Chapter 137 - Slaying the Phantom Messenger
"Kill it, or you two die," Lei Ting coldly repeated, refusing to budge.
"Bell, be careful!" whispered Fatty. He then summoned Wheat and activated Stealth.
"Butterfly Fairy, use Imprison." Purple Bell released Butterfly Fairy. At the same time, the Yin Yang Manual flew out and hovered before her.
"Heh, two puny ants!" Phantom Messenger Aguero snorted scornfully. A black scythe over a meter long materialized in its hand from nothing, and the boss ferociously lashed out.
Clang! The scythe's blade grazed past Fatty's figure as he flashed quickly away. Entering Stealth again, he prepared to attack.
Whoosh! A burst of blue light enshrouded the Phantom Messenger - it was Butterfly Fairy's CC skill, Imprison - but, it missed, just as expected.
Although Phantom Messenger Aguero's body was small and short, each step it took was long and fast. The creature disdained creeping about and ambushes, so it plainly attacked with the big black scythe.
"Yin Yang Shield," Purple Bell called out softly. A shield of swirling black and white appeared in front of her, blocking the incoming strike.
Puff! The dark weapon smoothly sliced through the Yin Yang Shield and slashed at Purple Bell. While the damage reflected by the shield did some good damage to the Phantom Messenger, the amount was negligible compared to its max health. The boss only needed a few seconds to regen what was lost.
Taking a step back, Purple Bell extended her hand slightly and hissed two words: "Yin Sword." A small dark blade shot from her palm toward the Phantom Messenger's eyes.
Ding! The Phantom Messenger drew the black scythe erect, effectively blocking Purple Bell's attack.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Suddenly, the ground grumbled and quaked, several dozen stalagmites erupted from the earth and clustered together - Wheat's attack! The accumulated stalagmites impaled the Phantom Messenger's leg, crushing it and causing a series of number to pop up. However, the majority of the attack was parried with a swing of the boss's scythe.
"Ambush," Fatty appeared abruptly behind the Phantom Messenger and jabbed his dagger at its back; yet, the blade failed to deal any damage. Unperturbed, Fatty immediately used Coil. A silver python wrapped around the Phantom Messenger and miraculously succeeded in binding the boss.
Taking advantage of the situation, Purple Bell retreated several steps and pointed her finger at the Yin Yang Manual. Countless black rays emerged and shot toward the Phantom Messenger. Meanwhile, Fatty lifted his dagger to execute Deadly Poison. Swish! A green light flashed above the Phantom Messenger's head very briefly, indicating that poisoning had failed.
Having anticipated this outcome, Fatty hastily retreated. While he did so, he raised his left hand and sent a crossbow arrow ripping through the air. The Phantom Messenger didn't dodge and directly met the projectile head-on. With a "pfff" sound, the arrow lodged deep in his body until just the feathered tail remained visible. Yet, the Phantom Messenger had also closed the distance to Fatty.
Whoosh! The dark scythe reared and swept across Fatty like a black tornado.
"Damn it!" Fatty had no time to dodge. In the thick of it, he could only grip his dagger with both hands and thrust it forward. Sparks flew as the black scythe and dagger collided with a dinging noise. Fatty stumbled back several steps and felt both hands go numb from the force. He could barely hold his dagger.
Having retreated to safety, Purple Bell sang out, "Hah! Yin Thunder Extermination!" and made a hand gesture. About a dozen thunderbolts appeared above the Phantom Messenger's head. The boss let out a sinister laugh and raised its head facing up. Lightning slammed into a mouth agape. As the creature inhaled, the dozen bolts were sucked deep into its belly. A series of muffled explosions rang out before the Phantom Messenger opened its mouth and spat a puff of black smoke. The health bar above the its head barely dropped.
"You wish to kill me with such little power?" the Phantom Messenger ridiculed Undead Marshal Lei Ting. "Lei Ting, I know how badly you want me dead, so it's a shame you can no longer fight. Are you also suffering a repercussion from hitting me earlier? The mighty God of Darkness' protection is omnipresent! Even someone as powerful as you cannot resist his will!"
"Don't be so smug, Aguero. I could kill you with the flip of a hand!" Lei Ting bellowed.
"Haha! Lei Ting, does the bloodthirst come upon you at the sight of all this blood? Your soul has been bound by the power of Darkness. Soon, you shall become one of us. No need to hesitate. When I've chased away these two puny bugs, let us kill our way to the top together and establish a glorious Dynasty of Darkness!"
Fatty looked around in surprise. From the walls of the seventh-floor hall, a deep red liquid was slowly oozing out; it was coupled with a bloody stench that overwhelmed his sense of smell.
"Neiiigh!" the Hellfire Stallion was suddenly agitated. Billows of black air rose from Lei Ting's body. Although his face was hidden behind the mask, anyone could tell he was in agony by his trembling figure.
"Lei Ting, don't resist. Come, try tasting the blood. See how fresh it is!" the Phantom Messenger persistently urged Lei Ting.
"Ahhh! Kill it! Hurry and kill it!" Lei Ting abruptly cried out. The Hellfire Stallion beneath him became extremely distressed.
"Kill!" Upon Lei Ting's order, the first to act was the Knight Commander. He flung his body onto the horse and pointed his bronze spear forward. With a guttural shout, he led a cavalry to charge toward the Phantom Messenger.
"I won't kill you lot. You'll become my most loyal subordinates in the future." The Phantom Messenger's body suddenly emitted a black halo. Just like when the boss had made its entrance, the black aura formed a portal. Stepping into the void, the Phantom Messenger disappeared. However, its voice lingered, "Lei Ting, just enjoy! When all is said and done, you will be a proud member of the Dynasty of Darkness!"
Lei Ting roared painfully. His body convulsed as more and more black air flooded from his form. "Aguero, you think you're safe with that Spatial Spoon you stole from Grand Magus Leah?! Get out here!" Amidst his ranting, Lei Ting punched out with his right fist. A sound like glass breaking shattered empty air; and, before the Undead Marshal, the Phantom Messenger tumbled from its portal.
"Kill!" Mounting his horse, the Skeletal General raised its spear and charged at the Phantom Messenger as well.
Charge: A knight's simplest ability. Instantly increases attack by 30% with a certain possibility to stun the opponent.
Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Thud! Wounded by the Skeletal General's weapon, the Phantom Messenger suffered the misfortune of being stunned.
"That's our chance!" Fatty pounced and stabbed the Phantom Messenger in the eye.
"AAAAAHH!" A huge number bloomed among the tragic wailing. The Phantom Messenger kicked out, but Fatty was already on guard. He pushed his left hand against the boss's leg, then flipped to dodge the kick.
"Light Wheel of Death," Purple Bell chimed. A black wheel shot out of the Yin Yang Manual and spun toward the Phantom Messenger's neck. Zzzzzt! A sound like sawing wood rang out. A series of blood red numbers fountained from the Phantom Messenger's head, each more than a thousand!
"What level is this Phantom Messenger?!" Fatty was dumbstruck upon seeing the damage dealt. It's already lost enough HP to kill a silver boss! Even if this one is an advanced AI boss, it shouldn't be this OP!
"Soul Devour!"
"Dark Cross Severance!"
Meanwhile, the Soul Devour Sorcerer and the Dark Sacrificer also made their moves. A patch of black fog enveloped the Phantom Messenger, and a huge dark cross appeared from thin air and rammed against its chest. As far as Fatty could see, the Soul Devour Sorcerer had only this one skill, Soul Devour. However, the skill was definitely good stuff! No one could defend against the attack unless they possessed an explicit counter skill.
While Soul Devour kept gnawing away at the Phantom Messenger, the Dark Sacrificer's attack was nothing to look down on either. The Phantom Messenger's health had dropped by an infuriatingly huge bar when the dark cross connected.
"Lei Ting, you dare kill me?! If I die, Lord Ghost King will never forgive you!" the Phantom Messenger shrieked.
"Ghost King? If he has the guts, then let him come find me in Black Tortoise City."
Finding the opportunity, Fatty shouted, "The Phantasm Ghost King has been sealed away for ages now! One of its claws is still in the City Lord's Manor as a souvenir!"
"What? Lord Ghost King's sealed away?" the Phantom Messenger revealed an expression of disbelief.
Seizing the moment, Wheat and Butterfly Fairy attacked in unison. Bang! A huge Howling Bullet followed by a series of stalagmites slammed into the Phantom Messenger's face. Butterfly Fairy's wings fluttered, and a blue light consumed the boss. As its face flashed blue, its health began plummeting.
High AI doesn't mean high power. After the barrage of attacks, the Phantom Messenger was left with less than a fifth of its HP, and the bar was still dropping.
"Bell, find the right time to attack. The boss may not drop items if it's killed by NPCs," Fatty whispered to Purple Bell. The latter nodded and flipped open her Yin Yang Manual, ready to attack at any moment.
"Your soul is mine to control, Lei Ting. If I die, you won't live either!" the Phantom Messenger threatened. In rapidly declining health, the boss finally grew desperate.
"Lei Ting, captain of the Black Tortoise Corps, is long dead." Enduring the pain wracking his entire body, Lei Ting stared icily at the Phantom Messenger. "Aguero, you rotten creature, this filthy soul of yours should see judgement. Finish it!"
At this command, the Soul Devour Sorcerer, Dark Sacrificer, Skeletal General, Knight Commander, Skeletal Centurion, and the horde of nearby monsters advanced altogether. Their eyes pinned the Phantom Messenger, like tigers circling their prey.
"No, you can't kill me! I'm the Messenger of the God of Darkness! You lot should obey me!" the Phantom Messenger screamed in terror.
"Ugh!" Without warning, Lei Ting staggered and spat up a mouthful of black blood.
The Phantom Messenger's face shifted from terror to joy. "Haha! Lei Ting, don't try to put up a strong front. You shall return to the God of Darkness' embrace soon enough. When you're finally corrupted, I'll take you to massacre all of Black Tortoise City!"
Lei Ting's condition didn't look good.
"Kill!" All of a sudden, a sharp knife ruthlessly sliced halfway through the Phantom Messenger's neck. A black, palm-sized wheel immediately followed suit and dug into the existing wound. With a thunderous rumble, the boss was immediately decapitated.
"You dare kill me?!" shrieked the Phantom Messenger. Even as its head hit the ground, the boss was still incredulous.
Bang, thud! A pile of items dropped. In a single grab, Fatty swiftly pocketed several items.