Chapter 144: Humans, You Must Be Happy!

It wasn't until he sat back down in the high‑backed chair, settled in securely, that the Mad King felt his buzzing head get a little better.

These idiots truly give no peace of mind; I only fainted briefly, yet they can waste a sixth of the troops.

If I actually got sleepy and took a nap, I don't dare imagine what would happen when I wake up!

Thinking this through, he quickly patted his head, and after confirming he was still awake, he relaxed.

In theory, whether relying on combat power or intelligence, one can climb to a leadership position.

But as a barbaric tribe, the Mad King, while possessing top‑tier strength, is not low in IQ either.

Even though he doesn't yet know what kind of being awakened him, he knows it is surely countless times stronger than himself.

If you can seize it, that's a backing; if you can't…

So the immediate priority now is to quickly follow the opponent's mind and slaughter these damned humans to the last!

Thus he calmed himself, stood on the war chariot, and gazed out for a long time.

It turned out that while he was spacing out, that man had already used momentum to leap and got behind it.

After all, bow and crossbow are professions that combine magic and martial arts; without enhancement magic, trying to pierce thick stone slabs with just stamina and blood is rather difficult.

"Ready, fire!"

【Looks like this Mad King is a master; if Death God and the foodie had a bit more luck, they could have taken him out directly】

A surge of blood Qi rose in the man's body; under the skill's effect, his falling speed suddenly increased, and the massive double‑handed sword in his hand slammed hard onto its shield.

He lifted one side, gave it a shake; the feel was poor and it was somewhat light.

Looking at those humans on the other side of the lake, still lounging and peering this way, I felt my internal organs start to ache.

"Hm?"

And those who could escape back to the island under such circumstances were basically reliable good souls who constantly shielded everyone in front of them.

The Mad King stood three meters tall; next to a group of green brats he was a crane among chickens, let alone he was leading a parade of two‑meter‑tall monsters.

"Ugh ahhh, humans, you deserve to die!!!!!!"

Zhao Jun, Zhang Tu, and many other players also threw caution to the wind and began full‑scale destruction.

That said, under the lead of a professional squad, the players still organized a second round of counterattack.

With a flick of his wrist, a Fireball Spell scroll appeared in his hand, he unrolled it quickly, and it condensed a fireball amid the flames.

【... It's okay, I gave you milk, just eat it】

Even though a strong attack must remain a strong attack, even the dumbest method can be repaired and supplemented with intelligence!

He pondered for a moment, and a vague idea formed in his mind.

But at the crucial moment he was greedy after all, trying to stab one while taking down two heads at once.

The Mad King immediately tried to send a warrior back to stop him, but it was too late; the fireball struck under the bridge, sparking a rapid blaze.

After several shots, that shield had become terribly fragile.

One shield with a relatively weak structure was smashed outright, exposing the warriors and ordinary goblins behind it to the range of the bows and crossbows.

Anyway the rear path was cut off, perfect—let's first slaughter these damned meatworms to extinction!

Damn it, the ones who ate shit aren't you, so of course you're not scared!

The warriors were all stunned; how could the usually valiant, unmatched chief be frightened into this state by a single human?

The Mad King could naturally see the confusion in their eyes.

Moreover, Ji Ming never hides his favoritism toward elite players; he specifically hired a blacksmith to forge a pair of iron gauntlets for him, which he displayed on his own stall.

He sat on the throne, his face dusty and gray, almost laughing at himself in irritation.

Finally he gave the armrest a hard thump, and with the sound of splintering wood let out a low growl.

"Wuwuwu, I'm still a chick, that place is off‑limits, da me da me."

I still want to ask, who the hell is the berserk creature!

Given that, looking around, even if it's a fake panel, Ji Ming's level is the highest here.

Darting and weaving, as if entering a realm without people.

No, can't keep watching; this is basically sending the tribe to their deaths!

Seeing that man ripped in two again, the still‑shaken Mad King finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he grabbed the also‑pretending‑to‑try Bai Yesheng and fled.

"……"

The Mad King tried to turn and counterattack, but there were too many berserk goblins panicked by his influence, impossible to stop.

It is well known that humans fear, humans suffer, humans mourn, humans have many emotions…

The Mad King also doesn't know how he got this move; his past memories are vague, perhaps he learned it from some adventurer's relic.

And this is precisely the content of Plan B.

With that pivotal slash, the shield suddenly split open.

Bad news: they're planning to grit their teeth and repair the bridge, crushing the human stronghold.

If they actually set foot on the island, it would be over, so the players immediately gathered.

This is his reward for killing the kobold chief, and also the best item currently in the players' hands.

As the strategist, the spearman Zhao Jun could not possibly not lead from the front.

And since it was his idea given to Death God, its execution would naturally be even smoother than his.

"Run!"

"Damn it, follow me for a full‑scale assault, rush to repair the bridge, I must burn this lake‑center island!"

Taking advantage of the goblins' indifference to how weak I looked, I quickly tossed a shot toward the bridge below.

Whew……

However, even a bunch of such small things can still block a mere human.

"Brother, you should shoot faster."

The burning speed was strange; he thought for a moment and understood the reason behind it.

Logically, there should be two layers of defense behind it, completely impenetrable.

"Friends, kill one and earn a little, kill two and earn big, kill three and earn a lot—follow me and charge!"

【It got intense; I actually saw goblins seriously forming a formation!】

Since that's the case…

So it let out a roar and led its subordinates to charge.

But that's just right for the warriors; after all, they are dumber than the heroes and aren't afraid of the rust and wooden spikes.

Just like some war simulation games, for the soldiers, whether the commander is present or not is two different concepts and two combat states.

……

【Hmm, the craftsmanship is rough, but it should be a Giant Shield; everyone, stay alert!】

Watching the clan members ahead fall one by one, the Mad King at the rear of the line was also fuming.

But after he swung that punch, he realized the target in front of him had vanished somehow.

After a brief two‑round drill, he couldn't wait and ordered the goblins to launch an attack.

"Aim there, fire the arrow!"

This powerful Goblin Chieftain, besides being a warrior, also possessed impressive magical talent!

He unleashed Wood Magic, trying to activate the wooden components of the bridge so that as they regrew they would offset the burning damage.

Fortunately, there were few ignition materials here, so his Wood Magic could barely keep the bridge's structure intact.

"Block! I command you to block him!"

After all, once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years; it seems a direct assault won't work.

Damn, those humans must have hidden ignition materials under the bridge; they anticipated this moment long ago!

Although the warriors also lacked the secret of the branded battle sigils, they level up with both Strength and Agility, and Huo Ke pushes hard to teach combat skills.

But this time, with a Giant Shield defense, the players' arrows could only make a small dent on it and then fell weakly to the ground.

"Retreat, everyone retreat!"

Hey, isn't this just a head and battle merit handed to us on a platter?

So it raised its shield with the left hand, curled the right fist, blood energy swirling heavily around its body, intending to hammer him into a meat patty with a powerful strike.

Although it was just a bit of rope and beast sinew tied to a hard tree branch, at this moment it counted as a rare heavy weapon.

"I wonder, are these things in the stronghold unwanted?"

Goblin warriors are generally at level eight, while the Mad King exceeds level ten.

"You, select the three hundred strongest goblins from the tribe for me!"

Your bow‑crossbow upgrades add Intelligence and Agility on odd levels, Strength and Agility on even levels; the most critical thing is that your health drops dramatically, and the learned combat skills don't boost archery—how can you not be at a loss?

So Ji Ming silently logged it in the system; it seems before the closed beta starts, he must quickly find a Bow Crossbow Instructor…

Taking advantage of the shattered shield, the beastmen, startled and angry yet dazed, Zhao Jun swiftly contracted his attack, gathered his strength, and executed a Direct Stab.

Fear of flame is a creature's instinct; the already dizzy goblins fled recklessly, all legs moving at once.

Alright, perhaps making this bunch of dimwits, who don't even know how many fingers they have, figure out what "three hundred" actually means is indeed a task beyond the strong.

The Mad King shouted wildly, then had to turn and run to the other side.

So…

After circling the lake once, a vast expanse of green lay behind them.

【(Screenshot) Wow, what are those goblins over there doing, crafting?】

And this is the fundamental reason why the bow‑crossbow class is always inferior to the warrior class during the closed beta.

"Brothers, chase!"

So what he faced was merely a slightly more elite group of ordinary goblins.

Several kilograms of stones were hurled, finally having a modest effect on the goblins' battle formation.

The final move failed, naturally leading only to a conclusion where the goblin warriors, belatedly, tore it into fragments.

Yet in the crisis, the Mad King suddenly exuded a magical aura.

With full stat allocation and class level bonuses, his already high base health now nears thirty.

Even several mid‑tier players teaming up could only hold back one goblin warrior; the players' numerical disadvantage was laid bare at this moment.

Because he had already seen the newcomer's face—it was him! It was him!

His skin twitched, and he quickly pulled all the nearby subordinates to his front.

With his health, he can currently unleash four combat skills in a short time.

Thus, what is triggered now is naturally a Direct Stab each.

Taking advantage of the second fall's momentum, the man tipped his toe, magically swapping his greatsword for a Tower Shield, and instantly released the skill.

The warriors raised Giant Shields, forming three defensive lines, while elite goblins hid behind the Giant Shield and advanced slowly.

The players weren't reckless fools; they naturally set more than one ignition point, in fact there was another at the bridge's far end.

Ji Ming, who was quietly feinting tactically in the battle, naturally noticed the players' predicament, thought for a moment, and posted a line in the public chat.

Although in the end he still led the warriors to wipe out the last few humans, when he returned to the shore to tally forces, he found that this elite group had already been reduced to five or six out of ten.

Thus a bizarre scene unfolded: the players who had been suppressed earlier suddenly began to chase and kill the goblins.

"Ah!"

And then…

So once they entered the battlefield, the situation turned around instantly; amid the fierce clash, the battle's result marched toward the goblins' ultimate victory.

"Isn't this more profitable than working for a boss? Letting you earn a bit of pocket money…"

Just like last time, they quickly crossed half of the bridge, and the humans' arrow rain arrived as promised.

"Wai Shu, who is the girl beside you?"

Ignoring all that, he even took two steps back.

Under his roughly twenty points of health and brute force, it was utterly unresistable; under a whip‑like strike it shattered into fragments.

Thus the goblin warriors who had previously avoided combat this time were the first to charge forward, eager to claim merit before the Goblin Chieftain.

"It's over; we'll all die at the hands of the green‑skinned!"

Good news: while most players were idling at the urinal, the goblins didn't run amok.

He sprinted a few steps, intercepted a goblin warrior, his foot jolted, and swung the spear shaft in his hand.

At the gunner's command, they surged forward wielding all sorts of weapons.

【Note: although the goblins walking with him are still ordinary goblins, their size is noticeably larger by a circle, some even larger by two circles.】

Under the Mad King's command, they advanced methodically, gradually dismantling the traps and obstacles on the bridge.

Thus, although both knives hit their targets, one only pierced the abdomen and the other only the lung lobe, neither constituting an outright fatal wound.

【Lord Supreme, I have absolutely no connection with him!】

By the time the long spear was retracted, the beast had already crashed down.

Moreover, although the stone‑throwing device worked, its quantity was far too low, and its range and rate of fire were pitifully poor, so its blocking effect was limited.

Thus the players across the lake spotted his presence from the start and immediately began intensive research and discussion.

Damn, these humans are indeed extremely cunning; judging from the endless green blood still spilling from the water, the only viable route to invade Lakeheart Island is to cross the bridge.

But the other fireball scrolls are in the elite players' hands, and they are either fighting the warriors or the Mad King, unable to spare themselves to carry out the second half of the plan.

Having the right gear is like adding wings to a tiger; now his duel with a goblin warrior is almost like a father fighting his son.

Although this would cause the goblins to lose their attack target and revert to a wandering state, it's still better than surrendering this stronghold to them!

Boasting the highest health, Zhang Tu donned two layers of leather armor, raised his shield, and charged forward.

The players' ranged attacks failed, and for the remaining half of the route the goblins walked extremely steadily.

As for himself, he moved slowly under the forward and backward support of several warriors, waiting to cross the wooden bridge and then unleash a joyous slaughter.

But because the humans launched the charge, the excited goblin warriors had long abandoned formation, surging forward en masse.

His crimson eyes gazed at the humans before him.

But no one would die instantly; instead, with a smiling, excited face, they insisted on stabbing another goblin to death!

Thus a terrifying thought rose in his mind.

He, the Goblin Chieftain driven mad, wondered whether these humans before him were truly the humans he thought they were.

Thinking that, he couldn't help but take another step back.

"Aba Aba Aba..."

Heh— the wooden bridge is gone, after a night of hard work, the troops cost over seven hundred, a loss!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, the more he thought, the angrier he became.

However…

He could completely rely on brute force to smash the stone shield and the warrior, taking down the ordinary goblins behind them as well.

Qiu Yi closed one eye and gripped the twin blades in his hand.

【Actually, I was curious before and saved up to buy one】

【Is this about selecting elite troops to launch an attack together? Looks like the next wave's pressure will increase.】

"De Ma Xi Ya!"

And among the crowd was a reluctant Ji Ming.

"Hey, family, the upcoming content probably won't work, everyone get ready to go to Jiumi and watch my livestream."

In the panic, Fu Le's eyes were sharp and his hands quick; he immediately swung a great hammer.

Moreover, the Death God's collision with just over ten health points can already overwhelm ordinary goblins, and his 【Barbaric Charge】 can make even massive goblin warriors retreat like sandbags.

"One‑eye Nail!"

If we don't move now, this batch of elites will all be wiped out here!

"Madman, madman!"

During this time he didn't let other goblins idle; when he returned near the war chariot, warriors promptly presented several makeshift "shields" hammered from stone slabs and cast‑iron.

Their fate, of course, was to be raked by angry players, turning into a hedgehog meeting in a few blows.

"Everyone, smash the bridge!"

Thinking that, he let out an excited roar, and his great sword kept slashing down.

This item is pricey, and it's never been listed in the game shop; it's always a Mysterious Merchant exclusive—where can you buy it now?

The tower shield vanished, replaced by two sharp short swords.

【Think about it, if those two big‑shots hadn't wasted two hours for him, maybe people would have spotted the trap halfway and just not come.】

"Ah, why do I have to go up too?"

In an instant, like a dump truck spotting a high‑schooler, the unprepared ordinary goblins were all knocked flying.

Meanwhile on the other side, the lost wanderer Zhang Tu was even more exaggerated.

Helplessly, the Mad King had to personally lead his subordinates in selecting the elite.

Since the only road in and out of Lakeheart Island is a wooden bridge, it was natural for someone to suggest destroying it when players were about to fail.

One goblin warrior moved the fastest, sprinted a few steps, and directly blocked him.

For a moment the players actually managed to press and beat the goblin elite unit, making the Mad King grow increasingly alarmed as he watched.

"Ugh, we're done!"

"But..."

"Oh oh, you scared me to death, then I still have a chance..."

"Good, good, when the time comes just stand like this, don't let anyone fall behind!"

The players also wanted to retreat, but without the Mad King's milk, the bridge behind them had been completely burned down, and only a few players managed to escape.

The spear tip's drilling force was like a dragon, directly piercing into the goblin warrior's skull.

Seeing the players' side suffering severe casualties in battle, Fu Le was anxious and began shouting loudly.

"Brother, if you shoot one dead it's worth a hundred bucks, so put some effort into it!"

The first to let out a miserable cry was not the goblin warrior or this group of ordinary goblins, but clearly the Mad King standing at the rear of the troop.

This scene fell into the eyes of Death God Qiu Yi, also inevitably causing a hint of disappointment to appear on his face.

"Eh, brothers, since we can teleport away, how about we first catch a fish to eat?"

Clearly, Qiang Ge helped me design the attack flow, and Hua Shu helped me design the strategy and tactics, and the earlier part was completed so perfectly, but in the end we still could only fail?

However, it's fine, I've already made death a habit; I came without planning to return alive.

Now both sides of the battlefield are engulfed in raging flames, and moreover the end of the bridge has been doused with lots of oil, making the fire fiercest there.

In the dog-headed people's cave there was a ready-made stone-throwing device; the thrifty ones directly dismantled it and moved it to the Lake Center Island.

"However..."

"Roar!"

Apart from the two shields being damaged due to craftsmanship issues, and a warrior making a mistake because he was too cute, it can be said there were zero casualties.

And after the Mad King directed a large group of goblins to begin awkwardly drilling formations, together with the barrage, the players were completely unsettled.

"I am her father / he is my son."

"As for the other scrolls..."

After all, the plans couldn't keep up with the changes; the goblins' strength is simply too strong...

On the battlefield, just as he saw, the ones going berserk before the two armies were certainly not just the Death God alone.

【Won't they be making engineering equipment? I remember that catapults and siege hammers etc. need advance preparation, but cloud ladders and giant shields etc. can be made on the spot】

The goblin warrior made a doubtful 'hmm' sound, but this did not affect his attack.

And among humans, the most conspicuous guy is a thin man who runs the fastest, with a messy beard, looking easy to bully.

"Can't do it, activate Plan B!"

"However..."

However, seeing that they were about to cross the bridge, he could only suppress this breath for now, saving it for when he later splits a person.

"Charge!"

Even if you could kill so many people, by the time you killed them all the bridge would be destroyed.

"Finally..."

Therefore the goblins' advance speed, although slowed, was still moving forward, inch by inch moving the last bit of distance.

"Mm, indeed, there are still spices and salt here, we can't waste them."

"Wait, again?"

"Yeah, just two hours ago he was literally torn in half by himself, how is he back again after two hours?"

He looked toward the island through the gaps in his subordinates' bodies, and found that many of the active humans there seemed to be familiar faces.

Although arrows are hard to destroy these shields, one arrow after another ultimately leaves many hidden wounds on them.

Who would have thought this human was extremely stupid, after climbing up a broken wooden wall, he actually jumped down from above on his own initiative to attack himself.

Thus the melee players who had previously been urging him with red eyes to go into battle switched to an offensive.

"?"

"Brother, remember not to lock your gender too tightly."

!!!