Chapter 160: This Is Also a Showdown, No Technical Content

Just after meeting, you want me to kill him?

What a strange request?

Jiang Chen couldn't help feeling uneasy.

The Human-shaped Mage Monster before him was unlike the other monsters; it could speak, and its first sentence was actually asking him to kill it.

This bizarre request left Jiang Chen confused.

The mage slowly stood up, indistinguishable from a normal humanoid, wearing a robe, also a manifestation of energy.

As he rose, the mage even brushed his robes with his hand.

From this, it clearly had its own consciousness, completely different from the monsters he had slain along the way.

His manner and movements showed signs of awareness, unlike the other monsters.

His appearance resembled a normal human, markedly different from other humanoid monsters.

The mage even wielded a genuine staff, not equipment formed from energy.

Jiang Chen's pupils narrowed slightly, surprised.

The mage's attitude was puzzling; he seemed to have his own consciousness, unlike ordinary monsters.

The mage lifted his head and looked at Jiang Chen: "If you want to know why, kill me, and I'll tell you."

The words sounded awkward.

After killing it, how could it still speak? Dead people can't talk.

But it gave Jiang Chen no time to think.

Just as Jiang Chen began to contemplate, the mage suddenly raised his staff and launched a massive Fireball toward Jiang Chen.

The Skeleton Warrior quickly stepped in front of Jiang Chen, absorbing the Fireball's Explosion.

Flames sprayed in all directions, but the Skeleton Warrior blocked them all; though severely wounded, he remained upright.

Flames burst outward in every direction, the Bone Armor glimmered, shielding all stray flames.

"Attack power is good

strong."

Just from that, the Skeleton Warrior sustained serious injuries.

This mage was far stronger than the Elemental Leopard King earlier.

After he eliminated the Elemental Leopard King, most of the Instance's energy converged on this mage.

Not only that, even the Human-shaped Monster's energy also gathered onto him at this moment.

It had amassed nearly half the Instance's total energy; it would be strange if it weren't strong.

"If you can't kill me, I'll kill you!"

The mage's voice rang out again, followed by a hum from his staff.

The staff buzzed, shaking the entire Instance.

Jiang Chen's complexion changed abruptly; the surrounding Dungeon Exit vanished, and they could not leave the Instance.

Either kill this mage, or be killed.

The Skeleton Warrior and Skeleton Mage launched attacks simultaneously, and Jiang Chen used Detection Technique.

"Elemental Archmage (Hell Dungeon Boss)"

"Level: 39"

"Strength: 10000"

"Agility: 10000"

"Spirit: 40000"

"Constitution: 10000"

"Skills: Wind Shackles, Explosive Fierce Flame, Falling Fire Annihilation, Silence, Magic Shield"

"Trait: Massive Life Force Enhancement"

This BOSS is level 39; although Strength and Agility aren't its fortes, its Spirit reaches 40000, giving it an edge in Skills over others.

Jiang Chen realized that, although his Skeleton Mage surpassed the opponent in Spirit Attribute, its Skills were far inferior.

After Amplify, the Level 27 Skeleton Mage's Spirit Attribute indeed appeared higher, yet it was utterly defeated in Skills.

The opponent's Skill intensity was high; the Skeleton Warrior was gravely wounded after just a single hit.

"For professionals, strength and weakness aren't

solely judged by attributes; skills also count."

This Elemental Archmage BOSS was surely a mage-type professional before.

After death, it was reconstituted by Instance energy, still retaining the mage's traits, with exceptionally strong Spiritual Power.

Its attributes have already surpassed the Elemental Queen, making it the single-attribute strongest BOSS Jiang Chen has ever seen. Add those five Skills...

Jiang Chen felt his head spin.

But now there is no way back; it's life or death.

If that's the case, then fight.

The Skeleton Warrior charged forward, raising his Blade high, skill activated!

Blue light flickered, and a blue shield appeared around the BOSS.

Skill: Magic Shield!

Several Skeleton Warriors' Skills struck the Magic Shield, which burst with dazzling light and warped.

But after half a second it returned to normal.

The Magic Shield's strength was extremely high, the highest Jiang Chen had ever seen.

I don't know what level the opponent's skills have reached, but they're definitely strong.

Flames burned in the palm.

Skill: Soul Burn!

A flame ignored the mage's protection and instantly appeared above the BOSS's head.

The BOSS showed a look of pain, trembled violently, but made no sound.

Skill: Slow Curse!

Jiang Chen's skills activated in succession.

Amid the red light, the BOSS's speed suddenly slowed.

It seemed the BOSS hadn't expected a Curse skill; its expression changed, showing a hint of satisfaction amid surprise.

The Skeleton Mage's attacks came one after another, overwhelming it with a flood of strikes.

Fire Element: Blazing Flame!

Water Element: Ice Storm!

Wind Element: Tornado Storm!

Lightning Element: Five Thunder Overhead!

For a moment, wind and fire clashed while lightning flashed and thunder roared.

Four-element elemental attack fell on the Magic Shield, dazzlingly brilliant, hitting

the Magic Shield constantly twisted and deformed.

The Magic Shield shattered with a boom.

The Skeleton Warrior's attack also fell on the BOSS.

Beams of light shot out, landing on the Skeleton Mage.

The Skeleton Mage hit by the light was instantly muted.

Skill: Silence.

Silence can cause a mage to fall into a silent state, unable to use any skills.

Even the Skeleton Mage cannot escape it.

Control-type skills...

are Jiang Chen's most hated skills.

The light continuously emitted, and the Skeleton Mages one after another fell into silence.

Skeleton Mages unable to use skills can only stare blankly, unable to do anything.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen immediately gathered the Skeleton Mages that were not silenced.

The Skeleton Warrior's great blade continuously swung toward it.

It retreated quickly, but under the curse's effect, its retreat speed was very slow.

Jiang Chen simultaneously continued to cast Soul Burn.

Each Soul Burn attack made it feel pain.

The Skeleton Warrior closed in, and at its speed, it could not outrun the Skeleton Warrior.

A gust of wind blew, and the frontmost Skeleton Warriors suddenly stopped.

A chain appeared on them.

The Skeleton Warriors were trapped in place, unable to move.

Skill: Wind Shackles!

The BOSS continuously activated skills; each time several Skeleton Warriors were trapped by the skill, preventing them from approaching it.

Blue light flickered, and the Magic Shield reappeared.

Thus, even if a few Skeleton Warriors caught up, they could not break the Magic Shield.

In the blink of an eye, more than half of the Skeleton Warriors were trapped, each like a wooden stake, unable to move.

The minor monsters' control-type skills are already troublesome enough, and the BOSS also...

This is simply a headache.

Skeleton

Warrior is bound, Skeleton Mage is silenced.

Corpse Explosion, no corpse.

Jiang Chen realized that now he could only rely on himself.

This is his first time solely fighting a BOSS on his own.

Soul Burn is his only skill.

Fortunately, the Magic Shield cannot block it.

Soul Burn repeatedly activates over and over.

The BOSS's expression twisted in pain, its body trembling nonstop.

He raised his staff high.

Complex, profound Star Light patterns formed beneath his feet.

They quickly became a pentagram.

Skill: Falling Fire Annihilation!

Falling Fire Annihilation is a skill that Level 40 Mage-Class Practitioners can master only after completing Second Transcendence.

It is a large-area group attack skill.

The sky turned crimson, followed by countless flaming meteors raining down.

Regardless of range or power, it is stronger than the mage who ambushed us then.

All Skeleton Warriors are under control, Jiang Chen cannot pull them back, and can only endure the attacks.

The Bone Armor glitters, shielding Jiang Chen from the attacks.

The skill's range is too large; there is nowhere to dodge.

So I just won't dodge.

I also won't bother with the skeletons.

Jiang Chen hardens his resolve; he'll fight tooth and nail, seeing who can last till the end.

Under the blazing falling stone, Soul Burn is used continuously.

Every so often, he replenishes his Bone Armor.

The BOSS has strong vitality and is not so easy to kill.

Even if besieged by Skeleton Warriors, he will keep slashing for a minute or two.

Moreover, now only Jiang Chen is attacking.

Spiritual Power is being consumed rapidly.

When it has been consumed past the halfway point, he takes out the pre‑prepared Healing Potion and drinks it.

Before entering the Instance, he carried the Healing Potion on his person for emergencies, and unexpectedly ended up using it.

Falling Fire Annihilation lasted for a full

one minute before it stopped.

A ray of light shoots from the BOSS's staff.

Skill: Silence!

It aims to restrict Jiang Chen's skill.

Silence had no effect, being blocked by the Bone Armor.

Bone Armor is immune to all control and all negative effects.

After trying twice, the BOSS no longer attempts it.

He stopped using Falling Fire Annihilation and instead used Explosive Fierce Flame to attack Jiang Chen; although the single‑target skill's overall power is lower than Falling Fire Annihilation, its speed is fast and it can be used consecutively.

In one‑on‑one combat, its power is considerably higher than Falling Fire Annihilation.

Explosive Fierce Flame continuously falls on Jiang Chen, clusters of flame explode before his eyes, dazzling like fireworks, and a boom— reverberates in his ears.

Relying on Bone Armor's super‑strong defense, Jiang Chen does not dodge or evade, and hard‑eats the attacks.

At the same time, he uses Soul Burn at the fastest speed, continuously attacking the BOSS.

The BOSS's Magic Shield cannot block Soul Burn.

Bone Armor, however, can block the opponent's Explosive Fierce Flame.

Jiang Chen knows he has the advantage in this regard.

Now it's a contest of who can last until the end.

He again takes out a bottle of Healing Potion and drinks it, keeping Spiritual Power above half, and the two sides thus engage in a purely non‑technical duel...

You strike, I strike, hurting each other.

Clearly a life‑or‑death battle, yet it looks so boring.

Finally, the BOSS reaches its limit and lets out a painful wail.

Since the battle began, this is his first wail.

Jiang Chen knows how painful Soul Burn is.

The BOSS monster that has been slashing its way forward, unless it lacks pain sensation, none can endure it.

Amid the wail, its skill is interrupted.

Jiang Chen's eyes brighten,

He intensifies his attack.

As the saying goes, strike when you're ill to take your life.