The high temperature and explosive power of the Fireball Skill were enough to instantly turn any creature to charcoal. Only Professionals who had reached the rank of Upper Apprentice could mitigate the damage from the Fireball Skill using their own Protection Skills.

Of course, the Fiery Demon was not without weaknesses. Although its ranged attack was terrifying, its close-combat abilities were relatively limited; it wasn't even a match for the smaller Little Inferior Demons. Moreover, the interval between casting its Fireball Skill was also quite long. This meant that if one could withstand the first round of attacks and quickly close the distance, even ordinary soldiers could inflict serious damage on the Fiery Demon.

However, no one dared to approach this Rare Demon now. At its feet, several charred, curled-up bundles lay quietly. They were the remains of several reckless guards who had tried to stop the demon's advance, only to be ruthlessly consumed by the hellish flames. The orb of light in the Rare Demon's hands was like the kiss of death, giving those warriors a taste of a true burning hell.

The wooden walls protecting the Shelter were under fierce attack. Flames spread along the wood, crackling loudly. Although the builders had done their best to fireproof the walls with soil, the fireballs from this Fiery Demon were Magic Flames. These supernatural flames easily pierced the earthen defenses, turning the wooden wall into a gigantic torch, as if heralding doomsday for all life within the Shelter.

At this critical moment, the middle-aged Warrior NPC beside Fang Zhou stepped forward, his face etched with anxiety.

"Senior Sergeant Fang Zhou," he said urgently, "the new leader of the Shelter is a Punishment Ranger named Li Guang. He has the strength of an Upper-rank Apprentice, and his arrows pose an extraordinary threat to that Fiery Demon. We must take measures to disrupt the Demon Army's actions to create an opportunity for Li Guang to land a killing blow."

Fang Zhou nodded slightly; a plan was already forming in his mind. According to Lu Renjia's strategy guide, in the simple-difficulty Shelter Defense Battle, there were indeed some powerful NPC Professionals who could serve as allies, such as the middle-aged Warrior NPC beside him and the aforementioned Punishment Ranger, Li Guang. They were all early human Professionals who had survived countless life-and-death trials hunting demons.

Although the combat power of these survivors wasn't particularly impressive compared to the current cadets of the Sea City Military Academy, it was a different story for the cadets. They benefited from decades of exploration and development, which had allowed them to establish a comprehensive growth system. Still, in the current Shelter Defense Battle, these survivors were considered invaluable assets.

At that moment, Fang Zhou also saw that some effective resistance had been organized within the Shelter, which was besieged by the Demon Army. An elite Archer wielding a Silver Fir Wood Longbow quickly ran to the lookout tower. From a commanding height, he began his long-range assault.

This archer must be the Punishment Ranger, Li Guang, that the middle-aged warrior NPC mentioned.

His Silver Fir Wood Longbow gleamed coldly under the moonlight, and every draw of the bowstring spelled the end for a Little Inferior Demon. His arrows streaked through the night sky like lightning, consecutively felling three, four, and then even more Little Inferior Demons, stunning the Demon Army.

Li Guang's heroic display naturally drew the attention of the Rare Demon. A fireball wreathed in black smoke formed and shot toward the lookout tower.

Li Guang keenly sensed the approaching danger and leaped from the lookout tower without hesitation. Just as he landed, the few Shelter guards who had just reached his side also realized the peril and reacted decisively.

With a deafening BOOM, the fireball struck the lookout tower precisely, turning it into a blazing torch that illuminated half the night sky.

Under the fire's glow, the refugees inside the Shelter watched this scene in horror. They heard bloodcurdling, hoarse screams coming from the lookout tower. In this sudden disaster, one guard was unfortunately caught in the blast. Whether by good luck or bad, his left arm was grazed by the flames from the fireball's explosion. His leather armor and the hunting bow in his hand instantly caught fire, and the flames began to devour his arm.

At this critical moment, Li Guang's gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, he drew the short knife from his waist and cleanly severed the guard's left arm, preventing the fire from spreading to the rest of his body and sparing him a more gruesome torment.

Crimson blood spurted out, and the air filled with the stench of scorched flesh. The guard's face was ashen, but he made no sound, merely clenching his jaw tightly against the excruciating pain. Li Guang then produced a clean cloth and quickly bandaged the guard's wound, doing his best to stanch the blood flow.

Meanwhile, two other guards came forward to help. They carefully supported their injured comrade and led him away from the danger zone. Li Guang then picked up his Silver Fir Wood Longbow again and resumed his post on the front line.

Standing in the misty forest, Fang Zhou witnessed this scene from afar through the eyes of Gugu, the Pearl Bird. He immediately realized he could no longer just stand by and watch.

Every challenge in the Simulation Battlefield came with a completion evaluation. This evaluation was a comprehensive assessment based on the trialist's overall performance in the Simulation Battlefield.

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