Online Game: Lord Of The Wheel Of Destiny

The next day, the Fire God Squad entered the Ironclad Lizard's territory.

The area was arid. Though not quite a desert, the sparse, low vegetation and scorching sunlight made it an inhospitable place.

"Heading south from here leads to the Burning Plains," Hu Yan casually mentioned.

The Burning Plains marked the southernmost frontier of Huaxia's exploration, and it was the most perilous area in the discovered regions.

Jiang Kai cross-checked the location on his info card, confirming the nearest spot with a Warlord-tier Lizard.

Because of the heat, the squad stuck to the shadows cast by large rocks, avoiding the relentless sun as much as possible.

As the team advanced, a massive gray figure suddenly darted out from a crevice beneath a boulder.

The creature was enormous, over 2.5 meters long, and its body blended perfectly with the rocky terrain. Without careful observation, it was nearly impossible to spot.

Its body hugged the ground, dragging a long tail as it wriggled rapidly toward the group.

Ironclad Lizards earned their name from the thick, armor-like scales covering their bodies. Only sharp weapons could penetrate their defense.

Their defensive capabilities were comparable to the dual-horned Fishman's back scales. However, unlike the Fishman, whose chest and abdomen were unprotected, Ironclad Lizards' vulnerable areas were on their undersides, which were pressed against the ground and hard to target.

The Lizard flicked its long tongue, and its pale gray eyes locked onto Jiang Kai, the nearest target.

It lunged forward with astonishing speed!

Jiang Kai moved to dodge but suddenly stopped. He remembered Yuan Zhu's low evaluation, largely due to his inability to trigger his potential state.

With that in mind, Jiang Kai feigned ignorance of the Lizard's presence, keeping track of it with his peripheral vision and readying his "Phantom Form" for emergencies.

"Captain, watch out!" Hu Yan, the squad's highest-level member, was the first to notice the Lizard.

Knowing Jiang Kai's keen observation skills, Hu Yan found it unusual that the captain didn't react to the creature.

Unfortunately, Hu Yan was at the back of the team and wasn't fast enough to intervene.

Just then, Yuan Zhu let out a high-pitched scream.

"AHHHH!"

The sudden shriek startled both Hu Yan and Ruan Yu. For such a big guy, Yuan Zhu's scream sounded like a soprano's high note.

But instead of fleeing as usual, Yuan Zhu forced himself to act.

Suppressing his fear, he leaped high into the air and slammed down hard. The ground shook, and the Ironclad Lizard was sent flying.

Jiang Kai turned back, his hand flicking forward as throwing knives shot out. The blades struck the Lizard's abdomen, piercing its vulnerable underside.

"Zhuzi, I didn't aim for the vital spots—finish it off!" Jiang Kai shouted.

Yuan Zhu drew his greatsword and drove it into the Lizard's throat.

[You have killed a 27-year-old Ironclad Lizard. Gained 412 EXP.]

[Acquired one Ironclad Lizard carcass.]

After the kill, Yuan Zhu was still shaken. "Damn, that thing popped out of nowhere. Almost scared me to death!"

Such a large "lizard" suddenly emerging was indeed intimidating.

Of course, only Yuan Zhu would scream like that…

"Captain, didn't you see the Lizard just now? If I'd been a second slower, you'd have been bitten!" Yuan Zhu said, still unsettled.

Jiang Kai chuckled. "Of course I saw it. But didn't you say you'd always have my back? So I was just focusing on the map while trusting you to handle it. You wouldn't let it eat me, right?"

Yuan Zhu frowned. "I've told you before—I'm not that brave, you know?"

Su Nuannuan hurried over, surprised. "Zhuzi, you triggered your potential state so quickly? Back in the Tiger Squad, you could barely do it once in a while."

The knockback effect he had displayed was only possible in his potential state.

Yuan Zhu scratched his head, embarrassed. "I don't know… I just felt like it was threatening Jiang Kai, so I panicked and…"

Jiang Kai smiled knowingly. Exploiting Yuan Zhu's loyalty might not be fair, but he understood better than anyone how to bring out his potential.

"Wow, Zhuzi, you're so strong!" Hu Yan and Ruan Yu caught up.

"That was crowd control and an area attack—unstoppable!"

Yuan Zhu, buoyed by the praise, regained his confidence. "Heh, not bad, huh? Just your average world-class performance."

Jiang Kai rolled his eyes. This guy screamed the loudest but was now acting cocky.

"It was just one Lizard. Don't get cocky. We're about to reach the Warlord-tier zone—don't mess up."

Yuan Zhu handed the carcass card to Jiang Kai, and the squad continued.

———

About ten minutes later, they arrived at a rocky forest.

The area was filled with scattered stones of various sizes, and several Ironclad Lizards lumbered around, their bodies swaying.

Despite the squad's proximity—less than 50 meters—the Lizards, which could detect prey from hundreds of meters away, showed no interest in them.

Instead, they seemed focused on guarding something within the stone forest.

Jiang Kai noticed larger Lizards, over 3.5 meters long, hidden among the rocks. These were likely elite Ironclad Lizards.

At the center of the forest, obscured by boulders, lay their true objective.

"Those Lizards must be protecting the Warlord-tier one!" Jiang Kai deduced.

He turned to Hu Yan. "Hu Yan, use Rain Prayer to mask our scent. Ruan Yu, protect Nuannuan and Hu Yan. Zhuzi, you're with me!"

"My Rain Prayer has been upgraded—it only takes three minutes to prepare now, and the range and intensity are much better!" Hu Yan reported.

"Great! Start now. We move once it rains." Jiang Kai nodded.

Hu Yan began chanting his spell.

Soon, the cloudless sky darkened as storm clouds rolled in.

Thunder rumbled across the arid landscape, and rain poured down in torrents.

"Zhuzi, let's go!" Jiang Kai shouted.

Dodging through the rain, Jiang Kai and Yuan Zhu charged into the stone forest.

The downpour disrupted the Lizards' sense of smell, but they could still see the intruders.

Lizards emerged from every direction—beneath rocks, behind boulders, from pits, and low bushes. Massive armored bodies moved rapidly, converging on the two invaders.

More than 30 Lizards surrounded them, including three or four elite ones.

"Zhuzi, I have no defense—cover me!" Jiang Kai called out, deliberately pushing Yuan Zhu into the spotlight.

For some reason, Yuan Zhu's potential state seemed far easier to trigger when protecting Jiang Kai.

With a roar, Yuan Zhu slammed the ground with his ability Earthshaker Stomp, sending nearby Lizards flying.

Jiang Kai seized the opportunity, striking swiftly.

Thanks to his upgraded skills, his movements were faster and more precise.

"Gambler's Time!" Jiang Kai activated the state.

In this mode, his attack speed doubled, including both throwing and retrieving his knives.

Nine knives shot out, hitting their marks before being instantly recalled for another round.

Watching from the distance, Hu Yan was amazed. "Wow, Captain's hand speed—how long has he been single?"

Ruan Yu smirked. "Last time, he wasn't this fast… It's almost mechanical now. Rich women would love him."

Su Nuannuan, embarrassed, glared at Ruan Yu. "You guys are so crude!"

"Sorry, sorry," Ruan Yu quickly apologized. "We're just used to being rough around the edges."

Hu Yan steered the conversation back. "Anyway, Zhuzi and Captain make a perfect team!"

Indeed, Yuan Zhu's crowd control allowed Jiang Kai to strike their exposed undersides with precision.

The synergy between the two was impeccable, leading to a swift victory.

"Captain, I leveled up! I'm Level 11 now!" Yuan Zhu cheered.

Su Nuannuan exclaimed, "It's over already? That was so fast—just two minutes, and they killed all 31 Lizards, including three elites!"

She finally understood why Jiang Kai had said the Tiger Squad's leveling speed was too slow.

Compared to this, they were practically standing still.

Hu Yan chuckled. "No need to be shocked, Nuannuan. This is the speed of the Fire God Squad!"

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