With an astonishingly nimble shift, he cast a spray of black light that settled precisely upon the middle-aged man and the two figures behind him. The sheer speed of this casting and the accuracy of its landing subtly betrayed Luo Yan’s solid foundation in the craft, though none present possessed the insight to appreciate it. More importantly, this was not the crucial element.

The true key was this single arc of black light—the Tier One Necromantic spell, "Deepen Wounds," which Luo Yan had personally perfected.

: Tier One spell, Curse type, reduces the target's defense. Effect increases with upgrades. At Tier Four, it upgrades to "Group Deepen Wounds," simultaneously lowering the defense of multiple enemies; at Tier Seven, it enhances to "Area Deepen Wounds," reducing the defense of all enemies within a designated zone.

Luo Yan’s "Deepen Wounds" had already reached Tier Four. Instantly, a thin veil of black radiance flashed across all three targets.

The choice of this spell again underscored Luo Yan’s firm grasp of magical fundamentals.

Most mages would deem selecting this spell impossible at this juncture. In many minds, "Deepen Wounds" was strictly for physical attacks, yet Luo Yan was engaged in purely magical assault. Furthermore, the Zombie Zagu was too slow, leaving only the Skeleton Archer, Ah Dai, capable of inflicting physical damage. To cast this spell merely to enhance Ah Dai’s meager attacks seemed an ill-advised expenditure, hardly worth the effort when a few Bone Spikes would suffice, most people reasoned.

Indeed, even the afflicted middle-aged man revealed a flicker of disdain at that moment. Knowing the spell’s function, he inwardly scoffed at the youth’s perceived inexperience.

The "Defense" referenced here does not exclusively mean "Physical Defense," mind you.

—In truth, the effect of the "Deepen Wounds" spell targets all resistances of the target, encompassing not just physical, magical, mental, or elemental damage, but even toxins, illusions, and psychological impacts fall within its scope.

And the three opponents had, moments before, been squarely hit by Luo Yan’s "Poison Smoke"...

In this era, "Deepen Wounds" remained an obscure, non-upgradable curiosity. Few Necromancers dedicated time to researching it. It wouldn't become generally popular until decades later, after Luo Yan’s comprehensive refinement, where it would begin to flirt with the status of the Necromantic school’s "Fourth Great Foundation Spell." However, as the mage who personally perfected it, Luo Yan possessed an exceptionally thorough understanding of its workings.

This explained why Luo Yan chose "Deepen Wounds" as his opening move. Compared to rash, frantic assaults, applying well-controlled magic and support spells to maximize one's own advantages while crippling the enemy’s strength—that was the proper duty of a Necromancer in combat.

Necromancers are elegant artists of the fray; only those crude Fire or Lightning Elementalists reduce themselves to mere "main damage turrets." Luo Yan would never commit such a brutish act.

The effect of "Deepen Wounds" manifested immediately. The middle-aged man suddenly felt an inexplicable weakness suffuse his body; his legs threatened to buckle, causing a strange expression to cross his face, his demeanor turning distinctly peculiar.

What he failed to realize was that this was the delayed effect of Luo Yan’s prior "Poison Smoke," now violently accelerated by "Deepen Wounds," which would have otherwise taken time to manifest through sustained exertion.

Seeing the trio’s movements falter, a subtle smile touched Luo Yan’s lips, yet his hands never paused. He continued with light, rhythmic steps, simultaneously launching Bone Spikes one after another. This was his only direct offensive spell; its raw damage was negligible, but it was excellent for harassment, especially now when the poisoned opponents were struggling to maintain footing, forcing them into a desperate scramble.

Swish, swish, swish—three more Bone Spikes flew out. The three men waved their weapons, batting away Luo Yan’s projectiles. However, the weariness in their movements was evident. After deflecting this volley, the sturdy brute on the far right suddenly flashed a look of savage resolve and roared, “Boss, you two escape! I’ll hold them off!”

As the shout ripped out, the brute’s Battle Aura began to surge violently, as if igniting. The entire man flared like a colossal torch, and wielding a pair of short halberds, he charged madly toward Luo Yan.

The ultimate, mutually destructive technique of a Battle Aura Warrior who chooses to burn his power.

For an instant, a shade of grave seriousness crossed Luo Yan’s face. One should not underestimate the desperation of any man, even if this brute was only a Third Tier Warrior. As the saying goes, "When one general risks his life, three armies retreat." Against someone utterly resolved, caution could never be excessive; against a determined soul, prudence knew no bounds.

Without hesitation, Luo Yan snapped his fingers, launching three Bone Spikes in quick succession. Simultaneously, Luo Yan subtly stepped back one pace—creating necessary distance from his opponent. This was, after all, a fundamental principle for mage combat.

Then, something shocking occurred. The stout brute neither dodged nor weaved, charging straight toward Luo Yan, relying solely on the Battle Aura enveloping him to completely deflect the three Bone Spikes, while he surged onward toward Luo Yan.

This display stunned Isaiah and the others, but Luo Yan remained unperturbed. He had already heightened his vigilance internally. With a calm wave of his hand, he commanded the Zombie Zagu to meet the charge head-on. Also refusing to dodge, the zombie crashed heavily into the charging brute. Both figures shuddered, momentarily frozen in place.

Zombie Zagu Current Attributes: : First-Tier Zombie. : Innate Divine Strength—One of the Zombie’s natural talents, a special trait possessed by only a minority of zombies. This Divine Strength grants the zombie terrifying power, which continuously increases with level advancement. Petrification Defense—One of the Zombie’s natural talents, granting a minor boost to defense. : Crate Ten Slaps—A sequence of ten rapid slaps; if they connect, they can reduce any opponent to a soft pulp.

A mere glance at Zombie Zagu’s current attributes would reveal the terrifying extent of its strength. That the brute could meet it head-on without being instantly overpowered gave Luo Yan a genuine sense of pressure. These types who casually burn their Auras were troublesome; one could be tricked by them in an instant.

Yet, as Luo Yan inwardly grumbled, the brute on the receiving end felt even more wronged. I have already burned my Battle Aura! And I was still blocked by this behemoth?

In that brief collision, the brute felt his short halberds strike something yielding yet immovable, seemingly inflicting no damage. Rather, the immense force emanating from the zombie sent a chill down his spine. This was the result after burning his Battle Aura. What if he hadn't burned it? Wouldn't he have been violently driven back by the zombie already?

With a furious roar, the brute’s Battle Aura intensified its burning. Amidst the cry, his hands began to spin like windmills, his short halberds raining down successive strikes upon Zagu. In an instant, sharp winds howled, chilling the air.

But... the ominous “but” reappeared...

The brute’s halberds howled, yet the outcome he envisioned did not materialize. The iron-black zombie before him was not cleaved into pieces; it was merely forced back a few steps. The brute paused in stunned disbelief. Such defensive resilience clearly surpassed the standards of a common zombie, yet this creature was ostensibly the lowest rank of zombie.

This is clearly illogical! the brute shrieked internally (though perhaps he should have screamed it out loud).

: Aura-type spell, capable of significantly boosting defense. Effective on non-undead creatures, but requires the caster's imprint. This means it benefits not only the caster’s summons but also allies, provided they are pre-certified by the caster. Upgrades to "Sturdy Aura" at Tier Four, and "Eternal Aura" at Tier Seven. It is the only completely mature spell among aura magic.

Though aware that activating a second Aura spell immediately after a recent upgrade was extremely risky, Luo Yan could not suppress the stirrings of his novice ambition. The result, inevitably, led to a certain misfortune.

Just as the brute was howling his disbelief internally, the others were moving. In that single moment, the other two, including their leader, the middle-aged man, sprang into action simultaneously.

(The following does not count toward the word count: Deepest thanks to "MengXueXiaoZhu" for the generous reward of 300 coins. BenBen offers sincere gratitude.)