Though the Illumination Society possessed superior strength, their situation was ironically more desperate. The fundamental reason was simple: the beast horde's assault included Legendary Creatures. While the battlefields to the west and south faced the lumbering, formidable, siege-capable Spotted Bulls, the Legendary Creature assaulting the Illumination Society’s front was a creature resembling a giant leopard!

According to Yu Ze’s description, it was very similar to the Thanatos Beast on Planet Pandora, the apex terrestrial predator—also known as the Death God Beast! It was not only astonishingly strong but also possessed an agility the Spotted Bulls utterly lacked! Consider Akaphel’s cumbersome tower shield; it was the ultimate choice for static defense. However, when facing such a high-speed enemy, significant vulnerabilities would inevitably appear… This vulnerability wasn't necessarily a danger to him personally, but rather that the entire defensive line built around Akaphel would be riddled with holes. Take the earlier situation for instance: after Reef withdrew, Fang Senyan could temporarily cover the gap in the defense line. But even if Akaphel managed to break away to deal with the Death God Beast, how could Hark possibly shoulder that immensely difficult task? Never forget that flooding in alongside the Death God Beast were surging tides of Viper Wolves and Slings… More importantly, they were receiving reinforcements from the west…

Reef frowned, turning to Fang Senyan. “Despite the previous friction between the Illumination Society and myself, if they are shattered now, we certainly won't hold out until the Golden Branch mission appears.”

Fang Senyan’s eyes flickered. He thought of the core members of the Illumination Society who had yet to enter the fray. He summoned Yu Ze, asked a few quick questions, and then decisively announced in the team channel: “We definitely have to save the Illumination Society, but I still think heading to the South Battlefield first is better.”

Reef was stunned for a moment, about to inquire further, when Fang Senyan spoke calmly, “Time is tight.”

Reef took a deep breath, nodded, and according to the previously agreed plan, selected six people to rush to the South Battlefield. Among these six were Kim Seok Min, the sniper Reef had previously rescued; Riel, the dual-dagger agility specialist; and Jim Gott’s team leader, 70MAH, from the Son of Kadan's group. Apart from Jim, everyone else was a pure, high-output member.

The South Battlefield at this time was not as safe as imagined. The combination of Viper Wolves (ranged) and Slings (melee) was troublesome enough, compounded by a gigantic Spotted Bull charging wildly, disrupting the hard-won resistance line. However, it seemed their offensive output was exceptionally fierce; they hunted in the order of Slings first, then Viper Wolves, and finally the Spotted Bull. Simultaneously, they did their best to avoid the Bull's charges. Although no one there could stand firm against the Spotted Bull like Reef could, some were vicious enough to trade lives for time!

This strategy unequivocally entrusted everyone's survival to the old Spotted Bull. Strictly speaking, if one were targeted by this creature and utilized its sluggishness to run circles around it, one could definitely last a long time without having absolutely no chance to escape! But that was in a one-on-one scenario! This, however, was a chaotic battlefield. Being ambushed by a Sling or a Viper Wolf meant almost certain death.

It was at this crucial moment that Fang Senyan and his group appeared!

The four ranged Contract Holders, led by Morgansar, simultaneously raised their weapons and fired corpse-luring shots directly at the Spotted Bull’s rear, instantly shredding the poor giant’s hindquarters until they were a bloody mess!

In that instant, the powerful creature’s eyes turned bloodshot red from congestion. Its massive hooves gouged six deep, ditch-like furrows into the ground as it slammed the brakes. Then, amidst the swirling dust, it pivoted and charged headlong with its massive head lowered toward Morgansar and his group without hesitation!

Just as the Spotted Bull was about to impact its targets, Reef used the ‘Audacity’ skill, charging in from the side like a war god to shield Morgansar! He raised his gleaming, alien shield. After a muffled, thunderous collision, Reef was once again sent flying directly backward, leaving behind a ghastly streak of crimson across the air!

The Contract Holders across the Southern Battlefield simultaneously gasped in horror!

But after being struck, Reef executed a backflip in mid-air, landed in a half-kneel using his left hand to steady himself on the ground, and then stood up very calmly to apply bandages. The momentum of the Spotted Bull, having struck a body, paused momentarily. Seizing this chance, Fang Senyan naturally repeated his old trick, throwing a bottle. He then positioned himself in front of Reef, who was bandaging and vulnerable, buying Reef precious recovery time.

The Contract Holders behind them seized the opportunity to attack wildly! With someone drawing aggro in front, the cumbersome Spotted Bull found it extremely difficult to bypass the tethered distraction to directly attack them.

The Contract Holders on the South side erupted in an uproar—this was blatant monster-stealing!

Even they knew that the Legendary Creatures on this battlefield were guaranteed to drop Silver-grade plot items, perhaps even higher-tier gear. Yet, they were pinned down by hundreds of Viper Wolves and Slings. Moreover, they faced a practical problem: how to wrestle the Spotted Bull away from Fang Senyan’s group? Some might possess the firepower to cripple the Bull in an instant, but they had to weigh whether they could survive the Bull’s inevitable, terrifying counter-charge…

Fang Senyan and his group fought while retreating, luring the behemoth back toward the West Sector. With their prior experience, there was no doubt that even though the Spotted Bull was ferocious, its health bar was rapidly depleting amidst its frantic charges and evasions. Just as its health dropped to around 20%, Fang Senyan suddenly looked at the back of his hand! He felt the hairs on his body stand up, one by one.

That feeling… That sensation was truly indescribable, as if his very soul was being pierced! Immediately afterward, a gunshot rang out from a distance. The sound was bizarre, as if it were a delayed echo after crashing through countless mountains and valleys… it carried a sense of profound antiquity and lingering resonance.

When the gunshot sounded, Fang Senyan felt an immense threat. He immediately threw himself forward without caring for his disheveled appearance, rolling across the ground until he was covered in dirt, then looked back in astonishment.

He saw that the Spotted Bull in front of them had suddenly frozen, allowing all incoming attacks to land harmlessly on its body. Then, its basketball-sized eye burst open, spraying thick, black and grey viscous fluid everywhere, drenching Reef and Riel, the dual-dagger agility specialist standing nearby. Ant’s nostrils and mouth also began to ooze a copious amount of grayish-white semi-solid matter…

...That was the Spotted Bull’s brain matter—only after a noticeable pause did the massive beast collapse with a dull thud, as if its soul had been instantly drained away! What kind of terrifying attack could achieve an instant kill on this giant beast when it still had nearly 20,000 health remaining!?

Fang Senyan whipped his head around and saw a tall, lean figure in the distance retracting his sniper rifle. A wisp of smoke still curled in the air above it. The figure then turned and walked south, carrying a mixture of arrogance and melancholy, leaving behind mostly an air of haughtiness, like a lonely wolf limping toward the distance. For some reason, at that moment, Fang Senyan thought of Das, who had died at the hands of the Metal Mentor.

Stealing kills, huh! I can steal them back too!

This Contract Holder was undoubtedly from the South Sector. Although his shot couldn't change the fact that Fang Senyan’s group would definitely claim the key drop, it stole away the majority of the battlefield contribution points for the kill, serving more like a slap in the face to the West Sector Contract Holders who had participated in the attack. Understandably, nearly all the Contract Holders still alive were powerful individuals, and they could hardly tolerate such a provocative action! Instantly, a malevolent glint flashed in several people's eyes, particularly in the eyes of Riel, the dual-dagger agility specialist… It was easy to imagine that someone like him would be extremely skilled at dealing with such a ranged shooter; if he managed to close the distance, the shooter would likely be in dire straits. Fortunately, everyone’s focus was immediately diverted by the silver glow emanating from the key that had dropped.

This time, Reef didn’t hoard the loot. The dropped silver key was immediately auctioned according to the prior agreement. The highest bidder won, and the proceeds were to be divided equally among the remaining Contract Holders who participated in the attack. The item auctioned turned out to be a weapon called ‘Bull Horn Ram.’

This weapon was a single-handed thick blade that increased both Strength and Agility attributes and also inflicted a Bleeding effect. It possessed a special effect: ignoring 8 points of the enemy's defense during attacks—but it came with a very peculiar equipment requirement: Base Eloquence (corresponding to Charisma) LV5 or higher—The weapon description stated: You must persuade the weapon's soul to unleash its greatest power…

This was undoubtedly one of Fang Senyan's weaknesses. For him, who was severely lacking in both Universal Points and Potential Points, it was unknown how many years it would take to invest in Base Eloquence up to LV5. Moreover, the three members of his team had all spent heavily before entering, meaning their collective Universal Points amounted to barely 3,000 points.

Even the starting bid was insufficient!

After a fierce bidding war, the weapon was bought by someone from the Son of Kadan’s group for forty-seven thousand Universal Points and thirteen Potential Points. Fang Senyan and his two companions received nearly twenty thousand Universal Points and six Potential Points.

…

Hmph, it’s been a while since I’ve interacted with everyone! The ability that instantly removed 20,000 health from the Spotted Bull indeed belongs to a Contract Holder, but that ability has many usage restrictions and will absolutely not affect the balance of this book. Well, once this ability is revealed, everyone will understand. The question I want to ask everyone is: guess the name of this ability. Hint: The name of this ability is the title of a very popular movie.