Star Abyss Walker

Chapter 264 Deadwood Forest

I was taken aback. The dragon himself was issuing the task, and via WeChat no less! How interesting!
"Okay, tell me first, what's the urgent mission?"

"Here's the thing, 300 kilometers east of the Rising Wind Tundra, there's a forest of dead trees. It used to be a forbidden area, and for some reason, the entire forest suddenly lost all life decades ago. The people we sent to investigate couldn't find anything, so we didn't take the forest of dead trees seriously. But..."

After the first voice message ended, he quickly sent a second one: "But just two days ago, one of our Great Wall Watch scout teams went missing after entering the Deadwood Forest. We sent fighter jets to conduct aerial reconnaissance but found no clues. So we hope you can lead a team deep into the Deadwood Forest and, if possible, rescue that scout team!"

The moment I finished listening to Fang Ran's two voice messages, a system bell rang in my ears—

[System prompt: Accept the quest from Dragon General Fang Ran?]

This needs no further explanation, it's confirmed!
Another ringtone suddenly sounded in my ear—

[You have accepted the main quest: 〖The Deadwood Forest〗 (S-rank)! Quest objective: As requested by 〖Dragon General Fang Ran〗, venture into the Deadwood Forest to investigate. If you're lucky enough, you might be able to rescue the Crimson Dragon Kingdom soldiers trapped within. You will receive a very generous reward! Quest requirement 1: The rescue target 〖Superior Dragon Guard Luo Lin〗 must survive. Quest requirement 2: No one on your side must die during the entire quest! This quest can be shared with up to 9 teammates. Good luck!]

……

For a moment, I was thrilled. An S-rank outdoor main quest—the rewards would definitely be plentiful!

After dismissing Fang Ran, he immediately opened the game team channel and shouted, "Are you all still awake? Get ready to assemble! I've received an S-rank mission, and it's extremely urgent. Let's head over there right now!"

"I rely on..."

Cai Cai asked, "I was just starting to doze off. What mission did the boss take on?"

"coming!"

Ruolin and Koumei responded almost simultaneously.

Afterwards, Fatty, Hoya Asahi, and Kahei Chihiro also spoke, and the seven-person team was complete.

"Let's form a team first, and I'll share the mission remotely."

They quickly assembled the team and immediately clicked on the team sharing option in the mission. Instantly, a series of "ding-ding-ding" sounds appeared, and golden light icons appeared above the heads of Cai Cai, Ruo Lin, and others.

"Everyone, accept the mission."

"All right……"

Cai Cai exclaimed excitedly, "The Deadwood Forest, an S-rank main quest, awesome!"

"Have they all confirmed accepting the mission?"

"confirm!"

"OK, let's go. Meet at the player black market. We'll leave once everyone's there!"

"set off!"

In the dead of night, seven people sprang into action, launching a full-scale attack!
I opened the door to the room, and it was already dark outside. Lin Qingying had also gone back to her room.

"Xiao Ying, are you asleep?"

I asked a question from outside the door.

"Squeak~~"

The door opened a crack, and Lin Qingying, dressed in her pajamas, tilted her head to look at me, smiling as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"There is an emergency that I need to handle. I will be out for half a day or two or three days."

"Okay, come back soon!"

"it is good!"

I glanced at her one more time before leaving.

……

A dozen minutes later, the player black market appeared.

Everyone arrived quickly, speeding across the overpass on their off-road motorcycles late at night, and in the blink of an eye, all seven of them were gathered.

"Ding Han".

In the dead of night, Old Ma suddenly appeared, stopping abruptly in front of us with a bowl of stewed tofu and side dishes, and said with a smile, "Going out in the middle of the night?"

"Yes, an urgent mission!"

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you guys to come back~~~"

"Just you wait!"

The next moment, the group walked towards the phase teleportation array, paid to adjust the teleportation direction to the Rising Tundra, and stepped into the teleportation array one after another. Immediately, an even colder wind rushed towards them!

The cold winds of the North never cease, and they feel like knives on your face.

"I rely on..."

The fat man tucked his clothes in and said, "Coming to the Northern Border to carry out a mission in the middle of the night is truly torturous..."

Stop being so dramatic.

Cai Cai said, "Fatty, would you be willing to go back now?"

"What do you say?"

The fat man grinned and said, "With all my orange gear summoned, even if the Heavenly King himself told me to leave, I couldn't leave now!"

"Hahaha~~~"

The group burst into laughter, while I took out an off-road motorcycle from my interdimensional storage space and said, "Get ready to go. Everyone put on helmets and masks. The wind in the Northern Region is too cold at night. Don't inhale too much cold air and damage your lungs."

"Ok!"

Everyone took out their motorcycles, fully equipped, and set off together. Instantly, seven motorcycle lights sped across the wilderness in the pitch-black night.

……

Around 3 a.m.

After speeding for 200 kilometers, the team arrived at a wasteland. Opening the large map, they found that this was the edge of the Rising Wind Tundra. Further ahead was an unnamed wasteland. After crossing this wasteland, they could enter the Deadwood Forest map.

"Om~~~"

Suddenly, a crimson light burst forth in the darkness of the wilderness.

"What the hell?!"

I slammed on the brakes, and the off-road motorcycle spun out of control, heading toward a small hill in the distance. From afar, it seemed there was a small, abandoned house on the hill, and the crimson light was coming from inside it.

"Go over and have a look!"

At the command, everyone dismounted from their motorcycles, switched to their respective weapons, and headed straight for the hut.

Within the night vision goggles, there was a huge heat source inside the cabin. Just as we approached to within about 50 meters, a violent mechanical roar suddenly erupted, followed by the roof of the cabin being ripped off. A massive figure rushed out from inside, accompanied by a mechanical wail!
Metal Devourer, a fifth-tier mutant!

"Depend on……"

Cai Cai quickly aimed and fired, shouting, "Tier 5 mutants, everyone be careful!"

Not right.

I squinted and looked. This metal devourer's health bar was only 50%, and its body was covered in bloodstains. It looked old and was a fifth-tier mutant that was about to reach the end of its life.

"Only half health? Are we just lucky?" Huo Bingzhi said with a smug look on his face.

"That seems to be the case."

While shooting, Zhang Ruolin laughed and said, "Sure enough, you should always come and explore the big map of 'Star Abyss' when you have nothing to do. You can always make a little money."

Everyone agreed.

After emptying the magazines of the two bomb guns, I dashed out, switched my main weapon to a power sword, and released a Dragon Binding Rope. Immediately, the ground hummed, and golden vines burst out of the soil, trapping the huge body of the Metal Devourer in place!

"Ho~~~"

Inside the machine, the Metal Devourer's body roared, and the furnace on its chest spun with a rumbling sound, about to spew out high-temperature molten liquid!
"Whoosh!"

A short blade crackling with lightning flew out in the wind!
Energy Blade Throw!
With a "snap," the energy blade struck the metal devourer's abdomen, instantly sending currents surging through it and paralyzing its body in place. I seized the opportunity to burst into a charge and appeared behind it. I climbed onto its back in a few steps, traversing its weed-covered and rusty back, and swept my power sword across, slicing its water-cooling system in two!

"Buzz~~~"

The furnace inside the metal devourer rapidly began to overload!
I was too lazy to waste any more energy, so I raised my hand, pulled out the energy blade, and threw it into my storage space. With a single, chilling strike, I froze the BOSS in place. Then I took off running, not giving the Metal Devourer a chance to attack. After rushing dozens of meters away, I pulled out my UZI and started firing wildly!
The wasteland, which was originally dark, became lively because of our battle.

The metal devourer's furnace, about to overload, emitted intense flames, while the muzzles of our seven guns spat fire, each bullet turning into a streak of black fire that quickly streaked away. The scene was simply breathtaking!

In less than ten seconds, the furnace overloaded and the health bar plummeted!
In the blink of an eye, the Metal Devourer let out a mournful cry, ending its tragic life that was neither human nor ghost.

"Pap~~"

The orange treasure chest fell into my storage space. I immediately took it out and opened it to see what good stuff this lucky boss could get.

Congratulations! You have successfully opened your [BOSS Ability Crystal] and obtained the item: [Devouring Armor] (Quality: Orange)!

……

Orange armor?

I was slightly delighted and hurriedly opened my storage space to take it out. Its attributes quickly appeared before my eyes.

[Devouring Armor] (Quality: Orange)
Rank: Fifth Tier

Defense: 280
Strength: +40
Physical strength: +38
Specialty: Attack damage +10%
Blessing: Damage reduction +4%
Blessing: Rock-II, increases defense by 300 points.
Blessing: Resilience, increases your maximum health by 3200 points.

Strength required: 650
……

A pretty good Tier 5 orange armor, with increased damage, reduced damage, and Rock-II attributes. Having these three attributes already makes it a top-tier item!

This armor suits Zhang Ruolin.

"Ruolin".

I immediately sent her the armor's attributes and asked, "Do you need this?"

"Have!"

Zhang Ruolin immediately nodded: "Although I already have the orange armor, its attributes are relatively poor. It only has 3% damage reduction, no damage increase, and no Rock-II. It only has one powerful attribute. But as a shield-type super weapon, I will definitely pursue more health and defense, so yours is definitely better."

"it is good."

I handed her the Devouring Armor directly and said with a smile, "Here you go!"

She put it on directly, then handed me the original orange armor, laughing, "Here, take this. You can sell it for more than 20."

At present, top-tier players are basically pursuing "full orange gear", so the price of orange gear is still quite considerable. The armor that Ruolin took off, not to mention anything else, is definitely worth 40.

Then, I glanced at everyone.

Cai Cai, Ruo Lin, and Fa Ye Chao Chen have already reached level 50 and advanced to the fifth tier, while Kou Mei and Huo Bing Zhi Ri are both at level 49, just one step away. Fatty is the lowest level, at level 48.

"Keep it up, everyone!"

I smiled slightly: "Reach level 50 and advance to the fifth job as soon as possible, don't hold others back!"

"Understand!"

The three of them nodded in unison.

"Let's move out and continue into the deadwood forest!"

……

Amidst the roar of seven off-road motorcycles, the group sped through the wilderness for nearly a hundred kilometers. The wasteland ahead grew even more barren, devoid of any greenery. Just as they crossed a barely noticeable map zone, a series of ringtones sounded in their ears—

[Please note, you have entered the treacherous map: [Deadwood Forest]!]

The chaotic forces from the warp have corrupted this place; malevolent chaotic psionic energy lurks deep underground, draining the forest of all its life force!

[Chaotic creatures roam the world; you must be extra careful!]

……

In the cold wind, the message from the withered forest was even more chilling: the monsters here actually came from the chaos of the warp, something we had never encountered before!

"Boss, shouldn't we be more careful?" Faye Chaochen asked.

"of course."

I frowned and continued to clear the way ahead, heading straight for the depths of the Deadwood Forest. On the large map, a blood-red light was constantly rippled in the center of the Deadwood Forest. If nothing unexpected happened, that would be the point where the mission was completed.

As a result, after entering the deadwood forest for about 20 kilometers, a series of roars came from afar.

What was that sound?

The fat man suddenly turned to the side and looked into the wilderness.

Suddenly, we saw figures flying through the lifeless forest, and from our angle, we could see pairs of eyes gleaming with blue light.

They really are chaotic creatures!
"Be careful!"

I quickly stopped the motorcycle and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, get into battle mode!"

As he spoke, he put the motorcycle into his otherworldly storage space and equipped it with a bomb gun. He aimed at the dark forest in the distance, and the next second, he saw a group of canine creatures with dark blue eyes and muscular bodies rushing out of the forest and heading straight for us!

Within sight, quickly identify the attributes of one of them—

【Chaos Hyena】(Blue BOSS)

Rating: 55
Attack: 1400-2550
Armor: 1500
Life: 100000
Skills: [Bite Lv7] [Chaotic Claw Strike Lv7]

Biography: Chaos Hyenas are chaotic creatures from rifts in the warp. These malevolent beings dwell underground year-round, only venturing to the surface to feed when hungry.

……

"Fire!"

The next second, the bomb gun aimed directly at the head of a Chaos Hyena and fired rapidly!
"Bang bang bang~~~"

The moment the magazine was emptied, the Chaos Hyena let out a miserable howl and crashed heavily to the ground. Its entire head was blown apart, and its brains, which were splattered all over the ground, glowed with a fluorescent blue color.

Quickly switch to the UZI, empty the magazine again, and headshot the second Chaos Hyena!

Based on my firepower, these tough Chaos Hyenas could be taken down with about one magazine each. However, the other members of the squad were not as effective. Even Cai Cai and Fatty, who were the main damage dealers, could only take down about 50%-70% of the Chaos Hyenas' health with one magazine. Ruo Lin and the others were even worse off.

"Damn, that's a lot!"

Cai Cai quickly switched shooting targets, constantly slowing down the opponent's approach.

“Stand back!”

While firing haphazardly, I scanned my surroundings and eventually discovered a cave about 50 meters behind us. The entrance was narrow, and if someone blocked it, it would be an excellent position to block monsters and shoot at them.

"there!"

I quickly marked it on the map, then drew my power sword and said in a deep voice, "I'll stall for time. You all go over there. Ruolin, block the door with your shield. The rest of you, go all out and deal damage. Let's get all the experience and loot from this wave of Chaos Hyenas!"

"it is good!"

Everyone nodded in unison. The fat man glanced at the surging tide of Chaos Hyenas in the distance, his face showing both excitement and worry. After all, this was a level 55 blue BOSS. If he couldn't hold his position and the opponent broke through, it would be quite troublesome!

With a flash of sword light, he charged into a pack of hyenas with a combination of Battle Cry, Annihilation Armor, and Stardust Wall. In an instant, he was subjected to their bites and Chaos Claws. The Stardust Wall's resilience value quickly dropped to zero, and then he began to lose health!

"423!"

"3477!" "503!"

"3309!"

"3788!"

……

The level 7 Bite is alright, considering my armor is over 3000. With the Chaos Hyena's 2550 attack power, it doesn't hurt too much. Considering my total health of over 60,000, 450 damage is barely enough to break through my defense. But the Chaos Claw really hurts. It's a strike imbued with chaotic power, a dual attack of psionic and physical energy. Each claw strike deals over 3000 damage, which is extremely painful!

At this moment, I began to be glad that I was cautious. If everyone had been forced to fight the Chaos Hyena in close combat, not to mention Ruolin and Bingzi, the two Star Speakers, Faye Chaochen and Koumei, definitely wouldn't have been able to withstand it. Their health was so low that they couldn't withstand more than a few Chaos Claw attacks!

The next second, just as the number of Chaos Hyenas increased, he immediately activated his ultimate move – Power Sword Storm!

"Boom~~~"

A storm of sword light burst forth among the Chaos Hyena pack, instantly causing them to lose health in unison. The damage per second ranged from 1.8 to 2.4, and it was also affected by critical hits, often exceeding 4 damage. In just three seconds, Chaos Hyenas were already dying with screams of agony, while my own health bar remained at a relatively healthy level thanks to the continuous life steal from my attacks.

"Ding Han, we're all set!"

In the distance, Zhang Ruolin stood at the entrance of the cave, holding a shield, while several other people surrounded her, their guns pointed straight out.

The moment the 7-second whirlwind of the Power Sword Storm ended, a large number of Chaos Hyena corpses lay on the ground. Without thinking, I immediately activated my Burst Skill - Chasing Clouds and Lightning!

Suddenly, the wind seemed to fly beneath their feet, and as they ran, a milky-white ribbon of light trailed behind them as they led a pack of hyenas straight toward the cave.

"Ding Han, go up!"

Zhang Ruolin suddenly lowered her body and raised the shield high.

I immediately leaped into the cave, stepping on my shield, then turned around, switched to my bomb gun, and said, "Let's fire!"

In an instant, flames burst forth, and the intense monster-hunting began!
Outside, although the Chaos Hyena's attacks were fierce, most of the damage was reduced when it hit Ruolin's shield. The shield damage reduction of the shield-type super weapon is far superior to other branches. With Ruolin guarding the gate, it was too safe. Moreover, I and Bingzi could take turns. As long as the Chaos Hyena couldn't break through, it was a pure experience-farming situation.

So everything went quite smoothly. Everyone went all out, and the Chaos Hyenas outside died one after another, while the blue treasure chests in each of our storage spaces kept piling up and were almost full!
"That's awesome, wow..."

Cai Cai took a deep breath, her face beaming with joy: "After this wave of clearing, the interdimensional storage space will expand by at least 5 cubic meters, do you believe it or not?"

Everyone expressed their belief, after all, there were just too many boxes.

Furthermore, the Chaos Hyena is a chaotic creature, and chaotic creatures do not exist as matter in the real world. Therefore, once a Chaos Hyena is killed, its body will quickly seep into the soil and disappear, giving back to the earth in a form of psionic energy. Otherwise, the entrance to this cave would probably be filled up within minutes!

……

"Ho~~~"

Just when the Chaos Hyenas outside were almost wiped out, a sharp shriek suddenly rang out, followed by a figure appearing in front of them. It was actually a Chaos Hyena leader, a level 55 purple BOSS!

"We cannot linger here; let's finish this quickly!"

I charged out with my power sword, and together with everyone else, we unleashed a barrage of attacks that ignored defenses, finally bringing the purple boss to its knees. Just as the battle was about to end, we also obtained a purple treasure chest.

A few minutes later, the entire cleanup was completed.

At this moment, a ray of dawn appeared in the east, and daylight was about to break.

"It's done!"

I picked up my power sword and said, "Open all the boxes, then get out of here quickly!"

"Ok!"

Everyone started opening treasure chests with great enthusiasm. At first, there was some anticipation, but later they became numb and opened them in batches! Basically, more than 95% of them were experience points, then another 4% were some small rewards such as star coins and reputation, and the rest were almost all expansion crystals!
Cai Cai was right. After opening all the boxes and using the expansion crystal, my extradimensional storage space expanded by 6.2 cubic meters, reaching a terrifying 49.8 cubic meters, getting closer and closer to the 64 cubic meter space with a side length of four meters!
"Clap!"

The last treasure chest, a purple treasure chest dropped by the BOSS!
The moment it was opened, a golden skill book fell into the storage space. Upon closer inspection, its details floated up—

【Range Enhancement】(Rank A Skill Manual): Passive skill, increases the effective range of the firearms used by 30%, requires level 40 to learn, and requires the class of Firearms.

……

It's actually a Tier 4 universal skill for firepower users!
This is a great item; it increases effective range by 30%, an advantage that players of other classes dream of.

"How do you say this?"

I pulled out the range boost: "CaiCai, Fatty, have you both learned it? If not, just roll for it, whoever wins gets it."

"I rely on..."

Cai Cai looked annoyed: "I already have it! I spent a huge sum of money to find it on the player black market two days ago..."

"Hahahaha~~~~"

The fat man laughed wildly and happily took the skill manual for enhancing range.

"Let's continue, let's hit the road."

I took out the motorcycle again and led everyone into the depths of the deadwood forest in the morning light.

……

Not far away, a strong smell of blood suddenly wafted into my nostrils. I looked over and was immediately chilled to the bone.

Less than ten meters away in the woods, a pile of clothes lay on the ground, and the corpses inside had been gnawed down to bones. Even the blood on the bones had been licked clean. The dead were all wearing Great Wall Watch combat uniforms. Guns were scattered all over the ground, but not a single intact bullet could be found. It seemed that they had run out of ammunition and food and had ended up in this state.

"grass……"

Huo Bingzhi frowned and said, "Was it the Chaos Hyenas we just wiped out?"

"Most likely."

I carried the explosive pistol and took a few more steps. Then I saw a soldier wearing second-generation power armor lying under a dead tree. His power armor was covered with bite marks from hyenas. The closure of the power armor at his waist was bitten off, and his entire lower body had been gnawed down to bones. When I looked down, I found that his internal organs had also been ripped out. If it weren't for the fact that his upper power armor was very sturdy, he probably would have been gutted to the bone!
And on his remaining corpse, wisps of pale blue psionic light flickered.

This is a sentry captain from the Great Wall Watch. His armor is shattered, and his body is severely corrupted by psionic energy, but his soul is filled with resentment and refuses to simply vanish.

……

"Shua~~~"

A faint light emerged from the corpse; it was the soul form of the sentry captain. His expression was dazed, and he floated blankly in mid-air until he recognized us. Then, in a daze, he murmured, "They've all been captured, trapped in that Valley of No Wind… Save them… You must save them…"

On the large map, a map marked with the name "Valley of No Wind" slowly emerges from the northern part of the Deadwood Forest.

Very good, the main event is about to begin!

……

Half an hour later, the seven entered the Valley of No Wind.

The valley was filled with jagged rocks and withered trees, and a strong smell of blood permeated the air.

"Something doesn't seem right..."

Cai Cai, clutching a submachine gun, frowned as she looked around.

I nodded without saying anything. The environment here did give people a sense of unease. Because the valley was surrounded by steep peaks on all sides, the wind couldn't get in, and it was so quiet that it gave people a sense of oppression.

"Boss, over there!"

Huo Bingzhi suddenly pointed his gun to the right.

"sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss~~~"

Amidst a series of long hisses, a deep blue light flashed, and one after another, Chaos Hyenas appeared on the sloping hillside. They stared at each of us with ill intent, saliva dripping down their sharp teeth, making no attempt to conceal their thirst for flesh and blood.

"It seems we've fallen into a trap..." the fat man said.

"really."

I nodded, glanced at the number of Chaos Hyenas, which was about 100 or so. It wasn't much for our small team, so I said in a deep voice, "I'll go first, you guys just shoot from behind. Let's clear out this hyena pack."

"Be careful!"

The next moment, he charged forward, wielding his power sword.

"His-"

A pack of Chaos Hyenas let out a series of low growls, then rushed down the hillside in droves and quickly surrounded them.

The moment I activated War Cry, Annihilation Armor, and Stardust Wall in quick succession, I used Burst Charge to stun a line of hyenas. Then I charged into the pack, wildly slashing with my sword. When the hyenas were dense enough, I activated Power Sword Storm!

"Boom~~~"

Amidst the deafening roar, a storm of sword light swept up, and the howling cries of the chaotic hyenas being slaughtered echoed throughout the valley, leaving only the sound of barking dogs!

In just seven seconds, he killed more than 50 Chaos Hyenas. Then, he charged into the pack with his sword. With the blessing of a max-level sword master, his sword flashed densely, and he continuously cleaved and killed the hyenas that attacked him, as if he were in an empty field!
Behind them, Ruolin, Cai Cai, and the others quickly advanced with firepower, constantly sweeping and firing, trying to get their hands on every blue treasure chest of the Chaos Hyenas. In this way, the battle became very simple.

"Ho~~~"

When only a few hyenas remained, the abhorrent stench of blood in the wind suddenly intensified. Then, a chilling roar came from the forest behind the hillside. The next second, a gigantic figure soared into the air and stood atop the hill, its body shrouded in chaotic energy from the subspace, its deep purple eyes fixed intently on them.

"Holy crap, what is this thing?!"

Cai Cai, Fatty, and the others were stunned on the spot.

Even I was stunned. The monster in front of me was neither human nor beast, but a body fused with steel machinery. It exuded a strong stench of decay and death. Its humanoid upper body had merged with the machine, and its purple head was deeply embedded in the vehicle. Its limbs had been modified. Its arms had been transformed into chainsaw swords and heavy machine guns, and its legs had been transformed into wheels covered with spikes.

This monster is unheard of; it has never even appeared in the beta test data!

The next second, its attributes slowly emerged—

[Hellbeast] (Orange BOSS)

Rating: 55
Attack: 3200-3750
Defense: 2000
Qi and blood: 5000000
Skills: [Ultimate Modification Lv9], [Chaos Power Lv9], [Hell's Hymn Lv9]

Details: Hellbeasts are terrifying creatures modified by Chaos. They were originally human power armor warriors. After they died in battle, their bodies were modified by Chaos priests. First, the limbs of the corpses were chopped off, and the bodies were put into coffins made from power armor. Then, dozens of data cables were connected to the spine, and then Chaos energy was poured on them, causing their flesh and metal to slowly grow together. In the end, they became Chaos servants who suffer eternal torment and are full of violence!

……

"The description makes me look quite pitiful..."

Zhang Ruolin, holding a heavy shield, frowned and spoke.

"Once his car wheel runs over your little face, you won't feel sorry for him anymore," I teased.

"Humph!"

Zhang Ruolin scoffed, "How do we fight?"

"As usual, it's just an orange-tier boss, let's go!"

As I spoke, I immediately used Battle Shout + Heavenly Craftsmanship + Unstoppable Force + Burst Charge to engage the enemy, giving the Hell Beast no chance to retaliate. I swung my Power Sword and instantly unleashed a combo of normal slash + continuous slash + normal slash + Ash Sweep + normal slash + rising dragon slash to control it. While the Hell Beast was in the air, I immediately followed up with the second combo. After finishing the combo, I instantly used Frostbite to freeze it to the bone and retreated quickly!

"Shh!"

He raised his hand, consuming a small amount of Yuan Power, and used the Dragon Binding Rope to trap the Hell Beast in place!
"Output with all your strength!"

Switching between a bomb gun and a UZI in quick succession, he instantly took away hundreds of thousands of health points from the Hellbeast!
A few seconds later, the Hellbeast roared, its face embedded in the center of the mech looking extremely angry. Its legs, which had been transformed into wheels, hummed and roared as it charged forward at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour in 3 seconds!

"Snapped!"

A short blade crackling with lightning flew through the air and landed heavily on the Hellbeast's forehead. It was an energy blade throw, which stunned the beast on the spot, and then it got another good beating!
"Control connected!"

The next second, Kou Mei used Stardust Tentacle to trap Hellbeast, then Fa Ye Chao Chen followed up with another Stardust Tentacle, followed by Huo Bing Zhi Ri's fearful whisper. By the time Hellbeast was out of control again, my skill cooldowns had finished, and I could do the melee again. In this way, a perfect control chain loop was formed.

Perfect! The orange-tier boss has basically no chance to fight back against our team.

……

Amidst the roar of the bomb gun, the outer steel of the Hellbeast twisted, deformed, and shattered, finally unable to withstand the firepower and exploding. Then, the flesh and blood inside, which resembled the body of an undead, was burned and struggled and twisted, eventually turning into ashes!
Done! An orange crate is yours!
At the same time, a bell rang in my ear—

[You have successfully defeated the Hellbeast (orange boss). Clues from the battle suggest that the captured human soldiers are not in Windless Valley; they have been relocated by the Chaos faction. Perhaps you can find the answers you seek at the Pai Temple in the heart of the Deadwood Forest!]

Sure enough, the final battle took place in the center of the Deadwood Forest map!
I took a deep breath and quickly opened the treasure chest. With a "thud," a garment radiating orange light fell into the storage space. It looked exactly like the wizard's robe in the Harry Potter movies, but the design was more feminine, and the inside was engraved with runes that emitted spiritual power.

After a brief glance, its attributes emerged—

【Alien Robe】(Quality: Orange)
Rank: Fifth Tier

Defense: 150
Spirit: +40
Physical strength: +38
Blessing: Damage reduction +4%
Blessing: Rock-II, increases defense by 300 points.
Blessing: Resilience, increases your maximum health by 1500 points.

Soul Fusion Skill: [Alien Shield] Summons a shield derived from alien power. Its resilience is related to the user's spirit, lasts for 12 seconds, consumes 30 points of spirit power, and has a 120-second cooldown.

Spirit required: 500
Gender required: Female
……

Looking at the robe's attributes, I was slightly moved. The armor bonus was quite substantial, totaling 450 points, which was like a godsend for fragile classes like Psionicists and Star Speakers. In addition, there was a 4% damage reduction, plus a shield-type Soul Fusion skill. Basically, this robe was already considered top-tier among orange robes.

"Kou girl."

I directly shared the robe's attributes and asked, "Do you need this?"

Wow, yes, yes, yes!

She nodded repeatedly, her face full of excitement, completely disregarding her ladylike image, and almost drooling at the sight of the mutant's robes.

"Internal price, you know what I mean."

"Uh-huh!"

When I traded the robe, Kou Mei quickly offered me 20 Star Coins – a win-win situation!
"Damn, the boss is really lucky..."

Cai Cai scratched her head: "How come I only got one purple item?"

"It might be related to charm level."

Without thinking, I replied, "I have 30 charm points, how many do you have?"

"I'm just a nobody, 12 o'clock!"

"So few..."

Cai Cai continued scratching her head, looking ashamed.

Actually, as a top player in Huaining City, Cai Cai's 12 charm points are really not a small amount. He must have won a lot of rewards from S-level or higher missions to accumulate so many charm points. This should be the ceiling for ordinary players.

However, those like me who constantly take on main quests and daily tasks from Lu Xiaobei, Lin Qingying, and the internet cafe are in the minority.

Experience tells me that you can't be lazy in the world of Star Abyss. Hiding in your rented room and enjoying yourself is a no-no. You must have more social interactions, and the higher the level of interaction, the higher the chance of triggering advanced missions!

Like me, I often expand my internet cafe to 300 computers, or participate in college leagues like WHL, which are basically things that ordinary players can't access.

Milo seems to be the same; he has accomplished many daily tasks of S-level or higher by releasing songs and albums.

"Let's go to the Pai Temple."

After leaving the Valley of No Wind, the seven of them took out their motorcycles and headed straight for the center of the Deadwood Forest!

……

About half an hour later, they arrived a few miles from the Pai Temple. They put away their motorcycles, put on their weapons, and cautiously approached their destination under the cover of the dead trees and thickets.

Instead of following the main road into the temple, we climbed the rock formations from the back of the mountain and eventually reached a hilltop, where we overlooked the entire Pai Temple.

"Boss, look!"

Kou Mei pointed downwards and said in the team chat, "Isn't that the superior dragon guard we're required to survive in our mission?"

Below, a soldier from the Crimson Dragon Kingdom, wearing third-generation armor, was tightly bound by dense vines. The vines contracted like limbs, actually sending his body toward a gaping maw. And the owner of that gaping maw was a man-eating flower covered in sharp thorns!
The man-eating plant opened its gaping maw, dripping droplets of viscous liquid. The power armor sizzled and was continuously corroded. Inside the power armor hood, the battle-hardened and injured senior dragon guard struggled desperately, his face filled with terror!

"I rely on..."

I felt a chill run down my spine. I quickly stood up, drew my Wind Chaser, and said, "Stop watching, save them!"

(End of this chapter)