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nChanging direction meant that all of Wales’ previous efforts were in vain, and he had to recalibrate the route all over again.

nEven though Wales possessed an exceptional Invisibility skill, it was impossible to keep the entire team constantly under the state of invisibility.

nAdditionally, the unknown map was barely cleared of monsters, resulting in their abundant presence.

nFortunately, Athena had wisely chosen to bring along archers and magi, all equipped with impressive AOE skills, making them well-prepared to handle the situation.

nMeanwhile, Howard couldn’t help but feel secretly delighted.

nHe didn’t have to lift a finger, yet he was able to share in the rewards and even get his hands on high-level monster loot. It was like living a dream!

nThe only downside was that the Mordun Wasteland was considered a high-level map, with even the weakest monsters being at least LV70.

nGiven the massive level disparity, the experience points Howard could gain were significantly reduced.

nTime slowly passed amidst battles with various lizards, sand snakes, man-eating plants, golems, and other monsters. 𝘳.𝑐𝘰

nWales lived up to the expectations, leading the team smoothly through the Mordun Wasteland without encountering a single enemy.

nWhen the forest that was barely visible and the dazzlingly bright buildings constructed of white jade stones appeared in front of them, shining under the sunlight, Athena couldn’t hide her excitement.

nReaching Medea Ruins meant that they were not far from Crimson Dragon City!

nOf course, traversing the Medea Ruins, even by the shortest route, would take at least two days.

nNot to mention, Howard and his team needed to explore and pave their own way through unknown territories, which would at least double the time required.

n“Medea Ruins,” Wales began, aware that Howard had limited knowledge about the world.

nHe simultaneously scouted ahead while explaining the peculiarities of the Medea Ruins. “It is said to be an ancient ruin from five thousand years ago. Before the world underwent its transformation, this place was nothing more than a cluster of ancient buildings. However, after the transformation, it has become a place shrouded in mystery.”

nAccording to ancient legends, this Ruins was dedicated to a deity.

nUnfortunately, due to a cataclysmic event in the past, much of history and literature were lost, resulting in a cultural discontinuity.

nThe people of today are utterly ignorant of what deity Medea might be.

nThey can only speculate based on the changes observed in the monsters within the Ruins, inferring that she might be the deity controlling mutations.

nThere were stories of a hound that, after spending merely a day in Medea Ruins, underwent a transformation and evolved into a Cerberus.

nSomeone once brought a pet snake across the Medea Ruins, only for it to morph into Medusa and petrify its owner into a statue…

nSuch incidents were countless, making the Medea Ruins a forbidden place in the hearts of most.

nFortunately, these mutations only affect beasts and have no effect on humans.

nThe transformed monsters, now possessing formidable strength, have turned this place into a training ground for the awakened.

nHowever, at this moment, Howard and his group had no intention of training. They headed straight for Medea Ruins.

nThere is a saying, “The mountain appears closer than it actually is.”

nEven the damaged buildings of Medea Ruins, now ruins and remnants of walls, remained spectacular and towering, some as high as several dozen meters.

nThus, even though Howard and his group could see the Ruins, it still took a considerable amount of time to approach them.

nTo make matters worse, just as they were nearing Medea Ruins, they unexpectedly ran headlong into a group of well-equipped cavalry.

nThe leader, a burly figure wielding a fiery red lance, had arms covered in dense hair, exposed for all to see.

nInvisibility has its duration, and Wales could not possibly keep them in an invisible state at all times.

nIn an instant, the two groups collided.

nAt that moment, Athena, along with the numerous magi and archers, became tense.

nCould it be that they had run into those who were hunting them?

nAthena and her group were nervous, and upon scanning them, the eyes of those on the opposite side widened in surprise as well.

nStunned for a moment, the spear-wielding lead cavalry swiftly pulled out a scroll, upon which was a vivid depiction of Athena herself.

n“Quick, fire the flare!” The lead cavalry reacted with incredible speed.

nWith a piercing howl, he thrust his spear forward, sweeping it towards Howard and the others.

nThere was no way to avoid it; they were simply too close!

nAt this moment, Athena had no choice but to reveal her strength.

nShe stepped forward, positioning herself between Howard, Wales, and the enemy.

nHer long blade appeared in her hand out of thin air, clashing with the spear’s blade in a sweeping strike.

nFiery flames burst forth from the blade, transforming into a blazing phoenix with a sharp, piercing cry.

nThe flame phoenix engulfed the spear’s blade in an instant.

n“Humph, Roar of the Flame Dragon!”

nHowever, those daring enough to pursue Athena were naturally no pushovers.

nThe leader’s wrist shook violently, causing his spear to tremble intensely like a dragon, emitting bright flames and the sound of a dragon’s roar.

nWitnessing this scene, Howard couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

nA spear against a sword, a dragon against a phoenix—this battle was becoming interesting!

nLuckily, Athena’s strength was ultimately superior.

nThe flame phoenix’s wings fluttered, causing its form to spiral.

nThe previously stagnant battle suddenly shifted. The phoenix spiraled forward, its flames licking the lead cavalry’s arms, eliciting a howl of pain.

nHis mount, unable to withstand the immense explosive force, continuously retreated, almost collapsing onto the ground.

nFortunately, the lead cavalry was formidable.

nAfter being forced back, he trembled his arm, dispelling the flames from his body.

nWhizz—

nThe sound of air being torn apart echoed through the area as a dazzling firework suddenly burst forth in the sky.

nHowever, this firework was not a beautiful spectacle; for Howard and his companions, it was a death knell.

nIf they couldn’t eliminate this troop quickly or put some distance between them, the situation would become dire once the other pursuers arrived.

nPreviously, Athena had paid the price of a hundred lives just to shake off their initial pursuers.

nThe pursuers they faced now were likely to be even more numerous. Escaping them seemed an impossible task.

nHowever, Athena understood that this was not a failure on Wales’ part.

nAfter all, his responsibilities were confined to the inside of the Ruins and the route through Mordun Wasteland.

nThe stretch of land between Mordun Wasteland and Medea Ruins offered no hidden paths; it was impossible to lay blame on Wales.

n“Lord Ravenous Wolf, if you intervene now, I can offer you a higher reward!”

n“There’s no time left, please!” Athena’s voice rang out.

nAt the same time, she swung her long blade, launching another attack while the lead cavalry was still reeling.

nWales furrowed his brows, hesitating for a moment.

nBehind him, the group of archers swiftly drew their Mighty Bows, nocking arrows as they prepared to fire.

nThe magi, too, retreated, waving their wands while chanting spells.

nRegrettably, for the magi to unleash their skills took far too much time.

nEven Howard, on many occasions, could only release his skills under the protection of his teammates.

nAs for instantaneous skills?

nThose were only good for dealing with monsters.

nWhen faced with real people, instantaneous skills, whether in terms of power or accuracy, proved disappointingly ineffective.

nAs the archers released their bowstrings, sending a torrential rain of arrows into the sky, the magi were still chanting, preparing their skills.

nHowever, the cavalry troop had already raised their shields, launching a charge.

nTheir leader, holding his own against Athena, was a formidable adversary. How could they afford to waste time?

nSwoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

nThe sky filled with arrows, but they landed ineffectively on the raised shields of the cavalry. Clad in exquisite armor, even the arrows that hit their bodies couldn’t inflict substantial damage.

nIf an arrow was imbued with a skill, the armor would gleam, a special power would emerge, annihilating the force of the skill carried by the arrow.

nIt could be said that a shield-bearer was the natural counter to an archer!

nHowever, they had their weaknesses—they feared pure magical attacks.

nIf the magi could successfully release their skills, this cavalry troop would surely collapse.

nTherefore, the cavalry paid no attention to the archers. Shielded, they charged with all their might, aiming to reach the magi before they could unleash their skills.

nOnce the magi were in close combat, it would indeed be a dead-end for them!

nThe archers were becoming desperate, their eyes red, frantically drawing and releasing arrows.

nThe arrows struck shields and armor, sparking but failing to halt the cavalry’s advance.

n“Right, aim for the horses! Shoot their warhorses directly!” .𝘤𝘰

nHoward urgently shouted out.

nHe was not as cold as Wales; having spent so much time with Athena and the others, he truly couldn’t bear to see them perish miserably.

nHearing his words, the archers snapped back to reality, slapping their foreheads in realization.

nUnderstandably, fear made it hard to make the right choices.

nFortunately, Howard’s timely reminder jolted them into action.

nThey quickly adjusted their aim, focusing intently on the cavalry’s warhorses.

nSwoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

nIn the next moment, arrows left the bowstrings, shooting like lightning, and fiercely struck the legs of the warhorses.

nThe source of this content is .

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