"Damn it!"
On a distant ridge, the Elven Officer commanding the ranged units paled.
"All units, attention! Switch targets! Prioritize the Trolls!"
The Elves, true to their elite training, showed no signs of panic.
The Rangers immediately turned their bows, their moon-infused arrows silently slicing through the blizzard to strike the charging Trolls at the forefront.
The Mages swiftly switched their incantations, raising walls of ice in an attempt to slow the Trolls' charge.
However, these Frost Trolls possessed an innate, exceptionally high resistance to Ice Element magic.
The Elven Rangers' arrows struck their thick hides, only managing to draw small sprays of blood.
The Trolls casually plucked out the arrows, and their formidable regenerative abilities healed the minor wounds in seconds.
As for the Mages' Ice Walls, the Trolls simply shattered them with brute force!
Su Wan's expression grew grim. "Their resistance to Ice Element magic is incredibly high. The slowing effect of ice spells is greatly diminished!"
She waved her staff, and a vast Blizzard enveloped the Trolls' charge path.
Countless ice shards howled through the wind, viciously slashing at the Trolls' bodies.
The Trolls at the forefront roared in agony, their bodies slashed with wounds deep enough to expose bone. Their charge faltered for a moment.
But behind them, the Troll Shaman raised its staff again, sending out waves of green healing energy.
Bathed in the green light, the injured Trolls' wounds writhed and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. They let out even more ferocious roars and resumed their charge.
"They have a healer! And their regeneration is absurdly strong!" Xia Lian's eyes sharpened as she instantly assessed the situation. "We have to take out that Shaman first!"
In the ranged encampment, several Elven Mages had already been cornered by Trolls that had broken through the defensive line, forcing them to use Blink to hastily create distance.
The battle line was beginning to crumble.
"We can't wait any longer!" Lin Xiyue shot to her feet.
"Sis! I'll hold back the biggest one! You guys figure out how to deal with the rest!"
Lin Qingyue watched her sister's determined back, feeling a wave of helplessness.
This foolish sister... she's rushing in headfirst again.
But right now, there really is no other choice. If we let those Trolls keep charging, the Elves' ranged encampment will be torn to shreds.
"Be careful!" Lin Qingyue warned. "We can't even see that guy's level—it's definitely a tough one! Don't fight it head-on, just stall it!"
"Got it!" Lin Xiyue roared. Her body shot down the slope like a cannonball, hurtling straight toward the massive Troll Chieftain.
"Xia Lian, go tie up that Shaman! Its constant healing is a huge pain!" Lin Qingyue quickly issued her orders.
"Roger!" Xia Lian's figure blurred instantly, and she slid down the other side of the slope like a phantom, silently closing in on the Shaman at the rear of the Troll army.
"Su Wan, we'll follow Xiyue! Provide her with fire support and crowd control!"
"Understood!"
Lin Qingyue glanced down at Aeldara, who was still locked in combat with Mograss.
She knew the Commander was in a king-versus-king duel and couldn't easily disengage.
They would have to deal with this third-party spoiler on their own!
Well, so much for plans keeping up with reality.
We went from having VIP seats to watch the show to playing in overtime ourselves.
Lin Qingyue gripped her pink staff and followed Su Wan, chasing after Lin Xiyue.
The real challenge was just beginning
Lin Xiyue slid to the ground, her heavy plate armor leaving two deep footprints in the snow.
Without a moment's hesitation, she charged straight ahead like a rhinoceros, heading directly for the massive Frost Troll Chieftain.
"Hey! You big lug! Look over here!"
Lin Xiyue let out a battle cry, successfully drawing the Troll Chieftain's attention.
The BOSS, named [Slad'ran Lv.??? Frost Troll Chieftain], halted its charge and turned its head. Its eyes, larger than bronze bells, curiously studied the tiny figure rushing toward it.
It seemed unable to comprehend where this "tin can," barely reaching its waist, found the courage to provoke it.
Slad'ran grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow-and-black fangs, and let out a low, mocking grunt.
It casually swung its massive spiked club, which tore through the air with a piercing shriek as it crashed down on Lin Xiyue!
The blow was filled with contempt and carelessness, as if swatting an annoying fly.
Yet, Lin Xiyue dared not be the least bit complacent.
The instant the massive shadow loomed over her, she bent her knees, lowered her center of gravity, and braced her heavy shield, Immovable Mountain, firmly in front of her.
"Hold the line!"
Shield of Divinity activated! A solid golden shield phantom materialized, and her Defense soared!
The Libram of Mountain's Resilience instantly triggered, enveloping her in an invisible force field that made her feel deeply connected to the earth beneath her feet.
KRAANG—!
The explosive clang of metal striking metal tore through the valley, making eardrums ring.
A terrifying force, powerful enough to shatter mountains, crushed against the shield and surged through Lin Xiyue's entire body.
The snow beneath her feet was instantly blasted away. Her boots gouged two deep furrows into the frozen earth as she was uncontrollably sent sliding seven or eight meters backward!
"Pfft!"
A spray of blood burst from between her teeth. Her arms, gripping the shield, went instantly numb, losing all feeling.
"So... so strong!" Lin Xiyue's mind went blank, leaving only that single thought.
If Mountain's Resilience hadn't absorbed and deflected most of the impact, and if Shield of Divinity hadn't provided a 20% damage reduction, that single blow would have been enough to completely incapacitate her!
Slad'ran clearly hadn't expected this little runt to survive taking one of its blows head-on.
A flicker of interest finally appeared in its eyes.
It raised its fang-studded mace again, preparing to deliver another strike to this stubborn "tin can."
Just then, a gentle white light descended from the sky, precisely enveloping Lin Xiyue.
It was Lin Qingyue! She had arrived!
"Divine Aegis!"
A golden shield instantly formed around Lin Xiyue, securely protecting her within.
Immediately after, a flash of pink light followed.
"Healing Spell!"
Lin Qingyue's staff blazed with light as she cast a series of healing spells on Lin Xiyue, rapidly mending her internal injuries.
"Xiyue! Are you okay?" Lin Qingyue asked urgently.
"Cough, cough... Not dead yet!" Lin Xiyue coughed up a mouthful of bloody foam, shook her numb arms, and regained her footing. "Sis! This thing's strength is insane! I can't take many more hits!"
"Don't tank it head-on! Kite it! Su Wan!" Lin Qingyue shouted.
Even without the reminder, Su Wan had already begun her incantation.
"Frost Nova!"
An icy-blue ring erupted outward from Slad'ran, and the bone-chilling cold instantly froze its feet.
Slad'ran's movements visibly stiffened.
"Nice one!" Lin Qingyue praised.
"It's no use!" Su Wan's expression grew even graver. "The ice on it will shatter in seconds! My control duration is too short!"
As she predicted, Slad'ran let out a low roar and flexed its leg muscles. The thick layer of ice encasing its feet cracked and shattered with a sharp kacha.
Freed from its bonds, it once again fixed its savage gaze on Lin Xiyue.
"Penance!"
Lin Qingyue waved her Tome of Moon Whispers, and three golden orbs of light shot out, all striking Lin Xiyue and forcefully restoring her health.
Gritting her teeth, Lin Xiyue raised her shield and charged forward again.
Defeating it was impossible.
Her sole mission was to pin this monster down here, no matter the cost!
Meanwhile, Xia Lian had successfully circled around to the rear of the Troll Army.
Like a nimble civet cat, she moved silently under the cover of snow and rocks, closing in on the Troll Shaman who was engrossed in casting its spell.
The Shaman was only [Lv. 33], clearly a pure support unit with low Perception.
It only sensed the danger when Xia Lian was less than thirty meters away, whipping its head around abruptly.
What greeted it was an arrow already nocked on a bowstring, shimmering with starlight.
Swoosh!
The arrow from Dark Night Starwhisper flew without a sound, instantly crossing the thirty-meter distance.
The Shaman's face paled in terror. It hastily threw up a shield woven from frost and nature energy.
Pfft!
The arrow struck the shield with pinpoint accuracy, exploding in a small burst of brilliant starlight. The shield shuddered violently, covered in cracks.
The force of the impact knocked the Shaman back two steps, its face contorted with fear.
It immediately abandoned healing the main army and began casting heals on itself, frantically scanning its surroundings to locate the ambusher.
Having landed a successful strike, Xia Lian immediately concealed herself, holding back from another attack.
Her objective was achieved.
As long as the Shaman couldn't focus on healing, the Troll army's regenerative capabilities would be severely hampered, allowing the Rangers and Mages to eliminate their opponents much faster.
The battlefield was now split into several fronts:
Aeldara dueled Mograss. Lin Qingyue, Lin Xiyue, and Su Wan teamed up against the Troll Chieftain, Slad'ran. Xia Lian single-handedly pinned down the Troll Shaman. The Silent Watch Knight Order systematically dismantled the Blighted Legion. * The main Troll army clashed fiercely with the Elven ranged units.
The entire Frost Path mountain pass had descended into utter chaos.
"Hey, you big oaf! Come and get me!" Lin Xiyue's shout snapped Lin Qingyue back to the present.
Slad'ran swung his spiked mace at Lin Xiyue again.
This time, Lin Xiyue had learned her lesson. Instead of blocking head-on, she executed a side-slide, narrowly dodging the devastating blow.
BOOM!
The mace slammed into the ground, shaking the earth and carving out a half-meter-deep crater.
Lin Xiyue's heart pounded in terror. If that blow had landed squarely, her plate armor would have been flattened into a metal pancake.
"Su Wan! Freeze its legs!" Lin Qingyue shouted.
"Ice Cone Spell!"
Su Wan pointed her staff, and several sharp ice cones erupted from the ground, stabbing toward Slad'ran's calves.
Slad'ran roared in pain and stomped his massive foot, shattering the ice cones.
Though the attack dealt little damage, it successfully slowed the Troll's movements.
"Now, Xiyue! Strike its knee!"
"Got it!"
Lin Xiyue seized the opportunity, lunging forward. Her longsword, Dawn's Light, flared with Holy Light as she viciously hacked at Slad'ran's knee.
CLANG!
The sword struck with the sound of metal on metal, leaving only a faint white mark.
"Holy crap! It's that tough?!" Lin Xiyue exclaimed in shock.
Wincing in pain, Slad'ran backhanded her.
Lin Xiyue hastily raised her shield to block.
BANG!
She was sent flying by the immense force, tumbling several times across the snow before finally coming to a stop.
"Xiyue!" Lin Qingyue hurriedly cast a Healing Spell on her.
"Sis, it's no use!" Lin Xiyue scrambled to her feet, shouting in frustration. "This thing's hide is too thick! I can't even scratch it! My attacks are like trying to scrape a rock!"
Lin Qingyue's brow furrowed as she watched the white mark on Slad'ran's knee rapidly heal.
High defense, high attack, high health, and ridiculously fast regeneration.
This BOSS was just plain broken!
She glanced at the gilded Character Card in her System Space.
Maybe it's time to let this old master out for some fresh air.