Chapter 86: The Rewards of the Failure
Translator: Zenobys Editor: TheRealSeal
The reason team could do so well was all thanks to the powerful damage output from these five people including Zhang Yang, Drizzler, Hundred Shots, Fatty Han and Frost Night. Their total damage was much higher than the remaining ten damage dealers!
The capability of the team was still guaranteed as long as there was a powerful damage output from five of them as the team’s foundation, even if the other party members were not as powerful.
Little Snow was like a flag, and everyone followed her wherever she went and it was like playing the “Eagle catches the chicks” game which everyone found hilarious.
The third stage of Marzerway was still as exhausting as <Flame Shot> and <Knockback> could instantly kill 80% of the tank’s HP! The four healers in the team were trying very hard to heal Zhang Yang’s HP. Even though he was dealing with <Flame Shot>, even if he was hit with the combo, he could have 100 HP remaining!
Because of this remaining 100 HP, they were able successfully proceed to the fourth stage of Marzerway!
“The great Air Spirit, unite with me and kill all these corrupted sinners!” Marzerway raised his wand and roared like a beast.
Zhang Yang frowned as the difficulty of the Marzerway was mainly concentrated in fourth and fifth stage! The fifth stage was slightly easy as Marzerway could be defeated by using [Beginner Anti-Shadow Potion]. Thus, the fourth stage would be the hardest for them!
Evading <Air Bomb> and destroying the <Summoned Cloud> were the tests for an individual’s combat capabilities. However, these tests would most likely collapse the team!
“All melee attackers, go back to the ranged positions first!” Zhang Yang started to adjust strategy tactics.
The Thieves, Berserker and the tank Defender that was Ironhill went back to the ranged position.
“The Spirit of the Air will purify all of your souls!” Marzerway shouted loudly. Ten white balloons gradually floated out from his body and split into different directions.
“Ding! Marzerway has casted <Air Bomb>!”
Zhang Yang immediately kited Marzerway away and said: “Okay, melee attackers, come over and continue with the damage output!”
Due to the high number of melee attackers, if they did not retreat to the ranged position first, they would easily be hit by the <Air Bomb> and it would not even need to chase after them.
“Ranged positions, split and do not stand together!” Zhang Yang shouted.
If they all crowded together, the <Air Bomb> would accumulate and crowd around them, forming into a giant net. The <Air Bomb> would gradually nibble away the players’ activity space and finally force the players into a dead corner!
The speed of the <Air Bomb> was fortunately not as quick, making it easy for the players to evade it, as long as they did not blindly attack Marzerway.
“Stupid fellow, I want to bombard your soul into pieces!” Marzerway roared loudly and a blast of white air wave suddenly struck directly on Zhang Yang.
‘-1,524’.
Zhang Yang’s mouth twitched a little as the <Sonic Pierce> from Marzerway was very powerful!
From the healers’ team, Little Snow immediately healed Zhang Yang’s HP back to full.
“Hundred Shots, Fatty Han and Defiant Monk, are you guys clear about what I had explained previously?” Zhang Yang asked in the team.
“Yeah!” Three of them nodded their head at the same time.
“Okay, Marzerway is going to cast <Summoned Cloud>. We’ll have to depend on you guys to see whether the <Summoned Cloud> can be destroyed as soon as possible!”
After a while, Marzerway shouted again: “Let’s have some fun!”
Marzerway waved the wand, three <Summoned Cloud> immediately floated from its body and gradually floated on top of his head.
“Ding! Marzerway has casted <Summoned Cloud>!”
“All ranged positions, I’ve marked a cross symbol on the monsters!” Hundred Shots shouted and marked one of the <Summoned Cloud> with a cross symbol at the same time. “Fire!”
[Summoned Cloud] (Elite)
Level: 1
HP: 10,000
From a 5-man dungeon to a 20-man dungeon, the <Summoned Cloud> amount had increased a lot and the HP also increased several folds!
By listening Hundred Shots’ command, the ranged attacking team immediately switched their targets and bombarded the <Summoned Cloud> that was marked with the cross symbol. Those that had fought the Middle Wing Normal Mode knew the true strength of the <Summoned Cloud>.
Pa! The first <Summoned Cloud> was destroyed.
Pa! Another <Summoned Cloud> was destroyed!
However, the ranged team’s damage output was still quite weak. The third <Summoned Cloud> still had at least 4000 HP while chasing after a player.
“Ding! Player Iron Hand Chicken Catcher hit by <Summoned Cloud>: Rotten stink, stunned for 10 seconds!”
Suddenly, every single <Air Bomb> changed targets and surged towards that player.
“Everybody, gather to my side!” Zhang Yang shouted loudly.
Except for the stunned player, the rest of the people quickly moved closer to Zhang Yang’s position.
“Heal! Heal me at your full force!” Zhang Yang used <Vanguard's Aggression> and guarded all nineteen people within the protection barrier.
‘-1,200!’
‘-120!’
‘-120!’
‘…’
‘-1,920!’
The first <Air Bomb> exploded and caused 1,200 damage to Iron Hand Chicken Catcher. The rest of the people were guarded within the protection barrier so the damage dealt was reduced to 10% and the HP deduction was extremely limited! However, Zhang Yang was suffering and his HP almost dropped to zero!
Zhang Yang immediately used <Block> and waited for the healing spell’s channel duration!
Another <Air Bomb> exploded on Iron Hand Chicken Catcher and the damage value filled up the screen again.
‘-1,200!’
‘-120!’
‘…’
Zhang Yang had just healed up to about 1,500 HP when another 1,920 damage value from the <Air Bomb> hit him again, killing him in the process!
The team was wiped out!
It would be dangerous using <Vanguard's Aggression> without <Shield Wall>!
At the Graveyard, Little Snow thought for a while and said: “Can we kill the person directly bounded by the <Summoned Cloud>? That way, the <Air Bomb> will not explode!”
Zhang Yang stunned and said: “I never thought about this before!”
In fact, Zhang Yang did not experience a lot of low-level Hardcore mode dungeons. When he joined the game in his previous life, ‘God’s Miracle’ was already operating in its third year. At that moment, he just went on for low-level Hard mode dungeons as long as his equipment could be used for training. He would not bother to go for low-level Hardcore mode dungeons unless there was someone to lead him. When his level was much higher, he began leading the “beginners” to the low-level dungeons where he did not need to consider strategy tactics or details at all!
Little Snow’s suggestion was excellent, but it would mean having lesser teammates, especially when it came to the ranged damage dealers. Ultimately, it would mean destroying the <Summoned Cloud> would be slower as well! Having lesser teammates to that extent would certainly collapse the party.
(Even though the player would be killed by another player in the dungeon, they would not drop a level!)
Zhang Yang thought for a while and said: “First of all, we still have to try our very best to destroy all of the <Summoned Cloud> first. If there really is no other choice and it chased after a player, only then would we attack the stunned player!”
“Let’s go people!”
They resurrected to re-enter the dungeon and ate some HP recovering snacks to gain back their health.
Zhang Yang took out the [Beginner Anti-Shadow Potion] from his inventory and distributed two per person to the party and said: “Hold them tight, drink this medicine together when I tell you to drink and do not use this potion at any other time!”
Everyone was puzzled but they took the medicine and kept it well.
The last stage would be the fifth stage, and Marzerway would just cast Area of Effect (AoE) <Shadow Arrows> and with no other tactics. This meant that the team would just need to keep on dealing damage and healing.
“Let’s start people!”
The third battle started again.
The first stage, passed smoothly.
The second stage, barely passed.
The third stage, breathtakingly passed.
The most dangerous that is the fourth stage started!
…
“Let’s have some fun!” The same speech prompted from Marzerway and he casted three <Summoned Cloud>.
“All ranged players, focus on the marked cross symbol on the monsters!” Hundred Shots temporary held a command job and cooperated with Zhang Yang.
The first <Summoned Cloud> was destroyed… The second <Summoned Cloud> was destroyed as well… the third <Summoned Cloud> still had about 3,000 HP and chased after Ironhill with great speed and caused him to be stunned.
“Kill him!” Zhang Yang cried out, as he swung his sword and slashed the Defender.
Although the pitiful Ironhill was a tank with thick armor and shield, he was not able to defend the powerful damage output and died after two to three hits!
The surged <Air Bomb> then spread out as they lost their target. They slowly floated in the air and searched for a new one.
“Yes!” All of them were excited and exclaimed like they had just defeated Marzerway.
“Well, let’s once again begin to deal some damage on Marzerway! The <Summoned Cloud> is casted every half of a minute, so we have to be quick and try our very best to get through the fifth stage. Otherwise, reducing party members will wipe us out as well!”
“Yes!”
38%, 36%, 34%... Marzerway casted <Summoned Cloud> for the second time.
Although the party had lost a teammate, the overall damage output was not severely affected as the second tank had basically nothing much to do!
The first <Summoned Cloud>, destroyed!
The second <Summoned Cloud>, destroyed!
The third <Summoned Cloud> had about 3,000 HP and surged towards Fatty Han!
“Kill!”
Fatty Han died.
32%, 30%, 29%... Marzerway threw another three <Summoned Cloud>!
The damage output had now been reduced after losing Fatty Han. After destroying the second <Summoned Cloud>, the last <Summoned Cloud> chased after Angel Descend and caused her to be stunned. Before Angel Descend’s HP dropped to zero, Little Snow was also stunned!
The party hurriedly killed two of them and caused the strength of the team to dramatically be reduced, since now the main healer died too. The stress of healing was increased to such an extent that the healers could not cope with it anymore!
They barely reduced Marzerway by 4% HP and when Marzerway casted another <Summoned Cloud> for the fourth time, but now the team finally collapsed and was wiped out.
“Little Snow, practice like the 5-man dungeon. You help destroy <Summoned Cloud> as well when the <Summoned Cloud> is casted!” Zhang Yang started to fine tune the strategy at the Graveyard.
“Cheh, there’s no need to wait for your command, I started to destroy them long before!” Little Snow showed an arrogant face to him.
That was a bad news then!
“Noob tank, use that scroll!” Drizzler suggested.
[Magic Scroll: Rising Morale (Level 1)], increase 5% of team damage and lasts for 5 minutes!
Zhang Yang frowned. Aside from the purpose of practicing, he did not wish to use that scroll so fast. But he did consider about the rest of the party other than the original five. The rest of their equipment were not strong enough and they even needed to exploit the extra damage. The only way was to rely on the external force!
“Alright, I will use the scroll when we enter the fourth stage! The other three Hunters must be on alert. When entering the fourth stage, the Hunters just need to use the normal attack and keep the Focus Points and skill cooldowns for the <Summoned Cloud>! <Summoned Cloud> is casted every 30 seconds and every round after we destroy them, the Hunters can attack Marzerway for about 20 seconds. After that, the Hunters need to keep the Focus Points and skill cooldowns again and wait for the next <Summoned Cloud>!”
“Understood!”
“All right, let’s continue people!”
They resurrected, entered the dungeon, and ate HP recovering snacks again. After a few times of being wiped out, most of the party members already decided not to just rely on the main force but started to put effort into this battle because they felt helpless, miserable and angry. Alongside with the team’s desire to defeat Marzerway, their fighting spirit rose once again and the team’s unity became stronger!
That was good news for Zhang Yang.