BXBX NOVEL Chapter 177: The Sentinel Tower Defense
The number of monsters within the industrial district was no less than the number at its entrance. Moreover, the monsters inside the industrial district were of a higher level compared to those at the entrance.
"I finally comprehend what you previously meant." Bonnie remarked, also gazing down at the monsters within the industrial district from the elevated view of the helicopter.
"Eradicating all these monsters seems like it would take an incredibly long time. If we ever manage to clear them all out, our levels should be significantly higher than they are now."
Bonnie couldn\'t help but express a sigh of exclamation.
Jeremy remained silent, thinking that Bonnie\'s comment was simply stating the obvious.
Soon enough, the helicopter transported the trio to their predetermined location, where a sentinel tower was already standing tall.
"Your task is to quickly reach the sentinel tower and hold off the monsters\' assault until reinforcements arrive. The moment your presence is detected on the tower, those creatures will launch an unrelenting attack."
Before Jeremy and the others set off, the helicopter pilot specifically relayed this crucial information to them.
The helicopter pilot, of course, was also one of Howard\'s subordinates.
He conveyed this message precisely because Howard had instructed him to do so.
Jeremy and his companions nodded in understanding, signaling to the pilot that they were ready to depart at any moment.
The pilot opened the hatch of the helicopter, and then Jeremy, Bonnie, and Ritchie, each equipped with parachutes, leaped out of the aircraft.
Jeremy was the first to land atop the sentinel tower.
Upon reaching the sentinel tower, he swiftly took in his surroundings. There were, in fact, not many monsters in the vicinity. Hence, he decided against immediately engaging in combat.
After all, the sooner he entered combat, the quicker his stamina would deplete.
Ritchie and Bonnie arrived at the sentinel tower shortly after.
"It seems the situation isn\'t as perilous as they described. We\'ve made it to the outpost, and there\'s still no sign of any monsters." Bonnie observed as she surveyed the area.
Jeremy felt that Bonnie was becoming a bit too complacent.
"Now is not the time to let our guard down. There\'s a chance the monsters are hiding in places we can\'t detect." Jeremy cautioned.
No sooner had Jeremy finished speaking than two scorpion-like monsters crawled up from the base of the sentinel tower.
Both of these creatures were at level 42. Although Jeremy\'s level was slightly higher, he knew that defeating them wouldn\'t be a walk in the park.
"Survey the surroundings from the top of the tower. I\'ll deal with those two monsters." Jeremy instructed.
After saying those words, Jeremy leaped directly from the top of the watchtower.
The reason for his swift descent was simple: it was the quickest way to confront the scorpion-like monsters. Climbing down would have wasted precious time.
Just as Jeremy left the top of the tower, Bonnie and Ritchie noticed a sudden influx of monsters surrounding the area.
"Do you still think there are few monsters around us now?"
Ritchie observed the rapidly gathering horde of monsters while simultaneously inquiring of Bonnie.
Bonnie shook her head and responded, "Let\'s quickly start eliminating these creatures. Attacking them from an elevated position should pose a significant threat to them."
Bonnie drew her staff and unleashed a frost spell upon the monsters surrounding the tower.
Though her frost spell wouldn\'t annihilate the monsters quickly, it would at least slow them down.
Upon witnessing Bonnie\'s movement, Ritchie immediately sprang into action.
Ritchie maneuvered his own shadow to the base of the watchtower, and, under the guidance of Ritchie\'s shadow, the shadows of the surrounding monsters suddenly sprang to life.
The shadows of these monsters began to launch assaults on their own corporeal forms.
Although the actions of Ritchie and Bonnie did not pose a significant threat to the monsters, they managed to slow their advance.
A few minutes later, Jeremy returned to the top of the tower.
He had already dealt with the two scorpion-like monsters.
However, upon seeing the large number of monsters gathered at the base of the tower, Jeremy\'s expression turned slightly grim.
"I never anticipated that Howard\'s so-called \'sparsely populated\' area would have this many monsters. It seems we may have been a bit too reckless in our approach."
In reality, Jeremy was starting to feel a twinge of regret.
Had he known this mission would be so perilous, he surely would have made more thorough preparations.
However, now that he and his companions were here, there was no turning back. Howard had already set the plan in motion, and it was not something that could be easily halted.
"Despite the overwhelming number of monsters we\'re facing, I believe our combined strength is sufficient to take them all down. You two provide cover from the top of the tower, while I engage them directly at the base."
With that declaration, Jeremy once again leapt from the top of the tower.
This time, he aimed to land right in the midst of the monster horde.
As Jeremy made his bold move, the monsters at the base of the tower quickly shifted their attention toward him.
The moment he touched down, every single monster launched an attack on Jeremy.
From their vantage point atop the tower, Ritchie and Bonnie immediately deployed their skills to assist Jeremy.
One frost spell after another descended from the sky, slowing the multitude of monsters on Jeremy\'s left side. Meanwhile, on Jeremy\'s right, the shadows of the monsters swelled to an enormous size and began attacking their own forms without hesitation.
Taking advantage of the disruption caused by Ritchie and Bonnie, Jeremy launched an assault on the nearest monster.
Under Jeremy\'s relentless assault, the lower-level monsters surrounding him were swiftly vanquished.
Although the higher-level monsters weren\'t obliterated outright, they quickly realized Jeremy\'s formidable strength. A palpable sense of fear began to take hold of them.
"Feeling scared now? Isn\'t it a bit too late for that? You never should have gathered here in the first place!"
Seeing the monsters\' fear only fueled Jeremy\'s excitement.
With his weapon in hand, Jeremy launched an all-out attack on the densest cluster of monsters.
As Jeremy clashed head-on with the monsters, another helicopter approached the vicinity of the tower. This helicopter dropped construction materials around the tower, along with personnel tasked with building partition walls.
Bonnie\'s communicator suddenly buzzed, and upon answering it, Howard\'s voice came through.
"These personnel tasked with building the partition walls are incredibly valuable. You must ensure their safety. If they are eliminated by the monsters, we won\'t be able to construct the walls."
Without a moment\'s hesitation, Bonnie responded.
"I understand. I will absolutely ensure their safety! Don\'t worry, even if you don\'t trust me, surely you trust Jeremy?"
Bonnie\'s retort left Howard momentarily speechless.
"Very well! I expect the first section of the partition wall to be completed today." With that, Howard abruptly ended the communication.
Although this plan was spearheaded by Howard, it\'s crucial to remember that Howard is an exceedingly busy individual. He has numerous other matters that require his attention.
After Howard abruptly ended the communication, Bonnie immediately turned her gaze toward Ritchie.
"We must ensure the safety of those people! So, unleash every ounce of your abilities! Jeremy once told me that your strength has significantly increased, but to be honest, I wasn\'t entirely convinced."
Upon finishing her sentence, Bonnie waved her staff once more, casting frost spell after frost spell.
Ritchie, of course, understood that her words were merely intended to provoke him into giving his all against the monsters.
Thus, Ritchie responded with a knowing smile.
"My strength has indeed seen some improvement compared to before, but it\'s certainly not \'significantly\' stronger. I will assist you to the best of my abilities.
However, during the battle, I must prioritize my own safety. So don\'t expect me to be able to rescue everyone in extremely perilous situations."
Ritchie\'s words left Bonnie feeling slightly exasperated.
"Alright then, do what you can to assist us. You are responsible for ensuring the safety of those who just parachuted in, while I will focus on supporting Jeremy.
If you find the battle too overwhelming, just let me know. I will immediately come to your aid. Although Jeremy\'s safety is of paramount importance, I believe he can navigate the crisis without my help."
Bonnie promptly outlined the division of responsibilities between herself and Ritchie.
Ritchie did not voice any objections, as Bonnie had already taken on the most arduous task herself.
Ritchie then turned his attention to the newly arrived personnel tasked with building the partition walls. In reality, there weren\'t many monsters surrounding them.
Therefore, Ritchie did not need to be overly anxious.