Chapter 96: Comprehension, Earthquake and Mountain Tremor · Thousand Rock Spikes!

"I'll give it a try."

Lin Mo looked at Han Mengqing beside him, his tone flat.

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' attempts to respond to the Master's will, controlling the ground to rise...】

【Attempt failed. The ground merely bulged into a round, soft little mound, possessing no sharpness or killing power whatsoever.】

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' immediately gave up, feeling aggrieved: No way, Master... I only know how to build walls...】

Lin Mo felt like he was trying to temper iron into steel:

"Imagine if a bad guy were to ambush me, wouldn't you have to give him a hard hit?"

"Condense it to a single point! Pierce up from underground and hit him hard!"

【Hearing this, the 'Earth Shield Technique' instantly flew into a rage: Ambush the Master? Then I definitely have to give him a hard hit! Whoever dares touch the Master, I'll pierce them to death!】

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' began frantically compressing earth elements: Sharper... even sharper... Pierce the bad guys to death!】

Pfft—!

A faint sound.

A stone spike, about two meters long with a tip as sharp as a spear, shot up violently from underground!

【Congratulations! Driven by the desire to protect the Master, your skill 'Earth Shield Technique' successfully deduced and comprehended the Earth-element basic skill—Earth Spike Technique (Lv. 1)!】

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' was overjoyed: Wow! Master, Master! I succeeded!】

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' found it hard to believe: So I can become this aggressive too?】

【The 'Fireball Technique' glanced over with extreme disdain: Just this? Comprehending even a basic skill this difficult, you really bring shame to our skill world.】

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' immediately became submissive: B-Big Brother is right to scold me, I'm still too useless. Compared to Big Brother and Third Brother, I'm just playing house...】

Lin Mo was too lazy to deal with this cowardly Hearing Xiao Tu.

He turned to look at the three girls and said with a serious face:

"Mm, I know it now."

The three girls: "..."

They looked at that stone spike, then at Lin Mo's calm face.

Know it now?

What do you mean 'now'?

You should know that for most Earth-element mages, comprehending an Earth Spike of half a meter is already quite good.

You started with a two-meter-long stone spike, and you tell me this is something you just learned?

Are you trying to fool a ghost?

"Big Shot Lin Mo..."

Han Mengqing's mouth twitched, "You actually learned it long ago, right? You must have learned it long ago, right?"

Lin Mo shrugged, offering no explanation.

Han Mengqing walked around that Earth Spike once, then pouted in disappointment:

"Sigh, but this Earth Spike Technique is a single-target attack."

"Facing this massive beast tide, piercing one by one, that would take until the monkey year!"

"What we need right now is an area-of-effect damage skill! Something that kills a whole group at once!"

Han Mengyao nodded beside her, analyzing with a Serious Expression:

"Mengqing is right, the Earth Spike Technique is too inefficient."

"As far as I know, among Earth-element skills, at the intermediate level, there is a powerful move with the highest killing power that also includes crowd control, called 【Earthquake and Mountain Tremor · Thousand Rock Spikes】."

"This move works by shattering the earth, then instantly condensing hundreds or thousands of Earth Spikes to perform a large-scale piercing attack."

"Regarded as the strongest intermediate Earth-element skill."

"Not only is the damage higher, but more importantly, it also carries an 'Earthquake' effect; facing the earth's collapse, enemies will lose their footing and fall into a stun."

"If we had this move, the efficiency of clearing monsters would absolutely double."

After speaking, Han Mengyao sighed and shook her head:

"Unfortunately, this move requires extremely high affinity and perception for earth elements; even a level 40 mage specializing in Earth elements would find it hard to master..."

After hearing this, Lin Mo also nodded silently.

Area-of-effect damage plus large-scale strong crowd control.

This move sounds very powerful...

And since my Lightning and Fire elements are currently countered, having a move like this would be great.

"Sounds good, I'll give it a try."

Lin Mo said flatly.

The three young women were all stunned.

Han Mengyao opened her mouth, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

Did Big Shot Lin Mo not hear the second half of what I just said?

Even a level 40 mage specializing in Earth elements finds it hard to master!

But seeing Lin Mo's serious look, she swallowed her words before they could leave her mouth.

Lin Mo looked at the skill panel.

"Hearing Xiao Tu, did you hear that? 【Earthquake and Mountain Tremor · Thousand Rock Spikes】."

"Since you can make one, making a thousand shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Add in the vibration, make this ground shake for me!"

【The 'Earth Shield Technique' immediately felt immense pressure: M-M-M-Master, t-t-this is too difficult!】

【【Earth Shield Art】 tries its best: Tremble… tremble… one thousand strands…】

Outside.

The ground beneath Lin Mo's feet trembled faintly.

Just like an elephant stomping once.

And then… there was no then.

There was no Thousand Rock Spikes, no earth-shattering quake.

That faint tremor wasn't even enough to make Han Mengqing lose her footing.

"Uh…"

Han Mengqing blinked. "That's it?"

Han Mengyao also breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, thank goodness…

Although Boss Lin Mo was freakishly strong, he hadn't yet reached the point of being completely unreasonable.

If he could really learn a high-difficulty mid-tier skill just by hearing its name, what would all our hard work count for?

"It's fine, Lin Mo."

Han Mengyao stepped forward and comforted him:

"This is normal. This is a top-tier mid-tier skill, and one of the hardest to master in the earth element. Let's take it slow, no need to force it."

Chu Lingxuan also said softly:

"Yeah, Classmate Lin Mo, don't put too much pressure on yourself…"

"Your fire and lightning damage are already very high. We're just clearing a bit slower. Steady and solid can clear it too, no need to push yourself."

But Lin Mo paid no attention to their comfort.

He looked at the skill panel.

He planned to crank up the intensity on 【Earth Shield Art】.

After all, it was a spirit of the earth element. This little fellow would never know how strong it really was unless pushed.

【【Fireball Art】 burst out laughing: Hahahaha! That's hilarious, that's all you've got? Second Brother, you just obediently stay in the back and build walls. For this kind of grand scene, you've still got to rely on…】

"Shut up. Still want to eat 【Braised Fierce Bull Tendon】? Get lost."

Lin Mo roared inwardly.

【【Fireball Art】 had wanted to talk tough for a couple more lines, but the moment it heard Braised Fierce Bull Tendon—the absolute delicacy it had eaten last night! The fire element within was irresistible to it.】

【Between the temptation of delicious food and its pride, 【Fireball Art】 struck a balance.】

【【Fireball Art】 righteously reined in its flames: Hmph, if you want me gone, I'm gone!】

The world fell quiet.

Lin Mo took a deep breath and began to apply pressure on 【Earth Shield Art】.

"Little Tu, you saw it too. Now Xiao Huo and Xiao Lei are both being countered, their damage is no longer enough to deal with these elite monsters."

"Now is the time for you to step up. You are the hope of our whole family!"

【【Earth Shield Art】 shuddered all over, its light flickering unsteadily: The… the hope of the whole family? Me? Is it me?】

"That's right! It's you!"

Lin Mo's tone was Sister Jiang, pressing step by step:

"Who says earth element can only take hits? Who says earth element can only be a turtle?"

"Little Tu, you need to understand one principle. The best defense isn't passively taking hits, but eliminating all threats… completely!"

"Usually, you're always the side character, the supporting role. Big Brother bullies you, Third Brother ignores you."

"But today! Right here! You are the protagonist! You are center stage! You are the great hero who turns the tide at the brink of collapse!"

"Think about it. If today you comprehend that 【Earth-Shattering Quake】, will Xiao Huo still dare to mock you? Will Xiao Lei still dare to ignore you? They'll both have to call you Second Brother!"

"You are not soft mud, you are a mountain! You are rock! You are the spine of the earth!"

"Get angry! Make this earth tremble for you! Let those monsters know who is the king of the ground!"

These words struck straight at the deepest desire within 【Earth Shield Art】.

Protagonist? Center stage? Great hero?

Second Brother!

【The light of 【Earth Shield Art】 began to grow rapid and violent.】

【The one that only knew how to huddle in a corner trembling, the one always looked down upon by Big Brother and Third Brother… now, had actually become the only hope?】

【Although it was timid, although it feared death, it was also a noble elemental spirit!】

【How could its thick, heavy earthen body allow these ants to trample over it wantonly?】

Seeing that Little Tu's emotions had been stirred up.

Lin Mo began to earnestly coach 【Earth Shield Art】.

"Little Tu, listen up! The name is the answer!"

"Why is it called Earth-Shattering Quake? You have to imagine the earth as a drum, and you're the one striking it! Find that frequency!"

"Resonance! Do you understand what resonance is? That buzzing, humming feeling!"

"Let the dirt and rock squeeze against each other. Squeeze until they can't take it anymore, and they'll naturally want to find an outlet to burst out!"

"Like… like a shaken-up cola! Once the pressure builds up enough—poof—everything explodes out!"

If a proper earth-element instructor heard Lin Mo's words, they'd probably spit blood on the spot.

What resonance, what cola, what drum-beating—utter nonsense!

But…

For the already sentient Earth Shield Technique, these words seemed to throw open the doors to a new world.

【The Earth Shield Technique froze: Drums... resonance... cola? I think I'm starting to get it. As long as I make the earth itself restless, it will turn into weapons on its own!】

【The Earth Shield Technique seemed to have grasped something, yet also seemed to have grasped nothing at all.】

【The Earth Shield Technique had always wanted to make the soil compact, to make it unbreakable; now it didn't want to be solid anymore. It wanted to be restless! It wanted to unleash!】

【It began to seek the frequency of the earth, began to feel the earth.】

【The Earth Shield Technique felt it! That was the earth's restlessness, that was the earth groaning!】

【This is the frequency!】

【The Earth Shield Technique fell into a flow state, currently comprehending a new skill...】

【Congratulations! Your skill "Earth Shield Technique," driven by extreme desire, has successfully comprehended the Intermediate Earth-Attribute Skill—Earth Tremors, Thousand Rock Spears (Lv. 1)!】

【Earth Tremors, Thousand Rock Spears (Lv. 1): Trigger a violent earthquake within a 500-meter radius through resonance (for every 1 skill level increase, the range increases by 10 meters).】

【Earth Tremors: Forcefully interrupt the current action of all ground targets within the range, causing them to enter a stunned state.】

【Thousand Rock Spears: Condense countless sharp rock spears from beneath the ground, dealing massive Earth-attribute damage to all enemies within the range.】

【Cooldown: 1 minute.】

Lin Mo's heart leaped with joy.

It worked!

I am truly a genius.

Just then.

"Roar—!!!"

From the distance, another earth-shattering roar came.

Han Mengqing's expression changed; pointing toward the distance, she cried out:

"Not good! Another wave is coming! This wave feels like there are even more of them!"

Han Mengyao's gaze sharpened, cold energy swirling around the spear in her hand:

"Prepare for battle! Ling Xuan, take the front! Mengqing, buff Lin Mo!"

"Lin Mo, let's wear them down slowly..."

Han Mengyao looked at Lin Mo and froze.

Lin Mo was standing in place, frantically using skill books.

What is he doing?

Suddenly,

Han Mengyao remembered earlier outside the train, when Lin Mo had also suddenly started frantically devouring books, and the very next second he had pulled out 【Lei Ting Chain Prison】, such a devastating weapon.

"No way..."