The monsters in the [Instance: Niutou Stronghold] were rather honorable, or perhaps it was their inherent AI that limited their true potential.
If they had all charged out of the gate for a field battle at once, instead of advancing in waves, the Mystic Armor Squad would have been wiped out long ago, with no chance to rotate members and rest.
These soldiers weren't players, after all. Their seemingly stable combat performance was actually affected by numerous factors like stamina, morale, and pain.
"Hooked sickle spears, ready! Feint with the thrust, hook for real. Prioritize control over injury."
As the Divine Armored Soldiers passed through the stronghold's gate, Zhou Yuan finally got a look at the interior of Niutou Stronghold.
It was a stronghold that made full use of the mountain's topography, with its buildings constructed into the mountainside in a terraced layout.
While the uneven, multi-leveled terrain would hinder the movements of the Mystic Armor Squad, it was perfect for the Divine Arm Warriors, who could fire from various positions.
In the center of the stronghold was a wooden platform, from which a long flagpole flew a banner. On a black cloth background, a strikingly vivid ox-head was painted in white.
Four bandits stood guard at the corners, and on a wooden chair beside the flagpole sat a burly man wearing half-plate iron armor and a red bandana.
Above his head was not only an HP bar and his identity information, but after the words [Level 5 Bandit Leader], there was even a crimson skull icon.
Zhou Yuan was no stranger to this; in some games, boss-level monsters did indeed have special markers.
"Starting the boss fight already? Isn't this a bit rash?"
"Divine Arm Warriors, rapid fire! Take out the four guards first!"
With Military Sima Cai Cheng's command, the boss battle officially began.
His Level 8 Bow Control skill gave Zhou Yuan a unique rhythm for handling his bow. Not only was his firing speed incredibly fast, but the stamina cost of drawing the bow was also reduced.
As a result, before the other four Divine Arm Warriors had even killed their targets, he had already fired consecutive shots, taking down two of the bandit guards with headshots.
But his explosive damage output also drew the boss's aggro. The bandit leader snatched up his thick-backed saber, leaped down from the platform, and charged straight for Zhou Yuan.
"Mystic Armor Squad, advance to engage! Divine Arm Warriors, spread out and snipe!"
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Military Sima Cai Cheng was incredibly reliable. Even though the bandit leader was clearly targeting Zhou Yuan, he led the Mystic Armor Squad to intercept him.
*Clang!*
The heavy saber struck the iron-plated tower shield like a sledgehammer, cleaving a deep gash into the thick shield.
At this point, Zhou Yuan couldn't spare a thought for the other Divine Arm Warriors. He scrambled onto a patch of high ground and unleashed a desperate, non-stop barrage of arrows.
Amazingly, the man's skull was incredibly hard. The Armor-Piercing Arrows couldn't penetrate it, only managing to tear off chunks of flesh or lodge themselves in the bone seams.
Enraged by these heavy blows, the bandit leader ignored the Mystic Armor Squad right next to him and turned to lunge at Zhou Yuan.
"Hook and lock!"
"Sir!"
The ten hooked sickle spears showed their might. The Mystic Armor soldiers used every ounce of their strength to forcibly drag the bandit leader back.
This maneuver changed the tide of battle once again.
The bandit leader's aggro shifted back to the Mystic Armor Squad behind him, and he spun around with a powerful slash.
Two Mystic Armor soldiers were sent stumbling backward, barely able to hold onto their tower shields. Seeing this, their comrades immediately stepped forward to fill the gap, stabilizing the defensive line.
At that moment, although the bandit leader was still as imposing as ever, he had already lost.
The combined forces of the Mystic Armor and Divine Arm squads had established their combat rhythm, leaving him a very narrow window to deal any damage.
Sure enough, the bandit leader charged at Zhou Yuan again in the next moment, and the Mystic Armor Squad once again dragged him back with their hooks.
This time, just as the bandit leader raised his heavy saber to counterattack, the Mystic Armor Squad braced their tower shields in defense.
[Ding! Level 5 Bandit Leader killed. EXP +200]
The terrifying, immense force never came. Instead, there was only the sound of something heavy thudding to the ground.
*Thud.*
The bandit leader, his head shot full of arrows like a pincushion, collapsed to the ground, leaving the Mystic Armor Squad, who were in the heat of battle, momentarily at a loss.
Something wasn't right. Usually, they'd have to drag him back five or six times and suffer several injuries. How did it go so smoothly today? Had the Demon Chieftain learned to play dead?
Among the bewildered soldiers, only Zhou Yuan and Military Sima Cai Cheng knew what had happened.
Zhou Yuan knew because he could see the HP bar; he had a clear idea of when the boss would die and how many more of his arrows it could take.
Military Sima Cai Cheng knew because he was experienced; he immediately attributed the battlefield anomaly to the newcomer.
"Newcomer, what's your name? How many arrows did you hit the Demon Chieftain with?"
*Sshhh.* Zhou Yuan slid down from the high ground and walked toward the Mystic Armor Squad, replying to the Military Sima as he went.
"Reporting to the Military Sima. This subordinate is Zhou Yuan. I fired eighteen arrows and landed all eighteen."
"What a Divine Archer! A fine young man! If you were a Mystic Armor soldier, your valor would make you fit to be a Secret Realm team leader."
It wasn't that Military Sima Cai Cheng looked down on archers, but that the role of a Secret Realm team leader valued fearlessness over killing power. Find the original chapter at g.com.
The Mystic Armor Squad, who charged at the front and absorbed all the damage, needed a fearless commander to lead them and inspire their fighting spirit.
Only by seeing their commander fight with complete disregard for his own safety could they unhesitatingly use their hooked sickle spears to drag back the Demon Chieftain, creating an opening for the Divine Arm Squad regardless of the danger.
"Thank you for your praise, Military Sima. It is not my valor, but the fierce and fearless nature of the Mystic Armor soldiers."
"It's rare to see one with such strength who isn't arrogant and understands the meaning of comradeship. You are indeed a promising talent."
Zhou Yuan walked over to the bandit leader's corpse and cupped his fist in a salute, as if thanking his comrades for their efforts.
In reality, he was casually stepping on a blue orb of light nearby, collecting the loot.
[Ding! Obtained Eight Styles of Breaking the Front x1, Gold-Inlaid Heavy Saber x1, Jade Essence Powder x3]
[Martial Skill: Eight Styles of Breaking the Front]
[Description: The saber has eight forms: Cleave, Hack, Up-swing, Chop, Sweep, Slap, Block, and Hook. Eight forms open eight fronts, yielding eight methods.]
[Medicine: Jade Essence Powder]
[Effect: Calms the spirit, suppresses spasms, relieves pain, and nourishes qi. Consumption soothes the meridians and nourishes internal energy.]
[Use: Quickly restores a small amount of True Qi and removes one pain-related negative status effect.]
The Eight Styles of Breaking the Front and the Jade Essence Powder were both excellent items. The Gold-Inlaid Heavy Saber, however, was rather ordinary—just a heavy steel saber decorated with gold lines.
While Zhou Yuan was examining the loot information, Military Sima Cai Cheng had already tallied up the credit for killing the Demon Chieftain.
The other four Divine Arm Warriors had landed a combined total of 21 arrows, an average of about five per person. Zhou Yuan alone had nearly outshot all of them.
This left the four veteran Divine Arm Warriors deeply ashamed, but the Mystic Armor Squad was overjoyed.
"Zhou Yuan, would you dare to be stationed in the Secret Realm? With your swift and powerful bow, you could help your Mystic Armor Squad comrades reduce casualties."
"If it helps my comrades, how could I refuse?"
Zhou Yuan had reaped great rewards from this single instance run. He was just trying to think of an excuse to farm it a few more times when Military Sima Cai Cheng gave him the perfect reason.
"Excellent. Don't leave the Commandant's Office for the next few days. We'll take advantage of your sharp archery and enter the Demon Secret Realm a few more times.
"Once you're mentally and physically exhausted, we'll give you a long leave to rest and recover."
"It is my duty. I will do my utmost to assault the Secret Realm."