Chapter 22: The Power of Skills—A Duel with the Heartstealer Demon

The reason for activating these two skills was, first, to test whether he could expel the Mind Flayer’s fragment from Will’s body, and second, to attack the Mind Flayer itself. Otherwise, with such a colossal monster, none of his three major skills would be effective, and even the Holy Light would have little impact—likely barely any effect at all.

Having activated the two skills, Lin Xiao took the opportunity to glance at his personal stats: all four basic attributes had increased by five points, especially his magic attack, which had seen a significant boost. It was the perfect chance to test on the Mind Flayer just how powerful he had become.

“Hand of the Devil!”

Without hesitation, Lin Xiao unleashed the newly acquired Hand of the Devil. A massive black hand, as if tearing through space itself, descended upon the Mind Flayer, slamming hard against its head.

A piercing screech rang out. The Mind Flayer, in the midst of invading Will’s mind, was abruptly interrupted. The black smoke that had been drilling ceaselessly into Will’s orifices suddenly halted, causing Will to collapse to the ground.

At this moment, Mike and his friends perfectly epitomized what it means to be comrades bound by life and death. The three boys dashed headlong into the courtyard, heedless of the terrifying demon looming above. Each grabbed hold of Will and started dragging him back, their courage leaving Sheriff Hopper and the others utterly stunned.

They were well aware that the monstrous fiend towered right above them, each of its six limbs as tall as a four- or five-story building. If it fell, they’d be flattened like pancakes.

But newborn calves fear no tiger! The three acted just like young calves, undaunted by tigers, lions, or even the greatest of monsters—nothing could stop them from rescuing their friend.

“Well done!” Lin Xiao shouted in praise. This was true camaraderie—brothers willing to risk everything for each other.

But their actions only enraged the Mind Flayer further. The monster howled thunderously, the sound shaking everyone’s eardrums to the point of agony. People clutched their ears and screamed in pain.

“Purify!”

Enduring the sharp pain, Lin Xiao raised a hand and silently invoked the secret of Purification. Magic gathered in his palm, transforming into a mysterious force that enveloped an area five meters around him.

All those writhing in pain suddenly felt relief wash over them; the agony in their ears vanished. Looking toward Lin Xiao, they saw his hand radiating a gentle aura that nullified the fiend’s attack.

“Oh my God, another superhuman! Has our little town of Hawkins become the world of Narnia, or perhaps Dungeons & Dragons?” Dustin gasped, his toothless mouth agape. If Eleven’s powers had already stretched their imagination, for Will’s brother—a boy they knew—to suddenly wield such abilities was simply beyond belief.

Their astonishment was quickly interrupted. Having had its attacks neutralized repeatedly, the Mind Flayer became truly enraged. Its six limbs thrashed wildly in all directions, whipping up an intense storm that swept down toward them like a level-ten tornado, laying waste to everything in its path.

“Run! Into the lab!” Lin Xiao shouted. Everyone sensed the danger: Sheriff Hopper slung Will over his back, urgently calling for the boys to retreat. No one dared linger—they streamed into the laboratory hall, racing toward the entrance to the passage.

The black storm followed close behind, roaring into the hall and snapping at their heels. Lin Xiao glanced back and saw that everywhere the storm touched instantly became even more decayed and ruined, a clear sign that the black wind possessed fierce corrosive power.

His own speed was sufficient, but Mike, Barbara, and the others lagged behind. Eleven, unwilling to abandon Mike, stayed with them, and together they were on the verge of being overtaken by the black storm.

“You little rascals!” Lin Xiao couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He spun around, raising both hands as magic surged into his palms.

“Let there be light!”

The Sacred Light skill ignited, flooding the hall with holy radiance. It was as if a divine messenger had descended to sweep away all evil and darkness, meeting the oncoming black storm head-on.

The storm, charging forward with fury, suddenly let out an ear-piercing shriek and recoiled as swiftly as it had advanced. The Sacred Light’s damage was even greater than that of the Hand of the Devil.

Lin Xiao suddenly understood. The Hand of the Devil was a dark-based power, and the Mind Flayer itself was clearly a dark-type creature—so the attack would naturally be less effective. The Sacred Light, on the other hand, was light-based, its most direct counter. Anything less than high damage would be a surprise.

Yet every gain comes with a cost. The Sacred Light’s damage was immense, but it also consumed a significant amount of mana—fifty points in a single burst, nearly draining him dry.

“Mom, come quick and witness a miracle!” Mike and his friends stood rooted to the spot, staring at Lin Xiao with both hands raised. They rubbed their eyes hard, only to confirm that it was real—he really was glowing and had driven back the black storm.

“Eleven, can you do that?” Mike asked Eleven. She shook her head, denying it, but looked at Lin Xiao with envy, wishing she too could unleash such dazzling power.

“Move! It’s not dead—just temporarily repelled!” Lin Xiao turned and ran, no longer bothering to hide his strength. He pulled out a mana potion—the blue bottle from the newcomer’s welcome pack—and downed it, instantly recovering fifty mana points.

The group hurried down the stairs. In the Upside Down, elevators were useless; it was impossible to ride one. They fled through the underground corridor and once again reached the passage entrance, only to find their way blocked by a dozen thick, long tentacles sprawled across the path.

Lin Xiao immediately understood: the Mind Flayer had already set its plans in motion, stationing its minions or extensions here at the passage, establishing a bridgehead for invading the human world.

In the original story, these tentacles had invaded the human world, corrupting the land around Hawkins and continually widening the portal, making it enormous—until Eleven finally closed it with all her strength.

Right now, Eleven had exhausted almost all her power controlling the demodogs; she couldn’t possibly close the passage by herself. Moreover, in the original plot, her abilities only improved dramatically after being inspired and trained by her sister. As she was now, closing the portal was far from certain.

Their retreat blocked and the Mind Flayer’s roars growing nearer from behind—it must have recovered from its wounds and was giving chase—there was no time to waste.

Lin Xiao stepped forward, raised the Star Destroyer’s Battle Axe, ignited its magical flames, and charged straight at the tentacled creature.

A dozen tentacles lashed down at him, but the flames drove them back—they dared not approach, and he forced his way to within five or six meters of the central mass.

There, a massive bud-like growth protruded from the edge of the passage, resembling a malignant tumor clinging to the base, enough to make one’s skin crawl.

As he approached, the tentacles went wild, ignoring their fear of the flames and wrapping around him in an attempt to stop him.

“Don’t forget about us, monster!” Mike and the others rushed up to help, each grabbing a tentacle and wrestling it to the ground, keeping it from attacking Lin Xiao. Sheriff Hopper put Will down for Barbara to support and lunged forward, grabbing two tentacles himself.

Eleven raised her hands and screamed, unleashing her powers once more; five or six tentacles froze midair, unable to move.

Nearing the giant bud, Lin Xiao glanced back at his companions battling the tentacles. He nodded in satisfaction—he was not fighting alone. He had so many friends supporting him.

In that case, he would burn it to ashes.