Limbs and chunks of flesh rained down as the other nine mushrooms detonated in quick succession, creating a chain of explosions that rippled through the battlefield.
KABOOM! BOOM! KABOOM!
The blasts tore through the dense field of vines, the shockwaves bending the massive Tier 3 vines backward before they snapped back with renewed fury.
All low-level Murlocs caught in the primary blast radius were vaporized, and reduced to little more than dark stains on the blood-soaked ground.
Even those that were farther away were knocked off their feet, their bodies thrown into the air like ragdolls, their screeches of pain quickly swallowed by the nearby Murlocs or Predatory vines.
The air became thick with the acrid smell of burning flesh and the sharp sound of blast mushrooms.
For a brief moment, the battlefield went silent, then all the cavemen roared with excitement.
Korrin watched from his position, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The strategy had worked better than he'd hoped.
[Current Progress: 36,270 / 43,000]
He immediately checked the progress, this first wave of blasts alone cleared more than five thousand Murlocs, getting them closer to their goal.
But it wasn't over.
More Murlocs poured from the river, splashing through the blood-filled waters, their eyes gleaming with savage hunger.
The Murlocs still surged forward, their rage and blood lust overcoming their fear.
"We need to hold them back," Korrin could feel the pressure mounting, they had to clear this wave before the sixth.
The explosions had bought them time, but they couldn't rely on the mushrooms alone.
He turned to the fire mages behind him, who stood ready, flames gathering in their hands. "Prepare the firewalls!"
With a collective roar, the mages raised their hands, flames swirling around them as they channeled their power.
"Create a barrier around the vines!" Korrin ordered. "We'll make sure the Murlocs can't reach our front lines!"
Korrin's eyes flicked upward, and his heart stuttered in his chest.
A massive wave surged from the blood-red river, and something terrifying emerged from its depths—a monstrous figure, towering over everything else on the field, reaching four or five meters tall—a Tier 4 Murloc.
Its skin was a slick, sickly green scales, covered in a layer of slime and blood, with muscles that bulged grotesquely under its scales.
The creature's eyes glowed an ominous dark red, burning with an intensity that chilled Korrin to the bone.
"Roar!!" The Murloc's maw, wide and filled with jagged, rotting teeth, dripped with saliva as it let out a deep, thunderous roar, shaking the very air.
The ground trembled beneath the Murloc's immense weight as it stomped forward, each step like a hammer striking the earth.
Its presence alone was enough to scatter the smaller Murlocs, who fled in terror, giving the creature a wide berth.
Even the relentless Predatory Vines, which had so far held their ground against the tide of Murlocs, were no match for the beast.
With a single swipe of its massive claws, it tore through the thick vines as if they were nothing more than dry twigs.
The shredded remains of the vines fell uselessly into the bloody waters below, their regenerative capabilities overwhelmed by the sheer force of the attack.
Korrin swallowed hard, but he quickly steadied himself. "It's just an Elite Tier 4," he muttered under his breath, trying to calm the rising fear.
Soon he began to analyze, "Not a general class." That was some small comfort, at least. If this had been a general-class Tier 4, they would all be doomed.
But even still, reaching Tier 4 meant this Murloc was in a completely different league from the lower-tier creatures they had been fighting up until now.
The Murloc's beady red eyes fixed on Korrin, its gaze filled with hunger and malice, not much different from other Murlocs.
It was an unmistakable sign that the beast had chosen him as its next prey.
However, if he was still a rare quality Fire Mage, he wouldn't have dared to face it, but it's different now.
He was upgraded to General quality, and since the beginning of the Trial, he gained hundreds of Evolutionary points himself, which he used to improve his own strength to peak Tier 3, his current attributes are not much different compared to the Tier 4 Murloc.
Observing the mindless beast charging at him, he felt little pressure. He commanded his subordinates to deal with the other Murlocs while he himself charged towards the Tier 4 Murloc.