Chapter 13: Team Fuben Anomaly

Xia Qingyue stood in place, looking at Lin Mo, and couldn't help but speak up:

"Lin Shao... that skill just now was the Fire Mage's low-tier skill 'Multiple Exploding Fireballs', right?"

Lin Mo tossed the last pine nut into his mouth, brushed the crumbs from his hands, and nodded, saying:

"Yeah, that's right."

"This skill involves the techniques of elemental splitting and secondary detonation."

Xia Qingyue's expression was complex; finally, she took a deep breath and couldn't help but tentatively ask:

"Lin Shao... may I ask presumptuously, how many skill books did you consume in total to learn this move?"

In Xia Qingyue's view, a Blank Mage lacking elemental affinity finding it nearly impossible to learn advanced elemental skills.

Let alone a Blank Mage; even a Fire-specialized Mage usually needed to consume a certain number of skill books to aid their comprehension and learning when wanting to learn a new skill.

So this Lin Shao probably consumed dozens, or even over a hundred?

Is this the depth of a wealthy family?

One must know that the prices of skill books are extremely high; even a low-tier skill book starts at six figures in Dragon Country currency.

Before Lin Mo could answer, Xia Qingyue added, "Lin Shao, if you don't want to answer, just pretend I didn't ask. I..."

"Skill books?"

Lin Mo scratched his head, looking bewildered, "I've never seen that thing..."

"?"

Xia Qingyue was stunned.

Never... never seen it?

"You mean... you didn't use any skill books?"

"Yeah."

Lin Mo shrugged as if it were the most natural thing, "Isn't it just splitting once, then exploding once? Is that hard?"

The moment his words fell, Lin Mo's skill bar began to vibrate wildly.

【'Fireball' couldn't bear it anymore: Is that hard? That's only not hard for me! It was clearly something I struggled to the death to comprehend on the grassland last night! What were you doing then? You were sleeping!】

【'Fireball' looked full of contempt: Showing off will get you struck by lightning eventually! Shameless! Stealing the fruits of my labor, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Lin Mo's expression didn't change; he just silently replied in his heart:

"Shut up. Do you still want to eat tonight's stir-fried Crimson Flame Dragon?"

【'Fireball' instantly fell silent.】

【Status Update: Enduring Humiliation (Damage +100%)】

Seeing Little Huo quiet down, Lin Mo felt a wave of satisfaction in his heart.

I have to say, showing off occasionally is quite comfortable.

Xia Qingyue opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found she didn't know what to say.

Comprehending on one's own is an extremely difficult task, even for magic-based classes possessing S-rank elemental affinity.

Yet this Lin Shao, as a Blank Mage, comprehended it on the very second day after his class change; no... judging by the proficiency of his release, he likely comprehended it on the first day.

Such talent is terrifying!

"It's definitely talent! Undoubtedly top-tier talent!"

Zhang Kai, standing nearby, suddenly jumped up.

His face and neck turned red with excitement as he loudly analyzed:

"Captain, think about it. If it was learned by forcefully smashing skill books, even a Fire Mage with S-rank affinity at the start could at most split out 3 to 5 fireballs!"

Zhang Kai pointed his finger at the dense scorched marks on the ground, "But Lin Shao just now split a full fifteen! Fifteen!"

"What does this prove? It proves Lin Shao's understanding of this skill has reached the state of Great Perfection! This is an effect that skill books simply cannot pile up to achieve!"

"This is clearly a supreme, invincible, super magic-based genius without precedent in the past or future! Compared to Lin Shao, those so-called S-rank affinities should go home and raise pigs!"

Hearing Zhang Kai's words, Xia Qingyue felt utterly ashamed.

If S-rank affinity should go home and raise pigs, what about her A-rank affinity? Go home and play with mud?

Meanwhile, Wang Meng and Liu Weiwei, standing nearby, heard this analysis and were as if waking from a dream, looking at Lin Mo with eyes that regarded him as a walking deity.

"..."

Lin Mo felt his scalp go numb from this barrage of flattery.

I have to say, Zhang Kai is still qualified as a sycophant.

"Ahem... alright, alright."

Lin Mo waved his hand somewhat embarrassedly, interrupting Zhang Kai's spellcasting:

"Low profile, keep it low profile."

"It's not that exaggerated; it was just good luck. Let's hurry up; the sooner we clear it, the sooner we can go back to sleep."

Xia Qingyue also snapped out of her shock; she glanced at Lin Mo, and the respect in her eyes increased by a few more degrees.

Not only was his talent outstanding, but he was also so humble and low-key, only wanting to sleep...

This is the true demeanor of a great master.

"Everyone listen to Lin Shao; continue moving forward!"

Xia Qingyue quickly gave the order, "Maintain formation; since Lin Shao is going all out, we will advance at full speed!"

On the other side, on the rocky beach outside the Team Fuben.

Ye Hongyu leaned against the car hood; at her feet were already five or six scattered cigarette butts.

Those tiny points of scarlet flickered uncertainly in the darkness.

"Half an hour…"

Ye Hongyu lifted her wrist to check the time, her brow slightly furrowed.

Although she had full confidence in Lin Mo's miraculous micro-management, this was a Difficult-level Team Fuben—even an elite squad would take at least half an hour just to clear the outer zones.

She drew a deep breath from the cigarette in her hand, preparing to exhale a smoke ring.

Suddenly.

Hum—!

A vibration surged up from beneath the ground.

Immediately, an intensely oppressive, malevolent aura enveloped the entire stony beach.

"Huh?!"

Ye Hongyu's face changed instantly; she snapped her head upward toward the spatial rift.

The Team Fuben entrance, once glowing with mysterious purple light, now churned with a thick, impenetrable blackness.

Like a demon's eye from hell slowly opening.

"This… this is…"

Ye Hongyu's pupils shrank sharply.

For the first time, fear appeared on her usually calm and cold face.

"Deepening?!"

"How is this possible…"

As an experienced soldier, Ye Hongyu knew exactly what this sight meant.

In this world, Team Fuben fell into two categories.

One was fixed, stable, and safe.

The other was the temporary space opened by a "Random Team Fuben Scroll."

And this kind of temporary Team Fuben had an extremely, extremely low chance of being corrupted by extradimensional Abyssal energy, mutating as a result.

How low was this probability?

One in a hundred thousand—or even lower!

Jianghai City had gone eight full years without a single case of "Team Fuben Deepening"!

"Damn it, the young master's in trouble…"

Ye Hongyu's fingertips trembled; she crushed the cigarette butt, turned, pulled out her phone, and dialed Lin Tianhao's number.

If a Deepened Team Fuben merely made monsters stronger, there might still be a sliver of hope.

But the most terrifying part was this: in a normal Team Fuben, smashing a carried "Return Scroll" would forcibly extract you, saving your life.

That was precisely why she dared let Lin Mo enter—he had multiple 【Return Scrolls】, which she'd given him in the car.

But…

Once a Team Fuben Deepened, the Return Scrolls became useless.

The only way to survive was to slay the final boss and complete the level.

"Duu—duu—"

Only two rings, then the call connected.

"Hello? Hongyu, did Mo'er clear it? That was fast…"

Lin Tianhao's cheerful laugh came through the speaker.

"Commandant! Something's happened!"

Ye Hongyu spoke at breakneck speed:

"The Team Fuben the young master is in… has undergone Deepening!"

"What did you say?!"

From the other end of the line came the sharp crack of a teacup shattering, followed by Lin Tianhao's roar: "Wait there—I'm coming right now!"