Chapter 112 Chapter 111-Shadowcrawler, The Battle Begins（2nd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!）
They were creatures resembling crawling bugs, densely packed, and astonishingly numerous.
At a single glance, there were no less than a hundred of them.
These monsters had eight slender limbs, triangular heads, and two pairs of large compound eyes on their foreheads.
The ends of their front limbs extended long, sharp blades like steel knives.
With these limbs, these creatures could move swiftly across the uneven jungle floor.
As John used the Eye of Artemis to see these monsters, relevant information was displayed by the system.
[Shadowcrawler (Elite level melee monster): A monster born in the shallow layers of the abyss, adept at using the sharp limbs to slash enemy bodies, and able to secrete a dark energy. This energy clings to its limbs and can penetrate armor when attacking.]
[Level: 80]
[Attributes: …]
John's eyebrows knitted together subtly.
Had the abyss's erosion of the territory of the orderly and righteous reached this extent?
The Twisted Grove was still within the territory of the two human empires and quite a distance from the abyss barrier, the Sunset Mountain.
But now it had been completely taken over by the creatures of the abyss.
First, it was the Chaos Mist, and now these Shadowcrawlers, creatures of the abyss.
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before the barrier effect of Sunset Mountain disappeared completely.
If there were no more barriers between the abyss and the territories of other races, a large-scale war between the two camps would inevitably happen.
Seeing John frown and look troubled, the hearts of those behind him inevitably tightened.
If even Galewind, their leader, was wary of the monsters in the fog, how would they cope?
Adam stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with John, "Brother Galewind, what's the matter? Are the monsters in the fog really that formidable?"
John came back to his senses and noticed that everyone was looking at him with solemn expressions.
Reading their faces, he guessed they had misunderstood.
He shook his head and clarified, "No, my mind just wandered a bit. The monsters attacking us aren't that high level, only level 80. You guys should be able to handle them without too much trouble."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Level 80 monsters were nothing for this group; they could handle them quite casually.
Although the average player level wasn't close to 80 yet, with excellent equipment and a variety of high-level healing items, even an ordinary level 50 player could manage these monsters.
"As long as the level isn't too high, that's good. Galewind, you don't need to worry, leave this to us," said Adam, slapping his chest and looking as if he held the winning ticket.
John gave a slight smile and added, "Although the level of these incoming monsters isn't very high, there are hundreds of them, so you should not underestimate them."
Adam's confident expression froze.
Maybe he could kill a single level 80 elite monster with ease, but hundreds of them at once was a different matter.
Even a level 100 player decked out in epic equipment wouldn't dare to guarantee their safety when surrounded by hundreds of level 80 elite monsters.
"Everyone, maintain your formation, prepare for battle!" Adam yelled, and the group quickly dispersed.
John stood aside, observing the group.
He had to admit, Adam's high-level members executed orders remarkably well.
They could hold their own even when compared to real-world military units.
The heavy armored fighters, serving as the front-line tanks, raised shields as big as security doors.
They took the front, their large, imposing figures covered in armor that gave off a subtle glow, a reassuring sight.
Behind the tanks were the mages and archers.
The mages raised their staves and began chanting, magic energy gathering in the air, moving with their incantations.
They were clearly preparing some large-scale attack spell.
One mage specialized in water magic, the other in earth magic, which suited this situation well.
Two slender archers gripped their longbows tightly, ready to spring into action.
Nearby, the two priests and paladins began casting all their buffing and support skills on their comrades.
Perhaps sensing the gravity in Adam's voice, they were casting their skills like they had unlimited resources.
Every bit of boost they could give to their team made their efforts worthwhile.
Under the effect of the support skills, the tanks at the front clearly seemed much stronger.
The two hulking warriors let out a roar that shook the ground beneath them.
Their shields began to glow and grow in size until they were nearly three meters tall.
Their bulging arm muscles strained as they grunted, slowly moving their shields until they connected together.
A soft hum followed, and a faint glow spread from the edge of the shields, enveloping the entire group.
A protective barrier had been constructed.
This was a unique group defense skill exclusive to the heavy-armored fighters, which could not only be used individually but also stacked on each other.
As long as the oncoming monsters couldn't break through this barrier, the ranged classes within could attack without pressure.
Meanwhile, the stunning female assassin, who had been watching John throughout, also entered stealth mode along with her companion, slowly disappearing from sight.
Typically responsible for reconnaissance and alert, the assassins had to abandon this task due to the interference from the Chaos Mist.
Their mission now was to take out any monsters that broke away from the main group during the attack.
In addition to them, two berserkers, two dark knights...
Every class had taken up their combat positions, each knowing their role.
John, with an eager Emma by his side, stood on the outskirts observing.
At this point, Adam strode over.
At some point, he had drawn his main weapon, a silver broad greatsword. "So, Galewind, what do you think? My crew's got some combat chops, don't they?"
John nodded, admiring, "Impressive indeed. Everyone immediately knew their role in the battle, a true testament to a top-tier guild with a deep foundation."
Adam laughed heartily, his face beaming with pride. At that moment, Blue Sea walked over.
Seeing Adam's smug face, he snorted in annoyance, "What are you showing off for? Isn't this stuff basic for any guild?"
Adam's laughter was cut short, and he glared at Blue Sea, "Keep talking, and I'll throw you out of the barrier to face the monsters alone."
Blue Sea sneered, "You're welcome to try. I'll declare war on your Genesis Guild the moment you do."
"Bring it on! We're not afraid!"
John watched their banter with amusement but then his face turned serious, "Attention, the monsters are coming!"
As soon as the words left his lips, a cacophony of insect-like hissing noises started to echo from the dense white mist.
The sound was grating, and it was coming from all directions, rising and falling.
A second later, they all saw a sight that sent chills down their spines.
Countless Shadowcrawlers swarmed the area in front of them, encircling the group in the middle.
Their sharp, knife-like limbs flailed in the air, ready for the battle to come.
They quickly sliced through the white mist in front of them.
Countless compound eyes, glowing a blood-red hue, stared unblinkingly at the gathered crowd.
It seemed that any second now, they would pounce and tear everyone to shreds.
"Good lord, these monsters look absolutely bizarre..." Voices of complaint echoed through the crowd.
As the Shadowcrawlers gradually appeared, the rest of the group could also see these monsters' basic information.
Adam suddenly looked up, surprised, "These things actually come from the Abyss? Didn't they say the Abyss isn't open yet and needs several more updates? How come we are seeing Abyss monsters here?"
John casually answered, "Because we're too close to Sunset Mountain. Clearly, the Abyss has never ceased its invasion of other races, these monsters are just the vanguard..."
Adam and Blue Sea exchanged glances.
Despite John's nonchalant tone, they caught a shockingly profound implication.
That was, as the game continued to develop, a large-scale war between the Abyss and other races might emerge in the later stages.
The leaders of these two top ten global guilds were not frightened at the moment, but rather filled with anticipation.
For them, large-scale warfare was the perfect stage to showcase their strength.
The surrounding Shadowcrawlers, in the end, were low-intelligence, low-level Abyss monsters. Their patience soon ran out.
A Shadowcrawler let out a roar and charged at the shimmering protective barrier, its sharp limbs slashing fiercely, sparking on contact with the barrier.
However, it was instantly rebounded by the force of the barrier and hurled back without causing any damage.
This particular Shadowcrawler slammed heavily into its fellow monsters, like a spark igniting gasoline.
Almost at the same time, the other Shadowcrawlers also rushed at the protective barrier.
The onslaught of Shadowcrawlers virtually blanketed the entire barrier, their sharp limbs hacking desperately, causing sparks to fly.
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