The mob farm blew up!
As this terrifying fact dawned on them, everyone's expressions changed drastically.
Normally, with their current equipment, dealing with a few zombies and skeletons would be a walk in the park.
But the problem was that they were in the Crisis Challenge. The zombies had undergone multiple rounds of buffs; they didn't even fear sunlight anymore, and fire damage was useless against them!
They could climb, ignored the sun, and possessed high health and damage. Some even had special attribute bonuses.
Aside from their inability to place blocks, they were stronger than many average players. And in this situation, the mob farm had exploded?
In the blink of an eye, a dense swarm of zombies began raining down from the sky.
A sea of green flooded the small platform!
"How did a Creeper explode?"
"That damn baby zombie! Where did it even come from?!"
"Quick, catch it! Kill it!"
"It's no use! It's too fast—we can't catch it!"
"Oakmoor! Soren Park! Save me!"
Soren Park had used an Ender Pearl to escape to a safe distance, but many other contestants were still standing there in a daze.
They were quickly targeted by the Chicken Jockeys and forced into combat.
Lacking high stats and decent gear, they stood little chance against the buffed Chicken Jockeys. Several contestants were killed instantly.
"Run!"
Realizing how bad the situation was, Mark scrambled to retreat back the way he had come.
But zombies, skeletons, and Creepers were still falling from the sky, blocking his path.
He had no choice but to order the Spartan Warriors to clear the way.
After finally leaping back to the access path, he and Kira Oakmoor reached a safe spot and broke the blocks behind them.
Looking back at the chaos on the platform, they were paralyzed with shock.
There were zombies everywhere!
The contestants who couldn't escape in time were already dead, and their deaths triggered the Creepers' special trait, causing them to ignite and detonate.
A massive number of monsters had already tumbled into the lower level, caught in the secondary layer of cobweb defenses.
Teleporting to Kira Oakmoor's side with an Ender Pearl, cold sweat poured down Soren Park's face.
He had nearly died!
Fortunately, he had been quick-witted enough to use another contestant as a meat shield to block the skeleton's arrows, avoiding the debuffs.
Otherwise, even with an Ender Pearl, his survival would have been unlikely.
Though he was alive, Mark's heart was aching.
"My Spartan Warriors!"
To cover their retreat, four Spartan Warriors had fought a desperate rearguard action against the zombies.
Mark had genuinely invested in them; each was fully decked out in at least a full set of iron armor.
However, there were simply too many zombies. Coupled with the skeletons' debuffs and the Creepers' indiscriminate bombing, they didn't stand a chance.
Their health was the same as a normal player's, and their combat skills weren't much better. In the end, they were slain where they stood, and even their iron armor was vaporized by the Creeper blasts.
Those Spartan Warriors had cost him a fortune to convert!
He had dreamed of building a legion to dominate the land, and now it was all gone.
"Being alive is already a blessing," Kira Oakmoor sighed, trying to comfort him.
She sighed as she tried to console the distraught man.
It was true—surviving was a win. Aside from the few who escaped, three other contestants had perished in this freak accident.
The Alliance's numbers were dwindling by the day, dangerously close to dropping into the single digits!
Beyond the screen, the chat was exploding with confusion.
"Where the hell did that Chicken Jockey come from?!"
"How is this possible? The farm was built perfectly! How could one Chicken Jockey ruin the whole thing?"
"Good God, our design is identical to Galen Yu's! Why does his work while ours fails miserably?"
"Galen Yu doesn't even have zombies or skeletons spawning in his farm. Why is that?!"
"I've never even seen a Chicken Jockey before today. Is the Block World specifically targeting us?"
"Exactly! I've never seen one either. This is definitely rigged!"
"Unfair! We protest!"
Because Chicken Jockeys had never been seen before, many viewers were calling for a protest.
Galen Yu never faced them, yet the Alliance did. If that wasn't a rigged game, what was?
The Blonde Elder was equally perplexed.
"Strange... the structure looks exactly like the one Galen Yu built. Why didn't ours work?"
The Nether Portal was a bust! The Creeper Farm was a bust!
Even the Ender Pearl method for finding the End was a failure!
The Block World was supposed to be fair and impartial. Was it truly singling them out now?
The worst part was, they didn't even have anyone to complain to.
Confused, furious, and shocked, the Blonde Elder was a whirlwind of emotions.
Meanwhile, at the Research Institute, Headmaster Quill couldn't help but chuckle.
Because he watched Galen Yu more closely, he had seen the truth.
"It's not about unfair targeting. It's simply that the Alliance is too incompetent!"
Just because things look the same on the outside doesn't mean they are. Chocolate is dark, and so is waste. You can eat chocolate, but can you eat waste?
From the perspective of ethics, humanity, health, or nutrition—the answer is a resounding no.
"While Galen Yu's farm also has a high ceiling, he used slabs for the roof. The internal clearance is less than two blocks."
"That completely prevents two-block-high mobs like zombies and skeletons from spawning in the first place!"
The questions that had once baffled everyone were finally answered through the Alliance's failure.
Galen Yu hadn't built his farm that high either; he wasn't relying on fall damage to kill the Creepers. He had a different trick.
Soul Campfires!
They deal continuous damage to any enemy that stands on them. This allowed the farm to be completely enclosed, preventing baby zombies or spiders from escaping.
The entire system was safe, efficient, and practical. His attention to detail was worlds apart from Soren Park's clumsy attempt.
There was no "targeting." Even if they protested, it would be pointless.
"These few builds alone are enough for global experts to study for years!"
Agreeing with a particular comment in the chat, Headmaster Quill let out a sigh of admiration.
"Go ahead and try to copy him—the secret is all in the details!"
"Go ahead and try to copy him—the secret is all in the details!"
And every single detail is vital. Omitting even one step leads to catastrophic results!
Without understanding the underlying mechanics, rushing to build leads directly to the Alliance's pathetic end!
Back at the Alliance, the remaining survivors stared at one another in silence.
"Mark, what happened?!"
Sensing the commotion, Jett and Ronan Mountwell had rushed out to assist.
They froze when they saw the literal ocean of zombies.
"The trip to the End is off, and the Mob Farm blew up..."
Despite the hint from the Sign, they hadn't accomplished a single thing.
Soren Park felt incredibly awkward. He looked at the Ender Pearl in his hand, speechless.
Why did the Mob Farm explode? Why wouldn't the Ender Pearl show the way?
These two mysteries gnawed at him, leaving him completely bewildered.
"Soren Park, don't beat yourself up over this."
Noticing Soren Park's internal struggle, Mark sighed and tried to comfort him.
He might be arrogant, but he wasn't a fool.
The Mob Farm had clearly been a success initially. Kira Oakmoor had even tested it and successfully harvested several Creepers.
It was just rotten luck that an Elite Mob had suddenly spawned!
If not for that Elite Mob, the Mob Farm would have worked perfectly fine!
"Let's put the Mob Farm on hold for now."
Mark's mouth twitched as he looked at the distant zombies with a dark expression.
Fortunately, he had followed Jett's advice and hadn't built the farm near their core base. Otherwise, they would be in a world of hurt right now.
Even so, the loss stung. He had lost all his Spartan Warriors and three Alliance members.
He didn't care about three minor nations disappearing from history, but the loss of manpower was a blow. He'd have fewer lackey to do his bidding in the future.
"The Ender Pearl wouldn't have been given for nothing. There must be a connection to the End that we're missing."
"We'll go back and study it thoroughly. We'll crack the secret eventually!"
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