Chapter17-Is This Dungeon Difficult?

As Owen stepped into the second level of Pharaoh's Tower, more information about Pharaoh's Tower resurfaced in his mind.

The Sphinx, a gold-tier level 5 guardian BOSS of Pharaoh's Tower, also held a secret—the Order of Thunder.

Eliminating it would grant the key to unseal the Order of Thunder!

This information was extremely secretive; currently, only the original anime protagonist, John, and himself knew about it.

According to the timeline, the three-year promise was nearing, and John would soon come to reclaim the Order of Thunder.

Owen had to act quickly!

If he couldn't get ahead, it might cause unforeseen troubles, and he could miss this opportunity!

After Owen entered the second level of Pharaoh's Tower, the scene before him began to change.

The first thing that came into view was a massive triangular palace.

The walls of the palace were also adorned with various ancient, intricate murals, seemingly recording the past achievements of the pharaoh.

Some areas had faded red powder, and the edges of the murals were decaying and cracked, exuding an aura of antiquity.

In the very center of the great hall stood a gigantic three-story-tall statue.

The Sphinx!

It lay prone on the ground, resplendent as if forged from gold, like the eye of a storm, emanating waves of terrifying pressure that repelled anyone attempting to approach the great hall.

"This... what a terrifying aura, a gold-tier BOSS!"

"And it's a gold-tier level 5 BOSS!"

Suddenly, an exclamation rang out.

Benedict and the others, who were following Owen, had also entered the second level by now.

Upon seeing the Sphinx, they all tensed up, exclaiming in fear.

Even the strongest among them, Benedict, was staring at the Sphinx in horror.

A BOSS of this level was not something they could contend with.

If they stayed here any longer and were noticed by it, they would be doomed!

A gold-tier BOSS was inherently stronger than ordinary spellbeasts and represented the elite among human mages of the corresponding tier.

To deal with such a BOSS, one would need to be an extraordinary genius of the same tier.

Otherwise, only by overwhelming it with higher-tier power and sheer numbers could one have the strength to take it down!

Moreover, the Sphinx was covered in an indestructible golden armor that even gold-tier weapons couldn't scratch!

Leaving was the best option.

"Master Owen, this gold-tier BOSS seems to be sleeping. We should leave quickly. If it wakes up, we might not make it out alive."

Owen lowered his voice, but his expression grew even more serious, radiating determination.

"This Sphinx is indeed powerful," Owen nodded, then said earnestly, "You all should leave here. Leave it to me to handle."

It wasn't that Owen wanted to solo the BOSS, but among the Wolf Guard, only the leader Benedict was a gold-tier mage and could provide some assistance.

The other members of the Wolf Guard were all silver-tier.

If a battle erupted, they could easily be injured or even killed by the aftershocks of the fight.

These Wolf Guard members had been diligent and dedicated along the way, and Owen didn't want anything to happen to them.

Benedict and the others looked at Owen's confident demeanor with astonished eyes. If they hadn't interacted with Owen along the way, they might have thought he was crazy!

Solo a gold-tier level 5 BOSS?

And doing so at silver-tier level 1 himself?

It seemed like a death sentence!

After all, gold-tier was a whole tier higher than silver-tier!

With such a huge tier difference, there was no chance of victory.

Moreover, this was a BOSS!

Its strength far surpassed a gold-tier level 5, closer to that of a gold-tier level 7 mage, who could only barely contend with it, let alone kill it.

Owen facing it would be a certain death!

"Master Owen, we know your strength far exceeds your tier, but..."

Benedict quickly began to persuade.

The other members of the Wolf Guard also chimed in. They had already gained a lot by advancing a level here, and it was best not to be overly ambitious!

"No buts. It's just a gold-tier BOSS. I've undergone a transformative improvement!"

Despite their persuasion, Owen shook his head.

If he hadn't broken through to silver-tier and mastered Obsidify, he might still be cautious.

But now, with the Godslayer Staff and various god-tier talents and skills, he had the strength to face this gold-tier BOSS head-on without hesitation!

He would simply crush it!

With that, the Godslayer Sword appeared in his hand. He took a step forward and charged directly at the Sphinx!

Benedict watched Owen's retreating figure with a pounding heart, fearing for him.

This Sphinx was entirely different from the zombies and specters Owen had encountered before; it was on a completely different level!

"Benedict, what should we do next?" a Wolf Guard asked, trembling as he glanced at the Sphinx, which was beginning to stir and awaken, fear evident in his voice and body.

Benedict furrowed his brow tightly. "I don't know where Master Owen's confidence comes from, but since he insists, we'll have to let him be for now.

When he faces setbacks, he'll naturally know to retreat. Let's be ready to protect him during the retreat."

The other Wolf Guard members nodded and quickly began preparing healing potions and spells to delay the Sphinx.

Roar!

As Owen, holding the Godslayer Sword, charged toward the massive Sphinx, the guardian seemed to sense the intruder's presence.

Its tightly shut eyes suddenly opened, emitting a crimson light like two burning suns, locking onto the approaching Owen.

The Sphinx's massive front paw lifted, causing the ground to shake as if a hill were rising to crush him.

Its sharp claws gleamed coldly, tearing through the air with a whistling sound, creating a suffocating pressure.

A shadow loomed over Owen, completely enveloping him.

The air around him seemed to compress, becoming almost a quagmire, restricting his every movement.

For an ordinary silver-tier mage, or even a gold-tier mage, this claw would be unavoidable, imposing severe constraints.

But mana surged within Owen, and a dark, deep glow quickly flowed over his skin, forming an armor-like cover.

A powerful force coursed through him, dispersing the oppressive aura from the Sphinx's claw. His rapid breathing quickly returned to normal.

Benedict and the others, who were about to take action, were suddenly surprised to see Owen break free from the Sphinx's oppressive aura.

The Sphinx's level was so high that even from a distance, its pressure made them pale, their hands and feet cold with instinctive fear and trepidation.

However, at this moment, Owen showed no fear. Instead, he exuded an aura of extreme fervor.

The awakened Sphinx also didn't expect the tiny ant before it to break free from its oppressive aura.

It hesitated for a moment, feeling a surge of anger at being challenged by such a lowly creature. Its front paw then accelerated towards Owen with even greater speed.

Boom!

As its paw smashed down, the Sphinx suddenly noticed the brilliance of Owen's greatsword increase exponentially.

Without dodging, Owen met the attack head-on, resulting in a chaotic surge of magical energy.

Although the Godslayer Sword Owen wielded was severely restricted, it was still a legendary artifact, incredibly sharp.

Driven by his mana, its blade shone like a bright white light.

The Sphinx's front paw, as heavy as a mountain and seemingly forged from indestructible gold, clashed with Owen's sword.

After a moment of deadlock, Owen was forced to retreat, his feet sliding on the ground and carving two deep black furrows.

Although the Sphinx remained unmoved, the front paw that came into contact with the Godslayer Sword bore a deep white gash several meters long, revealing the white bones beneath its flesh.

The pain from its front paw caused the Sphinx to frown. Its mana surged, and the wound quickly healed.

However, a hint of seriousness appeared on its human-like face, especially as it gazed at the dark golden greatsword in Owen's hand.

With its golden body, even gold-tier weapons couldn't harm it.

Yet Owen, a mere silver-tier level 1, had managed to wound it with his sword!