Chapter Fifty-Five: Defense

The elite-level Berserk Demon Rat was a creature at its peak, its enormous body charging at Yang Fan with surprising speed, belying its massive size. Yang Fan steadied his Thunderblade, then dashed forward, dragging the weapon behind him as he transformed into a bolt of lightning, slicing through the beast.

With a roar, the Thunderblade plunged into the demon rat’s back, and a crimson damage indicator—[–271]—flashed above its head. This was a sight unseen when facing ordinary demon rats, since Yang Fan’s attack power ranged from 450 to 650, allowing him to slay regular Berserk Demon Rats with a single blow. However, against foes with defensive capabilities, it took about one and a half strikes to dispatch a normal Berserk Demon Rat. The sudden spike in damage was clearly a critical hit; after all, the elite Berserk Demon Rat was two to three times stronger than its lesser kin, boasting around 800 health. Due to his lower level, Yang Fan’s Zombie Eye was unable to discern the creature’s abilities.

The demon rat bellowed in pain, rolling its massive body as Yang Fan gripped the Thunderblade, flinging him several meters away. Bathed in its own blood, the elite Berserk Demon Rat howled so fiercely that the glass shattered, and a crimson mist began to emanate from its body.

“Berserk skill,” Yang Fan instantly deduced its intent. Without hesitation, he moved, his entire body enveloped in red aura, streaking like a flash of scarlet light and sending the Berserk Demon Rat flying.

[Aura Charge]
[–187]

This was a significant blow. Aura Charge wasn’t primarily designed for thick-skinned monsters like this. Though its effect delivered 150% of normal attack damage, reality had to be considered. For example, Yang Fan’s minimum strike dealt 450 damage, but unless a fatal hit was landed, no matter how he stabbed a regular demon rat, it couldn’t be killed instantly. Death for them came by agony and excessive blood loss, not direct slaying. The apocalyptic system’s gameplay wasn’t a pure online game; relying solely on attack power to kill monsters was suicidal. The system merely provided a set of data-driven combat schemes; ultimately, this was still the real world, where logic prevailed.

“Die,” Yang Fan acted decisively in the nick of time, ruthlessly drawing the Desert Eagle he had reclaimed from Chen Ming. He leveled it at the elite Berserk Demon Rat and fired ten shots in rapid succession. The gunfire startled many, and the colossal creature collapsed with a thunderous crash.

“Experience gained: 200…”

The remaining demon rats, witnessing Yang Fan’s prowess, swiftly turned tail and fled. They possessed a rudimentary intelligence, and when faced with absolute danger, they ran faster than anyone—not like the second-tier mutated beasts, the dinosaur clan, whose bloodthirst made them truly formidable adversaries.

With the area cleared, Yang Fan wasted no words. Every apocalyptic inheritor possessed a backpack with five storage slots, unrestricted by weight or size. Yang Fan had asked Liu Qiaoqiao to purchase a small satchel, expanding his backpack to eight slots. The Lady’s Painting could not store male items, and Yang Fan wasn’t certain if these demon rats were female, nor did he entirely trust the painting. He feared a new function might emerge and sweep away his belongings. Thus, he placed the two demon rats into his backpack.

The Berserk Demon Rat’s hide could be crafted into tier-one black-iron soft armor; its meat was tender and filling, and its bones could be fashioned into rat bone arrows, noted for their hardness and flexibility. Each sold for ten apocalypse coins in his previous life. Yang Fan didn’t look down on those ten coins now, and planned to make arrows for Bai Chen’s use.

Stationed here, Yang Fan dared not act rashly, for another sinister enemy might be lurking in the shadows: the Savage Demon Dog, whose teeth carried the rabies virus. Its contagion was swift—one bite, and the victim would become something akin to a zombie. Yang Fan had to prevent such an attack; if it appeared, he must eradicate it completely, showing no mercy.

Elsewhere, Chen Ming hid behind the sturdy wooden horse, while Zack, brandishing a long spear, boasted loudly. He moved even faster than Yang Fan; with a flash, a demon rat was sent flying over ten meters and smashed into a heap of flesh, blood splattering across the ground, its meat and bone fragments scattered everywhere. Zack was an expert at slaughtering lesser monsters. Under the admiring gazes of countless people, he dispatched several Berserk Demon Rats and then arrogantly declared, “A bunch of weaklings! Even a gold-tier Berserk Demon Rat would kneel at Lord Zack’s feet!”

With a radiant shield, Chen Ming entertained himself with the docile wooden horse, marveling at what powered its movement, showing neither fear nor dread. Their situation was easier than Yang Fan’s; Zack’s knight skills could sweep through the masses effortlessly.

Meanwhile, Bai Chen’s group saw Fang Na wielding her spear with remarkable speed, attack, and combat awareness, capable of handling two Berserk Demon Rats alone. Bai Chen was even more impressive, firing three arrows within a second. Her silver-tier bow possessed powerful attribute damage.

Her insight was exceptional, each arrow delivering lethal blows. She single-handedly dealt with four or five Berserk Demon Rats. The only one struggling was Zhu Liang, who, wielding a bone blade, fought a Berserk Demon Rat one-on-one. He could barely handle one, while the other two apocalyptic inheritors managed to contend with another together. Fortunately, there weren’t many Berserk Demon Rats in this area; otherwise, their demise would have been certain.

The disparity in strength quickly became evident. Second-tier silver-level Zack needed no further mention; Fang Na, a hidden class and vice president of the Martial Arts Association, was two or three times stronger than Zhu Liang, able to handle two rats alone. Bai Chen, also of a hidden class, possessed a silver-tier weapon and a terrifying talent skill—the kind that, in the hands of a warrior or mage, wasn’t as useful, but for an archer paired with Insight, it was the perfect combination.

Thus, Bai Chen and Fang Na could each confront several demon rats, while Zhu Liang, lacking a hidden class and proper training, only had a silver-tier weapon, and could barely manage one at a time—any more would be beyond him.

In this manner, the brief crisis was resolved. What came next… no one could say!

(During this period, updates have slowed, but the quality has improved as I strive harder. The main reason is that I’m too busy opening my store. Just to let you know, I deal in electronic products—computers, laptops, iPhones, Samsung phones, and all kinds of devices. I’m not here to advertise, but if anyone’s interested, you can ask me about prices to avoid getting ripped off—consider it a little benefit for readers.)