Chapter 470: Siege, Mutation, and Heavy Injury

Trying to forcibly integrate into a completely strange team, especially in the current high-intensity battle, was undoubtedly a stupid and dangerous behavior.

Many times, even if you know that your strength is stronger than any member of the team, rashly joining the battle will only break the tacit understanding originally formed by the team after years of tempering and cooperation, achieving an "1+1 less than 2" effect, making the already difficult situation on the field even worse.

Although Xia Nan didn't have much team experience, he knew this point well.

Therefore, in this encounter battle facing the deformed Shashou, except for buying time for his teammates who were in a state of mental control at the beginning, and occasionally supporting teammates in need later, his movements seemed more restrained and controlled than in normal battles.

Most of the time, he just wandered around the field and observed.

He observed the monster's weaknesses and combat habits, looked for breakthroughs; he also observed the combat style of the *Blade of Vengeance* squad, trying to find the entry point that best suited him to join without affecting their overall movements.

Keen perception ability, combined with his own combat talent and the experience accumulated after crossing over, allowed Xia Nan to gradually understand the thinking of the few people in front of him after only a few rounds.

—With the spellcaster Haian as the absolute core.

This Druid from the Coral Society might not master high-level skills with powerful destructive power, but she memorized control-type spells applicable to various terrains.

And this was the core of the *Blade of Vengeance* squad's battle against powerful enemies.

Through the spellcaster in the distance using spells to control the enemy, creating output opportunities for the three teammates who all possessed considerable attack capabilities.

The muddy ground that suddenly softened under the Shashou's feet just now, making its body lose balance, and those spellcasting operations that grew from under the ground and made its actions sluggish in entanglement, were the embodiment of this strategy.

The battle was fierce, and there was no chance for long-term communication.

If the few people on the field really wanted to communicate, they would at most say a few short phrases during the breathing time between rounds.

To some extent, Xia Nan and Luo Lin and the others had no communication after the battle truly started.

But this did not prevent him from observing their purpose through their movements.

Standing slightly further away, Xia Nan's field of vision could cover the entire battlefield.

Therefore, just as Captain Luo Lin was waving her blue-grade scimitar burning with flames, he also clearly saw the Tabaxi Sawa, whose movements were slightly deliberate, quietly bypassing the Shark Beast's blind spot, and the Barbarian Aken, whose movements were half a beat slower, having already climbed up from the falling state, holding his giant axe and accumulating energy, as the final killing move.

The understanding of the *Blade of Vengeance* squad's combat style accumulated during this period made him immediately make a judgment.

Luo Lin and the others should be planning to use the former two as cover, and finally let Aken give the enemy damage.

Affirming their combat strategy in his heart, Xia Nan naturally would not rashly participate and disturb the other party's deployment.

Knowing what his teammates wanted to do and exactly how they planned to do it.

Knowing his own positioning, he decided to put himself in the very last position.

This way, it would not affect Luo Lin and the others' plan, and when the situation changed suddenly and the plan encountered an accident, there would be an extra variable like himself.

And the facts were indeed as Xia Nan expected.

This vicious Shashou of unknown origin was not only powerful, but its own intelligence was not low.

After being attracted by Luo Lin and Sawa one after another, facing the Barbarian Aken's leap attack, it still gave its own response strategy, realizing a short-range displacement backward by driving the body with the high-pressure water flow sprayed from its mouth.

While dodging the axe blow that should have given it a heavy blow, it also included the opponent, who fell into a stiff state after swinging and missing, into its attack range.

Xia Nan could not allow this kind of team attrition to happen before his eyes, and he also knew that the opportunity for him to take action had finally arrived.

In an instant, he cast 【Tooth Hunt】, approaching rapidly in the sound of the wolf howl.

He didn't know if it was the tacit understanding between him and Haian after the two air landings before, or if it was because the other party standing in the distance was always paying attention to the battlefield.

Xia Nan had just rushed out one step, and the pink magic radiance flashed past the corner of his eye, crossing his body and falling straight onto the human body that grew from the side of the Shashou's torso further ahead.

【Hold Person】 as a targeted crowd-control spell that adapts to various professions and only needs 2nd Circle to release, was almost a type that every spellcaster wandering outside would learn and memorize.

Perception check, pass to be immune; if the saving throw fails, the target will fall into a paralyzed control state for a certain period of time, losing the ability to act on its own.

Clearly, according to the stiff posture of the pale human body being wrapped in pink light and motionless like time freezing after being hit by the magic radiance, it failed to pass the check of this spell.

Naturally, it could not release a sound wave attack to force Xia Nan back, or make a sound to warn the Shashou as the main body.

It could only watch as the pitch-black straight sword wrapped in condensed ocher-red energy landed straight on its forehead.

Xia Nan would never miss such an excellent opportunity for an attack.

Or rather, keen perception ability and innate combat talent allowed him to very accurately perceive when to go all out, when to test carefully, and leave enough room for retreat.

Right now, clearly it was the former.

He only swung one sword.

But on this sword, it almost contained all the damage he could release in an instant.

Superimposed 【Tooth Hunt】 impact inertia 【Spinning Slash】, 【Gravity Etching】 that had been promoted to the mastery level, 【Heavy Tide】 that had just reached lv2 not long ago, plus the "15% decapitation damage," "5% slashing damage," and "10% psychic damage" bonuses attached to the 【Ember Meteor】 straight sword itself...

It could only be said that when such a sword whistled and landed on the human head, Xia Nan couldn't even observe the expression change of the pale face under the pink light.

Because in the next instant, that round head was crushed by the ocher-red force field energy that erupted, turning into a flesh-and-blood fusion composed of broken skull and red-and-white blood, and then it exploded with a "pop" like a balloon filled with water.

Goal achieved!

Xia Nan did not linger in battle, immediately withdrew his hand, and released 【Tooth Hunt】 to retreat.

Along the way, he also pulled the Barbarian beside him, taking the other party away from the spot.

"Roar!!!"

The roar of rage full of pain exploded in place like a sonic boom, even causing ripples on the pool not far away.

Covered in blood, the huge body like a small mountain stood in place.

The Shashou roared madly, although the two human legs that grew from its own body were still hanging on it, on the side of the chest, at the position of the original human head, only a hideous scarlet blood hole remained.

Xia Nan could see that at this moment, in the Shashou's pitch-black, lightless fish eyes, there was no sad or mournful emotion.

Filling it was only the rage and resentment that seemed to form substantial flames.

Good news, they didn't have to worry about the opponent's ranged attack ability, or using that kind of mental control spell again;

Bad news, this fierce beast in front of them had entered a state of true frenzy under the heavy blow of the adventurers.

But unexpectedly, just like when the Shashou imitated Luo Lin's combat technique to use water flow for displacement before.

Even at this moment, the opponent seemed to still retain a fairly clear thinking ability. ===== CHAPTER 471 =====