"Jasmine, give them a buff" Henry commanded in a stern voice, gesturing towards Sarah, Rick, and Mandy with a thumb.
"Yes sir," she replied, swiftly activating the physical enhancement spell. Her hands glowed yellow, casting a beam that enveloped the three silver-ranked slayers in an energizing aura.
"Max, begin your chant; as we distract and weaken it, use the scroll to lock it down," Henry instructed calmly, maintaining a steady gaze on the creature.
"Understood, it will remain as motionless as stone," replied Maxwell, before chanting incantations in an arcane tongue that made a scroll levitate between his hands.
"Once it's secure, everyone will come in and attack it. Remember to go for the weak points, like joints and eyes," Henry said, glancing back at Cyrus and the rest of the slayers.
"Yes sir!" Everyone replied as the five slayers stepped over a thin line in the stone that glowed a dim red.
The atmosphere is charged with tension as every slayer's gaze is fixed on the high-ranking members, who methodically arrange themselves into a battle formation encircling the beast that remains in slumber.
Cyrus's eyes widened as a thick slab of the wall suddenly jutted out towards Jasmine, prompting him to dash forward and shove her out of the way.
The impact was forceful enough to send him tumbling over the line, which now glowed a bright red. Before the slayers could react, a sudden red barrier materialized, dividing them.
"Everyone!" bellowed a middle-aged, hulking troll as he, along with the others, hammered against the thick barrier.
"Cyrus!" Jasmine cried out, pressing herself against the barrier, her face etched with concern.
"Damn it, get ready everyone!" Rick yelled as Cyrus turned away from his sister and focused on the monster.
"Stay on your toes, everyone! Face me, beast!" Henry bellowed, unleashing a thunderous roar that infuriated the creature, causing it to glare at him with blood-red eyes.
It charged at Henry with a sudden burst of speed, launching a punch so swift it tore up the ground as it hurtled towards his chest. Henry growled, hoisting his shield just in time to meet the meaty fist that slammed into him, sending tremors through his entire body.
Its stronger than its looks and its not giving me anytime to counter!
He glanced at the dent in his shield while skidding back with every rapid blow hammering against him.
Jasmine and the others held their breath as Rick and Sarah swiftly moved to the monster's right flank. Simultaneously, Mandy and Cyrus approached from the left, cunningly placing Maxwell directly in the creature's blind spot at the back.
Sarah lunged and took a swipe at the creature, which dodged skillfully and retaliated with a swift leg sweep aimed at Cyrus and Mandy. They narrowly escaped the hefty limb and quickly retreated to regroup.
Mandy growled as their sneak attack failed, and the creature immediately resumed its assault on Henry, who parried another blow, giving Sarah the chance to withdraw and regroup.
Seizing the opportunity, Rick aimed a strike at the creature's outstretched arm, which had just landed a hit on Henry's severely battered shield.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
His eyes widened as a fist suddenly surged upward in an unusual uppercut from beneath the extended arm. He barely managed to intercept the blow, which crashed into his weapon and propelled him backward.
Several bronze slayers gasped in surprise as the robust silver slayer, once steadfast on the front line, was now soaring through the air.
"Get ready! It fights weirdly!" Rick shouted, anchoring his feet and sliding back. After halting, he growled furiously and lunged forward as the boss kept on assaulting Henry.
Cyrus swiftly recognized that the boss's speed posed a problem and had to at least hinderence it as he made a beeline for the distracted boss.
The creature cast a glance backward and unleashed a rapid backhand strike, which Cyrus narrowly evaded by sliding under and then rolling between its legs. Clenching his knife, Cyrus unleashed a barrage of swift slashes, marking the beast's knees with a series of shallow cuts and gashes.
Frustration gripped him as he realized the minimal damage inflicted; he gritted his teeth just as another punch was hurled in his direction.
Before he could react, he was abruptly yanked backwards, causing the massive fist to swing through empty air. He caught a glimpse of the thick tail coiled around his wrist, then turned to see Sarah sprint by him, her blades slicing through the injured areas he left.
The creature snarled and took a swipe at her, but its lunge was thrown off course as it lurched sideways, black blood spurting from its deep wounds.
Without hestating Cyrus leapt towards the elbow and tossed the knife into the joint before stomping on the handle with his full weight driving it deep to the bone making blood spurt out around the knife.
"So this is the prowess of the renowned door kicker," Sarah mused, using her tail to hurl Cyrus out of harm's way. He snatched his weapon and rolled into a crouch, fixing a steady gaze on the adversary, blade poised for action.
"Stay still, kid," Mandy ordered, tightening her grip on her spear. She sprinted towards Cyrus, using his back and shoulders as a springboard to launch herself at the monster, which was struggling to remain upright.
Activating a mechanism on her spear, she caused purple slime to ooze over the tip. With a swift motion, she pierced its stomach leaving a trail of purple smoke, and then flipped away as it reached out to grab her.
The monster groaned, clutching its smoking chest as it stumbled about. Sarah, smirking, dashed past Mandy and leapt up with an outward slash, leaving a fresh X-shaped wound on the monster's stomach.
The boss quickly overcame his sickness and pain, then fixed a stern glare on Mandy and Sarah.
"Don't look away!, you weakling!" Henry bellowed, banging his axe against his shield to recapture the monster's attention.
With a snarl, it forced itself upright and unleashed a mighty roar, sending dust swirling and obscuring the surroundings. The slayers' final glimpse before the boss vanished into the dusty haze was the ominous glow of its red eyes.
"Stay alert!" Rick shouted, as he and the others scanned their surroundings, anticipating the boss's emergence.
A massive fist erupted from the dust cloud, striking Henry's shield. He barely managed to deflect the forceful surprise attack, sliding backwards and halting just before the barrier wall.
Henry winced as he felt a crack in his arm. He stole a quick look at his left arm, now badly bruised, and tried to push past the sharp sting of pain.
As the dust settled, the sight of the monster charging with a bloodthirsty glare became clear. Henry braced himself, leaning into each blow in an attempt to mitigate the force.
"Storm Chain lockdown!" Maxwell exclaimed, completing the spell chant. The scroll in his grasp disintegrated into blue sparks before glowing white chains materialized around his hands and arms.
A thunderous clap echoed as he spread his arms, sending chains hurtling towards the boss, deftly missing everyone else.
The chains were mere inches from their target when it executed a sudden backflip, displaying a frightening level of agility. This maneuver caused the bindings to swiftly ensnare Henry in their tight embrace.
Henry let out a scream as the chains suddenly grew heavy, forcing him to his knees, while electricity surged through his body, causing him to drop his axe and shield.
The boss executed a one-handed landing, grasped several bone shards with its free hand, and rolled across the ground seamlessly before hurling them towards Maxwell.
His eyes widened as he quickly cast a simple earth defensive spell, causing a section of the ground to rise and block the incoming projectiles.
He had just a moment to catch his breath when a crack sounded from the dirt and stone wall. A collective gasp filled the air as Maxwell was propelled through the barrier due to the force of the bone fragments piercing his body and head.
"What the hell just happened!" Cyrus exclaimed, his gaze shifting between sadness and rage as he looked at the deceased mage who voted to leave the silver door.