her Shadow Warrior to control the battlefield from the rear.
Having suffered a loss once before, Inceyste did not dare teleport into such a chaotic melee lightheartedly. After finishing the Enchant for everyone, she stood one step back to Leo's right.
Leo looked at the enemy; atop their heads rotated a golden lightning sphere. It turned out they had learned the Sorceress's Energy Shield, which could use mana to absorb damage instead of health.
White ice crystals swirled around her well-proportioned figure, giving her a dreamlike appearance. The Sorceress's divine skill Frozen Armor could increase defense, and crucially, it could freeze enemies who dealt melee damage to her; many times, life and death were decided in just such an instant.
Inceyste had finally "seen the light." Although she still insisted on melee combat, she had learned every spell that could enhance her safety and add elemental damage.
Max commanded his summons into the fray while he hid in the back, continuously using Amplify Damage to curse the enemies. The massive Clay Golem charged directly into the mob, triggering its special effect; whether it was an enemy hit by the Golem or one that hit the Golem, their joints were covered in muck, and their speed slowed significantly.
The Golem soon met a heroic death, but basically all the Brutes in the passageway had been slowed. The remaining Skeleton Warriors stood as disciplined guards on the two flanks of the pair, waiting for the Brutes' impact.
Buckle's Dire Wolf had long since hidden in the back, incessantly chasing the Heart of Wolverine for fun. It seemed to love the aura, which spread across the ground like massive, expanding crimson rose petals. The Dire Wolf jumped repeatedly, stomping on the petals with its front legs in turn, happy as a child weighing over a hundred pounds.
The honest man looked at the Dire Wolf with envy, and his eyes gradually lit up. He wasn't sure if it was because the passageway was narrow or because the casting distance was closer, but the hit rate of his Tornados had become higher.
As for the two archers, Thales took the lead in the attack, raining various output skills upon the monsters; many monsters fell on their way forward.
Shika chose a more auxiliary style of play, continuously maintaining Slow Missiles, a skill that could reduce the shooting speed of opponents, while picking off already wounded enemies.
A large number of Brutes died on the charging path. A few of the more rational ones attacked with lightning bolts, but the effect was poor; not only was the flight speed slow and easy to dodge, but with the boost from Lightning Resist, the damage dealt to the group was also very low.
With great difficulty, a few "fish that slipped through the net" rushed in front of the pair. Driven by the instinct to bully the weak and fear the strong, they wanted to tear open this woman's body and have a good taste of fresh flesh. Unfortunately, while the excited expression still lingered on their faces, their health bars were emptied by an even more ferocious Inceyste, their bodies slumping limply to the ground.
Seeing how savage this woman was, the other Brutes charging up chose to attack Leo. Unfortunately, they had chosen the wrong opponent. Leo used Zeal, his blade falling with every lift of his hand; the Blood Crescent in his hand transformed into several rounds of blood moons. The Brutes simply could not get close before turning into fragments that covered the floor.
The monsters that had already rushed in desperately wanted to leave this hell, while the monsters behind were still immersed in the dream of fresh flesh, struggling to surge in. During this round of frantic shoving, the Brutes lost their last chance, and the group took the opportunity to finish off a massive number of monsters.
Seeing fewer and fewer monsters surging from behind, Leo launched a Counter-Charge, slaughtering his way into the mob. The scimitar in his hand became a crimson blood-line, demarcating the boundary between life and death. Inceyste also went back to her old trade, continuously teleporting to backstab isolated monsters.
The Brutes finally broke and began a grand rout, turning to flee toward the exit of the Underground Passage. The group gave chase to the fleeing monsters; only the last dozen or so escaped into the Dark Wood.
They cleaned up the battlefield happily. Although it was still gold coins and "blue skies and white clouds," a piece of equipment dropped that made Leo very satisfied: Amber Greaves, 6 Defense, +40% Lightning Resist. He tossed them into his space for analysis.
Finally, they were leaving this godforsaken place, the Underground Passage. The open environments of the Diablo world were already quite gloomy, but this underground space was even more oppressive; a normal person certainly couldn't stand staying here for long.
The Dark Wood, Tree Inifuss.
The vitality of the Sacred Tree was becoming increasingly weak under the pressure of Hell's power. The area of the forest it could protect was also shrinking rapidly; a vast number of trees were dying, rotting, and collapsing.
The beasts that originally lived here in peace and contentment were also greatly affected, their temperaments becoming more and more irritable. Under the infiltration of Hell's aura and the torment of food shortages, these omnivorous animals became incredibly bloodthirsty, seizing any living thing that could be stuffed into their mouths. These actions were merely for survival, but unfortunately, their behavior only pushed them further into the abyss.
Treehead Woodfist, this once-gentle symbiotic creature of the Sacred Tree, had become extraordinarily violent, instinctively destroying all outsiders who entered the forest.
With a loud roar, this beast leader stopped his movements and threw a mangled Brute out of the forest. Although he was nearing semi-madness, Treehead Woodfist was still restraining himself, suppressing the bloodthirsty desire in his heart and throwing away this flesh filled with Hell's power.
His originally emerald-green fur had turned black-green. Lately, the black-tinged green fur had gradually become more green and less black. It seemed the concentration of Hell's aura had suddenly dropped, and the strength originally suppressed by Hell's power was gradually recovering.
Especially a few days ago, after a cloaked human had knocked him down, he didn't know what they had done to him. His reason had begun to gradually return, and he could slowly suppress his violent impulses. But having regained his reason, facing this situation that drove beasts to despair, he didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse.
Entering the Dark Wood, the view suddenly opened up. Although this should also be a basin, it was completely different from other places; it was no longer lifeless. One could feel a faint vitality from the surrounding environment. The vegetation wasn't simply contaminated black-green; a few tender shoots were a normal emerald green, and many small animals were active on the grass and in the forest.
In the middle of the forest, a giant white tree was very conspicuous. Although the distance was still quite far, it emphasized its presence through its tall trunk. Leo felt its height had caught up to an elevator building from his previous life; the diameter at breast height and ground diameter were immeasurable. Unfortunately, the leaves on the crown had withered, leaving only bare branches—otherwise, it would surely be even more breathtaking.
"Is it this giant tree, whose vitality is gradually fading, that protects this forest?" After Buckle finished speaking, his expression was sorrowful. He solemnly knelt on both knees and performed a grand Druid salute toward the giant tree.