[You have slain Belial Nocturnus, the Notorious Demon Berserker!]
[Leveled Up!]
[Level: 78 >> 79]
[Skeleton Progression: 65% >> 71%]
With this, Zealot stood just one level away from reaching Level 80 and completing his Main Quest.
'Sweet, one more level to go, and I’ll be able to unlock another Legendary skill,' he thought, brimming with excitement.
Lilith's party and the Honeybee Queen's forces erupted into cheers, their spirits lifted by the victory. They rushed forward, surrounding Zealot and his skeletal warrior, their faces filled with admiration and gratitude.
"You did it, Zealot! You defeated Belial!" Lilith exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Incredible! That was truly an epic battle!" cheered Gareth, clapping Zealot on the shoulder. "I never thought we'd see the day Belial went down like that!"
Jack, usually reserved, couldn't hide his amazement. "Hahaha! Amazing battle! You've proven once again why you're the leader we all follow!"
"Thank you, Zealot. We owe you our lives," the Honeybee Queen added, her voice filled with sincerity.
Zealot smiled, his usual calm demeanor softened by their gratitude. "It’s no big deal, and we’re not done yet; we still have to deal with Belial’s followers. However, I’m going to take a break to recharge my mana, so I’ll leave it to you guys to handle them."
"Don’t worry! You can count on us!" Lilith’s party responded eagerly.
"That’s right! We’ll take good care of them!" The Honeybee Queen's forces chimed in confidently.
A minute later…
Not even a minute had passed when Zealot heard screams from Belial’s party members, their desperate cries echoing through the grand throne room. They fought fiercely, pleading for their lives in vain against the relentless onslaught. Yet, it was clear: Lilith’s party and the Honeybee Queen's forces had no intention of granting them any mercy.
"Please! Spare us! We surrender!" pleaded Belial’s party, their voice drowned out by the clash of steel and the resolute silence of their adversaries.
Zealot watched from a distance as the skirmish unfolded. Despite the chaos and the desperation in the voices of Belial's party members, he maintained his composure. This was the aftermath of battle, a necessary conclusion to ensure their victory was complete.
As Lilith's party and the Honeybee Queen's forces dealt with Belial's followers, Zealot made his way toward the colossal royal throne and took a seat. Although his skeletal minion had emerged victorious, the battle with Belial had drained a significant amount of his magical energy, prompting him to take a brief rest to replenish it.
As Zealot rested upon the colossal throne, the echoes of battle gradually subsided, replaced by the low murmur of discussions among Lilith's party and the Honeybee Queen's forces as they secured victory. The defeated remnants of Belial's party lay lifeless, their pleas for mercy echoing faintly in the vast throne room.
Surveying the scene with a calm gaze, Zealot knew the time had come to leave this dungeon. However, to do so, they first had to defeat the boss monster. As Zealot stood up, he was surprised to find the Honeybee Queen’s forces approaching him, as if they had something important to say.
"Since you’ve saved our lives, we are prepared to sacrifice ourselves to ensure your success in completing the dungeon raid. Just command us, and we will willingly lay down our lives," the Honeybee Queen declared.
The Honeybee Queen, a prideful boss monster who disliked owing anyone, offered to sacrifice herself and her Royal Honeybee Knights as a way to repay the debt.
Accepting the Honeybee Queen's offer, Zealot nodded solemnly, acknowledging the gravity of her sacrifice. "Thank you, Your Highness. Your bravery and dedication will not be forgotten," he said, his voice carrying genuine respect.
The Honeybee Queen and her Royal Honeybee Knights bowed deeply to Zealot before bravely sacrificing themselves, each forcefully extracting and crushing their own hearts as a solemn display of loyalty and gratitude.
With that, the Honeybee Queen and her Royal Honeybee Knights met their solemn demise, their colossal bodies collapsing onto the ground.
THUD!
[You have slain the Honeybee Queen and her Royal Honeybee Knights!]
[Raid Quest Completed!]
[Leveled Up!]
[Level: 79 >> 80]
[Skeleton Progression: 71% >> 81%]
Ding!
[Main Quest Completed!]
[Reward Unlocked: You've obtained a random Legendary skill!]
As the Honeybee Queen and her Royal Knights fell, a profound silence descended upon the grand throne room. Zealot, now at level 80 and with his Main Quest completed, felt a surge of accomplishment.
Zealot turned to Lilith's party, his expression one of satisfaction. "It's done. Belial has been defeated, and the dungeon raid is complete. Our goal has been achieved. You guys are free to leave the dungeon now. However, before you depart, please ensure to take all the loot with you, as I have no use for it."
Zealot’s unexpected generosity left Lilith’s party awestruck. From the beginning, their goal was solely to survive and leave the dungeon safely. As for the loot, it held little value for them; they believed Zealot deserved it most, having shouldered the majority of the work.
"Zealot, we... we don't know what to say," Lilith stammered, her eyes wide with gratitude as she approached him. "Thank you for everything.”
Gareth nodded in agreement, a happy smile on his face. "Yeah, Zealot. We appreciate your generosity. You've proven time and again that you're not just our leader but also a true friend."
Serena chimed in earnestly, "Thank you, Zealot. We couldn't have made it through this dungeon without you."
The other party members of Lilith's party also expressed their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Zealot.
With a modest smile, Zealot waved off their thanks. "You're most welcome," he replied graciously. "Please do not hesitate to take all the loot with you now."
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Lilith's party nodded gratefully, moving towards the chests with a mixture of anticipation and eagerness. Each chest contained valuable items and artifacts collected throughout their perilous journey through the dungeon.
As they gathered their loot, Zealot stood back, quietly observing his comrades with satisfaction.
‘Now then, let’s see what skill I've obtained this time,’ With those thoughts in mind, Zealot proceeded to open his system window to check.
[Random Legendary Skill Acquired: Curse of Pee!]
[Skill Type: Crowd Control]
[Curse of Pee: Once activated, the target suffers from intense urinary urgency and discomfort, leading to frequent and involuntary urination. This condition severely impairs their combat performance, draining their stamina gradually over time.]
‘Another trolling skill, huh?’ Zealot mused to himself, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. ‘Hahaha! This is going to be priceless.’ Chuckling inwardly, he imagined the hilarious chaos this skill would unleash in future battles.
‘Curse of Pee and Curse of Diarrhea — what a deadly combo of crowd control skills,’ Zealot thought. He envisioned his future enemies enduring significant discomfort just to deal with him.
As Lilith’s party gathered their loot and prepared to leave the dungeon, Zealot closed his system window and joined them. The mood was light and filled with a sense of accomplishment. They had faced formidable foes and emerged victorious, thanks to Zealot’s leadership and the dedicated efforts of his skeletal minions.
Upon the boss monster's demise, a shimmering exit portal materialized directly above the fallen colossal Honeybee Queen. Without hesitation, Lilith’s party stepped through the portal first, leaving the grand throne room behind as they journeyed back to the dungeon entrance outside. Meanwhile, Zealot paused, having received an unexpected surprise notification from his system:
Ding!
[A Hidden Event Quest has appeared!]
[Hidden Event Quest: An "Event Dungeon" will commence within this dungeon in 10 minutes. This hidden event quest is entirely optional; you may choose to accept or reject it. Should you choose to accept, please remain within the dungeon to participate.]
Zealot's heart raced as the hidden event quest notification flickered before his eyes. The prospect of an "Event Dungeon" was both thrilling and ominous, promising rewards but also unknown dangers. He glanced around at his skeletal minion, gauging its reactions.
The skeletal minion nodded with anticipation, ready for the new challenge. Zealot couldn't help but feel a renewed surge of excitement. Having knowledge of the novel, he knew he couldn’t afford to miss the Event Dungeon Challenge—a raid renowned for granting adventurers triple experience points upon defeating the boss monster.
At this juncture, Lilith's party had already stepped through the exit portal, leaving Zealot and his skeletal minion alone behind in the grand throne room.
"Guess it's just you and me now," Zealot said to his skeletal minion, which responded with a silent, understanding nod.
Ding!
[The Event Dungeon will commence in 10 minutes. Prepare for new challenges and formidable foes! Good luck, adventurer!]
"Ten minutes, huh? I suppose there is enough time to experiment with something," Zealot remarked. "Alright, Bony, I'm going to test something on you, so get ready."
"??????" The skeletal minion appeared bewildered, uncertain about the kind of experiment its master was planning to perform.
"Are you ready, Bony?" Zealot remained composed outwardly, but inwardly, a wicked smirk played across his face.
The skeletal minion nodded, bracing itself for whatever was about to happen.
"Hehe! Alright, take this!" Zealot chuckled, unleashing his newfound skill upon his skeletal minion.
CURSE OF PEE!
Instantly, Bony's skeletal form seemed to shudder as an unnatural urgency overtook it. The skill's effects were so potent even on an undead creature, causing Bony to experience discomfort and involuntary movements as if affected by a physical body.
"?!?!?!" Bony's skeletal form rattled and shifted awkwardly, clearly bewildered by the sudden urge and its implications.
Zealot watched with a mix of amusement and curiosity, noting the skill's effectiveness even on non-living entities. It was a testament to its powerful crowd control capabilities. As Bony involuntarily reacted to the curse, Zealot couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the chaos this skill could wreak in future battles.
"Try to bear with it, Bony," Zealot remarked, his mischievous grin widening. "Let's see how long you can endure this."
Bony, still under the influence of the curse, seemed to be enduring the effects stoically, its skeletal frame twitching occasionally as if struggling against the discomfort.
WHOOSH!
PUNCH!
With a sudden burst of speed, Zealot materialized behind his skeletal minion, catching Bony off guard. The air crackled with tension as Zealot's fist surged forward in a surprise attack. Despite the discomfort, Bony's reflexes kicked in. With a swift sidestep and a grace born of desperation, Bony narrowly evaded Zealot's strike, the rush of displaced air creating a gust that underscored the near miss.
"Ha, not bad, but I'm far from finished!" Zealot grinned mischievously, intensifying his assault on his skeletal minion. "Don't hesitate to fight back, Bony! Consider this as a sparring session to pass the time until the Event Dungeon kicks off."
PUNCH! KICK! HEADBUTT!
CURSE OF DIARRHEA!
EYES OF TRUTH!
Zealot knew he couldn’t defeat his skeletal minion in a fair one-on-one fight, but with his arsenal of skills—Curse of Pee, Curse of Diarrhea, and Eyes of Truth—he believed he might have a chance to win.
Bony, upon hearing its master's permission to fight back, wasted no time. With a surge of determination, it charged forward aggressively, launching a swift and decisive attack against Zealot.
HORIZONTAL SLASH! VERTICAL SLASH! DIAGONAL SLASH!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Thanks to Zealot’s high strength stats, his body had toughened tremendously, becoming as resilient as steel. This was evident in the metallic sound effects that echoed each time he blocked attacks from his skeletal minion.
Naturally, Zealot's successful defensive blocks were only possible because of his fortunate circumstances. Bony's discomfort, caused by the Curse of Pee and Diarrhea, meant it could only fight at about 65% of its total power, limiting its full potential in combat.
“Don’t hold back, Bony! Fight with everything you've got!” Zealot commanded enthusiastically.
Bony nodded with determination, lunging towards Zealot with surprisingly swift skeletal movements. Despite the discomfort, Bony's attacks remained precise and powerful, demonstrating its combat prowess even under the curses’ influence.
For a brief moment, Bony fought at its peak potential. However, it was short-lived; soon, the discomfort resumed, hindering its movements and attacks once more.
"Interesting," Zealot murmured, analyzing Bony's movements. "To think you could still fight so well despite the extreme discomfort."
PUNCH! KICK! HEADBUTT!
HORIZONTAL SLASH! VERTICAL SLASH! DIAGONAL SLASH!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
As their intense sparring session continued, the notification for the Event Dungeon soon flashed before Zealot's eyes, signaling its imminent commencement.
Ding!
[Event Dungeon starting in 3 minutes.]
“Okay, that’s enough sparring for today. Let's prepare for the Event Dungeon," Zealot instructed. "We need to conserve our energy to be at our best.”
Bony nodded in agreement, feeling the effects of the Curse of Pee and Diarrhea gradually subside as the countdown to the Event Dungeon continued.
Lying on the luxurious floor, Zealot took a moment to catch his breath, the exertion of the sparring session still weighing heavily on him. Even now, he found it hard to believe that his skeletal minion was stronger than him. The realization was both humbling and astonishing. Despite fighting at full power, pushing his limits in every move and strike, he could barely keep up with Bony. Each exchange had been a testament to his minion's superior strength and agility, leaving Zealot both impressed and determined to train even harder in the future.
‘Phew! That really got my heart racing. I always knew Bony was strong, but man, I didn’t expect it to pack that much power... No wonder even Belial had a tough time keeping up with Bony,’ Zealot mused, amazed by Bony's strength.
Ding!
[Event Dungeon starting in 10 seconds!]
The air around them shimmered with anticipation as the portal to the Event Dungeon materialized, casting a bright glow in the vast throne room. Without hesitation, Zealot and Bony stepped through the colossal portal, their resolve unyielding as they ventured into the unknown world of the Event Dungeon.
As they emerged from the portal's shimmering embrace, Zealot and Bony found themselves standing on a vast, breathtaking floating island suspended high in the sky. The air around them shimmered with a soft, ethereal glow, casting a gentle radiance over the lush vegetation and crystal-clear lakes that adorned the island's surface. Above, the sky stretched out in an endless azure canvas, dotted with wispy clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze.