Jura took the lead as he and Beth journeyed down the widened pathway. The entryway, already sizable, expanded into towering heights, suggesting a creature that preferred open spaces. Given their previous encounters with large beetles, it was logical to assume that the boss would be an even more colossal specimen, possibly belonging to a different beetle breed.

He had considered leading Beth down the mantis path, but he couldn't envision a way for the two of them to combat the lightning-fast bugs. While he was reasonably fast, being a swift tank, Beth was the slowest of the group by far. Although she could cast spells with incredible speed, a valuable trait for a spellcaster, her physical agility lagged behind even his own.

No, this path had been the best choice for everyone's survival. He had carefully considered various scenarios in his mind, factoring in the unique skill set each member of the trio possessed. However, he couldn't shake his concern for Zion. Spider bosses were notoriously challenging adversaries, and if they had any other viable option, he wouldn't have sent the boy in alone.

As it stood, Zion was the only one capable of single-handedly dispatching a horde of enemies before succumbing to wounds or exhaustion. The boy would live to see another day; after all, he was a Herald endowed with remarkable resilience and strength.

Traversing this earthy trail afforded Jura some time for contemplation. He reflected on how he had found himself embroiled in a conflict between Creation and Devastation. Surprisingly, he wasn't filled with anger or bitterness over his predicament. In fact, Jura felt a sense of excitement. He had spent his entire life searching for opportunities to dedicate his time and skills. All he had ever desired was the chance to assist others, to improve their circumstances beyond his own.

Now, he found himself perfectly positioned to fulfill that purpose. Deep down, he believed that one of the deities had been the guiding force urging him to accept that perilous quest with the Justice party. Initially, he hadn't even considered undertaking it, especially given the group's reputation for losing members. However, that small inner voice had prevailed, and he had ultimately volunteered.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking, or perhaps he had simply found himself in this position by the will of fate. Regardless, he chose to believe that it was his duty to guide these young souls and ensure their protection. He was determined not to fail in this responsibility.

The duo reached the end of the tunnel, which opened up into the largest cavern Jura had ever seen. It dwarfed even some of the ancient dwarven constructions. Stalactites adorned the cavern's ceiling, with glittering water droplets dripping from their tips—a potential environmental hazard that he would need to account for.

Scanning the cavern, Jura didn't spot the boss, but that wasn't surprising. Upon closer inspection, he noticed numerous burrowed tunnels lining the walls of the cavern—tunnels far too large for any normal-sized creature. "Beware, lass," he warned Beth, his tone serious. "I fear the beetle will be using these burrows throughout the battle. Keep your head on a swivel." Beth nodded in agreement, her eyes mechanically darting to all the possible entry points.

Once they had gotten to the center of the room, a quiet rubble began to spread, shaking the dirt and stones laid upon the floors. It got louder and louder, and both of them scanned the room, weapons in a ready position.

From the depths of the tunnel emerged the monstrous ground beetle, its colossal form eclipsing the very essence of intimidation. Its carapace, adorned with shimmering hues of iridescent green and bronze, glistened in the dim light like a fortress forged from emerald and bronze. Enormous mandibles, sharp as obsidian blades, clicked menacingly with each movement, emitting a primal symphony that echoed through the chamber.

"That is one large bug," Beth gulped, pulling back her bowstring, ice starting to flicker between her fingers. Jura couldn't help but agree with her sentiment. Despite his countless years delving dungeons and fighting monsters, this was undeniably one of the largest beasts he had ever encountered.

Odalin’s Pest

Rank: Boss

Level: 20

The information obtained from the scan did nothing to quiet Jura’s nerves. From his experience, linked bosses always told some twisted story that didn't make any sense. The stories always ended with a fight against the starring figure, who tended to fight at half a tier above their level. They were dangerous and one of the leading causes of party wipes.

Hate amplified within the beast's glaring orbs as his scan went out, and it shot toward the two of them, rolling at incredible speeds. He pushed Beth to one side as her spell went off, diving to the other himself.

Her spell hit the beetle and splashed across its rotating frame. It did little to dampen its speed, and he was glad they both avoided its trajectory. It ran into the wall behind them with enough force to send some stalactites crashing to the floor.

He watched as the beast unfolded from its rolled form, shaking its head as if in a daze. It stayed like this for a few seconds, regained its senses, and then faced its prey. Pawing the dirt with its claw, it sped toward them once again, rolled up tightly. This time, he didn't need to push Beth, and they both dodged, although this time was much closer to the last, the beetle barely missing running them over.

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“Beth, get ready to hit it with everything you have when it collides with the wall! Use the time it's dazed!” He directed, gaining his footing once again.

Beth didn’t waste time with idle chatter, jumping up and pulling her bowstring back. She released a barrage of icicles, pulling the string back once the first volley left. The shards of ice packed together in a descending deadly arc, raining down upon the boss's dazed form. Hundreds of them must have made contact with the beetle's exoskeleton, but not one made its way through the thick shell.

“No!” Beth screamed, alarmed, her eyes wide as her spell failed to penetrate. “I don't do enough damage to get through!”

“Clear your head, Beth. Next time, try your lance. See if the concentrated power can penetrate better,” Jura advised, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t panic; the battle's just begun. Get ready to dodge.”

Once again, the monster faced them, this time bellowing its disapproval at their existence. It rolled again toward them, the speed increasing exponentially. This time, dodging proved nearly impossible; it may have missed them by a hair, the wind from its speed blowing his beard all around.

Beth swiftly launched three ice lances at her target, the bow's thrumming a welcome sound to his ears. They were huffing already. It felt like an eternity, but they had only been fighting this thing for a minute, and already, it was taking a toll.

Her lances hit with fierce momentum, the bow doing its job well of increasing the force. Of the three attacks, only one managed to leave a small dent in its armor, the thickness of its plating just too great for the attacks to break.

As she fired, he told her the bad news he had just realized, “Beth, we won't be able to dodge on this path; it just keeps increasing its speed for every miss. Stand firm and try to slow it with your other spells. I'll block the charge.”

Stepping in front of her at the look of understanding that passed between the two, he waited for its next charge to start. He started thinking of possible ways to down the boss. Every visible surface of the boss was covered in that thick armor, and if Beth had the mana reserves, they could eventually break it, but she didn't them.

It let out a deep, throaty bellow, its mouth gaping wide in an aggressive display, and that's when Jura spotted it. The creature's mouth was entirely defenseless, the one spot devoid of plating. If they could land a shot when it opened its maw, victory might be within reach.

The boss surged forward for the fourth time, faster than either could react. Jura brought his blade down into the ox stance, planting his feet firmly. Behind him, he heard Beth's hoarse battle cry as she coated the area in ice. The beetle didn’t halt, but the loss of traction caused it to slow dramatically.

Beth wasn’t finished; she released another spell, ice flowing from the ground and encasing the speeding boss. The timing was impeccable. Although time seemed to stretch in battle, these events unfolded in mere seconds. Beth's cognitive speed was remarkable.

Yet, even with her well-timed spells, the beast was undeterred, breaking free from the ice and sending shards flying. Jura was thrown as it collided with him, the reduced speed still enough to incapacitate him. Shock washed over him as the beetle halted its charge, clamping its maw onto his weaponless arm.

Beth screamed as blood poured from his missing limb, coating the ground in deep, flowing crimson. He fell then, the world slowing down. He saw Beth's face contorted in rage, sending a gale of ice and wind toward the beetle. Spit flying as she roared defiantly at the beast, her mind lost in the need to protect him.

She wasn't prepared when the beetle rolled again and launched towards her, nicking her flank and sending her sliding sixty feet. He started to crawl towards her, one arm desperate to reach his charge. She wasn’t moving, and blood was seeping from a crack in her head. He cried out, anguish filling his shouts. “BETH PLEASE, PLEASE GET UP IT'S COMING!” The shrill sound of his voice was surprising even to him, but he was just so scared!

The beetle prepared for its final charge, dust kicking up as the speed turned up another unneeded notch. So fast that it practically flashed towards Beth's body. Jura screamed as it slammed into her, the sound primal in nature. Then his face fell in shock as the ice hit the speeding monster perfectly, launching it vertically above her. Cold mist poured from her hand where she had cast the spell.

His happiness was short-lived as he watched her aim a barrage of icicles towards the cavern ceiling, spears of rock falling loose from her attack. He knew then that she planned to damn the thing to death with her, no matter what the cost.

The beetle had no knowledge of her plan as it soared up vertically, its only focus on her death. It uncurled from its ball, face aiming towards its prey. The maw opened in monstrous glee en route to swallow its food.

A single tear strolled down his cheek at the sight, and he swallowed in acceptance. A brilliant flash of pure white bathed the area, blinding anyone in that cavern. He didn't close his eyes, though; he knew what he had to do. He had to save that girl.

Jura had activated his ultimate spell, sacrificial tank. Beth now lay where he was once bleeding out, and he locked eyes with her as death descended. He didn't cry anymore; he didn't even shout. He just smiled broadly at her. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and sorrow, tears building up in that moment.

He brought his eyes back to the plummeting boss, which did not seem to care that its prey had switched; its brain was focused only on consuming. Jura raised his sword and started to channel power into his only remaining arm. Beth shouted behind him, grief making her words muffled.

Then the creature made contact, and Jura flashed his sword arm forward. He felt its maw start to close around his shoulder and torso, but he didn't stop. That magical power flowed through him and helped shove Bonemeal through the roof of its mouth and out its head.

Everything started to go dark then, and he no longer felt any sensation on the right side of his body. He started to keel over but felt warm, gentle hands brace him, and then he was lowered gracefully to the floor. He tried to look but couldn't see anymore; everything was lifeless and colorless.

“Oh Rime, please don't let him die,” Beth screamed then, and he knew she was the one holding him. “Drink this potion, Jura, drink it now.”

“Jura, open up your mouth, please, please, please!”

The cries were horrible, the pain in those words so intense that his heart physically hurt. No woman should ever have that much torment in her words.

“Beth, there's nothing you can do,” he struggled to say, his voice sounding odd and foreign. Even those few words had taken so much out of him.

“Shut up, Jura! Don't waste your strength!” Her tone was commanding like a mother urging her child to obey. “Just hush now, and let me take care of you.”

“Lass…” He coughed, each motion sending waves of agony through his numb body, but he needed to express one last thing. “Thank you. Thank you all for giving me a chance….” That was all he had left. As warmth faded and an angelic call beckoned, he felt not sadness but true happiness with his choice.