Chapter 85: Another Firearms System

“This technique was quite popular back then. Even today, in the hands of a master, it remains extremely powerful. However, it has a flaw: there aren’t many monsters or bosses suitable for such tactics, and meeting the conditions to use it is also difficult. A single mistake could let the boss break free, and after the AI update, bosses no longer fear this approach,” Ye Yu explained, arms folded across his chest. In order to get into ‘Divine Ruin’ and advance quickly within the novice servers, Ye Yu had learned a great deal about the game—especially since his family members were all high-level players.

“Old Hu didn’t make a single mistake. That’s clearly the mark of a top-tier player,” Luo Feng nodded, leaning against an ancient tree, a green sprout clamped between his lips.

“Everyone has their own signature moves. No doubt Old Hu is showing us how to properly solo a dungeon,” Luo Wei remarked after Ye Yu finished. “It’s impressive, but don’t try these techniques lightly. They’re only good as reference for finding weaknesses.”

“Absolutely. For now, we just need to wait for the loot,” Ye Yu nodded calmly.

Although Old Hu’s attacks each shaved off 4–5% of the Heart of the Corrupted Ancient Forest’s HP, his precision was flawless—never a single misstep—and he used his skills with remarkable efficiency. After dozens of repeated attacks, the Heart of the Corrupted Ancient Forest let out a harrowing scream and collapsed with a thunderous crash, its massive form dissolving into points of green light.

“Amazing!”
“That was spectacular!”
“I’ve really learned something new!”
“Truly a veteran player!”

Everyone applauded, but Old Hu remained expressionless, clearly focused on what loot the Heart of the Corrupted Ancient Forest had dropped. The equipment turned out to be excellent, and everyone was satisfied. After gathering their respective items, the party moved on.

Ye Yu, walking at the rear, was quietly surprised. Old Hu’s demonstration seemed to have had a significant effect—when fighting monsters afterward, everyone showed marked improvement, even without reminders from Ye Yu. Compared to before, their progress was undeniable.

What’s more, even Qu Zheng was able to adjust his attack range and style based on the monsters’ patterns, luring them into making harmless attacks before dispatching them with ease.

“That worked out well,” Ye Yu murmured to himself. Old Hu’s tactics belonged to the control specialization, and weren’t suitable for other classes, since each had its own unique role. Despite the skill bonuses from talent trees these days, not every tactic was universally applicable.

At that thought, Ye Yu resolved to create his own tutorial tailored to his specialization. His mind was already drafting a set of solo boss-fighting techniques, combining his talent tree skills to reach the level where he could solo bosses. His class, akin to a mage, wasn’t naturally suited for soloing, so he would need to invest extra effort.

The group cleared out minor enemies and arrived before another boss. This time, the boss was even larger than the giant formed by the Heart of the Corrupted Ancient Forest—a demonic figure seemingly straight out of hell, its entire body shrouded in black flames, wielding two crescent-shaped greatswords whose backs bristled with flame-like serrations.

“That’s the next boss, lurking just ahead,” Old Hu said, arms folded, sitting atop his mount with a hint of amusement. “Who’s up for a solo attempt? With your talent, it shouldn’t be too difficult, especially since we have two support classes in the team.”

He was referring to Luo Feng and Tan Cong, both support specialists, with Tan Cong’s class even possessing some offensive spells.

“Since Old Hu said so, let me give it a try,” Huang Hong stretched his arms, limbering up with a hearty laugh.

He then gripped a long spear in his right hand, summoned a crimson round shield with his left, and was soon surrounded by a shimmering red aura.

Ye Yu fixed his gaze on the demonic boss in the distance, reading the floating name above its head: “Rampaging Demon.”

Huang Hong stepped forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight at the Rampaging Demon. The boss raised its twin crescent swords, eyes narrowing as it focused on the approaching Huang Hong. With a sudden motion, it brought both blades down to strike him. Huang Hong’s eyes narrowed, a smile playing at his lips as he conjured a crimson whirlwind around his hands, the flames on his left hand noticeably stronger. Raising his shield, he blocked the Rampaging Demon’s attack.

Bang—

A resounding thud echoed out as Huang Hong was forced back several meters, but quickly regained his balance.

“Why did Huang Hong lose so little HP? That wasn’t a perfect block,” Luo Wei frowned, noting Huang Hong’s health had dropped only 2%, his heart mildly shocked.

“It’s probably related to his talent tree. The spear class has active skills that boost defense, and he must have developed area-based damage reduction talents. Look at his left-hand shield—it’s absorbing a lot of damage,” Old Hu explained. He’d already noticed Huang Hong’s unusual fighting style against the Swordsman of Sin, different from other spear users. Old Hu speculated Huang Hong’s talent tree granted defensive boosts or temporary enhancements, letting him take heavy hits without nearing death. It was as if a new spear specialization was emerging.

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