Chapter 85 Avian Sentinel
Isabella's invitation caught the attention of both Scarlet and Judy.
They believed that Eric's skills were undoubtedly high, but they hadn't seen them firsthand. They were filled with curiosity and eager to witness the exceptional skills of Eldoria's renowned chief blacksmith.
"Yeah, Black Flame, join our party. Our team members are all skilled, and we'll level up much faster together," Judy said with a smile.
Scarlet shot a glare at Judy, annoyed that she had spoken up first.
Judy playfully stuck her tongue out at Scarlet and hid behind Isabella, looking quite adorable.
Scarlet was so angry that she stomped her foot, her chest heaving. If Black Flame weren't there, she would have given Judy a good scolding.
The women were intrigued by Eric's abilities, but the two male players became competitive. Why were the three beauties so concerned about Eric? They were instantly overcome by the urge to validate their own worth, casting challenging glances at Eric, unwilling to accept their perceived inferiority.
Eric ignored these provocative looks and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your kindness, Ms. Collins, but I have a task to complete here, so I can't join you for leveling."
"A task?" Isabella was a bit surprised. This was an area with level 8 monsters. She was curious about this task but knew it was impolite to pry into others' secrets. She then politely said, "We won't disturb you, then. If you need any help, just let us know. We may not be able to assist, but we'll certainly try our best."
Hearing Isabella's words, Eric smiled slightly and thought, ' Having someone willing to help is undoubtedly a good thing, as entering the Fortress of Steel Shells is not an easy task and surely guarded by monsters. Dealing with them alone would be too time-consuming, so if there's such a powerful team to assist me, I can save a considerable amount of time.'
"That would be great. I need to go somewhere, but there are many monsters there. It's hard to get in. Can you help me clear them out?" Eric asked.
Isabella had initially wanted to build a closer relationship with Eric, but she hadn't expected him to ask for their help first. She quickly said, "Sure, I'll invite you to our party. You lead the way."
He accepted the invitation and joined Isabella's team.
With Eric leading, the group quickly reached the core area of Physis Gorge.
"Beyond this forest is the place. However, there are many Avian Sentinels here. They live in the trees and are hard to spot. We need to stay alert for Avian Sentinels swooping down from above. If they grab you with their talons, they'll take you high up and drop you to your death," Eric warned as they walked.
"Don't be afraid. Watch how we deal with them," The Shield Warrior said dismissively, patting his chest.
Eric didn't respond, silently pushing aside the leaves.
However, Isabella didn't let her guard down and commanded, "Everyone, watch the sky and protect the healer at critical moments."
"Yes!"
The two male players immediately became severe, standing guard around Judy. As long as Judy stayed alive, she could revive them after disengaging from combat, minimizing the loss of experience points and skill proficiency.
Sure enough, soon, four Avian Sentinels with white wings and bird heads swooped down from the treetops. Their talons descended swiftly, akin to eagles on the hunt, seizing the male Ranger. The rest quickly blocked or dodged with their weapons.
"Take them down! Scarlet, attack the Avian Sentinel holding Sammy. Judy, fall back," Isabella shouted, slashing at two Avian Sentinels with a Whirlwind Slash. The Avian Sentinels quickly ascended to avoid the attack, and Isabella charged toward the Ranger named Sammy, who had been grabbed.
Although Sammy fought back with his dual blades, the Avian Sentinel's talons were too harsh. He couldn't cut through the talons on his shoulder and couldn't reach the Avian Sentinel's body. Helplessly, Sammy was lifted into the air.
Scarlet's Inferno Burst hit the level 9 Avian Sentinel's wing, dealing 53 points of damage. The flames burned off the Avian Sentinel's feathers, causing it to fall. Isabella positioned herself below and delivered a Cleave Strike to its neck, inflicting 61 points of damage.
Considering the level 4 difference between Scarlet and Isabella and the level 9 Avian Sentinel, their damage was impressive.
The injured Avian Sentinel looked pitiful, but with 1000 hit points, the damage it took was negligible.
Moreover, Isabella and her team were encountering flying monsters for the first time and didn't know the effective attack methods and combat techniques.
Although Isabella's team saved Ranger Sammy, they were at a disadvantage against the four airborne Avian Sentinels. Only Isabella and Scarlet dealt over 50 points of damage, while the Ranger and Shield Warrior couldn't deal more than 20 points. It wasn't that they were weak, but the Avian Sentinels had leather armor and high defense, and the level of suppression reduced their natural damage.
"What's Black Flame doing? He's just standing there watching. Is he all talk?" the Shield Warrior muttered, frustrated.
But as soon as the Shield Warrior finished speaking, Eric moved.
With an agility of 40 points and employing the hidden skill Wall Running, he gracefully leaped into the trees. Effortlessly, he maneuvered through the foliage, resembling a martial arts master, swiftly slashing at the airborne Avian Sentinels with his sword.
Each of Eric's strikes dealt 160 points of damage, nearly three times the damage dealt by Isabella and the others.
This shut the Shield Warrior and Ranger up.
Judy looked at Eric, darting through the trees with admiration, her eyes sparkling.
Even Scarlet was mesmerized and thought, ' Black Flame was different from those who relied on luck.'
Only Isabella remained calm, but Eric's combat style gave her many insights. She realized her previous combat methods were rigid and inflexible. However, changing her ways quickly was difficult due to the lack of such flexible combat styles in earlier virtual games.
In no time, the four Avian Sentinels fell to the ground, dropping a few copper coins and some light feathers.
"Let's go," Eric said, sheathing his swords and continuing toward their destination.
"Black Flame, don't go so fast. Can you teach me how to fight like that?" Judy excitedly ran after him, clinging to his arm.
"This is a melee technique. You don't need to learn it as a Priest," Eric replied, surprised by Judy's outgoing and bold nature, which was so different from her famous self a few years later.
"Black Flame already said you don't need to learn it," Scarlet growled, pulling Judy away. Unconsciously, even Scarlet's way of addressing Eric had changed, becoming more intimate.
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