Seeing the enemy that had suddenly intruded, Vivian's pupils contracted sharply!
At such close range and from such a sudden attack, she barely had time to hastily condense a thick ice shield in front of her to defend!
“BOOM—!!!”
The Frost Breath slammed heavily against the ice shield!
The freezing energy violently shattered the ice crystals.
Taking advantage of the brief moment the ice shield held, Vivian seized the opportunity to counterattack with ice-attribute magic. However, due to the Frost Lizard's high Ice Magic Resistance, her attack failed to inflict any effective damage.
“How could this be...!”
Just as Vivian was caught off guard in surprise, a sharp crack echoed. Web-like fractures spread across the ice shield's surface, and the breath shot straight through the gaps toward Vivian!
Although she possessed some degree of Ice Magic Resistance, her body was still made of ordinary human flesh. Taking this hit directly would undoubtedly leave her severely wounded.
Yet right at that moment, Greg thrust his own body directly into the path, standing squarely between Vivian and the Frost Breath!
With no time left to push Vivian out of the way, he chose the most direct and dangerous method possible!
Frigid air roared past his flanks as a pale blue halo covered Greg's body—his LV3 Ice Magic Resistance operating at full capacity!
At the same time, Vivian's near-shattered ice shield absorbed a portion of the impact and cold for him.
“Cough!”
Greg's body shuddered violently, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
The massive force and terrifyingly low temperature made him feel as though he had been rammed by an icy battering ram. His internal organs felt thrown out of alignment, and his exposed skin was instantly coated in frost, stinging like needles before going numb.
Fortunately, the buffering from his LV3 Ice Magic Resistance and the ice shield greatly reduced the damage, allowing Greg to endure the blow at minimal cost.
“Greg!”
Vivian's ice-blue eyes contracted sharply. Seeing the blood at the corner of Greg's mouth and his instantly pale face, an unprecedented sharp pain tightly gripped her heart!
“Don't get distracted! I'm fine, now it's our turn to counterattack!”
Greg growled low. Sweeping his left hand forward, he unleashed a massive LV3 Fireball radiating overwhelming heat, whistling through the air as it smashed into the Frost Lizard's head!
Even with the forty percent damage bonus from his [Dungeon Pioneer] talent, this single blow was not enough to be lethal on its own.
However, lethal damage was never Greg's goal.
The instant the flames and smoke from the explosion billowed outward, a ruthless gleam flashed in Greg's eyes. He raised his right hand and clenched his fist toward the Frost Lizard.
Wisps of dark energy, like venomous serpents leaving their burrow, silently seeped into the Frost Lizard, which was momentarily thrown into chaos after taking a Fireball to the face.
Void Erosion!
[Target afflicted with "Weakness"!]
[Target afflicted with "Resistance Reduction"!]
[Target afflicted with "Confusion"!]
[Target afflicted with "Corruption"!]
[Target afflicted with "Mana Disorder"!]
[Target afflicted with "Limb Paralysis"!]
The Frost Lizard's body froze instantly. It let out a pained hiss as the deep-blue sheen of its scales dulled rapidly, as if being devoured from within by an invisible force.
Under the negative status effects of Void Erosion, its resistance to ice dropped precipitously!
Although Vivian did not know Greg had used dark-attribute magic to shred the enemy's resistance, she had no intention of wasting such a perfect opening!
Pushing her mana to its absolute limit, she formed a hand seal with her left hand, her ice-blue light blazing brighter than ever before!
“Ice Crystal Spike Array: Focus!”
No longer a wide fan of spikes, every ice shard converged as if guided, fusing into a wild, spiraling ice drill that slammed headlong into the Frost Lizard with a piercing screech!
Pfft—!!!
Channeling the full weight of Vivian's strength, the strike pierced through the lizard's throat without resistance!
Trailing ice chips and blue blood, it tore straight out from the back of its neck!
The Frost Lizard's massive frame froze for a split second before the light in its crimson vertical pupils rapidly faded. It collapsed with a thunderous crash, scattering ice dust everywhere.
“Did we do it?”
Vivian stared at the sight before her in surprise. She had not expected this single attack to achieve such devastating results.
However, it was perfectly natural that she had not anticipated it, because the Frost Lizard had not actually died from her ice magic.
[Target afflicted with "Instant Death Check"!]
That was the final notification that flashed in Greg's mind before the Frost Lizard collapsed, followed immediately by several more prompts:
[Killed Frost Lizard, gained a large amount of EXP...]
[Level increased to LV37]
[Obtained skill: 【Freezing Ice Mist】 (Active, cooldown 24 hours, usable up to 5 times per day. Effect: Releases a continuously expanding mist of ice, dealing minor ice-attribute damage to enemies within range and inflicting a slow effect for 60 seconds)]
[Ice Magic Resistance increased to LV4.]
With the battle fully concluded, no new monsters appeared. It seemed that the earlier wave, combined with this elite lizard, constituted the entire welcoming committee for this area.
“Cough, cough...”
Greg coughed up bloody froth laced with ice chips. As the adrenaline drained away, he felt a burning pain in his chest, alongside a lingering cold seeping into his very marrow.
Fortunately, he still had several recovery potions with him, and his Ice Magic Resistance had risen to LV4, so this degree of injury was nothing he could not endure.
“Greg! You...”
Vivian had already rushed to his side. Her ice-blue eyes were filled with unreserved anxiety and worry, even tinted with panic.
Instinctively, she reached out to touch his injured chest, but afraid of causing him more pain, her hand hovered nervously in midair.
She did not know Greg possessed Ice Magic Resistance; all she saw was him shielding her from that deadly breath with his own body, taking the wound himself.
“I'm fine.”
After downing a recovery potion, Greg waved his hand, attempting to put her at ease:
“It's just a minor injury—some cold entering my body, that's all. I have a strong constitution, so I can handle it. It's nothing serious.”
He did not want to dwell on the subject, nor did he want Vivian to sink deeper into guilt and compromise her combat capability.
Today was his final deadline to fully conquer the second layer. If he gave up now, he would never have enough time to mount another attempt later, so he had to seize this chance.
Greg turned his head, casting his gaze past the temporarily quiet battlefield into the distance wrapped in purple mist.
Tall, broken, and warped in outline, the ancient temple shimmered faintly through the gloom and fog, exuding a heart-chilling aura of foreboding.
Greg raised his left hand, pointing at the temple with a smile:
“Our destination is right in front of us. Madam President, you wouldn't want to be someone who quits halfway, would you? So, walk with me all the way to the end.”
Vivian gave Greg a worried look.
Though she wanted to suggest returning to the surface immediately to check Greg's injuries, she could vaguely sense that Greg had a reason why he had to conquer the second layer of the dungeon this time no matter what.
And most importantly...
She recalled the figures drifting away in her memories, the attempts cut short by cold words before they could be spoken, and that final public rift that had frozen the lake of her heart solid.
In her ice-blue eyes, the ripples of anxiety gradually settled, replaced by a far more unyielding resolve.
It was not merely out of repayment for his kindness or a thirst for power, but a heartfelt choice never to repeat past mistakes.
Meeting Greg's gaze, she nodded firmly, her cool, clear voice echoing distinctly through the cavernous underground space:
“Mm. This time... I will never leave you again.”
Rate on N.U.
