Chapter 52: An Unspoken Bond Against the Red Dragon

The colossal Red Water Dragon roared like a mountain, bearing down on me with menacing force, yet I met it head-on!

I could not retreat! A single step back, and the countless player mages behind me would unleash a barrage of spells, blasting me into dust!

With a formidable foe ahead and an abyss behind, my only option was to face the challenge directly!

This was proving to be a bit troublesome.

In this game, characters were bound by attribute limitations, and HP, not vital points, dictated life and death.

Moreover, the opponent before me was a monster I had never encountered.

It still possessed 30% of its health, and I couldn’t instantly kill it; I could only try to outmaneuver it!

However, doing so would inevitably expose me to all enemy sightlines, pulling me from the shadows into the open, and leaving me vulnerable!

“Dragon Pounce Moon!”

A lunge skill, combined with the knockback from Dragon Pounce Moon, sent a crescent-shaped burst of light sweeping upwards, violently colliding with the scorching, lightning-wreathed horn of the Red Water Dragon!

With a sharp clang, sparks flew from the point of impact, as if metal grated against metal.

The Red Water Dragon’s weak point was struck, and its massive head was actually thrown backward by Yingning, wielding her single sword!

The young woman’s silver mithril armor shone with the dazzling brilliance of a heroine under the sunlight!

Her entire being transformed into a silver streak, shooting like lightning towards the Red Water Dragon!

Yingning!

That silly girl!

Aggro instantly shifted to Yingning.

In my urgency, I didn’t return to the priest group, instead standing with Yingning in the arena, enduring the scrutinizing gaze of the surrounding Sword Sweeping the World players!

Now, both of us were completely exposed!

Facing such a behemoth, even with Yingning’s excellent technique, she couldn’t hold out for long!

Yingning’s maximum HP was 300 points, barely enough to withstand one of this monster’s normal attacks.

If struck by lightning, Yingning would surely be instantly killed from full health!

I quickly cast a [Moon Goddess’s Blessing] on her.

[Moon Goddess’s Blessing]: Increases the target’s maximum HP by (Caster’s Magic Attack x 1) points. (Exclusive skill for Beastkin healing-type pets.)

My magic attack was 151, which finally boosted Yingning’s maximum HP to 451.

Yet, it still might not be enough to withstand the lightning from the Red Water Dragon’s horn.

The lightning’s damage was currently unknown, but seeing it blast craters into the ground, its damage was undoubtedly much higher than a normal attack, and it was magic damage—a weakness for physical classes like Yingning!

Yingning executed a clumsy side roll, dodging the BOSS’s horn sweep, and seized the opportunity to slash at the BOSS’s snake-like, slender neck.

With a “clang,” Yingning’s longsword was actually deflected by the tough hide!

Yingning herself fell into a brief stun, and the BOSS’s horn grazed her waist!

[-400]

For a Level 30 World BOSS, this damage was remarkably low, yet it still nearly claimed Yingning’s life!

[+400]

With quick reflexes, I cast a [Redemption Grace], but this powerful healing skill immediately entered an extremely long cooldown, rendering it unusable for a while.

My own mana bar finally bottomed out.

Gritting my teeth, I consumed my last mana potion and charged forward, cleric staff in hand.

I struck the Red Water Dragon’s horn with my staff, which was immediately repelled, throwing me into a stunned state.

The Red Water Dragon roared in fury, unleashing a bolt of lightning.

Breaking free from the stun, I rolled to evade it at the last possible second.

Just as I suspected! The horn was a weak point! Striking the horn generated a significant amount of aggro!

As the Red Water Dragon was about to charge at me, Yingning landed a heavy chop on its neck.

This time, her sword wasn’t deflected; instead, it cut a clear, bleeding gash!

The Red Water Dragon hesitated, then turned to pounce on Yingning again.

Yingning was about to repeat her side roll to dodge, but I called out to her.

“Don’t side roll! Back jump!”

Yingning paused, then reacted swiftly, executing a back jump.

She had barely leaped away, not yet landing, when the Red Water Dragon’s sharp bone wings swept in a powerful arc close to the ground, narrowly missing Yingning’s nose by a hair’s breadth.

Even so, Yingning was sent flying by the ensuing bone ridge, her health instantly plummeting to critical levels!

However, if Yingning had chosen to side roll, she would have undoubtedly been sliced in half by the Red Water Dragon’s bone wings, unable to escape instant death!

Yingning stole a glance at me, her expression one of astonishment.

I had guessed correctly!

Indeed, the dragon had suddenly lowered its body, pressing its wings to the ground, its leg muscles tensed, all to execute this new slicing attack!

I continuously cast ordinary Holy Light spells to keep Yingning’s HP stable.

Fortunately, my magic attack was exceptionally high, so even my minor heals provided nearly the same amount as a major heal, quickly replenishing Yingning’s health and simultaneously drawing the Red Water Dragon’s aggro.

At that moment, the Red Water Dragon’s horn glowed, and a scorching bolt of lightning tore through the air, streaking towards me!

Thankfully, I had been paying close attention to the brightness of its horn, and I had already dodged sideways in advance while casting Holy Light.

Yingning, seizing the opportunity while the monster was releasing its lightning, charged and slammed into its face, successfully reclaiming aggro.

I, meanwhile, quickly closed in on the Red Water Dragon, cleric staff in hand, and before it could rage, I struck its horn, stealing aggro once more before it could unleash its next lightning bolt on Yingning.

We alternated aggro, sharing the damage, and with my ability to predict the Red Water Dragon’s attacks from its tells, I could direct Yingning, allowing us to barely withstand the Red Water Dragon for the time being.

This battle, I realized, was perhaps the first time Yingning and I had truly fought side-by-side in this lifetime.

Yet, it felt as though we were connected by an unspoken understanding, always knowing each other’s intentions at critical moments, achieving perfect synergy, as if we had been fighting together for ages.

Despite our coordination, my mana was depleting rapidly.

Once my mana ran out, I feared we wouldn’t be able to hold on!

However, even at this point, the Sword Sweeping the World players behind us showed no sign of movement, offering no support whatsoever.

They simply watched as the two of us repeatedly cheated death against a World BOSS 20 levels higher than us!

“Guild Master, aren’t we going in yet?” The stout man, the leader of the healing group whose ID was [Black Mirror Healer], anxiously looked towards the Sword Sweeping the World guild master.

The Guild Master was the mage in blue robes, whose ID was [Jiangu].

“The BOSS’s 30% danger phase isn’t over yet; wait another minute… But who are these two women? Which group are they from?”

“Well…” Black Mirror Healer considered for a moment, then decided to keep the identity of the cute little healer secret.

“They’re from my group, just here to see the world… I just didn’t expect their skills to be quite good.”

“Indeed,” Jiangu remarked with a sigh.

“They have a few skills I’ve never seen before.

They seem to be experienced players with good luck, and what’s more, they’re beautiful.

Such a rare species: beautiful experts… After this BOSS is defeated, bring them to me.

They can try out for the elite squad’s substitute assessment.”

“What about now? Shouldn’t we have another tank take the aggro?”

“To maintain secrecy, we didn’t bring many people this time, and they’re all elites.

We should minimize losses as much as possible.

Currently, the aggro is on that female warrior.

We’ll switch people once she dies.

Afterwards, I’ll give her extra contribution points.”

Jiangu then turned his gaze to me, deep in thought.

“What? Is the Guild Master interested in this Beastkin healer girl?”

“Is it a coincidence…” Jiangu stroked his chin, his eyes fixed on my movements with an air of suspicion and uncertainty.

“Haven’t you noticed that all the fatal lightning strikes are aimed only at her, and yet she’s dodged every single one!

Could she have figured out the BOSS’s lightning patterns, and managed to snatch aggro with a heal before each strike? No… that can’t be…”

Jiangu turned to ask a human male priest in blue gear standing beside him: “Green Dog, can you do that?”

The male priest shook his head.

“Impossible! I can’t do that! It must be a coincidence!”

“It should be… If it’s not a coincidence… then that’s truly terrifying… How long have those two been holding out?”

“For 40 seconds.”

“During the first phase, how long did our warrior group’s main tank, with the entire priest group backing him up, last?” Jiangu asked again.

“10 seconds.”