Chapter 88: Team Formation

The two Rogues and the Mage guarding the teleport station watched the entire scene, also startled and amazed. What was going on here? However, later, when they saw that we seemed to be getting along quite well, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The four of us sat on the ground and chatted for a while. I then realized that these three people were actually quite easy to get along with. Druv's personality, as befitting a strict Paladin, was steady, mature, and wise, somewhat similar to Larr, but his temperament was more composed, not as quirky and dark as Larr. His wife, Eihana, as I mentioned earlier, was like a big sister next door, approachable and kind, with a gentle and warm smile that was her trademark. As for the petty-minded Assassin, Marton, he wasn't actually a bad person. He wasn't as cold and icy as other Assassins, but rather more like Doug's style. At first, he was sulking and wouldn't speak, but later, seeing us chatting happily, he couldn't help but join in.

In short, this was a team that easily made a good impression, worth getting to know.

During our conversation, as we gradually got to know each other, they frankly told me that they planned to kill the Countess. Druv's fire resistance gear was quite good, though not as good as Larr's, but with the fire resistance aura, it could reach about 60. Moreover, the team's overall strength was much better than Larr's, so it shouldn't be a problem.

However, at this point, Druv extended an invitation to me, suggesting that more people meant more safety. However, I had a mischievous suspicion that he was afraid I might sneak in and steal their boss.

After careful consideration, my biggest concern was the fear of exposing my bug amulet. However, if I could control it well, it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, there was a 15th-level Druid, Eihana, who specialized in summoning, and her Oak Sage had reached level 4. If she summoned the Oak Sage, this skill, which was the easiest to expose, could be concealed. (The Oak Sage increases health, and experienced Transmuters can easily deduce the skill level from the increase in health.)

After some thought, I accepted their invitation. After all, I also wanted to try the taste of teaming up. The last time I saw Linia and her team's perfect coordination, I was envious.

Then, I introduced my abilities to them—mainly summoning and transformation, with no elemental magic at all. They were all stunned for a moment when they heard my unconventional skill distribution. Eihana kindly advised me to learn elemental magic, as in the later stages, the strength of Transmuters often depends on their self-created skills, and 90% of these skills are elemental. Without learning elemental magic, how could one talk about self-creation?

Thus, the temporary team to hunt the Countess was formed. We chatted for a while, deepening our understanding of each other. When Eihana learned that my Ghost Wolf had never died and had become even more fierce and skilled in battle (to conceal some of the Ghost Wolf's abilities), she was extremely impressed. She had also tried to cultivate her Ghost Wolf in this way, and she knew about the research on Druid summoning creatures that Cain had told me about. However, her Ghost Wolf was initially very fragile and hard to train, so she could only admire my perseverance.

The next day, we got up early, carefully checked our equipment, and set off for the Tower of the Forgotten. Our team now consisted of one Assassin, one Paladin, and two Druids. Eihana summoned a level 4 Oak Sage and two level 2 Ghost Wolves, while I summoned a level 3 Ghost Wolf, specifically Xiao Er, Xiao San, and Xiao Si. When necessary, I could provide a level 3 Bear Form, a level 3 Wolf Form, and a level 3 Transformation. From their perspective, my Transformation specialization and Eihana's Oak Sage were a perfect match, as both skills increased health. In critical moments, I could transform and take over as the team's tank, and if I used Bear Form, with Druv's Resistance Aura, my defense would be the highest in the team. Having a team was truly great; without the bug amulet and Redeemer's abilities, I wouldn't dare to solo.

Another benefit of teaming up was that we didn't have to be constantly on guard against enemy attacks, as Marton, the Assassin, was on lookout. Although his personality wasn't typical of an Assassin, his skills were excellent. We bypassed large groups of monsters and killed smaller groups, without a single mistake.

As a new member, I didn't immediately join the battle but first observed their fighting style, gradually integrating myself. Slowly, Xiao Er and the others also joined the battle. To avoid revealing any flaws, I had them move more carefully, though they were extremely puzzled by my strange orders, they still followed them unconditionally. Their control of strength was excellent, and their damage and frequency indeed decreased. Even so, Eihana praised their coordination, saying she would also cultivate her Ghost Wolves when they reached higher levels.

When she saw that I could control the Ghost Wolves to teleport, she was speechless. Seeing her reaction, I smiled inwardly. I had already asked Cain about the Ghost Wolves' teleportation, and he told me it was possible, but only the most skilled Druids could do it. When I heard this, I knew I had a great talent for communicating with summoned creatures.

Therefore, I wasn't afraid to show this ability. At most, it would earn me the title of a genius in summoning, which would better conceal my other secrets. Of course, I wouldn't be foolish enough to demonstrate the airdrop ambush, which was too shocking. I only told them that I could barely control one Ghost Wolf to teleport, and the accuracy wasn't high.

Yes, after they returned, my reputation as a genius Druid would be even more solid. This was the effect I wanted. Cain's advice was absolutely correct. You can't hide the truth forever; to conceal what you don't want to reveal, you must first make others believe that "this Druid is very strong." Then, even if I act out of line, they will naturally think, "He is very talented and strong, so it's only natural for him to have this ability," and won't suspect anything else.

Thus, as we walked and observed, I learned a lot about the basics of Druidry from Eihana, and the fighting techniques of Marton and the others also benefited me greatly. Gradually, I began to fully engage in the battle, though I couldn't yet command Xiao Er and the others to coordinate with the others, I could still block a few enemies and ease their burden.

Soon, we arrived at the base of the tower. Oh, I finally understood why the tower was so famous. It wasn't because it was tall—there were many buildings taller than it—but because it was so massive. Standing at the bottom and looking up, it felt like being blocked by a high wall. I now understood why Doug and the others got lost inside. The castle took over 300 years to build, and at least a third of that time was spent on this tower. I couldn't imagine what the lords were thinking.

Outside the entrance to the tower, Marton first explored the area, then nodded to us, and the four of us cautiously entered the first floor of the tower.

The entire tower was made of stone, and the interior was not decorated, so it was mainly stone walls. The walls were carved with various strange reliefs, and the large supporting pillars were also engraved with runes, giving a sense of gloom and strangeness, as if entering not a tower but a grand person's stone tomb.

Thanks to the massive size of the tower, the passages inside were very wide, and the rooms on both sides were also spacious. However, the winding and twisting layout made me extremely uncomfortable—why make it so big? It felt like a maze. I was directionally challenged, but fortunately, with Marton and the others, I just had to follow behind. This sense of dependence was actually quite nice, suitable for a lazy person like me. Oh, team, when will I find a team that truly suits me!

The first wave of monsters we encountered was a large group of imps, about a hundred of them, with an elite Imp Mage among them. These were usually not a big deal for me, and I could easily take them down, but Druv carefully explained the battle plan several times before we started. Being the leader was tough, as the entire team's lives were on his shoulders. A small mistake in the plan could lead to casualties, so the responsibility and pressure were immense.

The action began. Druv activated a level 2 Resistance Aura, increasing defense by 80%, and the entire team became more spirited. With Druv leading, the team formed a cone shape, with Eihana's Ghost Wolves at the rear and the Oak Sage in the center, heading straight for the Imp Mage.

To show my effort, I let Xiao Er and the others move a bit more freely and transformed into a Bear Form, starting the tank mode. I didn't have the precise control of the Ghost Wolves, so to reduce my attack power, I switched to a plain dagger. Once it was integrated into my body, they wouldn't know what weapon I was using, hehe.

With Druv's Resistance Aura, even the Assassin Marton became lively, changing his usual hit-and-run style to engage the imps one by one. Assassins, being high agility and high-speed characters, could easily handle the imps. In five attacks, he could dodge two, and his martial arts skills, such as Tiger Strike, which required three energy charges followed by a Double Dragon Claw, could kill an imp in four attacks. If he used the second-tier skill Flame Fist, which required two or more energy charges, it could create a fire explosion, dealing area damage. This showed the terrifying attack power of Assassins, though their mana was limited, so they could only occasionally use skills like Double Dragon Claw, Tiger Strike, and Flame Fist. The Flame Fist's area attack also required caution to avoid hitting teammates.

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The first wave of monsters was a large group of imps, about a hundred of them, with an elite Imp Mage among them. These were usually not a big deal for me, and I could easily take them down, but Druv carefully explained the battle plan several times before we started. Being the leader was tough, as the entire team's lives were on his shoulders. A small mistake in the plan could lead to casualties, so the responsibility and pressure were immense.

The action began. Druv activated a level 2 Resistance Aura, increasing defense by 80%, and the entire team became more spirited. With Druv leading, the team formed a cone shape, with Eihana's Ghost Wolves at the rear and the Oak Sage in the center, heading straight for the Imp Mage.

To show my effort, I let Xiao Er and the others move a bit more freely and transformed into a Bear Form, starting the tank mode. I didn't have the precise control of the Ghost Wolves, so to reduce my attack power, I switched to a plain dagger. Once it was integrated into my body, they wouldn't know what weapon I was using, hehe.

With Druv's Resistance Aura, even the Assassin Marton became lively, changing his usual hit-and-run style to engage the imps one by one. Assassins, being high agility and high-speed characters, could easily handle the imps. In five attacks, he could dodge two, and his martial arts skills, such as Tiger Strike, which required three energy charges followed by a Double Dragon Claw, could kill an imp in four attacks. If he used the second-tier skill Flame Fist, which required two or more energy charges, it could create a fire explosion, dealing area damage. This showed the terrifying attack power of Assassins, though their mana was limited, so they could only occasionally use skills like Double Dragon Claw, Tiger Strike, and Flame Fist. The Flame Fist's area attack also required caution to avoid hitting teammates.