CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: NO ONE HAS A SHARPER TONGUE THAN SU TIANKUO

"Task completed, time taken 12 minutes 30 seconds, clearance rating [Perfect], earned clearance reward of 3 contribution points."

"First clearance of [Horn Demon Outpost] on easy difficulty, earned first-clear reward of 4 contribution points."

"Congratulations to you, Fang Zhou Junior Sergeant, your team is the first in this grade to clear [Horn Demon Outpost] on easy difficulty. All team members receive the first-clear ranking reward of 10 contribution points and an achievement blessing: +1% simulation battlefield loot drop rate (cumulative 6%)."

"Congratulations to you, Fang Zhou Junior Sergeant, your team’s clearance of [Horn Demon Outpost] on easy difficulty in 12 minutes 30 seconds ranks 50th on the historical speed leaderboard. This month, you are expected to receive a ranking reward of 3 contribution points."

"Triggered loot drop, obtained [Low-Level Spiritual Recovery Potion] *1, can be exchanged for 1 contribution point."

"You may continue to challenge the normal difficulty in 5 minutes."

A series of prompts sounded in Fang Zhou’s ear.

First-clear of the grade, that’s par for the course.

Ranking only 50th in historical speed, Fang Zhou raised an eyebrow but wasn’t too surprised.

After all, this is a team dungeon, and no matter how efficient he is alone, he can’t necessarily compare to a well-coordinated three-man team with a balanced offense and defense.

What’s more, this historical speed ranking takes each person’s best historical performance into account and can be repeatedly brushed.

Teams ranked on the leaderboard have their clearance strength locked at the peak of the middle rank of Apprentices, with skills, equipment, and other configurations being highly refined, working together seamlessly, and very familiar with the clearance process of [Horn Demon Outpost].

Compared to these predecessors, Fang Zhou, just breaking through to the middle rank of Apprentice, being able to break into the top 50 on the leaderboard alone was already surprising to him.

Not to mention, if Ye Fan and Bai Xiaochan break through to the middle rank of Apprentice, Fang Zhou teaming up with them to brush easy difficulty for the leaderboard, with Bai Xiaochan providing various buffs and Ye Fan offering additional output, the clearance duration would definitely be greatly shortened.

Fang Zhou shook his head slightly, no longer thinking about these things.

After tallying up the gains, excluding the cost of tickets, the net profit was 19 contribution points, which was quite decent.

Fang Zhou looked back at the massive corpse of the Horn Demon and left the simulation battlefield.

...

In the meeting room, watching Fang Zhou calmly and effortlessly slay the Horned Demon Boss, the instructors showed admiring glances, applauding Fang Zhou.

Shen Hongyu sighed and said, "A one-man army with extraordinary combat power, truly the young are to be feared."

Chen Qing also sincerely praised, "To have such comprehensive combat capability in the Apprentice Stage, I am really looking forward to seeing what kind of splendor Fang Zhou will display on the battlefield when he breaks through to become a Silver or Gold powerhouse."

Seeing the instructors full of praise, Su Tiankuo, still thinking about last night’s embarrassment, was extremely satisfied in his heart but couldn’t help picking faults verbally.

"Hmph, I think Fang Zhou still has a long way to go.

Lacking effective group attack means against those Little Inferior Demons.

The summoned skeletons are enough to deal with ordinary cannon fodder, but struggling to deal effective damage to elite demons like the Horn Demon.

Not to mention Fang Zhou’s limited means of self-preservation, lacking displacement skills, with too obvious weaknesses.

If encountering a decapitation strike by the enemy, he might just have to stand there and wait for death."

Hearing Su Tiankuo’s words, the instructors looked at each other, all showing expressions of speechlessness.

My dear Principal Su, after all, Fang Zhou is just a newly-awakened Apprentice of one month.

Your insistence on picking faults is really quite laughable.

Lu Hu, like a quail, shrunk into a corner, his mouth seemed sewn shut, daring not to speak, only using eyes to express protest.

Last night in Su Xinyan’s office, he couldn’t hold back his laughter, causing Principal Su and Su Xinyan to lose face, and naturally was "leniently" disciplined by Principal Su afterward.

Therefore, he didn’t dare speak up for Fang Zhou now, fearing to bring trouble upon himself.

On the training field, seeing Fang Zhou’s performance, the watching students all had expressions of disbelief.

That Fang Zhou could clear [Horn Demon Outpost] alone was one thing.

The most unacceptable to them was that Fang Zhou, relying solely on his strength, could climb into the top 50 of the historical speed leaderboard.

Doesn’t this mean that Fang Zhou alone is enough to defeat the vast majority of three-man teams now?

In a corner, Ye Fan looked up at the combat footage of Fang Zhou controlling undead and skeletons, slaying demons like chickens, feeling his blood boiling.

"A real man should be like this! One day, I, Ye Fan, will surpass him."

Beside him, Bai Xiaochan’s beautiful eyes were sparkling even more. She cupped her hands on her chest, silently fantasizing about future scenes of following Fang Zhou through storms and thunder.

Hmph, we’re really quite formidable.

In the crowd, Meng Hongzhuang, Gu Zhiqiu, and others also appeared solemn, calculating the gap between themselves and Fang Zhou, their hearts bursting with intense fighting spirit.

...

Lying in the simulation pod, Fang Zhou silently reflected on the shortcomings he discovered in the previous battle.

His group attack ability has weaknesses, wasting too much time on those cannon fodder Little Inferior Demons before.

If he wants to speed up the clearance, this is the first issue to address.

With an improvement direction in mind, Fang Zhou focused his attention on the attribute panel.

Time for his cleverness to shine!

"Detected sufficient skill materials to infer unknown skills, expected to consume 10 Soul Power."

"Start inference?"

Fang Zhou immediately confirmed, and in the state of burst of inspiration, countless ideas flashed through his mind.

Since one Skeleton Flying Spear can’t hit multiple enemies, then weaken the power of the Bone Spear, increase the number, thus naturally turning a single-target skill into a group attack skill.

"Skill inference [Skeleton Arrow Rain] successfully performed."

[Skeleton Arrow Rain] (Apprentice level, Skilled): Fires a barrage of skeleton arrows at enemies within a certain area, dealing armor-piercing physical, corrosive poison, and death energy damage. Arrows explode upon hitting enemies, with quantity, power, and range determined by Spirit Attribute and Skill Proficiency.

A perfect group attack skill, Fang Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

With [Skeleton Arrow Rain], his efficiency in demon slaying would undoubtedly increase greatly.

After resting for a while, Fang Zhou prepared to challenge the normal difficulty of [Horn Demon Outpost].

Paying 4 contribution points as the entry fee, Fang Zhou once again entered the teleportation gate.

"Mission: Eliminate all demons, reclaim Riverfront Outpost."

A familiar dense fog once again appeared.

Although there were no enemies within the dense fog in easy difficulty, Fang Zhou was not careless.

Just like last time, he first condensed a Bone Shield, then summoned a large number of skeletons, then skillfully moved towards the outpost.

This time, Fang Zhou discovered a Little Inferior Demon acting as a sentry at the outpost’s gate.

It leaned lazily against a stone pillar, completely oblivious to Fang Zhou and his Skeleton Army hidden in the dense fog.