3 Boss and thoughts

[New Quest: Slay the Mutant Zombie.

Rewards: Mutant Boss Head, ???]

Ender's footsteps echoed through the ruined streets as he steadily made his way toward the heart of the post-apocalyptic city; the setting for the boss floor was too realistic. The remnants of collapsed buildings loomed like broken teeth against a dim, overcast sky. Faint whispers of wind carried the distant sounds of collapsing debris and the occasional groan of something far more menacing. He knew he was close—the oppressive, heavy air grew thicker, charged with the sense of impending danger.

The Mutant Zombie, the boss of this floor, stood ahead in the middle of a decimated plaza. It loomed massive and grotesque, its hulking form covered in ragged, rotting flesh. The grotesque hybrid of Hulk-like strength and zombie-like decay had a gaping, slavering maw that dripped with some unidentifiable, putrid substance. It looked as if it was chewing on something, a trap made by Ender and his friends to troll some unfortunate players.

Ender slowed his pace, his heightened senses keenly attuned to every shift in the environment. The tension in the air was palpable, but he resisted the impulse to attack.

He quickly recalled the abilities of the Mutant Zombie -

[Decay Aura: An aura of decay that slightly damages any living creature within a close radius. This aura also weakens the durability of weapons and armor over time, making it hard to maintain equipment.]

[Rotten Vengeance: Upon being killed, there is a chance it will explode, releasing a burst of toxic gas. This poison lingers, causing damage over time to anyone caught within its range.]

[Super Strength: Each punch could deal massive damage, capable of breaking through moderate items (like stone or concrete).]

[Summoning Minions: Summon regular zombies or husks around it periodically to swarm the player, making it hard to attack directly.]

[Healing Regeneration: Mutant Zombies might slowly regenerate health, so you'd need to deal a lot of damage quickly or find a way to weaken its healing abilities.]

[Ground Slam: When it jumps and lands, it could create a shockwave that knocks back players and can break high-durability items.]

[Projectile Immunity: Being so powerful, it could be immune to arrows and ranged attacks, making the player rely on melee tactics.]

[The roar of Fear: Emit a terrifying roar that causes nearby animals to flee and applies a temporary Slowness or Weakness effect on players.]

[Multi-Stage Fight: When its health drops below certain levels, the Mutant Zombie could enter different phases, each with new abilities (like going berserk, healing itself, or summoning stronger minions).]

The battle wouldn't start until the boss was ready, and Ender wasn't going to fall into a predictable pattern. He knew attacking first would be disastrous. There was a curse to that, the [Bad Omen], an attack on the Mutant Zombie would trigger a spawn of its clones. While the clones were weaker—only 30% of the original's strength—they flooded the battlefield, raising the difficulty exponentially. The real challenge wasn't the Mutant Zombie alone, but the chaos of dealing with dozens of lesser, yet still formidable, copies.

Ender quickly cast [Blessing of Fortitude] over himself to negate the debuffs.

He crouched, watching the massive creature with an unwavering focus, waiting for the exact moment to act. Every instinct told him to move, to strike, but he knew patience would win this fight.

Then, just as he expected, the Mutant Zombie froze mid-chew. Its head tilted slightly, as though sensing something in the air, and the hairs on the back of Ender's neck prickled. The ground beneath him vibrated with an ominous energy. He didn't hesitate for a second. The [Ender Blink] ability was instantaneous, and in a heartbeat, he was gone, teleporting to a distant vantage point far from the Mutant Zombie's immediate range.

No sooner had he reappeared than the ground where he'd just been standing shattered with a terrifying force. The Mutant Zombie, moving faster than Ender could have predicted, landed with a thunderous impact. The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ground like a small earthquake, sending debris flying in every direction. The city's already crumbling infrastructure groaned in protest, and the tremors rattled the very air around him.

Ender gulped, watching as the shockwaves dissipated. His decision to teleport had been the right one. There was no way he could have blocked that. The boss was far too powerful, and the chances of surviving a direct hit were slim to none. The Mutant Zombie's speed and power exceeded all expectations. Ender's enhanced senses had barely registered the creature's movement before it was upon him, and even with the power of [Ender Blink], the close call left his heart racing.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. This battle was far from over. It was just beginning. But now, he had the advantage of distance and time to plan his next move. His mind raced as he analyzed the situation, knowing that the real challenge was yet to begin.

With a swift gesture, Ender summoned [Dark Mist], which billowed out and slowed the boss's movements. Then, he cast [Holy Light], flooding the area in a blinding radiance that caused the boss to roar in anger, thrashing its massive limbs wildly in the confusion. Seizing the opportunity, Ender teleported above the creature, executing [Ethereal Strike] and [Radiant Cleave] in a single, fluid motion. His blade cleaved through the giant from head to toe in a brilliant arc, leaving behind a smoldering line where the holy light seared its decaying flesh.

The boss split into two, its insides singed and oozing from the sacred burn. It was a gruesome sight, but thanks to his [Undead Slayer] title, Ender was spared from the stench.

He landed smoothly, feeling a surge of triumph as he took in the scene. He'd defeated the boss faster than expected, almost too easily. But before he could celebrate—

*BOOM*

The corpse of the Mutant Zombie erupted in an explosion of gore and toxic fumes. Ender was blasted backward, landing hard. His armor absorbed the brunt of the blast, leaving him unharmed, but as he looked down at himself, covered in grotesque remnants, he grimaced.

"Great. This is going to be a pain to clean up," he muttered, brushing off the bits of gore with a deep sense of irritation.

[Quest Completeted!

Rewards: Mutant Zombie Head, Undead Slayer+Bone Breaker+ Zombie Killer< (Evolved) Undead Conqueror.

Bonus Reward: Multi-Stage Fight Ability.]

However, his mood improved when he saw the rewards even more after seeing the bonus reward: "Now I have my minor plot armor." He says happily "unless I get one-shotted."

[Title: Undead Conqueror]

[Damage Boost: Deals an additional 30% damage to all undead types, including zombies, skeletons, and any other necromantic creatures.]

[Enhanced Break: Attacks have a 35% chance to shatter skeletal creatures (like skeletons and wither skeletons) into pieces, instantly defeating lower-level ones. Higher-level undead takes bonus damage from critical hits. Allows you to locate weak points in someone's skeleton with a 50% chance of breaking their bones.]

[Armor Bane: Deals extra damage to armored enemies, 10% chance of ignoring the armor.]

[Aura of Dread: Weak or lower-level undead (like regular zombies, skeletons, and weak variants) have a chance to avoid attacking the bearer altogether, becoming hesitant, or even retreating. This effect doesn't work on boss-level undead or intelligent undead creatures but reduces their aggression slightly.]

[Fear Resistance: The bearer is immune to fear or intimidation effects from any undead or dark magic, and they are resistant to necrotic curses or mind-control attempts from any sources.]

[Stamina Boost: In battles against undead creatures, the bearer gains a boost to stamina and health regeneration, recovering health passively by a small amount over time when facing dark creatures.]

[Curse Reversal: When afflicted by a curse from an undead foe, there is a 25% chance that the curse will backfire on the enemy, dealing damage or confusion.]

[Necrotic Bond: Allows the bearer to gain a brief boost in attack power and defense each time an undead creature within a certain radius is defeated (stacks up to 3 times and lasts 15 seconds).]

Satisfied with his progress Ender went out of the Dungeon XP Farm and went to his fortress.

(Fortress)

Ender leaned back, his muscles finally releasing all the tension from days of battling mobs, mining resources, and relentless crafting. The hot spring, surrounded by carefully placed stones and a gentle steam rising from the water, felt like a hidden sanctuary he had carved out just for himself in this endless, often lonely Minecraft world.

"Who would have thought making a hot spring for decoration would benefit me this much?" he muttered blissfully, sinking deeper until the warm water lapped just below his chin. The heat seemed to seep into his skin, washing away aches he hadn't even realized was there. With each passing moment, his body felt lighter, as if the hot spring was drawing out exhaustion and weariness, leaving only calm and contentment.

He looked around, admiring the subtle beauty of his surroundings. The natural stone platform he had crafted blended perfectly with the water, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a Japanese onsen, secluded and peaceful. It wasn't just the water that felt healing; the whole setting felt like a reward—a place to pause and reflect on everything he had accomplished.

"This healing effect… man, it makes all the grinding worth it," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. The warmth and serenity made him feel a rare sense of gratitude, almost as if the hot spring was a gift from the world itself. Here, in the heart of his creation.

As Ender leaned back, feeling the warmth of the spring wrap around him like a comforting blanket, his thoughts drifted to his previous world—the world he hadn't seen in so long, a place that now felt almost dreamlike. He had known exhaustion, stress, and the daily grind there too, but never had he felt the deep, peaceful stillness that this place gave him. Perhaps it was the spring's effect or perhaps the quiet solitude of this world, but he felt every worry and ache dissolve into the water, leaving only his memories and a deep, unfamiliar calm.

For the first time after transmigrating, he allowed himself to remember his friends. Faces flickered through his mind, each one stirring a bittersweet pang of nostalgia. He thought of their laughter, of the times they spent gaming late into the night, competing, or just goofing off together. The camaraderie, the little in-jokes only they would understand, and even the quiet moments where just being there together had been enough. Here, surrounded by the tranquil stone and gentle steam, he could almost hear them, like distant echoes from a past life.

A wistful smile crossed his face, yet it was shadowed by a growing ache. He wondered what his friends were doing now. Were they playing games without him? Had they noticed his absence, or had he simply faded into the background of their lives? The thought was a lonely one, yet it carried with it a tinge of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way back to them someday.

"Could I… go back?" he murmured to himself, voice barely louder than a whisper, lost in the soft trickle of water. The idea lingered in his mind, hovering between hope and doubt. He didn't know if this world would ever let him leave, or if it even could. But for now, he took solace in the fact that he still remembered them, that he could still feel the pull of the life he'd left behind.

Though only a day had passed since he'd left his own world, the weight of time felt immeasurably longer here. It was as if each hour stretched endlessly, marked only by the quiet presence of animals wandering by and the relentless, hostile mobs lurking in the shadows. He was a stranger in a place that offered survival, yes, but not the warmth of human connection, not the laughter or companionship that had once been constants in his life. The lack of company pressed on him, intensifying the isolation and leaving him with only his own thoughts as company.

Sinking deeper into the warmth of the spring, Ender's mind began to drift toward new plans, ideas that stirred excitement and broke through the quiet. He was already envisioning his next move—a journey to the Marvel world. The idea filled him with a renewed sense of purpose, and he couldn't help but smirk at the possibilities. There, he thought, he might find something more than just mobs and animals. He could meet extraordinary people, perhaps even bring some back here, guiding them to be villagers, allies, maybe even companions in this vast world of his.

"Who knows," he murmured, a faint glint in his eye. "Maybe a few lucky souls will want to join me." He could almost picture it: a small, bustling village with people skilled in both the ordinary and the extraordinary. The thought of seeing familiar, friendly faces, even if they came from another world, sent a thrill through him.

The idea of finding people who could understand, who could share in the challenges and wonders of this world, lifted a weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying. After all, this world offered vast possibilities and powers, but it could be an empty kingdom without others to share in it.

For now, though, he let himself drift back into the warmth of the water, letting his mind settle. There was a sense of calm purpose—he wasn't just waiting anymore. He was preparing. As he closed his eyes, he could feel the faintest spark of hope and excitement flickering beneath the surface, ready to fuel his journey forward.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Ender jolted upright, the calm tranquility that had filled him moments before now vanished in an instant. He stood there, water dripping down his muscular yet lean physique, his expression shifting from serene contemplation to intense realization. It was as if a forgotten spark had been reignited deep within him, burning away every other thought and focusing his mind sharply on a single thought "If animals are alive in this world… my pets should be here too."

His breath quickened as the weight of the revelation settled over him. His pets—his loyal companions, who had shared every adventure and braved every danger alongside him in the Minecraft world—they might be out there, somewhere, waiting for him just as he had been waiting for a familiar face.

Ender's mind raced through memories of each one: his trusty wolf, who would leap into battle at his side without a moment's hesitation; his feline friend, who would purr and sit atop his chests while he worked, keeping creepers at bay with her silent, protective presence; even his horse, with its strong legs and tireless spirit, always carrying him across vast distances without complaint. Each one had been more than just an animal and codes; they had been his family in Minecraft, each adding its unique presence and personality to his otherwise solitary life.

"They've got to be out there…" he murmured, his voice a blend of hope and determination. This world hadn't taken everything from him, he needed to find what was left.