Chapter 124: The Bear-Riding Lord

The second summoning failed again!

Ye Chen began to break into a cold sweat. If the Undead Cavalry Lord had simply vanished earlier, he would have merely sighed in disappointment, but now that hope had appeared, the stakes felt far more nerve-wracking.

Gently rubbing the silver-white ring on his right index finger, Ye Chen held his breath, focused his mind, and cast another beam of black light toward the Undead Cavalry Lord.

The Undead Cavalry Lord trembled, and with it, the hearts of everyone watching shook as well.

"Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully summoned the soul of the Silver-tier boss, the Undead Cavalry Lord. You have gained one Soul Cavalry Lord."

As the notification echoed in Ye Chen’s ears, a miniature version of the Undead Cavalry Lord emerged from the top of the corpse. Seeing this, the team erupted in cheers.

With a sharp inhale, the miniature soul expanded rapidly, returning to its original size in an instant.

[Soul Cavalry Lord] (Silver-tier)
Health: 266,000
Level: 37
Skills: Charge, Inspirit, Shadow Sweep, Spear Probe

Without its warhorse, the Soul Cavalry Lord clearly lacked its previous bonus attributes, yet its strength remained formidable. The only drawback was that Holy-type healing magic could not restore its health, or it would truly be the perfect tank.

Watching the Soul Cavalry Lord standing guard beside Ye Chen with its spear in hand, the team members curiously crowded around to examine it, their eyes filled with envy.

"Alright, everyone, return to your positions. The next wave of monsters is coming soon." Ye Chen waved his hand to disperse the group. Having learned from the earlier incident with the Silver-armored warriors, no one dared to disobey. They quickly moved to their assigned spots, though they still stole glances at the majestic Soul Cavalry Lord.

The twenty-first wave arrived as scheduled. Three hundred Level 35 Magic-Eye Lizards, led by a Lizard King, soon reached the city gates. However, after enduring so many dangerous battles, these common monsters were no longer considered a threat; they were cut down within minutes.

*Whoosh.* A white beam of light descended from the sky, and Ye Chen leveled up from 30 to 31. Congratulations rang out in the party channel. Ye Chen felt quite pleased; he had been unconscious for five days, and most of the women in the studio had already caught up to or surpassed him. Before logging in, Li Yuetong had boasted about reaching level 30 and being ready for her second transition, even threatening to make him her underling. He was looking forward to surprising her later.

The twenty-second, twenty-third, and twenty-fourth waves also passed without incident. They were just fodder, serving only to provide experience. But as the twenty-fourth wave fell, the expressions of the team members grew increasingly grave, and the atmosphere in the party turned heavy. Everyone knew that, so far, the team had only killed 230 elite monsters. This meant there were still 770 elite monsters remaining. In other words, the next six waves would contain 770 elite monsters—a massive pressure.

"Team Leader Ye, will the next 770 elite monsters be split evenly across the waves, or concentrated in the final two or three?" With only two minutes left before the twenty-fifth wave, the distant monster formation was already becoming restless. Xian Yun, stationed on the Tower of Holy Light, rubbed his staff nervously, shifting it between his hands.

The others pricked up their ears; their lives were at stake, so no one could remain indifferent. Dingyuan the Monk also wore a solemn expression, saying in a rough voice, "Yes, Brother Yechen, tell us the situation so we can prepare."

Ye Chen nodded. He needed to explain the upcoming waves to prevent them from panicking. "For the next six waves, the twenty-fifth will feature 200 Elite Storm Bear Knights. Waves twenty-six through twenty-nine will have 50 elites each. The final wave will be entirely elite monsters, plus that Dark Gold-tier Mountain-Shaking Lord."

Hearing these numbers, the team members turned pale. Chang Lian swallowed hard, his voice dry. "100 elite knights nearly caused a wipe. How are we supposed to handle 200 even stronger Storm Bear Knights?"

Silence descended. No one spoke; everyone looked ashen. Having come this far in the Demon Trial Grounds, no one wanted to fail, especially with the potential rewards of over 700 elite monsters and two super bosses. But 200 elite monsters were completely beyond their capabilities. If not for Ye Chen’s precise command, even the 100 elites would have wiped them out.

As they spoke, the Storm Bear Knights in the distance began to form their ranks. The hulking beast-kin knights sat atop brown, hulking bears, clutching massive, pointed iron hammers. Their appearance alone was chilling. At the forefront, a Gold-tier Bear-Riding Lord, looking every bit the general, paced back and forth. The giant bear he rode was at least four or five times the size of a normal Storm Bear, covered in savage armor. It was clearly a formidable foe.

As the time for the attack neared, the Storm Bear Knights roared restlessly, and their mounts followed suit. Every roar from the Bear-Riding Lord’s giant mount shook the ground—it was terrifying.

[Storm Bear Knight] (Elite-tier)
Health: 35,000
Level: 38
Skills: Heavy Strike

[Bear-Riding Lord] (Gold-tier)
Health: 520,000
Level: 40
Skills: Demoralizing Roar, Earth Shatter, Heavy Strike, Mountain Cleave

From the Tower of Force, Chang Lian used his newly learned Eagle Eye skill to detect the stats of the monsters and immediately shared the screenshot in the party chat. The team members gasped. The Gold-tier Bear-Riding Lord was bad enough, but the Storm Bear Knights were shockingly powerful. Since a monster's health and strength were generally proportional, these knights had double the health of the Undead Knights, meaning their attributes were conservatively 1.5 to 2 times higher!

Dingyuan the Monk was stunned. As the main tank, he was expected to handle the Bear-Riding Lord, but this Gold boss was far too monstrous. Compared to this, wild Gold bosses were like children. Based on his experience, this boss's attack power likely rivaled a wild Dark Gold boss. With those skills, he might survive a one-on-one, but if the Storm Bear Knights swarmed him, he would surely die.

Dingyuan smiled bitterly and whispered to Ye Chen, "Brother Yechen, it seems this level won't be easy. Do you have any way to deal with those Storm Bear Knights?" He felt embarrassed asking; if they cleared this trial, 70% of the credit would go to Ye Chen, while the rest of them were just laborers.

"Deal with them? Do you mean having you tank 200 Storm Bear Knights and killing them?" Ye Chen looked at Dingyuan.

Dingyuan nodded, and the others looked to Ye Chen as well.

"There's no way. With your team's current strength, you cannot defeat 200 elites of this caliber in a head-on fight." Ye Chen shook his head, though a strange smile played on his lips.

The team members turned deathly pale. If the omnipotent Team Leader Ye had no way, were they doomed?

Even Dingyuan’s face darkened, but Chang Lian’s eyes lit up. He mocked Dingyuan and the others, "A bunch of idiots! Team Leader only said we can't face them head-on; he didn't say we couldn't solve the problem. Team Leader, tell us what to do!"

Dingyuan realized his mistake and slapped his bald head, laughing at Ye Chen. "Brother Yechen, you did that on purpose! You definitely did! You have a way but wouldn't say it—trying to scare us to death, aren't you?"

The rest of the team felt a wave of relief. If their leader had a plan, they were safe. But they were dying to know what he would do. 200 elite monsters! Was there some secret technique or a super potion?

Seeing their expressions, Ye Chen laughed. "You think secret techniques and potions grow on trees? The solution is simple: just stand there and watch. And remember, no matter what happens next, no one is to move without my command."

The members nodded vigorously. As long as they could handle the 200 Storm Bear Knights, they would do anything he asked.

"The twenty-fifth wave of the attack is about to begin. Players, please prepare."

As the notification ended, the Bear-Riding Lord roared, leading the Storm Bear Knights toward the gate. Behind them followed 100 common Level 37 Storm Bears, wandering in a chaotic, unorganized pack.

The movement speed of the 200 Storm Bear Knights was not particularly fast, only slightly faster than the common bears. As the horde closed in, the team members prepared for battle, listening intently for Ye Chen’s command.

"Tower of Frost, prepare."

At Ye Chen’s order, the mage Xian Yun on the Frost Tower focused intently, his face showing excitement. He even glanced smugly at the controllers of the other arrow towers, who grunted in frustration but couldn't hide their envy. To them, participating in one of Ye Chen’s plans was a badge of honor.

"Horizontal coordinate 197, vertical coordinate 312. Wait for my command to cast your skill. This is a matter of life and death, so do not hesitate. If you mess up, we wipe," Ye Chen commanded solemnly, his eyes fixed on the stopwatch he had manifested.

"Understood, Team Leader!" Xian Yun’s expression turned serious. He knew he couldn't bear the responsibility of a total party wipe.