Chapter 45 Choosing Slow Death
[Player fzy is ranked 00001st in this server to upgrade their camp to level 4]
【？？？】
[Am I mistaken? Wasn't it just upgraded to level 3 yesterday?]
If I remember correctly, it was indeed yesterday.
[What kind of speed is that? Is it a rocket?]
[What?! Launching a rocket? I think that's cheating!]
Upgrading the camp is so difficult, how did you manage to do it so quickly?
We're not playing the same game. He's playing a hacked version, the kind with unlimited materials and unlimited stamina. (Huang Dou laughs and cries)
[@fzy, what's a level 4 camp like? Show me!]
The channel was buzzing with discussion, but Fang Zhiyi didn't have time to check it. Instead, he looked around at the newly renovated camp in front of him.
The most noticeable change upon upgrading to level 4 is that the snow on the ground has vanished, replaced by stone bricks. Following the intricate network of paths, one finds buildings such as the exchange, weapon shop, and intermediate crafting station in succession from the entrance.
The campfire in the center was set up in the shape of a small square wooden cabin, with flames shooting high, more than a meter tall, and the firewood crackling inside. Next to the campfire, instead of tents, was a walled and tiled shelter. Further on, the hot spring gurgled and emitted misty steam.
Looking around, his gaze fell on the wall.
The walls surrounding the camp were also reinforced. The watchtowers, catapults, arrow towers, and walls that had been built earlier were integrated into a single, climbable corner tower, providing a clear view of everything happening below. The arrow towers were placed in recesses in the walls, next to the catapults. They formed a strange connection with the defensive towers; as long as there was sufficient ammunition, they would automatically attack any enemy that appeared within range.
It was more of a fortress than a camp.
Fang Zhiyi glanced at the time.
There are 45 minutes left until the monster frenzy arrives.
He still has a lot to do.
First, let's look at what came out of the strange treasure chest.
[Advanced Toxin Agent]
[Consumes (poisoning) effect, -10 stamina per second]
Forest Longbow
The Forest Spirit's Lost Weapon
[Accuracy +50, Range +50]
The Great Elf's Blessing
May the pure spirits bless you.
[Speed +100%, Strength +100%, Stamina +100% for 1 hour]
【Fountain of Life】
[A spring imbued with mysterious power]
[Just one drop is all it takes to instantly heal any injury.]
【Camp Skin (Forest)】
Make your campsite vibrant!
[After use, camp defense increases by 10%, plant growth speed within 10 meters increases by 10%, and after charging, the (Plant Entanglement) skill can be used once to attack enemies.]
Fang Zhiyi changed to the camp skin.
A tiny green sprout broke through the soil and grew wildly in an instant, sweeping across the entire camp like a tidal wave.
Emerald green ivy twined around the city wall, its leaves rustling in the wind. Thorny brambles coiled in the moat, their barbs sharp and dense. Nettles remained silent, seemingly harmless, their edges dotted with tiny white flowers, full of vitality.
[fzy's Level 4 Forest Camp+]
[Camp Skill: Plant Entanglement]
[Charging time: 00:59:59]
That's not enough.
Even after upgrading his camp to level 4, Fang Zhiyi still felt unsafe, recalling yesterday's monster frenzy.
They made a whole bunch of bone spike traps at the weapons shop and placed them all around the camp.
Lightning leopards lead the way in the monster frenzy, so traps are not very effective, but they can slow down the monsters' advance and relieve pressure on the camp.
A row of bone spike traps was set up, and large snowflakes fell, quickly burying the sharp bone spikes underneath.
Following the location he remembered, Fang Zhiyi avoided the traps and carefully retreated back to the camp.
Aside from the lightning-fast and invisible Lightning Leopard, other monsters are also quite troublesome.
Rats have sharp teeth that can gnaw through even the strongest city walls, and more importantly, their numbers are countless; poisonous bats swarm from the air, able to cross trenches and attack the camp directly; and there are also rock tigers with intelligence comparable to humans, capable of strategizing and deploying troops...
Just thinking about it gives me a headache.
Ordinary weapons were no match for them. Fang Zhi hesitated for a moment, then took out a high-grade poison from his backpack.
Upon opening the lid, a wisp of green smoke emerged.
The entire potion was poured into the container, about 20ml in size. The liquid was a deep green color, reflecting the firelight like an emerald.
He took out several pounds of meat from the supermarket and mixed it with the poison.
The green liquid seeped into the meat, causing a chemical reaction that made the meat more tender and gave it a meaty aroma.
Meat of unknown origin
Delicious, but deadly.
Fang Zhiyi made another batch of rat traps, stuffed them with scraps of meat, and placed them under the city wall. Some of the meat was also placed on animal traps as bait.
After finishing the external arrangements, he synthesized enough arrows.
There are 99 arrows in total: ordinary arrows, burning arrows, lightning arrows, freezing arrows, and so on.
With all preparations complete, all that's left is to wait for the monster frenzy to arrive.
[Area] [Winter Survival] [36423/73000]
Help! I'm so scared!
My campsite is still in terrible condition, what should I do?
"Lying down and complacency are obsolete."
I've realized that this game is simply impossible for a human to beat; it doesn't give us any chance of survival.
I miss home qaq
[Since I'm going to be eliminated anyway, I'm going to go all out against these monsters. Killing a lot or a little is always a win!]
Count me in!
I do have a wicked cultivation method that can ward off monsters.
[Place an ear]
Stop beating around the bush and just say it!
[Aren't there stone walls around the camp? Leave all the materials there, and when the monsters attack, ignore everything else and just focus on building the stone walls. That way, the monsters won't be able to get in.]
[...]
What kind of method is this?
[Exactly, if I had all this material, would I need you to tell me?]
Other players may not have that many materials, but it's not a problem for Fang Zhiyi.
After glancing at the storage box, which was overflowing with wood and stones, I considered this method as a backup option.
He turned around and climbed up the corner tower of the city wall, changing his title to "Snow Hunter".
My vision suddenly sharpened, and everything in my field of vision was completely different. It was as if I had gone from nearsightedness to 5.3 vision; the gray sky became clear, and I could even see the patterns on the snowflakes.
After staring at the snow for a while, I noticed a surge of darkness in the distance. The clock hands clicked and stopped at 6 PM, as if the gate to another world had opened, and figures stepped out, their outlines gradually becoming clearer.
A lean and agile lightning leopard darted through the darkness, bats flapped their wings and circled, snow wolves roared to the sky... and a rock tiger was surrounded by them.
It was probably because I had put on the title of [Snow Hunter] that the passive skill of Detection was triggered. I noticed that the Rock Tiger was bigger than yesterday, with an ice crystal on its forehead and pieces of ice condensing around it as it moved.
Moreover, the number and variety of monsters are greater than yesterday.
[Monster Frenzy Upgrade Version Coming Soon]
More monsters, more thrilling challenges, and more rewards! The monster frenzy will last for one hour. Players, please hold your camp and strive to survive!
I never expected that monster frenzy could be upgraded.
He wanted to swear.
[...what game]
I get it, this stupid game is just trying to kill us.
I'm quitting! Eliminate me!
"It's just death, right? You stupid game, I'll beat you to a pulp!"
The players were furious, each hurling increasingly vulgar insults, turning the chat into a veritable meeting of national treasures, brimming with profanity.
Perhaps sensing the players' anger and resentment, the game sent out another notification after much delay.
Players can choose to withstand the monsters' attacks for one hour, or they can choose to kill the monster lord, forcing the monsters to retreat early and never dare to attack again.
[…Damn, a fast cat with 180 HP, how can we possibly beat it?]
The monster boss I was matched with was a giant bat with 120 HP, thankfully.
[There are spiders outside my camp! I have a phobia of insects!]
Fang Zhiyi looked at the group of monsters.
bite!
A crisp sound rang out.
A red dot lit up above the head of the Rock Tiger.
[Monster Lord Strength Matched to Camp Level]
As soon as he finished speaking, a line of data appeared on Bao Yanhu's body.
【Tyrannosaurus Rex】
[Stamina 280/280]
[Invigorating] [Monster Lord]
Fang Zhiyi clearly sensed the game's malice.
First, there's the issue of his leveling progress being blocked, and then there's the rule that the higher the camp level, the stronger the monsters become. It would be hard to believe this isn't targeting him.
This monster lord has 280 HP, possesses intelligence surpassing that of ordinary monsters, and is an ice-type, giving it a unique advantage in icy and snowy environments. Its strength is simply off the charts.
Fang Zhiyi took a deep breath, not having time to dwell on it too much. The monster horde was coming.
Lightning Leopard once again led the charge.
The leopard has sleek lines and agile movements. It runs across the snow, sometimes dashing and sometimes turning into a streak of black smoke, lightly leaping over traps buried in the snow.
This time, Fang Zhiyi learned his lesson and set up plenty of traps, placing them densely. Even if the Lightning Leopard could get through, other large monsters would step on them.
Sure enough, not long after, a mournful scream echoed from the snow. Sharp, dense bone spikes pierced the monsters' feet, inflicting the negative effects of [Injury] and [Bleeding], leaving bloodstains on the white snow. The monsters struggled forward, but after only a few steps, they bled to death and turned into a streak of white light.
You killed the unicorn elephant.
You killed the long-haired dog.
You have killed...
However, bone spike traps also have durability; after a maximum of two monsters step on them, the bones will fall to the ground.
Upon seeing this, the Rock Tiger let out a low growl.
The monsters stirred for a moment, and then a turtle with a shell rolled out from among them.
The tortoise shrank into its shell, curling into a ball. The Rock Tiger grabbed it and pushed it forward with all its might. The tortoise ball crashed down from the height, rolling faster and faster until it became a streak of white light, rolling towards the camp.
The turtle's shell is sturdy. As it rolled over the traps, the bone spikes not only failed to penetrate its shell, but were instead crushed into dust.
The monster behind roared and hurried to catch up.
Having escaped the bone spike trap, a swarm of rats filed out, ready to gnaw at the stone wall again. But before they even got close, they were greeted by an enticing aroma.
"Squeak squeak".
"Squeak squeak squeak".
The rats were lured into the rat trap. Some got trapped inside and couldn't get out, while others took a bite of the fresh meat and immediately fell flat on their backs, dying from the poison.
In an instant, the rats were thrown into complete chaos.
The Snow Rock Tiger roared, trying to stop the rats from running around. But rats are timid and not very bright; they have difficulty accepting complex commands and scatter in all directions, completely out of control.
The Rock Tiger slammed its fist into the ground.
The other monsters stopped watching and began to attack the camp.
Seeing the beast shadows moving below, Fang Zhiyi decisively activated the catapults and arrow towers.
We didn't use it before because it was too wasteful to use ammunition on rats. Now that the main force is out, it can finally be put to good use.
call out--
Bang!
Arrows fell, and stones flew everywhere.
Some monsters were knocked to the ground by the stone projectiles, some struggled and rolled with several arrows in their bodies, and many more charged towards the camp's city walls.
Fortunately, the camp walls were sturdy, with thorns spreading out in the middle. The monsters charging at the front were pierced by the thorns, bleeding profusely, but they seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to ram into the walls like madmen.
There were just too many monsters, surging in from all directions. Even with catapults, arrow towers, and defensive towers all activated, they couldn't stop wave after wave of monster attacks.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Standing on the city wall, Fang Zhiyi could clearly feel the constant tremors below. With the monsters' attacks, the stone walls shook, fine sand fell in a rustling sound, and the camp's defenses were also continuously collapsing.
The stone wall on the right is damaged and requires 10 stones to repair.
The stone wall on the left is damaged and requires 20 stones to repair.
【rear……】
Fortunately, there were enough stones, which instantly turned into white light and merged into the stone wall.
Fang Zhiyi has two choices.
One option is to use a large amount of materials to repair the city walls and survive an hour of monster frenzy; the other is to kill the monster lord and end it all ahead of time.
The former seeks stability; no matter what, the stones they've stockpiled are enough to get them through this period.
The latter is too risky, and most people wouldn't choose to do it. After all, why take a risk when you can live one day at a time?
but--
A small but resilient spark ignited in Fang Zhiyi's eyes.
The monster horde's onslaught grows stronger each day. We've weathered today, but tomorrow brings an even fiercer retribution.
Besides, the monster hordes are endless and tireless, while the materials for repairing damaged camps increase in tiers. No matter how many materials you have, they will eventually run out. If you choose to do this, it's like grinding your flesh with a dull knife; you'll be dragged down to your death sooner or later.
Rather than waiting for a slow death, it's better to take advantage of the monster horde while it's still manageable and kill the monster lord directly.
Fang Zhiyi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his amber eyes showing no sign of retreat.
Taking a step forward, I saw that the monsters below the city wall had accumulated to a terrifying number, their dark, surging figures filling even the deep and long trenches.
The monster pounced, biting and clawing, leaving claw marks on the stone wall.
Fang Zhiyi slowly stretched out his hand, turned his palm over, and pressed down hard.
[Plants entwining!]
Camp skills have long cooldown times, so you have to time them carefully.
In an instant, countless green fluorescent lights floated in mid-air, twinkling and illuminating the snow-covered ground.
The monsters paused, looking around in confusion.
Rustling.
The ivy on the wall swayed in the wind, and countless vines suddenly burst out from the ground, wrapping around the monsters.
"roar--"
"quack!"
A cacophony of cries rose and fell as the monsters struggled desperately, but the vines tightened their grip, dragging them underground to serve as nourishment for their growth.
The vines came and went without a trace, and the shimmering light floating in mid-air also vanished completely, leaving only a dull gnawing sound from the ground.
The monsters near the camp have been cleared out, creating a period of calm.
Fang Zhiyi gazed into the distance, his eyes piercing through the falling snowflakes and landing precisely on the Violent Rock Tiger.
He curled his lips into a defiant smile: "That's all?"
As if afraid that the raging rock tiger wouldn't hear, it raised its thumb from afar and then turned to point at the ground.
"Don't waste your energy, just go back, wash up, and go to sleep."
A blatant provocation.
It's like slapping a rock tiger across the face and then asking if the force was too weak.
The raging rock tiger could not withstand such stimulation. It let out a long howl, and darkness surged as countless strange monsters stepped out.
The monsters were eager to attack, but were stopped by a single look from the Violent Rock Tiger. It leaped down from the height, causing a flurry of snow and mist to rise. As soon as it regained its footing, it shot towards Fang Zhiyi like an arrow released from a bow.
The figure of the Rock Tiger gradually became clear.
It is over 3 meters long, with shoulders about the same height as an adult man. It is huge but not bulky, and its movements are still agile. When it runs, its fur flows like water, and it arrives in front of you in the blink of an eye.
"roar--"
The Fiery Tiger opened its mouth, and a cloud of icy mist surged out, spraying onto the stone wall.
Squeak.
The frost condensed and spread, instantly climbing up the city wall and reaching Fang Zhiyi's feet.
A biting chill swept over me, and a thin layer of frost covered my hair.
Behind me, the campfire flickered, as if a giant hand in the shadows had stolen away the warmth and light.
Fang Zhiyi gripped the forest longbow, nocked an arrow, and drew the bow. A faint spark of fire condensed on the arrowhead, and with a "whoosh," it shot out, aiming not at the raging rock tiger, but at the city wall beneath his feet.
boom!
The flames spread, and as the fire touched the ice, wisps of white mist rose. Under the high temperature generated by the explosion and combustion, the ice and snow melted, and the temperature gradually rose.
The campfire was reignited, filling the air with warmth.
Shaking off the frost from his hair, Fang Zhiyi drew his longbow and fired three arrows in a single volley.
The arrow spun rapidly and shot through the air.
The first arrow was an ice arrow.
A human-like mockery flashed in the eyes of the Rock Tiger. It shook its fur, neither dodging nor avoiding. The frost formed by the ice arrows landed on its body, but instead of causing harm, it was absorbed and intertwined with its fur, forming a piece of ice armor.
The second arrow was a burning arrow.
The Violent Rock Tiger intended to show Fang Zhiyi its power, and instead of trying to dodge, it used its ice armor to catch the arrow.
The flames sizzled as they touched the ice armor, and countless water droplets fell. The Rock Tiger was unharmed, striding proudly through the flames, its body gleaming like a war god.
But just then, the third arrow arrived.
The Wild Rock Tiger let out a soft snort, calmly stepped aside, and brushed past the arrow with disdain.
But the arrows were never aimed at it; they were aimed at a puddle of water that had been melted by the fire.
Because the third arrow shot was a lightning arrow.
The arrowhead, entwined with lightning, crackled with electricity the instant it touched the water, and swiftly pierced the body of the Rock Tiger, following the direction of the falling water droplets.
The tiger was caught off guard by the electric shock.
It twitched, its hair stood on end, a bolt of lightning flashed, scorching a charred patch, and it opened its mouth to exhale a wisp of black smoke.
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