CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 138: THE PATH OF ELITES

"Elite path is being unlocked."

"Currently in Phase 1."

"Acquired special skill: [Colossal Strength]"

"[Colossal Strength]: When this skill is actively used, the user’s strength will be enhanced, granting greater destructive power. However, the speed at which the user’s stamina depletes will also increase exponentially, with prolonged use posing a risk of bodily harm."

"Phase 2 requires defeating 5 types of Elite Demons (2/5). Currently not unlocked, Phase 2 reward: Random draw of Elite Demon Racial Talent."

"Acquired title [Ogre Hunter], which will upgrade with the increase in kill count."

"Current effect: Weak Spot Strike. In battles against half-ogres, ogres, and related advanced species, it becomes easier to detect the weak points of different individuals, allowing greater damage by attacking these weak points."

Text flashed rapidly before Gauss’s eyes.

Fortunately, Gray Wolf Ulfen was guarding at his side, and coupled with the Gauss Force Field that always enveloped his body for defense, the attacks from other minor monsters momentarily inflicted no harm on him.

Colossal strength?

Phase 2 requires 5 types of Elite Demons.

Title effect: Weak Spot Strike.

Gauss quickly summarized the contents.

Now was not the time for further contemplation.

He refocused his attention on the battlefield before him.

The surrounding horde of minor monsters reacted differently to the sudden death of the half-ogre leader.

After all, for the minor monsters, the half-ogre, as an Elite Demon, was undoubtedly a strong entity. Even though it was temperamental and might occasionally devour a companion, in this monster army assembled by the ogre Wizard, no minor monster dared to challenge the authority of a half-ogre.

Thus, after the half-ogre was slain by this mysterious human powerhouse Gauss, the power within the minor monster ranks took a significant blow.

Species like the Kobold, which are inherently timid, were already subtly retreating.

"Kobolds, goblins, Timid Demons, mosquito bats..."

Gauss hadn’t forgotten another purpose of participating in this winter hunt event, which was to collect the Monster Atlas of 20 types of Ordinary Monsters amidst these vast and mixed monster armies.

He scanned the entire field.

He discovered that the monster contingent led by the half-ogre consisted of four types of minor monsters.

Moreover, to his delight,

half of those four types were enemies he hadn’t encountered before.

"Timid Demons and mosquito bats."

Information about both flashed through Gauss’s mind.

Timid Demons are among the weakest demons of the abyss, standing 1.2 meters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, appearing humanoid but obese with distorted limbs and loose, pus-riddled skin exuding a foul stench.

Socially, they are often playthings or laborers enslaved by High Tier demons, with only a very few managing to evolve into "Timid Demon Lords" by consuming their kin.

The combat abilities of Timid Demons are not strong, and they have cowardly and opportunistic personalities, often fleeing upon sensing unfavorable situations.

Logically, they shouldn’t appear in the material world, but considering the BOSS of this monster army was an ogre Wizard, they were most likely summoned as filler minions.

As for mosquito bats,

they are low-threat flying monsters, notorious for their blood-sucking and typically found in swamps, caves, and other damp areas.

In appearance, they are a hybrid of bats and giant mosquitoes, with a wingspan of about half a meter, equipped with a needle-like blood-sucking proboscis and claw-like feet.

Highly sensitive to smell, they can track targets through the scent of blood.

Their attack and feeding methods involve using their sharp proboscis to pierce a target’s blood vessels until the target dies or they are sated.

So, in solitary stance, they are weak; even if a slightly larger individual stands still allowing it to feed, it may not achieve lethal effect even when sated.

However, once they form a swarm, they can weaken large creatures through constant harassment.

However, this also requires them to sacrifice many of their comrades’ lives, as they are so fragile that even a slightly stronger strike can be lethal.

Gauss aimed his White Bone Staff at the mosquito bats in the air.

After all, they are flying targets, and while not strong in combat,

if they really tried to escape and got out of Gauss’s shooting range, it would be difficult for him to stop them.

First, kill one to expand the Monster Atlas variety of Ordinary Monsters.

"Boom!"

A Downgraded Magic Missile quickly formed at the tip of Gauss’s staff.

"Whoosh!"

With the sound of splitting air,

a streak of blue light flashed through the sky.

Subsequently, a burst of blood mist suddenly exploded in the air.

"Mosquito bat slain *1"

"Current Ordinary Monster Atlas types: 14"

"Acquired the title [Mosquito Bat Hunter]..."

"Title effect: Precision. In battles against mosquito bats and their advanced species, your ranged attacks gain increased accuracy, making it easier to target them."

As Gauss casually dispatched a mosquito bat minion,

he successfully accumulated his 14th Ordinary Monster Atlas type.

His Magic Power was still relatively ample.

Looking at the remaining twenty or so mosquito bats fluttering in the air, he had no intention of letting them go.

Moreover, the dead mosquito bat seemed to worry that he might not accurately target its kin fleeing in the air, granting him a temporary [Precision] title effect.

In Gauss’s eyes, those mosquito bats that were initially flying higher and higher suddenly became much clearer under this effect.

It felt like some mysterious special sensibility.

He casually dodged several goblins that mustered the courage to attack him.

Gauss glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.

Who would have thought that among these bottom-tier monsters, goblins would turn out to be the most courageous?

Even facing an opponent like himself, who had an intangible suppressive aura from having frequently slain goblins.

A few still mustered the courage to launch an attack.

There was no choice; the other three types of monsters performed even worse after losing their leader.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Not wanting the mosquito bats to escape,

Gauss opted not to use Flaming Arrow, but instead utilized the faster-shooting Downgraded Magic Missile, leveraging the [Precision] title effect targeting mosquito bats, to continually pick them off.

Quickly, the mosquito bats in the sky realized Gauss’s targeting, and flapped their thin wings attempting to soar skyward, but under Gauss’s shooting, they rapidly burst into clouds of blood mist.

The other monsters, seeing the unfavorable situation, began to flee.

In total, nearly a hundred minor monster units seemed so timid when facing Gauss.

This is the advantage of the decapitation strategy.

Moreover, even though a hundred might sound like a large number, it should be noted that this is a ragtag force composed of four completely different species, with little trust among them, so they should be viewed as a few small settlements of twenty to thirty monsters each.

Without the suppression and leadership of their leader, it naturally wasn’t as tricky as it might sound.