Chapter 58 – Fierce Battle

Chapter 58 – Fierce Battle

“Caught between two groups!” Cheng Yang cursed his bad luck. Why hadn’t he checked if there were monster hordes at the other end of this alley?

These creatures must have heard the commotion and rushed over. Now, trapped in this narrow passage with only two exits, he was like a turtle in a jar.

He had to choose a direction to break through. Being surrounded would mean certain death – he wouldn’t even leave bones behind.

The Blackwater Crocodiles were clearly not an option. Thousands waited outside, including two late-stage first-order beasts. If caught, his fragile body couldn’t withstand their bites.

That left only one path – the exit behind him. He hoped the Green-skinned Monkeys wouldn’t be too numerous.

Cheng Yang wasn’t particularly afraid. His backpack contained over a dozen health potions. Even fighting head-on, he could kill two to three hundred early-stage first-order demon beasts. But the real problem was the distance from the base. Without potions, any danger could be fatal.

Making his decision, Cheng Yang turned and sprinted toward the rear passage. Within moments, he encountered the Green-skinned Monkey horde.

Not wanting a direct confrontation, Cheng Yang leaped three meters high, using the momentum to propel himself forward. Seven to eight meters vanished behind him in an instant.

The dozen charging monkeys froze in shock. Their target had vanished right before their eyes!

As Cheng Yang descended, seven or eight dung forks stabbed toward him, threatening to skewer him like a candied haws. But Cheng Yang knew these crude weapons couldn’t pierce his body without special effects.

The moment his feet touched ground, he unleashed his Ice Spike skill. Over a dozen monkeys were caught in the icy barrage, their health dropping by more than half.

The monkeys’ attacks landed, but only took two health points – mere scratches. Still, Cheng Yang took them seriously, constantly adjusting his position to avoid vital hits. This wasn’t about current damage, but preparing for future battles.

As demon beasts grew stronger, some would gain special attack effects like severing or piercing. A single lucky hit could be fatal regardless of the attacker’s strength. The same applied to warriors with special skills or equipment.

This subtle conditioning would lead many to become casualties when they couldn’t adapt to the new combat style. Only then would others realize combat wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

Cheng Yang had adapted to this mobile combat style in his previous life, but only barely. Now, while these early-stage beasts lacked special effects, he needed to hone his skills for what was to come.

Another Ice Spike attack cleared the surrounding monkeys, leaving over a dozen corpses. Without hesitation, Cheng Yang dashed forward and leaped again, repeating the process.

After two more cycles, he was twenty meters from the exit. The Blackwater Crocodiles were forty meters behind, with dozens of monkeys between them. Without this buffer, his tactic wouldn’t work against the massive crocodiles – there’d be no place to land.

After three more rounds, Cheng Yang had taken seven or eight hits. Though the damage was minimal, it frustrated him. For a mage, being surrounded by monsters was indeed tragic.

Finally, Cheng Yang spotted something encouraging – no large monster groups outside the alley. Freedom was within reach!

With renewed hope, Cheng Yang leaped again…

“Damn!” Cheng Yang cursed as seven health points vanished. A mid-stage first-order monkey had ambushed him. Of course such a large horde would have stronger members!

Spotting the culprit to his left, Cheng Yang retaliated with a Magic Missile. Combined with the earlier Ice Spike, the monkey’s health bar emptied instantly.

Meanwhile, the Blackwater Crocodiles clashed with the Green-skinned Monkeys. Focused on Cheng Yang, the monkeys hadn’t noticed the approaching crocodiles. The crocodiles showed no mercy, their massive jaws snapping at the smaller monkeys.

A chaotic battle erupted between the two monster hordes – a rare occurrence. Usually, different monster types avoided each other. But these crocodiles and monkeys clashed without hesitation.

Cheng Yang welcomed this development. Clearing the remaining monkeys, he continued his leapfrog retreat.

Within half a minute, Cheng Yang burst out of the alley into another ruined area. His heart sank as he saw hordes of Blackwater Crocodiles closing in from both sides.

Damn! Who said demon beasts weren’t smart? Cheng Yang’s frustration grew. Despite a year in the apocalypse, he still underestimated these creatures. Even first-order beasts could execute pincer movements!

Cheng Yang could only attribute this to divine favor – after all, they guarded something extraordinary.

He felt lucky the monkeys had entered first. Facing thousands of crocodiles would have been far more dangerous.

Without hesitation, Cheng Yang sprinted away. Direction didn’t matter – the crocodiles were closing their encirclement, leaving him no choice.

As he ran, Cheng Yang downed a health potion, restoring his depleted health to full. This brought some comfort.

In the pre-apocalypse world, Cheng Yang’s speed would leave Olympic sprinters in the dust. But now, it felt agonizingly slow. While surrounded by crocodiles, safety remained elusive.

“Whoosh…” Just seven to eight meters to freedom.

Suddenly, two massive Blackwater Crocodiles broke from the pack, blocking Cheng Yang’s path. At over four meters long and a meter tall even while prone, their sheer size was intimidating.

Cheng Yang’s expression darkened. These had to be the late-stage first-order leaders he’d heard about. The mid-stage crocodiles he’d fought before were nothing compared to these behemoths.

Facing two late-stage first-order monsters? Cheng Yang wasn’t confident. In an open area, he might kite them. But surrounded by their kin?

No choice – he had to break through!

Cheng Yang charged straight at the crocodile leaders. His staff glowed faintly blue as he cast a spell at one of them.

The crocodile froze mid-motion, completely immobilized. Not even its eyes could move.

“Now!” Cheng Yang timed his jump perfectly, using the frozen crocodile’s back as a springboard to launch himself forward.

The second crocodile wasn’t idle. Though confused by its companion’s sudden stillness, it was determined to stop Cheng Yang. Its massive tail whipped toward the airborne mage.

Mid-air and unable to dodge, Cheng Yang’s combat experience saved him. An ice sphere formed at his staff’s tip and shot toward the incoming tail.

“Boom!” The collision momentarily halted the tail’s momentum.

PS: Looks like I’ll be updating two chapters today. However, I have a request. These extra updates mean the book will leave the new releases list sooner. Since the book’s performance isn’t great, leaving the list would reduce its exposure. Therefore, I plan to delay these extra updates by five days, including any future bonus chapters. I won’t break my promise, so please understand…