Necromancer: I Am A Disaster
Chapter 458: Neither Serpent Nor Fish

On the Green Sea Grasslands, practically every monster possessed the ability to change its color, making it impossible to detect with the naked eye.

But the one before them was an exception.

Lin Moyu could spot it from afar—a faint lantern dangled from the top of its head, its dim yellow glow stubbornly unchanged even as the creature’s body shifted hues to blend with the surroundings.

Jialan Lieyang spoke up, “Brother Lin, you should fall back. Once the fight begins, I’m afraid you’ll get caught in the crossfire. This thing’s AoE attacks aren’t something to take lightly.”

Without a word, Lin Moyu retreated several hundred meters.

Jialan Lieyang’s ten-man party had a distinctive composition: two Healers, two supports, and five Mages.

It wasn’t a typical setup, clearly tailored for the lantern-bearing monster ahead.

The supports quickly cast status buffs, while the Healers readied themselves.

“Let’s go! Stay sharp, everyone!” With a low shout, Jialan Lieyang surged forward.

It seemed he’d locked onto the monster’s position, descending from the sky like a meteor and crashing into it with tremendous force.

Lin Moyu was slightly surprised. As a level 82 Sacred Word Knight, Jialan Lieyang’s combat strength spoke for itself.

Such a direct, full-powered strike was bound to provoke a counterattack from the Sword Grass.

Lin Moyu recalled Jialan Lieyang’s earlier explanation—the grass covering the Green Sea Grasslands was known as Sword Grass.

It looked like ordinary grass, but when disturbed, it could rise like a swarm of flying swords.

As for why the Green Sea Grassland carried a damage reflection effect, even Jialan Lieyang couldn’t explain it.

With a thunderous crash, Jialan Lieyang slammed into the monster.

His strike was precise, his shield gleaming as he concentrated the full force of his skill into a single, focused point.

Not even a ripple of shockwave escaped, and the surrounding Sword Grass remained still.

Lin Moyu couldn’t help but admire Jialan Lieyang’s flawless control.

By the time most class users reached level 80, they’d unlocked all their available skills—what separated them after that was mastery. And clearly, Jialan Lieyang excelled in that regard.

Under the impact, the monster shrieked. The lantern atop its head blazed like a miniature sun, and in that burst of light, its true form was revealed.

It was massive—over 20 meters long, with a girth exceeding five. Its body was thick and plump, several pairs of claw-like tentacles extending from beneath it. A fish-like tail thrashed behind it, barbs covering its length, and that ever-present lantern swayed at the top of its head.

Neither serpent nor fish, the creature looked quite strange.

The moment it was struck, it retaliated. The lantern’s light flared to maximum brightness.

In perfect sync, the two supports reacted.

Skill: Bound.

Skill: Sleep.

The control skills landed together. For a brief instant, the lantern’s light dimmed—then blazed defiantly once more.

"It's ineffective!"

"The skill failed!"

The two supports cried out, their attempts to interrupt the monster’s skill rendered useless.

Jialan Lieyang’s voice rang out sharply, “Mages, shields up! Healers, get ready! Brother Lin, fall back further!”

As he spoke, he swung his shield.

Skill: Shield Bash!

Shield Bash carried a stun effect.

The strike connected, but like before, it had no effect.

The Mages had already activated their magic shields.

The Healers quickly took cover behind them, healing skills at the ready.

Lin Moyu cast Bone Armor on himself and retreated another hundred meters.

At the same time, he activated Detection, his curiosity stirred by the monster.

[Lanternfire Fish (lord rank boss)]

[Level: 83]

[Strength: 1,000,000]

[Agility: 500,000]

[Spirit: 1,000,000]

[Constitution: 1,200,000]

[Skill: Firelight Volley, Firelight Shooting Stars, Firelight Flash]

[Trait: 70% Fire Elemental Damage Reduction, 70% Water Elemental Damage Reduction, Enhanced Abnormal Status Resistance, Enhanced Health]

A total attribute count of 3.7 million—still within a manageable range. Compared to the Giant Leaf Mother Tree and Venomous Flood Dragon he’d fought before, this creature wasn’t in the same league.

But judging by its skills and traits, Lin Moyu knew this wouldn’t be an easy fight.

Well—not an easy fight for Jialan Lieyang and his party, at least.

The dual elemental immunity was troublesome, but the real issue was the Enhanced Abnormal Status Resistance, which drastically reduced the effectiveness of the supports’ control skills.

The lantern atop the Lanternfire Fish blazed to its limit—then exploded in a burst of light.

Skill: Firelight Volley!

In an instant, thousands of rays infused with the fire element shot out from the lantern.

“Defense!” Jialan Lieyang bellowed, raising his shield high.

He intercepted nearly a third of the incoming barrage, but the sheer force sent him flying. The Healers immediately moved in, casting a flurry of healing spells.

The fire element rays hammered against the Mages’ shields, distorting them violently. Flames roared as the magic shields caught fire.

A ray struck Lin Moyu. His Bone Armor flared bright white, absorbing the hit.

In that moment, Lin Moyu made a critical observation—the skill didn’t just contain the fire element and possess high impact. More importantly, when it struck the Green Sea Grassland, the Sword Grass didn’t react.

It appeared the grassland’s damage reflection trait was selective. The Lanternfire Fish, being a native creature, wasn’t subject to it.

The boss unleashed Firelight Volley in relentless waves, keeping Jialan Lieyang pinned down and unable to counterattack.

The supports scrambled to deploy other control-type skills.

Finally, after several consecutive volleys, the Lanternfire Fish halted abruptly.

A control effect had finally taken hold, interrupting its skill.

“Attack!”

Jialan Lieyang roared, seizing the brief to launch an attack.

The five Mages unleashed their skills in unison—all wind element spells. With the Lanternfire Fish boasting 70% resistance to both fire and water elements, those were off the table.

One after another, wind-type attacks slammed into the boss.

But barely two seconds later, the control effect wore off.

With a piercing shriek, the Lanternfire Fish retaliated. The lantern atop its head flared again, this time blazing hotter and brighter than before, its light thick with roaring flames.

The lantern detached from the monster’s head, transforming into a fireball as it shot skyward. For a moment, it hovered, then erupted into a storm of searing beams, raining down over several hundred meters.

Skill: Firelight Shooting Stars.

Like streaks of light, like burning meteors—the attack was pure speed, power, and precision.

Jialan Lieyang immediately fell back into the party formation, raising his shield and casting Group Defense. Even as the barrage began, he called out: “Brother Lin, fall back more!”

Lin Moyu didn’t argue, retreating swiftly. Now over 800 meters away, he was safely beyond the skill’s range.

The Firelight Shooting Stars pounded Jialan Lieyang’s shield, engulfing it in flame—but the shield didn’t budge. It held firm, like a stone in a storm.

The two supports continued firing off control skills, trying to interrupt the boss’s skill.

Lin Moyu considered stepping in but ultimately held back. It was clear Jialan Lieyang was still in control of the situation—no need to intervene just yet.

At last, a control skill landed cleanly on the Lanternfire Fish.

Its skill was interrupted, and the lantern that had soared skyward whooshed back toward its host.

Jialan Lieyang seized the moment and shot forward, his sword blazing with radiant light as he chanted softly: “Certain Hit. Certain Victory Strike.”

As a Sacred Word Knight, his words weren’t mere incantations—they were the will of heaven, spoken into law.

But the price was steep, consuming a massive amount of spirit force. Which was why it wasn’t a skill to be used lightly.

Still, when used appropriately, its effects were remarkable.

Just like now—the Lanternfire Fish’s lantern was rapidly flying back toward it.

Under normal circumstances, Jialan Lieyang wouldn’t have been fast enough to catch it.

But powered by the Sacred Words, he became a streak of light, surging through the air to meet it head-on.

His strike landed cleanly.

The moment his sword connected with the lantern, the Lanternfire Fish shrieked in agony. It instantly broke free of the control effect, flames bursting from its body.

Skill: Firelight Flash!

An inferno erupted, engulfing the area and swallowing Jialan Lieyang in searing flames.

But he didn’t retreat.

“Extreme Defense!” He barked, his entire form radiating blinding light as he weathered the flames and kept attacking.

The lantern was the Lanternfire Fish’s weakness—hitting it while separated inflicted double damage. And Jialan Lieyang wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

Panicked, the boss charged at him, its massive bulk barreling forward in a desperate attempt to reclaim its lantern.

At that moment, several wind blades cut through the air, striking the lantern with pinpoint precision. The five Mages coordinated seamlessly with Jialan Lieyang, denying the Lanternfire Fish any chance to retrieve it.

The battle’s rhythm had shifted completely. Jialan Lieyang had seized control, his Sacred Words chaining together, locking down the lantern and maintaining relentless pressure.

Lin Moyu could tell—this fight was already decided. It was only a matter of time before Jialan Lieyang brought down the Lanternfire Fish.

Minutes passed. The boss failed time and again to reclaim its lantern, its aura steadily weakening as heavy wounds accumulated.

Victory was within reach.

And then—a sudden arrow cut through the air.

“Careful!” Lin Moyu shouted.

Jialan Lieyang reacted instinctively, but it was too late.

The arrow struck his shoulder dead-on, exploding in a burst of force and flame.