Another tremor shook the earth. Tanalia stumbled atop the roof of the crumbling tower and leaped from it. As the tower collapsed, its stones shattered into pieces and soared through the air. The debris began reconstructing the once-ruined castle walls, rising to towering heights in seconds. Maria and Chariot found themselves trapped within the courtyard, sealed off by the newly formed wall. Its smooth surface rendered any attempts to climb futile, and the vines were now in tatters.
A deep, gravelly growl erupted from the Terra Elemental, its massive form creeping to face Maria and Chariot.
“Run!” Maria said. If any deep-rooted demonic powers were sleeping inside her, now was the time to discover them.
The Terra Elemental flexed its arms, emitting a roar that sent shock waves through the air. It shattered the rocks comprising its arms, causing the fragments to hover independently, then wound up and whirled, flinging rocks in all directions.
Maria avoided one of the massive boulders by the skin of her teeth. The projectile crashed into the castle wall, causing it to shatter into a cascade of pebbles. Chariot brandished her sword and unleashed a radiant arc of light, striking the monstrous entity.
Its health bar barely budged an inch.
Unfazed, the Elemental hovered menacingly towards Chariot.
"Keep it distracted. I'll try finding a way out!" Maria shouted. As she approached the doorway, an impenetrable barrier of stone blocked the path.
Tanalia peeked over the wall. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re trapped!” Maria yelled. “Help us out!”
“How?”
“Just come up with something!”
A roar echoed behind Maria. The Terra Elemental was still fixated on Chariot. It raised its massive fist high into the air and brought it crashing down against the courtyard. Jagged rocks burst from the ground, snaking towards Chariot. Evading wasn’t possible. She was struck and hurled through the air before slamming down a short distance away.
Maria cast a double {Firebolt} at the Terra Elemental. The fireballs bounced off, but succeeded in capturing the creature's attention. Maria backed away as its looming gaze penetrated her soul. Keep it away from Chariot long enough for her to heal. That’s what mattered. Amazing Chariot didn’t die instantly. She must be at a higher level than Maria thought.
The Terra Elemental threw another barrage of boulders and pebbles toward Maria. She sprinted away, evading the projectiles as they whizzed past her. Their impact resonated against the castle wall and shattered it. Tanalia fired an explosive arrow at the Terra Elemental, but the explosion depleted no more than a pixel from its health. Tanalia ran along the castle wall, firing explosive arrows while evading the onslaught of boulders and rocks hurled her way.
One of Tanalia’s arrows missed the monster, landing dangerously close to Chariot as she rose from the ground. With a gasp, Chariot leaped away. The explosion propelled her even further, causing her to stumble and fall again.
“Be more true with your aim, you imbecile!” Chariot yelled.
“Be quicker on your feet!” Tanalia yelled back.
Chariot got to her feet and raised her sword. “Your attacks accomplish nothing!”
“Like you’re accomplishing so much with your ass lying on the ground!”
The Terra Elementals started spinning, causing the wind to whip through the courtyard. Stones and boulders dislodged from the creature's torso and rode the chaotic current, while scorched lumber was swept up from the pile of charred huts, adding to the swirling debris. Maria ducked under a boulder and narrowly missed another by dropping to the ground. Thinking it safe, she sprung to her feet, but a brick nailed her in the stomach. She was sent flying across the courtyard until she collided with the castle wall. Agonizing pain surged through her body as she fell to the ground. Her vision blurred, tinted with a reddish hue as she gasped for air. She clutched her chest tightly.
Her health had plummeted to {2/250}.
Maria’s eyes went wide. She scrambled for a health potion and gulped it down between gasps for air.
{52/250}.
Not enough. Not even close to enough. Maria panted. She mustered all her strength to try standing, but the pain made moving excruciating. She collapsed to her knees and wheezed as her arms quivered.
Tanalia leaped from the wall and landed on a spinning boulder. She clung tightly as the whirlwind gradually subsided and the Terra Elemental began to reform itself, then fired a volley of explosive arrows into the core of the creature before it reformed. The elemental was engulfed in a fiery blast.
Its health bar dropped by a fraction of a percent. It continued reforming as if nothing happened. Tanalia leaped from the boulder as it got close to the core.
Chariot rushed to Maria and helped her to her feet.
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“We need to escape,” Maria wheezed.
Chariot looked around frantically, but the sight made her shiver. Escape was impossible.
Tanalia pointed at her empty quiver. “I’m spent!”
Maria’s heart sank. She still had one of Tanalia’s explosive arrows, but if the volley didn’t work, what good would it do?
The Terra Elemental emitted a growl at Maria and Chariot before slamming its fists into the ground. A ripple coursed through the courtyard, causing the earth and stones to surge like a tidal wave. Chariot leaped over the wave, escaping its destructive path. Still in too much pain to be agile, Maria tumbled as the ground tore apart beneath her. The Terra Elemental prepared to strike Maria with a killing blow, but its arm was engulfed by a fierce explosion. For once, it staggered.
Standing atop the wall, Eardwulf shot flames from his hands. The fire coalesced, forming a ball. He launched the blazing projectile and struck the Terra Elemental. A deafening boom reverberated through the air, and a wave of intense heat washed over Maria. The elemental's health bar plummeted.
“Are you alright?” Eardwulf called down to the three.
Maria nodded.
Eardwulf ran as the colossal creature lunged, poised to strike. The attack caused the castle wall to crumble and shatter into fragments. Chariot and Maria scrambled away, avoiding being crushed by collapsing debris.
Eardwulf regained his footing atop the crumbled wall. He thrust his hands forward, conjuring a radiant, golden ball of light that surged toward the Terra Elemental. The orb trailed around the creature, unleashing a cascade of smaller shards resembling jagged, golden glass. The shards swirled through the air and bombarded the monster. It recoiled and retreated as its body fell apart.
Tanalia was knocked over the side of the wall by a falling rock and plummeted to the courtyard below with a heavy thud. Chariot set Maria down, then sprinted toward Tanalia. Zigzagging to dodge falling boulders, Chariot reached Tanalia's side and yanked her away from the Terra Elemental.
Eardwulf's arm pulled back, reminiscent of a javelineer preparing for a mighty throw. Electricity crackled in his hand, coalescing into a lightning bolt, then hurled it. It streaked through the air, electrifying everything it passed. The creature staggered back as the bolt exploded against its chest, shattering the rocks encasing its torso. A second bolt descended from above, striking before it could recover. The impact caused the creature to crumble to the ground. Eardwulf leaped from the tower wall. He extended his hand, summoning a bolt of crackling red lightning from the clear sky. Hovering midair for a moment, he hurled the crimson bolt toward the elemental. Upon impact, red lightning pelted the monster, reducing its once-solid torso to pebbles.
As the Terra Elemental's health zeroed out, the pile of rubble illuminated, bursting into a dazzling display of lights, polygons, and hues. The ethereal fog walls obstructing the exits dissipated, the air grew still, and calm settled upon the courtyard. Maria, still on the ground, placed a hand on her chest and groaned. Her heart was pounding so hard it was making her ribs sore. A melodic chime resonated.
Name: Maria Marigold
Lvl: 4 >> 7
Hp: 52/250 >> 202/400
MP: 40 >> 80
Total Defense: 14
Total Attack: 5
She couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and gratitude, considering her limited contribution to the fight. How XP was distributed still was a mystery, but she figured it was proportional to the damage dealt.
Eardwulf walked over, brushing his cloak off. “Maria, are you alright?” He helped her stand.
“Yeah. Somehow.”
“You should have warned me what was attacking you.”
“I didn’t exactly have time to stop and message you.”
“Understandable. Still… try to be more careful.”
Maria sighed, too tired to even argue. She wasn’t completely sure how the monster had appeared.
Chariot went to Eardwulf. “Many thanks for saving us.”
“And thank you for saving my apprentice.”
“Apprentice? Then I take it, you are her master?” Tanalia asked.
“Yes. I am Guildmaster Eardwulf, of the Adventurer's Guild.”
Tanalia rolled her eyes. “You people.” She looked at Maria. “Didn’t think you were one of them.”
“Weren’t you trying to join the guild before?” Maria asked.
“I was, but they couldn’t handle my style. Besides, who’d want to give up half their loot?”
Eardwulf frowned. “Half? Who told you such a thing? That’s not how the guild operates.”
“I wasn’t paying much attention.”
Eardwulf shook his head. “The guild only takes twenty percent of earnings. It funds adventurers to have lodging and food.”
“Those are free. Just ask the trees,” Tanalia said.
Eardwulf groaned. “We are not all elves. Anyway, are you alright as well?”
Tanalia gave a thumbs up.
“And you, miss knight?”
Chariot folded her arms and nodded.
“Master Eardwulf, did you find anything on your side of the forest?” Maria asked.
“Unfortunately, no. We’re lucky we have yet to encounter anyone, aside from these two. Tell me, Miss Knight, what’s your business in this forest?”
“You may call me Chariot. I am here helping those in need.”
“Same here, only better,” Tanalia said.
Chariot glared back at Tanalia. “I’ve had just about enough of your grandstanding, hooligan.”
“What’d you call me?” Tanalia growled.
Eardwulf sighed and looked back to Maria. “I do wonder what such a high-level monster is doing all the way out here.”
“I as well,” Chariot said. “The Hallows here have been levels five or six. The brutes were tougher, but none came close to the elemental.”
“Peculiar… Was it already here when the three of you arrived?”
“There were only Hallows,” said Maria. It didn’t appear until after I blew up the spawners.”
Eardwulf crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. “Some boss monsters only spawn once an object, or several are destroyed. If that’s the case, then someone or something long ago had to place the spawners here with the elemental.” Eardwulf arched an eyebrow and opened his inventory. A golden cube materialized in his hand, adorned with intricate patterns and symbols on its surface. It shimmered in the light, reflecting the surroundings with an enchanting radiance.
“What is that?” Tanalia asked.
“It was added to my inventory when I slayed it.” He examined the faces of the cube. One was marked with Moldark’s emblem.
Maria gulped. “The mark of Moldark. Does this mean…?”
Chariot gasped. “The demon king?”
A strange voice–like three distinct ones combined–said. “The one and only!”