Liam’s attacks flowed smoothly at a level which would leave others dizzy. He perfectly bined his skills, ign the boss’s atta order ter his holy mark.
Both fighters had less than a third of their HP bars left, causing an invisible tension to form. Benareg huffed like a monster in the dark. Bixed with violet wafts came out of its nose.
The void energy c through the demon suddenly intensified. Patches of its fur turned violet. Its body straightened, causing it to look down on Liam like an arrogant predator. Sharp, violet spikes broke out of its elbows, spshing blood which vanished into the bck fog.
Liam watched the boss’s transformation, but he remained active. A potion appeared in his hand, and he dow quickly.
[+400!]
“You have doomed me human! I will make you suffer a horrifying fate!”
Suddenly Benareg’s body fshed. Liam couldn’t rely on his eyes anymore, trusting only his instincts hohrough years of bat. He turned his body to the right.
A cw fshed past his shoulder, the surrounding void energy prig his skin.
[Stance -22]
Liam wasn’t granted a break as another cw came from the other side, f a pitack. Caught between a rod a hard pce he urgently drove the mana in his body.
Instantly all his cells were animated.
[Stance -26]
The two cws sliced the air apart, meeting each other. Beared at the sparks remaining in the sky, letting out an angry roar.
Liam abruptly appeared some distance away. He ighe drop of sweat running down his neck. His thoughts moved quickly, trying to find an opportunity.
Suddenly Liam’s eyes lit up as he exged his swords for a fishing rod. Even Benareg shoerplexed look as it turned around.
A fishing line shrough the dark fog, aiming to entas target. It moved mysteriously, looping around the demon multiple times.
“This is your end, human!”
Benareg spoke ominously, its voice sounding hoarse. It inteo make a step towards Liam, but suddenly found itself uo move.
A thin line incredibly ed around its body, blog its movement. Benareg’s muscles bulged but the line didn’t snap.
Liam sighed in relief at the result. He stood with Gabe’s fishing rod in hand, watg the struggling demon. With a thought his [Holy Wave] activated, spreading a wave of holy magic whientarily cleared the bck fog.
“Ahh! Human!”
Benareg shouted helplessly, but Liam felt awkward as well as he couldn’t attack. The fight fell into a lull for a couple of seds.
Liam observed the cooldown of his skills, ting the seds. His greyed-out skills slowly regaiheir oving at a snail’s pace.
Suddenly Liam felt something. The tensio his fishing line, allowing Beain its movements. Its eyes instantly shot wide open, filled with a violet gleam as it vanished from the spot.
The back of Liam’s head tingled. He didn’t dare to dey, instantly throwing his body forward.
[Stance -22]
Notig his dwindling stance Liam was under great pressure. The exge would cost his st bit of stance, after which he wouldn’t be able to dodge anymore.
Realizing his predit Liam decided to trade attack for attack. His body moved nimbly, springing to his feet as the demon vanished again.
Perceiving the attack Liam didn’t dodge but threw out all his skills instantly.
Benareg let out a cry of anguish. It was barely ging to life, saved by its increased resistances gained from its berserk state.
But Liam wasn’t much better off. The cws boosted by void energy dealt more thahousand points of damage. Without drinking a health potion, he would be visiting the graveyard by now.
“I refuse!”
Benareg’s voice was filled with unwillingness. Massive amounts of mana circled through its body like an engiing up. The bck fog ed, rising slowly and mixing with violet void energy.
Gradually the demon’s body disappeared as Liam’s sight was obscured, only leaving him aware of his immediate viity.
The veteran forcefully calmed his mind, paying attention to the fog. Suddenly he noticed a tiny movement to his right.
Liam didn’t doubt his senses, immediately jumping backwards. A split sed ter a violet boar-like creature dashed out of the fog, its tusks dangerous like a battering ram. It rushed past Liam and disappeared into the fog oher side.
A momentary silensued but it was quickly broken by further movement.
Liam pushed his seo the utmost, knowing that getting hit would prove devastating. He sed the fog for movement, dodging before the boars arrived.
Those creatures appeared in quick suggestion like a stampede, but their movements were deadly silent. Liam ighe eeriness of the situation, which aimed to put pressure on the pyer’s mind. He fully focused on the fog, reag to the smallest ges.
Wheera his legs shake from fatigue the fog finally returo normal.
A weakened Benareg was revealed. Liam didn’t give it the ce to prepare any more surprises. He surged forward, swinging his swords crazily.
But it only wo hits before the demon finally let out a despairing roar.
“I curse you, human! All of you! Why did you have to force me… why… force… me… crow…”
Liam watched as the demon colpsed to the ground, expiring its st breath. He himself inhaled boriously. He sat on a roearby, rexing for a few seds.
In the meahe bck fog subsided. Sunlight broke through, warming this part of the forest, life gradually returning. Only the violet energy pying around the demon’s body still gave off a stifling feeling.
[gratutions oing the sub-boss monster ‘Benareg’!]
[Received 730EXP]
[EXP: 3.150/9.300]
[
[Step one: Bring the strange creature you found to Therim Riverbell!]
[Step two: Question the vilgers for clues!]
[Step three: front someog the clues you found!]
[Step four: Bring Odo the huo Therim Riverbell for prote!
OR
Step four: Defeat Benareg.]
[Step Five: Return to Therim to discuss your findings.]
[Aplished achievement: Who is the sub-boss?]
[Received title: Horror of sub-boss monsters]
[Effect: Ignore 10% of the malus caused by levels when fighting a higher leveled sub-boss.]
[Single handedly killing a higher-leveled sub-boss sends ripples through the world. All sub-bosses tremble in fear when hearing your name.]
Liam was surprised for a moment by the many notifications. A smile formed on his face from gaining another achievement.
For now, I might be the only oh this achievement under my belt.
The good mood allowed Liam tet his exhaustioood up again, rummaging through the remains of the hut.
A few seds he pulled out an inspicuous pouch. Turning it over, silver s fell on his hand with a crisp sound.
Ten infernal s. A good harvest.
Satisfied, Liam put the pouch away and approached the boss. Sending out a brief prayer and rubbing his hands he touched the furry body.
A progress bar appeared and ended quickly, sending the loot into his iory.
Is today my lucky day?
Liam almost couldn’t believe it as he looked at the pair of fine bck boots in his hand.
[Flowing lightCategory: Rare
Level requirement: 21
Movement Speed: 12
Physical Defense: 6
Magical Defense: 9
Effect: After dealing holy damage you have a 20% ce of entering an invincible status when making a step. The effect sts for 3 seds. The invincible status sts for 1 seds.
A pair of boots created personally by Enmega. It is woven from the dark linen of the Mahrabk pnt found only on the Deavin ti.]
Liam directly put on his new boots. They fit perfectly as if Enmega created them specifically for his feet. He inwardly thahe instructor who taught him his css.
A smile remained on Liam’s lips as he left the forest behind. Ba the main street he donned his shadow cloak agaiurning to Bobrity. The lively city emitted airely different feel pared to the poor vilges.
Liam strolled through the street, enjoying the atmosphere until he reached Therim’s tower.
Soon, he was ba the mage’s office where Therim was still browsing through a thie.
“Adventurer. You returned. Did you learn something?”
“Yes, sir.”
Fag the kingdom’s guardian, Liam expined what he had seen and heard. He didn’t go into detail, knowing that the NPC would fill the holes as if he watched everything personally.
“A demon was hidden in one of our vilges? Damn it. Who knows hoeople it has harmed.”
“At least it proved useful before its death.”
“Yes, let’s see if we derive something from its words.
The demon was corrupted, meaning it came into tact with the void. Si appeared pa must’ve escaped from the forest, hinting at a frontation with the seven people whht the void dweller’s leg.”
mykrail