C9 The Fire Thorn Insect Nest Refreshed the Record
[Ding! Your Job-Change Quest is about to begin!]
[Selecting mission difficulty!]
[Here are the details of the Job-Change Quest.]
As the system's voice echoed, Faang Chen watched as messages unfurled before him.
For the One-circle mission, there were three levels of difficulty, each corresponding to one of the three paths ahead.
With each job change, the difficulty would be randomly determined. If luck was on his side, he might draw the easiest one.
But with bad luck, he could end up with the most challenging one.
The missions ranged from low to high level as follows:
Low-level mission: Slay ten Demon-Hunting Beasts within ten minutes. Reward: 100 Free Attribute Points. For every minute beyond the ten, the reward decreases by 10 points, down to a possible zero.
Intermediate mission: Escape the Elemental Formation within ten minutes. The reward is the same as above.
High-level mission: Annihilate the Fire Thorn Insect Nest within two hours, including all Fire Thorn Insects and their Commander (BOSS).
Complete it within two hours for a reward of 100 Free Attribute Points. Exceed two hours, and the reward drops by 10 points for every additional ten minutes, potentially to zero.
Faang Chen sighed as he read through the mission briefs.
The disparity in difficulty was stark. Demon-Hunting Beasts were common Demonic Beasts, and most combat professionals could dispatch ten within ten minutes without issue.
But for those in a support role, it would be a tough challenge.
The Elemental Formation was best suited for nimble classes like assassins and archers.
And the task of destroying the Fire Thorn Insect Nest sounded particularly daunting.
Moreover, failing to complete within the allotted time meant varying rewards in Free Attribute Points.
Such were the fine margins that separated the titans from the underdogs in this world.
Missing out on a hundred points per job change could lead to a deficit of nine hundred points by the Nine-circle. The gap was significant.
"I wonder what level of difficulty I'll draw!"
As Faang Chen pondered, the system's voice rang out once more.
Ding! Congratulations on drawing a high-level quest: Annihilate the Fire Thorn Insect Nest!
Please endeavor to complete the mission within two hours!
Note: Once the Fire Thorn Insect Nest quest is complete, exit the instance dungeon within 30 minutes. If you exceed this time, the Fire Thorn Insect Commander will respawn and resume its assault on players.
Note: The current speedrun record for the Fire Thorn Insect dungeon in Gloomrock stands at 1 hour and 20 minutes, set by none other than Heaven Howling Wolf.
"Heaven Howling Wolf? The leader of Gloomrock's premier guild, the Celestial Wolf Guild? Impressive!"
The memory of Heaven Howling Wolf leading his team out of the city yesterday flashed through Faang Chen's mind.
But this leaderboard was just for Gloomrock. He wondered where he'd rank across the entire Northriver Province.
Reminder: Your class change quest has commenced, with the timer starting in one minute.
Upon hearing the system prompt, Faang Chen wasted no more time.
Before him, only one of the original three pathways remained.
Without a second thought, Faang Chen strode forward.
Moments later, he found himself in a world awash with red.
The ground itself was a crimson hue.
The red terrain stretched before him, teeming with red insects not far ahead.
They were numerous and densely packed.
At the road's end lay a small mound, likely the dwelling of the Fire Thorn Insect Commander.
Above, Faang Chen noticed two shimmering screens.
Fire Thorn Insects: 5000/5000, Fire Thorn Insect Commander: 1/1
Elapsed Time: 00:00:00, with the timer set to start in 10 seconds.
Faang Chen observed the Fire Thorn Insect briefly, and information soon materialized.
Name: Fire Thorn Insect
Rating: Commander Level (Blue)
Level: LV.30
Attack Power: 1500
Health Points: 1500
Physical Defense: 100
Magical Defense: 100
Passive Ability: Fire Armor Piercing (Attacks can reduce the enemy's defenses by 10%, with stacking effects that can potentially reduce defenses to nearly zero)
Reading the description, Faang Chen involuntarily gulped.
The Fire Thorn Insect's passive ability was formidable—reducing defenses by 10% was a significant advantage.
You start with a defense of one hundred, but after one attack from it, your defense drops to ninety. Another strike and it's down to seventy-nine. Since each 10% reduction in defense is calculated from the current level, even with endless stacking, it will never reach zero—it will only asymptotically approach it. Despite this, the effect is still incredibly overpowering.
Imagine if Faang Chen possessed such an insect. In a battle with the Mad Warrior, he could release a swarm, whittling the enemy's defense down to virtually nothing. At that point, even a lone mini noxious insect could deliver a lethal bite. Of course, Faang Chen realized the improbability of such a scenario.
The Insect Illustration Record listed this rare insect.
Fire Thorn Insect: Commander-level
Their numbers are exceedingly scarce, they're solitary creatures, and with only one offspring produced annually, they command an exorbitant price.
"A typical Commander-level insect goes for one hundred million Eceosian currency at auction, yet the Fire Thorn Insect once fetched an astronomical twenty billion," Faang Chen mused. "Where on earth could I find such a creature?"
As he pondered, Faang Chen directed his Beastmaster skill toward a nearby Fire Thorn Insect. Almost immediately, a notification appeared.
Ding! You cannot control a Zerg that has been conjured by an illusion.
"Ah! Just as I thought, the abundance of Fire Thorn Insects in this dungeon is due to the work of Illusionists," he deduced. "Otherwise, at two billion Eceosian currency apiece, there's no way Gloomrock City could sustain the numbers found here."
With this realization, Faang Chen wasted no more time and readied himself for combat. The countdown had already begun.
"Come forth!"
At Faang Chen's call, the mini noxious insects from the Insect Nest within his dantian swarmed out in a torrent. Despite having purchased a set of Beastmaster gear at the auction house earlier, the quality was mediocre, so the maximum number of insects he could command remained unchanged.
Still, with 20,000 at his command versus 5,000, the sheer volume alone was more than enough to overwhelm the Fire Thorn Insects.
Faang Chen's Fire Thorn Insects were not just any ordinary bugs—they were of mythical caliber. And now, with the upgraded mini noxious insects boasting an attack power of a staggering 3900, they were set to utterly dominate the Fire Thorn Insects.
The two-hour time limit for clearing the Fire Thorn Insect dungeon was in place because of the insects' seemingly unbeatable passive abilities. This led players to cautiously engage them one at a time, rather than risk pulling too many at once—a strategy that inevitably consumed more time. But Faang Chen wasn't concerned about such tactics. When it came to commanding an Insect Army, he had never known fear.
As the mini noxious insects swarmed alongside the Fire Thorn Insects, Faang Chen quickly noticed the numbers above his head shifting:
Fire Thorn Insects: 4800/5000, Fire Thorn Insect Commander: 1/1
Mini noxious insects: 11,990/20,000
"Trading a hundred mini noxious insects for two hundred Fire Thorn Insects? That doesn't seem like a good deal," Faang Chen mused, his brow furrowing.
Despite their mythical status, the mini noxious insects were at a disadvantage due to their lower level and the formidable passive skills of the Fire Thorn Insects. Faang Chen wasn't bothered by the loss—his Divine Insect Fission talent would quickly replenish his forces. Nevertheless, he recognized that this approach to battle was far from wise. There's a difference between being able to afford a loss and unnecessary wastefulness.
What was most concerning was the slow pace of progress. Already a minute had ticked by.
"This is taking too long. The mini noxious insects would be infuriated if they knew they were being wasted like this!" he exclaimed. "There's a better way, and it's my mistake for not utilizing it. Gather! Let the poison fog spread!"
At Faang Chen's command, nearly twenty thousand mini noxious insects converged, releasing a billowing cloud of purple poison. The toxic mist swept forward, and wherever it went, the Fire Thorn Insects fell helplessly, succumbing instantly.
Meanwhile, Faang Chen watched as the numbers above his head rapidly changed:
Fire Thorn Insects: 4100/5000, Fire Thorn Insect Commander: 1/1
Mini noxious insects: 11,990/20,000
Time Elapsed: 00:01:30
....
Fire Thorn Insects: 3,600/5,000, Fire Thorn Insect Commander: 1/1
Mini Noxious Insects: 11,990/20,000
Time Elapsed: 00:01:40
Fire Thorn Insects: 3,000/5,000, Fire Thorn Insect Commander: 1/1
Mini Noxious Insects: 11,990/20,000
At the three-minute mark, Faang Chen noticed something astonishing.
The count of Fire Thorn Insects at the top had been wiped out!
Only the Fire Thorn Insect Commander remained!
"Three minutes? Now that's the real power of the mini noxious insects!" Faang Chen said with a satisfied grin.
But just then, the red ground beneath him began to tremble.
A fissure suddenly split open atop a nearby hill.
And from it, a massive Fire Thorn Insect emerged.
Faang Chen didn't even have time to check the stats of the Fire Thorn Insect Commander before a cloud of poison enveloped the area.
A flurry of system notifications followed.
Ding! Congratulations on completing the Fire Thorn Insect Nest eradication job advancement mission. Current profession: One-circle Zerg Beastmaster
Time: 3 minutes and 10 seconds! A new record has been set!
Ding! The record-breaking announcement will echo throughout Gloomrock City in one minute. You may use your real name or a pseudonym. Would you like to use a pseudonym?
Ding! Please exit the instance dungeon within thirty minutes. Otherwise, the Fire Thorn Insect Commander will resume its attacks on the professionals!
Ding! The system has detected that you have completed the One-circle mission! Initiating reward distribution!
...
