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————!
A sudden weight pressed down on Fang Li's body, his Prana sluggish and unresponsive. His eyes flickered as he took in the situation.
At that moment, Miluse's voice rang out again.
"Mahulena!"
"Got it... understood!"
At Miluse's call, Mahulena, positioned at the rear, placed her hands over the holographic keyboard projected in front of her. With fluid motions, she played a melody, each note resonating beautifully in the air.
The effect was immediate. The aura around the Rusalka team surged dramatically.
"…Their power is rising, huh?" Fang Li muttered to himself.
Indeed, the Rusalka girls were growing stronger with every note.
Meanwhile, Fang Li felt the opposite— his strength was steadily diminishing. Monica's bass reverberated through the space, each sound wave sapping away his power.
This was the ability of Lyre-Poros.
Though divided into five separate Ogre Lux, each piece of Lyre-Poros retained its original abilities, albeit in a diminished form. Even so, when wielded together, they remained a force to be reckoned with.
—Lyre-Poros-Calliope, Miluse's guitar-type Ogre Lux, could manifest sword-like energy blades and unleash shockwave-like destructive pulses, making it a formidable weapon.
—Lyre-Poros-Erato, Paivi's floating drum-type Ogre Lux, converted sound pressure into defensive barriers, granting an exceptional level of protection.
—Lyre-Poros-Melpomene, Monica's bass-type Ogre Lux, conjured axe-shaped energy blades and emitted sound waves that suppressed enemy abilities, disrupting their combat effectiveness.
—Lyre-Poros-Polyhymnia, Tu Lia's guitar-type Ogre Lux, generated trident-shaped energy blades and released shockwave bursts similar to Calliope's, making it just as deadly.
—Lyre-Poros-Thalia, Mahulena's holographic keyboard-type Ogre Lux, fired energy projectiles while amplifying the abilities of allies, providing critical support.
Even though each individual piece was weakened from its original form, together, they formed a terrifying ensemble.
And now, their combined strength was fully manifesting—weakening their foe while empowering their own team.
Fang Li could clearly feel it. Under Monica's suppressive effect, his stats— except for INT (Mystery)— had each dropped by roughly 20 points. The weakening effect nearly canceled out the benefits of his class enhancements.
And this was the mildest outcome.
After all, Fang Li had equipment designed to mitigate such debuffs.
—
''Explorer's Wish''
''Category:'' Lower Garment
''Rank:'' Fourth Rank
''Effect:'' Increased resistance. Boosts resistance to negative effects by 50%. Grants complete immunity to lower-level debuffs.
—
Thanks to this gear, his physical attributes had only dropped by about 20 points each. Without it, the effects would have been devastating.
And this suppression wasn't limited to his physical stats —it also affected his Prana.
Although his Prana reserves hadn't decreased, he could feel a distinct sluggishness in their flow. Concentrating it required immense effort as if his body had been weighed down. In real combat, this kind of disruption could be fatal.
In stark contrast, the Rusalka team's auras continued to intensify.
With Mahulena's augmentation ability in play, their strength had increased significantly.
Especially Miluse. Already ranked third, she now exuded an even more formidable presence, her aura surging dramatically.
At this point, it was safe to estimate that she had surpassed top-tier fighters like Cecily and Zhao Hufeng.
"…I underestimated Lyre-Poros."
Even as this thought crossed Fang Li's mind, Miluse and TuLia sprang into action.
"TuLia! Let's go!"
"Time to put him in his place!"
The two guitar-wielders activated their respective Ogre Lux. Blades of light—one sword-shaped, the other trident-shaped—formed at the ends of their instruments.
'Pā!'
With a synchronized stomp, the two shot forward like twin gales, closing in on Fang Li at high speed.
'Swoosh!'
The wind howled as they flanked him, their energy blades slicing through the air, forming a deadly pincer attack.
Fang Li lifted his gaze. As their attacks bore down on him, he made his move.
With a light tap of his foot, his figure flickered—leaving behind an afterimage.
'Pū chī!'
Miluse and Tu Lia's slashes tore through the illusionary figure, a sharp tearing sound echoing through the space.
Fang Li, having retreated rapidly, halted his momentum abruptly. In the very next instant, he exploded forward at breakneck speed.
'Qiāng!'
A dazzling arc of light cut through the air, the sheer speed and precision of the strike making it appear almost effortless.
Cold, brilliant, and lethal—it was a perfect demonstration of what a true slash should be.
"Wah!"
"Ugh…!"
Miluse and Tu Lia's expressions twisted in shock. Instinctively, they raised their Ogre Lux in defense.
'Clang!'
The sound of metal meeting energy rang out. The two barely managed to block the attack.
But in doing so, they lost their balance.
'Qiāng!'
A second slash followed— just as fast, just as lethal.
'Buzz!'
At that instant, the air in front of Miluse and Tu Lia warped, rippling like disturbed water.
A barrier materialized in the space between them and the oncoming blade.
'Clang!'
Fang Li's strike met the barrier, halted in its tracks.
His brow furrowed. Turning his gaze, he spotted the source.
Paivi, standing behind the floating drum beside Mahulena, had her eyes glowing a deep blue. She slammed her hands onto the drum, sending waves of sound through the air. The vibrations coalesced into an invisible shield, blocking Fang Li's assault.
"Now's our chance!"
Miluse and Tu Lia steadied themselves. Wasting no time, they plucked their guitar strings with force.
'————!'
A storm of sound waves erupted, turning into tangible shockwaves that crashed toward Fang Li with explosive force.
'Boom!'
The impact shattered part of the training room floor, sending powerful gusts and debris scattering in all directions.
"We got him!"
Miluse and Tu Lia's faces lit up in triumph.
But then— a soft chuckle reached their ears.
"What exactly did you succeed at?"
(End of Chapter)