31. [Green Green Grasslands] Instance

Su Yu was no stranger to this dungeon. In his past life, as a member of the Mu Yun Guild, he had frequently helped low-level players clear it. This was done partly to meet the company’s performance quotas and partly to bolster the overall strength of humanity. Su Yu had entered the "Green Grasslands" dungeon at least twenty times, so he could navigate his way to the Sheep Village and find the Village Chief with his eyes closed—provided, of course, that he cleared out the monsters along the way.

As was the case now.

He had only taken a few steps along the mountain path when four goats grazing ahead turned to look at him, their eyes glowing blood-red.

[Manic Goat, Lv 5]
HP: 300
Attack: 25
Skills: [Furious Charge]: Charges at the target, increasing the damage of the next attack by 50%. 15-second cooldown.
[Herding Instinct (Passive)]: Damage increased by 10% for every nearby ally.

The mobs in the dungeon all possessed "elite" templates, with HP 3.3 times higher than normal monsters outside. These goats were not to be underestimated; with an attack power of 25, they could deal 10–13 damage to defensive warriors or guardian knights of the same level. If all four attacked simultaneously, combined with the [Herding Instinct] passive and the bonus from [Furious Charge], most tank classes would likely fall. Thus, in the early stages of the game, these goats were known as "novice tank killers."

Upon spotting Su Yu, the four goats bleated and charged at him. They didn't look like sheep at all; they looked like a pack of bloodthirsty wolves. Su Yu stood his ground. When they were only three or four meters away, he activated a [Frost Nova] scroll. A massive ring of ice exploded outward with Su Yu at the center, the frost crystals rapidly spreading to the goats' feet.

-43, -43, -42, -44.

While [Frost Nova] didn't deal high damage, its crowd control was exceptional. The massive ice crystals froze the goats firmly in place. Wanting to test his scrolls, Su Yu bypassed [Chain Lightning] and immediately activated a [Rain of Fire] scroll. Fire elements screeched as they coalesced above the goats into a glowing, lava-like red cloud. Massive meteors of flame fell from the cloud, slamming into the goats' heads.

-43, -41, -40.

[Rain of Fire] dealt damage in multiple stages, with a meteor striking every second for about 40 damage. The goats bleated in agony, but trapped by the ice, they could only endure the onslaught with their bodies. Three seconds later, the freeze effect of [Frost Nova] vanished. Crowd control effects such as "Freeze" suffered from diminishing returns when used repeatedly on the same target. For instance, while the first [Frost Nova] lasted for three seconds, the second would only last 1.5, and a third would have almost no effect.

After three seconds of being bathed in "fire and ice," each goat had lost about 170 HP, dropping them below half-health. Once free, they rushed at Su Yu again with bloodshot eyes, but they no longer posed a threat. With a casual cast of [Chain Lightning], Su Yu finished them off.

-161, -157, -156, -163.

The goats' HP bars emptied, and they collapsed, emitting an appetizing aroma. Su Yu walked over to loot the bodies. Catching the scent of roasted mutton, he suddenly felt hungry. He hadn't leveled the [Cooking] profession, however, so he sighed, collected the materials and gear, and continued along the path.

Beyond the [Manic Goats], the "Green Grasslands" dungeon was home to [Arrogant Goats] (possessing "Arrogant Gaze" to reduce target damage), [Crazed Goats] (possessing "Leaping Strike"), and Corrupted Goats (whose attacks dealt high Shadow damage). Under Su Yu’s high damage output, however, all sheep were equal; none could withstand his onslaught.

After clearing two more waves, Su Yu encountered the first boss: the [Boiling Goat Chieftain].

[Boiling Goat Chieftain]
HP: 1100
Attack: 44

The [Boiling Goat Chieftain] was essentially a super-sized version of a [Manic Goat]. Beyond the passive skills [Herding Instinct] and [Furious Charge], it possessed [Call of the Herd], [Copper Skin and Iron Bones] (which increased defense and attack), and [Leaping Strike]. For Su Yu, however, this boss was easy. He summoned a [Rock Elemental] to taunt it, used [Frost Nova] to control the surrounding herd, and stood his ground to unleash a barrage of spells. When the chieftain destroyed the elemental and used [Leaping Strike] to close the distance, Su Yu simply used [Blink] to dodge.

Despite its 1100 HP and the activation of [Copper Skin and Iron Bones], the boss couldn't last eight seconds under Su Yu’s bombardment.

After looting the boss, Su Yu pressed on. Clearing a few more mobs, he reached the second boss: the [Beautiful Goat Chieftain]. The challenge of this boss was that once its HP dropped below 50%, it would split into three: one original and two illusions. Both the original and the illusions would cast [Charm Attack]. There were minute differences between the original and the illusions—perhaps a slight variation in pupil color or the shape of their horns. Players had to identify the real one and push its HP below 30% to avoid a total party wipe. Su Yu, intimately familiar with this encounter, quickly identified the real one and finished the boss off with a high-damage single-target spell.

After defeating the second boss and entering the village, Su Yu met the final boss: the [Sheep Village Chief]. The Chief was a bespectacled sage with a unique mechanic. With 3000 HP and 100 attack power, an ordinary team of five would be no match for him. However, before combat began, the Chief would ask the player ten questions. For every correct answer, his HP and attack power would drop by 9%. Having memorized the question bank in his past life, Su Yu found this trivial.

"Young man," the Chief asked, seeing Su Yu, "do you know the three great human empires on this continent?"
"Of course," Su Yu answered calmly. "The Goldfinch Empire, the Lion Empire, and the Windbell Empire."
"Do you know the founding principle of the mage faction, the Element Canopy?"
"To seek endless knowledge."
"How many teeth does the Star-Forging Dragon King have?"
"Thirty-four."
"What does 'shan'do' mean in Elvish?"
"Archdruid."
"What do Pandaren usually say when saying goodbye?"
"Next time, it's on me."

Su Yu answered all ten questions perfectly, leaving the [Sheep Village Chief] with a pathetic 300 HP. With a casual [Lightning Bolt] and a [Lesser Fireball] scroll, the entire dungeon was cleared.