Necromancer: I Am A Disaster

Chapter 261: A Quick Retreat And An Unexpected Shield

The Battlefield Serpent-Turtle's defense was ridiculously high, bolstered to its dual immunity traits. Lin Moyu fought fiercely and even employed the Enhance Troops skill and gradually wore down its health. But just when victory seemed within reach, the boss activated its Shell Block skill, nullifying all his efforts in an instant.

Frustration gripped Lin Moyu—it felt like the boss was cheating. The creature was already daunting, with its massive health and terrifying attack power. Now, with an absurd recovery skill, continuing the fight seemed pointless. He realized that pushing forward would only waste time and resources. One round with this boss was enough; he had no intention of enduring it again.

Resolutely, Lin Moyu led his group to retreat, aware he wasn't ready for this challenge. He could return later when he was stronger. The team quickly withdrew along the path they'd cleared earlier, vanishing from sight in no time.

After this encounter, Lin Moyu abandoned the idea of delving deeper into the core area. If a level 64 ordinary boss was this challenging, how could he hope to face higher-ranked ones? If he stumbled upon a lord or world rank boss, his undead legions might not survive. This battle made him realize his limitations—at level 33, he was still too weak. Despite his powerful talent and numerous skeletons, he lacked the truly formidable skills needed to face stronger foes.

As they retreated, Lin Moyu reflected on the battle. It was his first time withdrawing from a fight. He had always managed to overcome strong bosses before, but this time was different—he just didn't have the confidence. Unlike many legendary rank class users, he didn't possess a game-changing skill that could turn the tide. While Corpse Explosion was powerful, it was severely restricted in the core area.

Five minutes after Lin Moyu's departure, the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle ended its Shell Block skill. It emerged from its shell, extended its limbs, and whipped its long tail against the ground with a thunderous crack. Fully recovered, it roared to the sky, challenging its opponent to come at it again. But when it looked around, Lin Moyu was gone. Enraged, the turtle's roars shook the earth, terrifying nearby monsters and sending some of them fleeing in chaos.

Suddenly, a massive shadow swooped down from the sky at lightning speed, covering thousands of kilometers in an instant. Giant talons snatched up the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle, and the shadow vanished into the clouds. The turtle's furious bellows turned to terrified screams before abruptly cutting off.

Meanwhile, Lin Moyu moved quickly along the cleared path, which made the retreat much faster than the advance. He thought to himself, "It shouldn't be able to catch up."

But even if it did, he wasn't worried. He was prepared to fight again, though it would be a waste of time and resources—the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle couldn't kill him.

Suddenly, a sharp screech made his hair stand on end. A terrifying presence swept overhead, and a massive object crashed into the ground nearby, creating a large pit. Lin Moyu's blood ran cold when he saw what it was—the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle's shell. There was no mistaking it; the shell still radiated the creature's aura.

But something was wrong. The shell had a huge, gaping hole in it, as if something sharp had violently pierced through it.

Upon closer inspection, Lin Moyu confirmed his suspicion. Looking up at the sky, he saw a shimmering light, mysterious and mesmerizing. He imagined the turtle being caught by an even more powerful creature, devoured alive, with its shell spat out afterward.

"It's… dead!" Lin Moyu exclaimed, "It was eaten!" The sharp screech and terrifying presence had made him feel a threat to his life—if he had encountered that creature, he would have been in enormous danger. He believed he wasn't much stronger than the turtle. Fortunately, he had retreated quickly enough.

The shell emitted a soft glow, releasing starlight into the sky before shrinking down and transforming into a shield. The toughest part of the Battlefield Serpent-Turtle, which even the mysterious boss couldn't eat, had become a piece of equipment, suggesting its exceptional quality.

[Shell Block Shield (Knight exclusive): platinum rank shield, all attributes +3,000, increases the power of Knight-type defensive skills by 90%, decreases physical damage by 20%, and decreases elemental damage by 20%. Supplementary skill: Shell Block]

[Shell Block: for 30 seconds, the user becomes immobile and immune to all damage. During this time, all wounds are healed, and the cooldowns of all other skills are reset. Cooldown: 1 hour]

With these attributes, the shield was a top-tier item among platinum equipment. The supplementary skill alone made it ever Knight's dream—akin to having a second life. The ability to restore health and reset skill cooldowns provided an immense advantage in battle, making it an invaluable asset.

Though Lin Moyu wasn't an equipment expert, he knew this shield was invaluable, not for its attributes, but for its supplementary skill.

"Some legendary rank equipment might not even compare." He mused.

By the time a user reached level 70, completed the third awakening, and became a top-level class user, their basic attributes would be exceptionally high. Although platinum equipment typically offered a substantial attribute boost, what truly mattered at that level were the gear's supplementary skills. A game-changing skill could be worth more than thousands of attribute points. At this stage, the quality of equipment was measured by their supplementary abilities.

"I got lucky." Lin Moyu's earlier frustration dissipated, replaced by satisfaction. He knew this shield was priceless, beyond any gold coin's worth. To fully grasp its value, he would need to consult Bai Yiyuan.

After storing away the shield, Lin Moyu continued toward the central area. The ground, after a brief tremor, returned to normal. The core area's surface, like an unpolished mirror, reflected a faint glow. It hadn't changed in countless years, and any damage was quickly mended.

…

At the border between the core and central areas, a party of 20 human class users paused, all wearing the emblem of the Jialan Guild. The group included Sacred Knight, Battle King support, Great Healer, Great Mage, Eagle Eye Archer, and Great Summoner—all level 58 or above. The leader, Jialan Yeyu, a level 60 Sacred Knight, was fully clad in platinum gear, exuding confidence.

However, the most striking member wasn't the leader but another woman. Slender and delicate, she carried a massive platinum maul on her shoulder—a stark contrast to her fragile appearance.

Only a Collection Master would wield such a weapon. This rare and special class, classified as legendary, didn't excel in combat, support, or livelihood, but it had a unique ability: Collection. Collection Masters could extract additional rewards from monsters—materials or even equipment—effectively doubling the party's gains.

Because of this, every party would be happy to welcome a Collection Master, as their presence could significantly increase the drops. Unfortunately, Collection Masters were exceedingly rare, making them highly sought after and treasured.

Apart from this rare class, the party had another notable trait: it was entirely composed of women.

"Sister Yeyu, are we really going in?" The Collection Master, Mu Xianxian, asked nervously, eyes fixed on the core area. She had only heard of its dangers, never experiencing them firsthand.

Jialan Yeyu chuckled, "What, are you scared?"

Mu Xianxian quickly shook her head, "Not at all, not with you leading us."

Jialan Yeyu laughed, "Indeed, there's nothing to fear. The core area isn't some hellish place. Besides, we're only skimming the edges, not going deep. With our combat power, we can handle a few level 62 or 63 monsters. Even a level 60 boss wouldn't be a problem. Remember, we've taken down a level 55 lord rank boss, which makes us stronger than many other parties."

Her words seemed to boost the party's morale. Originally hesitant, they now felt reassured.

Drawing her sword, Jialan Yeyu pointed toward the core area and shouted, "Let's set off!"

"Let's set off!" Her teammates echoed.