Chapter 77: Valerian
Chapter 77: Valerian
The walls of the valley weren't steep, allowing the Lizardmen warriors to climb up with ease. With their speed enhancement, some could even rush straight up.
However, they couldn't pinpoint Ji Xinghuo's location and could only guess his position based on the direction of the arrows.
And they paid a heavy price for it.
Puff! Puff!
With each arrow, a Lizardman fell, rolling down the slope.
Without exception, each one had an arrow through their eye, piercing their brains.
"%&$..."
One of the Lizardmen shouted, and several shield-bearing warriors rushed to the front, holding their shields over their heads to protect themselves from the arrows.
More Lizardmen threw spears, aiming directly at Ji Xinghuo.
They had spotted him.
Ji Xinghuo had to sidestep to avoid the spears, causing a brief pause in his shooting. The shielded Lizardmen seized this opportunity to charge, closing the distance to within fifty meters. At their speed, they would be upon him in just four or five seconds.
"Wisdom races are indeed much harder to deal with than monsters," Ji Xinghuo thought.
However, he didn't slow down. He drew a Blaze Arrow and aimed at the nearest Lizardman, shooting not at the shield but at the chest, which the shield couldn't protect.
Boom! The high-temperature flames exploded, engulfing several nearby Lizardmen who were also holding shields. The impact of the blast knocked them down, and the flames that clung to their bodies couldn't be extinguished, prompting them to let out miserable screams.
As soon as the shield-bearing Lizardmen fell, they exposed the targets behind them.
Ji Xinghuo fired five arrows in quick succession, each finding its mark, and five more Lizardmen tumbled down the slope as corpses.
However, more Lizardmen were rushing up the slope.
They didn't charge mindlessly but divided into two squads, intending to outflank him from both sides. This tactic would not only disperse Ji Xinghuo's arrows but also allow them to throw spears at him from the sides.
"I've gotten a little careless," Ji Xinghuo thought. "I must never underestimate any wisdom race again."
There were still over thirty Lizardmen warriors, and before they could surround him, he could only take down four or five more at most. Even with the Myriad Images Star Pupil, if he were caught in a close-quarters mob, his chances of survival were slim.
He immediately activated his Gale Wind Boots, preparing to retreat.
Suddenly, a furious roar sounded from behind the Lizardmen, and a fiery blade sliced through the air, cutting down two or three Lizardmen at the waist.
The Super Flame Maniac had returned from outside the valley! His speed was incredible as he continuously swung his heavy broadsword, attacking from behind. In just a few slashes, he had taken down almost ten enemies, their blood and flesh flying. This sudden attack threw the Lizardmen into disarray, with half of them continuing to charge up the slope while the rest turned to engage the Flame Maniac.
Most of those who turned back were the ones responsible for throwing spears.
Without them as a distraction, the pressure on Ji Xinghuo lessened significantly.
He abandoned the idea of retreating and instead focused on shooting as quickly as he could, taking the lives of the Lizardmen charging toward him.
Spiritual Source Energy +1
Spiritual Source Energy +2+1+3...
Most of these Lizardmen were first-stage warriors, with a minority at the second stage, and not a single third-stage among them. Their average strength was relatively low, and they relied more on their naturally robust bodies in combat. The abilities they possessed were also quite mediocre, providing only a small amount of spiritual source energy.
Ji Xinghuo fired several arrows in rapid succession, each aimed at the Lizardman closest to him.
Puff, puff, puff...
Their heads were pierced, and blood splattered.
One by one, the Lizardmen warriors fell, buying time for their comrades behind them with their lives as they inched closer to Ji Xinghuo.
Just before dying, several Lizardmen threw their weapons with all their might, hoping to disrupt Ji Xinghuo's aim.
Ji Xinghuo was greatly shaken.
Their valiant and fearless fighting spirit was indeed worthy of cold-blooded creatures, displaying ruthlessness toward both enemies and themselves alike.
However, despite his admiration, he showed no mercy.
The Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow in his hands became a machine of death, its bowstring vibrating continuously as it loosed arrow after arrow, mercilessly claiming the lives of his enemies.
After a dozen or so seconds, only five Lizardmen remained.
But they had closed the distance and were just a few steps away. There was no trace of retreat or impending victory in their eyes, only cold killing intent.
"Run!"
The Flame Maniac in the valley suddenly shouted in broken A-Common, his voice hoarse.
He was facing even more Lizardmen and was surrounded and struggling to hold his own. His stellar power was nearly depleted, and he had sustained multiple injuries. Though he wanted to help Ji Xinghuo, he was powerless to do so.
Ji Xinghuo shot an arrow, felling the Lizardman in front of him.
The next Lizardman immediately rushed forward, slashing his battle axe at Ji Xinghuo's neck. This strike had been bought with the lives of over ten Lizardmen warriors.
Ji Xinghuo no longer had time to shoot.
But he didn't retreat or draw the Lightning Chaser at his waist. Instead, he swiftly rotated his left hand, which held the Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow, flattening the bow and exposing his wrist.
Qinghong, coiled around his wrist, opened its mouth.
A titanium-aluminum alloy arrow appeared out of thin air and shot into the Lizardman's eye, piercing his brain.
Just before dying, a flicker of confusion finally appeared in the Lizardman's eyes as he failed to comprehend where this arrow had come from.
The last four stone lizardmen charging at him were all hit and fell, losing their fighting capability in the blink of an eye.
Ji Xinghuo looked at the three lizardmen still struggling. His coordination with Qinghong wasn't yet proficient, as only the first arrow hit the eye, while the following three struck the face and neck, failing to be instantly fatal. Even in their dying struggles, they continued to crawl towards him.
He drew the Lightning Chaser and stepped forward, delivering a finishing blow to each of the three lizardmen.
"Help!"
A shout for help echoed through the valley.
Ji Xinghuo turned his head and saw that the Super Flame Maniac was in a dangerous situation; the flames on his body had gone out.
The Flame Maniac was extremely formidable in his burning state, with his strength, speed, and explosive power surging wildly. However, once his stellar power was exhausted, he would revert to his original state.
At this moment, without any stellar power, the Flame Maniac was surrounded and in peril as seven or eight lizardmen closed in on him.
"This guy's not bad."
"He could have escaped on his own, but he came back to help me despite his depleting star power. It wasn't a waste for me to save him."
With these thoughts, Ji Xinghuo raised his Dragon Falcon Eagle Bow and aimed at the Flame Maniac in the valley.
Swoosh!
An arrow was released, accurately striking a lizardman and shooting him through the back of his head.
With a few consecutive arrows, the lizardmen fell one after another, easily rescuing the Flame Maniac.
When the last lizardman was shot down, the Flame Maniac was almost out of strength. He threw down his broadsword and plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.
Ji Xinghuo didn't immediately approach him. Instead, he opened the interface of the Myriad Images Star Pupil and took a look. This battle had earned him 76 points of spiritual source energy. Most of these lizardmen were first-stage warriors, providing only a small amount of spiritual source energy, but their numbers made up for it, resulting in a substantial total gain.
Not only did he gain spiritual source energy from the lizardmen he personally shot down, but he also received it from those slain by the Flame Maniac.
Ji Xinghuo didn't immediately use the spiritual source energy, opting to keep it in reserve.
He now had a total of 85 points accumulated.
He jumped into the valley and walked towards the Flame Maniac but stopped about thirty meters away from him. When encountering other humans in the wilderness of the Star Realm, whether with friendly or hostile intentions, one should not approach too closely, as it could prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.
At a distance of thirty meters, it would be difficult for a melee fighter to launch a sudden attack, and it would be challenging for an archer to shoot a surprise arrow.
The Flame Maniac, whose name was Valerian, struggled to his feet, leaning on his broadsword.
He stood at a height of about 18.5 meters, with light yellow hair, black pupils, and a beard. He appeared to be in his forties, and his light armor was damaged in several places, indicating his poor condition. However, his injuries weren't severe, and with the self-healing ability of a super mutant, he would regain his combat prowess once his stellar power recovered.
"Brother!" Valerian exclaimed with a cheerful expression, speaking in A-Common with a peculiar accent, "I'm Valerian. Thank you for saving me."
"Are you from the Empire?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
There was only one empire on Earth—the New Roman Empire.
The empire spanned across the three continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia, and in recent years, its diplomatic relations with the Asia-Pacific Community had gradually improved, marking a historically favorable period.
"Yes," Valerian nodded, appraising Ji Xinghuo as he spoke enthusiastically, "My home is in Ivangrad. When you return to Earth, you can come and find me for a drink. I will offer you the best of everything, my brother."
It was evident that Valerian was grateful, but Ji Xinghuo didn't intend to seek reciprocation for his kindness.
Saving Valerian was secondary; he had acted primarily for the spiritual source energy.
"I will," Ji Xinghuo agreed casually, then asked out of curiosity, "Are you alone? No teammates?"
It would take either exceptional skill or sheer foolishness for someone to dare to venture alone into the territory of the Bei Luo Shi Men tribe.
"I'm a lone wanderer," Valerian replied, and before Ji Xinghuo could ask further, he continued, "Yesterday, I killed a patrol team from the Bei Luo Shi Men. I was injured and hid in this valley to recover. I never expected that there was a stone lizardmen base hidden beneath the nearby rift valley. I had scouted it before but failed to notice it due to my negligence. If it weren't for you, brother, I would have met my maker by now."
Ji Xinghuo nodded, knowing that Valerian hadn't told him the whole truth.
However, he wasn't interested in pressing the issue further.
"Farewell," Ji Xinghuo turned to leave, but Valerian called out, "Brother, you haven't told me your name. When I return to Earth, I won't know whom to thank."
Ji Xinghuo hesitated for a moment before replying, "My name is Ji Xinghuo."
With that, he walked out of the valley.
As for the littered bodies of the stone lizardmen, Ji Xinghuo didn't bother to examine them. The stone lizardmen were the only race among the four tribes of the Bei Luo Shi Men without a racial talent, and they had no exotic species to collect. Any abilities the stone lizardmen possessed were acquired through fusion and couldn't be fused a second time.
Valerian watched Ji Xinghuo leave until he disappeared into the forest.
He didn't inquire about Ji Xinghuo's teammates because he had already guessed that they were hiding nearby.
"A mysterious man," Valerian muttered to himself, his eyes reflecting both surprise and concern, "He doesn't seem very strong, probably just a high-level mutant, yet his strength is formidable. The younger generation of the Asia-Pacific Community is getting stronger, with talents emerging continuously. The Empire will fall further behind."
(End of Chapter)
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