Chapter 738 - 701: Half-Mechanical, Half-Living Entity
Now, the crossbow cannon with an exotic and resplendent design like a Hydra statue has been assembled. In the dim light of the Melt Cave, the entire statue emits a hazy and eerie dark glow. Looking at its nine snake-head barrels that can rotate flexibly, and the refractive glass beads of the scope that resemble the eyes of a chameleon, the whole team is amazed, and Da Fei is even more thrilled.
Billbo exclaimed in surprise, "Lord City Lord, I never thought a crossbow cannon could look like this; I always thought they were just like what was illustrated in the book you gave me."
Da Fei couldn’t help but reflect, "The world is so vast, filled with wonders. Just like the sandworm mining machine I used to harvest timber in the Black Forest, these are not creations that mortals can craft. I don’t even know what materials were used to make the parts of this crossbow cannon."
Billbo nodded and said, "Right, right, I’ve always been puzzled about how that mining vehicle of yours works. It’s like a giant bug. My grandfather always said that vehicle is actually an animal."
Da Fei was astonished, "Old Village Chief thinks that vehicle is an animal? That can’t be right; the vehicle’s attributes are clearly that of a special vehicle, aren’t they?"
Elena shook her head with a smile and said, "Actually, there exists in this world a kind of half-mechanical, half-life form. Whether it’s the mining machine from Lord City Lord’s last time or this crossbow cannon, they have both transcended the category of ordinary machinery. For instance, the mining machine needs to devour mineral crystals, while this crossbow cannon has the capability of self-healing, which are clearly characteristics of a living being. So, the Old Village Chief’s words are not wrong."
Da Fei couldn’t help but twitch at the thought. Half-mechanical life forms? This is another encounter with a half-life form after the Ancient Tree Fortress, which is a mix of building and life form.
Da Fei then asked in surprise, "If it’s a life form, does that mean it can grow?"
Elena nodded with a solemn expression, "Of course, high-level Titans are such terrifying entities. Mechanical structure allows Titans to upgrade and modify endlessly, while the biological aspect allows Titans to evolve and grow without stint. When one growth path encounters a bottleneck, it can be overcome by developing another, with no limits or restraints. This is also the reason our Dark Elf Clan fears the Titan Species!"
Titans? That’s right! Titans are essentially gods not recognized by the divine! Da Fei hurriedly asked, "Then Miss Elena, how do you think this crossbow cannon of mine can grow?"
Elena gave a bitter smile and said, "Lord City Lord, I’m sorry, I don’t know. However, I’ve heard long ago that the Mage Academy is very proficient in researching Titan Species and Puppetry Technique. Perhaps, Lord City Lord, when you have time, you could ask your Lamp God friend at the Mage Academy."
Da Fei nodded, "Right! I’ll ask when I have the chance."
Indeed, War Machine Science, although a terrifying boss slayer and a monster-clearing expert in the early game, would face a very awkward problem in the later stages: war machines do not benefit from hero attack, defense, and most skills. A Master-level crossbow cannon only has 35 Attack, and even for players with Hero Special Abilities like "Siege Master," which increases the crossbow cannon’s Attack by 1 point for every 2 levels the hero gains, it becomes quite difficult to deal damage against later-stage troops of other players who have defense stats in the hundreds.
Thus, by the time of the official release’s later stages, the main role of War Machine Science shifted to siege machinery like the Catapult and the First Aid Tent. This was indeed a very awkward situation for the crossbow cannon, unless players developed special crossbow cannons with greater power.
And now, Da Fei is in Hell, having already entered the late game early, and he is starting to face this awkwardness. Although the Hydra crossbow cannon is flashy and equipped with bizarre special skills, each shot’s basic damage is still only 1-2, no different from an ordinary crossbow cannon!
Thus, Da Fei aimed the nine barrels at the small Earth Dragon that was frantically gnawing at the sulfur and then began to calculate the damage this shot could deal.
The damage of the crossbow cannon = Basic Damage × Total value of hero’s Basic Attribute Points. The basic damage of the Master-level crossbow cannon is 7-8; with my own attribute points total around 300 after deducting equipment bonuses, the unmodified damage for a shot would be around 2100-2400. Such damage is absolutely extraordinary in the Mortal World, but it’s a pity that this is Hell.
Under the Master-level enhancement, the Hydra Crossbow Cannon could reach 80 Attack, and from the previous battle analysis, this small Earth Dragon’s Defense could be as high as 200, similar to a level 2 city wall. With an Attack-Defense difference of 120, over 80% of the damage would be reduced, leaving around 450 damage per shot. Even if all nine barrels fired simultaneously, the damage would only be around 4000. It might barely suffice to take out a small hell creature, but to attempt to finish off a boss with tens of thousands of health and unknown defense would be extremely difficult.
Not to mention, the boss’s outer skin had already turned into thick rock. It wouldn’t be surprising if it had 500 Defense. A few hundred cannonballs in my Space Bag might not even be enough to pin down this boss. What else could be relied upon were my Luck Skill and the Ranger Demon Slayer Sub-Skill, as well as the support from the Divine Artifact Necklace Effect on the crossbow cannon’s damage. However, the boss could also eat sulfur to heal when it’s low on health.
The situation still looks very grim!
At this moment, Da Fei finally couldn’t help but start to consider his retreat plan. This was an unreliable battle with a high chance of defeat, and what would failure mean? It would mean the players’ transport vehicles and war machines—the large items you can’t take with you—would all be lost. That is to say, if I lose, I would lose the Divine Artifact Crossbow Cannon with enormous potential for growth. Can I afford that loss?
And even if I use up the remaining two Divine Suppressions and all the Holy Vine Seeds, what chance do I stand to win? Not to mention there are Demons blocking the entrance. Even if I defeat the giant dragon, will the Demons allow me the time to collect Holy Vines, dismantle and pack the Crossbow Cannon, or skin and harvest? Unless I defeat the giant dragon and it drops an incredibly powerful artifact, there’s no way to come out ahead. And the loss would be total if I fail!
In fact, if I maintain the status quo, even dying and going back would mean a profit, so why gamble so much on this uncertain challenge to the BOSS?
For a moment, Da Fei’s mind is twisting into knots, growing more and more conflicted and frustrated. Just when Da Fei’s confidence wavered, Tamilia, who had been intently observing the Earth Dragon, spoke up: "Lord City Lord, the situation has changed! The Earth Dragon has stabilized its injury; we must take action now!"
Da Fei then snapped back to his senses! Alright, no more hesitating! Let’s test the blocking effect on this small Earth Dragon. If I can’t even pin down the small one, there’s no need to struggle further; I might as well pack up and head home to die.
Da Fei took a deep breath, preparing to pull the trigger at the small Earth Dragon he had targeted—wait! Will starting a battle alarm the big BOSS? If it does, won’t I be completely ruined?
In a split second, Da Fei hesitated once again, torn and trembling! A feeling of unease and fear towards the unknown adversary surged once more. It felt like I had missed some critical points. The hell with it, am I playing this game or not? With my current wealth and status, can I not afford to lose? I’m going all in!
— Bang! The first shot roared out! "-523!"
— System Prompt: Battle initiated! You have attacked the Volcano Earth Dragon, and your Basic Reconnaissance Sentinel "Stealth Master" skill is activated. Your troops are still in Phantom March state.
(Note: — Stealth Master: Enhances the hidden effect of your Stealth Skills with the improvement of your Profession Level. When your troops enter a combat state, there is a certain chance you will not be revealed. Prerequisite for learning: Master-level Reconnaissance Skill, Stealth Skill.)
The Earth Dragon trembled! Da Fei was also taken aback, the shot wasn’t a Lucky Strike nor a Dragon Slayer Strike. The damage from the Crossbow Cannon was higher than expected—did I overestimate the defense of the Earth Dragon? Or was its defense lowered because it’s now in a parasitic state?
And what does the activation of the Stealth Master skill mean? Does it mean that my troops are still in Stealth March mode? In any case, as long as the big BOSS isn’t alarmed, that’s good.
As Da Fei’s mind raced, the attacked Earth Dragon turned and raised its head, attempting to locate its attacker. Even though Da Fei was still in Stealth State, he instinctively ducked his head back: "Everybody hide! Don’t let it see you!"
This was essential—if you want to block a ranged monster, you can’t let it see you! And at that moment, a red light flashed in the hall, and a giant Fireball exploded with a bang!
— System Prompt: Your 1 Volcano Demon Wolf troop was discovered by the Hell Volcano Earth Dragon, the Phantom March effect disappeared, and that Volcano Demon Wolf was attacked by the Hell Volcano Earth Dragon and died, you lost 1...
Damn! It didn’t see me, but it saw my troops? Alright, rest in peace. If I end up winning, I will definitely resurrect you. The fact that the enemy didn’t attack me first indicates that my first attack successfully completed the first element of safe positioning—I can see you; you can’t see me! This tricky cannon positioning is really low-key!
Wait! No, it’s not just the cannon being low-key. During the flash of the Fireball explosion, Da Fei suddenly realized that the Hydra Crossbow Cannon was also in a sort of fuzzy state! At first, because the light in the cave was dim, I thought the light from the cannon was dim, but it turns out it isn’t—it’s also affected by my Phantom March Skill and has entered Stealth State. Even though the Stealth effect is weak, this blurry appearance is indeed Stealth!
Under normal circumstances, transport vehicles and cannons like this would absolutely not be able to stealth. Isn’t it peculiar?
In an instant, Da Fei immediately thought of the half-mechanical, half-lifeform we discussed before! This means—could this be the hidden property of the Divine Artifact Crossbow Cannon being a semi-lifeform? Only lifeforms can receive the leadership and attribute boosts from a hero’s skills! And this also seems to explain why the damage from that one shot exceeded expectations. Could it be that the Cannon’s Attack and Defense are also invisibly boosted by Hero Attributes?
Damn! At this moment, Da Fei finally deeply understood the meaning of being a semi-lifeform! Da Fei’s confidence surged in that instant; perhaps I can win this battle! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)