Even though Shadow Fang managed to adjust his body mid-air after being knocked flying by the water serpents, he still staggered back five or six steps before steadying himself upon landing. The Demon-Breaking Edge in his hand let out a low, mournful wail.
Just a single strike—Shadow Fang had instantly lost more than a tenth of his HP. The power of those water serpents was clearly more than a full tier above what she'd displayed before.
"Commander!"
"How did she suddenly get so strong?"
"No way—was she hiding her true strength this whole time?"
Members of the Shadow Dragon Corps stared at Water Color Rose, who was walking toward Shadow Fang one deliberate step at a time, their minds reeling with shock. Their commander Shadow Fang, with his burst mode activated, had been unable to withstand even a single blow from Water Color Rose. If they told the others back at Dragon Phoenix Pavilion, every last one would call them insane.
And yet, this was actually happening…
"Is this the gap between tiers?" Bai Qingxue watched the somewhat disheveled Shadow Fang on the video and couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise.
She had known before that there was a significant gap between Tier One and Tier Two, but she had never imagined it could be this vast.
Tier-Two stats, Tier-Two magic, plus a heritage that surpassed the pinnacle—it all allowed Water Color Rose to completely dominate Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's top assassin, Shadow Fang. He didn't even have a chance to counterattack.
However, Water Color Rose had no intention of giving Shadow Fang a moment to breathe. She immediately commanded the twelve water serpents to lunge at him.
"Damn it!"
Watching the twelve water serpents charge toward him, Shadow Fang's scalp went numb. Before, he had at least been able to use the Demon-Breaking Edge to defend, but now even the Demon-Breaking Edge was useless. Dodging all twelve water serpents at once was simply impossible.
In just the span of a brief exchange, two water serpents had already drained over nine thousand HP from Shadow Fang. His remaining health was now below half, and a few more hits like that would finish him off for good.
"Everyone, attack together!" Shadow Fang gritted his teeth, then turned to another lean assassin on the team who wore dark gray leather armor. "Xie Yu, find a way to silence her!"
The fact that he couldn't win in a one-on-one fight was now an undeniable reality. But this wasn't a duel—it was a battle. There was no reason to retreat just because he'd lost a personal exchange. If one person couldn't handle it, then they'd go at her as a group.
The moment Shadow Fang gave the order, the entire team was stunned.
Although Commander Shadow Fang had teamed up with others before when dealing with certain monsters, this was absolutely the first time he had done so against a relatively unknown expert. It meant that Shadow Fang had officially acknowledged Water Color Rose's current strength.
But once Shadow Fang gave the word, everyone sprang into action. The healers in the backline immediately placed a protective shield on Shadow Fang while several healing spells cascaded down, restoring him to full health.
Meanwhile, over a dozen assassins quietly flanked toward Water Color Rose, and the remaining ranged classes began launching their attacks. Even though the mountain path was narrow, it could still easily accommodate dozens of ranged players firing simultaneously.