Nie Yan turned around and started running backward. At this moment, it would be suicidal for a rogue to step forward and tank. This job of tanking the boss could only be left to shield warriors.
Cui Can Dao Guang (Brilliant Blade) raised his heavy shield and let out a deep shout. Activating his charge ability, he accelerated toward the Den Lord.
The shield slammed into the Den Lord with a loud thud. “Heroic Strike!”
Cui Can Dao Guang swung his sword and slashed down at the Den Lord. A damage number of more than fifty floated above the boss’s head.
Everyone glanced at the Den Lord’s attributes.
Den Lord Bennett: Level 50 Boss, HP 110000/110000.
Seeing the impressive stats of the Den Lord, everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. Without Bennett’s diary, which weakened the Den Lord’s attributes, the boss’s stats would be even more formidable.
The Den Lord was blocked by Cui Can Dao Guang. Its massive spear swept toward him.
The spear slammed into Cui Can Dao Guang’s heavy shield, producing a deep sound. Cui Can Dao Guang felt a tremendous force transmitted through the shield. His feet retreated slightly while bending his body, and he tried to defend by bracing both hands against the shield. However, the immense force from the shield pushed him flying backward.
Cui Can Dao Guang was thrown back dozens of steps before finally managing to steady himself.
Beside him, Leng Ao Ying (Cold Shadow) and Yi Yan (Elegant Calculation) immediately rushed in to flank the boss.
With the support of his guild’s superior equipment, combined with his solid skills and talent, Leng Ao Ying had completely replaced Yi Yan as the second-ranked shield warrior in the Bull Tribe. His defensive capabilities were only slightly inferior to Cui Can Dao Guang’s. As soon as Cui Can Dao Guang retreated, he stepped forward immediately.
“Taunt!”
Leng Ao Ying used Taunt on the Den Lord, drawing its attention onto himself.
The three shield warriors were repeatedly knocked back by the Den Lord Bennett, but they persisted in stepping forward, continuously drawing aggro.
Behind them, the players’ spells continuously bombarded the Den Lord, creating bursts of magical explosions.
The Den Lord’s HP started to budge slightly, slowly decreasing.
“Dao Guang, lead the Den Lord to the right,” Nie Yan instructed. Looking to the right, the uneven ground could prevent the Den Lord from charging too quickly, which would threaten the spellcasters behind.
“Got it,” Cui Can Dao Guang nodded. Slowly moving his body to the right, he began luring the Den Lord in that direction.
After adjusting their positions, the three shield warriors suddenly stopped, switched to defensive stances, and blocked the Den Lord, using Demoralizing Shout and Taunt in quick succession.
The Den Lord found it extremely difficult to move. In terms of sheer size, it was several times larger than Cui Can Dao Guang and the others, yet it was firmly held in place by these warriors, as immovable as a rock.
The Den Lord swung its massive spear toward Cui Can Dao Guang. The distant priests and paladins quickly cast buffs and protective shields on Cui Can Dao Guang and the others.
Cui Can Dao Guang endured the attack, and his Holy Shield shattered into fragments.
The Den Lord’s attacks carried a dark corrosion effect, which could erode protective shield skills.
The Holy Shield could withstand only a single hit from the Den Lord!
As the Den Lord prepared to strike again, Cui Can Dao Guang quickly cast Life Shield on himself, enduring the attack while launching a powerful Cleave.
Their stances were steady, rooted firmly in place, while their greatswords moved like thunder, fierce and powerful.
The mages formed a circle around the Den Lord, continuously launching magical projectiles.
Seeing Cui Can Dao Guang and the others holding the Den Lord in place, Kuang Jian Shi Wu Feng (Crazed Swordsman Wu Feng), Hei Bai (Black and White), and others gathered around, increasing their damage output.
The Den Lord’s HP steadily decreased. It struggled and roared, trying to break free, but Cui Can Dao Guang and his team stood firm like nails, unshakable.
Nie Yan circled behind the Den Lord and swung Ze En Na De Sword (Sword of Zennad), followed by an explosive strike. A damage number exceeding seven hundred floated above the boss’s head. A critical hit with armor penetration, along with continuous bleed and fire damage.
The team members were stunned. Nie Yan’s attack was simply terrifying. For ordinary team members, dealing dozens of damage was already decent, and over a hundred was considered strong. Yet their damage couldn’t even compare to the bleed effects caused by Nie Yan’s attack.
The Den Lord’s aggro instantly shifted, and it turned to attack Nie Yan. However, Cui Can Dao Guang and the others firmly held it in place, preventing it from turning.
At this moment, Nie Yan unleashed a burst of attacks. With each strike, the Den Lord’s HP plummeted.
Armor-piercing attacks, an extremely high critical hit rate, and the additional damage bonus for rogues attacking from behind combined to make Nie Yan’s damage output astonishing.
Nie Yan was well aware that this aggressive burst would have consequences—drawing all the Den Lord’s aggro onto himself, resulting in it focusing solely on him afterward. However, Nie Yan no longer considered these concerns.
Nie Yan decisively used every skill at his disposal, unleashing all his offensive abilities.
When the Den Lord’s HP dropped below 20%, it finally lost patience, charging wildly and unleashing Stun!
As soon as the Den Lord moved, Nie Yan predicted its intention. Activating Dash Step, he dodged the stun ability.
Nie Yan’s reaction happened in an instant, a result of his acute sense of danger developed over years of experience, an almost instinctive reflex. Combined with Dash Step being his most familiar skill, he used it effortlessly, activating it precisely at the moment he sensed the slightest hint of danger from the Den Lord.
Nie Yan’s Dash Step perfectly evaded the Den Lord’s attack, a maneuver executed with peak precision.
No one else could react as swiftly as Nie Yan.
With a loud bang, Cui Can Dao Guang and the others were hit by the Den Lord’s stun attack, retreating several steps and entering a stunned state.
Among all the melee fighters, only Nie Yan had dodged the stun.
The Den Lord broke free from the encirclement, roaring fiercely as it searched for Nie Yan. Its gaze locked onto Nie Yan, and it immediately charged toward him.
The mages quickly retreated, while Nie Yan ran toward an unoccupied area to avoid collateral damage.
As the Den Lord swung its spear, sharp spear shadows pierced toward Nie Yan.
“Watch out!” the team members shouted in alarm.
Nie Yan had his back to the Den Lord, yet he seemed to have eyes on his back, dodging sideways at the last moment.
The Den Lord’s attack missed, but it continued pursuing Nie Yan relentlessly.
Seeing that the Den Lord’s attention was drawn to Nie Yan, the team members unleashed their full power.
“Everyone, hurry up! It’s almost out of HP!”
“Push harder!”
They unleashed their full firepower, especially Xi Huan Jiang Nan (Like Jiangnan), who was usually quiet and reserved. No one knew where he had learned the Basic Metamagic specialization. Activating it, he continuously cast spells like a machine gun, nonstop. As soon as his mana was depleted, he immediately drank a mid-tier mana potion and continued casting.
These team members were all exceptionally talented, each possessing hidden techniques. At this crucial moment, they no longer held back, using their strongest skills.
The Den Lord rapidly closed in on Nie Yan. Its massive spear, if it struck, would turn Nie Yan into pulp.
Nie Yan pulled out a Flash Powder and threw it. With a loud bang, blinding light shot into the Den Lord’s eyes.
Caught off guard, the Den Lord’s spear wavered slightly, causing a deviation.
Nie Yan seized the opportunity, lunging toward the Den Lord and swiftly passing its left side. With a loud crash, the Den Lord’s spear plunged into the ground, scattering debris.
Flying debris struck Nie Yan, causing damage numbers ranging from over a hundred to several dozens to appear above his head.
Missing its attack, the Den Lord swung its spear, but Nie Yan had already used Shadow Dance Step to circle behind it. Thrusting his dagger viciously, followed by a Slice, he carved a deep wound, exposing bone as blood gushed like a fountain.
The Den Lord swung its spear in a wide arc, but found only empty space around.
After finishing the Slice, Nie Yan wasted no time, sprinting away.
At this moment, Cui Can Dao Guang and the others had already recovered, rushing toward the Den Lord.
The Den Lord’s HP was now around 5%, and it had entered a frenzied state. Its skin turned deep red like blood, and its body expanded several times.
The Den Lord swung its spear, unleashing a powerful shockwave. Cui Can Dao Guang and the others were instantly killed.
The Den Lord was unstoppable, killing everything in its path, leaving a trail of corpses.
Seeing the Den Lord’s rage, the team members intensified their attacks, continuously unleashing spells.
The Den Lord’s HP gradually approached its limit.
Nie Yan noticed something unusual about the Den Lord’s skin and immediately said, “Qi Zi (Little Seven) stays, Shi Li Hua Sha (Ten Miles of Painted Veil) quickly leave here, preferably find a corner to hide!”
The team members quickly understood Nie Yan’s meaning, and Nie Yan and Qi Zi exchanged knowing smiles.
Shi Li Hua Sha looked at the team members, hesitated briefly, then ran deeper into the cave.
Leaving behind a priest meant preserving a spark of hope, as priests could resurrect the fallen. Even if the team was wiped out, Shi Li Hua Sha could bring them back to life.
“Everyone, hurry up! It’s almost dead!” Nie Yan shouted in the team chat. While being relentlessly pursued by the Den Lord, Nie Yan narrowly avoided its attacks using his Shadow Dance Steps, several times barely escaping death.
Among so many melee fighters, only Nie Yan remained.
As the Den Lord’s HP dwindled to just a few hundred points, Nie Yan went all out. Using Shadow Dance Step, he rushed behind the Den Lord, leaped high, and executed a deadly Assassinate followed by a brutal Slash.
With a splatter, blood gushed out as the Den Lord let out a piercing scream, shaking the air.
Got it! Nie Yan’s heart leaped with joy.
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