The Demon Apostle’s Unpredictability

The BOSS’s sudden emergence caught Ye Jue completely off guard. Having joined the game a month later than most, the main quest had always been beyond his reach.

He had merely heard whispers of the main quest’s NPCs possessing exceptionally high AI. Yet, this was the first time he had ever witnessed a BOSS, upon sensing something amiss, directly abandon its territory.

Nevertheless, as a seasoned player, Ye Jue swiftly regained his composure. He fixed his gaze upon the unmoving Demon Apostle, assuming a ready defensive stance.

While its attack power was only about fifty percent higher than an elite monster, a BOSS’s true might resided in its formidable skills. Adding to the challenge, these abilities often possessed a significant degree of randomness.

As a Silver-grade BOSS, this inherent unpredictability was amplified even further.

Lin Shenyue stared intently at the BOSS, her voice barely a whisper.

“Are you confident?”

Ye Jue’s expression was solemn as he spoke in a low tone.

“We can only take it one step at a time.”

Observing the two conversing, the BOSS sneered.

“Have you finished your final goodbyes? If so…” The BOSS’s expression suddenly turned vicious. “…you may now die.”

With that declaration, it immediately launched a Magic Arrow directly at Ye Jue. Even a BOSS, after all, could not violate system rules by unleashing an ultimate skill right from the start.

Ye Jue raised his shield, blocking the attack, but still lost around 280 health points.

He surged forward, unleashing an attack combined with a Furious Slash, yet only managed to chip away 150 health from the BOSS. It appeared that, compared to elite monsters, even a magic-wielding BOSS possessed significantly higher physical defense.

Lin Shenyue, seizing the opportune moment, cast a Healing Spell. Crucially, it did not draw the BOSS’s aggro. Even so, the BOSS’s gaze briefly flickered in her direction.

Ye Jue immediately spoke in the party chat.

“Yue’er, you need to be careful. High-AI monsters in main quests might have additional aggro. For a Light-element cleric like you, if he’s a Dark-element mage, his natural aggro might be quite high.”

Lin Shenyue opened her aggro bar and, true to his words, found her threat level was indeed elevated. Every time she healed, her aggro increased by about 1.5 times the amount it did in previous dungeons, placing her in a rather precarious position.

Should the BOSS possess a special aggro-transferring ability at this point, Ye Jue would find it incredibly difficult to regain threat in a short amount of time.

Ye Jue understood their current predicament. However, if Lin Shenyue ceased healing, he would be utterly unable to withstand the BOSS’s damage. Thus, despite Lin Shenyue’s persistently high aggro, she dared not interrupt her healing on Ye Jue.

After a tense struggle, they managed to deplete the BOSS’s health to 80%, at which point it unleashed its first skill.

The BOSS let out a cold chuckle.

“Experience the taste of abandonment by your friends. Confusion!” As the BOSS finished casting, Lin Shenyue instantly felt herself lose control. However, since she possessed no offensive skills, she could only stand rooted to the spot, watching Ye Jue engage the BOSS in a one-on-one battle.

Ye Jue was somewhat stunned upon hearing the BOSS’s skill. If the BOSS had inflicted Confusion upon him, the quest would very likely end in failure, forcing them to find a larger party to complete it, which would significantly reduce their final rewards. Fortunately, the skill had only targeted Lin Shenyue; without offensive abilities, she merely lost her capacity for action temporarily and did not turn on Ye Jue.

Such a skill came with considerable limitations; in just three seconds, Lin Shenyue broke free of the control. Seeing Ye Jue’s dangerously low health, she hastily cast two consecutive spells, managing to restore his life force to roughly three-quarters.

Following Lin Shenyue’s confusion, the BOSS’s aggro towards her significantly decreased, momentarily freeing her from its dangerous threat.

After activating its skill, the BOSS monotonously continued to hurl Magic Arrows. Judging by Ye Jue’s expression, however, he was not deflecting them with ease. At this juncture, he absolutely had to minimize the damage he sustained to alleviate Lin Shenyue’s healing burden. Moreover, the BOSS had yet to unleash any truly significant skills, and they had only survived this first one through sheer luck.

Lin Shenyue remained vigilant, and when the BOSS’s health dropped to 60%, it unleashed another skill.

The BOSS smirked, its voice flat.

“Mortals, feel the power of the Demon Race. Dark Embrace.”

“Ding! You have been affected by the Demon Apostle’s skill, Dark Embrace. During this period, all damage you receive is doubled.”

Ye Jue’s face fell upon hearing the system notification.

“Yue’er, cast Sanctuary!”

Lin Shenyue paused for a brief moment before reacting swiftly, immediately casting her Sanctuary skill. Instantly, a golden barrier enveloped both of them. This barrier could currently absorb 1600 points of damage.

While the barrier offered no defensive stats, it crucially prevented them from taking double damage. Thus, it endured for a full five seconds, enough time for the BOSS’s skill effect to dissipate.

Although they had weathered another of the BOSS’s skills, Ye Jue’s expression grew grim. This had consumed a skill with a lengthy one-day cooldown, and Lin Shenyue’s magic points were completely depleted. Even with potions, she could only sustain her magic for a short duration, merely treating the symptoms rather than the root cause.

It was worth noting that Lin Shenyue possessed a formidable 51 points in Spirit, giving her an inherent 510 magic points. However, lacking a magic-boosting headpiece, her total magic points were not considered particularly high among clerics.