The purple miasma of the Toxic Mist Nest churned outside the frost shield. Kiriya's phantom clones suddenly accelerated, pale-blue light orbs tracing warning arcs through the poison haze.
Lina instantly raised her shield before her, icy-blue mana forming fresh layers of frost across its surface:
"Five Toxic Mist Spiders ahead, clustered around the corner."
Within the shield, Violet's priest robe fluttered in the mana currents, though no wind stirred. Her light-purple hair lifted slightly with the surge of energy. She raised her novice staff, the orb at its tip swelling brightly:
"Let's test this new skill I unlocked at level 10—'Stellar Blessing.' A group buff lasts 15 seconds."
[Stellar Blessing]
Effect: Increases allied damage by 20% and movement speed by 10% within range.
A soft rain of lavender starlight fell from above. Kiriya felt the connection between his clones and body surge instantly.
Checking his panel, he saw a floating +20% modifier glowing beside his base damage stats. Lina's icy-blue longsword shimmered faintly as well, clearly empowered by the buff.
"Nice." Kiriya nodded toward Violet, then ordered his clones:
"Left flank—bait them out."
The two clones shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, deliberately stepping into the spiders' line of sight.
The Toxic Mist Spiders instantly sprayed venom, their inky-green streams corroding deep gouges into the ground.
Kiriya seized the moment of stiffness after their spray and activated "Blink Step," sliding into the blind spot on the right.
"Ice Wall Barrier!" Lina's icy-blue mana spread across the ground, erupting into a towering wall of frost, cutting off the spiders' retreat. She angled her shield perfectly, blocking the ones that tried to break through.
"Phantom Resonance!"
Kiriya unleashed his skill. A black aura pulsed outward, and in that instant, his true body and two clones struck in perfect unison. Their buffed sword light pierced the spiders' poison sacs like lasers.
-624!
-624!
-624!
Three bright red numbers flashed into the air, one spider's health instantly plummeting by 40%. Violet immediately swung her staff, a warm white glow falling on Lina—the familiar Light of Healing, restoring 200 HP at once. At the same time, she cast Holy Light Shield on Kiriya:
"Watch the one on the right—it's charging poison!"
Lina twisted her shield, intercepting the venomous spray head-on. The impact scattered shards of ice across the barrier, while Kiriya's clones flanked behind to strike. Under the glow of Stellar Blessing, their damage broke past 500 for the first time.
"Left side's mine!" Violet suddenly stepped forward, staff etching a purifying sigil into the air."Purification!"
A soft white radiance swept across Lina, cleansing the newly inflicted Corrosion debuff before it could drain her health. Seizing the opportunity, Kiriya and his clones crossed their blades, driving three of the spiders' HP bars below 20%.
"Finish them!" Lina's Frost Thrust struck the joints of all three spiders, while Kiriya's Phantom Slash cut them down.
Violet's Light of Healing pulsed again, keeping everyone's health stable. The last spider burst into motes of light as the dungeon timer froze at 8 minutes 27 seconds.
[EXP gained: 1800]
[Copper Coins: 50]
Lina lowered her sword, icy-blue eyes turning to Violet. "Your healing coverage was perfectly timed."
"You two are just too synchronized," Violet replied, pushing her golden glasses up her nose, her light-purple hair gleaming faintly in the mist. "I was about to remind you to switch tanks, and Kiriya's clone had already baited the venom."
She turned to Kiriya, her tone laced with sisterly teasing. "Back at home, watching you play, I thought you were terrible at games."
Kiriya didn't answer. Instead, he pulled up the party panel. Violet's Stellar Blessing showed 42 seconds remaining on cooldown, Lina's Frost Shield had 1 minute 15 seconds of duration left, and his Phantom Resonance had recovered 30% mana.
On the screen, the three status bars formed a balanced triangle: Violet's green healing bar, Lina's blue defense bar, and his own purple buff bar intertwined in harmony.
"Up ahead is the nest of the elite, the 'Toxic Mist Lord.'" Lina pointed toward a rotting altar shrouded in fog. "Its stats are formidable."
[Toxic Mist Lord · Elite]
Level: 25
HP: 15,000 / 15,000
Skills: Venom Spray (Single target), Venom Storm (AoE), Summon Spiderlings, Berserk
"Its Venom Storm is an area-wide attack. It must be interrupted." Lina's expression grew serious.
Violet drew in a deep breath, the orb atop her staff glowing brighter. "I read the guides—its mouth opening is the interrupt window." She glanced between Kiriya and Lina. "You two focus on DPS. I'll look for the chance."
Kiriya summoned his clones, noticing how their pale-blue glow looked denser under Stellar Blessing. He met Lina's eyes, and the wordless bond between them spoke enough.
A deafening roar burst from the altar. The five-meter-tall monstrosity stomped forward, its abdomen poison sacs glowing ominously green. Its cluster of eyes locked onto Lina as its massive jaws gaped wide.
"Now!" Violet traced a full arc with her staff. "Stellar Blessing!"
Lavender starlight rained down again—but the boss did not falter. Venom gushed forth in a massive stream. Lina braced her shield, the frost barrier groaning under the corrosive flood.
-427!
A glaring red number appeared above her head; her health bar chunked dangerously low.
"Purification!" Violet's incantation cleansed the poison instantly. A surge of Light of Healing followed, pulling Lina's health back to safety.
Kiriya seized the moment. "Phantom Resonance!" His body and two clones cleaved together, sword light tearing into the boss's poison sac.
-701!
-701!
-701!
The boss shrieked in agony, thrashing its head and ramming toward Kiriya. His clones stepped forward to block, but were obliterated in a single crushing blow. Kiriya himself was flung back by the shockwave, his HP bar dropping by a third.
"Its defense is too high!" Kiriya shouted, retreating as the Lord's claws swept across the ground.
Suddenly, its abdomen swelled, poison haze surging violently around it—
"It's casting Venom Storm!" Lina yelled. "Violet!"
"Cooldown—three seconds left!" Violet's voice trembled with urgency, her staff flashing desperately.
Without hesitation, Lina slammed down the Ice Wall Barrier. The wall of frost shielded them briefly, buying precious time. Kiriya's clones reappeared, launching a three-pronged strike.
"Now!" Violet's Stellar Blessing came off cooldown at last. The lavender rain fell, and she raised her staff: "Purification!"
At the exact moment the boss began channeling Venom Storm, Violet's strike disrupted its cast animation. The interruption window was no more than half a second—but it was enough.
"Beautifully done!" Kiriya roared, unleashing his strongest attack. "Phantom Slash!"
-893!
-893!
-893!
The boss howled in agony, its HP plunging to 20% and triggering its Berserk phase. Its body glowed red as its speed spiked, charging straight for Violet.
"Protect the support!" Lina lunged, her Frost Thrust freezing its forelimbs for two seconds. Kiriya's clones dashed in again, drawing aggro.
Violet kept casting Light of Healing, her precise movements keeping her just ahead of the monster's sweeping attacks.
Every time Purification refreshed, she cleansed her teammates' poison without hesitation.
In the final moments, the Lord's body glowed crimson, thrashing in a last desperate frenzy.
Kiriya locked onto its tail gland—its sole weak point. With a sudden Blink Step, he appeared behind it, bronze sword plunging deep into the sack.
-1104! (Critical Hit)
The Toxic Mist Lord roared in its death throes as green miasma exploded outward.
Lina's frost shield shattered under the blast, but Violet's Light of Healing fell across them just in time, holding everyone's HP safely above the danger line.
As the poison haze finally dispersed, the massive corpse collapsed to the ground.
[EXP gained: 3500]
[Copper Coins: 150]
[Loot: Toxic Mist Crystals ×8, Star-iron Ore ×5, Toxic Mist Lord's Venom Sac (Rare Material)]
Violet gazed at the results screen, her light-purple eyes sparkling. "Barely ten minutes! Way faster than the pug runs in the guide!"
She turned to Kiriya and Lina, smiling warmly, excitement in her voice. "That last interrupt was pure luck—but thank goodness it worked."
Lina accepted the crystals Kiriya handed her, her icy-blue eyes curving into a faint smile.
"Violet's healing and cleansing were the real keys."
"Let's go," Kiriya said, sheathing his bronze sword. "Back to town to repair gear. Next, we should try the level 30 dungeon—Hell Volcano."
Lina arched a brow, her eyes gleaming beneath the glow of their spoils. "I know a tavern in Green town that sells mead. Shall we celebrate first? I wonder what the drinks taste like in-game."