A blinding arrow of light shot from Biri’s staff, streaking like a meteor in the night sky. It existed only briefly in the players’ eyes before piercing through the nightmare’s massive form.
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My already low HP dropped by about a fifth. Combined with the players’ relentless attacks, my situation was dire.
Breaking free from the control effects, I lashed out with a slender whip-shadow, instantly killing the players who’d used scrolls and hadn’t yet retreated.
I glanced at the cleric’s figure in the distance, eyes flickering, and commanded the enraged nightmare—furious from the damage—to attack.
The shadowy arm rose high, rapidly condensing and expanding, then slammed down toward her position.
“Protect the target!”
“Raise your shields, hold the line!”
The elite squads from Roseheart, Eternal Spire, and Starry Myth weren’t about to let their quest target take damage. They’d already formed a buffer zone of defensive classes.
Even Stormwind, Ares, and Epic of the Empire weren’t far behind, bolstering the defensive line.
The black giant hand smashed down, sending elite squad players flying. Despite their defensive buffs, they couldn’t avoid being killed by the massive attack.
But the shadow’s assault weakened as players kept filling the gaps, finally halting just a dozen yards from Biri, its momentum spent.
Slightly surprised, I didn’t stop. With my red-and-white dress spinning, the black whip and nightmare’s hand swept out in concentric arcs, instantly killing players within a dozen yards while knocking down incoming magic and arrows.
“Not a bad attack,” Biri said, panting, her tone admiring.
Meeting her jade-green eyes, I smiled faintly. “Thanks for the compliment, big sister.”
“But your panties are showing.”
“!?” I stumbled, hastily pressing down my skirt, teeth gritted in embarrassment. “Enough talk, just die already!”
Using the spin’s momentum, the nightmare’s misty palm condensed into three sharp, slender spear-shadows, hurled at the arc’s end.
The elite squads, their defensive lines shredded and unable to regroup, had no chance against my full-power attack.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t fulfill Miss Lilina’s wish.”
But meeting Biri’s confident gaze, I realized I’d overlooked something.
“Bemira, Daisy, stop her.”
Biri, in her white robe, placed her hand on her staff, chanting another complex spell.
“Leave it to us.”
Two golden figures appeared amidst the players, raising shields as unyielding as an empire’s walls, their glowing auras signaling full defensive readiness.
In the distance, Him’s eyes flickered. She raised her staff, and a white light fell on the two knights.
The next moment, the three spear-shadows, like Odin’s spears, struck with terrifying force.
The crowd in their path was killed on contact.
“Get out of the way!”
“Don’t tank that!”
The players scattered in panic, but few could react to the spears’ speed.
A vacuum zone seven or eight yards wide formed instantly.
Bemira and Daisy finally faced the ferocious assault.
Bang, bang, bang.
The three massive spear-shadows slammed into their shields. Even fully prepared, they staggered back several steps, with hundreds of damage numbers popping above their heads.
The glow on their shields dimmed instantly, and their sturdy armor showed jagged dents.
But even as the final spear fell, it couldn’t pierce their defense or deal critical damage.
They blocked it.
Bemira and Daisy relaxed slightly, drawing their gray knight hammers from their waists.
“Miss Lilina, just give up.”
“It’s our turn to counterattack.”
But when they looked up, the figure before them had vanished, leaving only a smug voice.
“Only an idiot would surrender.”
The final use of [Eternal Night Dash] activated, my swift shadow evading the two knights. Darting through a few random targets, I appeared instantly near the clerics.
Crap.
Bemira and Daisy’s hearts sank. Despite their urgency, they couldn’t reach their allies in time, only watching as the petite figure neared their companions.
“See ya, big sisters.”
Clearing the surrounding players in an instant, I faced the panicked expression before me, raising my slender arm. The nightmare mimicked me, slamming its black hand down.
Bang.
But to everyone’s surprise, Biri was only pushed back half a step, with just double-digit damage above her head.
At the same time, shocked cries rang out. Players from Stormwind and other guilds noticed Him’s face turn deathly pale, her holy aura fading.
“Him?” Biri, surprised at her own lack of injury, realized something and turned her tense gaze to the other side.
If I didn’t know what happened by now, my past-life experience would be for nothing.
Life Covenant.
A skill that lets a Priest share HP with a teammate, absorbing part of their damage—one of the best late-game group dungeon skills for keeping the main tank alive.
I wasn’t sure why a skill that should only absorb half the target’s max HP transferred most of the damage to Him, but it was likely the same as Kai’s case—
The consequence of using a high-level skill at a low level.
No need to hesitate.
“Crap, interrupt her! Warriors and Paladins, get in there!” Seeing my red eyes turn back, Blue Ocean, guarding Him, shrank his pupils and urgently ordered his team.
But neither the incoming control skills nor the Rogues appearing could stop the massive figure. Its misty arm condensed into a black beam, blasting toward Him.
Dozens of shield-bearing Warriors and Paladins barely formed a line to block, but the defense crumbled instantly, exposing Him.
Before they could relax, another attack followed, joined by swarms of Dark Bats surging through the gaps.
“Don’t hesitate—backline, hold the breach!”
Unlike Stormwind and Ares’ hesitation, Xueying from Epic of the Empire waved decisively. Squishy classes gritted their teeth, standing in Him’s defense.
Cruel but effective, it stopped the Dark Bats’ invasion.
The black beam hit the backline, and their thin defenses, bolstered by numbers, absorbed most of the attack. By the time it reached Him, she was left with a sliver of HP.
Success.
The players’ spirits lifted, and Bemira and Daisy sighed in relief.
But they didn’t stop moving. Bemira rushed to protect Him, while Daisy hurled her hammer from afar to disrupt a certain vampire’s attack.
Biri abandoned her offensive spell, switching to a control spell. White light flickered from her staff, forming chains that lunged at me.
With the players’ interference, my plan to take out the wounded cleric seemed doomed.
But the corners of my mouth curled into a faint smile.
“Not exactly a cute move, little sister.”
As Him, pale-faced, hid behind Bemira to heal herself, a sudden change occurred.