PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

Almost simultaneously, the three Little Inferior Demon sentinels were pierced through the skull by Bone Spears, dying on the spot. Under Fang Zhou's precise control, these three spears didn't explode, so they naturally didn't attract the attention of the other demons in the outpost. After repeatedly confirming that he hadn't been detected, Fang Zhou commanded dozens of Skeletons to quietly surge into the outpost.

However, upon entering, Fang Zhou saw two Little Inferior Demon guards with looks of pure shock. His heart tightened. Just as he had anticipated, the entrance hall on the Hard difficulty also had guards stationed. Fortunately, Fang Zhou was prepared, his Magic Staff held at the ready.

Skeleton Shackles! Skeleton Flying Spear!

With the faint sounds of two bodies hitting the floor, Fang Zhou let out a slight sigh of relief.

I'm still not very good at stealth. If it weren't for his lack of confidence in facing all the outpost's demons at once, he wouldn't have needed to be so cautious. But now, despite a few minor hiccups, the outcome was still good.

Based on his experience from the previous two runs, Fang Zhou led the Skeleton Army quietly into the left corridor. It was a familiar door, a familiar clamor, and a familiar scene of his Skeleton Army smashing through it.

This time, however, there were 23 demons in the room: 15 Apprentice Lower-Rank Little Inferior Demons, 5 Apprentice Middle-Rank Little Inferior Demons, and 3 Apprentice Middle-Rank Demon Children. The demons here were several times stronger than those on the Easy and Normal difficulties. Besides the increase in power and numbers, what troubled Fang Zhou the most were the three Demon Children, each holding an obsidian magic ball.

A Skeleton Shield could block physical attacks, but it was useless against the Abyss Demon Children's Magic-Devouring Talent. Moreover, the room was spacious, making it impossible for Fang Zhou to completely hide behind his Skeletons and avoid being spotted. Fortunately, one Demon Child was positioned near the doorway and was swiftly killed by Fang Zhou's one-two combo of Skeleton Shackles and a Skeleton Flying Spear.

At that same moment, the other two distant Demon Children reacted. Their faces contorted in fury as they pointed at Fang Zhou and began to chant. Fang Zhou felt a chill run through him as his Spiritual Power instantly dropped by ten percent; he knew he'd been hit again.

However, the Abyss Demon Children's Magic-Devouring Talent couldn't be activated consecutively. Fang Zhou seized this window of opportunity and decisively commanded his Skeleton Army to charge the two Abyss Demon Children. Simultaneously, he swung his Magic Staff, releasing the Skeleton Arrow Rain skill over their location. Under the precise strikes of dozens of bone arrows, the six or seven Little Inferior Demons shielding the Demon Children were heavily wounded before being finished off by the charging Skeleton Army.

By now, the other dozen or so Little Inferior Demons had also reacted. With hideous expressions, they brandished their steel forks and rushed toward Fang Zhou. He promptly summoned several Skeleton Shields to block the Abyss Demon Children's Desecration Beams and the projectiles from stone-throwing Little Inferior Demons. Then, he ducked behind his Skeletons, directing a portion of them to intercept the charging demons.

Unleashing his full power, Fang Zhou executed another combo of Skeleton Shackles and a Skeleton Flying Spear, successfully killing the second Demon Child. At this point, dozens of his Skeletons were engaged in a frontal clash with over ten Little Inferior Demons, and the battle quickly reached a stalemate.

The individual combat strength of the Little Inferior Demons was much greater than that of the same-tier Skeletons. Under the heavy blows of their steel forks, several Skeletons were quickly and severely damaged. Seeing this, Fang Zhou waved his Magic Staff and cast the Resurrection of the Dead skill. Nourished by undead mana, the battered Skeletons rapidly recovered their fighting strength and rejoined the fray.

Under Fang Zhou's precise command, the numerically superior Skeleton Army continuously compressed and divided the battlefield, forcing the remaining dozen Little Inferior Demons into a tight cluster.

A perfect opportunity!

A cold light flashed in Fang Zhou's eyes as he decisively seized the fleeting chance. He unleashed another Skeleton Arrow Rain. Amid the wailing of Little Inferior Demons and the crackle of exploding arrows, all the Apprentice Lower-Rank Little Inferior Demons were massacred.

With their cannon fodder gone, the last Abyss Demon Child was left completely exposed to the Skeleton Army. Despair filled its eyes as it shrieked, shaking the obsidian magic ball in its hand, trying to conjure one last Desecration Beam. But Fang Zhou wasn't going to give it the chance.

Skeleton Shackles!

Skeleton Flying Spear!

With a sharp whistle, a Skeleton Flying Spear pierced through the last Demon Child's heart, sealing Fang Zhou's victory. The few remaining Apprentice Middle-Rank Little Inferior Demons were then picked off one by one with Fang Zhou's Skeleton Flying Spears.

Gazing at the devastated battlefield, Fang Zhou frowned slightly. Even though he had commanded his Skeleton Army to the best of his ability, the demons' last-ditch counterattack had still cost him nearly ten Skeletons. Not to mention, in his rush to secure a quick victory, he had constantly been casting skills, and the Abyss Demon Child's Magic-Devouring Talent had drained a portion of his Spiritual Power, leaving him with only thirty percent remaining.

The battle in the left room was already so much harder; the Horned Demon Boss in the right-hand room would surely be even more difficult. At this point, Fang Zhou was no longer confident he could clear the stage. He took a deep breath, trying to bolster his spirits, then cast the Calm and Relaxed skill to restore his Spiritual Power to fifty percent. Next, he waved his Magic Staff, continuously summoning reinforcements until his Skeleton Army was back to a full forty units. He then retraced his steps, preparing for the final boss battle.

In the training field, Meng Hongzhuang's eyes shone with excitement as she carefully recorded Fang Zhou's techniques for commanding summoned creatures in her notebook.

"So that's how you can use summoned creatures! I've learned something new!"

Bai Xiaochan, however, was tense, clutching her beloved little harp tightly.

"There are so many more demons on the Hard difficulty than before. Fang Zhou has used up so much Spiritual Power. Won't the boss fight be dangerous for him?"

...

Back in the Simulation Battlefield, just as Fang Zhou led his Skeletons into the main hall, a hulking Horned Demon wielding a Giant Axe charged out from the right corridor. It crashed head-on into the Skeleton Army, with three Apprentice Middle-Rank Abyss Demon Children trailing behind it.

Fang Zhou understood immediately. It seemed the Horned Demon Outpost on Hard difficulty also had a time limit. If he didn't deal with the demons in the left room fast enough, the Horned Demon from the right room would charge out to join them, drastically increasing the battle's difficulty. Luckily, he had spent a large amount of Spiritual Power to end that fight quickly. As luck would have it, he had avoided the worst-case scenario.

The hall was much more spacious, making it better for deploying the Skeleton Army. Fang Zhou retreated, leaving ten Skeletons to guard him while he commanded twenty more to encircle the Giant Axe Horned Demon. The last ten Skeletons charged directly at the three panting Abyss Demon Children. Thanks to his constant repositioning, only one Abyss Demon Child's Devouring Magic Ability managed to hit him. The loss of Spiritual Power was acceptable.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.