Chapter 85

Richardson's breakdown got everyone hyped up.

Iris, for once, ditched her usual laid-back vibe, grabbed her bow, and stood ready.

"You go in. I'll cover the perimeter. If something happens out here, stay put. I think Lord Dragon can communicate with the Dragon's Lure. His next attack will likely be coordinated,"

Iris's serious tone made her intentions clear.

She was here to take on the Creator organization.

And she was dead sure that after yesterday's mission flop, Lord Dragon wouldn't just sit back.

Given that Lord Dragon brought in the Dragon Lure Grass as Magic Plants, Iris's conclusion made sense.

"Got it. So you're saying we can block Lord Dragon's crew outside and focus on the Dragon Lure Grass, right?"

Richardson was surprised by Iris's guts.

Yeah, those who make a name in the Battlefield World sure know their stuff!

"Exactly. Lord Dragon will strike first. He doesn't want his little dragon snacks devoured. Whatever happens out here, ignore it. Eliminate the Dragon's Lure. If I finish early, I'll join you,"

Even though she was just a fifth-level Sorcerer, Iris spoke with the confidence of a seventh-level one.

That kind of unbeatable spirit made Karen's eyes light up.

'When would she be as badass as Iris?' she thought.

"Alright, I trust you." Richardson hesitated but then nodded.

He wasn't sure where Iris's confidence came from, but trust was key to teamwork.

Just like how Iris believed Richardson could handle the Dragon Lure Grass guarded by several fruits.

"Go on, leave the outside to me." With a bright smile, Iris assured them everything was under control.

Watching Richardson's team head into the underground parking lot, she turned and stood in the academy's open space.

Even though there were no signs of anyone around, she raised her bow and aimed into the distance.

In a cold tone, she called out, "Since you're here, come out and face me! The strongest warrior under Lord Dragon! The mighty warrior from the East, Amon Titans!"

Right after Iris spoke, a muscular man suddenly appeared in the previously empty space.

This guy looked about 8 feet tall! His muscles were massive, like a well-armored bull, giving off a tank-like vibe.

As soon as he showed up, the temperature seemed to drop.

"Divine Arrow Iris, you live up to your name. Spotting me from that far, looks like you're ready to die."

The muscular man grinned wickedly, his eyes full of bloodlust.

In his mind, Iris was already dead.

"Cut the crap, show me what you've got!"

An arrow flew out, and facing Amon, a sixth-level powerhouse, Iris didn't dare slack off.

At the same time, she didn't give him a chance to get close!

After one arrow, her fingers moved in a blur! Dozens of elemental arrows flew out, cutting off all of Amon's escape routes.

Without missing a beat, Iris quickly scanned the area and fired off seven more arrows in rapid succession!

She was targeting Amon's teammates!

An eight-person squad: one sixth-level Sorcerer and seven fourth-level Sorcerers.

Lord Dragon had sent his best this time, clearly determined to take down the Dragon Clan.

But Iris seemed unfazed, like she had expected this all along. She kept firing elemental arrows like a cold, relentless machine.

"Looks like the fight's started outside."

With a flashlight in hand, Richardson carefully scoped out the parking lot, all while hearing the supersonic whoosh of Iris's arrows outside.

"Shouldn't we help her?"

Karen was worried. Iris had talked a big game, but everyone knew that after Lord Dragon's first team failed, they'd send even stronger fighters today.

Stronger than a fifth-level Sorcerer, probably a sixth-level powerhouse!

Could Iris really handle that alone?

"Honestly, I don't know. But Iris seemed pretty confident, so she must have some tricks up her sleeve, right? Remember, her mission is to find the hidden Lord. If she was just a regular fifth-level Sorcerer, would the Struggle organization really send her alone? Let's trust her and focus on the Dragon Lure Grass."

After thinking it over, Richardson decided to stick to Iris's plan and split up.

They couldn't let the Dragon Lure Grass and Lord Dragon's followers team up.

Divide and conquer was the best strategy.

"Alright." Karen nodded, pushing her worries aside.

The rest of the team did the same.

Everyone tried to block out the battle outside, focusing on the fight ahead.

"That woman isn't just a simple fifth-level Sorcerer. That bow of hers has some serious secrets."

Seeing Anna still worried about Iris, Helen whispered reassuringly in her ear.

Anna relaxed a bit after hearing Helen's words.

In the back of the group, everyone overheard Helen and Anna's conversation.

Knowing that Iris had the means to take down a sixth-level Sorcerer, they all felt more at ease.

Following Richardson's lead, they moved deeper into the parking lot.

With the enemy's identity confirmed, Richardson saw no need to keep testing them.

Their goal was to push straight to the center and take out the Dragon Lure Grass.

"The other side probably doesn't know our plan yet. Let's stick to the usual routine: take out the zombies on the outskirts, follow my lead, and move slowly towards the center. If the Dragon Lure Grass reacts, stay in formation and don't panic!"

With that, Richardson gave the order.

The team sprang into action, cutting down the hordes of zombies like they were nothing. Watching the endless stream of ordinary zombies coming out to replace the fallen ones, Richardson couldn't help but sigh.

This Dragon Lure Grass was playing it safe!

If it hadn't been so elusive these past few days, he wouldn't have had to be so cautious in his approach.

Richardson even suspected that the fruit from yesterday wasn't blocked by the ruins, but by the Dragon Lure Grass itself, keeping it hidden from him and his team!

Mysterious, that was the Dragon Lure Grass's shield.

But not today.

"Charge!"

After clearing a large area, and with the zombies inside unable to fill the gap immediately, Richardson quickly led the team forward.

Maybe because Richardson's team had been pestering it for the past two days, the main body of the Dragon Lure Grass didn't notice anything unusual.

Just like before, it calmed the enraged fruits on one side and let the internal zombies keep coming out to meet them.

It was waiting for the perfect moment to wipe out Richardson's team!

If they were ordinary humans, the Dragon Lure Grass might have already made its move. No living person had come out of the underground parking lot, showing that the Dragon Lure Grass was definitely not a friendly plant.

But Richardson's team was different!

The Dragon Lure Grass had tried using a horde of mutated zombies to trap them.

But its instincts were right; this guy with the dragonlings had special means to escape its clutches.

So until it was absolutely sure, even though the dragonlings were tempting, the Dragon Lure Grass stayed cautious.

It kept sending out zombies to lure Richardson's team in.

As long as they kept coming, there was a chance!

And it had already contacted the one who planted it here, Lord Dragon!

"Are you trying to lure me in deeper? The fruit almost exposed you yesterday, and you're worried that I might be scared, so you keep sending these ordinary zombies out to die? The Dragon Lure Grass is definitely a smart creature."

Richardson sneered, seeing through the Dragon Lure Grass's plan.

It was trying to lure them in deeper, gradually reeling them in.

But they were also using the Dragon Lure Grass's mindset to go deep and find a chance to kill its main body!

Now it was a game between the team and the Dragon Lure Grass.

Now, it was a game of patience. Whoever could endure and stay calm would win.

In this game, the winner was often the one who could endure the most.

"Master, they're here!" Number One's voice rang out.

At the same time, seven roars echoed from all around!

It was the seven fruits of the Dragon Lure Grass! These guys looked just like zombies, but they didn't have any special abilities, just the physical strength of fifth-level zombies.

"No wonder they grew up eating zombies, they look just like them. Pretty interesting!" Richardson said, excitement in his voice.

The moment he saw these fruits appear, he knew he had the upper hand.

But he had to admit, if it weren't for Helen, they wouldn't have known about the Dragon Lure Grass's situation.

Even if the team could take down these seven fifth-level zombie-like fruits, without knowing about the Dragon Lure Grass, they could easily miss it or get counterattacked!

According to Helen, the main body of the Dragon Lure Grass also had combat abilities!

It was just usually too cautious to make a move!

"Stay in formation, don't scatter, stick to the plan. Leave these guys to Richardson, everyone follow my lead!"

With the three girls in battle, Helen took over command.

Surrounded by a horde of zombies and the roars of the fruits, Helen stayed calm. Her cat eyes, which could see through the darkness, became the team's guiding light!

After a quick scan of the environment, she said, "To the right, head right to support Number Zero and Number One. After regrouping, we'll move back along the original path, slowly heading towards the exit, making the Dragon Lure Grass think we're leaving. Once it gets chaotic, Richardson will have his chance!"

Helen's command style was different from Cathy's, but the familiar feeling of fighting without overthinking brought a sense of comfort to the three girls.

"Helen, I'm starting to appreciate your smarts," Karen said, even as they were surrounded by zombies.

With a swift move, Helen took out a zombie trying to ambush Anna. Then she quickly added, "All five fruits are here! The other two are with Richardson. The Dragon Lure Grass is getting desperate! Keep pushing outwards, speed up, make it look like we're escaping!"

The tactic worked like a charm.

Even though they knew Richardson was their strongest asset, seeing the team about to escape with the little black dragon was too tempting for the Dragon Lure Grass to pass up.

Finally, it couldn't hold back.

The sound of walls breaking echoed!

Giant vines burst from the walls!

They grew rapidly, aiming straight for the little black dragon in Karen's arms!

Seeing this, Richardson grinned.

"Just be a plant and mind your own business, why mess with humans? Don't you know we have a very clever cat on our team? Lily, get ready, I'll hold off the tentacles, it's your turn to shine! Time to finish off this foolish Dragon Lure Grass!"

Richardson spoke to the empty space beside him.

Then he dodged the attacks of two fruits and rushed towards Karen's position!

According to the plan, if he could intercept these vines, the Dragon Lure Grass would likely reveal its main body!

All of this had been calculated by Helen.

Now, it was up to the Dragon Lure Grass to see if it could turn the tables.

Or if Lily could deliver the final blow!