Vol. 5 Chapter 16: Dark River Boss Battle (1)

Chapter 16: Dark River Boss Battle (1)

Dark River stood on the Wujiang Bridge, watching the rapidly retreating crowd. He did not continue to attack; his goal was not mass slaughter but the spread of fear to increase his own reality. Moreover, he was aiding the main body in completing a plan. Whether these people stayed or left was irrelevant; their retreat only lessened the trouble.

This was especially true in Le Ping City, where the Yue State dared not deploy the military, fearing unforeseen consequences. Otherwise, under the might of military weapons, the enemy might have leveled the bridge and river together.

"Oh, those insects dare to come closer?" Dark River's black misty body solidified into a blurry, dark human figure. Due to his legendary nature, he was seen as formless, so even when he formed a body, it remained vague. The surrounding black mist could be considered extensions of his body.

Stepping into the black mist's range, Fu Bin felt his heart sink instantly, as fear crept into his mind. Memories associated with fear began to awaken, trying to break through his mental defenses and plunge him into madness and despair. Still, Fu Bin clung to his mental fortifications, shouting, "Everything I do is to cleanse this society of its trash. I will be the god of the new world. Your fear cannot affect me!"

Fu Bin frantically self-hypnotized, protecting his fragile, truth-avoiding self within his mental barrier. Black smoke billowed from his body, and shadow magic broke through its limits, sprouting a pair of black raven wings on his back. Black floating organisms in his hand condensed into a longsword, making him look like a demon.

With a flap of his black wings, Fu Bin soared into the air, shrouded in black, flame-like smoke, brandishing a black longsword. He roared and charged towards the massive shadowy figure of Dark River.

"Finally awakened to your abilities?" Dark River thought, sensing the shadow magic emanating from Fu Bin. Previously, Fu Bin's powers were masked by the floating algae carried by his mask. Under Dark River's fear aura, Fu Bin solidified his mental barriers, gained the arrogance of a self-proclaimed god, and mastered flying powers.

If Lu Li's main body were here, dealing with Fu Bin would be straightforward. He could directly manipulate the mask, alter Fu Bin's internal shadow magic structure, or even extract that magic, reducing Fu Bin to his original state.

But now, Dark River faced Fu Bin. Though closely related to Lu Li, they were not the same. Dark River could sense Lu Li's shadow magic and the shadow mask but lacked control over them. Their powers were separate.

Dark River chuckled. Even without control over the shadow magic, Fu Bin's arrogance combined with the floating algae would still be futile against the vast power gap.

The black mist floating in the air solidified into liquid under Dark River's command. Fu Bin, trapped like a mosquito in water, struggled in vain. "Insect! Relish in the fear and struggle of despair. I see your inner fears."

"Hmm?" Dark River sensed something. From both sides of the bridge, numerous cats—likely all of Le Ping City's strays and pets—rushed into the black mist under Luo Yan's control.

"Trying to probe my body?" Dark River understood Luo Yan's tactic. She probably believed he had a core, like many energy-bodied bosses in games and novels who die when their core is destroyed.

Unfortunately, Dark River was formed from legendary elements. The description of him was: the black mist on the river. As long as the mist was not entirely dealt with and the river continued emitting vapor, he would not die. However, playing along could be amusing.

With this thought, Dark River condensed the black mist covering the bridge into black monsters. These creatures, cloaked in black misty liquid, had humanoid shapes with indistinguishable faces, crawling on the bridge. They were all Dark River's fear minions, formed from his mist.

Dark River also appeared at the bridge's center, a three-meter-tall figure with black skin, draped in mist-like material. The mist on his head quickly condensed into a black mask. Through its eye sockets, only emptiness and darkness could be seen.

Due to his legendary nature, he had no specific form. Even now, with a condensed body, his face could not be shown. Each wisp of black mist was him, as were the fear minions. The current body was merely a partial manifestation. But ordinary people struggled to grasp this concept.

When Dark River revealed a human form, people assumed it was his true body, with the black mist being merely an ability. Seeing this from afar, Bing Bing noticed the mask and suspected it was Li Yuanfeng, but refrained from voicing her thoughts again.

"Xiaomi, provide information and monitor the battlefield. Use the tools when I give the word, and notify us when Li Yuanfeng appears." Lao Hu's mind raced as he instructed Xiaomi. He then turned to Bing Bing, "You can join the fight, but only use fifty percent of your power. Reserve your strength for any unexpected situations involving Li Yuanfeng."

After the two nodded, Lao Hu turned to Xiao Zhang and the others, "Let's go. Now, Luo Yan and Fu Bin are combat forces too. Don't act irrationally due to personal grudges. After dealing with the Fear King, I will help you get your revenge."

With that, Lao Hu led Bing Bing towards the bridge. Xiao Zhang's face flashed with anger. Who does he think he is, to command me? But reason reminded them not to clash with state forces, so they quickly adjusted their mindset and headed for the bridge.

On the bridge, fear minions guarded Dark River, clearing out the approaching cats one by one. However, the cats, enhanced by Luo Yan's shadow magic, were unexpectedly agile, indicating her significant power growth.

From the black liquid above, Fu Bin's furious cries echoed, "I am a god!" The black longsword in his hand, glowing, sliced through the black liquid, and Fu Bin, shrouded in black smoke, fell out.

Dark River looked at the approaching crowd. Most of the actors had arrived, and the main show could begin. Then, action! The first battle against the Dark River boss begins!