Chapter Nineteen: Battle Footage

Ye Chen knew he was no match for more than three Azure-Scaled Serpents, so he chose targets where only one or two serpents guarded the Crimson Beauty Flowers. A lone serpent was no threat at all—after putting some distance between them, three or four Black Fireballs would settle the matter swiftly. When two serpents were together, it was a bit more troublesome; no matter how he tried to separate them, one would inevitably close in. Fortunately, his Dark Healing spell could sustain him, though barely. If only he had a slowing or controlling spell, he would have handled two serpents with ease.

Thus, he killed serpents while gathering flowers. After more than an hour, Ye Chen’s pack held twenty-nine Crimson Beauty Flowers—just one short of completing his task. Now he faced a dilemma: the remaining flowers were all surrounded by at least three serpents. Facing three at once, he truly had no confidence; it was almost certain death.

“Great System, I have to face three Azure-Scaled Serpents at the same time. Do you have any good advice?” Ye Chen was compelled to seek help from the system.

“Please wait, searching... According to your current situation, to confront three serpents simultaneously, you must utilize the hidden properties of the Black Fireball and masterful positioning.”

“The hidden properties of the Black Fireball?” Ye Chen was puzzled; he understood positioning, but he had no idea about any hidden properties.

“Indeed. The Black Fireball isn’t strictly a single-target spell. With proper technique, it can serve as a very small area-of-effect attack. If you manage to strike several monsters at once, they’ll all take damage,” the system patiently explained.

“Strike several monsters at once?” Ye Chen began to grasp the concept, though he was still doubtful. The Black Fireball wasn’t particularly small, but certainly not large—just a bit bigger than a human head. How could he hit several monsters with it?

“Yes. With the right technique and clever movement, it’s entirely possible. You can refer to a combat video I have here—the player is of your class and faced similar circumstances,” the system said, sending Ye Chen a video link.

Ye Chen nodded and hurriedly opened the video, watching intently.

The video was short—only four or five minutes—shot from a god’s-eye view, clearly crafted by the system. The featured player was a young woman, her nickname Night Flowing Wave, evidently a higher level than Ye Chen.

The situation in the video was remarkably similar to what Ye Chen faced: serpentine monsters, but even more numerous—at least a dozen. Yet Night Flowing Wave handled them with ease, her steps weaving the serpents together, a single Black Fireball causing several to bleed at once.

Watching this, Ye Chen finally understood the hidden property of the Black Fireball. If monsters could be gathered together and the right target and angle chosen, the spell could strike several simultaneously.

He watched the video over and over, his eyes fixed on Night Flowing Wave’s every move. Her graceful positioning and deft target selection fascinated him. As monsters fell in waves at her feet, Ye Chen’s excitement grew. Now he realized: a Dark Priest could be played like this. A Dark Priest could indeed be powerful.

The video looped, her elegant figure moving ceaselessly. Ye Chen’s eyes grew brighter; he felt as if this brief combat demonstration had opened an entirely new door for him.

He closed the video and stood quietly, replaying every scene in his mind—the movement patterns, the targeting skills. Ye Chen believed that even if he couldn’t achieve such perfection, imitation might give him a chance against three Azure-Scaled Serpents.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath, striding toward the trio of serpents a dozen meters away.

Let’s see what Little Second can do.

Whoosh.

With a few quick steps to the edge of attack range, he raised his staff, casting a blazing Black Fireball that whistled toward one of the serpents.

Bang! The fireball struck, and a blood-red damage number floated above its head: -469!

The serpent shrieked, its round body whipping toward Ye Chen. The other two nearby serpents also reacted, charging at him together.

In his mind, Ye Chen replayed Night Flowing Wave’s movements and techniques. He started moving quickly in short, broken steps. Though it looked awkward and lacked her elegance, the effect was immediate: the three serpents, unable to keep up with his patterned movements, began to sway and bunch together, their speed slowed by mutual interference.

Ye Chen saw this and smiled in delight, quickly reciting the Black Fireball incantation. When finished, he waved his staff, sending another fireball whistling toward the serpent at the center of the trio.

-467, -432, -815—three blood-red numbers rose above the serpents’ heads, one even a critical hit.

Wonderful! As he watched the serpents’ health bars drop sharply, Ye Chen’s eyes gleamed. He clenched his right fist and punched the air, his heart surging with excitement.

But it wasn’t time to relax. Ye Chen reminded himself, carefully controlling his steps to keep the monsters occupied, while constantly launching Black Fireballs. To his delight, as long as he controlled the rhythm of his movement, facing three serpents was actually easier than facing two.

With the fourth fireball, the remaining serpents’ health hit zero. They collapsed with anguished cries, dissolving into little bursts of white light.

He stepped forward and picked up the small pile of silver coins dropped by the serpents, then strode to the Crimson Beauty Flower and dug up the last one needed for his task.

“Ding! You have successfully collected thirty Crimson Beauty Flowers. You may return to the city and report your trial to Knoss.”

Ha! Task complete. Ye Chen’s lips curled in satisfaction as he stood to return to Fierce Mountain City. He was eager to learn what the Alchemist could create. This hidden secondary profession would become the first cornerstone of his fortune and success.