Chapter 150: Elemental Invasion
Of course, with his current strength, there was no way he could explore the Meteorological Tide on his own. Even for this expedition organized by Vick University, Zhou Ning didn't hold out much hope.
What a joke—players in the future, with an average level of 80, still couldn't conquer the Meteorological Tide. Although this expedition was only meant to probe the outer regions, which usually didn't spawn dangerous creatures, Zhou Ning instinctively sensed danger, especially considering the recent abnormal weather and his earlier encounter with that Ice Lord.
Still, now that he was here, standing by and doing nothing wasn't an option either. All he could do was help out as much as possible without risking his own safety.
Zhou Ning narrowed his eyes and stepped out of the camp. The eagerly waiting players immediately swarmed toward him. He opened his personal shop and made it available to the players.
He hadn't brought many firearms this time—just under 500. They sold out quickly, and his experience points were increasing rapidly.
[Your item [Wandering Gunslinger Class Change Manual] has been sold. You gained 10 Vectas.]
[Your skill [Ripple Breathing Technique] has been learned. You gained 34,500 EXP and 10 Vectas.]
...
As players' purchasing power gradually increased, some of Zhou Ning's core high-demand skills also began to sell. The EXP gains became quite impressive.
Zhou Ning glanced at his status panel. He had already accumulated 2.4 million EXP. Raising his Wandering Gunslinger class from level 25 to the max level 30 would still require around 3 million EXP, but considering there were still plenty of players to farm in Darkland and West Lin Town, he figured reaching level 30 wouldn't be a problem at all.
Once he hit level 30, he could start considering his class advancement. The true power of a class lay in the strength of its advanced profession. The Wandering Gunslinger's current strength was little more than a castle in the sky.
For now, though, EXP was abundant and coming in steadily. Zhou Ning gave it some thought and decided to spend 1 million EXP to instantly raise both his Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki to Expert level.
These two skills couldn't be fused with other abilities, but they offered excellent value for their cost and provided massive combat boosts. They were without a doubt core components of Zhou Ning's current combat system.
What surprised Zhou Ning, however, was that once Conqueror's Haki reached Expert level, it suddenly could be fused again. Its description had also changed:
[Conqueror's Haki (Expert)]: A trait that only a true king can possess. Increases Spirit by +9. Releases a powerful aura that damages and intimidates nearby enemies. Effect depends on the difference between your Spirit and the enemy's. Base stun time is 0.64 seconds. If the Spirit gap is large, it can cause a stun effect. At Expert level, this Haki can be imbued into weapons or bullets, massively boosting attack power.
A pleasant surprise indeed—his combat strength received another significant boost. The base stun duration had risen from 0.36 seconds to 0.64 seconds, nearly doubling.
Just then, the gently drifting snow suddenly became much thicker. When Zhou Ning looked up at the sky, a loud gong echoed from within the town. A militiaman was running while striking the gong and shouting, "Elemental creatures are invading! Elemental creatures are invading!"
Zhou Ning was slightly startled and quickly looked into the distance. From what he'd heard during a casual chat with Sherlock, there had recently been a string of attacks on people by elemental creatures and wild beasts all over Bryston. While wild beast raids on towns weren't unusual, full-scale invasions by elemental creatures were rare.
Damn, did he just hit the jackpot the moment he showed up?
Thanks to his Hawkeye talent, Zhou Ning could see the invading elemental creatures from several dozen meters away and finally let out a breath of relief.
Most of the invading creatures were ordinary ice elementals and a kind of icy-blue insect.
They looked similar to the Blood Worms he'd encountered before. These were Frostbite Crawlers, low-level elemental creatures around level 10.
Like the Blood Worms, Frostbite Crawlers had low HP and high attack. Only a few had the ability to spit ice orbs from afar. As long as one had firearms, they weren't hard to deal with.
One blast of Conqueror's Haki from him should be enough to wipe them out instantly. Even if the players couldn't hold the line, he could easily cover for them.
Zhou Ning guessed that if he weren't around, the players would likely lose the fight, and the Vick University expedition team would have to step in and resolve the situation. It was probably part of the game's system to provide players a chance to interact with NPC factions and learn new skills.
After all, the faculty at Vick University included plenty of high-ranking members from other churches like Edwin Herkris. Naturally, they wouldn't be clueless about the players' inability to die.
That was the charm of Apocalypse Online—not only were players interested in NPCs, but the NPCs were also intrigued by players. Their relationship was fundamentally one of mutual exchange.
Faced with the elemental invasion, Mayor Brunson Meyer dared not delay. Just as he was about to request help from Vick University's expedition team, he suddenly recalled the gods' revelation: These chosen ones are fearless in the face of death—they cannot die. Perhaps… it was time to make use of that?
"Adventurers! West Lin Town gave you bread, cheese, jobs, and warm homes. Now that West Lin is facing an unprecedented crisis, we need you to pick up your weapons and defend this town!"
Just as Brunson Meyer finished speaking, a commotion broke out among the players. At that moment, everyone received a defense quest.
[You have triggered the defense quest: [Defend West Lin Town]! Issuer: Brunson Meyer.]
Even Zhou Ning received the quest. Seeing the level 10 requirement and 3,000 EXP reward, he curled his lip but still accepted it, watching with interest as the players howled and charged out of town.
The players' combat strength was stronger than Zhou Ning had expected. Typically, two or three could take down a single Frostbite Crawler. However, they were also vulnerable to the Crawlers' attacks. These low-level elementals were simply too numerous—four or five could easily down a player with a single coordinated strike.
Hands in the pockets of his trench coat, Zhou Ning stood watching from afar as the players fought. By now, West Lin already had a number of level 7 or 8 players. Most of the high-level ones were Wandering Gunslingers, while a few wealthy players had already class-changed into Espers and were performing impressively.
At this stage, apart from the Warriors being slow and clunky due to their lack of mobility, most of the other classes were fairly balanced.
The battles between the players and the elementals were fierce. Though the enemies were many, the players had one key advantage: infinite resurrection. The fighting was brutal, and posts about the elemental invasion began flooding the forums.
Just then, Zhou Ning noticed students and professors from Vick University approaching from the distance. A smirk appeared on his lips as he adjusted his hat and quietly activated Clan Doctrine.
In an instant, lightning flashed in his pupils. With the boost from Clan Doctrine, his game panel showed that Conqueror's Haki had now reached the unprecedented Master level.
He had made up his mind to end this battle in one decisive move.
Trying to steal my kills and my farming targets? Not a chance.
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