Volume 1, Chapter 19: Shocked by Lin Yi’s Strength—Is This Really a Mage?

Cheng De felt a surge of anxiety, and fine beads of sweat had already begun to dot his forehead.

They cast their skills again and again, yet the damage they inflicted was pitifully small.

The Nether Demon opened its arms, welcoming these attacks without a hint of caution, even wearing an expression of enjoyment on its face.

"Hahaha...!"

"You bunch of ants, haven't you eaten?"

"Is your scratching really that weak?"

"Don't worry, I will savor you little by little. It’s been so long since I’ve had such a delicious meal!"

To the creature, professional class-holders had always been the finest of delicacies. Furthermore, after devouring them, its own power would reach even greater heights.

"Whoosh...!"

With a sudden snap of its wings, the spells the mages had carefully prepared were instantly reduced to nothing. Immediately after, the Nether Demon launched a counterattack, firing bolts of flame that struck Cheng De and his group.

-2137!
-2095!
-2071!
-2286!
...

The damage erupted instantly, and the health bars of Cheng De and his companions were nearly depleted. It wasn't because the Nether Demon could only inflict this much damage, but because it was deliberately toying with them, savoring the thrill of the hunt. Nether flames burned upon their bodies; as soon as their health showed signs of recovery, it was immediately incinerated away.

"Fresh prey is the only true delicacy!"

The Nether Demon took a deep breath, then lunged straight for Cheng De. Although there was fear in Cheng De’s eyes, what he felt more was regret—regret that he could not protect the young lady.

"Uncle De!"

Cheng Muqing screamed, her eyes brimming with tears.

Just as the group fell into despair and the Nether Demon prepared to taste its feast:

"Boom...!"

Accompanied by the hissing sound of air burning, a massive fireball the size of a millstone flew out instantly.

Lin Yi had finally made his move.

"This kid’s strength... it’s actually this terrifying!"

Cheng De and the others were dumbfounded, staring at the exaggerated fireball. Before this, Cheng De had subconsciously overlooked Lin Yi. After all, what kind of power could a newly promoted Black Iron-rank professional have? Therefore, he hadn't considered letting Lin Yi join the fray. Only now did he realize how foolish his thinking had been.

"Boom!"

The Nether Demon was equally shocked. The massive fireball struck its chest dead on, and the blood within its body seemed to evaporate in an instant.

-25739!

The astronomical damage figure left Cheng De and his group speechless. A single fireball spell had dealt over twenty thousand damage! It was simply unbelievable.

A flicker of hope ignited in Cheng De’s eyes; perhaps there was a chance for them to escape today! Seeing this, Cheng Muqing wept with joy, grateful that Lin Yi was there.

Immediately, Lin Yi pulled out a bottle of spirit potion. After downing it, his spirit stat surged by three hundred points in an instant.

Cheng De reacted quickly. "All support classes, give Lin Yi your buffs with everything you've got!"

"Swish, swish, swish...!"

Multicolored lights intertwined as Lin Yi’s spirit attribute broke through 1,500 points. He was far stronger than before. Not only that, but he also gained various buffs including shortened casting times, reduced skill cooldowns, and increased movement speed.

Lin Yi truly felt the power brought by teamwork. Feeling the surging energy within him, a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. Utilizing the levitation granted by his Nether Robes, Lin Yi leaped into the air, his agility enhanced even further by a lightness spell.

"Bone Spike!"

Under the influence of numerous buffs, the spell, already fast to cast, became even more rapid. Seeing this, the mages behind Cheng De were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the floor. They found it hard to believe that spells could be cast with such speed.

"Whoosh...!"

A white bone spear whistled through the air, instantly piercing the Nether Demon’s shoulder blade.

"Splat!"

Purple-black blood splattered like rain, sizzling as it hit the ground.

-51853!

In an instant, the Nether Demon roared at the sky, but Lin Yi’s offensive was continuous, leaving it no room to counterattack.

"Ice Lance!"

Supported by his immense mental strength, the ice lance seemed to freeze the surrounding air, its power far greater than before. Cheng Muqing and Bai Jia couldn't help but tremble, the shock in their eyes plain to see. The ice lance tore through the demon’s wounded shoulder, shredding it violently!

"Rip!"

The demon’s wing was severed from the middle, hanging by only a few strands of sinew—a chilling sight.

-127863!

The combination of Bone Spike and Ice Lance was devastatingly powerful. Cheng De and the others were shocked beyond measure. Was this truly the work of a Black Iron-rank professional?

"Gulp...!"

A chorus of synchronized swallowing echoed, sounding somewhat humorous yet incredibly sincere. With just three spells, nearly one-third of the Nether Demon’s health bar had evaporated. Even with its tenacious vitality, it couldn't withstand such heavy blows!

At this moment, the gazes the group cast toward Lin Yi were filled with shock and disbelief. They couldn't help but wonder: what kind of class did Lin Yi actually have? A common mage? It was absolutely impossible for it to be that simple!

"Damnable human, how dare you hurt me!"

"You deserve to die! I will tear your soul away..."

Monstrous black flames rose around the Nether Demon, even more turbulent than before, as if they sought to consume everything. Lin Yi merely sneered and flicked his staff.

"Stun!"

In an instant, a brilliant beam of magical light erupted from the tip of his staff. Before the Nether Demon could finish its sentence, it fell into a stunned state! Despite its resistance to stuns, the halo floating above its head indicated a five-second slumber.

"Five seconds, more than enough."

Lin Yi’s figure moved like lightning, weaving through the air to find the optimal casting position.

"Bone Spike!"

The white bone spear appeared once more, bolstered by his powerful mental strength. The tip of the spear glowed with a cold, almost tangible light; it was incomparably sharp!

"Whoosh!"

The spear streaked across the sky like a meteor, burying itself deep within the Nether Demon’s hideous maw. A moment later, the creature snapped out of its stun, but it was already too late. The spear pierced through its oral cavity and exited from the other side of its neck!

-91753!

The massive damage erupted, and purple blood sprayed everywhere; its head was nearly torn in half. Flesh and bone fragments mingled as half of its face became twisted and shattered. The Nether Demon wailed in agony, but the spear filled its mouth, rendering it unable to make a sound.

"Ice Lance!"

Following this, an ice lance infused with extreme cold surged toward the Nether Demon. At this moment, its remaining half-face was filled with endless terror. The pain of the previous ice lance seemed to still linger in its heart.

"Nether Shield!"

The rising black flames gathered into a fire shield, attempting to block the incoming ice lance. Although it neutralized some of the damage, it couldn't stop it entirely.

"Crash!"

The ice lance pierced through the fire shield and slammed heavily into the Nether Demon’s skull.

-124580!

Had it not been for the shield’s damage reduction, the result might have been even more catastrophic. In less than a minute, only thirty percent of its health remained. Cheng De and the others were filled with layers of doubt. Was this weak, pathetic Nether Demon really the same boss monster they had struggled so hard against earlier? Why was Lin Yi able to handle it so easily?

One persistent mage tried firing an Ice Lance of his own.

-861!

The meager damage made him want to find a hole to crawl into out of embarrassment. Compared to Lin Yi, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. Wasn't he just asking for a beating?

Lin Yi gave the Nether Demon no chance to catch its breath.

"Delay!"

The Nether Demon’s fleeing figure suddenly turned sluggish. Who said humans were all weak? Why did he have to run into such a freak! He wished he could drag out the Cassio who summoned him and whip the corpse ten thousand times. Why did you summon me!!!

At this point, Lin Yi’s spells followed one after another. Frost, fire, lightning... diverse elemental forces intertwined upon the Nether Demon. Its once sturdy body became riddled with wounds, and its health dropped to the critical point.

Suddenly, a massive ice lance pierced through its body, pinning it against the wall of the altar, where it perished on the spot!

[Killed Level 15 Nether Demon, gained 38,951 experience points!]

Lin Yi looked at his nearly full experience bar, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

"Whoosh...!"

Immediately following, a multicolored, brilliant light bloomed beneath the Nether Demon’s corpse. Equipment, skill books... a dazzling array of items! There was even a piece of Gold-rank equipment!