Monster Farming

Name: Mutated Corpse Fiend

Race: Undead

Class: Corpse Fiend (Tier 3)

Attributes: Strength: 40, Agility: 35, Endurance: 8, Intelligence: 15, Willpower: 20

How could Sean have missed Old Peter's arrow? Following its trajectory, the mutated corpse fiend hidden in the shadows of a nearby building corner became clearly visible. Almost at the moment Sean laid eyes on the creature, a golden glint flashed and detailed data about the mutated corpse fiend appeared before him, just like the data he used to see in games.

Corpse fiends were a type of undead creature born from various grievances such as resentment, despair, and desire. They were formed by the corruption and concentration of dark forces. Their savage, frenzied, and malevolent gaze revealed their deep hatred for all living beings, surpassing even that of other undead creatures. However, these undead creatures were entirely different from the slow and dull walking corpses or zombies. They possessed a certain degree of intelligence and, after absorbing enough death energy or dark aura, they would become mutated corpse fiends, retaining some memory of their past professions.

For example, the tattered red-garbed corpse fiend before them was clearly a former commander. Otherwise, how could it skillfully command such a large group of corpse fiends to attack other living creatures? Just by looking at the numerous corpse fiends surrounding it, one could grasp the extent of devastation caused by this mutated corpse fiend. Among those corpses were soldiers from the Kingdom of Portoroa and the Serian Kingdom, as well as individuals dressed as adventurers or pioneers.

Corpse fiends were fundamentally different from ghouls, and one could even say they were completely opposed to each other.

Anyone killed by a corpse fiend would be invaded by its death aura and turn into a similar creature. However, these creations lacked intelligence and became slaves to the corpse fiend that killed them, completely obedient to its commands. Without orders, they were nothing more than faster and stronger zombies.

The crucial point in the Dark Outpost instance was to force the mutated corpse fiend to relinquish its command.

The second arrow pierced the mutated corpse fiend's right shoulder, eliciting a louder roar. Its frenzied eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty red light, but it was no longer fixated on Sean and the others. Instead, it turned its head towards Old Peter and the others standing on the rooftop, issuing a threatening growl.

But would Old Peter care about the threat of a mutated corpse fiend? He pulled out a third arrow, but someone else was quicker.

The marksman!

A buzzing sound of a bowstring resonated through the air as a steel-tipped white feather arrow shot like a meteor, piercing the mutated corpse fiend's shoulder. A pungent burnt smell filled the air.

Soon after, the second, third, fourth... a barrage of arrows shot by the two skilled marksmen rained down on the mutated corpse fiend, just as Sean had instructed earlier.

At first, the mutated corpse fiend could ignore the arrows, but after being hit by seven or eight arrows, the pain became impossible to ignore. It even lost the strength to roar. After all, the corpse fiend's endurance attribute was only eight points, slightly higher than Ceresia's. However, even as an undead creature, if it were to be shot by Old Peter and the others with a few more arrows, this battle would likely come to an end.

Reality was different from a game after all.

In this situation, the mutated corpse fiend no longer dared to underestimate Old Peter and the others. It swiftly changed its position, causing furrowed brows on Old Peter and the marksman. They couldn't shoot the mutated corpse fiend anymore, even though they could anticipate its movement. The speed of their arrows simply couldn't keep up!

The speed of the mutated corpse fiend far exceeded their expectations!

Only Sean knew that with an agility attribute of 30, the mutated corpse fiend's speed surpassed everyone present. Combined with its overwhelming strength, no one would be able to face it head-on. Even the guards using their strongest defensive skills might not be able to withstand its attacks.

The only solution was to target its weak endurance attribute!

Sean glanced at the mutated corpse fiend, which had been pushed away from the horde of corpse fiends, and made a hand gesture before running towards the other side. Simultaneously, he took out several small bottles containing red liquid from the pack on his back.

Durun immediately recognized the liquid in those bottles. It was a low-grade alchemical concoction known as accelerant. When combined with different potions, it could produce various burning effects. However, its basic function was to prolong and spread the flames. Due to the high demand for this potion, its price reached five silver coins per bottle, even higher than that of high-purity neutralizing agents.

Seeing Sean suddenly produce this alchemical potion, Durun understood his intention. "Cecilia is already too far away..."

"I have this," Sean shrugged, taking out another small bag from his backpack. Inside were dozens of black stones, each the size of a fingernail, faintly shimmering with a red light. "This combination with the accelerant is enough to give those fiends a hard time. As long as Old Peter and the others can keep that mutated corpse fiend occupied."

Flintstones.

These were commonly used by mercenaries for starting fires in the wilderness. Simply throw them with force, and they would ignite flames. A handful could be bought for a single silver coin.

Durun was somewhat dumbfounded. The items Sean brought out were all ordinary trinkets that could be found in general stores and apothecaries. Yet, in their current situation, they seemed to have miraculous effects.

Observing Durun's astonished expression, Sean felt quite satisfied. Would he dare to bring people to a place like this if he didn't have the right equipment?

In fact, even if there was only a first-tier priest accompanying them, Sean could make this expedition much easier. Fortunately, he didn't have high hopes for such a companion from the beginning, so his preparations were thorough. As a former commander, he couldn't rely solely on luck. He always made multiple contingency plans for every operation.

In this expedition, the two skilled marksmen and two guards were the bare minimum guarantee. As for the others, they were irrelevant.

The mutated corpse fiend possessed immense strength and agility, surpassing ordinary third-tier professions. However, its endurance was remarkably low. In the game, it had only a few thousand points more health than a Wind Marked Black Wolf. Considering its status as a boss, this health value was an insult to its identity. Therefore, the initial battle with the mutated corpse fiend could only be handled by ranged professions. The goal was not to kill it but to restrain it and prevent it from commanding the other fiends.

As for the guards' responsibilities, they were simpler. One was in charge of protecting the ranged professions, preventing them from being killed at the first opportunity. The other guard needed to closely follow the person responsible for drawing aggro, so this guard had to be slightly faster.

However, there were quite a few guards in the team now, and they clearly had good physical endurance. As long as they didn't get surrounded, there was no need to worry too much.

Soon, Sean, leading the way, saw their destination for this expedition—a massive water storage reservoir dug almost ten meters below ground level.

"That is..." one of the guards exclaimed.

Ignoring the comment, Sean immediately ran towards the water reservoir, and the others had no choice but to follow. Meanwhile, the group of fiends, deprived of the mutated corpse fiend's command, were left with only their basic instincts, which drove them to chase after the living beings in front of them.

If it were an ordinary person, they would undoubtedly feel obligated to engage in a life-or-death battle with these undead creatures, as if that was the only way to prove their valor and courage.

But Sean wasn't that foolish.

He was a seasoned player, and the thing seasoned players excelled at the most was obtaining maximum benefits with the simplest methods.

For example, monster farming.

As an already thoroughly explored dungeon, there were naturally numerous strategies available. However, the easiest and simplest method had always been the same.

Above the water reservoir, there was a horizontal board that could accommodate one person passing through. Without a moment's hesitation, Sean immediately ran up towards it, completely disregarding the obviously corroded appearance of the wooden board. Durun and the two guards hesitated for a moment but quickly followed suit. Once everyone had passed through, they looked at the board, which seemed like it could break at any moment, with some disbelief.

"Don't just stand there!" Sean shouted as soon as he saw everyone had made it. "Once those fiends fall down, they won't be able to climb back up. You two, guard this path and knock all the fiends into the water reservoir below... and you, provoke those mindless creatures."

Upon hearing Sean's words, the two guards didn't hesitate for a moment. They immediately positioned themselves at the end of the wooden board, assuming defensive stances.

As Sean had anticipated, the horde of fiends charged towards them in a queue, seemingly eager to feast on Sean and his companions. However, before these fiends could reach them, the two guards dutifully blocked their attack paths. With simple shield bashes, shield swings, and knife jabs, they effortlessly knocked the fiends down into the water reservoir below. Their movements were skilled and practiced.

Meanwhile, Sean himself was not idle. He first threw several bottles of accelerant into the water reservoir, which had already dried up and now only contained fiends struggling to climb out. Then he started taking out various alchemical potions and powders from his backpack.

There were things like high-purity neutralizers, black powders, explosive powders, and so on, all of which he tossed into the water reservoir.

Durun watched in astonishment.

By the time Sean had thrown everything down, the last fiend was just knocked into the reservoir. The water below surged with thrashing fiends, densely packed with a nauseating mix of red and white fluids. The stench of alchemical potions and various powders, combined with the foul odor of the fiends, was repulsive beyond imagination.

Sean smiled and opened a small bag. With a flick of his hand, the bag full of flint stones was thrown into the reservoir.

The next second, flames erupted into the sky!