Poyraz and his comrades stepped into the inner lair of the third floor. The massive walls enclosing them immediately reminded Poyraz of his mental duel against the second champion of Aliera. This chamber bore an uncanny resemblance to the Colosseum where their battle had taken place. The difference, however, was stark: here, there were no faceless spectators or deafening cheers. The seats were empty, an eerie silence filling the space. The desolation sent chills down Poyraz’s spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose as unease crept over him.
In the center of the arena stood a glass cube surrounded by several chairs.
“Heh, it’s nice they gave us a place to sit and watch. I wonder if they have snacks too,” Poyraz quipped, attempting to lighten the mood.
Only Gökbörü responded, wagging his tail slightly. The rest of the group remained silent, their attention fixated on the figure within the glass cube.
(Stonebreaker, the Warlord of Cataclysms)
(Long ago, Stonebreaker was a mortal general who sought to harness the power of the earth itself. Through forbidden rituals, he merged his soul with the heart of an ancient mountain, becoming a force of nature. Now, he stands as a living calamity, embodying destruction and unrelenting might. Those who face him must endure the wrath of the earth itself.)
(Two people may enter.)
Poyraz clicked his tongue in annoyance. The creature within the cube was a towering monstrosity, surrounded by swirling boulders and sand. Stonebreaker was more than twice Poyraz’s height, his body encased in jagged, obsidian-like scales that emitted a faint emerald glow. Glowing red eyes and a maw lined with jagged teeth exuded primal ferocity, while broad shoulders and thick limbs spoke of unrelenting power. Towering spikes jutted from his back like jagged peaks, and his massive tail swept the ground with devastating force. In his hands, he wielded a colossal, rune-covered stone club crackling with raw earth energy.
“Going all out from the beginning, I see. Alright. Two people. This thing is brute force type. Who we should send first?”
Artemeni took a step forward, just like every other time she was the first one to do so when against a conflict.
“It seems like only you and I have the durability to take it down without consuming a lot of stamina, Champion.”
She claimed, slamming her newly acquired her new Eclipse Fang Halberd against her shield with a resounding clang. Poyraz nodded with a smile, proud of her confidence.
“Should we send another person in?” Aurora asked, voicing the question that lingered in Poyraz’s mind.
“What do you mean? Isn’t two people a requirement?” Artemeni asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, not really,” Poyraz replied. “It says may, not must.”
Aurora elaborated, “We need to consider that whoever goes in won’t be able to participate in combat again until all of us have fought. What if a boss appears later that requires all four of us? Sending everyone early might leave someone to face a strong opponent alone.”
Artemeni hesitated, glancing at the cube and then back at the group. “A valid point,” she conceded. “But it’s also risky to hold back too much. This thing isn’t going down without a fight, I can feel it.”
Poyraz closed his eyes, weighing the risks. He couldn’t afford to lose anyone. Even if it created problems later, he would take responsibility.
“Thalia.”
Thalia’s head snapped up at the sound of her name. “Yes, Champion?”
She eagerly replied.
“Do you think you can buff Artemeni while staying out of harm’s way?”
Thalia hesitated for only a moment, her eyes darting to Artemeni and then to the colossus encased in its glass prison. Her fingers twitched, ready to weave magic.
“I can,” she said, her voice firm. “But my buffs won’t last indefinitely, and I’ll need a clear line of sight to maintain some of them.”
“That’s all I need,” Poyraz replied, his tone reassuring. “You’ll stay out here and focus on reinforcing her strength and defense. Artemeni, you’ll go in first. Keep its attention on you. Draw it out and learn its attack patterns.”
Poyraz breathed heavily. He knew the risks. He also knew that everyone here knew the risks but after what happened on the last floor, he felt a little bit too touchy about risking his man.
“Be safe there.”
Poyraz pulled Titan Slayer’s Rune from his storage and threw it to Artemeni. As it increased stats based on how much bigger the enemy was, it surely would come in handy against the giant foe. Thalia and Artemeni slammed their palm into their chest.
“We hear and obey!”
Artemeni approached the glass cube with resolute steps, her Eclipse Fang Halberd glinting under the dim, ethereal glow of the chamber. Her massive shield rested comfortably on her arm, the surface covered in scratches that told tales of countless battles. As she neared the boundary of the cube, a faint hum resonated in the air. The glass shimmered and then vanished in a cascade of light, like falling shards of a broken mirror.
Stonebreaker stirred, the faint emerald glow from his scales intensifying. His rune-covered stone club scraped the ground with an ear-piercing grind as he lifted it. The sound echoed ominously through the empty arena.
Artemeni stepped inside, and the shimmering boundary reappeared, sealing her and Stonebreaker in. She tapped the butt of her halberd against her shield, drawing the colossus's attention.
" I am Artemeni Stormspear! Spear and shield of her majesty! Come on and fight me!”
From the side, Thalia positioned herself strategically, her staff glowing faintly as she began weaving her buffs. Her voice rang out, a mix of incantations and prayers: "Divine Shield! Steel Skin! Warrior’s Vigour!" Threads of golden light shot out from her staff, wrapping around Artemeni. The energy settled on her armor, causing it to glimmer faintly.
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Artemeni rolled her shoulders, feeling the surge of strength and fortitude from Thalia's buffs. "Much appreciated," she said, her voice calm but with a hint of a grin.
Stonebreaker let out a guttural roar, shaking the entire arena. Massive boulders levitated around him, orbiting like a shield of destruction. With a single, powerful swing of his club, he sent one hurtling toward Artemeni. She braced herself, her shield glowing faintly as she activated a defensive skill, Rockskin Stance. The boulder shattered against the shield, sending debris flying but leaving her unharmed.
Outside, Poyraz tapped his feet anxiously to the ground, drawing the attention of Aurora who said nothing.
Artemeni darted forward, faster than her bulky frame suggested, aiming for the gaps in Stonebreaker’s guard. Her halberd glowed with a dark purple hue as she activated its ability, Eclipse Fang. The blade extended momentarily, slashing at the colossus's arm. A gash appeared, but the jagged scales quickly began to close, glowing faintly with green energy.
“Regeneration,” Thalia muttered, frustration evident in her tone. “It’s tied to his mana. He’s drawing power directly from the earth.”
Poyraz’s eyes narrowed. “Then we drain him. Artemeni, goad him into using more mana-heavy attacks.”
Artemeni responded with a sharp nod. She slammed her shield into the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth. The vibrations disoriented Stonebreaker momentarily, but it was enough for her to sidestep a devastating downward swing of his club. The impact cratered the arena floor, dust, and debris billowing into the air.
From outside, Thalia chanted again, sending another wave of buffs to Artemeni. This time, she added a shimmering aura that pulsed with energy. "Mana Ward! It’ll slow his regeneration and enhance your strikes!"
Artemeni seized the opportunity, her halberd flashing through the air in a series of quick, precise strikes. Each hit landed on the same spot, a crack forming in Stonebreaker’s otherwise impenetrable scales. He roared in fury, slamming both fists into the ground. The arena trembled, and massive stone spikes erupted around him.
“Watch out for the spikes!” Thalia yelled, panic creeping into her voice. “They’re laced with mana!”
Artemeni leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the spikes. Sweat beaded on her brow as she tightened her grip on her weapons. "He’s getting desperate," she muttered, her eyes never leaving the colossus.
“Not desperate enough,” Poyraz murmured, his mind racing. “Thalia, can you disrupt his connection to the earth?”
“I can try,” she replied, her voice steady despite the pressure. She began weaving a more complex skill, her staff glowing with an intense light. “If I channel enough mana, I can sever the link for a short time. But I’ll be vulnerable while I do it.”
“Do it,” Poyraz ordered. “Artemeni has its attention. She will cover you.”
Thalia’s staff pulsed brighter as she plunged into her incantation. Her voice echoed through the arena, a harmonious blend of celestial tones that seemed to clash against the primal growls of Stonebreaker. The air shimmered around her as she wove her magic, threads of golden energy spreading outward and intertwining with the earth beneath Stonebreaker’s feet.
Inside the cube, Artemeni was relentless. Her halberd clanged against the colossus's stone club as she intercepted another devastating strike. The impact sent a shockwave through her shield, but she held firm, her stance unwavering. “Come on, you oversized boulder!” she taunted, slamming her weapon into the ground and sending another shockwave toward Stonebreaker.
The colossus roared in frustration, lunging forward with surprising speed for his size. Artemeni braced herself, her shield absorbing the brunt of the attack. The ground beneath her cracked from the force, but she refused to budge. Thalia’s chant reached a crescendo, her staff emitting a radiant burst of light. The golden threads of energy latched onto the ground around Stonebreaker, spiraling upward and wrapping around his massive form. The colossus froze mid-swing, his glowing scales dimming as his connection to the earth faltered. The boulders orbiting him dropped to the ground with a resounding crash.
“It’s working!” Thalia shouted, her voice trembling with exertion. “He’s cut off from the earth!”
Artemeni didn’t waste a second. She lunged forward, her halberd blazing with dark energy as she unleashed a flurry of strikes. Each hit landed with precision, targeting the crack she had previously created. The fissure widened, revealing a core of pulsating green light within Stonebreaker’s chest.
“Spear of Huntress!”
Artemeni roared, channeling her mana, aura, and skill into her last strike. The entire area was illuminated by a brilliant red light as the space itself seemed to twist around her strike. The halberd's tip pierced through Stonebreaker's chest, striking the glowing core with unerring precision. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the arena, the energy discharging in a blinding explosion of green and red light. Artemeni gritted her teeth, bracing against the recoil, as cracks spread outward from the core, fracturing Stonebreaker's massive form like shattering glass yet the massive beast stayed on its two feet despite its broken form.
Its massive club descended incredibly slowly but Artemeni was stunned due to Arcane Overload. Before Aurora or Blanche could do so much as to react, Poyraz leaped towards the space which held Artemeni and Thalia. His leap shattered the ground as the shock waves similar to a whip’s crackle accompanied him. But as soon as he arrived there, he bounced off the barrier.
(Only two people may enter.)
He swore as he shouted “No!” from his mind as loudly as a silent cry could be.
“Circlet of Light!”
But there was another person in the boss space. Thalia extended her arms above, a circle made out of light shining before flying towards the core. It cut through the core, destroying it fully. Stonebreaker followed the destruction of the core, fully shattering into ten thousand pieces.
(You have slain the first boss. 9 bosses remain.)