"Healers, keep the main tank's HP stable! All melee—do NOT let anyone from Star Ring get close to the healers!"
A Level 67 Warlock in deep purple robes was directing the independent team while waving his Greenwood Staff, continuously buffing the team members.
Under the Warlock's command, the members of the independent team acted like a well-trained legion. Even at the risk of death, every one of them carried out the Warlock's orders without hesitation, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.
"Team Leader, Star Ring's assault is too fierce. The boss is still at 24% HP—we probably can't hold out that long." To the side, a serene woman clutching green vines, wearing a silver Druid insignia on her chest and an elegant light-green skirt, like a forest fairy, glanced at the boss's health bar and spoke with worry.
The monsters in the Illusory Forest were formidable to begin with, and combined with the forest's low-magic environment, magic-class players could only perform at half their usual effectiveness here—including healers. This made the bosses in this area extraordinarily difficult to deal with.
Under normal circumstances, handling a field boss here was already extremely challenging, let alone competing against Star Ring's expert team for one.
"I know, but if we just hand the boss over to them, the Suppression Scrolls we used will have gone to waste." Team Leader Shenqiu Mingdong looked toward the distance, where a Berserker in silver armor was commanding Star Ring's team, and said through gritted teeth, "And the one we're up against this time is Chenhui—he's a ruthless one. Whenever he runs into players, he doesn't let a single one go. Over a dozen teams have already been completely wiped out by him. Even if we want to retreat, I doubt he'll let us leave safely!"
"I'm with the Team Leader. We're the Purple Shadow Adventurer Team—we rank in the top ten of the Night Empire. Worst case, we fight them to the bitter end and neither side gets the boss!" Standing guard nearby, a Level 66 Ranger named Banjian Jingyu held an ancient blood-red bow and spoke with confidence.
Everyone in the team nodded in agreement.
The Night Empire had adventurer teams innumerable, and the competition was nothing like what teams in a kingdom faced. Any team that ranked in the top hundred was formidable enough to earn the respect of major first-rate guilds, and ordinary third-rate guilds wouldn't dare provoke them.
Those in the top ten were all pinnacle-tier teams. Major first-rate guilds treated them with courtesy, hoping to recruit them and bolster their own strength.
Perhaps in raw power, the Purple Shadow Adventurer Team couldn't compare to a superpower like Star Ring. But when it came to taking on a single Star Ring expert team, they still had confidence.
"Team Leader, the front line is about to collapse under Star Ring's assault. Why don't you let me go?" The female Druid Mu Qingcheng, clutching her green vines, watched as team members steadily retreated and spoke urgently.
"I'll go too. I'm sick of just hitting the boss—might as well use those Star Ring runts to warm up!" Banjian Jingyu said.
"Alright, but be careful. Star Ring's people aren't easy to deal with." Shenqiu Mingdong considered for a moment before agreeing.
Although no major casualties had occurred yet, he knew this was deliberately orchestrated by Chenhui—using them to wear the boss down. Once the boss's HP dropped to a certain threshold, Chenhui would get serious and take out their healers in one fell swoop. At that point, they'd collapse on their own.
The only two people on the team who stood a chance of holding off Chenhui's offensive were Mu Qingcheng and Banjian Jingyu. After all, both ranked in the top twenty of the Night Empire's Class Power Rankings.
Mu Qingcheng in particular—even though she was a support-type Druid, she had obtained the Forest Sage's top-tier Legacy, making her extraordinarily powerful in forest terrain.
"Yes!"
Mu Qingcheng and Banjian Jingyu immediately charged toward the battlefield where the two teams clashed.
Currently, because of the boss, neither side dared to commit too many people within its detection range, lest the boss grow stronger. The fighting between the two sides was kept at a certain level—or, more accurately, it was mutual probing.
"Vice Commander, the boss's HP has dropped below 20%." A Level 67 Priest looked toward Chenhui, who was directing the battle.
"Good! Everyone, charge with me—don't let a single one escape!" Chenhui glanced at the boss's health bar, licked his lips, and led the charge straight at the Purple Shadow Adventurer Team.
Once Chenhui gave the order, Star Ring's members got serious.
The Purple Shadow Adventurer Team's experts might be considered impressive even among first-rate guilds, with several capable of reaching the sixth floor of the Tower of Trials. But in the face of Chenhui's personal guard, that strength meant nothing.
Every member of Chenhui's personal guard was at the seventh floor of the Tower of Trials, and over forty of them had reached the Perfection realm. That alone would be enough to make the main raid teams of first-rate guilds despair, let alone a small adventurer team.
In an instant, Star Ring's experts broke through what had previously been an impenetrable defensive line. Two or three of Purple Shadow's experts couldn't hold back a single Star Ring expert, their HP steadily dropping—being taken out was only a matter of time.