Chapter 110: Counterkill

Zhao Tianhe and his companion were less than a hundred meters from the exit. Under the suppression of their combined magic, the ordinary Wind Demons could not get close to them.

However, just as they were on the verge of escaping, a dark shadow lunged out from the horde of monsters!

This Wind Demon possessed a terrifying, grotesque maw. Within its gaping mouth, there was no sign of the typical black mist, but rather rows of sharp teeth that continuously opened and closed.

Zhao Tianhe instantly recognized it as an elite. Silently chanting a few words, he unleashed fifty consecutive Fire Bolts, draining his mana pool entirely.

His luck, however, was poor; he only triggered second and third-tier spells, which did little more than slightly slow the creature’s charge.

"Hurry up!" Zhao Tianhe roared.

"How? How can I go faster?!" Li Mei obliterated two ordinary Wind Demons with a pair of Light Spears, then fired two more at the elite monster behind them.

Even with the elemental advantage, third-tier spells were merely a nuisance to an elite Wind Demon, serving only to further enrage it.

"Then let's slow it down..." Zhao Tianhe calmed himself. Feeling the mana flow restored by the *Book of Boiling*, he cast over a dozen Resistance Reduction spells.

Zhao Tianhe had the highest affinity for the dark element, so his curses consumed significantly less mana than other spells. Combined with the replenishment from the *Book of Boiling*, he could cast low-level curses almost continuously.

After being struck by over sixty curses, the elite Wind Demon—despite its considerable resistance—found its flight speed hindered by several Slow curses. It could only watch helplessly as the two of them burst out of the dungeon.

"What now?" Zhao Tianhe asked while swimming, having already cast Water Breathing and Fish-like Movement.

"What else can we do? Run..." Li Mei replied, her voice filled with confusion as she pulled a map from her chest.

Although Li Mei was wearing a loose, thick mage robe, the deep-water pressure pressed the fabric against her body, revealing a breathtaking figure that was almost enough to drive a man to madness.

Seeing the subtle contours of her silhouette, Zhao Tianhe couldn't help but lament the tragedy of being a man; even in such a life-or-death situation, his instincts still reacted.

Suddenly, he sensed a faint ripple in the water behind them. Zhao Tianhe quickly sharpened his senses to observe.

"Damn it! It’s chasing us!" Zhao Tianhe shouted.

The elite Wind Demon with the nightmare maw had actually pursued them out of the dungeon! It was accompanied by a dozen ordinary Wind Demons.

"What kind of deep-seated grudge is this?! Isn't it better to just stay in the dungeon?!" Zhao Tianhe cursed in frustration, stopping his swim alongside Li Mei.

Their Fish-like Movement spells could only increase their swimming speed by a factor of one or two, but the monster’s speed, which far exceeded that of a standard flight spell, remained undiminished.

"This is troublesome. It’s an experienced monster; it wants to devour us to evolve and grow stronger!" Li Mei said, her brows furrowed.

To monsters, the Brave System was a source of great power, but since the number of Braves who died at the hands of monsters each year was limited, and not every dungeon had developed a civilization, monsters that understood this were practically non-existent.

Clearly, many monsters in the Kingdom of Wind Demons were aware of this, and the ones pursuing them were among them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have abandoned the alluring, life-energy-rich environment of the dungeon to hunt Zhao Tianhe and his companion.

A dozen monsters surrounded them, but the elite monster held back.

Although the elite hungered for them, consuming them would not be enough to evolve it into a boss or a reinforced elite. The ordinary monsters, however, were more eager, as devouring one of the two would allow them to evolve into elites and ascend to the second or third floors, where they could enjoy a more abundant life-energy environment.

The monsters hissed at each other before lunging forward in unison. It seemed they were capable of communication and coordination.

However, when they reached within five meters of the pair, they slammed into a protective barrier!

Li Mei had secretly cast a light-based defensive ward. The rich light elements scorched the ordinary monsters, forcing them to shriek and recoil.

But Li Mei had no intention of letting them off easily.

The cubic light barrier, now fully revealed, underwent a violent transformation. Countless triangular shards of light emerged from its surface, striking the ordinary monsters.

Each triangular shard that struck a monster instantly formed a cage, trapping the creature inside and erupting with intense light and heat, incinerating them completely.

Li Mei was most skilled in barrier-type spells and their manipulation. However, all barrier spells were difficult to cast instantly; she could only cast her signature water-based barriers instantaneously, while light-based ones required silent chanting.

Yet, once a barrier was deployed, the subsequent variations were much simpler.

"Purification Barrier, Transmute..." Li Mei changed her hand gestures—not out of necessity, but out of habit.

The light barrier began to break apart, turning into rotating curtains of light.

In this world, gestures and incantations were not strictly required; they were a form of unique self-hypnosis, allowing the caster to stimulate the potential of their brain and soul to manipulate the elements.

Seeing the situation turn dire, the elite monster in the distance retreated, seemingly intending to flee.

However, over a hundred curses struck it directly. Among them were several Slow curses, reducing its flight speed to that of an elderly man on a morning stroll.

The six curtains of light swirled rapidly around the elite monster, reforming the cubic Purification Barrier.

"Pierce." Li Mei pinched her fingers.

Countless long, sharp, prismatic spikes erupted from the inner walls of the barrier, turning the elite monster into a pincushion!

As a formidable A-rank elite, it did not die easily. Instead, it thrashed wildly within the barrier, trying to escape while bristling with spikes.

Yet, the spikes continued to fire from the walls, and those embedded in its misty form slowly dissolved and eroded its body.

Finally, when it managed to crash through the barrier wall, most of its body had been reduced to crystalline, multi-colored dust.

The elite Wind Demon roared, its body trembling violently as it tried to tear away the eroded parts, but it was too late.

As its form completely shattered, a ring inlaid with a black pearl floated in the water.

*Dark Demon Ring, A-Rank Elite Equipment.*
*Dark Element Affinity +4.*
*Mana +100.*

Though it lacked the special abilities found in boss equipment, the base stats of elite equipment were comparable to those of boss-level gear of the same tier.

"You take it. Haven't you been collecting gear for elemental affinity?" Li Mei said with a smile.

"Hmm, alright. I'll make it up to you later..." Zhao Tianhe nodded, but Li Mei waved him off.

"Hey! You saved my life earlier! Why are you talking about making it up to me?" Li Mei laughed.

"Was it Wei Luan? I was just saving myself," Zhao Tianhe replied, thinking for a moment, his tone matter-of-fact. "If we're talking about that, didn't you just repay me by killing that elite Wind Demon?"

"Uh, I suppose so. It’s silly to talk like that between comrades," Li Mei sighed. "Then I won't stand on ceremony, but there is one thing I must say!"

"What is it?" Zhao Tianhe asked, seeing Li Mei’s serious expression.

"Could you please materialize your mage robe to cover up? Your current outfit is just..." Li Mei looked at Zhao Tianhe’s armor, which resembled that of a Saint Seiya, and couldn't help but frown.

She couldn't be blamed; if you were to Photoshop your own face onto the bodies of Seiya and his peers in their Gold Cloths, the sense of dissonance would be unmistakable.

Zhao Tianhe was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and materialized the *Robe of Dark Tides*.

The *Robe of Dark Tides* was a hooded garment resembling a hoodie. Its cuffs and the edge of the hood were tattered, and the material was a dark, shimmering blue with veins of light slowly pulsing through it, giving it a somewhat alternative, "edgy" look.

However, the robe was also tattered at the hem, covering only his upper body and the top of his left thigh, which was why he had chosen to craft his own makeshift covering earlier.