Blade of Tyranny - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Masterstroke

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Nie Fan aimed a Mini Fireball at the Blazing Goblin which was drenched in Black Oil. It detonated with a bang, with an ensuing inferno leaping into the air.

The other Blazing Goblin roared in rage as it watched its companion being buried in the sea of flames and lunged towards Nie Fan.

Nie Fan himself had stopped and began chanting the incantation for Bloodthirsty Vines. Even the seconds seemed to passed slowly as the Blazing Goblin approached, because he would die if this casting did not hit and the Blazing Goblin reached him.

Five yards.

Four yards.

Three yards!

Bloodthirsty Vines!

The Blazing Goblin had a foot out and almost escaping the attacking position of the Bloodthirsty Vine when a thick and powerful vine suddenly shot out from the ground and bound its leg, promptly restraining it tightly.

Nie Fan discreetly rejoiced his luck and calmed his wildly beating heart while retreating rapidly. His back was dabbed in cold sweat even as he released another Black Oil spell.

It was fortunate that his three skills were sufficiently powerful, or they wouldn’t be able to handle those Level 25 creatures.

That being said, his father would never himself to be run so ragged. He was much inferior compared to first-rate gamers in mentality and technique, but he still managed to control himself with standards on par with those gamers, forcing calm upon his anxiety.

Mini Fireball!

A second bang and a second fire. The Blazing Goblin struggled and shrieked for a while before dropping to the ground as a pile of charred blackness.

When Xue Yu and Lin Suyue rushed towards him after some time, they noticed the Blazing Goblins’ corpses on the ground.

Nie Fan’s ability truly left them blushing. It was as if they were not helping until now. 

Still, they realized that the two Blazing Goblins’ corpses dropped no items at all. In fact, all three of them did not even manage to put together a normal White-grade item— drop rates for various items were too low in Blade of Tyranny after all.

“There’s still two minutes before Taunt Dispel comes off cooldown,” Lin Suyue then said after checking her skill bar.

“Let’s farm the monsters around us for a bit then.” Nie Fan said, still feeling apprehensive since he was still unsure if he could get rid of the Blazing Goblin Warrior, a Level 26 Elite monster.

When the cooldown of Lin Suyue’s Taunt Dispel ended, they killed another one of the Blazing Goblins by repeating their tactic.

And after a dozen minutes passed, only the Blazing Goblin Warrior was left nearby that Level 25 Copper treasure chest.

[Blazing Goblin Warrior: Elite, Level 25, HP 2100]

The monster was wearing silver steel armor and stood a head taller than ordinary Blazing Goblins, and the axe it was dragging along behind itself was polished to a radiant silver. Most Elite creatures such as these could instakill Nie Fan with a simple cut.

“Xue Yu, Suyue, support me from the flanks, but be ready to run if I can’t kill it.” Nie Fan said after some thought. Even if his friends had low attack, it was better than none.

“Got it.” Nie Fan said with a nod. He was a little troubled now why he didn’t get the Protect skill back at Tajit because he would be able to help Nie Fan if he did, since it could keep a fellow party member immune from damage for a certain amount of time.

“Be careful,” Suyue said beside them.

“Okay.” Nie Fan nodded somberly and slowly made his way nearer to the Blazing Goblin Warrior.

The creature appeared to sense something when he was twelve yards away and it suddenly stood still, looking all around it.

Even as Nie Fan started to cast Bloodthirsty Vines, the Blazing Goblin Warrior was already rushing towards him as if crazed.

Bloodthirsty Vines!

Nie Fan quickly casted one spell when he saw the creature’s wild rush towards himself.

The ground in front of the Blazing Goblin Warrior thus suddenly rumbled violently, with a red vine shooting out of it.

Please, hit!

Nie Fan’s eyes tightened.

But in that very moment, the Blazing Goblin Warrior roared. Its skin shone in a bizarre redness and it continued to streak towards Nie Fan in wild, wide strides.

Its speed took Nie Fan completely by surprise.

That was a charge, a Warrior’s skill!

The Bloodthirsty Vine hit thin air.

As the Blazing Goblin Warrior continued dashing towards Nie Fan, he quickly ran away, knowing that things had gone awry.

Oh, no.

Xue Yu had been hiding at a corner, but as soon as he realized that things had not gone well, he instinctively dashed towards the Blazing Goblin Warrior.

Knowing that Xue Yu was never going to win against that monster, Lin Suyue stamped her feet in frustration before slamming a shot of Holy Light down at the Blazing Goblin Warrior. Anything could wait after Taunting the monster.

Nonetheless, it only dealt [-1] damage.

Still, the Blazing Goblin Warrior paused for a moment after that blast of Holy Light, but it ignored Lin Suyue when it saw that she was some distance away and maintained its pursuit of Nie Fan.

It was closing in, its axe lifted and almost bearing down on Nie Fan for one instakill. However, that was also when Xue Yu suddenly dashed out from the side.

Sacred Lunar Shield!

Holding the shield aloft, Xue Yu smote the Blazing Goblin Warrior heavily, causing a bang noise and forcing the creature to stumble a few steps behind.

Seizing the moment, Nie Fan retreated a few more steps before shouting, “Xue Yu, dodge!”

After all, the Blazing Goblin Warrior was enraged by the surprise blow from Xue Yu, and it roared before rushing towards him.

Xue Yu would definitely be killed if he was a moment too slow!

Black Oil!

Nie Fan quickly chanted his spell, and the thick dark grease appeared out of thin air within second and drenched the Blazing Goblin Warrior from overhead. It also blocked its vision entirely, while slowing its speed significantly as well.

Meanwhile, Xue Yu kept running raggedly, while behind him, the Blazing Goblin Warrior’s massive axe smashed heavily on the ground with a boom and kicked up clouds of dust. Xue Yu would have been a corpse if he was even a step slower.

That was also when a Mini Fireball shot towards the Blazing Goblin Warrior with a boom, splattering dancing flames.

Damage values above thirty popped up above the monster’s head, one after another.

Nie Fan breathed in slight relief after watching the Black Oil and Mini Fireball hit the Blazing Goblin Warrior. The monster’s speed would be largely impeded if hit by either that combo or Bloodthirsty Vines, after of which he could fight it at his own pace without being left so ragged like moments ago.

It was really thanks to Xue Yu’s smite. There would be not telling what would have happened otherwise.

Then, when Nie Fan saw that his combo’s effect was almost fading, he casted another Bloodthirsty Vine which easily bound the Blazing Goblin Warrior this time.

Both Xue Yue and Lin Suyue unleashed their own assault when they saw that Nie Fan had kept the monster restrained. Since their attack stat wasn’t high, they didn’t have to worry about Taunting that monster either.

At the same time, Xue Yu was relishing his masterstroke of a smite, slowly realizing then that Holy Knights could be played this way too.

Soon, as the Bloodthirsty Vine had barely any HP left under flailing slashes of the Blazing Goblin Warrior, Nie Fan launched another combo of Black Oil and Mini Fireball at the creature.

That barrage left the Blazing Goblin Warrior dazed. Caught beneath the flames and the Bloodthirsty Vine, it could not determine its direction at all, not to mention that the vine was so tough that it could only shave off little over half its HP after a few good cuts. Through it all, its own HP was being cut down rapidly.

Though its ferocity surprised Nie Fan, it was thanks to the sufficient power of his Level 5 Bloodthirsty Vines or he might not have stood a chance.