CHAPTER 253: CHAPTER 253: THE INVASION BEGINS, THE TIDE OF DEMONIZED CREATURES_1

The countdown hit zero, and the ground outside the City of Simplicity began to rupture with massive cracks. One by one, Demonized Creatures, bearing prefixes like "Possessed" or "Demonized," crawled out from these fissures.

A suffocating sense of terror washed over them. Even the Players, who had been raring to go, were stunned by this terrifying aura.

Even the Bearded Guest’s family was no exception; they hadn’t anticipated such a situation at all.

After all, they had expected disorganized mobs, but their first encounter was with such ferocious entities.

Ye Tian, however, was grave. This scene reminded him of an Abyss Demon Tide assault. In his past life, these Demonized Creatures wouldn’t have even qualified to appear on the battlefield. They had faced true Abyssal Demons.

If the Abyss Demon Tide in their past life had consisted of such rabble, all the Players would have roared with laughter.

However, seeing the Players’ current performance, he couldn’t help but feel a little helpless. After all, they lacked real combat experience.

"Looks like there’s a change in our plans. Hunting the BOSS will have to wait," Ye Tian said helplessly. He hadn’t expected the Game System to simulate an Abyss Demon Tide, even if it was a low-quality, inferior version.

"No worries, let’s stick to the plan. I’m summoning someone," Wang Linchi said, then directly summoned the Saint Master.

As soon as the Saint Master appeared, he immediately used the Monkey Talisman to inflate his size, transforming into a giant beast.

He then charged at the tide of Demonized Creatures, unleashing the Dragon and Pig Talismans along with various Card Effects, clearing a large area in an instant.

"So, the Plug in you mentioned is your summoned creature," Ye Tian found it strange. He knew Wang Linchi’s class was Scholar, but he hadn’t expected it to be primarily summon-based.

It seems my interference indeed caused this. Ye Tian instantly realized why he hadn’t heard anything about Wang Linchi in his previous life.

In his past life, he hadn’t obtained the Limited Game Cabin. This time around, by getting it, he had altered the original number available. This seemingly small change had caused a ripple effect, allowing Wang Linchi, an otherwise unknown person from his former life, to obtain a Limited Game Cabin and rise to prominence with the Talent he gained from it.

A Rare Talent or companion pet from a Limited Game Cabin, if cultivated properly, was bound to be extraordinary.

He wasn’t sure if Wang Linchi’s Saint Master was a pet or a Talent, or possibly some sort of Growth equipment, but its strength was undeniably impressive.

"What’s your pet called? I’ll go exchange for one too," the Bearded Guest said, watching this spectacle in disbelief. The creatures being defeated weren’t just ordinary monsters but Elite Monsters too, yet they couldn’t withstand a single blow from the Saint Master.

"Oh, it’s from a gift pack in the Limited Game Cabin. Plus, with a bit of good Luck, my pet turned out almost as if it’s using Plug ins," Wang Linchi explained, disguising the Saint Master as a companion pet from a Limited Game Cabin gift pack.

"I see. No wonder it’s so strong. So you’re just incredibly lucky," the Bearded Guest teased.

Although the Saint Master was strong, he couldn’t single-handedly hold off the massive numbers of Demonized Creatures on the main battlefield; he could, at best, hold down one position.

Fortunately, the Players quickly reacted and unhesitatingly began their attack.

As for the City of Simplicity, its Protective Barrier was now activated. The residents climbed onto the city walls, casting spells to reinforce the city and prevent it from being breached by the Demonized Creatures.

BOOM!

A huge sound erupted from the cracks.

A gigantic, terrifying hand, stitched together from various limbs, reached out from the Abyssal Gap, grabbing onto the ground. This single action crushed countless Demonized Creatures.

[BOSS - Abyssal Demon - Stitched Giant View LV10 | Health: 1,000,000/1,000,000]

"Damn, this thing actually spawned right here," Wang Linchi involuntarily sucked in a cold breath. He had encountered this BOSS before and had even been wiped out by it.

Its size was the main issue; it was simply too large. Even the Saint Master paled in comparison to this BOSS.

Just as Wang Linchi finished speaking, a head larger than the city gate squeezed out.

"Damn it, I’ll distract this BOSS," Ye Tian said. Of course, he recognized this BOSS. He knew it not from some instance dungeon, but from the future. Back then, this Stitched Giant View wasn’t Level 10 but Level 200, with a colossal body spanning tens of thousands of meters. No Player could confront it.

Compared to its future self, its current size was like that of a mere shrimp.

"No need, Saint Master can handle it," Wang Linchi sneered. Heh, did they really think the numerous Card augments on him were just for show?

His previous failure was because this particular BOSS was too difficult to kill. It possessed numerous Passive Skills for damage reduction and enhanced regeneration, making an attempt to kill it too time-consuming.

But it was different now. If the Saint Master wanted to kill it, it would be easy.

Transforming into a streak of Fire Light, the Saint Master forcefully carved a bloody path through the tide of Demonized Creatures, heading straight for the spot where the Stitched Giant View BOSS was emerging.

The enemy had only just pulled half its body out when the Saint Master’s claws pierced through its neck. He forcibly dragged it out of the Abyssal Gap and gave it an over-the-shoulder throw.

The sight was truly spectacular, akin to a three-year-old child yanking up a six-foot-two strongman and flipping him over his shoulder.

BANG! RUMBLE!

A tremendous sound erupted as the massive body of the Stitched Giant View crashed into the horde of Demonized Creatures, causing widespread death.

Naturally, these kills were credited to Wang Linchi. His haul of Abyss Crystals and points skyrocketed.

The Game System was surprisingly generous this time. During the event, any Abyss Crystals obtained from kills were automatically sent to the Player’s inventory, eliminating the need to pick them up.

"Earning points while doing nothing. No wonder you said you were using a Plug in," Ye Tian remarked, his expression somewhat complicated. He had previously cast buffs on Wang Linchi and the Saint Master, so he also gained 0.1 points for each kill they made. It was a small amount, but it was effortless earning. The Bearded Guest’s family was in the same boat.

Casting buffs before a battle was normal; even a Hero like Bearded Guest had skills to enhance stats.

Wang Linchi also had such skills, so he could also leech points when they killed monsters. However, it should have been more. The reason it was only 0.1 points was because their contribution to the kill was too small. The Saint Master’s ability to dominate, aside from his own strength, was primarily due to the efficacy of the Cards.

The buffs they provided were actually quite insignificant.

"Tell the Saint Master to hold off on killing it for now. He can use the BOSS as a weapon to sweep a large area," the Living Dead, who rarely spoke, reminded Wang Linchi.

"Good idea!" Wang Linchi had only been focused on killing the BOSS to cash in, completely overlooking this point.

Receiving Wang Linchi’s command, the Saint Master immediately stopped his attack on the Stitched Giant View. Instead, he unhesitatingly grabbed it by the neck and began to spin, like a giant windmill.

In that moment, a large, bloody swathe was instantly cleared on the battlefield before them.

"They’re coming! Everyone, attack!"

Even though the Saint Master had initiated a large-scale clearing operation using the BOSS as a weapon, the Abyssal Gap was simply too vast to form a complete defensive line.

Consequently, a large number of Demonized Creatures managed to approach the City of Simplicity.

Ye Tian, the Bearded Guest, and the others also joined the fight. They had held back earlier because the enemies had not yet entered their attack range.

Charge in? Against such numbers, they would be instantly overwhelmed and annihilated. A single hit from each of so many Demonized Creatures would be enough to kill them, not to mention these enemies were inherently stronger.

Of course, not everyone held back. The tanks formed a defensive line, bolstered by various status buffs, recovery skills, and healing. They didn’t crumble at first contact; instead, they managed to withstand the initial Impact.

However, most of the tanks’ Health had dropped to critical levels. Fortunately, timely healing pulled their Health back up; otherwise, after weathering the first blow, they wouldn’t have survived the second.

"This is too intense! Are you sure this is an event and not just designed to torture us?"

"Damn it! Healer, quick, heal!"

"A monster got through! Quick, block it!"

The Players’ voices rose and fell in a chaotic din, like a bubbling pot of porridge.

Seeing this, Ye Tian couldn’t help but nostalgically recall the Players from his previous life, whose teamwork and coordination were top-notch.

The fact that the tanks could form a defensive line without collapsing was already quite good. One couldn’t ask for too much more. After all, they hadn’t experienced an Abyss invasion and were still facing this horde... this rabble, with a playful attitude.

Ye Tian knew that in the Abyss, Demonized Creatures were considered much like current Players: a combination of cannon fodder and rabble, holding no status whatsoever.

Wang Linchi wasn’t particularly concerned; he had activated the Hang Up feature. With the Demonized Card active, his game character, controlled by the AI assistant, stood firm amidst the Level 10 Demonized Creatures.

With high Health, strong defense, and Special Attack Effects, he was like a smaller version of the Saint Master. The only drawback was that his damage was Fixed Damage, resulting in significantly lower output. However, even if his output was poor, it wasn’t something ordinary monsters could contend with. Perhaps an Elite Monster might be able to put up a fight.

Level 10, and not even true Abyssal Demons – in Wang Linchi’s eyes, they were already outdated.