Chapter 18-Boss-Tier Creature: Goblin Commander！

Ferocious Blood-Red Eyes, Enormous Fangs.

Even while hunched over, the creature stood close to three meters tall.

It wielded a greatsword taller than Li Yao himself,

and with every step, the ground trembled slightly beneath it.

Li Yao had seen this monster before—in his high school textbooks.

Goblin Commander—

the final boss of a Hard-mode dungeon.

Li Yao cast Identification on it,

but all he got was a string of question marks.

Identification could only analyze boss-tier monsters up to 5 levels higher than himself.

Since he was level 11,

this meant the Goblin Commander was above level 16!

His textbook had clearly stated that the Goblin Commander was a level 15 boss.

"So even the bosses are strengthened in Nightmare mode?"

Li Yao felt a chill run down his spine.

"Void Mantis."

At his whispered command,

the hidden Void Mantis sprang from the shadows.

[-3201]

[-5321]

[-2041]

Shadow Break, Taste of Fear, Void Spike—

a full combo landed on the boss.

After clearing out the goblin settlement,

the Void Mantis' Strength had already reached 960.

With such overwhelming power,

even a Nightmare-tier boss couldn't withstand it!

This was the confidence that let Li Yao face Nightmare mode head-on.

The Goblin Commander howled in agony,

lifting its greatsword to strike back at the Void Mantis.

But in the next instant—

the Void Mantis vanished into thin air.

The Goblin Commander was highly intelligent.

It hesitated for only a second before shifting its focus to Li Yao.

A crushing sense of pressure descended upon him.

Then—in a flash—

the commander teleported in front of Li Yao.

The greatsword came crashing down.

Though Li Yao knew he wouldn't be injured,

the sheer killing intent made his hair stand on end.

"Boom!"

The ground beneath him exploded into a crater.

Seeing Li Yao emerge completely unharmed,

the Goblin Commander roared in disbelief,

its greatsword swinging wildly in a frenzy.

At this moment—

the Void Mantis had already repositioned.

[-6921] (Weak Point Attack!)

[-10891] (Weak Point Attack!)

Since the commander was fully focused on Li Yao,

the Void Mantis landed two precise weak point attacks—

its razor-sharp claws carving deep wounds into its chest and left shoulder.

Li Yao glanced at the health bar above the boss' head.

Estimated HP: Around 60,000.

This wasn't just terrifying—

it was absurd.

For reference—

a level 15 warrior-class player would be lucky to have 200 Strength.

With the commander's natural defense,

most players' attacks wouldn't even break through its armor.

And with 60,000 HP…

even if the boss stood still,

most teams would take over half an hour to kill it.

"Dodge!"

Li Yao barked out a command.

The Void Mantis barely evaded the commander's swing.

With its stealth ability still on cooldown,

it had no choice but to tough it out.

But the next slash was already incoming—

aimed straight at the Void Mantis.

"Predator!"

Li Yao's shout thundered through the battlefield.

A massive silhouette intercepted the strike—

Void Predator had stepped in.

[-474]

"Strength must be above 400…

as long as it doesn't use skills,

Predator can hold out for a bit."

Li Yao's mind raced.

Then—

A brilliant flash of light burst forth,

a radiant slash cutting straight into the Void Predator.

[-2164]

The Void Predator only had around 4000 HP.

After just two hits,

its health dropped to one-third!

The force of the blow sent its massive insectoid body flying,

crashing into a distant tree.

It looked battered and exhausted.

But—

Li Yao wasn't worried at all.

Everything was going according to plan.

"Use Fracture."

The ground shattered apart,

sending massive boulders flying.

The damage was negligible,

but the slow effect was extreme.

The five-second slow

was more than enough for the Void Mantis to stall until its stealth cooldown ended.

At this point—

the outcome of the battle was already decided.

The Void Mantis landed strike after strike,

carving deep wounds into the Goblin Commander's flesh.

With its movement speed crippled,

the commander couldn't land a single hit.

The moment the slow effect ended—

the Void Mantis vanished into the shadows again.

This time,it didn't wait.

[-7201] (Weak Point Attack!)

[-11451] (Weak Point Attack!)

The commander, now covered in countless wounds,

swung its greatsword in a final act of desperation.

[-371]

"As expected—this isn't a game.A dying monster isn't nearly as dangerous as one at full power.It can't even use its skills properly."

Li Yao coldly watched the dying commander.

"Predator—finish it."

The Void Predator had been waiting for this moment.

Its massive maw clamped down,

biting deep into the commander's body.

[-1557]

Its Evolution Devour ability dealt 35% of its max HP as true damage—

completely ignoring defense.

Soon,as the sound of flesh being torn apart echoed—

the Void Predator's body visibly grew larger.

A golden treasure chest appeared before Li Yao.

[Overlevel Kill: Boss-tier Creature – Goblin Commander]

[EXP +61%]

[Void Predator completed Evolution Devour – Max HP +6600]

[Obtained Nightmare-Exclusive First Kill Reward: Edgeless Greatsword (Gold)]

"A first-kill reward?"

Li Yao was genuinely surprised.

Had no one ever defeated this boss before?

Not even previous Nightmare-mode raid teams?

Then again—

60,000 HP, 400+ Strength, high combat intelligence…

What kind of five-man party could possibly take this thing down?

Maybe…

a team of five S-rank professionals would stand a chance?

Shaking off his thoughts,

Li Yao sat down and began checking his loot.

"Edgeless Greatsword… sounds like a warrior weapon.

I can't use it,

but I can trade it for a skill book."

Golden-tier gear was rarely sold for money.

Instead, it was usually bartered for valuable items.

Finally,Li Yao turned to the golden treasure chest,

rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

With zero hesitation—he opened it.

A flash of light.

Two items.

One armor piece.

One book.

[Goblin's Proof of Courage (Chestplate)]

[Quality: Gold]

[Requirements: Level 15, Strength 150, Endurance 80]

[Attributes:]

• Endurance +55, Strength +20

• (Active) Courage: Boosts Strength by 30% for 30 seconds (Summons can activate). Cooldown: 60 minutes.

• (Passive) Heavy: Reduces incoming damage by 50 per hit (Summons can activate).

[Sword Charge]

[Quality: A]

[Requirements: Level 10, Must equip a sword.]

• Dash up to 30 meters and deal 170% physical damage.

• Agility +800 while charging.

• Cooldown: 20 seconds.

Seeing the items—

Li Yao's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Jackpot!"