Chapter 15: Reaching a Bottleneck

"Fall back! Warriors, get into defensive positions!" Windfire No Tears commanded calmly, fully aware that if the Lizard Leader managed to strike, the ranged classes behind him wouldn't be able to withstand even a single hit.

But the boss-level monster was incredibly fast. Windfire Roaring Waves and Windfire Grounded, who had stabilized and were rushing back, couldn't keep up. In mere moments, the Lizard Leader was already upon the mages, its razor-sharp teeth glinting ominously. A chill ran down everyone's spine, and the air felt tense and frozen.

Backstab!

A -50 damage appeared over the Lizard Leader—it was Ye Hen, who had arrived first to strike. The speed of an assassin was unparalleled.

The Lizard Leader paused momentarily but didn't shift its aggression due to the 50 points of damage. Instead, it sped up towards Windfire No Tears and the others. Its razor-sharp teeth were now mere inches away from the frontmost Windfire No Tears.

"Die!" Ye Hen, his expression calm, delivered a quick reverse stab into the Lizard Leader's tail, a critical hit flashing a red -68 above it.

Unfortunately, the Lizard Leader had already launched its attack. Though momentarily halted, its thick head still collided forcefully with Windfire No Tears.

Bang!

Windfire No Tears took the hit, and a -110 appeared above his head, leaving him with just a sliver of health.

Ye Hen only managed a quick glance at Windfire No Tears, then turned to face the oncoming Lizard Leader. Windfire No Tears was now enveloped in a faint yellow glow—a Mage's life-saving spell, Magic Shield, which absorbs 50% of incoming damage for 10 seconds. Even half a year after the game's launch, Magic Shield spellbooks were highly sought after. It seemed fitting that someone of Windfire No Tears' caliber would already possess it.

With these thoughts, Ye Hen's movements faltered briefly, causing him to be struck by the Lizard Leader's spiked tail, taking a -150 hit.

Startled, Ye Hen quickly took a minor healing potion, then retaliated with a stab to the Lizard Leader's head, dealing -30 damage.

By now, Windfire Roaring Waves finally arrived, delivering a heavy blow to the Lizard Leader and using Taunt to draw its aggression.

Relieved, Ye Hen looked toward the back of the team. After a brief disruption, the ranged classes, under Windfire No Tears' command, resumed their effective output.

Windfire No Tears also glanced over at Ye Hen, impressed by his decisive strikes and composed maneuvers. If only his own guild had such a skilled player. Although Windfire No Tears was adept, he wasn't on par with the top-tier players on the professional rankings. Ye Hen, though perhaps just shy of those elites, was undoubtedly among the top.

Ye Hen, his face impassive, continued his attacks at intervals, oblivious to Windfire No Tears' thoughts. In their previous life, Ye Hen and Windfire No Tears were roughly equal in skill, but now, the gap was evident. After all, the early stages of any game were a period of transition; mastering it during this phase made later gameplay far easier. Ye Hen had lived through this period, but he was still working on mastering the intricacies.

Ye Hen was well aware of his limits. Despite his rebirth, he didn't entertain any thoughts of being invincible. Every game has its share of top players, especially in a game like Sword of Dominion, where skilled players were as numerous as grains of sand. While there weren't many players better than Ye Hen, they definitely existed. Besides making money, Ye Hen also had to consider how to protect himself, as setups and betrayals were commonplace in games.

"Increase DPS! The boss is almost down!" Windfire No Tears commanded, as the boss's health dropped to 5%.

Boom! Boom!

Two fireballs struck the Lizard Leader, and suddenly, it let out a long, eerie cry. The scales on its body began glowing a deep red, like it was enveloped in dark crimson flames.

"It's the boss's death throes! Warriors, hold aggro!" Windfire No Tears shouted. As a seasoned guild leader, he had faced countless bosses and recognized this final berserk attack. Surviving this would mean victory.

Windfire Roaring Waves gripped his massive sword tightly, striking the boss with a heavy blow, not daring to underestimate the beast cloaked in red light.

The Lizard Leader reared back, then leapt forward, smashing into Windfire Roaring Waves with lightning speed, sending him flying several meters. He crashed into the ground, a -230 hit draining his health to near-empty.

Reacting swiftly, Windfire Grounded filled the gap, raising his axe and striking the boss.

The Lizard Leader roared, thrashing its head toward Windfire Roaring Waves, who was also knocked back with only a sliver of health remaining.

In a crucial moment, Ye Hen knew that if he held back any longer, the whole team could be wiped out. Having invited them, he couldn't let that happen.

Ye Hen dashed forward, launching a reverse stab into the Lizard Leader's head, followed by a flurry of attacks that drew its aggro to himself.

The Lizard Leader, radiating red light like a beast born from flames, locked its eerie, now crimson eyes on Ye Hen.

"Roar!" It bellowed, charging at Ye Hen with unstoppable force.

Ye Hen gripped his horn dagger, knowing he couldn't afford to be hit. The warriors had taken 230 damage each; with his defense and health, a hit from the Lizard Leader would be fatal.

The tenser the moment, the calmer Ye Hen became. Perhaps it was due to his rebirth, but his mental fortitude far surpassed that of ordinary players. He twisted to the right, sidestepping the boss's charge, and, as it lunged past, he darted forward to land a backstab into its glowing red back.

System: Dagger Mastery proficiency increased. Current level: Novice 90%.

Remaining calm in the face of the boss's frenzied counterattack, Ye Hen delivered another stab to its long tail without hesitation.

The Lizard Leader screeched, flailing its spiked tail madly at Ye Hen.

Ye Hen sprang into the air, narrowly evading the lethal swipe, and in a remarkable move, struck again mid-air, stabbing into the Lizard Leader's body. Few players at this stage could execute an attack mid-dodge!

Windfire No Tears and the others looked on in shock. They had never imagined one could launch a precise attack while evading. For them, successfully dodging alone was impressive; attempting to counterattack was unthinkable.

Under their astonished gazes, Ye Hen's face remained calm as he unleashed a steady stream of attacks on the Lizard Leader. Struck repeatedly, the Lizard Leader's red glow dimmed, and its death throes were nearing an end. Once it faded, the boss would be powerless.

System: Dagger Mastery proficiency increased. Current level: Novice 100%.

System: Your Dagger Mastery has reached its maximum. Visit your class trainer to upgrade this skill.

Ye Hen was momentarily taken aback—it had reached 100% so quickly. In his past life, he had only reached intermediate level ten days into the game. A bright smile spread across his face.

By now, Windfire Roaring Waves and Windfire Grounded, fully healed by the healer, had also returned. A taunt from Windfire Roaring Waves kept the boss's attention as its health dwindled to just 3%.

Ye Hen remained in the fray, knowing the Lizard Leader was no longer a threat and focusing purely on dealing damage.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ranged classes resumed their attacks, unleashing a torrent of damage on the Lizard Leader. After a few more minutes, with a final anguished cry, the Lizard Leader collapsed onto the rocky ground.

TL Note:

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