Chapter Eighteen: A Battle of Unyielding Hardship

Divine Word: Break, one of the most potent priestly abilities, was cast upon Li Ren with undeniable effect. Instantly, his defensive attributes were reduced by 30%, and the shield warrior’s attacks, which previously dealt around 150 damage per strike, now soared beyond 200. That wasn’t even accounting for the inherent holy bonuses, nor the additional 30% increase in power!

Of the two priests, one focused entirely on applying buffs and attacking, while the other was dedicated to healing and support.

This did not yet consider the rogue and Mo Ran, who had been biding their time. The two of them stood at the rear, observing with cold detachment. Only when the moment seemed ripe did the rogue surge forward. After just two steps, he vanished entirely, and in the blink of an eye, great numbers—300, 300, 400—flashed above Li Ren’s head.

Indeed, this was the rogue’s handiwork. From the instant he disappeared, the melee field became his stage. He moved like a dancer in the shadows, his every strike a masterful flourish—backstab, eviscerate, gouge—an elegant, unearthly torrent of blows raining down upon Li Ren, as mysterious and dazzling as his sudden appearance behind Li Ren’s back.

Li Ren ignored their damage, tightening his grip on his weapon, finally making the shield warrior before him and the priest behind feel the mounting pressure.

All the while, he waited. He waited for the one who had yet to act, the one standing at the rear, calmly watching everything unfold—Mo Ran.

At last, Mo Ran moved. He lifted his staff high, silent incantation rippling with overwhelming magical energy. There was no visible gathering of power, yet Li Ren felt a deep sense of foreboding.

The chanting lasted at least five seconds. To allow a mage such time to cast, the spell must be formidable—especially coming from one of the rarest hidden classes granted by the system: the Mage among mages, the Whisperer of Shadows.

Mo Ran pointed his staff at Li Ren. Instantly, a crushing force pressed down from above, slowing Li Ren’s movements dramatically.

Ordinarily, boss-level entities were completely immune to speed-reducing spells of this kind! Yet, it was happening—his attack speed had been clearly curtailed, and the system had not auto-immune’d the effect. This meant Mo Ran’s skill could forcibly slow even boss-level foes, overriding the system’s rules.

Li Ren suddenly felt the strain. He had no idea how many such spells Mo Ran might have in reserve, but this single display was enough to set him apart above all others.

A mage who could exert even minor control over a boss—what did that mean? It meant a wholly new kind of team, with him at the center, a living bug who could lower the difficulty of any raid—such a figure had just been born!

As Mo Ran raised his staff again and began that godlike incantation, Li Ren’s heart steadily chilled.

He still had his two trump cards—Reflective Shield and Resurrection—each usable only once per battle but sufficient to guarantee his survival. Now, he would see just what these people were capable of, and just how powerful Mo Ran truly was.

After another five-second incantation, Mo Ran’s second spell burst forth—“Shadow Word: Annihilate!”

A jet-black beam, heavy with the stench of death, crashed down from above, striking Li Ren like a thunderbolt. Had he not been watching Mo Ran’s every move, he wouldn’t have had time to block at all.

He mustered every ounce of strength to raise his shield. The black beam struck the Beacon Shield—there was no sound, and upon contact, both forces seemed to vanish. But the battlefield told a different story.

Li Ren’s health bar was instantly drained by nearly a third, a massive, staggering figure flashing overhead—20,000!

A single strike for 20,000 damage! What kind of concept was this?

Not only Li Ren, but everyone present wore expressions of utter shock; none had ever seen a boss lose so much health to a single blow.

Mo Ran—true to his reputation!

But could such a powerful skill come without drawbacks? Of course not. The system would never grant players such an easy monster-killing tool. Mo Ran, though cloaked in a voluminous black robe, could not conceal the faint tremor in his body—clearly, he was paying a price.

Indeed, Shadow Word: Annihilate was the first major skill Mo Ran had inherited as a Whisperer, and the foundation of his confidence in slaying bosses. Countless bosses had perished to his annihilation. Yet, he hadn’t anticipated that in this ultimate dungeon, bosses would have such vast health pools, nor that he’d be unable to cast Annihilate three times.

Each use of Shadow Word: Annihilate inflicted severe backlash, forcing him into a period of weakness during which all his spells’ damage would be reduced by 30%, and mana costs increased by 20%. This debilitation could only be overcome by his own natural recovery; unless he restored his MP from zero to full after casting Annihilate, he would continue to suffer both magical and physical penalties.

These effects were not subject to the system’s pain suppression—no matter how high he set the mitigation, the damage from Annihilate would still be felt directly in his body. While not excruciating, the pervasive weakness and fatigue were truly unpleasant.

One Annihilate and the initial Divine Word: Break had left Li Ren in a sorry state. The rogue behind him continued slashing away. Each strike took only a little HP, but the relentless frequency, combined with the debuff, made the cumulative damage impossible to ignore.

Confronted with this, Li Ren decided to hold back no longer. He swung his blade at the shield warrior with full force—for the first time since the battle began. The shield warrior seemed to sense the threat, bracing his shield and planting his feet firmly.

A thunderous clang rang out. The shield warrior was knocked back a full step, a massive 1,300 flashing overhead.

The priest had already prepared a healing spell before Li Ren raised his sword, but did not expect such devastating damage from a single blow.

The shield warrior’s health was only partially restored, with lingering wounds slowly healing over time. Li Ren raised his sword again for another full-powered slash. Sensing danger, the warrior roared; his muscles swelled, his height increasing by three inches! His once well-fitted armor now bulged tightly around his expanded frame, rings of white light swirling from his body to form a blurred, human-shaped aura behind him. Another slash dropped his health by half, but the two priests joined forces to heal him just in time.

Li Ren sneered inwardly. If just two ordinary attacks left them like this, what would happen if he unleashed his triple strike? The shield warrior would be slain in an instant!

Watching his own dwindling HP—just over twenty thousand left—he turned and slashed at the relentless rogue.

But the rogue was exceedingly alert. Sensing the danger, he dodged early, and Li Ren’s blade barely grazed him, taking less than half his health. The rogue retreated far away, vanishing into stealth.

With the shield warrior before him, Li Ren resolved to finish this. His Beacon Blade flashed with light, and as he prepared to unleash his triple strike—enough to kill the shield warrior on the spot—the warrior flashed a sinister smile, raising his massive shield. Li Ren had no time to ponder its meaning. He unleashed the triple strike.

“Mirror Shield Reflect!” The moment Li Ren’s triple strike landed, the shield warrior’s mirror-like shield radiated a blinding light. All the damage dealt was reflected back in an instant; the shield warrior fell, dissolving into white light, while Li Ren’s own health plummeted by over 6,000!

With the 30% debuff from Break factored in, his triple strike was wholly rebounded. Now, his health was down to 15,000—a perilous state.

But with the shield warrior gone, none of the remaining classes posed any real threat to him. And both of his trump cards remained unused.

Li Ren charged at the two priests. Both seemed prepared, fleeing in opposite directions. As he pursued one, the other continued to attack from afar.

Suddenly, after casting Shadow Word: Annihilate, Mo Ran made another move.

The moment Li Ren saw him act, a chill of pure dread welled up from within. He had no idea what was about to happen, but sensed with certainty that this time, his very life was at stake.

Just as he caught up and struck down one of the priests, his own health—under a barrage of holy spells from the other—was reduced to just ten thousand.