Annihilating Thunderstrike and Lingering Resolve

The normal-difficulty dungeon posed no significant challenge. Lin Shenyue and her four companions quickly whittled down the BOSS’s health to 60% again.

This time, the BOSS unleashed a single-target ability: Annihilating Thunderstrike.

Upon seeing the skill hurtling towards him, Ye Jue helplessly abandoned all resistance. He knew instinctively that, in his current state, he couldn’t possibly withstand the damage.

However, he felt no alarm, for Lin Shenyue possessed a Resurrection skill. The advent of Resurrection had undoubtedly provided an extra layer of security for dungeon-clearing players.

Mistakes and casualties were inevitable when tackling dungeons, and Resurrection could restore fallen party members, ensuring the team remained at full strength. Consequently, a saying had emerged in the later stages of Divine Realm: “Without Resurrection, one is no true Cleric.” This underscored the skill’s immense importance.

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A colossal number erupted above Ye Jue’s head. Even with his guard activated, he sustained double his maximum health in damage, instantly falling.

Lin Shenyue paused, then quickly reacted. “Divine Wind, pull the BOSS! Exquisite Heart, cease output! Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, cover Divine Wind!” Yet, her response was a fraction too slow; 1.5 seconds had already passed before her commands were fully issued.

Fortunately, her teammates were no ordinary players. Even without her explicit instructions, they had tacitly halted their attacks and scattered. It was only after hearing Lin Shenyue’s precise orders that Divine Wind resumed his assault.

While their experience might have guided them in such situations, acting purely on instinct would undermine the commander’s authority—a fatal flaw in any team. Though each member harbored a proud spirit, having acknowledged Lin Shenyue as their leader, they would not act on their own initiative during such a crucial moment, thereby preserving her command.

Moreover, despite a teammate’s death, the situation had not yet escalated to a true crisis. A genuinely perilous moment would demand individual action based on the circumstances, a true test for top-tier players.

After a three-second incantation, Lin Shenyue resurrected Ye Jue. Following a swift combination of Heal and Healing Spell to restore his health, Ye Jue charged back to the BOSS, his Taunt skill immediately re-establishing aggro.

Normally, to counter this particular BOSS skill, one would either use a Hunter’s Misdirection to transfer aggro to a pet, or deploy a special ability that significantly boosts defenses, such as Invincibility. Otherwise, encountering this skill would guarantee a casualty within the party.

Of course, if one’s attributes vastly overpowered the BOSS, death might be averted, but by then, players would likely need to be at least level 25.

With the rhythm re-established, the BOSS’s threat diminished considerably. The BOSS subsequently unleashed two large-area damage skills, which the team effortlessly mitigated.

Lin Shenyue possessed two wide-area healing abilities, and while Group Healing’s cooldown was lengthy, it was sufficient for each of the BOSS’s skill activations. However, she herself endured significant hardship, taking at least a few hits from every BOSS attack.

Though not enough to kill her, these blows were still quite painful. The fiery glow of the Fire Elemental gradually faded. Upon reaching 0% health, its crimson hue completely vanished, and its body dissipated into thin air.

Lin Shenyue’s body swayed, nearly collapsing. Thankfully, Xu Linglong, who had been watching closely, rushed over to support her.

“Yue’er, why push yourself so hard? Father only created this game for your recovery, not for you to suffer,” Xu Linglong gently chided.

Lin Shenyue offered a wry smile, exhaling a sigh. Her persistence stemmed from a troubling discovery: her tolerance for pain was gradually weakening.

Despite numerous experiences enduring suffering, she found her resilience diminishing rather than strengthening. She had a nascent understanding of why.

Initially, her spirit—her soul, one might say—had not fully integrated with her physical body. Sensations were filtered and weakened before reaching her consciousness. However, with the passage of time, especially when taking hits, the pain stimulated the fusion between her body and spirit.

This allowed her to gradually gain mastery over her body, but concurrently, she became increasingly susceptible to its original influences. The original Lin Shenyue, the sole female descendant of the Lin family (the reality of the protagonist’s arrangements will be explored later), was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

She had been pampered from childhood, yet she hadn’t turned out spoiled, thanks to Qin Yuxin’s careful upbringing. Coupled with five years in a coma, her body had become even more fragile and sensitive, a vulnerability starkly evident within the game.

‘Because I refuse to simply become a girl!’ Lin Shenyue held firm to her resolve. Though she didn’t know how long she could endure, as a man in her previous life, she would not compromise now.

Yet, with each passing moment, she could distinctly feel her body’s influence. Despite her best efforts to resist, she found herself unable to suppress its inherent instincts.

“I won’t lose!” Lin Shenyue gritted her teeth, her determination unwavering. Indeed, her self-imposed ordeal, her active participation as a combat player, was solely to reawaken her masculine consciousness. Though its effects seemed minimal at present, Lin Shenyue refused to concede defeat.

“Lose?” Xu Linglong furrowed her brow, failing to grasp Lin Shenyue’s meaning. ‘Could Yue’er have made a bet with someone?’ Her piercing gaze fixed on Ye Jue, making his scalp tingle as he wondered what he had done to incur her displeasure this time.

‘From the current situation, it seems only Peerless Karma Fire could possibly be the one she made a bet with,’ Xu Linglong mused. Although unfamiliar with Lin Shenyue’s activities in the beginner village, given the dynamics of everyone present, Ye Jue was the only plausible candidate for such a wager.

‘Excellent, Peerless Karma Fire. If I don’t make you grovel and beg for mercy, then my surname isn’t Xu,’ Xu Linglong vowed inwardly, her thoughts sharp and resolute.

Ye Jue felt Xu Linglong’s glare intensify, his scalp prickling. He racked his brain, trying to figure out how he had offended her again, but ultimately drew a blank.

The corpses of monsters in the dungeon remained for five minutes. After a brief rest, Lin Shenyue hurried to loot the BOSS’s body.

The Fire Elemental Spirit BOSS was a magic-user, and the equipment it dropped heavily favored mages. This time, Lin Shenyue was incredibly lucky, even managing to loot a Bronze-grade item.

One must remember this was merely a normal dungeon. The appearance of a Bronze-grade item was entirely due to Lin Shenyue’s exceptionally high luck stat, combined with a significant stroke of fortune. Though just a common Bronze-grade staff, its attributes far surpassed those of Black Iron-grade items, and it was significantly better than the level 8 Silver-grade staff Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze currently wielded, so it was naturally given to him.

In addition, several pieces of Black Iron-grade mage armor were dropped, but Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, naturally had no interest in them. Since most of the equipment dropped by the Fire Elemental Spirit was for mages, and Lin Shenyue’s current gear didn’t require replacement, she stored the majority of these items in her inventory, intending to sell them later.