Chapter Thirteen: The Divine Moon’s Conspiracy

The Penitent Monk truly lived up to his reputation as the strongest tank—his durability was unmatched, and his ability to draw aggro was rock-solid. Ye Chen could unleash his full power without restraint, standing his ground and dealing damage. Even if he landed a critical hit now and then, there was no need to worry about the boss turning its wrath on him.

In the blink of an eye, the Sacrificial King’s health plummeted from 60,000 to 12,000. Monk Dingyuan and Linghu Shenyue both wore expressions of delight, but Ye Chen grew tense, his eyes fixed intently on the boss’s health bar. What the others didn't know, he was well aware of—this was the moment the boss would unleash its ultimate skill. If Monk Dingyuan made even the slightest mistake, a team wipe was inevitable.

“Monk, be ready. Stop attacking and prepare to use your Shout skill. Wait for my command.”

Monk Dingyuan immediately tensed at Ye Chen’s words, ceasing his assault, his face growing grave. He knew as well as anyone that victory or defeat hinged on this moment—fail here, and all their efforts would be for naught.

Linghu Shenyue paused in surprise, casting Ye Chen a curious glance. She knew what Shout was—a Penitent Monk’s skill that temporarily sealed enemy abilities. But why ask Monk Dingyuan to prepare Shout now? It couldn’t be for the Sacrificial King’s Ice Arrow. That left only one possibility… Frozen Expanse!

The thought was so astonishing that Linghu Shenyue herself found it hard to believe. How could a level 16 support possibly know when a level 30 boss would unleash its ultimate?

12,165… 11,090… 9,987… Ye Chen’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. While launching a Black Fireball at the Sacrificial King, he shouted, “Now! Use it!”

Bang—a Black Fireball struck the Icy Sacrificial King, and a bright red damage number floated above the boss.

At that exact moment, the Icy Sacrificial King let out a thunderous roar, the entire sky over the Icy Plateau darkening in an instant. Countless snowflakes, as large as goose feathers, began to fall, swirling madly around the boss’s upraised staff.

“The ultimate!” “It’s coming!” Cries of alarm rose from the distant crowd.

Just then, Monk Dingyuan’s silver-iron staff slammed into the ground, and he bellowed, his voice echoing like a lion’s roar—Shout!

Perfect timing! Frozen Expanse—dispelled.

“Impossible!” “How could that be?” “No way!” The crowd gasped in disbelief. The few Holy Light Priests who had been waiting to sneer looked as if they’d swallowed a bitter pill.

“Haha! The outcome is set—what a genius that little support is, truly a prodigy!” Many had heard Ye Chen’s earlier shout, realizing Monk Dingyuan’s interruption was thanks to him.

“Hey, where’s that kid who wanted to call him Grandpa? Start calling—Sacrificial King is doomed!”

“Grandpa! Grandpa!”

The crowd was in an uproar. Ye Chen and Monk Dingyuan, too, could hardly contain their elation, feeling victory within their grasp. Only Linghu Shenyue’s eyes gleamed with a flicker of conflicting emotions—part joy, part unease.

Suddenly, the bloodied Sacrificial King let out a piercing howl, golden light bursting from his entire body. He—he was mutating!

“Damn, it’s mutated—the boss has evolved!”

“That little support just hit the jackpot. They might not make it out alive!”

“Haha, see? Killing a Silver boss isn’t so easy. Mutated, just as I thought!”

Ye Chen and Monk Dingyuan’s faces changed drastically, while Linghu Shenyue, though pale, seemed unsurprised—as if she’d known all along.

“Ding! The Silver-grade boss Icy Sacrificial King has, due to unknown circumstances, evolved into the Gold-grade boss—Icy Sacrificial Emperor.”

[Icy Sacrificial Emperor] (Gold-grade Boss)
Level: 30
HP: 9,326
Skills: Advanced Ice Arrow, Advanced Frost Aura, Advanced Frozen Expanse

A Gold-grade boss—Ye Chen was dumbfounded. The Silver one had already been tough enough; who knew how brutal a Gold-grade would be? The system never said anything about mutation—could it be wrong? He hastily inquired, “System, your information didn’t mention the Icy Sacrificial King could mutate. Is this random? Even you didn’t know?”

“Boss mutation is not random. Only designated bosses can mutate, or special conditions may trigger mutation,” the system immediately replied, denying Ye Chen’s guess.

“Query: [Icy Sacrificial King] (ID 0001) mutation cause. Searching… Mutation cause: A player in the party (Linghu Shenyue) has accepted a special quest related to the Icy Sacrificial King, causing him to mutate. Quest description [The Sacrificial King’s Curse]: Proceed to the Icy Plateau and attack the Icy Sacrificial King. When his health drops below 9,000, he will mutate into the Gold-grade boss, Icy Sacrificial Emperor. Defeating the Icy Sacrificial Emperor may drop Nethergrass. Nethergrass: Main ingredient for crafting the Nether Curse Pill. Nether Curse Pill: Apply to a weapon; melee strikes poison the enemy, reducing all attributes by 50 points. Poison lasts for 15 days.”

As Ye Chen absorbed the string of information, his expression darkened. Linghu Shenyue—no wonder she was willing to take such a risk to join the party. She had used him and Monk Dingyuan as her tools, fully aware the boss would mutate, yet she kept silent, clearly intent on reaping all the rewards and making use of them.

The Icy Sacrificial Emperor’s transformation neared its end; escape was no longer an option. Besides, Ye Chen was unwilling to abandon a Gold-grade boss so close to defeat. He took a deep breath, making a silent vow—after killing the Icy Sacrificial Emperor, he would never hand over the Nethergrass to Linghu Shenyue. Not only had she manipulated and used him, but the Nether Curse Pill’s attribute reduction was too potent to let go. A fifteen-day, 50-point reduction to all stats—at this stage, it could cripple a top player’s account. Such an item must remain in his hands alone.

As this thought passed through his mind, Ye Chen cast a cold glance at Linghu Shenyue. She happened to look his way at that moment; their eyes met, and Linghu Shenyue’s body trembled slightly. She quickly looked away, guilt flashing across her face.

“Foolish humans, you have angered me. Now you must pay the price!”

The golden light faded, and the Icy Sacrificial King had fully evolved into the Icy Sacrificial Emperor. A Gold-grade boss possessed rudimentary intelligence—speech was no obstacle.

As the Icy Sacrificial Emperor’s words fell, he swung his staff, firing an Ice Arrow directly at Monk Dingyuan.

Crack! The Ice Arrow struck Monk Dingyuan squarely in the chest, and a muddy yellow damage number appeared above his head: “-879!”

Such terrifying power! After mutating into the Icy Sacrificial Emperor, the boss’s attack had doubled. A single ordinary Ice Arrow had wiped out a third of Monk Dingyuan’s health, and the onlookers fell silent in shock. Ye Chen and his companions’ faces turned pale, especially Monk Dingyuan himself, who was so frightened he lost all composure, shouting toward Linghu Shenyue, “Shenyue! Heal me, heal me, quick! If the boss lands a critical, I’m dead!”

Linghu Shenyue, though prepared, was still frightened pale at the boss’s ferocity. Hearing Monk Dingyuan’s cries, she didn’t dare delay, quickly waving her staff and casting a Holy Light Heal, restoring over 600 health, then hurriedly throwing a Holy Light Shield on him.

Bang! -1028!

At the same time, Ye Chen’s Black Fireball struck the Icy Sacrificial Emperor. Seeing the damage he dealt, both Monk Dingyuan and Linghu Shenyue breathed a small sigh of relief. At least the boss’s defense hadn’t changed—otherwise, they’d have no hope at all.