Chapter Fifty-One: Debuff

At that moment, the spell cast by Lingmeng struck the creature as well. The monster, having taken a direct hit from the binding spell, grew even more furious, but its body was tightly wrapped by a golden ring shimmering with profound runes. Lingmeng looked at Lingxiaolei, puzzled.

“How did you manage that? Your level is clearly lower than mine, yet you cast faster than I did?”

“The magic of the Light Elves manifests as enhancement effects, while in Dark Elf magic, it appears as weakening.”

“Weakening?” Lingmeng studied her. Both were elves with pointed ears, yet their complexions were entirely different, and their magical techniques contrasted sharply.

“In other words, applying a debuff to the enemy is equivalent to buffing allies. Just now, I cast a speed debuff on the monster and, using the runes in my spellbook, instantly boosted my casting speed—so I caught it.”

“No wonder you’re my teammate,” Blackfeather said, patting her on the head.

“What are you so proud of?”

At this moment, Yixin had finished charging her spell. Flames surged perfectly from the tip of her staff.

“Blazing Inferno!”

The monster in the center of the hall, unable to move, took the blow head-on. It jumped and struggled, emitting wretched screams, like a grasshopper trapped in a sea of fire.

Yixin showed no mercy; flames continued to pour from her staff, burning even more fiercely. As the temperature rose, the heat was palpable on everyone’s faces, and within the three-sided stone barriers, the hall became an inferno.

Blackfeather felt a pang of sympathy for the monster. “Professor Shi said we only need to purify it, not go overboard. If you keep this up, you’ll roast it to a crisp!”

Yixin gradually withdrew the flames. Lingxiaolei’s chains could barely withstand the heat and were recalled as the spell ended.

At that moment, Professor Shi strode in through the door, nodding in approval, clearly satisfied with everyone’s performance.

“Well done. Your teamwork was excellent.”

They thought the monster had been dealt with. But once the air cleared, they saw it still standing in the center of the hall, untouched, its antennae wrapped around itself like a black eggshell for protection.

It slowly loosened its antennae, dropping from its shell as if hatching, completely unscathed. The group stepped back, gripping their staffs tightly, ready for battle. This time, they were even more tense.

Lingmeng, having been outshone by Lingxiaolei, was unwilling to let it go and eager to reclaim her pride. She launched the first attack—a ray of holy light struck the monster’s head.

“Holy Light Purification!”

This blow enraged the creature. Previously unsure whom to attack, it now had a target and lunged at Lingmeng, intent on avenging the previous binding marks as well.

“Careful!”

Blackfeather, knowing the creature’s speed and power, felt a surge of anxiety and immediately stepped in front of Lingmeng.

The monster leapt like lightning, all its spines aimed straight at Lingmeng.

“Not good, it’s that move again,” Blackfeather thought. He had suffered from it before—the spines would unleash countless attacks in a storm at an instant.

“Ah!” Lingmeng screamed with her eyes shut, losing balance as she fell backward.

Fortunately, Yixin rushed over and caught her.

Meanwhile, Professor Shi raised a solid stone barrier, blocking the monster’s attack just in time.

“Swish, swish, swish!”

Dozens of sharp spines pierced the stone barrier, but stopped short, unable to advance further. The black tips came within inches of Blackfeather’s face.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

“Students, the exercise is over!” Professor Shi suddenly declared sternly. “The rest, leave it to your teacher.”

He must have realized that the monster’s strength far exceeded his students’. Even working together, they weren’t its match.

Professor Shi had been controlling the battlefield from the sidelines, allowing them to fight independently but always ready to intervene, hoping to give them more practical experience. He never expected them to truly defeat the monster.

Within the stone barrier, the black spines trembled, then abruptly withdrew from the wall, which shattered and collapsed.

Professor Shi shook his powerful arms, moving to stand before his students, fists clasped, ready to unleash his true strength. Blackfeather and Yixin retreated to the side and rear, Lingxiaolei and Lingmeng flanking them.

The monster, outnumbered in the previous fight and having suffered losses, was now restless and agitated. Its movement and attack speed were even faster than before, appearing almost deranged. Suddenly, it flung a spine at Professor Shi, who countered with a stone pillar.

Several consecutive attacks followed, each stopped by stone pillars, so the space between monster and teacher quickly filled with a dense forest of stone, limiting the creature’s movement.

Lingxiaolei remained in support at the rear. Her left hand flipped open her spellbook, right hand raised her staff, expertly casting slowing spells.

“Slow!—Slow!—Slow!—”

As the monster darted left and right, layers of purple light enveloped its head, its speed dwindling, its steps heavy and sluggish.

Now, the appearance of the shadow dodging behind the stone forest was finally clear to Blackfeather: it was a boy. One eye was covered by pale blue hair, and he wore clean clothes.

Blackfeather was startled.

“This monster is actually dressed in brand-new clothes?”

He recalled the food he had kicked in the basement yesterday, and immediately realized this creature was different from the wild monsters roaming outside. It seemed strange.

“Why would someone bring it food and care for it?”

Doubt gnawed at him, questions flashing through his mind, but he remained alert.

With its speed reduced, the monster’s movements were easier to track. After circling around, it charged again at Professor Shi. Suddenly, a stone golem emerged from the ground behind it, opened its sturdy arms, and wrapped it in a tight embrace.

“Rock Magic—Stone Golem!”

After casting his spell, Professor Shi rose to his feet, wiped his nose with pride, and laughed, “Hahaha, little monster, surrender yourself!”

The monster, feet off the ground, stabbed repeatedly at the golem behind it, trying to break free. But the golem felt no pain and was impossibly hard; even when pierced, new stone and sand quickly filled the holes. Frustrated, the monster switched targets, suddenly spreading its antennae to the sides, bypassing Professor Shi and swiftly attacking the students from both flanks.

“Not good!”

Professor Shi hammered his fists into the ground, raising a widening earthen wall. The wall curved and expanded, but could not match the speed of the incoming spines.

Caught off guard, Lingmeng, though possessing the Holy Light Shield skill, did not have time to use it and stood frozen in place. Yixin, standing nearby, immediately stepped in front of her, sending a wave of fire crashing into the oncoming tentacles, attempting to fend them off by force.