Note: Merry Christmas to you all, my dear readers!

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

The True Face of a Dungeon Boss

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“I’ll take her,” Rowan insisted. “You’ll need both hands to fight, My Prince.”

Bram wasn’t sure how much fight he had left in him, but he passed Master Mina to the trickster anyway. Seeing the ease with which Rowan carried the taller woman in her arms made him wish he could still borrow that strength for this last round of battle.

“The children,” Ravi began, but Rowan cut him off with an assurance, “No harm will come to them whilst I’m here.”

“And my lute?” Bram asked next.

He may have traded his bard’s guise for the warrior’s mantle today, but his lute was still his most precious item.

“Safe,” she promised.

Unfortunately, this was all the time they had to reassure each other. For with the mad nymph now grown to the size of a giant, Loveless seemed to have regained the courage to face the trickster who’d so easily ripped the spirit from her host. A fist—large and gnarly and formed of hardened tree bark—smashed against the ground, forcing the party to scatter. When the dust cloud settled seconds later, they were split on both sides of the hall, with Chris, Bridget, and Ravi on one side, and Bram, Hajime, and Rowan on the other.

‘Scree~~eech!’

A horrific shriek filled the air as Loveless stepped forward to place herself between the party’s two halves.

“Aren’t dungeon bosses supposed to wait for us to get in range?!” Chris complained.

“This isn’t a videogame!” Bridget yelled.

Loveless turned her oversized head in their direction, the tips of her antlers scraping against the cracked ceiling.

“Shit!” Bridget notched an arrow to her bow. “We’ve caught her aggro!”

“I noticed!” Chris’ gaze slid past the gap between Loveless’ legs and locked eyes with Bram on the other side of her. “What’s the plan, Boss?”

“Keep her distracted!” Bram yelled back.

“Alrighty, but…” the diligent Chris raised his kite shield high, “…I’m gonna need a bigger shield!”

“My Sprite can help with that,” Ravi suggested.

At the Shamvalan’s urging, the fluffy white beast flapped its gossamer wings in the Texan’s direction, showering Chris in shimmering stardust that wrapped around him and his shield like a ‘Barrier’ seemingly capable of repelling even a hand larger than a man of his size—and it did.

“Sweet Christmas!”

Chris braced his shoulder against his shield just as Loveless’ palm came slapping down on him. Starlight exploded at the point of impact, expanding into a starry curtain that repelled the giant nymph’s hand. Of course, Chris didn’t come out of it unscathed. The force of Loveless’ attack was so great that the Texan was pushed to his knees while the ground underneath him cracked.

“Chris!”

Bridget let loose her arrow.

The ‘Fiery Arrow’ flew straight and true, its golden light shining brightly as it ignited on the bridge of the giant nymph’s nose, forcing Loveless to back away in irritation.

Bridget didn’t see her attack hit its mark because she’d rushed to Chris’ side to help him out of the ground. It was Bram who caught sight of that near-perfect shot, causing him to feel pride at seeing Bridget’s growth. A week ago, she could barely hit a wolpertinger. Now, she was fighting against a giantess without missing a step. Still, the prince didn’t think one successful attack could raise their odds much, though his brain continued to turn its cogs while it searched for a path toward victory.

“Bloody hell.”

He watched while Bridget rammed into a still-shimmering but groggy-looking Chris to push him out of the way of Loveless’ foot stomping down on them and concluded that their odds weren’t great, particularly because he wouldn’t be much help in this fight. Without ‘Status Emulation’, Bram could only rely on his strength, but even ogrish strength wasn’t enough against a giant nymph who could hurt Chris despite Sprite’s sorcery protecting him. If only Bram still had his longsword. Then he might be able to wield the skills Ser Anthony lent him. Retrieving his weapon was impossible though. Loveless’ transformation had altered the stage of their battle, and with the thick roots growing over the hall having receded to join with the great red pine, the upturned earth it left behind ensured Bram’s broken sword was lost to the dirt.

“I need a weapon…”

He glanced sideways.

Hajime was whispering to his wand.

At first, Bram thought he was reciting a chant to cast a spell he’d yet to cast before, but then he heard the words, “I can do this… I can do this… I can’t do this!” and Bram decided his companion needed more time to find his courage.

He didn’t doubt that Hajime would though. The Japanese man liked to complain, but he never ran away from the fight. Not in the time Bram’s known him. Hajime had no weapon to lend out though.

“Power Strike!”

Bram’s gaze snapped back to the fight just in time to watch Chris land a heavy blow against the foot Loveless tried to stomp him with. He struck her right in her heel, and it must have been a painful blow for Bram to see her leg shaking afterward.

He thought that Chris had the right idea. After all, the best way to bring down a tree was to chop it around its base. Anyone living in the Forest Kingdom of Lotharin knew that.

There came the sound of a great machine turning its cogs which was like a herald’s trumpet announcing the arrival of the thick greenish miasma billowing out of Loveless’ mouth.

ALERT! [Poison Cloud] is causing miasma to spread through the air. Inhaling too much of it will render you with several possible status effects; [Low-grade Poison], [Fear], [Panic], [Paralysis], and [Confusion].

Loveless’ ‘Poison Cloud’ surged down toward Chris. It would have trapped the Texan in its smoky embrace if the fluffy, white beast Ravi had summoned hadn’t flown over to help him. While flapping its gossamer wings beside Chris’ head, Sylph opened its mouth wide and unleashed a ‘Breath of Air’ powerful enough to counter Loveless’ ‘Poison Cloud’, forcing it to dissipate harmlessly in the air.

ALERT! The poisonous [Miasma] was successfully neutralized…

“Great job, Fluffy!”

To Bram’s surprise, Chris raised a hand to Sylph, and the otherworldly creature returned his high-five.

Is it a common gesture among otherworlders…?

“You’re celebrating too early!” Bridget yelled.

She was right.

Loveless’ hand was already coming down to slap at the two foes who’d thwarted her attack.

“Bramble Shot!”

In the same breath, Bridget fired an arrow. It shot up and collided with Loveless’ hand, and the arrow did more than simply prick her. Thorny tendrils exploded out of their point of impact to wrap around the mad nymph’s hand and restrain it.

Her well-aimed attack wasn’t the sight that caught Bram’s interest though. It was the short sword strapped to her back he focused on. Bram wondered if he could risk rushing over to the other side of Loveless just so he could ask Bridget to lend him a weapon, but a hand reached out to touch his wrist and drew his gaze to the pale-faced woman in Rowan’s arms.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“If you need a weapon…use mine, Your Highness,” Master Mina whispered.

Bram couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at her. For underneath the blanket wrapped over her, the Stargazers’ master was naked as a newborn babe.

“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Master Mina pressed a hand to her left breast as if to make an oath with her heart. “Some of the most wonderful things in the world are invisible — until they’re not.”

As she drew her hand forward, stardust flowed from Master Mina’s chest. They gathered like grains of sand on her palm, forming a familiar shape; a foot-long handle molded from golden stardust with a crossguard shaped like a four-pointed star that was missing its two quillons. It had a round red jewel pommel that resembled the ‘Bloody Moon’ that had graced the fateful night when Bram and Rowan first met.

“It’s a sword grown in one’s heart…literally,” Bram thought aloud.

Once it was fully formed, Master Mina pressed the handle into his hand.

“It’s called Dusk…” She managed a short bow despite her awkward position. “May it serve you well, Your Highness.”

ALERT! You have received [Dusk]. This magic item requires attunement to unlock its full power.

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to attune to it now…

ITEM: Dusk QUALITY: Epic (Growth) TYPE: Changeable Sword DAMAGE: 1.5-2.5 x STR DAMAGE TYPE: Physical, Dark, Light PROPERTIES: Martial, Versatile WEIGHT: Changes depending on its shape DESCRIPTION: Forged by a nameless master craftsman during Aarde’s Silver Age from a shard of the Dusklight Stone, the large deifacted sorcerite formed from the crystallized corpse of Delphyne, the Dragon of Twilight and Prophecy. Dusk has inherited the changeable nature of an elder dragon, shifting its blade’s shape to suit the tastes of its wielder. This sword is imbued with great power locked within an intricate enchantment that gradually loosens with the growth of the weapon and its wielder. BOONS: +1 to all Attributes, 2.5% increase to health and magic regeneration speed, 2.5% increased attack speed, 5% increased damage to dragon-type foes, tier-three spell [Sundering] is usable once per long rest. All boons improve after the wielder reaches a level threshold or the weapon’s quality is raised.

“Hajime and Bridget did well to update the Item feature,” Bram grinned.

ALERT! You have yet to attune to [Dusk]. Most of its epic-rating boons will be locked until the attunement process is completed.

Despite not being attuned to his new weapon, Dusk’s handle vibrated in Bram’s hand as if it was yearning to be wielded by a righteous man.

WARNING! You do not possess the MP required to summon the blade formed of starlight. It is possible to use HP as a substitute… Will you sacrifice [100] HP to summon the blade?

Bram couldn’t help chuckling at finding himself the new owner of another double-edged tool. It was another reminder from the heavens that he’d yet to shed off his ill-fated moniker.

“Yes.”

He felt sudden pain blossom in his hand—as if an unseen foe had sliced his palm—and then a blade of violet and orange hues shot out of the top of Dusk’s handle. It was wide and broad, and just long enough to be at a longsword’s length. Twin spikes of the same dusk-light glow expanded out of the star-shaped crossguard to form its two missing quillons.

[HP: 145/290] has dropped to [45/290]

Bram had just enough time to admire the glowing blade before he felt his stomach churn.

“Not again…”

Suddenly dizzy, Bram fell to his knees. He coughed, coughed some more, and then spat out a wad of blood.

WARNING! Your health has fallen too quickly. You are now experiencing the [Bleeding] effect.

Unbidden, a second notification appeared.

EFFECT: Bleeding GRADE: Low TYPE: Disability DESCRIPTION: Suffering from a massive loss of health or incurring a grave injury will induce continued damage to your body. You will lose [1] HP per second and may suffer temporary [Paralysis] or increased fatigue until [Bleeding] is cured. DURATION: 8-60 seconds depending on the severity of injury.

“I could use…a song of hope…right about now…”

Bram tried but couldn’t get up himself. His bad condition had also caused his arms to lock up. He might have stayed down longer if Rowan hadn’t dabbed his lips with blood from a cut on her finger.

“Drink, My Prince.”

Bram’s free hand shot out to grab Rowan’s, and then he was licking the blood out of the cut on her finger. He took his fill of her like a man who’d been deprived of water for days, and when he was done, the ‘Bleeding’ was cured and the pain in his foot diminished too. Her blood had healed him enough to mend even his broken toes.

“Thank you…”

Bram rose to his feet, his cheeks flaring with embarrassment.

“This is all the help I will provide.”

With Master Mina still in her arms, the trickster’s form began to disappear into the fog that was now growing around her.

“You now have a weapon to fight with.” Her voice had become like the booming challenge of a thunderclap. “So, struggle and live. Show me once more that you are worthy of your great ambition!”

“I thought I’d proven this already…”

“Never think that you’ve done enough. Always strive to outdo yourself.”

Truthfully, Bram had been expecting this. The moment that the rebel trickster of legend would put him through another harrowing test to prove his worth. He would show her again. For as always, Bram had a plan.

“Hajime, are you ready?”

“I think so…”

The Japanese man glanced nervously at the prince.

“I know what to do…” His brow creased with anxiety. “But this is the first time I’ll use this spell… I don’t know if it will work…”

“It will.” Bram clasped Hajime on the shoulder just before he moved his new sword over to his left hand. “We have help.”

Rowan’s fog was beginning to wrap around his ankles and spread around this end of the hall, and Bram couldn’t help but be thankful for the cover it would provide for Hajime’s new spell.

“Be ready to—”

He just noticed Hajime eyeing Dusk with twinkling eyes and a jaw that was swiftly dropping.

“What’s wrong…?”

“L-Lightsaber!”

Bram’s eyebrow arched upward.

“What?”

Hajime pointed.

“W-When did you get a lightsaber?!”

“Ah.”

Bram deduced that Hajime’s love for what Bridget called ‘pop culture’ was at play here, and though he usually enjoyed indulging in the otherworlder’s whimsy, now was not the time for an Earth lesson.

“Focus, Hajime, and I’ll let you wield it later.”

Hajime’s eyes seemed to twinkle more, though his excitement quickly dwindled at hearing Bridget’s sharp Irish temper exploding from the other side of the hall.

“Put some clothes on you fucking skank!” and, “On Earth, whores like you get turned into salt!” as well as, “You’re a big goddamn walking cliché, aren’t you?!” were just some of the salty phrases being bellowed from yonder. Predictably, Bridget’s cursing had the added effect of drawing Loveless’ ire so completely that Bram and Hajime would have the time he’d asked for without trouble.

“Bridge!” Chris yelled, “Stop stealing her aggro from me, dammit!”

The Texan was just in time to block a fist that came crashing down on the blonde archer’s head. Again, the curtain of starlight repelled Loveless’ attack, and again, the force of their collision brought Chris to his knees. Even worse, the magic wrapped around him began to wink out like a lightbulb that was on its last charge.

Bram guessed that Chris wouldn’t be able to stop a third attack, and with Ravi busy preparing another spell, they were running out of time.

“Cast your spell, Hajime,” he ordered. “I’ll move at the same time.”

Hajime’s brows furrowed. “What if I miss…?”

“She’s too big for you to miss!” Bram slapped the older man encouragingly on the back. “What was it you always say during moments like this one?”

“I…” The anxiety on Hajime’s face dwindled slightly. “I’ve got this.”

“Yes, you do,” Bram grinned. “I believe in you.”

With that word of encouragement, the prince took off. He didn’t see it, but his belief instilled in Hajime enough inspiration that the otherworlder’s voice was loud and clear when he began the final chanting of a spell that would change the tide of battle.