The outer hall grounds quaked, with each step Rhevil took, the mobs of skeletons were either trampled or tumbled down as a result of its blind rage for what Yuri has done to its core.
Yuri, on the other hand, outran Rhevil quite easily. Endowed with Felix blessings that greatly buffed his off the charts agility stats.
"So-Hee! Wait for it!" Felix roared.
Rhevil was getting closer with each second, Felix already got the strategy inside his mind, but the execution of it depends solely on So-Hee and her shield.
Sweat rolled down through his pale cheeks. He checked the two for a split second just to take a glimpse on their situation. He saw Yuri charged through the skeletons encirclements, and crushed its skulls along the way to pave a path.
As for So-Hee, she already got her circumstances under control with the declining skeletons army. No longer she struggled from the skeletons ruthless onslaught, she calmed her mind and tried to regulate her breath, waiting for Felix next instructions.
Bang!
Rhevil took a step closer towards the trio. 'One more step...' Felix calculated in his minds.
Yuri finally arrived beside So-Hee and lessened her burden by a great margin, by taking some of the aggro from the skeletons that surrounded her.
Bang!
"SO-HEE, NOW!! CHARGE TOWARDS ITS LEFT FEET!!" Felix's eyes glinted with determination.
As soon as she heard the call, So-Hee reacted instantly and rammed Rhevil left feet with her [Shield Charge].
The Behemoth lost its balanced and falls to the side. The ground trembled and cracked like a spider web, at the same time, the majority of the skeletons were squashed flat, leaving only fine dust and broken bones, scattered over the last hall.
"YURI!! FINISH IT!! [Divine Blessings]!!"
Yuri was already running straight towards Rhevil even before Felix shouted his name. He roared to refresh his [Lion's Roar] buff. Along the way, he also crushed the remaining skeletons that were blocking his path.
"GROAAA!!!"
Adrenaline coursed through his blood, his brain neurons exploded against one another. Yuri gathers all of his momentum on his right feet, and then kicks it to propel himself upwards towards Rhevil ribs.
Rhevil roared nonstop to deter Yuri from climbing up its body. It also tried to lift its gargantuan body, but, unfortunately, the process for it was slow, far too slow. While its big body was its biggest advantage but at the same time, it was its biggest downfall.
Yuri climbed the behemoth body and stood in front of its bloody red core. He assumed his stance, and pummelled the core relentlessly, even though Rhevil shook its body constantly, it doesn't bother him, as if his feet were planted firmly inside its ribs.
"Half health!!—A Third Now!!—FINISH IT!!" Felix shouted.
CRACK!
- Rhevil The Unrelenting Soul Lv. 20 defeated. -
- Experience gained: 150.000 exp -
- Rhevil The Unrelenting Soul dropped [Worn Out Book] -
Silent. For a moment the last hall was soundless. Rhevil body was slowly turning to dust. The remaining skeletons didn't crackle, nor are they moving, it was as if they were mourning for Rhevil fading soul.
Yuri still stood on Rhevil dissipating body. Exhaling the air in his lungs to release some of the tension in his mind. He didn't notice the noiseless environment, instead, he noticed a brown aged book inside the ruined core of Rhevil.
His foothold was crumbling, but before he jumped out of Rhevil's body, he grabbed the book and held it tight, afraid to drop it when he falls.
----
"Nice! That's the last of the skeletons, now the boss should spawn right?" Felix asked.
"Yes, we need to wait a little bit for the magical influx to gather in here." So-Hee clarified.
Yuri didn't talk much, his eyes were focused on the old book that he found on Rhevil's core. He didn't know why he was so obsessed with the book, but his minds were telling him, that this book was somehow would play an important role later.
"Yuri. Yuri! YURI!" Felix yelled.
"Huh?" Yuri woke up from his dazed state.
"Come here. The boss going to spawn."
"R-Right." Yuri nodded and ran towards the two.
So-Hee saw the book in Yuri's hands, her eyes glimmered and said, "Wow! That book is a mega rare drop from the mini-boss."
Yuri turned his head towards So-Hee, "You know what this book is Ms. So-Hee?"
"Hmph. Drop the miss and I'll tell you what it is." She crossed her arms.
"Uhh...Can you tell me So-Hee?" Yuri said awkwardly.
It was the first time Yuri said her name without the honorifics, it's not like they weren't friends, but, it was his habit. Required to conversate and worked with people much older than him, while having only a handful circle of friends, he felt awkward talking to someone without honorifics, and this was the first time after such a long time.
So-Hee curved her pink lips upwards, any men would have their hearts fluttered by this femme fatale, when they see those beautiful smile. She was elated as if it was an achievement for her. She didn't know when was the last time she felt like this.
Also, their first meeting was the first time she talked proactively to men. She didn't know what goes inside her mind that time, even though she liked to talk about Emperor's Destiny, she has never told it to a stranger before, even when she knew that stranger also played Emperor's Destiny. It's like there was a magnet that pulled her towards him.
"Hehe...That book is a quest item, try giving it to the mysterious old man in Stonehelm Forest. He will give you some questions but...As I remember there's no one that answered correctly, so I suggest that you sell it to the auction house, but if you want to try your luck go for it then." So-Hee explained.
"Hmm...What do you guys think? Sell it? or try my luck? To be honest my luck isn't that great." Yuri asked.
Well, to summarize his luck. First, he lost his first quest after defeating a massive number of goblins and slew its commander. Second, he was framed for being a thief, becoming a fugitive and can't appear at Stonehelm unless the Viscount was dead or replaced. Third, he starved for two days while his game was snatched by a wolf even though he killed the wolf that snatched it followed by getting lost inside Stonehelm Forest while trying to find Jared's Cave. But, at least he got new skills out of it.
"Do whatever. I'll find my own money by getting a sugar mama." Felix said proudly.
So-Hee was disgusted by Felix remarks, she hated Felix type of men, only thinking about women all the time, but, after spending three days with him, she understood that he wasn't a bad person even though he's a playboy extraordinaire.
"I'm fine, you can do anything you want with that book." She smiled.
"Hmm...I try my luck I guess...Since we got lots of loot to sell anyway." Yuri decided.
----
Red magical lines appeared one after another in the last hall. The lost soul of the skeletons and also Rhevil were gathered into the middle of the hall. The grounds shook and cracked, in the middle of the hall, a hole was appearing. The souls charged towards the hole as if there was something there calling them.
The red magical lines also pierced towards the hole, slowly the whole dungeon shook. From the hole, a bloody red coffin came out. It was sealed with chains and cloth that looks like a bandage that filled with strange words.
The trio focused their eyes and ready up their stance, they watched the whole process of the last boss awakening. It was nervewracking, their heartbeat was getting faster by each second. They can feel the dreadful aura the coffin emitted.
Seconds passed, the coffin shook and there was a crack on its side. Red light emanating from the coffin side. The crack grew bigger and bigger and then it stopped. Enveloping the entirety of the coffin with a red glowing light.
Blood. The coffin turned into blood, the metallic scent filled the air, accompanied with a dreadful laugh.
"KAKAKAKA!! Congratulations on defeating my slaves! I applaud for your strength and bravery, but sadly, our meeting is a rather short one. Because you will die and become my next slave! KAKAKAK!"
"Well, that was cheesy...After all the suspense, that's all you're going to say?" Felix chimed.
"A for efforts, not bad, but can be better, keep trying maybe one day you shall end up in the Hollywood." Yuri said after with his serious face.
So-Hee was baffled by the duo response, it was her first time seeing anyone mocked the boss after its big entrance.
"MONGREL!! YOU DARE TO MOCK ME? THE GREAT LICH NEBELSTEIN!! I SHALL TORTURE YOUR SOULS FOR ETERNITY!! TASTE DEATH MONGREL!!"
Nebelstein was an undead lich with great magical abilities. Specializing in curses and dark energy attack. His attack was not that strong but the debuffs it gave were annoying at most. Slowly chipping away the stamina of the victim, and lowering their movements by a great margin. If the party that fought Nebelstein didn't have a priest or someone that can cleanse a debuff, then consider that party already wiped before its even begun.
"[Dark Rays]" Nebelstein attacked first.
The black laser rampaged in a horizontal line following Nebelstein index finger. It wasn't that fast but, if somehow that a player were hit by that, mostly, they will be dead at the next ten seconds, because it had an innate curse that stops the heart of the players after the ten seconds countdown.
The trio dodges the rays and became separated from each other. Nebelstein let out rays one after another, from his ten fingers. The last hall quaked by the impact, the whole place crumbled, debris was falling everywhere.
Yuri sensed movements from the ground, precisely from the hole in the last hall. From the hole where Nebelstein spawned, a black liquid slowly crawled through while at the same time devouring anything in its path into the void.
He knew the circumstances of the last fight in this dungeon because of So-Hee explanations. And already discussed how to deal with Nebelstein beforehand with Felix and So-Hee in the past two days. He scanned his surroundings while dodging Nebelstein laser show.
"FELIX!!" Yuri gave the signal.
The plan was simple, dodge the first attack. Scatter across the hall to divide Nebelstein attention. Wait for the liquid to come out, and then buy time until the whole room collapses while at the same time push Nebelstein into the void.
It was a risky strategy but at the same time, it was the fastest way to defeat and clear the dungeon. The strategy depends solely on Yuri's hands, because he was the only one that can match Nebelstein speed.
Felix heard the yell and saw the signal that Yuri gave, now, all he needs to do is heal Nebelstein. By healing him, it also damaged it because heal was a divine type spell. This is to attract Nebelstein attention towards him.
"[Heal]"
"ARHGHG!!! IT BURNS!!"
Nebelstein felt his skeletal body melting by the divine light that pierced through him. His purple orb inside his ribs were glowing frantically. His purple flaming eyes burned brighter and he charged towards Felix.
"GROAAA TASTE MY [Dark Claw]"
Nebelstein just about to hit Felix with his attack, suddenly So-Hee appeared in front of him, with her shield raised.
"[Shield Bash], [Glimmering Presence]"
Nebelstein was stunned for a second, and furiously rampaged after, hitting So-Hee silver shields again and again with his fragile bone hands.
When monsters were in a provoked state, they will lose all their abilities to think or cast a spell, but, there is an exception, if the monsters have an insanely high intelligence points or their levels were much higher than the caster, they will be able to shake the provoked state off quite easily.
Yuri, on the other hand, were charging towards Nebelstein from its back. He rushed while dodging the black liquid that slowly filled the whole hall.
"ARGGHARAGH!!" Nebelstein roared still losing his minds.
"Hurry!! I, can't hold on any longer!!" So-Hee was struggling, even though Felix constantly healed her, the damage output of Nebelstein was much higher than the amounts of heal she got.
Yuri arrived behind Nebelstein back, he grabbed Nebelstein floating body and threw it to the ground.
BANG!
He gritted his teeth, and roared while dragging Nebelstein body towards the middle of the hall. His health were depleting by each seconds, because of the sinister aura Nebelstein emitted.
"[Heal]" Felix chanted, "THAT'S MY LAST HEAL!! IF YOU'RE DEAD THEN IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT"
Felix shifted all the blame towards Yuri, 'If I'm somehow survived from this, I'm going to make your life miserable.' Yuri gritted his teeth and pour all of his strength, throwing Nebelstein towards the black liquid.
Nebelstein barely got his minds back, and saw that he was flying across the hall, towards the black liquid that was oozing from the hole he made. For the first time he felt fear, but, he can't stop his body in mid-air either, this was because of his previous state. He lunged towards the black liquid head first, followed by his body.
Yuri left in a critical state, his health bar was flashing red, and his stamina completely depleted after the throw. 'Strange...' He said in his minds, 'Why there's no notification or something in my logs.'
He looked towards Felix and So-Hee, the two shrugged their shoulders, they didn't know why either.
Yuri took a step closer towards the black liquid, and stared at it for a while, trying to get a grasp of the situation.
He turned his head again towards Felix and So-Hee, and shrugged his shoulders too.
"Let's go back...I guess?" Yuri suggested.
"Yeah, slim chance he will come back after being devoured by that black mess." Said Felix.
"Don't Jinx it." So-Hee added.
----
Yuri felt his legs were yanked, he was startled, and turned his head towards the black liquid. He saw Nebelstein head were floating inside the ooze.
"YOUUOUOUU!!! WILL COME!! WITH ME!!!!" Nebelstein roared.
Yuri was annoyed, he gathers his last strength and kicks Nebelstein head back into the void, "JUST! DIE! YOU! PEST!"
"ARHAJGHAR!!! I'LL CURSE YOU!! I'LL CURSE YOU BY THE NAME OF LADY FORTUNA!!!" Nebelstein roared one last time before finally dying inside the void.
Tring
- Nebelstein The Great Lich defeated. -
- Experience gained: 300.000 exp -
- You have leveled up! -
===
- Strength rises by 1 point. (STR+1) -
- Agility rises by 1 point. (AGI+1) -
- Stamina rises by 1 point. (STA+1) -
- Intellect rises by 1 point. (INT+1) -
- Wisdom rises by 1 point. (WIS+1) -
===
Will of Steel have leveled up to [Lv.2]: STA+5%.
===
- Nebelstein The Great Lich dropped [Ring of Lesser Despair] -
- Jared's Cave cleared. -