Chapter 135: Attempt

The roar from squad leader Adeline made Xia Nan, who had already guessed through the changes in the expressions and actions of the people around him, react completely.

"Taunt?"

First, the first feeling in his heart...

Was absurdity.

In his previous life, although he buried his head in work after graduation, he had played quite a few various games during his student days, and naturally knew about special skills like "taunt" that attracted enemy hatred.

But in his impression, those who used this kind of skill were generally warriors with excellent defense and strong physical bodies, and the purpose was to create output space for other teammates in the team, or to pull away enemies to reduce the pressure on companions.

After crossing over to this world and learning that there were "combat techniques" and "magic," he had also imagined similar abilities during training.

He had even considered how to use it to exert the greatest effect in battle if he or his teammates possessed related skills.

It was just that he didn't expect that his first contact with the other party would be in this way.

"Did I become a mob?"

After the absurdity, it was a cold chill rising from the bottom of his heart.

Thoughts were tampered with silently, indirectly manipulating the physical body to make eerie actions that violated the original will.

It made him feel his scalp tingle and his heart shudder.

Fortunately, the physical fitness strengthened by Xia Nan's attribute points, as well as the perception ability improved by extra training in recent days, helped him resist most of the erosion of external energy.

Although he was still affected by the "taunt" skill and could not escape.

But at least he could realize that he was controlled on the battlefield by some kind of special skill from the Bugbear.

Instead of being like Abi and the ordinary villagers beside him, full of hot blood, filled with fighting spirit, as if they knew nothing, only fighting bravely to protect the village.

"Resisted, but not completely resisted."

On the other hand, it could be considered fortunate.

The Red-maned Bugbear's group taunt skill, at least for now, had no other additional effects besides "taunt."

It made the villagers who should have fled pick up pitchforks and hoes, and even Abi, who had never seen such a powerful enemy, ignited a fighting spirit far better than before.

To a certain extent, it even improved their overall combat power.

Xia Nan was very clear about his own body.

Full of energy, clear-headed.

Only when thinking about retreating, a strange resistance would inexplicably arise from the bottom of his heart.

Other aspects were not affected in any way.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind.

As if it were an instinct of the body, his right leg, which had been standing firmly on the spot and refused to move forward even a step no matter how he drove it, suddenly took a step backward in the direction away from the Bugbear.

"You... you resisted successfully!?"

In his ears came Berg's surprised exclamation.

Pale-faced, holding a longbow, he looked at Xia Nan in front in astonishment, his eyes full of incredulity.

Regarding this, Xia Nan just shook his head without explaining.

And since then, he had never been able to take the second step backward.

Naturally, it was not a coincidence.

The reason he was able to move backward was not because he had shaken off the control of the taunt skill.

At that time, he was just thinking that with his own fighting style, facing an enemy with a strong physical body like a Bugbear, bypassing from behind the village and flanking from the side might achieve better results.

So he stepped backward subconsciously.

There was no idea of avoiding the battle and retreating.

But after this, thinking he had discovered a loophole.

When he really used this as a basis to associate and extend, wanting to use thoughts like "return to River Valley Town to rest and recuperate, and come back to fight after having enough spirit," "the current strength is not enough, wait until becoming a professional to fight the other party to the death" to break away from the battlefield.

He couldn't move his body at all.

Suddenly enlightened.

The Bugbear's "taunt" skill, after the resistance failed, had already become an invisible shackle on his consciousness.

Even if he forcibly convinced himself that retreating temporarily was for a better fight with the other party later.

As long as a little bit of intention to retreat was produced, all previous efforts would be wasted.

After all, you can't deceive yourself.

And if there really was some ruthless person who could suppress the body's survival instinct with the purest will, and forcibly break free from the taunt restraint in such an exaggerated way...

Then with that degree of mental toughness, it was impossible to be hit by the move.

Thoughts flowed, and countless ideas flashed in his mind, but in reality, the time that flowed through the real world was actually just a few fleeting seconds.

"Drip, drip..."

Raindrops fell without stopping.

The rain showed no signs of strengthening, but the gray-black dark clouds overhead remained undissipated.

This cold drizzle was clearly going to continue for a long time.

Knowing that there was no possibility of escape, the battle was unavoidable.

Xia Nan also stepped forward and came to Adeline's side.

Compared to the few people who planned to retreat earlier, facing the enemy, the other party who had stayed on the battlefield from the beginning did not seem to be affected much by the Bugbear's taunt spell.

The sound of footsteps coming from behind made her turn her head and glance.

Her face, burning with anger and tense, moved slightly, seemingly surprised that Xia Nan could adjust so quickly.

Facing the great enemy, she didn't say any nonsense.

Staring closely at the Bugbear in the distance, she explained her combat thinking to the teammate beside her whose strength was no less than her own, and even exceeded it by a lot.

"Later, I will try my best to drag that Bugbear, but I can't guarantee how long I can hold on."

"It's much stronger than ordinary peers!"

"You are fast and have strong explosive power; if I can't hold on, I might need you to help take over and let me catch my breath."

The four-person squad right now.

Abi was a newcomer, rushing into this level of battle rashly was just sending him to death, and staying with the villagers could better exert his role;

Berg... located at the very back of the battlefield, also resisting part of the "taunt" effect, was in a very awkward situation.

Neither was he aroused by the fighting spirit like Abi and the villagers, nor could he continue the previous evacuation action, and was bound to the spot.

Although he was holding a longbow, his expression was restless and his face was pale, his gaze wandering and secretly exerting force, seemingly trying hard to break free from control and flee here.

For a while, he definitely couldn't be counted on.

On the entire field, the only ones who could fight the Bugbear head-on were Adeline and Xia Nan.

Regarding Adeline's arrangement, Xia Nan naturally had no objection.

Nodding in agreement, he frowned slightly, sensing the meaning hidden in the other party's words:

"The Bugbear is left to the two of us to solve, but Abi and those villagers, affected by the taunt, can't just stand by and watch, if..."

Before he finished speaking.

Screech—

A familiar sharp whistling sound suddenly came from the air.

Looking up, he stared remotely at the dense forest behind the Bugbear.

Branches and leaves shook violently, and hunched, thin figures, just like a pus-green fungus carpet spreading and expanding from the bushes, surged toward the village direction like a tide.

Carrying stench and blood.

Already exceeding three digits, completing a qualitative change.

It was a large group of green-skinned Goblins from deep in the Mist Forest!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 136 =====