Chapter 475 Breakthrough!

Xia Nan did not know the exact Challenge Rating of the Shark Beast before him.

Yet there was no doubt this was the strongest enemy he had encountered recently, second only to the adult red dragon banished by the mage Verol.

Through just a few brief exchanges, his sharp Perception let him clearly feel the creature's exaggerated physical Strength—it was as though the beast could crush steel.

The fact that it could shatter the Deathline ring's Deflection Field with a single punch proved that the force behind its attacks was far beyond what their physical defense could withstand.

Realizing this during their brief clash, he had adjusted his combat strategy. He shifted to using his mobility to entangle and kite the creature, doing his utmost to avoid fighting it head-on.

In a battle of this level, low-level enchanted gear like the Deathline ring might be falling behind, but the grade of the Fang Hunt combat technique, combined with his own outstanding physical attributes, could still serve as the core of his fighting style. It was enough to barely hold his own.

Ultimately, he achieved his goal, buying enough time for his mind-controlled teammates to recover.

Now, as Hein, Lorraine, and the others joined the fray one after another, the immense pressure that had rested solely on Xia Nan's shoulders was shared. This allowed him to return to his comfort zone, roaming the edges of the battlefield as a free agent.

He was not just watching, of course.

Whether it was deeply ingrained in his nature or a habit formed as his combat style took shape, Xia Nan preferred drifting along the perimeter during team combat, expanding his field of vision to take in the entire battlefield.

It was as if he truly were a Winter Wolf on the hunt, silently pacing in the shadows. He carefully observed the prey trapped in the center by his teammates, searching for its weaknesses while remaining ready to use his mobility to support anyone in danger.

Even though the massive Shark Beast had not exposed much in this short time, Xia Nan had found what he believed to be a breakthrough point:

—the pale human body fused into the creature's flesh.

He did not know how the two had merged in such a grotesque way, nor did he know where they came from.

From a purely tactical perspective, however, this mutant abomination created from two different beings perfectly covered each other's weaknesses.

The Shark Beast's massive body served as the main host, its terrifyingly powerful physical attributes forming the foundation. Meanwhile, the human body's spell-like abilities granted the monster ranged crowd-control attacks.

To put it bluntly, during those nearly five seconds of mind control just now, if the party had not had an "overpowered freak" like Xia Nan with special resistance Feats to buy time for the others to break free...

A single charge from the Shark Beast would have likely killed or maimed more than half of the Blade of Vengeance Squad.

Furthermore, the existence of the human body vastly improved the Shark Beast's margin of error in combat.

That invisible shockwave sweeping out in all directions had just saved its main body from a potentially severe injury.

'...I have to deal with that fused human body first!'

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Xia Nan made his decision.

His body moved even faster than his mind.

The moment he decided on his next combat strategy, his body was already halfway across the battlefield amid a howling wolf cry.

This was not recklessness. As the team's roaming free agent, he instinctively sensed when it was time to make his move.

Wub-boom—

The shockwave, unleashed by the silent scream of the human body, sent Lorraine, Sasha, and the barbarian Aken flying away from the Shark Beast.

Stumbling a few steps into the mud pit underfoot, the Shark Beast took the opportunity to steady its center of gravity.

Only then did the three who had been blasted away finally hit the ground.

Their reactions varied.

Lorraine had the highest Class Level, and her average physical attributes were the most well-rounded of the three. Though she looked a bit battered, she barely managed to adjust her balance in midair, her pointed leather boots sinking deep into the mud.

The Tabaxi Sasha was light and agile. Even though his low defense left him momentarily dazed after taking the shockwave straight to the face, his feral bloodline still allowed him to twist his waist in midair like a nimble great cat. Swishing his fluffy, long tail, he landed deftly on all fours.

Under the brunt of the impact, it was the bulkiest of them all, the barbarian Aken, who fared the worst.

He had already been stuck in the recovery frames of a heavy leaping slash. Having just pulled his Anchor Greataxe from the mud, his strength was completely scattered.

Unable to react to the shockwave in time, he crashed into the ground flat on his back.

The Shark Beast clearly possessed considerable intelligence. In a split second, it zeroed in on the target most likely to result in a confirmed kill among the three.

Having just steadied itself, the creature lunged toward the barbarian like a small mountain, kicking up a gale reeking of blood.

Arriving on the battlefield even faster than Xia Nan was a beam of verdant magical radiance.

—2nd-Circle · Transmutation · Spike Growth

As the core of the squad, Hein's Druid class and Level 3 Class Level meant she could not act as a main-DPS Spellcaster like many high-level spellcasters. Nor could she spend long periods chanting to unleash a massive, battle-ending spell.

However, even in a sudden, unprepared encounter like this in the middle of a mission, she could still use the convenience of her spellcasting attributes to provide ample support as the core crowd-controller.

Hum—

The verdant radiance touched down on the muddy ground.

Unlike the previous 1st Circle Entangle, the plants sprouting from below transformed from aquatic weeds and vines into tough, barbed, and highly troublesome briars.

Even the spell's area of effect had expanded significantly, stretching from a small patch under the enemy's feet to cover the entire clearing between the Shark Beast and the barbarian.

Knowing full well that the sharpness of the thorns would not be enough to pierce the Shark Beast's thick, resilient skin, and that it would quickly break free even if swarmed...

Hein wisely drew upon her combat experience, trading "quality" for "quantity." By laying down as many briars as possible along the enemy's path, she effectively slowed its momentum.

It worked beautifully!

Entangled by the thorns, the massive Shark Beast moved as if wading through dense jungle underbrush. With every step, hordes of tough briars climbed up its legs.

Its supreme physical strength allowed it to tear through the vines the moment they latched on, but the cumulative drag with every step gradually slowed its advance.

This bought crucial time for the barbarian Aken, who was struggling to his feet up ahead, and for Xia Nan, who was rushing in to help from the flank.

Awooo—

A familiar, drawn-out wolf howl abruptly echoed from behind its head.

Its previously suppressed Rage flared up once again. The Shark Beast completely halted its thorny advance, twisted its body, and violently swatted its right arm through the air behind it.

It felt a faint sting on its back—clearly, another wound had been sliced open by a blade.

But its swinging arm met only empty air. It hit nothing solid.

Strike and retreat!

To maximize his speed and agility, Xia Nan had not even used Gravity Etching, which could inflict massive damage. Instead, he assaulted the enemy purely to harass it.

This forced the Shark Beast's lunging momentum to stagger.

And it gave the downed barbarian Aken the chance he needed to finally climb back up.

"Attack the human body on its torso!"

Wreathed in dark gales, Xia Nan retreated rapidly to dodge the Shark Beast's pursuit as he shouted the warning to the group.

In truth, after that close call, the battle-hardened Lorraine and the others had already realized the danger the human body posed. They quietly shifted their targets to the pale figure fused to the Shark Beast's torso.

Sizzle!

Taking Xia Nan's place was a sudden, blinding burst of fire rising from the Shark Beast's flank.

The Scale-Fire Scimitar, wrapped in crimson-orange flames, slashed through the air at a speed the naked eye could scarcely track. It left trails of dazzling fire around the voluptuous female captain, making it seem as if the flames had engulfed her entirely.

Whirling Blade Cage Dance, originating from the Scimitar Fighter class, was a combat technique she had also trained to the Mastery tier.

While it packed a certain level of lethality, it was typically used to parry ranged attacks like liquids or arrows.

Using such a defense-oriented move in this situation was undeniably questionable.

But Lorraine clearly had her own plan.

Empowered by the flames on the Scale-Fire Scimitar, her aura grew far more imposing, while the dazzling, swirling fire served to distract the enemy.

The Shark Beast, which had been trying to chase down Xia Nan, was immediately drawn by the fiery glow.

Without dodging or defending, it relied entirely on its overwhelming brute Strength and threw a brutal punch right into the flames.

She was clearly prepared for this.

The instant the Shark Beast raised its right arm, its muscles contracting and bulging as it gathered power...

The sharp streams of fire dancing before it abruptly retracted!

Lorraine violently stepped back, leaping away from her spot.

They did not even need to speak. With just a few glances, the tacit understanding built over years allowed her and her teammates to coordinate flawlessly.

As the dynamics of the battlefield shifted, she seamlessly transitioned from a main attacker meant to deal damage to a tactical support role, creating an opening for her allies.

Taking advantage of the blinding flames drawing the enemy's attention, the Tabaxi Sasha crept low like a wild beast. Moving with the wind, he sneaked into the blind spot at the Shark Beast's rear flank.

Seizing the moment the creature wound up its punch, he detonated the full combat power of a Level 4 ranger.

His wind-wreathed paw pads trod over the mud as if it were solid ground. Tail swishing to keep his balance, the half-man, half-cat figure pounced forward.

He held his twin swords in a reverse grip, their blades wreathed in searing fire.

Flame Slash!

It was a rare spell-casting combat technique from the ranger class. Not only did it boost attack damage, but it also added fire damage to the weapons.

Amid escaping trails of fire, his blades pointed straight at the Shark Beast's human torso!

Though it was a blind spot for the Shark Beast's main head, whether by design or an oversight, Sasha had failed to evade the gaze of the human head jutting from its side-chest.

The moment he leapt into the air, the grotesque, deathly-pale human body spotted him.

Sensing danger, the twisted face, weeping tears of blood, raised itself once more. It opened its mouth wide toward the Tabaxi.

"Hrrrrghhh!"

A frantic, concentrated beam of sonic waves blasted from its mouth, its sheer destructive power carving a deep trench through the soft mud in its path.

If hit head-on by such a sonic attack, the Tabaxi's physical frame would surely suffer severe injuries, instantly removing him from the fight.

But unexpectedly, Sasha seemed to have anticipated this.

Or rather, he had done it on purpose, intentionally letting the creature notice his movements so it would attack.

With the Agility bonuses of a Tabaxi, his panther-like nimbleness allowed him to kick off the air the moment his feet left the ground, using his long tail for a second burst of momentum.

Flipping gracefully to the side, he dodged the surging sonic beam with effortless agility.

He was not the main attacker either!

Lorraine had used the firelight to draw the Shark Beast's main body, while Sasha had feigned an ambush solely to keep the human torso too busy to intervene.

Due to the shifting tides of battle, the two who had led the assault in the last exchange tacitly chose to create a window of opportunity for their teammate.

The one to deliver the true fatal strike was the barbarian Aken—the man who had been knocked to the ground and was half a beat slow to rise, dropping from the vanguard of the assault to the absolute rear of the turn order.

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

Covered entirely in rich red light, the power of his Rage instantly pushed his physical Strength to the absolute peak that Level 4 could reach.

His speed appeared slow, but in reality, the explosive force he unleashed in that instant nearly crushed the air itself. Faint ripples of wind could be seen flowing past the red glow on his skin, forming a blurred silhouette in his wake.

From the mud beneath, the remaining briars surged upward, attempting to tightly bind the Shark Beast's body.

Engulfed in the blazing light of his Rage, the barbarian's body swelled another two sizes. The massive axe in his hands became like the lance of a charging cavalryman. At this moment, nothing could halt his advance.

He aimed straight at the human body protruding from the Shark Beast's torso. The axe was just about to fall.

But right at that moment, the Shark Beast—which was still in its post-attack recovery after punching at Lorraine, and briefly immobilized by the entangling briars—suddenly moved.

It violently unhinged its bloody maw, a mouth large enough to swallow an adult human whole.

It aimed downward, straight at the ground.

Splash!!!

A furious torrent of water blasted out from its mouth.

The massive thrust generated in that instant lifted its nearly four-meter-tall, muscle-bound frame completely off the ground.

Like a massive boulder propelled by a geyser, its entire body was blasted backward by the water jetting from its own mouth.

In a moment of pure crisis, it had actually mimicked Lorraine's earlier Flame Breath Countertide, forcefully using its innate water-spitting ability to achieve a split-second displacement.

This caused the Anchor Greataxe—packed with the full might of a Level 4 Class Holder and capable of cleaving steel in two—to slam into the empty ground right where the beast had just stood.

It also left the axe-wielding barbarian Aken, who had channeled all his strength into the strike without leaving himself an out, completely defenseless and exposing his flank to the Shark Beast.

A cruel glint flashed through its dead, pitch-black fish eyes. Viscous droplets of spit and water from its blast still dripped from the corners of its mouth.

It raised its fist high toward the barbarian before it.

Hum—

A flash of pink magical radiance instantly sparked through the air.

—2nd-Circle · Enchantment · Hold Person!

Of course, it would have no effect on the Shark Beast's main monster body.

But when the magical glow landed on the fragile human torso jutting from its side, it was more than enough to lock the pale body in a state of absolute paralysis.

It could not cry out a warning, nor could it cast a spell.

It could only watch helplessly as a pitch-black silhouette wrapped in phantom energy closed the distance in an instant, heralded by a sudden wolf howl.

It watched helplessly as that sharp Wolf Fang, glowing with a condensed crimson-brown light, pierced into its neck amid the shrill shriek of tearing air.

Boom!!!

On the Shark Beast's flank, right where the human head was located.

Accompanied by a high-frequency, ear-piercing hum of energy, a small burst of crimson-brown fireworks abruptly exploded.

Blood, mixed with bone fragments and minced flesh, drifted down amid a roar filled with agony and endless rage.