The monsters' offensive was instantly repelled!
Seeing this, the adventurers, who had previously been in a state of panic, immediately reorganized their formation, displaying the professionalism expected of them, and pushed forward again under Johnny's cover.
The fear in their eyes from before had disappeared, replaced by a sense of excitement.
But…
Sivis silently glanced at his pocket watch.
"The time, it should be about right?"
In the next moment, the adventurer leading the charge suddenly wobbled and almost fell to the ground.
A few of them froze, only to witness a terrifying scene.
Johnny, who had been keeping the crystal Stone Demon in check and was on the verge of cutting it down, was now drenched in cold sweat, and had been pushed back by the half-transparent blade of the crystal Stone Demon.
"Damn it! It seems we've been poisoned. Could it be that wild boar meat from earlier? Is this a trap set by the monsters?"
Johnny reacted quickly. He cursed at the monsters but didn't even consider the possibility of Sivis being involved.
He'd rather blame himself for being careless than suspect the mage in his party…
"Damn it, what's happening?"
"Antidote! Where's the antidote?"
"Zemur, use your divine magic to remove the affliction!"
Johnny's voice had gained a note of panic.
The other adventurers were in even worse shape, some of them even contemplating fleeing in the face of the monsters' onslaught!
They were afraid!
How could they fight with poison coursing through their bodies?
Surrounded by a horde of Stone Demons, with Goblins aiding them, and now the poison weakening them further, it seemed very likely they would die here.
Taking advantage of this, the Stone Demons and Goblins charged forward.
The ground trembled with every heavy step the Stone Demons made, while rocks and wooden arrows rained down on the adventurers.
Johnny fought through the weakening effects of the poison, swinging his sword again to unleash a wave of crimson energy, sweeping away the attacks around them!
His combat strength was indeed remarkable, forcing the crystal Stone Demon to retreat once more!
Taking this opportunity, a few adventurers consumed antidotes, and Zemur expertly cast a divine spell to remove the affliction on Johnny first.
A soft glow surrounded him.
At this moment, the retreating Stone Demons roared angrily.
But in the eyes of the adventurers, they were just… sore losers, unwilling to accept defeat!
"Hold steady," a brief flash of joy appeared in the eyes of the adventurers.
Although they had encountered some setbacks, the monsters' full strength had already been revealed. If they could survive their strongest counterattack, it would be time for retaliation!
They were going to win!!
Unfortunately…
Their brief moment of joy faded in an instant.
"Wait, something's wrong!" Johnny and the others' faces turned pale. They realized that the weakness in their bodies hadn't dissipated at all. In fact, the poison had grown stronger due to the earlier fighting and exertion!
The antidotes and divine magic had no effect whatsoever!
As a seasoned veteran player of Gandanyir, Sivis certainly knew that adventurers always carried antidotes as a precaution.
He had poisoned Johnny and the others with a potion called Stimulant Elixir, an enhancement potion. After use, it temporarily boosts combat power, but the user soon falls into a state of weakness.
It wasn't poison, so no antidote or divine magic could possibly work!
"How is this possible!" Even Zemur, who had been protected in the middle of the group, turned pale with embarrassment.
She had thought that with Johnny guarding the front, even if the other adventurers were wiped out, she could rely on her healing abilities and Johnny's protection to escape.
But now…
In their weakened state, it seemed like they would be surrounded and killed by these Stone Demons, facing total annihilation!
She couldn't escape either!
"What kind of joke is this? I'm not really going to die here, am I?" Zemur's face crumpled in despair.
The other adventurers looked to Johnny in panic, only to find that even their leader was struggling to stay calm. The group's morale plummeted in an instant!
Was this the end?
Around them, the roars of the Stone Demons echoed.
While the adventurers didn't have a significant combat disadvantage, their fear was now suppressing them, and they were retreating step by step.
A sharp crack echoed through the air.
Mansur, positioned at the rear of the group, had his dagger shattered, and a sharp spike created by a Stone Demon pierced his ankle. He collapsed to the ground, howling in agony, "Help me! Help me! Johnny, Zemur, heal me!"
"Okay, okay," the priestess, Zemur, was also in a state of panic.
Just then, Johnny suddenly shouted, "Everyone, follow me and retreat! Sivis, take Zemur with you. Don't waste any divine magic on that useless idiot!"
Zemur froze, and Mansur, injured and lying on the ground, had a look of disbelief in his eyes.
What did that mean? Were they going to abandon him?
Johnny, gritting his teeth through the weakness coursing through his body, barked, "We need to break through immediately! Zemur, use all your healing magic on me and anyone who can still fight."
"Sivis, provide covering fire!"
"We're done for this time; this monster lair is unlike anything we've encountered!"
"These Stone Demons are too brutal; they're even more troublesome than the monsters I've seen in other territories!"
"Got it!"
"Understood!"
"Everyone, follow Johnny!"
The adventurers, feeling like they had finally found their anchor, rallied around Johnny.
They had been in turmoil, uncertain whether Johnny's plan to break through was feasible, but their instinct was to follow him without question.
Johnny swung his sword again, and the crystal Stone Demon recklessly charged forward, trying to block his attack to protect the other Stone Demons from being slain by the powerful adventurer.
After the first clash, Johnny forcefully severed one of the crystal Stone Demon's arms.
At the same time, his right side was pierced by a crystal blade, blood pouring out.
With the sharp pain, Johnny grunted, "Zemur, heal me quickly!"
The young priestess quickly cast her divine magic.
The other adventurers charged forward desperately, pushing back several Stone Demons. Their faces were filled with fear, but there was also a glimmer of reckless courage in their eyes!
Because, following Johnny's desperate strategy, they were slowly but surely creating an opening to break through!
The two warrior-class adventurers shouted as if rallying themselves: "Get out of the way! Monsters!"
"I'm going to make it out alive!"
They fought frantically, trading injuries for injuries, their eyes beginning to glow with a spark of hope.
This tactic…
It could work!
In the distance, the civilians watching from the woods changed their expressions slightly, their hearts filled with resentment.
They had seen everything unfold—the sudden turn of events.
While the civilians couldn't tell that the adventurers had been poisoned, they could clearly see the overwhelming advantage the monsters held!
It seemed like the adventurers were about to die here, but now, they might actually escape—how tragic.
To the civilians, their most basic thought was clear: the adventurers should all die!
Those fools who dared to attack the Goblins deserved nothing less!
At that moment, Zemur, the priestess of the adventuring party, slowly raised her staff. As she began chanting, a faint light enveloped several of the adventurers, seemingly to heal their wounds.
This sight filled the civilians with even more resentment!
It was obvious…
The adventurers were about to escape!
The glow began to intensify, and Johnny and the others' wounds slowly started to heal.
Their expressions lifted as they felt their strength returning.
There was a chance—they might just survive!
Until…
Thud!
A sharp, clean sound of a blade sinking into flesh echoed!
Under the watchful eyes of the civilians, they saw the woman who had been casting healing magic suddenly pierced through the body. Blood poured out in torrents, and her divine magic was immediately interrupted.
She screamed in agony.
"Who? Who did this? Damn it!" Zemur didn't even have the ability to turn around. All she felt was endless fear and panic.
She struggled desperately, but each time she did, her wounds grew larger, bringing her closer to death.
The adventurers ahead also noticed that the healing magic had dissipated. They turned around, and the sight they saw nearly tore their hearts apart. The civilians also witnessed the scene—the man from their own party, dressed in a mage's robe, had stabbed his blade into Zemur's body, taking away the last hope of the adventurers' escape!
To break through while facing the onslaught of the Bronze-level 6 Stone Demons, the adventurers couldn't afford to be cautious; they had to risk everything!
But risking everything came with a cost. The more injuries they took, the worse their situation became.
With the monsters outnumbering them, each injury meant a decrease in combat effectiveness. Without relying on the priestess for healing, their survival was impossible!
Now, the priestess was gone!
Theoretically, as the entire team charged forward, the attention of the Stone Demons at the rear should have been diverted by Mansur, who was injured and unable to move. The priestess and the mage should have been safe.
Johnny's plan to break through should have been flawless.
But who could have predicted that the mage in the party, as if having lost his mind, would kill Zemur?!