Our [Stealth] was still in effect as we cautiously entered the boss room. No signs of movement from the enemy, but the overwhelming sense of foreboding had only grown stronger. It was becoming suffocating, to be honest. We kept scanning our surroundings when, out of nowhere, our [Stealth] vanished prematurely.
"Aw, crap! We've been made," I muttered as I swiftly armed myself with my trusty Versatile Weapon.
Pandora, not missing a beat, gripped her greatsword and replied, "Looks like we don't have a choice, do we?"
The entire room suddenly blazed with light, and the entrance we'd come through erupted in flames.
"Well, it seems like we won't be making a hasty escape," I observed, my back against Pandora's to cover any blind spots, in case the enemy decided to make a surprise entrance.
The sense of dread I felt earlier? It's gotten a whole lot worse, like gravity's turned to mean and wants to squash us flat. The floor's even giving in, showing just how destructive this situation's become.
"Hey, Pandora, you holding up okay?" n(-OVεlbIn
Pandora flashed a quick nod and a half-smile. "Yeah, I'm good. This ain't no biggie for me." She didn't seem bothered at all by the pressure.
Before we knew it, this massive, shadowy figure emerged right in front of us. Its form was all wavy and undefined like it couldn't quite make up its mind about what it wanted to be. But one thing was certain – this dude was responsible for that gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of our stomachs.
----
[Soul Eater]
Level: 500
HP: 30,000,000/30,000,000
MP: ?????/?????
Trait: Dark, Specter, Necromancer
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A Soul Eater... and like the Corrupted Elves, this guy has full question marks on the mana bar too. That is concerning especially since this guy is also a Necromancer. If this guy has a lot of mana then summoning minions wouldn't be a big bother to this guy at all. It would have been fine if this is a ghost but a Specter is the upgraded version of ghosts and the weaknesses of normal ghosts are the resistance of the Specters.
"Do you think you've got what it takes to take on this guy, Pandora?" I asked, my gaze fixed on her.
Pandora smirked and replied, "Well, don't doubt me. I used to be the big shot in my previous party before joining this one."
She waved her hand, summoning golden chains that lunged at the Soul Eater with casual confidence.
We've got no other option here, thanks to the Soul Eater blocking our path, our only way out is to take it down and come out on top. But you know what? I'm not sweating it.
"If you're that sure of yourself, how about we settle this mano-a-mano? Let's see who can deal the most damage between us two. What do you say?" I transformed my Versatile Weapon into its magic sword form and struck a fighting pose.
"Haha, I dig your confidence. But don't assume you'll outshine me just because you've got all those skills up your sleeve. I'm not going down without a fight!"
Pandora unshackled more golden chains and got her massive greatsword ready for action. Watching her abandon her usual stand-and-let-the-[Chains of the Heavens]-handle-it style, it was clear she meant business.
"Heh, if you're going all in, then count me in!"
I set my Versatile Weapon ablaze and leaped into the air, brandishing it to the Soul Eater. While Pandora's attacks were impressive, I'd learned that the Soul Eater, despite its smoky appearance, had a solid, tangible form underneath all that smoke. It was a bona fide monster with a real body. It just seems to be using the smoky appearance to scare its enemies.
FWOOOM!
My blade sliced through the air, erupting into flames that singed the sinister Soul Eater. It was like dishing out a minor scratch, and the big bad creature barely flinched. But hey, no one said this fight was going to be a walk in the park.
The Soul Eater didn't seem too bothered by my attacks, but its health bar was taking a slow nosedive. It's funny how something can look so nonchalant while slowly crumbling on the inside.
I hit the ground and sprung right back up, refusing to let up on the assault. My trusty Versatile Weapon descended upon the Soul Eater once more, and this time, I decided it was time to whip out one of those special moves I'd been neglecting.
"[Eruption]!"
[Eruption] is a Magic Knight's 4th-tier skill that evolved from [Lava Fountain], a 3rd-tier skill that also evolved from [Lava Geyser].
Converting my mana into flames, the moment it landed straight on the boss, the flames turned to liquid and exploded into pieces, causing flames to spread all over the Soul Eater, which, as a result, started inflicting fixed damage at 2-second intervals.
Just as I was ready to unleash my attacks again, a golden chain zoomed into my side and landed directly on the Soul Eater's body, firmly staying there. Then, Pandora came running to the chain with the greatsword she was holding, using only one hand to grip and carry it while her free hand was busy conjuring bright magic.
The Soul Eater wasn't just sitting there, taking our attacks without a care. It let out a deafening roar, and out of nowhere, a bunch of ghostly figures materialized, filling the skies and ground. It was like a ghost invasion. Suddenly, as if they'd all received a memo, these spectral beings made a beeline straight into the Soul Eater's gaping maw, disappearing in one gulp.
In the blink of an eye, all the Health Points we had managed to chip away from the Soul Eater were replenished. It should have been disheartening, but I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Pandora was taken aback by my sudden outburst, but once she witnessed the bizarre spectacle, she couldn't help but grin, her competitive spirit flaring up.
"It seems that the Soul Eater's playing nice today, patching up all the bruises we've given it," I mused, getting ready for another round.
Now I get why they call this guy 'Soul Eater' and why it's tagged as a Necromancer. The reason? Well, it's not summoning its creepy critters to take us down; it's using "True that. More opportunities for us to prove who's the real boss in this showdown," Pandora grinned, her massive sword lighting up like it's had a divine makeover.
The Soul Eater probably expected us to be a bit more shocked by its recovery, but we're just here, cool as cucumbers, not fazed one bit.
Now I get why they call this guy 'Soul Eater' and why it's tagged as a Necromancer. The reason? Well, it's not summoning its creepy critters to take us down; it's using them like a sort of supernatural first aid kit. It's a pretty slick move, I have to admit. But here's the thing: it's also what makes Soul Eater our go-to punching bag.
See, it's not just patching up its wounds with those monster buddies; it's also making sure it sticks around a lot longer. It's got a hefty 30 million health points, which might sound intimidating, but honestly, it's not that big of a deal. We've already chipped away 3 million of those just with some casual hits and a few skills before it patched itself up.
"Hey, Pandora, how about we go all out and not give this guy a chance to recover? What do you think?"
Pandora shrugged, "Ending the match quickly might not be as much fun, you know."
"Hmm, true. But wouldn't it be better to wipe this guy out before it even has a chance to retaliate? It seems more focused on healing itself and keeping us at bay with pressure. We just need to unleash our full power after its attacks," I argued.
"Got it, so we're looking to prevent it from healing while competing to see who can deal the most damage. You do come up with some crazy ideas, don't you? Alright, but no holding back, deal?"
"Haha, why would I hold back? that's no fun. Of course, it's a deal!"
I can feel the Soul Eater shudder but I don't know if it understood what we just said but we don't care. Since it decided to show its power, then we will also do our best as well. We are not here to give mercy to this guy after all.
....
....
....
....
Not too far from the ongoing battle, two figures stood in the shadows, keeping their cool as they observed the clash between the warriors and the colossal soul eater.
"Check this out. Instead of running scared from the Soul Eater, those two are turning it into a competition to see who can deal the most damage. They've figured out that the beast regains health by using its abilities," the person on the left said, a sly grin on their face, their fan discreetly hiding a smirk.
"Brutal, but I can't deny it's effective. Even in our day, we never left monsters suffering endlessly like this. These two don't seem bothered by the pressure the Soul Eater's dishing out," the person on the right remarked, their expression marked with disapproval.
"Could these be the ones we're after?"
"Who's to say? If they are, it's about time. I'm sick of hanging around here indefinitely. At least, they're not elves; otherwise, they'd have joined us already. Once that guy bites the dust, we can finally pack up and leave."