Chapter 41: Guardian of the Labyrinth (I)

Chapter 41: Guardian of the Labyrinth (I)

[Guardian of the Labyrinth B025 - LV.135](Boss) (142,101/142,101 HP)

The Guardian of the Labyrinth had awoken, making the Iron Golems that Odin and his team faced previously look like ants. 

Its gaze locked onto Odin, recognizing him as the intruder who had triggered its awakening.

A notification flashed in Odin's vision.

[The Guardian of the Labyrinth has fully activated.]

'Sovereign Insight'

[You have consumed (5) Red Energy]

[You have penetrated the essence of things!]

[Warning: High-level magical type enemy detected. Estimated difficulty: Extreme.]

Odin cursed under his breath, his hand instinctively tightening around his Soulrend Blade's hilt. 

"Great. Of course, it couldn't be something easy."

Among the warnings of the Insight, he also saw all of the Boss monster's abilities with their specific rating, allowing him to have a rough idea of what to expect from just the skill's names, but similar to the Hobgoblin or the Troll Shaman, he couldn't peer deeper into their effects and abilities. 

[Skills: Arcane Pulse (A), Energy Barrage (A+), Crushing Gauntlet (A+), Mana Drain Field (S), Arcane Shockwave (S+), Mana Overload (SS)]

'Marvelous, another busted Boss mob. What's up with the High-rated Skills? Are the Devs really that punishing against the players?'

'Huh, I do get it that as a Boss, it needs enough firepower to wipe the shit out of us players, but as an individual, I can only be selfish and wish for an easier life.'

'From all the abilities this Golem has, the one I fear the most is the Mana Drain Field since I don't have my Accessories on me…'

'Again? Why did I hand them to Elyse? I should take them after each encounter we had against the Iron Golems and let them use mine in fights.'

There wasn't much of a break for Odin as the Guardian of the Labyrinth immediately initiated the fight.

'Well, this will make the fight more challenging.'

A sudden flare of bright light erupted from its chest, and before Odin could fully process what was happening, the Guardian unleashed its first attack, Arcane Pulse. 

It was a series of pulses, looking like beams of pure, concentrated arcane energy, shot out from the Guardian's core, each traveling in straight lines at terrifying speed, aimed directly at him. 

The room crackled from the sudden attack of the Guardian, while the mana flowing from the Earth's ley lines filled the laboratory with residues of magic.

Odin's instincts kicked in immediately. He didn't have the luxury of hesitation. 

With a swift sidestep, he narrowly dodged the first pulse, feeling the heat radiate as it seared past his side and crashed into the far wall. His crimson eyes watched intently the beam of arcane magic, and just the head it radiated made him wonder how much it would deal if he allowed such a hit to blast him.

'Bad idea. I should just run, evade, dodge, and fucking parry if I can, of course.'

A deafening explosion echoed through the chamber, scattering chunks of stone and dust across the room. 

Odin knew he couldn't afford to get hit, not with his health still in a precarious state from the earlier fall. His Regeneration was working tirelessly to recharge his HP gauge, but it would require one minute or so for that to happen.

'Let's check if this Boss has the same Passive as the Iron Golems. The High-Physical Resistance.'

He moved carefully around the Guardian while evading the Arcane Pulses like participating in a Dance Rush Stardom game.

'Swift Charge'

[User has consumed 35 MP]

Then, he shifted his tempo. Instead of focusing on running away, he moved swiftly with Swift Change, closing the distance between himself and the towering construct. His Soulrend glowed faintly as he unleashed a Piercing Thrust.

The blade collided with the Guardian's dense, arcane-infused body, the sharp clang of metal against enchanted stone echoing through the chamber. 

His strike barely made a dent, and his slight resistance in his sword arm reminded him of an earlier encounter with a Homunculus, back when the Aesirs of Leviathan Guild faced one during their most challenging raid. Just like back then, his physical attacks seemed ineffective.

[You have dealt 2,114 damage to the target.]

'Tch... same as before.' 

Odin didn't allow himself to get lost in his thoughts, as he jumped back as the Guardian retaliated with another Arcane Pulse. 

'I'll have to get serious if I want to break through this thing's defenses.'

The floor beneath his feet trembled with the force of the Guardian's attacks, and the faint, flickering light from the magical runes on the walls barely provided enough illumination to see clearly. 

Yet, Odin's focus was razor-sharp in those moments, seeing and sensing each pulse that whizzed past him.

More pulses followed, the Guardian relentless in its assault. It felt as if it tried to overwhelm the intruder with only this intense assault of arcane beams.

Odin rolled forward, feeling the rush of air as another arcane beam shot over his head, narrowly missing him. 

His heart began pounding in his chest, and his BPMs increased ever so slightly from the mental and physical effort he was exerting, but so far, he had things under his control. 

The mechanics of the 9th-ranked Archdemon Haborym were far more advanced and intricate than timing some arcane beams later to be dodged.

'No time to rest. Keep moving,' Odin thought as he evaded another series of pulses. 

The beams of energy were unforgiving. In his current condition, if even one struck him, it could be fatal.

As the Guardian prepped for another attack, Odin briefly turned his attention to his party members, Elyse and Malfurion, using the communication feature of the System. He wanted to check if they were safe since the Magical Trap set by the Great Magician was activated.

"Are you two alright?" 

A brief moment of static followed before Elyse's voice crackled through. Her tone was breathless but reassuring. "We're fine for now. Malfurion's shifting into his flying form, so we're descending slowly. About halfway down... we should be there soon."

Odin glanced toward the gaping hole above. The distance was easily a hundred meters, a drop that could have spelled doom for anyone caught unawares. "Be careful," he warned. "That fall is no joke. You land wrong, and you're done for."

"Don't worry," Malfurion's calm voice assured Odin even amidst the chaos he was experiencing. "I've got her… For now? We'll be down shortly. Just keep that thing busy until we can back you up."

"Yeah, yeah," Odin muttered, narrowly dodging another Arcane Pulse. "No rush or anything," he added sarcastically, dodging with a quick roll and barely avoiding getting hit.

"I would have begun attacking the boss seriously if my accessories weren't missing."

"..."

But before he could dwell on it, the Guardian shifted its stance, raising one of its massive arms. 

Odin's eyes narrowed as the construct began to glow. This was most likely another ability of the Boss mob. 

Then, when the smaller energy blasts from its palm started firing in his direction, he recognized the pattern immediately, which looked like the 'Energy Barrage'.

Streams of smaller energy blasts erupted from the Guardian's palm, the rapid volley blanketing the battlefield with glowing projectiles. 

Odin immediately called upon Sovereign Insight, sharpening his sight, senses, and mind as it provided him with the perfect path to dodge.

He darted left, then right, weaving through the barrage with near-perfect precision, but even with the foresight of Sovereign Insight guiding him, the sheer number of blasts made it impossible to evade them all. 

Three of the blasts struck him dead on, each impact sending a jolt of searing heat through his armor.

[You have suffered 1,306 damage.]

[You have suffered 1,345 damage.]

[You have suffered 1,540 damage.]

"Ah... damn it," Odin hissed as he felt the sting of the impacts. 

Those three energy blasts had already carved 30% of his HP gauge, and even though he was trying to conserve his HP and MP with all his might, not using his Red Energy Blessings made his mind a bit agitated.

He had already created a playstyle that fitted his Saharan Successor Class, and the Core binding everything together was his Blessing, whether he was entering the DPS mode or the Tanker mode.

If he activated either Inferno's Embrace or Zephyr's Swiftness, he was aware that his damage would skyrocket because the Guardian of the Labyrinth only had a resistance to physical attacks, which didn't apply to his elemental damage.

Since he wasn't using buffs such as Blade Dash, Black Wolves Howl, or Zephyr's Swiftness to boost his movement speed to almost transcendental levels, he could only grit his teeth and take in those blasts like a grown-up.

Those blasts deal small amounts of damage but are difficult to avoid due to their spread.

Before he could recover, the Guardian transitioned into its next attack, the Crushing Gauntlet. 

The massive arm of the Guardian slammed into the ground, the sheer force of the impact causing the stone floor to crack and ripple outward like a tremor.

'Iron Arm'

[User has consumed 220 MP]

[Your resistance against incoming physical damage is increased by 40% during the shield duration of 60 seconds. The shield will absorb (20.000 damage) Your reflection chance will be increased by 20%, reflecting incoming physical attacks at the attacker.]

Odin didn't have time to think. He activated Stalwart Parry and Iron Arm, his muscles tensing as his defensive stats surged. 

Against this attack, the combination of Stalwart Parry and Iron Arm could increase his chance of reflecting the blow with a 50% chance at success.

His sword was braced in both hands. He prepared to meet the Guardian's crushing blow head-on.

The ground shook violently as the gauntlet made contact with his Soulrend Blade, but Odin stood firm. His parry held strong, the reflective properties of the skill sending a portion of the attack's force back into the Guardian. 

[You have reflected the 'Crushing Gauntlet' dealing 5520 damage.]

The massive magic construct shuddered slightly, the physical energy of its blow partially rebounding against it.

Odin grinned despite the pressure of the blow and turned his hands numb for a couple of seconds. 

'Take that, you oversized hunk of metal!'

'This parry felt great. I didn't even suffer the damage because of the shield. The build is coming along nicely.'

The Guardian recoiled slightly, its glowing eyes flickering briefly as it recalibrated. 

Odin took a step back, his mind racing. He couldn't keep turtling up and playing like a pussy forever. He needed to pump up his DPS and kill the boss before his resources were lost in this attrition. 

A player would never be capable of defeating a Boss Monster by employing such an Attrition Playstyle.

As Odin held off the relentless onslaught from the Guardian of the Labyrinth, the sounds of faint bickering caught his attention. Above, Malfurion and Elyse descended into the chamber, both suspended in the air by the powerful beats of Malfurion's feathered wings. 

His owl-like form, though humanoid, flapped awkwardly as he struggled to maintain balance while carrying Elyse. She was gripping onto him for dear life, her knuckles white as she clung to his neck.

"Can't you fly any smoother?!" Elyse's voice carried the panic from the depths of her soul as they floated downward.

Malfurion's wings beat erratically as he tried to steady their descent. "This isn't a joyride, you know! I could just turn myself into my Owl form and be there for the Guildmaster in the first minutes, but noo, someone had to beg for a ride."

"If you'd just help instead of whining, we wouldn't be free-falling right now!"

Elyse snapped back, "Help? What do you expect me to do, sprout wings? I'm a mage, not a bird!"

"Use your Levitation spell or something! Or did you forget you had magic?" Malfurion retorted through gritted teeth, struggling to maintain their altitude.

Elyse shot him a fiery glare, tightening her grip. "I don't have Levitation, genius! I didn't buy useless support spells from the guild Fire Mages!"

"Well, we're gonna crash if you don't think of something quick!" Malfurion's tone grew increasingly panicked as their descent became more erratic.

"Then just fly better, Alex!" Elyse snapped back, calling him by his real name.

"Alex? We're really using real names in the middle of a battle now. Elisabeth?? How many times do I have to tell you? It's Malfurion in the game! And if we crash, this is your fault!" he grunted, flapping harder as they neared the ground.

"Shut up and stop complaining, Alex. If one of us dies here, it better be you. Odin needs me more!" Elyse's voice turned serious, though her words carried a playful jab.

"Aha, go fuck yourself," Malfurion shot back with a smirk, "I'm not giving up my chance to clear my Hidden Quest and become a big shot in Satisfy. You can save yourself if you want to."

Their bickering continued as they plummeted toward the chamber floor, neither willing to admit fault. 

Just as it seemed their crash landing was inevitable, Malfurion made a final desperate flap, and they hit the ground with a less-than-graceful thud. The impact wasn't nearly as dramatic as Odin's earlier landing, but it still left both of them momentarily winded.

Malfurion groaned as he pulled himself to his feet, shaking off dust from his wings. "See? Not dead."

Elyse gave him a sharp look as she brushed off her red robes, but her tone softened. "You still need to work on your landing."

Having kept one eye on the Guardian and the other on his squabbling comrades, Odin smirked as they finally joined him. "You two done? Because I could use some buffs over here," he said, stepping back slightly to disengage from the Guardian, who was already preparing its next move.

Malfurion shot Odin a sheepish grin, still catching his breath. "Yeah, yeah. We made it, didn't we?"

Elyse, brushing a strand of red hair out of her face, turned her attention back to the Guardian, her eyes narrowing with determination. "We're here. What's the plan?"

Odin didn't waste any time. "Malfurion hit me with some buffs. The defense and regen ones prioritize that. Elyse," he said, turning to her with an expectant look, "I need my accessories back."

Elyse blinked in surprise, her fingers instinctively going to the Pendant of the Arcane Sage and the Enchanted Sapphire Studs she had been wearing. "Wait, you want them back now?" 

She hesitated, her mind racing as she began getting attached to the awesome Epic-rated Accessories that only the Top Global Rankers in Satisfy World could claim to wear. 

The MP recovery those items provided was invaluable to her as a mage, and parting with them meant she'd have to manage her magic more carefully for the rest of the fight. "I'm using them—my mana's been—"

"Now," Odin cut her off sternly, his eyes locked onto hers. "I need the boost to magic damage and MP regen. You'll manage. You're the best mage here."

Elyse bit her full lip. She was not happy about the situation but also not foolish enough to argue further.

Reluctantly, she unclasped the pendant and removed the sapphire studs, handing them over with a slight frown. "Fine. But I'm going to regret this later, aren't I?"

She wasn't foolish enough to get on Odin's black books since she wished to be a constant presence around Odin for the foreseeable future, even as a Maid serving him coffee. Regardless if she reached the status of an Archmage, she would be doing it in a heartbeat.

As soon as he donned the Pendant of the Arcane Sage and the Enchanted Sapphire Studs, Odin felt the immediate surge of mana as his intelligence climbed back to 860 points. 

Behind him, the Guardian of the Labyrinth stirred, its mechanical eyes glowing brighter as it recalculated the situation. The magical core in its chest flared violently as it initiated another round of Arcane Pulse, beams of energy now directed at Odin Elyse and Malfurion.

"Get ready for a fire show," Odin whispered under his breath, stepping forward to re-engage the Guardian. 

His hands gripped his Soulrend Blade tighter while the crimson aura made out of the fully charged Red Energy started to expand and retract like the beating pulse of his heart, anticipating the 'Sovereign of the Red Energy' every move.

'Blessing of Fire.'

[You have consumed 25 RE. The user has received the 'Inferno's Embrace' Buff.]

As Odin's crimson aura began to swirl and transform, a flicker of fire ignited within him. The Guardian of the Labyrinth didn't pause and just fired the Arcane Beams at him, only for them to be dodged as another strong gust of Elemental Wind wrapped around Odin's body.

[For the next 5 minutes, the user gains an AP/AD boost of 20%, gains resistance to ice-based attacks, and deals additional fire damage with melee attacks. Fire-based abilities cost 15% less mana during this period. Melee attacks will be imbued with the Fire Element, while Fire-based spells will be increased by 25% for the duration of the Blessing. ]

As an ethereal veil that surrounded Odin, the dignified Crimson Aura transformed. Its calming yet dignified presence morphed into a ferocious, untamable, raging inferno of flames.

Flames burst forth from his body, swirling and dancing with a life of their own. 

His eyes glowed with the intensity of the red energy coursing through him, a burning amber light that matched the inferno surrounding him. 

The heat radiated from him caused cracks in the stone beneath his feet, the ground unable to contain this ancient power he was channeling. Flames licked at his armor, crawling up his body like serpents of fire, yet they did not consume him. 

Instead, they adorned him, wrapping around him like a cloak of blazing majesty. 

His once-human form now took on an almost divine quality, his silhouette blazing with an unholy light as if he were a Phoenix Emperor, born anew from the heart of the flame.

At that moment, Odin looked less like a human and more like an Ancient God who had descended to the Mortal Realm.

[Guardian of the Labyrinth B025 - LV.135](Boss) (127,890/142,101 HP)

Odin's mind raced as the Guardian of the Labyrinth recalibrated its magic core, its eyes flaring with intensity. 

'Blade Dash'

[User has consumed 500 MP]

[User's Movement Speed has been increased by 30% for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes]

He had little time to plan, but his instincts kicked in. Channeling the swirling storm of fire that now surrounded him, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as the distance between him and the massive mechanical behemoth shrank.

'Blazing Charge'

[User has consumed 35 MP]

Odin launched himself forward with a single, powerful push off the ground. 

Hurling himself toward the Guardian, time seemed to slow down. The machine's gigantic arm moved, preparing another volley of Arcane Pulses, but it was too late. Odin was already upon it.

His Blade Dash, enhanced by the blazing power of Inferno's Embrace, boosted his movement speed beyond what the Guardian could react with its arcane blasts. 

In a split second, he closed the gap, and upon reaching the Boss Golem, he crashed into its hard body with explosive force.

[You have dealt 2,824 damage to the target]

When the Blazing Charge connected, a fire ignited its body, triggering the Burning Debuff, causing her to take 385 HP/s for 6 seconds. Odin watched with grim satisfaction as flames began to envelop its body.

Even if the Boss monster wasn't stunned or knocked back by impact, his movement speed was faster than the large body of the Golem could keep up. 

Without giving a chance for the Guardian of the Labyrinth to hit him with any Arcane Pulses or energy blasts from the Energy Barrage, he attacked with 'Combustive Strike' the evolved version of 'Piercing Thrust' when Inferno's Embrace was activated.

The moment Odin's blade made contact with the largest crack in the Guardian's metal frame, the explosion of molten energy rippled outward. The fire erupted from the wound seemed to come alive, spreading across the Golem's surface like wildfire.

[Critical Hit!]

[You have dealt 12,732 damage to the target]

Sparks flew from its joints as the arcane circuits struggled to stabilize under the heat. Odin could feel the satisfying resistance of his blade sinking deeper into the Guardian's core with the force of the attack.

"Oh, it seems fire can heat you pretty well. Nothing to worry, I'll smelt you into this Laboratory entrance door."

The Burning debuff from Odin's Blazing Charge still lingered, dealing continuous damage that chipped away at the Guardian's health.

As the Guardian of the Labyrinth reeled from Odin's Combustive Strike, its glowing mechanical eyes flared with arcane mana. The arcane circuits within the Guardian's chest pulsed violently, sending magic ripples through its enormous body.

A low, ominous hum began to resonate throughout the chamber. The air grew thick with an oppressive energy that pressed down on Odin, Elyse, and Malfurion. The ground beneath them trembled as if reacting to the tremendous power the Guardian was preparing to unleash.

Without warning, the Guardian's chest opened slightly, revealing a glowing, spherical core. From within the core, arcane symbols and runes flickered to life, spinning rapidly in a complex pattern. 

The temperature in the room plummeted, and the faint, bluish aura surrounding the Guardian intensified.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a wave of shimmering blue energy exploded outward from the core, expanding rapidly in all directions. 

The field distorted the air around it, causing everything within its radius to shimmer as though submerged underwater. The mana field carried an eerie stillness, but its energy was voracious, like a ravenous beast.

[User has been targeted by the 'Mana Drain Field'. The user will lose 250 MP/s]

Odin's instincts kicked in just in time. He could feel the field's pull and how his mana began being siphoned when the blue energy brushed against his skin.

"Not happening." 

Without hesitation, he pushed off the ground, flames from Inferno's Embrace trailing behind him. 

His form blurred, and in a single fluid motion, 

Odin vanished like a shadow, evading the voracious energy of the Mana Drain Field. The sheer speed of his escape left after images that flickered in the field's shimmering distortion.

As he repositioned behind the Guardian, still moving like a phantom amid his blazing aura, Odin shouted a warning to his team

⤷ Malfurion, Elyse! Stay clear of the field.

He ensured the two newbies knew to avoid the Mana Drain Field. This message was mainly directed at Elyse, whose reliance on mana for casting made her the most vulnerable. She also had a faulty playstyle where he wasn't that mobile and just cast her spells from one point.

Elyse, mid-spell preparation, glanced at the encroaching Mana Drain Field, her amber eyes widening. Later, Odin heard a loud 'Tsk' coming from her mouth in the 'voice chat'.

She immediately shifted her position, her flowing robes rippling as she scrambled to avoid the range of the field, cursing under her breath. "Got it! I'm not losing all my mana to that thing!"

Malfurion, already in his owl form, was flying just outside the edge of the field. He nodded as he returned to his Humanoid form, sending more vines creeping toward the Guardian, carefully avoiding the blue aura.

Now clear from the draining energy, Odin refocused on the towering machine. His hands tightened around his Soulrend Blade, the heat of Inferno's Embrace swirling violently around him. The flames coiled around his body like living serpents, their fiery tongues licking the air, eager for release.

'Time for the second phase if this Boss has one.'

'Infernal Horizon'

Odin unleashed a wide arc of molten energy with his blade's swift, mighty sweep—the fiery slash carved through the air, leaving a wave of searing heat behind.

The molten arc collided with the Guardian's metallic body. Still, it wasn't a critical hit, as the flames from the slash spread rapidly across its frame, igniting parts of its armor with a vicious, unrelenting fire.

[You have dealt 6,093 damage to the target]

[Burning Effect Applied: Target loses 385 HP/s for 15 seconds.]

As the molten arc sliced through the Guardian, its body was set ablaze.

[Guardian of the Labyrinth B025 - LV.135](Boss) (100,467/142,101 HP)

Even though the Guardian had high physical resistance, the magical properties of Odin's flame-infused strikes rendered that resistance nearly meaningless. 

Without hesitation, Odin followed up with a series of rapid basic attacks, his Soulrend Blade blazing with molten energy.

The first strike cut deep into the Guardian's leg, sending molten sparks into the air. 

The second strike slashed across its midsection, leaving a burning trail that began to sizzle and crack under the intense heat.

Each time his blade connected, flames erupted from the points of impact, further feeding the firestorm that now surrounded the Golem. The heat from the repeated strikes was so intense that the air around them shimmered with the distortion of burning energy.

[Critical hit!]

[You have dealt 5,681 damage to the target.]

[You have dealt 2,814 damage to the target.]

As Odin slashed away, the Guardian reeled, its movements becoming slower. At the same time, its body got covered in Entangling Roots summoned by the Druid, ensuring that Odin had control over the battlefield.

He raised his staff high, the emerald glow intensifying as roots erupted from the ground, twisting and coiling around the Guardian's legs. 

With the Golem temporarily restrained, Malfurion began casting a more aggressive spell. 

'Thorn Barrage' 

In an instant, jagged thorns, sharpened by the force of nature, shot out of the ground and hurled themselves at the Golem with lethal precision. The spiked projectiles struck the Guardian's body, embedding themselves in its body

-3,413 DMG

-2,546 DMG

Satisfied with the weakening effects of his Thorn Barrage that lowered the defense of the Golem by 25% for 15 seconds, Malfurion moved on to his next spell. 

He slammed the base of his staff into the ground, summoning Stone Spikes from the earth below. 

The jagged rocks summoned by Malfurion shot beneath the Guardian's feet, puncturing its iron-plated legs and sending cracks up its lower body.

-Critical Hit!

-8,114 DMG

Meanwhile, Elyse channeled her mana onto the Flameweaver Ember Stave while chanting the incantation for her fire spell.

"Fireball!" she called out, her voice ringing through the laboratory. 

A glowing orb of fire materialized in her hand, its heat palpable even from a distance. With a swift motion, she launched the spell toward the Golem, aiming square on its head. 

-Critical Hit!

-15,212 DMG

The fireball hit with explosive force, engulfing the golem in a brilliant flash of heat and flame.

"Ignite!" Elyse quickly followed up with another spell from her collection of fire spells, intensifying the fire damage already inflicted by Odin's Inferno's Embrace. Still, Odin uses his Soul Slash to complement Elyse's damage.

[Critical hit!]

[You have dealt 11,291 damage to the target.]

The Guardian's HP dropped rapidly, from 90% to 65% in seconds, as the combined onslaught from Odin, Malfurion, and Elyse overwhelmed its defenses.

However, the damage the Guardian was taking paused as it began charging with mana. Its Golem Core was intensifying with blue mana with each passing second. 

Odin continued to push his advantage, and with an Infernal Flurry, he had already set up four stacks of 'Searing Flames' while the Guardian was left with 58% HP.

Then, out of nowhere, Odin, who was in melee range, got blasted away by an Arcane Shockwave. 

[You have suffered 3,883 damage from the ability 'Arcane Shockwave']

Its massive iron frame shuddered as mana surged violently through its circuits, the arcane runes across its chest flaring with an unnatural blue light. 

The air, thick with heat from Odin's relentless barrage of flames, grew even more oppressive as the Guardian's power amplified.

Without giving Odin a read, it raised its right arm high, the limb crackling with unstable mana. 

The energy gathered in its arm was volatile, barely contained as it flickered and pulsed. Then, with a thunderous crash, the Guardian slammed its arm into the ground. The shockwave rippled outward, causing cracks to spiderweb through the stone floor beneath it.

[You have suffered 5,083 damage from the ability 'Mana Overload']

Odin coughed up blood as the shockwave rattled him well, reaching a red zone of his HP gauge that he had to alleviate using an Advanced Healing Potion.

From the point of impact, an unstable zone of raw, chaotic energy expanded outward, surging with erratic pulses. The zone radiated a sickly blue hue, distorting the space around it like a heatwave. 

Sparks of arcane magic crackled in the air, the ground sizzling wherever the pulsating energy touched. Anyone standing too close would be caught in the blast, overwhelmed by its unrelenting mana surges.

When the Guardian sent the second shockwave, he leaped backward, his body moving in a blur as he narrowly avoided the expanding energy zone. 

His eyes, glowing with the same molten amber light as the flames swirling around him, locked onto the Guardian's every movement.

"Get out of the range of the Mana Overload and Arcane Shockwave. It's fine even if you don't deal with DPS."

He landed a reasonable distance away, his feet barely touching the ground, before repositioning himself for the next assault.

"No, no, no!" Elyse reacted surprised, her amber eyes wide with alarm. "I'm running low on mana… Was I hit by the effect of the Mana Drain Field??"

"Elyse, focus!" Odin commanded, his tone sharp but clear. "Move at least 10 meters from the Guardian, and focus on recovering your MP. Don't lose your head now. I still need you for the final siege." 

His calm voice cut through her panic like a blade, anchoring her in the moment.

Just as Elyse began to steady herself, the Guardian's chest opened, revealing several smaller, glowing cores. The ground beneath them trembled again as arcs of arcane energy lashed out from the openings. 

The Guardian began to hum, being refilled with energy from the surrounding laboratory. Its health quickly recovered to 70%, and its circuits blazed even brighter.

The Boss monster instantly activated another ability as the chamber filled with a deep, resonant groan.

This ability was the 'Golem Summon' as four Iron Golems were summoned to the battlefield. The hulking figures emerged from the walls, their frames smaller than the main Golem, but it was visibly apparent that they were Iron Golems and in a (Elite) version.

Odin could only grit his teeth, feeling like a movie spectator who had spoilers to what scenes might happen in future sequences, as he was aware of the Guardian's skills thanks to his Sovereign Insight, but he couldn't entirely stop the monster in its tracks.

'What the fuck is this… Suddenly, the encounter got way harder than I expected. Tsk, this is why I fucking hate Boss Monsters.'

'Busted trash blessed by the S.A Group to wipe players and have us spend more money on their game.'