Chapter 138: Mid-Tier Skill, Heavenly Punishment: Lei Yun Purgatory!

【Trial Map Designation: Demon King's Castle】

【An ancient kingdom once bathed in light, until the "Demon King" descended.】

【The "Demon King" established an impregnable dark fortress and stole the kingdom's supreme treasure, the Heart of Light.】

【Darkness shrouded the land, and the kingdom hung by a thread.】

【To reclaim the light, the kingdom gathered all its warriors, forming a vast punitive alliance determined to breach the Demon King's Castle, retrieve the supreme treasure, and restore light to the world.】

【Faction Division:】

Heroes' Side, Demon King's Side (the Demon King and the Demon King's Personal Guard).

Heroes' Side Victory Conditions (achieve one):

1. Breach the interior of the Demon King's Castle and successfully retrieve the 【Heart of Light】.

2. Kill the Demon King.

Demon King's Side Victory Conditions (achieve one):

1. Hold the position; when the designated time (4 hours) ends, the 【Heart of Light】 has not been retrieved.

2. Launch a counterattack, invade the kingdom, and destroy the 【King's Statue】.

After reading this document, Xu Wenchang stroked the stubble on his chin, lost in thought.

"This map... is interesting."

"It tests defense while also offering a chance for a counterattack."

Xu Wenchang instinctively asked:

"But... who is the Demon King?"

Upon hearing this, Principal Guhe looked at Xu Wenchang as if he were an idiot and retorted:

"What do you think?"

Xu Wenchang paused for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, "Hehehe... that's true."

"That kid, when he fights, is more like a Demon King than the Demon King himself."

Principal Guhe also nodded with a smile:

"Then it's settled."

"Tomorrow, let us see whether the Hero can slay the Demon, or whether this Demon King... can annihilate the entire Hero Alliance."

The next morning.

Lin Mo opened his eyes groggily amidst a crisp chirping of birds.

"Hmm..."

He stretched, feeling refreshed and alert.

"I wonder how the little ones fared in battle last night."

Lin Mo rubbed his sleepy eyes and habitually opened his personal panel.

【Level: Lv. 27 (5%)】

"Whoa!"

"Level 27?"

Lin Mo's eyes lit up.

"As expected, only by grinding can there be a future!"

He sighed.

Immediately, full of anticipation, he opened the 【Battle Log】.

Lin Mo couldn't wait to see if any of his skills had pulled any stunts last night.

【Your skill 'Fireball' and 'Lightning Strike' met again in the core area of 'Lei Yun Ridge'.】

【'Fireball' struck first, taunting 'Lightning Strike' for only having single-target burst and low clearing efficiency.】

【'Lightning Strike' responded with a cold sneer, stating it had no desire to argue with a brute who only plays with fire.】

【Both sides immediately launched a monster-clearing speed race.】

【'Fireball', to prove itself, desperately squeezed its potential and charged into a pack of Lv. 35 Flame Demon Lions.】

【Under extreme anger and the obsession to out-grind the third brother, 'Fireball' entered a state of enlightenment...】

【Congratulations! Your skill 'Fireball' has comprehended the mid-tier fire skill, Flame Roar!】

【Flame Roar (Lv. 1): Mid-tier fire skill. Condenses red lotus fire to project a fan-shaped wave of flames forward, dealing devastating damage to enemies along the path and inflicting a powerful knockback effect. Cooldown: 60 seconds.】

"!!"

Seeing this, Lin Mo's eyes lit up.

Not bad, Hearing Xiao Huo!

This skill effect...

Isn't this just a large-area bulldozer skill? When encountering a horde of monsters, pushing this out would create an absolutely spectacular scene.

Not bad, not bad.

Lin Mo was already somewhat eager to try out the new skill.

However, the Battle Log wasn't finished yet, so he decided to continue reading.

【Seeing 'Fireball' comprehend a new skill, 'Lightning Strike' felt unprecedented pressure.】

【As a naturally gifted lightning attribute, 'Lightning Strike's' arrogance would not allow it to lose to a fireball that only knows how to make noise.】

【'Lightning Strike' gazed at the clouds in the sky, then flew alone into the cloud layer, conducting Lei Ting into the clouds, drawing upon the thunder of heaven and earth, and merging itself with the thunderclouds.】

Amidst Lei Ting's baptism, the 'Thunder Strike Technique' achieved sudden enlightenment.

Congratulations! Your skill 'Thunder Strike Technique' has comprehended a High-Grade Lightning-element skill, Heavenly Punishment · Lei Yun Purgatory!

"Woa... Holy crap?!"

Upon seeing this, Lin Mo jumped straight up from the bed.

He rubbed his eyes, doubting he had seen wrong.

"H-High-Grade?!"

"That's right, it is High-Grade!"

"Oh my god, no wonder you're the genius Little Lei; your first move is a High-Grade skill?"

【Heavenly Punishment · Lei Yun Purgatory (Lv. 1): Summons a storm of thunderclouds to continuously bombard all hostile targets within the area with indiscriminate thunder, dealing massive damage. Every thunderbolt carries 'Paralysis' and 'Electrocution' effects. Cooldown: 2 minutes】

"Hiss—"

"Massive damage!"

Lin Mo sucked in a sharp breath.

This was the first time such a description had appeared.

Mid-Grade skills only described 'large damage'; now, High-Grade skills described 'massive damage'!

And it even came with Paralysis control and Electrocution?

"..."

Lin Mo felt his head buzzing.

He had done nothing; after waking from sleep, his skill panel had gained a Mid-Grade skill plus a High-Grade skill.

If Teacher Xu found out that a Level 27 mage like him had mastered a High-Grade skill, he wouldn't just drop his jaw, would he?

Lin Mo took several deep breaths before barely calming his excited mood.

He continued looking at the final part of the log.

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' watched the two brothers fight like immortals from the sidelines.】

【Watching the sky filled with seas of fire and the Lei Yun Purgatory, the 'Earth Shield Technique' felt extremely anxious. It believed it was also a Spirit of Elements and wouldn't be that far behind.】

【However, after the 'Earth Shield Technique' struggled for a long time with nothing happening, it finally had to admit that its talent was far inferior to the Eldest Brother and the Third Brother.】

【Facing the dimensional strike of the 'Thunder Strike Technique' comprehending a High-Grade skill, the 'Fireball Technique' broke down.】

【The 'Fireball Technique' tried to comprehend a more powerful skill, struggled for a long time, and ultimately failed.】

【The 'Fireball Technique' muttered to itself: Why? This is unfair! This Lord won't practice anymore; let it all be destroyed, I'm tired...】

Reading the last line, Lin Mo wordlessly held his forehead.

This Little Huo...

Was good in every way, except for this mindset... it really was a bit glass-hearted.

It broke down at the slightest thing, and at the slightest thing it said "let it all be destroyed, I'm tired."

This was his number one worker, the big brother of the team; if it really got depressed and went on strike, the loss would be huge.

"Sigh, looks like I have to do some psychological counseling again."

Lin Mo sighed.

"Little Huo? Are you there?"

"Hello?"

"I know you're not asleep; stop pretending to be dead, speak up!"

【'Fireball Technique':?】

Seeing the 'Fireball Technique' respond, Lin Mo cleared his throat:

"Ahem, Little Huo, what's wrong? Didn't you perform quite well last night?"

"'Flame Roar'! What a name, so domineering!"

【'Fireball Technique' spoke with a resentful tone: What's the use of being domineering... The Third Brother is High-Grade, High-Grade! This life is unlivable...】

Lin Mo hurriedly comforted it:

"Little Huo, you must know that talent is something innate; Little Lei's talent is indeed better than yours, and we have to admit that."

"But! Having good talent doesn't mean you're necessarily strong!"

"Look, you work harder than Little Lei! Diligence can make up for lack of talent, do you understand? As long as you work hard enough, even a Forbidden Spell, we can grind it out!"

Just then,

【'Earth Shield Technique' said stupidly: But Master, the Third Brother has been working very hard recently too; it has been pulling all-nighters farming monsters for two nights in a row...】

【Your skill 'Fireball Technique' received a critical hit! It realized that now the 'Thunder Strike Technique' not only had better talent than it, but was also working harder than it.】

A vein on Lin Mo's forehead jumped. "Shut up! If you don't speak, no one thinks you're mute!"

Immediately after, he quickly turned his head again to continue comforting the 'Fireball Technique':

"Little Huo, don't listen to Little Tu's nonsense."

"Think about it; you have way more skills than Little Lei: Fireball, Explosion, Dragon Bullet, Fire Pillar, Storm, Wind Wings... and now you've gained Flame Roar!"

【'Earth Shield Technique' muttered quietly: But the Third Brother knows a High-Grade skill, and that is High-Grade...】

"?"

"You damn thing, will you die if you don't shut up?"

"Do you not want to eat Earth-element food anymore?"

Hearing the threat of a food cutoff, the 'Earth Shield Technique' instantly cowered.

【'Earth Shield Technique' immediately covered its mouth: Master, I was wrong! I won't speak anymore!】

Seeing this, Lin Mo let out a long sigh, then continued to comfort:

"Xiao Huo, think about it. You were the first to follow me."

"You are the boss. That is a fact no one can change."

"What does a High-Grade Skill amount to? As long as you keep working hard, Super-Grade and Forbidden Spells will be within your grasp in no time."

"By then, when you unleash a Forbidden Spell, whose face will you need to watch?"

"Don't forget, you are destined to become a Forbidden Spell! How can you be defeated by such a trivial setback?"

Hearing these words.

The flames surrounding 'Fireball' began to dance again.

Indeed.

This Lord is destined to become a Forbidden Spell!

A mere High-Grade Skill is just a temporary lead.

As long as this Lord persists, I will inevitably become a Forbidden Spell.

【'Fireball' suddenly erupted in flames, its momentum surging: You are right! This Lord is the boss! That is an unchangeable fact. This Lord cannot fall!】

【'Fireball' looked at 'Lightning Strike' and said proudly: A mere High-Grade Skill. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. You just wait for this Lord!】

【'Lightning Strike':.】

Watching 'Fireball' reignite its fighting spirit, Lin Mo wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Being a hands-off boss is indeed quite satisfying; the only drawback is having to handle psychological counseling.

Lin Mo glanced at the time.

It was half past eight.

"That's about enough."

"Go wash your face and let's head out."