The atmosphere in the room grew tense as they contemplated their approach to the looming threat before them. Camila's piercing gaze roamed over the black entryway, searching for some sign, some clue to guide their strategy. "So what's the plan here?" she wondered aloud, her voice edged with determination. "Do we just march in and start blasting and stabbing?"
Beth began to pace in a circle around them, her mind seeming to race as she analyzed their situation. "Let’s think about what we do know," she said, her tone thoughtful. "We know that so far, this entire floor has been based around fighting tormented souls infused with Void energy. That leads me to believe that the boss will be the one who tortured these beings. But we also think this was the spot where all the missing adventurers were taken, meaning the mobs weren't normal mobs. If that's the case, we have to look at this like the dungeon has been effectively changed by an interfering presence."
"Which means the boss will most likely have changed to reflect that," Zion interjected, his voice tinged with apprehension. Beth's lips pursed in a pouting gesture, but she waved off his apology and continued her analysis. "If that's the case," she continued, "then we can assume this boss will be a bundle of Void energy, and I have a suspicion that it won't be trying just to kill us but instead absorb or recruit us."
Camila eagerly raised her hand like an excitable schoolgirl, earning a playful groan from Beth. "Yes, miscreant in the front, what's your question?" Beth asked, her tone teasing.
"If it's going to do something like that, it will mean there will be a moment of vulnerability," Camila explained, her eyes alight with excitement. "A time to strike when it's in the middle of that process."
Beth's expression shifted to one of realization. "Yes, I didn’t even think of that, but you're correct," she admitted, her admiration evident. "That plan would work, but it would require someone willing to take on an attack of that magnitude." She turned to Zion, her gaze serious. "Could you handle something like that?"
Zion took his time considering the question, his mind grappling with the enormity of the challenge ahead. This would be the toughest opponent he had ever faced, and the thought of willingly subjecting himself to such danger made his skin crawl. But he also knew that it was their best chance of success. "I'll do it," he finally declared, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his insides.
They spent the next thirty minutes resting, knowing that time was of the essence. With each passing moment, the Void energy seeped further into the room, sapping their strength and resolve. They hastily packed away their campsite, preparing themselves mentally and physically for the battle ahead.
As they stood before the pulsating mass of darkness, Zion placed a reassuring hand on their shoulders. "Thank you both for going with me that day," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you for trusting me and saving me so many times. This is no different. Go in there, kick butt, and protect each other. Same deal, just a bigger bad."
Camila's words filled Zion's heart with resolve, her grip on his hand grounding him in their shared determination. "I will never regret stepping forth with you, Zion. We will walk this rocky road together and tackle every challenge. Let's do this!" Her defiant roar echoed through the chamber as she raised her spear high above her head.
Beth's eyes sparkled with determination as she joined in, her voice ringing out with conviction. "Time to finish what we started. Time to stop this darkness. FOR JURA!" With a fierce yell, she raised her bow alongside her sister.
"FOR JURA!" they all shouted in unison, a powerful declaration of their unity and purpose. Zion summoned Onyx, the familiar weight of the blade comforting in his grasp, and raised it alongside his comrades.
As one, they stepped through the swirling vortex, the barrier's painful embrace sending needles of agony coursing through their bodies. Zion gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain, emerging on the other side with his companions. The sensation faded, leaving his skin feeling raw and tender.
Looking up to take in the boss room, Zion's jaw dropped in horror. The room resembled a grand cathedral, with its towering ceilings adorned with intricate Gothic arches, rows of pews lining the floor, and stained glass windows that should have bathed the space in ethereal light. However, any sense of sanctity or peace was utterly obliterated by the pervasive darkness that suffused every inch of the room. Walls and ceilings crawled with tangible Void taint, resembling writhing tentacles of inky blackness inching around every surface.
In the center of this nightmarish cathedral hovered a colossal ball of condensed Void energy. It was a sight to behold, pulsating with ominous power and easily the size of the spider boss he had faced before. The comparison sent fear coursing through him. If any of them got hit with that, it would be over — no second chances, just straight death.
“Holy mother of fucking Creation!” Camila exclaimed, her voice quivering with terror as she drew in a panicked gasp. She clutched her spear tightly, seeking solace in its solid presence amidst the overwhelming darkness.
Beth, her eyes wide with horror, stared at the room in stunned disbelief. She hadn’t even tried to reprimand Camila for her choice of words — the gravity of the situation rendered such concerns irrelevant.
Then, they all got their first sight of the boss. He descended from the ball of Void, strands of the energy attached to him like the strings of some twisted puppet. He was no larger than Zion, standing about six feet tall. He was clad in interlocking plates of jet-black armor that covered every inch of his body, emanating an aura of malevolence. His helm, a fearsome visage with two horns protruding like those of an infernal beast, added to his intimidating presence. In one hand, he wielded a longsword, its once-shining surface marred by cascading veins of black. On the other hand, he held a glowing globe of solid Void, a harbinger of doom in this forsaken place.
Odalin(Corrupted)
Rank: Dungeon Boss
Level: 22
Zion couldn't believe the prompt. He wasn’t just scaled to the third tier…..he was in the third tier. That shouldn't be possible, one couldn't break the law of the Weave, but here was proof that was a lie.
"Guys, that thing is literally tier three," he stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief. The magnitude of their situation was overwhelming.
"No shit, Zion. We can scan too," Camila snapped back, her tone sharp with tension. She remained focused on the looming figure, her spear poised for action, ready to confront the looming threat. "That can wait for later. Right now, we have to fight or die."
A deep voice pierced the air, resonating with an ominous power. "Or you could join us," it intoned. “Stop fighting for those bastards who do nothing but use you, send you into battles you have no place fighting. Move forward for yourself instead.” The words were sickly sweet, a promise of freedom, and they were being sprouted by none other than Odalin.
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"You can talk? That's not possible," Beth exclaimed, her voice tinged with incredulity as she took a cautious step back from the armored figure.
"Many things are possible when you remove the shackles of the Weave," Odalin retorted, his voice echoing with conviction. "In this place, its presence is minuscule. This is my dungeon, my home. It has no right to interfere in what is rightfully mine."
“The Void has shown me a path of freedom. Soon, the surrounding area will know that freedom and rejoice in it. You could be part of this as well.”The large helm scrolled over them, moving with mechanical grace. “Just drop your weapons.”
All Zion could think there was a whole lot of stuff to unpack about the situation, but that could wait till they weren't in a place that defied everything he knew growing up. No way in hell was he going to drop his weapon, nor would his friends. This could only end one way, and this bastard knew it.
“Oh well, you can’t fault me for trying,” He told confidently, his sword raising up to a fighting stance. “I respect your commitment, but your souls will provide great fuel for the void.”
Odalin launched forward then, the speed leaving a trail of black dust in its wake. He appeared in front of Beth, sword coming down in a murderous arc. Zion had just enough cognition to see the attack and fly in front of her, kinetic movement giving him the needed speed. He forced an arcane barrier to his side, thickening it as much as possible.
The blade hit it squarely and he felt that force, felt it even through the barrier. It sent trembles of pain radiating from his hands that coursed through his body. He was sent hurtling back, bringing Beth behind him as an unwilling guest. They slammed into the wall, breath being knocked out of him from the force.
He saw dozens of phantom spears, Camila pushing the ability to its limit as she poured large amounts of mana into the spell. The spears flew forward, partially clouding the figure from sight. Thrusting over and over, the spears went to work on Odalin's armored figure, all for nothing to happen. He slapped the spears away in a pathetic wave of his sword.
He leaned his head to the side while looking at Camila like he was asking if that was it. He ran at her then, sword coming down in descending swipes. Camila pivoted to the side, spear growing red as he thrust towards his flank. It hit, leaving a scoring mark in the armor.
The boss laughed deeply, completely undaunted by the attack. “Nice! Give me more!” He begged, tracing his sword in quick patterns.
Camila backtracked, slapping the strikes she could away and dodging the others, using her high agility to stay ahead of the blade. This was all well and great, but she was getting no openings, no chances to fight back.
Zion sent three sundering slashes at his back, hoping to give Camila an opening to gain some distance to use her spear properly. Odalin simply blocked the ability with his arm, the solidified air leaving knicks in the armor but not penetrating.
He suddenly faced away from Camila as a series of ice spears hit him. His longsword slapped away two before the third hit his wrist, leaving a layer of frost coating his hand. The spears were followed by a volley of ice bolts that rained down on the boss.
Camila took the opening, launching swift strikes toward him as she began to move her feet in a dancing pattern, getting her passive going. Zion joined in, shooting mana bursts like they were going out of style.
The blitz attack hit Odalin like an oncoming storm, blocking him from view as the rain of abilities poured into him. Zion added in some sundering strikes, trying to drown the boss in attacks. None of it mattered.
Odalín let loose a wave of darkness that ground everything to a halt and sent Camila flying, her form rolling across the floor. She smashed into some of the pews, the splintering wood hiding her from sight.
“Zion, he’s charging something!” Beth cried out, her bow still sending bolts of ice at the steel-clad menace.
He certainly was about to do something. His body was swirling with Void energy, an almost purple tinge coating the energy. It started pouring into the globe in his hand, and Zion saw him turn his head toward Camila’s downed form.
He didn’t hesitate, using kinetic movement twice to appear before Camila. It was just in time to see a vortex of Void screaming right at him. Zion took the risk and swung Onyx at the attack, activating its ability. The energy was sucked straight down like the funnel of a tornado, filling the blade with pulsating energy. Zion saw a chance to fight back and would not waste it.
He applied arcane blade, feeling the green energy meld with the pulsating power of Onyx. He swore he heard Odalín laugh, and that pissed him off. Surge activated, and he felt his power double. The combined effects of Onyx, arcane edge, surge, and his blessing made him feel almost high. That's how large of an effect was running through his body.
“Unleash Jura!” Zion shouted to Beth as he disappeared in a flash, appearing above Odalín. He had faith she would know what to do.
He unleashed Aether Storm the moment he was above the boss, twice in fact, feeling his mana slip further into the red. The orbs of destruction were joined by his plummeting blade, solid arcs of air streaming off it as he added a sundering slash to the mix. It all mixed together in a jumble of erratic mana, his Onyx meeting the waiting blade of Odalín.
This time, Zion didn't hold back. His increased power slapped the blade to the side, and Zion went to work. He thrust, slashed, and swiped with incredible speed. Every time Odalín went to block, a shuddering mana explosion would rip through him, impacting the block enough to let Zion slip by. His flurry continued as he saw winter take over.
A circle of ice solidified around the pair of combatants, about twenty by twenty. It was like a wall of ice had appeared from thin air, layering the floor with piles of snow.
Then, like an angel descending from heaven, a figure appeared above the circle. It was Jura in all his glory, replicated in a hovering image of frost. The replica raised his hand, and hundreds of solid ice swords blocked out the ceiling. It was a perfect copy of Bonemeal, the weapon Jura had given his life with.
Odalín reacted violently to the appearance of the ability. He started to fight more ferociously, his blocks and strikes gaining speed. Jolts of Void energy shot off him to block Zion's orbs. Zion knew the creature was planning to dodge the attack; its power had him scared.
Zion did something that was absolutely stupid. He appeared behind Odalín using his fifth kinetic movement and wrapped his arms around him, planting his feet firmly on the floor.
Odalín jerked in surprise at the attack, frantically fighting to get free. Zion held on even when a sword pierced his leg and side. He held on as the swords fell like the army of Creation.
He couldn't put into words what it felt like to be stabbed with that many swords. Each one penetrated with a horrible wave of cold that froze his body and sent arctic blasts of cold through him. He didn’t even bleed because his blood was frozen solid. He had tried to block them with his barrier, but there were too many angles, and he needed to keep a firm hold on the boss.
Odalín did not fare better than Zion. Zion's onslaught had destroyed much of the man's armor, allowing the already powerful spell to show its strength. While Zion was prepared for the attacks, Odalín looked like a porcupine, his entire form covered in frozen edges.
Zion let go then, his strength gone and his life fading. His spells all ended as he hit the floor with a thud, breaths coming in rapid gasps. He tried to use Ki’s Embrace but couldn't focus through the pain and darkness encroaching on him.
Camila was at his side then, tears streaming down her face as she tried to pry his mouth open. In her hand was a mana potion; she was obviously trying to save his life. He just couldn't open his mouth; it was frozen shut, and he had no control. Her mouth was moving, screams and shouts coming from it, but he couldn't hear anything.
Then she was done, sent flying by a black gauntlet. Zion's frozen body shook in horror as he saw Odalín standing, utterly destroyed but alive. His armor was partially gone, revealing a body made from clouds of Void. No skin or hair, nothing that would even resemble a normal mortal body.
Zion could only watch in horror as the monster held its left hand out, the globe of death attaching to the giant ball of Void in the air. He swore he saw the thing's body shake with laughter as it brought its arm forward, the ball flying towards the entrance they had come in.
His eyes turned just enough to see Beth slumped against the wall, her body panting from mana burnout. She had given everything to destroy this bastard and now had nothing left to give. She couldn't even run as the ball of death flew at her.
Zion’s mind screamed in terror. He couldn’t let her die; he couldn't lose another friend! Move body, move body, FUCKING MOVE! And his body responded, kinetic movement sending him flying directly into the projectile of darkness.
He hit it like a ragdoll, having no control of his body's functions. It was enough, though, and the attack was sent off course, his whole being consumed by the monstrous thing. The pain was indescribable, like he was being filleted layer by layer. He felt like every piece of him was being separated from the others. And then, mercifully, the pain faded as he died.