Chapter 23 – Deathknell Striker

After a round of Soul Art bombardment, Lin Ze’s Soul Power was reduced to less than 200 points.

Considering that he still needed to maintain the existence of Soul Guardian and Ice Crystal Soul, he stopped and did not continue to cast Soul Arts.

However, the Ice Crystal Soul kept releasing skills continuously.

Ice Spike!

Frost Breath!

After releasing these two skills, the Ice Crystal Soul extended its little hand again and pointed towards the dense cluster of insects from afar.

In an instant, countless thread-like white mist emerged out of thin air, spiraling rapidly towards the center, forming a crystal-clear ice crystal that resembled a sapphire diamond in the blink of an eye.

The next moment.

The ice crystal suddenly exploded, and a visible ring of ice spread out in all directions.

Frost Nova!

Under the shocked gazes of the adventurers, every Deathknell Beetle swept by the ice ring was frozen into an ice sculpture without exception.

In just the blink of an eye.

Hundreds of glittering ice sculptures appeared on the battlefield.

Hiss!

The adventurers collectively gasped, staring in disbelief at the scene before them.

One strike instantly killed hundreds of Deathknell Beetles—what kind of power was this!

Too strong!

“Wh-what skill is this?”

“So powerful!”

“This power is definitely not Tier 2; that Pet Beast must be at Tier 3!”

“A Tier 3 Pet Beast? Could there be another Bronze Beast Tamer?”

The adventurers present were mostly Apprentice Beast Tamers, and their Pet Beasts were only Tier 2.

Only Loda, a Bronze Beast Tamer, possessed a Tier 3 Pet Beast.

So they naturally assumed the Ice Crystal Soul belonged to some Bronze Beast Tamer.

Many people immediately looked around to search.

Even Loda couldn’t help but secretly scan the area.

Although his Giant Rock Monster was as high as Tier 3, Stage 9, it had not mastered large-scale attack skills and could not possibly kill hundreds of Ferocious Beasts in one strike.

Soon.

Someone discovered that the owner of the Ice Crystal Soul was none other than Lin Ze, who had just stolen the spotlight.

“Oh my god, that Pet Beast is also his?”

“Unbelievable, that’s a Tier 3 Pet Beast!”

“Could this person be a direct descendant of some Beast Tamer aristocratic family?”

Everyone fell into intense shock once again.

An astonishingly large amount of Soul Power, coupled with a Tier 3 Pet Beast—a young man under twenty possessing both of these was undoubtedly worthy of being called a prodigy.

When did Pinghai City produce such a figure?

At this moment, someone suddenly let out an exclamation.

“Wait, I remember now—wasn’t there a rumor that an eighteen-year-old high school student passed the Apprentice Assessment at Ultra Difficulty yesterday?”

“Now that you mention it, I remember too. There really is such a person.”

“I recall the name seems to be Lin Ze, a student at Pinghai High School.”

“So, this person is Lin Ze?”

The news that a genius high school student had passed the Apprentice Assessment at Ultra Difficulty had already spread like wildfire in the Beast Tamer circles of Pinghai City.

Many people had heard of this matter.

Now that someone reminded them, they all suddenly recalled it.

For a moment.

The gazes everyone cast at Lin Ze were filled with undisguisable admiration.

No wonder he was the legendary peerless genius!

At just eighteen years old, he possessed such formidable power.

Simply incredible!

Even Loda couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise in his eyes.

To be this powerful at just the Apprentice level—this talent was truly unmatched.

Noticing Loda’s gaze, Lin Ze gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment, then withdrew his gaze and continued to watch the battle ahead.

Of the Ice Crystal Soul’s five skills, three were large-scale area damage types.

They were perfectly suited for dealing with Ferocious Beasts like the Deathknell Beetles, which were numerous but individually weak.

With the three skills cast in rotation, the Ice Crystal Soul’s output barely paused, functioning like a mobile turret.

The Deathknell Beetles dying under its attacks increased at an astonishing rate.

Moments later.

A familiar notification sounded in Lin Ze’s mind.

【Achievement Unlocked！】

【Thousand Beast Slash】：Cumulative Ferocious Beast kills reaching 1,000. Completing this achievement grants 500 Achievement Points and Burst Card X1 (Completed, reward pending claim).

“Just as I guessed, this is a series achievement!” A flash of delight crossed Lin Ze’s eyes.

“Following this pattern, the next achievement should be Ten Thousand Beast Slash, requiring a cumulative kill count of 10,000 Ferocious Beasts.”

That condition wouldn’t be easy to meet.

“I need to kill as many Ferocious Beasts as I can right now.”

Lin Ze’s gaze at the swarm carried a hint of fervor.

The Deathknell Beetles had now become walking Achievement Points in his eyes.

On the other side.

Lin Ze and the Ice Crystal Soul’s valiant performance greatly boosted everyone’s morale.

As time passed.

Though Pet Beasts continued to fall in battle, the defensive line remained steady, unbroken by the swarm.

Loda took note of this, nodded inwardly, and called out:

“Everyone, hold on! At most ten more minutes, and the Association’s reinforcements should arrive!”

The adventurers’ faces lit up with joy upon hearing this.

But just then, a dull, thunderous roar suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned in shock toward the sound, only to see the distant swarm parting to both sides as a massive insect, its body gleaming with an obsidian-like luster, slowly emerged from within.

The giant insect was comparable in size to an elephant, and with each heavy step, it left visible shallow pits in the ground, exuding an imposing and majestic presence.

The Deathknell Beetles nearby all bowed their heads deeply, as if paying homage to their king.

The moment he saw the giant insect clearly, Loda’s expression changed drastically, and he cried out in shock.

“Deathknell Striker!”

The name seemed to carry a certain magic, and every adventurer present turned pale at the sound of it, their faces uniformly stricken with terror.

Lin Ze was somewhat puzzled and quietly asked Wang Xueyun:

“What kind of Ferocious Beast is the Deathknell Striker?”

Wang Xueyun’s face paled slightly, and she answered with a bitter expression:

“The Deathknell Striker is an extremely rare Ferocious Beast. Legend says it’s the king of the Deathknell Beetles, appearing only once in every few hundred thousand of them. Not only is it a Tier 4 Ferocious Beast in its own right, but it also possesses the ability to command the swarm!”

“I now understand why the Deathknell Beetles in the canyon went berserk—it’s most likely this thing pulling the strings behind the scenes!”

Lin Ze nodded in realization, then furrowed his brow slightly.

Everyone present was already struggling just to deal with the Insect Tide. If a Tier 4 Ferocious Beast were added to the mix, the defensive line would likely collapse in an instant.

The adventurers realized this too, and fear spread across their faces.

“We’re doomed.”

“It’s actually the Deathknell Striker—how could we possibly deal with that!”

“Dammit, I don’t want to die!”

“Mr. Loda, can you handle that Ferocious Beast?”

Someone cast a hopeful gaze toward Loda.

To everyone’s disappointment, Loda shook his head with a grave expression.

“I’m sorry.”

His Giant Rock Monster was, after all, only a Tier 3 Pet Beast. In a one-on-one fight, it stood no chance whatsoever against a Tier 4 Deathknell Striker.

Loda’s answer undoubtedly shattered the last shred of hope in everyone’s hearts.

A wave of despair immediately spread through the crowd.

Seeing this, Loda hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously, “The swarm’s rampage started a month ago, which means this Deathknell Striker probably only evolved recently. Its strength is far from its peak. If I’m guessing right, it’s at most only at the Tier 4, First Stage level.”

“If we all work together, we might be able to hold it off for a while!”

No one responded to Loda’s words.

Everyone present was no fool. They all understood that Loda’s words were merely a form of consolation.

Even if the Deathknell Striker was only at Tier 4, First Stage, it was still Tier 4.

Once it began to charge at their defenses, none of them would be able to withstand it.

The outcome was already clear.

“We would have been saved if we could just hold on a little longer… How infuriating!”

Wang Xueyun’s voice came from beside him, her teeth clenched in frustration.

Lin Ze turned to look. The girl’s pale face was filled with bitterness.

Sensing Lin Ze’s gaze, Wang Xueyun looked up and gave him a sorrowful smile.

“It looks like we’re all going to die here today. I don’t mind for myself, but it’s a pity for you. You have such a great talent… If I had known, I never would have suggested giving you a ride. Good intentions turned into a bad deed, and I ended up harming you instead.”

Lin Ze smiled wryly and shook his head. After a pause, he suddenly spoke:

“Actually, there’s no need to be so pessimistic. I have a way to deal with this Deathknell Striker.”