My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 124 - 100: Hunt! Hunt

Fang Zhen could tell Mark was tense, maybe even a little scared.

That was understandable. From the looks of it, Mark was just like Nick—he'd had some martial arts training, but he wasn't a real professional Warrior.

"Mark, you're actually very brave," Fang Zhen said suddenly.

"Huh?" His muscles tensed as he battled his fear. Mark was taken aback and looked at Fang Zhen.

Mark seemed to be trying to figure out what Fang Zhen meant.

"I'm serious. Bravery isn't about not being afraid. It's about doing the right thing, even when you are."

"You could have stayed away, chosen to run, but you still came."

"So, like I said, you're pretty brave," Fang Zhen said.

Mark was stunned for a moment.

After a moment, Mark seemed moved. The slight tremor in his body gradually subsided.

A light shone in Mark's eyes. He said to Fang Zhen with genuine sincerity, "Thank you."

"Mm," Fang Zhen said, not adding anything else.

He had a good impression of Mark. 'And since we're fighting side-by-side, he deserves some encouragement.'

Besides, Fang Zhen wasn't just saying it. He truly felt that for someone who had volunteered for his first real battle, Mark was handling himself quite well.

Fang Zhen had been through a lot himself. He knew that the human spirit could be fragile, and that sometimes, a single word of encouragement could give someone a great deal of courage.

He wasn't one to withhold encouragement.

Mark gradually calmed down.

"Mark, what's the terrain like around here? How many monsters are there? Do you know the numbers?" Fang Zhen asked.

Mark thought for a moment before replying, "At the end of this valley is the Underground Cave of the Ancient Castle. There's an entrance there that looks like a giant mouth. The monsters' nest is inside the Underground Cave."

"This valley is a forbidden area. None of the townspeople or soldiers come here; it's too easy to get attacked by monsters."

"I'm not sure exactly how many monsters there are, but I can make a rough guess."

"Based on the frequency of attacks on the townspeople, plus the carcasses of large animals in the forest, I'd say there are at least a dozen or so Abnormal Ghosts living here. People have also reported seeing giant spiders, anywhere from half the size of a person to as big as a full-grown man."

'Ghost-faced Spiders,' Fang Zhen realized immediately.

'There really are a lot of monsters in that Underground Cave. If there are more than a dozen Abnormal Ghosts, that's beyond my capabilities.'

Abnormal Ghosts were actually quite strong. A single one could take on seven or eight ordinary men without much trouble. Even a well-trained Martial Artist might be able to handle one, but against two, the pressure didn't just double—it increased exponentially.

Fang Zhen once heard a professor talk about an interesting mathematical formula for calculating the combat effectiveness of a soldier phalanx on an ancient battlefield.

He'd forgotten the specific formula and its derivation but remembered the general conclusion.

It stated that, excluding factors like morale and command, a 20% increase in troop numbers for an infantry phalanx didn't just increase its combat effectiveness by 20%, but by 40% or even more.

Fang Zhen could easily kill two Abnormal Ghosts, but that didn't mean he could kill four or five even if he went all out.

"What should we do?" Mark asked, looking to Fang Zhen.

"We'll find a spot with a wide, open view, preferably a low-lying area. We'll spread some goat's blood to lure the Abnormal Ghosts out."

"Then we find a high vantage point where we can hide and set up an ambush."

"If we lure out fewer than four Abnormal Ghosts, we engage," Fang Zhen explained.

"And if there are four or more?" Mark asked, the question coming naturally.

"Four or more? Then we run, obviously," Fang Zhen replied even more matter-of-factly. "If we can't beat them, we run. You want to stick around and become a snack for the Abnormal Ghosts?"

"Huh?" Mark was taken aback.

"But... I thought a Warrior like you would never admit defeat, never retreat or run away," Mark said.

"It's not running away, it's a strategic withdrawal," Fang Zhen said smoothly. "The overall objective—annihilating the monsters—remains the same. But specific tactics can be adjusted based on the situation. It's about maintaining strategic stability while being flexible in execution. We're leaving, but we're not gone for good. There's no shame in it."

Mark was left blinking in confusion. He understood all the individual words, but strung together, the meaning was a bit fuzzy. He just had the feeling that, while he didn't quite get it, it sounded profound and impressive.

Fang Zhen, on the other hand, found himself wondering if he should bring a book on the essentials of the Chairman's mobile warfare doctrine next time. 'After all,' he thought, 'Mark and his people are the oppressed working class, and the Whig Society is a revolutionary organization striving for progress in this world. The Chairman's ideas would fit right in.'

'But then he remembered the language barrier and figured it wasn't worth the trouble.'

"Let's go. Time to set the bait," Fang Zhen called out. He then rode his Jue Ying motorcycle deeper into the valley.

Five or six minutes later, Fang Zhen found an ideal spot to set a trap.

It was a clearing in the heart of the valley, a relatively low point with a wide field of view, visible from several directions without obstruction. The terrain was fairly open, and the twisted trees on either side weren't too dense.

Fang Zhen took out a leather sack of goat's blood, uncorked it, and sprinkled more than half of its contents around the area.

Then, he had Mark open the other sack of goat's blood, telling him to slice the top open with his shortsword and prop it on a nearby rock.

Even though the sack was torn, the remaining half-full bag of blood was still drinkable—a significant temptation.

With the preparations complete, Fang Zhen quickly mounted his Jue Ying motorcycle and sped toward the ambush point he had selected in the distance.

The micro-terrain of the valley was perfect. The bait was in a low, open area, while along the valley's right side, a slope was just manageable for his off-road motorcycle. At the top was a wide earthen ledge that formed a sort of cliff. It was more than forty meters higher than the bait site. Furthermore, if any monsters below tried to charge them, they'd have to run up a Z-shaped series of switchbacks.

Fang Zhen was extremely pleased with his choice of location.

He could lie prone or crouch on the ledge, which acted as a cliff overlooking the valley, giving him a wide field of view to snipe enemies from above.

His position was forty to almost fifty meters higher than the clearing, and the straight-line distance to the bait was about 120 to 130 meters—still well within the effective sniping range of his Hunting Crossbow.

With his current skills and from such an advantageous position, his accuracy against a relatively static, human-sized target would exceed ninety-five percent. Even against a moving target, his hit rate would be seventy to eighty percent.

The spot wasn't just good for sniping. Because of the terrain, any monsters that wanted to rush him for close-quarters combat would have to run a Z-pattern to get up the slope. While the straight-line distance was only 120 to 130 meters, the actual running distance was closer to 300 meters, giving him plenty of time to react.

'It's a perfect sniper's nest.'

Fang Zhen was extremely satisfied with the spot.

He parked his Jue Ying motorcycle, took off his backpack, and pulled out the Hunting Crossbow to calibrate the optical scope.

Mark followed Fang Zhen up the slope to the earthen ledge.

Mark tied his old horse among the trees on the ledge. He was even thoughtful enough to put a muzzle on it to prevent the horse from making any noise and giving away their position.

Once that was done, Mark walked to the edge of the ledge, watching with great curiosity as Fang Zhen tinkered with his equipment.

Fang Zhen casually handed a pair of tactical binoculars to Mark.

"What's this?" Mark asked, surprised by the object thrust into his hands. It looked exquisitely crafted. 'It must be one of those Alchemy Items.'

"Tactical binoculars," Fang Zhen supplied. "Your job is to be my spotter. While I'm sniping the Abnormal Ghosts, you watch our surroundings. Be on alert for any potential threats."

"If you see anything out of the ordinary, tell me immediately."

He quickly showed Mark how to use them.

Mark learned almost instantly—it wasn't like using binoculars required much technical skill. As he used them, he let out a series of amazed gasps, marveling at how much they improved his vision.

Fang Zhen wasn't surprised. Ellick Town was an inland town, not a coastal one, so it made sense that binoculars hadn't been developed there.

By the time Mark had gotten the hang of the binoculars, Fang Zhen had finished calibrating his Hunting Crossbow.

To confirm the feasibility of a long-range shot, he cocked the crossbow, loaded a Crossbow Arrow, aimed at a tree in a twisted grove in another direction, and fired.

The Hunting Arrow shot across the valley and struck the trunk of a large, twisted tree with a solid THWACK.

Looking through the scope, Fang Zhen could see the fletching of the arrow still quivering from the impact.

'A distance of 130 to 140 meters,' he analyzed. 'It takes about one second of flight time for the Crossbow Arrow to hit the target.' 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

'There's a slight drop during flight, a few centimeters off from where I was aiming.'

'The wind is light, so its effect on the bolt's trajectory is minimal.'

He quickly analyzed the data from his test shot.

Once his analysis was complete, Fang Zhen loaded another Crossbow Arrow, aimed at the same tree, made a few adjustments, and fired again.

The Crossbow Arrow flew.

A little over a second later, the Hunting Arrow struck the trunk of the twisted tree.

Fang Zhen knew this one had hit the exact spot he was aiming for.

'Alright, calibrated,' he thought, satisfied with the results. 'Can't rely solely on the optical scope. I'll have to make mental adjustments to the parameters.'

Mark had been watching Fang Zhen the whole time.

Mark was tactful enough not to ask a lot of questions. He simply alternated between watching Fang Zhen and using the binoculars to check where the arrow landed.

After a moment, Mark seemed to be lost in thought.

Having determined how to adjust his aim for a long-range shot, Fang Zhen stopped moving.

He held a steady, half-crouched position, his eyes fixed on the baited area below.

About six or seven minutes passed like this.

Suddenly, Fang Zhen's brow twitched.

"They're here!"

Below, three cyan monsters scuttled forward.

The three monsters were vaguely humanoid, with exceptionally long arms and joints that moved like an arthropod's. They burst from the depths of the valley like wild beasts, scrambling over each other as they crawled rapidly toward the goat's blood.

Those three monsters were Abnormal Ghosts.

Fang Zhen immediately readied himself for combat.

The three Abnormal Ghosts moved quickly, reaching the goat's blood bait in just a dozen seconds.

The Abnormal Ghosts seemed to retain some caution. They circled the blood-soaked area a few times, apparently sensing no danger.

One of the Abnormal Ghosts couldn't hold back any longer. With a roar like a bellowing bull, it lunged for the open half-sack of goat's blood.

Not to be outdone, the other two Abnormal Ghosts pounced as well.

At that moment, on the edge of the slope, Fang Zhen silently activated his steady shot skill.