The sky was dark and only the moon illuminated the battle ongoing inside the old cathedral.
Lina's heart skip a beat and a smile formed on her face.
"As expected." She mumbled
Immediately, Lina glance at where Payne is and she nimbly treads forward as much as she can afraid the Slime would notice her presence.
In just three seconds she was able to reach him without a hitch and disable her skill. Her slender body resurfaced in that instant beside Payne.
"Mr. Payne, may I know what is your plan?"
Pany glances over and extend his hand to her.
"Here, take this. I will create an opening, you seize the opportunity by thrusting this dagger into the slime's body as much as you can but be careful while doing so."
Lina extend her hand and took the rusty dagger from Payne. Commanding her System through her mind, the supposed tab that should be displayed right now didn't appear which made her surprised.
Due to their urgent situation, she set aside the topic for now. Immediately, she stood aside and wait for Payne to make a move.
After she move aside, she saw Payne Blanc close his eyes and stood still. The atmosphere around him becomes calm and serene ignoring the ongoing battle not far away from him.
She then saw Payne crouch a little and put his right hand on the grip of his sword. Once his palm touches the grip, his body exudes an aura like a vortex sucking every MP he had on his body that accumulates on the single point, his right hand.
She grew anxious not because of worries but because of anticipation.
This is the third time she had witnessed this. The first time she saw this was when they fought the intermediate boss level, she can only put a single word to describe the casting preparation of this unknown skill. Beautiful. Enough for her a known Elite Player to be mesmerized by it.
She saw a lot of skill in countless virtual games she played, but the casting duration of all skills is not as beautiful and serene as this one. She can clearly see the MP of Payne Blanc moving fluidly, not in a rush and taking all its time, preparing to produce a massive amount of damage.
And when Payne pulls the sword from its scabbard in a swift and fluid movement, all she can see is a blur of light that produces a pulse of a wave, causing the space and air to ripple as it approaches toward its target.
The tentacles trying to take down her comrades were ignored by the wave and cut the tentacles cleanly as the wave rushes forward to the Slime's body. It won't stop at anything. It didn't feel any friction when colliding with the tentacles.
The wave locked on its target, and upon impact, it produce a powerful explosion in a small radius followed by a blastwave rushing towards everywhere making their fabric clothes fluttered wildly. Some even raise their arm to block the rushing air blowing on their faces.
But Lina was different, she stood still and didn't raise her hand to protect her eyes.
Ah, beautiful.
When the smoke created by the explosion dissipated in the air, Lina knew it was time for her to move.
She immediately rushes forward, brandishing the rusty dagger given to her by Payne Blanc.
The Slime senses another danger rushes forward and uses its unscathed tentacles and tries to stop the approaching danger, but failed. Albeit no damage was registered upon receiving the skill, the explosion is enough to distract the Slime greatly, giving Lina a smooth way around the Slime.
As she rush forward, if she cannot dodge the tentacle, she use the rusty dagger to cut it and at last, she saw damage registered on the Slime making the latter shriek in pain. Although it has no mouth, it produces an eerie sound.
-535 Damage
Lina was surprised seeing the damage it dealt with the Slime. But she immediately focuses on her task and cuts every tentacle she encounters.
-489 Damage
-642 Damage
She even sometimes deals with a critical hit.
-784 Damage.
Lina's heart beat faster as she saw the damage she can inflict using the rusty dagger. She knew from her heart, it was not because of her attributes but because of the rusty dagger.
Ah, Mr. Payne Blanc. You won't fail to amaze me. She thought with a tinge and faint blushes on her smooth cheeks like she was intoxicated.
Plenty of thoughts formulate in her mind. Revering the NPC, trying to please the NPC to gain more benefit for her Sky Heaven. But one thing that weighs over everything else is the fear to disappoint the NPC.
With that thought, her eyes become fiercer than ever before as she took a side step to dodge the tentacle rushing forward to stop her. Just when she successfully dodge the danger, another tentacle approached her side, targeting her flat stomach. Putting the momentum, she leaped and landed gracefully as she struck the tentacle.
-520 Damage
She then saw the opening, and without thinking too much she dive right in and lunge the rusty dagger on the Slime's body.
-950 Damage.
Her eyes grew bloodshot and repeatedly stab the Slime. Her gorgeous face contorted, implying she enjoy the damage that was displayed in front of her whenever the rusty dagger pierces through the Slime's body.
-753 Damage
-690 Damage
-840 Damage
She lost count of how many times she stabbed the Slime. If she can, she'd like to continue stabbing the Slime without stopping but the pain she felt in her stomach is enough for her to halt and kneel on the ground.
Lina glance at her stomach and saw the tentacle was buried deep in her stomach, blood slowly oozing from it. But when the slime retracted its tentacle, blood spurted, and a muffled groan escape her lips.
Her HP threshold decreases drastically without stopping. She then heard Sally's voice calling out to her.
"LINAAAA!!!" She turn around and saw Sally approaching.
She cannot help but shake her head before stopping Sally from running.
"Stop! Protect Mr. Payne and get this Dagger."
She throws the rusty dagger making the latter halt and catches the dagger.
Lina knew she was done for and accepted her death. It pangs her heart but she consoles herself by reminding herself that she was the first to deal damage to this ridiculous slime. Even if she drinks potion after potion, she was just beside the slime and it won't be too hard to finish her.
But her peripheral view saw Sally surrounded by tenacles trying to strangle her. Seeing her friend in trouble, she instinctively, she open her space inventory and drank the vial of HP potions, vial after vial.
Her HP threshold stops at 5% and starts to regenerate quickly to 25% but as she expected, another tentacle rushes forward in her direction and attacks her. But she didn't stop drinking the HP potions.
She also felt a healing skill cast on her body trying to save her from dying. But she still receives damage enough to make her HP threshold down to 2%.
Lina continues to drink the Basic HP Potions, and alas, only one vial is left.
Ah, shame. How many basic potions has she drunk? A Basic HP Potion can only give her 15 HP per vial.
She's finished now. She knew that instead of struggling to survive, she brandished her dagger and use her [Skill: Double Attack]. She knew she cannot deal damage using normal means and for an unknown reason, only that rusty dagger can damage this ridiculous slime but her body that was trained to struggle moved instinctively and cast her skill.
She wryly smile when her skill didn't stop the approaching tentacle and closed her eyes and ready herself to die for the first time in this virtual game.
She becomes bitter not because she will lose a percentage of her Experience. She felt bitter because she failed to stay alive until the end of this quest and witness how Payne Blanc will kill this Slime.
As she closes her eyes, time passed, second by second. Contrary to her expectation she didn't feel any pain.
Lina open her eyes and saw Lex in front of her. The Guardian Lex blocks the slime with full buff while drinking HP Potions to sustain the damage he received from blocking the bombardment of the Slime.
And another explosion occurred as Payne Blanc perform his skill once again and drank MP Potions.
"Lina, how long do you intend to rest in the ground? We still have a Slime to kill. Here."
She saw Payne Blanc throw the rusty dagger in her direction and she instinctively catches it. Also, Sally was able to retreat a few meters away from the Slime and be safe.
"Here, take this. "
Lina saw many Basic HP Potions handed over to her and turn her glance from Payne to Aliyah smiling at her.
"We're not yet done, we cannot kill this monster without our Leader."
Lina's eyes moist and smile wryly and drank the Basic HP Potions.
With the help of potions and the continuous healing skill of Healers, her HP stopped decreasing and increase to 50%.
The wound on her stomach also disappeared.
"Go, continue stabbing this monster."
After helping her to stand up, Lina was surrounded by Lex, Aliyah, and Lite. While the rest of the guardians use their skill to take the Aggro of the Slime and the other DPS players try to distract the slime by running around.
Her softened face once again turn to a fierce one as she brandished the rusty dagger once more.
"Now!"
Lina heard Payne shout as he release the familiar skill creating another explosion.
"With pleasure!" She replied and approach the Slime fiercer than ever before and repeatedly stab it.
-753 Damage
-690 Damage
-840 Damage
-648 Damage
The HP of the Slime drastically reduces.
[Monster: Slime]
Category: Hard Boss Level
Level 55
HP: 1836/8000
MP: 1500
SP: ???
[Attributes]
Attack Damage: 210 ~ 215
Defense: 90
Agility: 180
Strength: 90
Intelligence: 51
The remaining player of Sky Heaven rejoices when they saw the HP of the monster.
"We're almost done!"
"Go! Guild Leader!"
"You're the pride of our Sky Heaven! Finish that monster!"
Cheering poured through the old cathedral.
Lina smiled and was about to stab the Slime once again but suddenly, the slime's body shrink to a great degree.
Her heart skip a beat and her guts told her something is not right.
At that moment, they heard Payne shout as he cast his skill once more giving them an opportunity to retreat for the time being.
"Retreat!"
Without second thoughts, Lina, Aliyah, Lex, and Lite retreated to where Sally and Healers were.
The shrinking body of the slime wriggles and suddenly vanishes before their eyes in an instant.
The Guardian on the sideline gulp when he senses the presence of something behind him. He didn't know how but he was sent flying in that instant, his body felt numb from the attack, and upon colliding with the wall, his HP was shockingly down to 0%. His body turn to particles of light and dissipated in the air.
Everybody was perplexed.
But before they can think about what happened, the shrunken body of the slime once again vanishes.