Chapter 80

The BOSS phase was going exceptionally smoothly. Of course, the difficulty of this BOSS wasn't in the early stages; the real challenge was the chaotic fireball attack in the later stages. However, the Abyssal Dungeon had some slight variations. For example, the BOSS activated a skill not found in normal dungeons when its health dropped to 80%.

"Let me show you the power I have newly acquired," the half-dragon Didi Xite roared, and a black mist immediately filled the hall. The BOSS's attack speed noticeably increased under the cover of the black mist, and Li Huailin noticed that the attack power had also become more intense.

"The BOSS's attack power and speed have increased," Li Huailin reported. Now, a single hit could deal over 400 damage, an increase of nearly one-third.

"Standing in the black mist causes damage, 200 per hit," Hongchen Yanyu was the first to speak.

"No wonder my health pressure decreased despite the increased attack power. It's because of this," Li Huailin checked his combat log and found that the black mist was actually restoring 200 health points per second. This meant that the BOSS's effective attack power had actually decreased.

However, this was a good thing for Li Huailin, but it was almost a disaster for Hongyue and the others. They had around 1000 health points, and standing in the black mist would bring them down in about five to six seconds. Especially Hongchen Yanyu, who had just been hit by the BOSS's piercing skill and hadn't fully recovered, was now in even greater danger.

"Don't panic, we have the sword," Hongyue reacted quickly, having heard the BOSS mention "new power." This clearly indicated that players should use the quest item obtained from Count Devalion. With this in mind, Hongyue immediately opened her inventory and planted the knight's sword in the ground in front of her.

The result was unexpected. She thought the black mist would dissipate upon the sword being planted, but in reality, only a small area around the sword was cleared, not the entire hall. The black mist was only dispelled within a radius of about two meters around the sword.

"This knight's sword has a limited range of effect!" Hongyue immediately said.

"Everyone, move to Hongyue's side immediately!" Li Huailin shouted while continuing to fight.

Of course, the team members reacted quickly. They had already been suffering from the black mist and immediately rushed to Hongyue. Fortunately, the battle area wasn't very large, and a one- to two-second reaction time was enough for everyone to get into position. Although no one died, everyone's health was significantly depleted.

"Caught off guard, this is our first time. If we had known about the range, we would have gathered together earlier," Hongchen Yanyu looked at his nearly depleted health and said with a sigh of relief.

"How are you, Huailin?" Hongyue asked, concerned. The range of the knight's sword's protection didn't cover Li Huailin's position, and she thought he was in danger from both the BOSS's attacks and the black mist.

In reality, it wasn't as bad as she thought. Although the BOSS's attack speed had increased, it wasn't to the point of one hit per second. The black mist was restoring 200 health points per second, making Li Huailin even safer.

"Fine, feeling good," Li Huailin replied casually.

"Brother-in-law, quickly come over here," Hongyan Heishui, without checking Li Huailin's health bar, shouted.

"No," Hongyue immediately said, "The BOSS uses cleave and fire breath, both area attacks. If Huailin pulls the BOSS over here, everyone will suffer."

"Can the sword be moved to a different position?" Hongchen Yanyu asked.

"I tried, but it can't be moved once it's planted," Hongyue said. "We didn't know the sword had a limited range. If we had, we could have found a position that covers the main tank and doesn't face the dragon's head toward the group. Now, any adjustment of the dragon's head could wipe out a large area."

"Let's keep fighting like this; I'm fine for now," Li Huailin said proactively. "It seems the BOSS's positioning is crucial. Pay attention to two things: first, the BOSS's piercing skill might hit more than one person, so spread out."

As soon as Li Huailin said this, everyone realized their positioning was too close and immediately started to spread out.

"Second," Li Huailin continued, "as Hongyue mentioned, during the BOSSRUSH phase, the BOSS will target the closest player with fireballs. Be cautious."

"Huailin, I have a problem; I can't reach the BOSS," the melee Hongyue suddenly said. Warriors had no ranged attack abilities, and their position was about five to six meters away from the BOSS, making her feel like a spectator.

"Then help others with bandages," Li Huailin said. "This is the most stable phase. If I move the BOSS, it could be dangerous."

Hongyue nodded. Stability was indeed the priority. Fortunately, she had bandages, which were crafted by the physician profession and could restore 15 health points per second for 8 seconds. They could be used on both oneself and other players, but the effect would be interrupted if the player took damage.

Everyone had been damaged by the black mist, so Hongyue immediately started bandaging Hongchen Yanyu, who needed it the most.

"Taste my wrath!" At that moment, the half-dragon Didi Xite roared again.

"Someone is about to get impaled!" Li Huailin's words were barely out when he was launched into the air by a fire spike that emerged from the ground.

"Damn!"

"HAHAHAHA." The girls all laughed.

"This is not scientific. Why do so many women not get impaled, but I do? Didi Xite, do you have a thing for men?" Li Huailin couldn't help but say.

"Stop explaining, this is definitely a matter of luck," Hongchen Yanyu continued to tease.

"This is definitely a matter of the BOSS's sexual orientation. I refuse to accept it's about luck," Li Huailin said, "And you, who has been impaled before, have no right to criticize me."

"That's not the point. You are the one to watch out for," Hongchen Yanyu laughed, "Fortunately, I started recording from the beginning. Videos like 'Awesome Guy gets impaled by BOSS'..."

"Damn!" Li Huailin was speechless.

"Stop joking, Huailin. How is the BOSS's skill damage?" Hongyue could see Li Huailin's health bar, which had only dropped by about one-third, but she still wanted to check.

"It seems the skill can be mitigated by fire resistance. I took over 350 piercing damage and about 120 fall damage, which is manageable," Li Huailin replied. "There's no immediate danger, and I think the threat is stable, so no need to worry about OT."

"Yanyu, keep attacking. The current skills aren't much of a threat. Save your mana for now. When the BOSS's health drops to 20%, everyone pause to recover some mana and health. Then, follow my lead to enter the BOSSRUSH phase," Hongyue said.

"Got it," everyone nodded.

"Too bad we don't have a Frost Enhancement Potion," Hongchen Yanyu said regretfully. She had a Fire Enhancement Potion, but it only increased fire damage and was used for leveling, not helpful in this situation.

"Frost Enhancement Potions aren't available in the auction house. I checked," Hongyue had already prepared, but unfortunately, they weren't available. "No matter, with this rhythm, we should be able to make it. Everyone, keep it up."

The basic BOSS skills had been dealt with, and the rest of the battle went smoothly. The BOSS, aside from relentlessly attacking Li Huailin and occasionally impaling a few people, didn't use any other skills. The team slowly fought on, and the BOSS's health was now approaching the critical 20% mark.

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