Chapter 106 - Ash Blade (2)
“Ao! Ao! Ao!”
The Kobold King let out an angry roar. Multiple shockwaves rolled out and struck the team, causing 60 to 70 damage to everyone with each consecutive wave. Moreover, the mages in the team were constantly forced to retreat backward by each shockwave, having no choice but to lean against a wall.
“Lowly ants! You dare taint this sacred ground with your presence?! Receive the punishment of death!” The Kobold King’s enlarged foot abruptly stomped down, causing the stone ground in a 5-yard radius to crack, and sending debris flying into the air.
After seeing this destructive power, the two MTs could not help but have a cold sweat seep down their backs. Fortunately, they had retreated a step earlier. Otherwise, the consequences of receiving that stomp would have been unimaginable.
Just as the both of them were still celebrating, the Kobold King tightly gripped onto its greatsword with both its hands. Without warning, it abruptly slashed the greatsword at the two MTs from a distance. A black streak of sword aura sliced through the air, striking across the bodies of the two players, and causing more than 600 damage to each of them.
“A sword aura area attack?”
Gentle Snow wrinkled her brows. She did not think that, after the Kobold King’s HP decreased to 30% it would actually switch to attacking from a range. Moreover, the damage it dealt was still so high that even after both MTs had activated their lifesaving skills, reducing the damage they took by 50%. The difficulty of raiding the Kobold King had suddenly increased by many folds. If the Chieftain Rank Kobold King could carry out a similar feat, then it would be quite fortunate if her previous estimates could have even a ten percent success rate.
“All healers heal the two MTs. The other ranged players, distance yourselves from the two MTs. MTs, pay attention to your positioning. Absolutely do not let yourselves come into range of the Boss. The other Warriors, prepare to use Charge to restrict the Boss,” s.h.i.+ Feng immediately commanded.
Before s.h.i.+ Feng could finish his words, the Kobold King took action.
It stepped out from the debris and abruptly rushed towards the Guardian Knight, Cola, who first held its aggro.
The Kobold King reached Cola in an instant. The Kobold King swung down its raised sword, the sword bringing along a fierce gale as it descended. Meanwhile, Cola, who had suffered over 600 damage from the previous attack, did not possess even half of his total HP. If he received this attack right now, he would die with 100% certainty.
Following the descent of the greatsword, a loud boom resounded, and a fierce gale enveloped the entire hall.
“Eh? Why am I still alive?” Cola peeped open his eyes and discovered that his surroundings had not turn pitch-black. Instead, he saw a familiar back standing in front of him. He immediately shouted in surprise, “Brother Feng!”
“Run, quickly!” Although s.h.i.+ Feng had Parried the attack with both his swords, the Kobold King was already prepared to swing out its sword a second time. Unable to use Parry any longer, s.h.i.+ Feng was left with no choice but to use out one of his lifesaving skills, Defensive Blade.
Cola dared not stay any longer, hurriedly running away. Meanwhile, the healing spells from the four healers only now landed upon Cola’s body, recovering him back to his full HP.
After running away for about two yards, Cola turned his head to the sound of stone bricks exploding in his ears and saw clouds of dust rising into the air.
Following which, s.h.i.+ Feng ran out from the dust cloud, not daring to stay even half a second longer. After all, the Berserk Kobold King possessed the capability of instant-killing him.
Just after s.h.i.+ Feng ran out of the dust cloud, the Kobold King was already hot on his heels. However, its target was not s.h.i.+ Feng, but the escaping Cola.
“Use Charge to block it!” s.h.i.+ Feng naturally would not let the Kobold King have its way.
Immediately after s.h.i.+ Feng commanded, the three spectating Berserkers started using Charge in succession. The first Charge only caused the Kobold King to pause slightly. Following it, the second Charge caused it to retreat by a single step, while the third Charge made it retreat by two steps. Although the Kobold King did not enter a Fainted state, it was sufficient just by having the knockback effect.
After they finished using Charge, the Berserkers immediately got out of the way. However, one of them was a tad bit slower, and the sword aura coming from the Kobold King’s Horizontal Slash brushed past him. Instantly, the Berserker’s HP fell down to zero, his body falling flat on the ground.
The shorter the distance, the greater the damage the Kobold King’s sword aura attack caused. Within a distance of just two to three yards, a single strike could instant-kill a full HP MT, not to mention a Berserker whose HP was inferior to an MT’s.
However, the Berserker’s death was still a worthwhile sacrifice. At the very least, the felled Berserker had managed to earn the team some time, allowing the two MTs to have a better chance of survival.
The mages had also started using restriction skills to restrict the Boss, allowing the two MTs to be more scared than hurt[1]. Amongst the skills that best restricted the Kobold King was Blackie’s Evil Whip; the Kobold King had wasted quite some time in order to escape from those thorns. The Frozen Nova from the other mages had all failed to induce a Frozen effect on the Kobold King. The mages had also used it to reduce the Kobold King’s speed, though the effects were minimal.
Time pa.s.sed bit by bit. Although Cola and Ghost Chop were chased all over the place by the Kobold King, fortunately, both of them were still able to stay alive.
Finally, the Kobold King’s Berserk ended, returning it to its original state. However, its HP recovery speed had increased considerably when it went Berserk. Its current HP was restored by more than 50%, which was over 60,000 HP!
“Attack it in rotation!” After the Kobold King’s Berserk had ended, s.h.i.+ Feng naturally would not give the Boss any leeway, immediately starting their retaliation.
With the four of them attacking in rotation, the Kobold King was once more placed in a disadvantageous position. Furthermore, the four of them were becoming more practiced with carrying out joint attacks. After a few minutes, the Kobold King’s HP had fallen to 20%.
This time, the Kobold King did not go Berserk. Instead, it abandoned its greatsword, pulling out two blood-red, one-handed longswords that had runes carved into them. It then began madly brandis.h.i.+ng its swords. The Kobold King transformed into a tornado that engulfed everything, and anything that came into contact with its blades turned to ashes.
This move was one of the Kobold King’s ultimate: Blade Storm.
“All Berserkers use Charge, then immediately retreat! Mages, use all of your restricting skills, and pay attention to avoid the tornado! Stay at least 10 yards from it!” s.h.i.+ Feng immediately shouted.
After battling up to this point, everyone in the team had become extremely trusting of s.h.i.+ Feng. Without hesitation, the Berserkers immediately used Charge.
All the Warriors, including Gentle Snow, rushed up to the Kobold King, ramming their bodies at the Kobold King. The mages all used Ice Sphere, while Blackie used Evil Whip. The seven thorn vines bound both legs of the Kobold King, immediately reducing the Kobold King’s speed greatly. The power of its rotation was also significantly weakened.
Although the speed of the Kobold King’s Blade Storm had slowed down a lot, and its might reduced slightly, there were still a few players engulfed by it, turning into meat paste in less than two seconds.
Within the Blade Storm’s duration of 15 seconds, out of the twenty players within the team, six had already died. Amongst them, there were two Berserkers, one a.s.sa.s.sin, one Cleric, one Ranger, and one Swordsman. Meanwhile, the Kobold King still had 10% of its total HP.
Seeing that the two MTs had their HP hanging by a thread, the Kobold King followed up by slas.h.i.+ng its two swords at both their necks. Just as the two MTs were about to meet their makers, s.h.i.+ Feng appeared behind the Kobold King.
Abyssal Bind!
Thundering Flas.h.!.+
Double Chop!
Nine pitch-black chains bound the Kobold King, preventing it from moving even a single step. After saving the two MTs, s.h.i.+ Feng followed up with a series of slashes on the Kobold King’s weak point. The speed at which he drew his swords was frighteningly fast.
Gentle Snow could not help but be shocked at s.h.i.+ Feng’s sword drawing speed and accuracy. However, she did not halt her actions as she continued slas.h.i.+ng at the Kobold King with her greatsword.
Within a short three seconds, everyone had taken away close to 4,000 HP from the Kobold King, plunging its HP down to a critical point.
“Ao!” The Kobold King was truly enraged now.
Following its roar, the entire hall started trembling.
This was the Kobold King’s final ultimate, Death’s Intimidation. The skill causes all enemies in a radius of 50 yards to fall into fear, unable to attack for a duration of 10 seconds.
Suddenly, everyone had fallen into fear, blankly standing still and unable to move.
At this sight, the Kobold King revealed a sneer that resembled a human’s. It brandished its twin swords as it began a ma.s.sacre. Within an instant, it had taken the lives of a Berserker and a.s.sa.s.sin.
Striking out, sword after sword, the two MTs were killed off as well. Meanwhile, not even 4 seconds had pa.s.sed since the Kobold King had used Death’s Intimidation. If the Kobold King was allowed to continue having its way, everyone would be dead when the 10 seconds were up.
After half of the entire team was dead, s.h.i.+ Feng became the Kobold King’s target...
s.h.i.+ Feng was finally able to move. Previously, he had activated his extraordinary physique[2], his resistance to fear became higher than the average player. So, the effective duration of the fear induced was also reduced by quite a lot.
However, the Kobold King’s sword was already descending. Unable to avoid it, s.h.i.+ Feng bellowed as he activated Life s.h.i.+eld. At the most critical moment, just as the Kobold King’s greatsword was about to land on s.h.i.+ Feng, the Abyssal Blade had managed to block off this attack. Following which, s.h.i.+ Feng’s entire person was sent flying from it, with a damage of over 640 points appearing above his head.
Fortunately, s.h.i.+ Feng had over 1,000 HP right now. In addition to the Life s.h.i.+eld absorbing some of the damage he took, he had managed to survive the Kobold King’s attack. However, the Life s.h.i.+eld was also destroyed by this attack.
Seeing that s.h.i.+ Feng did not die, the Kobold King became flabbergasted. It then rushed towards s.h.i.+ Feng, wanting to give him the final blow.
Phantom Kill!
Nine Dragons Slas.h.!.+
s.h.i.+ Feng’s doppelganger used Parry to block against the Kobold King’s attack. Simultaneously, the doppelganger activated Defensive Blade and was able to delay the Kobold King for quite some time.
Meanwhile, the Kobold King was receiving continuous attacks from the nine Abyssal Blades. Its HP steadily fell, leaving it with only 1% remaining.
Seeing that the Cooldown for his own Defensive Blade was finished, s.h.i.+ Feng as well activated the skill. From a distance of ten yards, s.h.i.+ Feng started attacking the Kobold King with sword auras. Damages of over 100 points kept on appearing above the Kobold King’s head, taking its HP away bit by bit.
After the Kobold King had managed to get rid of the doppelganger, its remaining HP did not even reach 300 points. Suddenly, it threw out both of its swords, sending them piercing towards s.h.i.+ Feng. Unfortunately, both swords were blocked off by s.h.i.+ Feng’s Defensive Blade. However, the Kobold King had yet to give up. It turned into a streak of shadow, appearing in front of s.h.i.+ Feng in the blink of an eye and sending a slap at s.h.i.+ Feng with its claws.
At this moment, s.h.i.+ Feng’s Thundering Flash had finished its Cooldown. Blocking the sharp claws with the Crimson Blade, s.h.i.+ Feng slashed at the Kobold King’s neck with the Abyssal Blade, the blade turning into a streak of lightning as it struck at its target.
Peng! s.h.i.+ Feng was blasted towards a wall, with only a thread of his HP remaining. On the other hand, the Kobold King lay on the floor, motionless!
s.h.i.+ Feng had also abruptly risen by a level, reaching Level 7.
A large pile of items dropped.
Amongst these items, there was one that was unusually dazzling. The item released a demonic silver glow, bringing a chill to those who laid their eyes on it.
“Ash Blade!” s.h.i.+ Feng was shocked after seeing this item.
This thing was the legendary item of Dark Moon Graveyard. In s.h.i.+ Feng’s previous life, he had only heard rumors of it, and never actually saw it before.
TL Notes:
[1]to be more scared than hurt (有驚無險): a Chinese idiom referring to something seemingly frightening/scary/soul-stirring, yet carries no danger.↩
[2]extraordinary physique: mentioned in Chapter 29. This is a state achievable when a player activates the Hidden Basic Skills for Agility, Strength/Intelligence, and Endurance simultaneously.↩