Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [34]

Hu Tao propped her chin on her hand, clearly deep in thought.

"We can use elemental reactions to break their shields, but my fire can only quickly destroy an ice shield. The other shields take much longer to break, and my flames are particularly weak against fire shields."

"What about my Geo element?" Jiang Bai asked. He couldn't recall any direct elemental weaknesses for Geo—was it effective against Dendro?

"Geo and Anemo are special—they don't have direct counter elements," Hu Tao explained. "Their elemental reactions are quite limited."

"Limited how?"

"Well, Pyro and Electro react to create Overloaded, which causes an explosion."

"Pyro and Hydro make Vaporize, which intensifies damage."

"Pyro and Cryo result in Melt, where the fire melts the ice, but ice alone can't extinguish fire."

"Cryo and Hydro cause Freeze, immobilizing the target."

"Electro and Hydro create Electro-Charged, which can continuously zap enemies."

"Pyro and Dendro trigger Burning, which spreads fire."

"And Electro and Dendro produce Quicken, making Dendro reactions stronger."

Hu Tao rattled off the mechanics in one breath. It all sounded complicated, but at its core, it followed basic natural laws—fire melted ice, water extinguished flames, and so on.

"Now, Anemo and Geo are different," she continued.

"Anemo only causes Swirl, which spreads other elements, except for Geo and Dendro, which it doesn't react with."

"Geo, on the other hand, generates Crystallize when it contacts another element. It creates elemental shards that, when picked up, form a shield corresponding to that element. These shields can reduce damage from that element but don't form shields for Anemo or Dendro."

"Wait—Geo can produce Crystals?" Jiang Bai was surprised.

He had been experimenting with his element for days, yet he hadn't discovered this interaction!

So much for solo research…

Hu Tao summoned a small flame in her palm. "Try conjuring some Geo energy and see what happens."

Jiang Bai focused and summoned Geo energy. As the two elements collided, a fiery red crystal shard materialized in the air.

Curious, he reached out and touched it. Immediately, a shimmering Pyro shield enveloped him, its semi-transparent form glowing with a warm, red hue.

He tested his movement—completely unrestricted. He could attack freely, yet Hu Tao's playful strikes bounced harmlessly off the shield.

She couldn't even reach inside it.

However, the shield had a time limit and could only absorb a certain amount of damage before disappearing.

Even so, it was an incredibly useful ability.

"Alright, here's the plan," Hu Tao said. "You distract them. I'll take down the Cryo Abyss Mage first, then come help you."

Since fighting all three at once would be tough, the best approach was divide and conquer.

With the Cryo Mage gone, the remaining two would be far easier to deal with.

And with Jiang Bai's Crystallize shields, he could hold out against the other two long enough for Hu Tao to finish her job.

"Got it!"

Now that they had a strategy, Jiang Bai wasted no time.

Protected by his shield, he hefted his weapon and charged straight at the Abyss Mages.

The three, who had been dancing around their bonfire, immediately took notice. Without hesitation, they summoned their shields.

Floating within their barriers, they brandished their staffs and began chanting in an unfamiliar tongue.

The Pyro Abyss Mage was the first to teleport in front of Jiang Bai, raising its staff. Flames erupted from the ground, engulfing him in a fiery inferno.

Jiang Bai remained unfazed. His Crystallize shield held strong, and even if it broke, his Geo energy would generate a new one almost instantly.

But his goal wasn't to fight—his job was to keep them busy.

Ignoring the flames, he barreled through the fire and rushed toward the Hydro Abyss Mage. He swung his weapon, slamming it against the Mage's shield with a heavy crack.

The Cryo Abyss Mage, sensing danger, teleported further away.

But that played right into their plan.

Hu Tao sprang from the shadows, her polearm blazing with flames. She struck the Cryo shield head-on, and the ice instantly began to melt.

Not stopping for a second, she unleashed a flurry of fiery attacks. Under the intense heat, the shield shattered.

The Cryo Abyss Mage, still in the middle of chanting, was forcibly interrupted and tumbled to the ground.

Everyone knew that an unshielded Abyss Mage was as fragile as paper.

Hu Tao, well-versed in monster combat, didn't waste the opportunity.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered massive Pyro energy within her. As her ghost companion emerged, a scorching wave of fire surged forth, engulfing the Cryo Mage.

The Abyss Mage writhed in agony, but in mere moments, it was reduced to nothing but ash, its body crumbling like a shattered stone pillar.

Even from a distance, Jiang Bai felt the heat.

Though he wasn't standing next to Hu Tao, the sheer intensity of her flames flushed his face red.

Safe within his shield, Jiang Bai smacked his lips. Damn… the Director is terrifying.

She could probably burn me to ashes with a single thought.

With the first Mage eliminated, Hu Tao didn't pause.

A butterfly-shaped illusion flickered around her as she vanished into thin air.

An instant later, she reappeared beside the Hydro Abyss Mage.

In response, a swarm of water orbs rose from the ground, attempting to trap her.

Hu Tao swept her polearm, shattering the bubbles before they could reach her.

"I've got this one!" she called out.

"Alright!" With Hu Tao taking some of the pressure, Jiang Bai felt a lot more at ease.

He wasn't sure what those water bubbles did, but he doubted getting caught in them would end well.

Avoiding them, he set his sights on the Pyro Abyss Mage, who was still inside its shield, chanting an ominous spell.

As it finished, three fiery, bird-shaped projectiles appeared, locking onto Jiang Bai.

Just before they could strike, a Geo pillar erupted from the ground, lifting Jiang Bai into the air.

The Pyro Abyss Mage shrieked, irritated that its attack had missed. The three flame birds adjusted course, continuing to track him.

Meanwhile, the Mage waved its staff again, preparing another spell.

Jiang Bai's Geo shield flickered, indicating it was about to break.

Not good.

As a fireball hurtled toward him, his shield shattered—only for a new one to form instantly.

Bending his knees, Jiang Bai launched himself forward, wielding his spiked club like a battering ram.

Seeing his sudden charge, the Pyro Abyss Mage flinched, even within its shield.

Realizing Jiang Bai couldn't break through, it let out a mocking shriek, growing bold once more.