The Mirage Queen hovered ominously, her piercing gaze fixed on the group. Her voice echoed menacingly through the dense fog:
"I will kill you all, just as I killed your weak friend."
Yara Chen's face contorted with anger. "I'll kill you before you have the chance!" she yelled, unleashing her Flower Lotus Pattern attack in a burst of shimmering petals aimed at the Mirage Queen. But a dense fog swirled up, instantly veiling the Queen's form and scattering Yara's attack.
The fog thickened, spreading rapidly. Wang Lei sensed the looming danger.
"This isn't good," he muttered. "Everyone, gather here!" He quickly grabbed Yara Chen and Mei Lin, but a few others who were a bit further off couldn't make it back in time and vanished into the mist.
Out of nowhere, a scream tore through the fog—Wei Lie's scream.
"Stay calm," Wang Lei cautioned his companions. Turning to Yara, he commanded, "Use your fire! Light up the area." Yara conjured flames, but the thick fog absorbed most of the light, leaving only a faint glow around them. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in the haze.
Yara's heart raced. "It's Wei Lie!" she shouted, running toward the figure. As she neared, her blood ran cold. It was Wei Lie's lifeless body. Her fury shifted to fear, seeping into her bones as the Mirage Queen appeared just behind the body, her laughter piercing the fog. Panicking, Yara lashed out in a blind rage.
In reality: Yara's uncontrolled strikes landed dangerously close to Wang Lei and Mei Lin, as she mistook them for enemies.
Wang Lei clenched his jaw, his patience wearing thin. "If it weren't for the mission, I would leave her here," he thought bitterly. With a quick decision, he used [Blind], clouding Yara's vision, her wild attacks slowing as she stumbled. Activating Night Walker, he vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind Yara, and with a swift chop to the back of her head, knocked her out.
As he steadied himself, Mei Lin spoke urgently.
"I have two teleportation zamstones. They'll take us close to the portal, but… there's only enough for two of us."
Wang Lei shook his head. "Use them. Take Yara and go. I'll deal with the Queen." Mei Lin hesitated, not wanting to leave him behind, but his insistence won out. In a flash of light, Mei Lin and Yara disappeared, leaving Wang Lei alone in the mist.
The Mirage Queen materialized, her sinister grin visible through the fog.
"You're alone now. Who will save you?" she taunted.
But Wang Lei smirked, feeling a surge of energy as a system message appeared before him. "Condition complete: Save Yara Chen. New skill acquired: Dancing Fire Lotus."
"Time to end this," he muttered, focusing his energy on the new skill. A massive fire lotus began to bloom in the air around him, each petal glowing with intense heat. In one swift motion, he released it toward the Mirage Queen, the fire exploding outward in a mesmerizing pattern, flames consuming the space around her.
The Queen shrieked in pain, her form flickering as she attempted to reform in the fog. But Wang Lei wasn't finished.
As she retreated, he activated Bind, immobilizing her with ethereal chains that wrapped around her limbs, restraining her movement. Struggling against the chains, the Mirage Queen seethed, her once-imposing figure showing signs of weakness.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Lei activated Night Walker again, vanishing and reappearing in rapid bursts around the Queen, delivering precise blows to disorient her. With each strike, her form wavered more, the fog around them beginning to thin.
Enraged, the Mirage Queen managed to shatter the chains, but Wang Lei had anticipated this. With an intense focus, he cast his final skill: Mana Thread. Invisible threads of energy spread throughout the air, creating a delicate but deadly web. The Queen, now weakened and desperate, stumbled into the trap. Each thread sliced into her form, restraining her further.
She let out a furious scream, lunging at him with the last of her strength, but it was too late. With a flick of his hand, Wang Lei tightened the threads, cutting her form into countless pieces, her shrieks fading into silence.
Exhausted, he steadied himself as the fog lifted. A final system message flashed before him: "Battle Complete. Victory Achieved." Wang Lei let out a deep breath, finally emerging from the Queen's deadly mirage.