C14 What Nonsense!

The desert bandits ahead received a buff from their leader, triggering their second mutation. Their original two abilities expanded to three. As the situation for Jiang Hao's team began to spiral out of control, he fought valiantly, deploying every skill at his disposal to fend off the overwhelming number of bandits. Meanwhile, two other teams were in Desert Town, preventing the unicorns from escaping, and the tide of battle was slowly turning against them.

"Zhou Yi, have you mastered the Wind Assault skill?" Jiang Hao inquired.

Zhou Yi deflected an incoming axe with his sword and turned to respond, "What's your plan?"

"The swordsman's Wind Assault has a stunning effect. I need you to go and stun all the unicorns," Jiang Hao explained, thinking on his feet. He intended to use Zhou Yi's skill to incapacitate the troublesome unicorns, clearing the way to call in reinforcements from the two other teams. United, the three teams might withstand the desert bandits' relentless ranged assaults, buying Jiang Hao time to face the bandit leader in single combat.

"Zhou Yi, the captain has given his orders. Why the hesitation?" Lu Zhiyao urged.

With a disdainful snort, Zhou Yi begrudgingly made his way back to Desert Town. Lu Zhiyao fell back, drawing her spare arrows, and declared, "Hao, I'll stand with you in this fight."

"Why would he need you by his side? Haven't you seen my brother's strength?" Jiang Lulu retorted with a sneer. "He could hold off twice as many creatures on his own."

"Lulu, you've got me all wrong," Lu Zhiyao countered, her voice tinged with regret. "But I don't blame you. After all, I never clarified my intentions before."

Jiang Hao, with a stoic face, prompted, "Just say what you need to say."

"Thank you, Hao, for the opportunity to explain," Lu Zhiyao said, her expression sorrowful. She clarified that calling off the engagement was not because she disliked Jiang Hao, nor was it an attempt to seek a more advantageous match.

In reality, she was motivated by a desire to inspire Jiang Hao.

The Magic Building was on the verge of opening, and the prominent families from Blue Star were preparing to form several squads to venture into the Magic Building.

Once everyone emerged safely, they would experience a meteoric rise in their abilities.

Under these circumstances, Jiang Hao was at risk of being left far behind.

To spur Jiang Hao's ambition, Lu Zhiyao resorted to using biting sarcasm.

She even went as far as threatening to call off their engagement, all to ignite a fire of self-improvement within him.

"I know this might make you despise me to your core, but for your sake, Hao, I'm willing to bear this misunderstanding," she said, her lips quivering with emotion.

"You may not realize it, but from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I fell deeply in love. I knew then that you were meant to be my life partner."

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Jiang Hao clapped his hands a few times and remarked, "I had no idea I meant so much to you."

"You're not just important to me; you are my everything," Lu Zhiyao declared with heartfelt passion. "Without you, my world would be devoid of light."

"Ugh!"

Jiang Lulu could no longer bear the saccharine display and doubled over, mimicking the act of throwing up.

"Lu Zhiyao, you're revolting. You shouldn't have chosen to be an Archer; you're better suited as a Bard."

Both Bards and Priests served as support roles, but they were quite distinct from one another.

Priests wielded various healing abilities to aid their allies, while Bards relied on their eloquence.

Indeed, their very speech.

Every Bard skill was tied to their ability to speak.

For instance, their basic skill could bolster their allies' spirits.

With a well-crafted speech, they could bolster their teammates' confidence and enhance the group's morale.

At higher levels, Bards could even charm monsters into joining their ranks.

Jiang Lulu's use of the Bard profession to mock Lu Zhiyao clearly suggested she believed Lu Zhiyao's words to be nothing but falsehoods.

Lu Zhiyao's eyebrows furrowed, and she seethed with silent fury.

"Jiang Lulu, you better hope you never end up at my mercy, or I swear I'll tear you to pieces!"

Lu Zhiyao seethed with a desire to kill Jiang Lulu, yet her face betrayed none of her inner turmoil.

"Lulu, your hatred towards me for what I did to your brother is justified. After all, I chose a hurtful way to motivate him," she said with feigned remorse.

"Lu Zhiyao, why did you call off our engagement? You know the reasons better than anyone. There's no need to rehash the past; saying more would only serve to embarrass you," Jiang Hao stated bluntly.

"With the enemy upon us, I don't have time to argue. Return to your post and fend off the desert bandits ahead," he commanded.

"Rest assured, I'll follow your orders to the letter," Lu Zhiyao replied, adopting an obedient demeanor.

She resumed her position, taking up her bow and arrow to launch long-range attacks at the desert bandits.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi had charged into the heart of the town.

"Stop talking and get out there to intercept the other desert bandits," he ordered.

Upon hearing this, a team leader asked, "Young Master Zhou, what about these people?"

"I'll handle them," Zhou Yi responded.

He unleashed his Wind Assault, swiftly incapacitating the mayor and a host of unicorns.

"We've arrived!"

The two teams arrived just in time to reinforce the front lines, filling the gaps left by their injured comrades.

The three squads united, showcasing their collective battle tactics with impressive synergy.

Jiang Hao, too, launched long-range attacks against the towering bandit leader.

As he watched the bandit leader's health dwindle, Jiang Hao used the Destiny Wheel to gauge his opponent's health and defenses.

The bandit leader had reached Level 100, categorizing him as a high-level monster, with both his physical and magical defenses peaking at 100.

Sometimes, the situation was simply frustrating.

Left to his own devices, Jiang Hao could easily outmaneuver the bandit leader and his minions.

Yet, he was constrained by two pressing responsibilities: protecting the unicorns and the Blue Star team members.

In such a predicament, Jiang Hao had to strike a delicate balance between attacking the bandits and ensuring the safety of his team.

"Open Mountain Slash!"

The bandit leader let out a bellow, his massive machete swinging wildly in a relentless assault.

Wave after wave of enormous blade energy surged forward.

Jiang Hao had no choice but to repeatedly summon the Holy Light Shield to fend off these relentless attacks.

The bandit leader recognized that Jiang Hao was the toughest to handle, opting for ranged attacks to keep Jiang Hao's focus on him.

The blade waves were not only powerful but also incredibly swift, launching almost every second.

Thankfully, the blade waves were designed to inflict damage on a single target.

Had they been area-of-effect attacks, Jiang Hao would have been livid to the point of spitting blood.

Eager to prove her worth, Lu Zhiyao took it upon herself to target the bandit leader with her bow.

To her dismay, her shot barely scratched the leader, causing minimal damage.

Jiang Hao quickly caught on to Lu Zhiyao's unsanctioned action and reprimanded her, "Lu Zhiyao, your task is to take down the bandits. You were not instructed to engage the bandit leader."