Chapter 165: Defense Enhancement Mechanism?

After returning to the villa.

Lin Mo stripped off his clothes in three quick moves, dove headfirst into that soft large bed, and pulled the quilt over his head.

Less than half a minute passed.

Even breathing sounds emerged from Lin Mo's throat.

Lin Mo had fallen asleep.

But the skills, having just eaten their fill, were in a state of excitement.

【【Fireball】, hands clasped behind its back, paced back and forth within the skill bar.】

【【Fireball】sighed: Sleep, sleep, sleep! All you do day after day is sleep! Did I really agree to have a pig as my master!】

【【Earth Shield】, hearing these words, suddenly raised its head: Good heavens! Big Brother, you actually dare to call the master a pig! When the master wakes up, I will tell him you were bad-mouthing him behind his back!】

【【Fireball】, upon hearing this, immediately flew into a rage: Shut up! You actually dare to tattle on me? I was just frustrated that iron wouldn't turn into steel! Do you understand what "frustrated that iron wouldn't turn into steel" means!】

【Scolded by Big Brother, 【Earth Shield】shrunk its neck in grievance, muttering softly: If I said it, I said it. Why won't you let me speak...】

【【Fireball】was too lazy to deal with this fool; it turned around, gazing at the vast world outside, a spirit of refusing to be ordinary radiating from its flame body.】

【【Fireball】looked up at the sky and sighed deeply: Alas, relying on this master who sleeps all day is hopeless. I am destined to become a forbidden spell! I still have to rely on my own efforts!】

Whoosh—!

【【Fireball】transformed into a crimson streak of light, flew out through the villa window, and headed straight for the wild leveling zone.】

On the other side of the skill bar.

【【Lightning Strike】glanced at the direction 【Fireball】had departed, without a single word of waste.】

Whoosh—!

【A blinding blue lightning bolt tore through the void, and 【Lightning Strike】flew out directly as well.】

With this,

the previously crowded skill bar instantly became empty, leaving only a lonely 【Earth Shield】.

【【Earth Shield】stood frozen in the skill bar, looking left and right: Holy crap! Big Brother! Third Brother! You guys are way too competitive! Don't you ever take a break!】

【【Earth Shield】glanced at Lin Mo, who was still snoring loudly, gritted its teeth, and said: No way! Big Brother and Third Brother both got elemental fragments, while I got nothing! I want an Earth Elemental Fragment too!】

Whoosh—!

【A streak of dark gold light vanished into the earth, and 【Earth Shield】also made a run for it.】

On the large bed,

Lin Mo was sleeping soundly.

He had no idea that the skills had slipped out while he slept to work overtime like crazy.

Three hours later.

"Hmm..."

Lin Mo slowly woke up from the spacious leather bed.

He rolled off the bed and habitually checked the battle report provided by the panel.

"..."

Upon looking,

Lin Mo finally realized.

These little guys were competing again!

"Stop training! Hurry up and get back here immediately! We're about to start a Team Fuben!"

Lin Mo issued the recall command within his mind.

Hearing this, the skills said nothing more and each transformed into a streak of light to rush back.

After all, the experience points from a Team Fuben were far greater than grinding wild monsters out there; they knew this perfectly well.

By the time Lin Mo had simply washed up,

the skills had all returned to Lin Mo's body in perfect unison.

【【Fireball】looked at 【Lightning Strike】with pride and declared loudly: Hehehe! Third Brother, I just farmed exactly fifteen more monsters than you! This time, I won again!】

【【Lightning Strike】eyes showed a hint of confusion: Again?】

【【Earth Shield】scratched its head and interjected foolishly: Big Brother, didn't you lose last time?】

【【Fireball】, upon hearing this, refuted with righteous indignation: How could I lose? Last time, I comprehended the Fire Elemental Body a step ahead of Third Brother! Isn't that winning?!】

【【Earth Shield】face was filled with speechlessness: Does that count?】

【【Fireball】widened its eyes: How could it not count? Comprehending first means comprehending first!】

Hearing the argument in his mind, Lin Mo helplessly rubbed the center of his forehead.

"Alright, stop arguing, everyone be quiet."

"Take this time to rest and prepare for the Team Fuben."

Hearing the master's order, the three skills merely snorted at each other and fell silent.

Lin Mo changed his clothes, turned, walked out of the bedroom, and descended the spiral staircase to the first floor of the villa.

As soon as he reached the first-floor hall, Lin Mo faintly heard the noise coming from outside the door.

"Da Wei, don't push me! You stepped on my foot!"

"Damn, Brother Ye, it's been over three hours. Has the class monitor not woken up yet? Should we knock on the door?"

"Knock on what door! The class monitor just went through an epic raid wipe battle; how much energy did he expend? What's wrong with letting him sleep a bit longer!"

"Come, come! The latest model of foldable portable small stools! Comfortable to sit on, not tiring to stand on! Meeting is fate; friendship price, two thousand yuan each!"

"Han Mengqing, are you stuck in a money pit? Why don't you just rob someone? Selling a broken stool for two thousand?!"

「……」

Listening to the noise outside the door, Lin Mo couldn't help shaking his head with a faint smile.

He walked forward and opened the villa's front door.

Outside, the nineteen students of Long Xu Ban, who had been noisy just moments before, fell silent the instant the door opened.

"Good morning, class monitor!"

Led by Ye Kong, everyone snapped to attention, their eyes filled with respect.

Even Han Mengqing immediately put away her folding stool and stood at attention.

Lin Mo stepped aside:

"Alright, come in."

Hearing Lin Mo's words, the group filed in one by one.

Entering the luxurious villa belonging to the number-one ranked player.

Wang Dawei and several boys couldn't help glancing around, their eyes brimming with envy.

"Whoa, no wonder the number-one gets this treatment—this villa's bigger than all our buildings combined, right?"

Lin Mo walked to the sofa and sat down, gesturing around him:

"Make yourselves at home."

Once everyone had found their seats,

Lin Mo's gaze settled on Han Mengyao, cutting straight to the point.

"Mengyao, how much have you figured out about that Team Fuben?"

Hearing Lin Mo's question,

Han Mengyao didn't delay. She looked at him and slowly shook her head.

"Class leader, in these three hours, we've conducted an in-depth analysis of the mechanics of these Team Fuben."

"But…"

Han Mengyao took a deep breath, her tone heavy:

"We simply can't understand how Japan's 'Oni Kami' managed to beat the record by a full two minutes and fifty-nine seconds."

At these words,

Lin Mo's eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Explain in detail."

Han Mengyao nodded:

"Class leader, the Team Fuben 'Dragon Burial Snowfield' has a level restriction of 25–35, and allows a maximum of twenty players per team."

"The first challenge requires facing four 'Frost Dragon Guards.'"

"These four elite monsters have extremely high HP, but that's not the key—what matters is…"

Han Mengyao's tone turned serious:

"When their HP drops to 20%, they turn into ice statues, their defense increasing by 90%… becoming nearly unbreakable."

"To break them, four highly mobile team members must endure the blizzard's powerful slow debuff and sprint to four distant corners to shatter the 'Ice Crystals' there."

"Only when all four focal points shatter simultaneously will the ice statue state of the four Frost Dragon Guards be lifted."

Listening to Han Mengyao's explanation,

Lin Mo's eyes flickered slightly.

Defense boost?

It sounds oddly familiar.

Didn't the final boss in the 【Thunderfire Divine Temple】 also have astonishing defense?