- A4!
Hot steam blew from a giant metallic piece, making it move forwards and setting it up for the bigger engine.
- Boss, it’s going to explode soon, is the tower working already?
- F7!
Another blow of steam rose from the ground, connecting a larger metallic piece and instantly setting the gear working, although not at its full power.
- Quick, i’m at my limit here!
I rush through the red factory, all of its engines failing and crushing down, causing explosions and mass destruction through the entire area. It’s possibly the worst location to set up my towers, but I don’t have a choice.
- Dude, I’m just one piece away, hold on for a bit longer!
- I’ll try!
My friend there is using his mana pool to absorb the energy caused by the catastrophe. Looking at the screen, I see his pool is dangerously low.
Finally, the delay time is over and I’m able to cast my ability again.
- A5!
Instantly, a black crystal floats to the top of the mechanical tower and starts glowing.
- It’s set!
Right after, he eases up and stops wasting his mana as we sit on the middle floor of the now complete building.
- Did you get the item?
- Well I…
- No, don’t tell me…
Dear Lord, did this fucker really leave behind the Metal Doom’s Reactor?
- Just kidding, here we go!
He tosses it in the air, sending my petite body flying to catch it like a dog chasing after a disc.
- Damn, dude! Don’t scare me like that!
- Heheh, got ya worried didn’t i? How the hell would I forget to pick it after all we went through?
I don’t even pay attention to him. Man, I’m so happy I finally got my hands into this part. I caress it like a newborn baby, a recently formed diamond, an egg just about to hatch. Its round oval shape is so cute, so full of energy, so… So… Wait, did I just say round?
I strand my eyes to the actual piece and my arms fall limp from the shock.
- Boss, boss hey, are you okay?
No way… We spent two months uncovering the puzzles, studying enemies, avoiding them or beating them, setting traps to the other players and misleading their path, we escaped countless death situations and used up a lot of money in provisions, then we finally got to the Hidden Boss’s location, almost failed at destroying him and barely escaped alive. Only for… This.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
- What is it Oh shit!
- Maxwell…
- Metalla, I-I’m really
- That’s the GODDAMN VALVE, NOT THE REACTOR.
My robotic voice doesn’t reflect the anger I’m feeling inside. Hidden Bosses are incredibly difficult to track because there is no set location for them, and that doesn’t apply just to the map. A level 150 Boss could be hidden on the starting area and no one would suspect it.
Worse yet, anyone looking for one of them is bound to encounter all kinds of shitty people, going from robbers to PKers and information sellers.
However, that’s not what’s making me angry. What makes me angry is: that one Hidden Boss, specifically, was an event monster that only appears once a year.
- Two months… Two months…
Screws slide down my shiny electric eyes, and soon all my pieces fall apart like a defective product.
- Boss… Don’t worry, there are still many unique items waiting for us… Right?
- Arghhh… Two months… Man I’m crying so much… Two months… Two months…
All the explosions outside cease, the place must be really trashy right now. Maxwell grabs all of my dismantled pieces and slowly put them together, but i just crash down again. He then picks it all up and throws it inside his Machine Golem.
- Come, we are leaving the dungeon. It has been a lot of time since we went to the guild…
- Two months… Two months…
He activates the propellants and drills a path in the ceiling, leaving behind the metal skeleton of the dragon, now blown to pieces… Along with my dreams.
I’m Jake, 24 years old. I’m just a high school dropout who managed to make a living off of games and my real life sucks balls.
I’m also the alien android damsel Metalla, Leader of Collector’s Guild, a shady low profile guild that focuses on finding the rarest materials and crafting unique items out of them.