Helion the Pulse Tyrant

I stepped slowly into the Reactor Chamber.

The moment I entered, the floor’s boss awakened. It looked like a massive iron sphere, cables running out from its body and connecting to every corner of the Reactor Chamber.

A notification popped up:

[FLOOR 2 BOSS HAS APPEARED!]

[YOU ARE NOW FIGHTING A BOSS!]

《HELION, THE PULSE OF CALAMITY》

[BOSS LEVEL 4]

I saw it had four full HP bars. Just as I expected, its level had increased. I needed to be careful.

I drawing my sword, [Earth Divider] and dashed toward the boss.

Helion powered up its cables, draining energy from every reactor in the room before launching its first attack. A massive surge of electricity burst from its body, sending waves of current across the floor.

I jumped over the attack and kept running toward it. Lasers fired from its main body, but I dodged every one of them. I was a little surprised, it was still using the same attack pattern.

It fired a massive laser at any player who avoided its initial strikes. Normally, this was fatal.
That was why a raid party for this boss needed both restorers and anchors to support the damage dealers.

But that didn’t apply to me. I had defeated this monster more times than anyone else.

Back during the first raids on Floor 2, I learned that Helion dropped a rare weapon, a sword that boosted the power of EtherCode Volta: [CircuitCleaver], one of the blades I now carried.

I was obsessed with maximizing my Volta power. That obsession led me to defeat Helion over sixty times. It took me three whole months of constantly hunting the boss, killing it every time it respawned.

I remember players back then calling me insane for my Helion obsession. But I didn’t care. I only cared about getting stronger. In the end, I obtained the [CircuitCleaver], and my power skyrocketed. It even allowed me to clear Floor 5 for the first time.

Those countless battles had burned Helion’s attack patterns into my memory. I was confident I could defeat it easily now.

I slashed at it, but its main body was protected by thick, massive cables, which it used as shields.
I remembered the fastest way to bring it down: cut all the cables first, then strike the exposed main body.

Without wasting time, I swung my sword.

SLASH!

“Fifteen left… I’ll finish this quickly!”

Activating [Volta Slash 5X], I sliced through ten more cables in a single move.

I already knew what would happen next.
“It’s time for that…”

Helion began sprouting new cables, turning them into whips. This was its second phase, triggered when its HP dropped to half. The whips crackled with electricity, striking from every direction.

I smirked. “I already know your moves, bastard.”

“Left, right, down, right, right, left, up, up, down, up, left, left, down, right, up, up, left, right, up, down, down, left, right, down, up, up, down, up, left, left, down, down, right, right, left, down.”

I muttered the full dodge sequence aloud as I evaded every strike. Thanks to that, I closed in on its main body.

Helion prepared to fire its primary laser. Just before it fired, I brought my sword down first.

“Weapon skill, [EtherCode: Terra, Quake Slash!]”

A heavy downward swing infused with Terra EtherCode from [Earth Divider] sent a shockwave ripping through the floor, knocking Helion backward.

BAM!

Its HP dropped to just one bar, the attack dealing massive damage.

I moved in for the kill, but suddenly, Helion roared and released an immense surge of electricity from deep within its core.

“What is it doing?”

This wasn’t what I had predicted. It got back up and came at me again.

I returned to my dodge pattern, but—

THUD!

One of its cables hit me, sending me flying. The blow wasn’t fatal, but it stunned me.

“The pattern… changed…”

“Damn it, it’s evolving!”

Its attacks were now completely random. I couldn’t predict them. I was forced to keep dodging nonstop.

Normally, I’d have finished it by now, but the new cable whips were dangerous. They inflicted heavy physical damage. Even at level 8, taking too many of those hits would be bad.

Then I saw its next move—

BZZZTTTT!

The electrical output intensified. It was clearly preparing something else.

In seconds, it combined the cable whips with multiple laser launchers, five in total.

“Damn… this is trouble.”

The fight’s intensity spiked, and I was being pushed back.

Damn it, this is only Floor 2.

What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I win as easily as before?

Have I gotten weaker?

Or is this Nightmare level just that hard?

If I keep struggling like this, how will I ever defeat the Floor 10 boss?

DAMN IT! THINK, KYOUYA!!!

My thoughts were a mess, until I suddenly remembered a moment with Ayane.

…

She had once accompanied me in fighting the Floor 2 boss. Even though I knew its patterns, on my new account I was only level 2 and had no strong equipment.

I struggled just to reach this floor. But thanks to Ayane’s help, I made it to the Reactor Chamber where Helion was.

We went in planning to fight it with just the two of us. I hesitated, but Ayane encouraged me. She said it was the fastest way for me to level up.

“But how can I defeat this boss? Can you tell me how you beat it?” I asked, pretending I didn’t know. I just wanted to hear her answer.

“Eh, me? Hmm… Just break through and attack with full power!” she replied with bright, eager eyes.

It was funny. Only she could say that with confidence, she had the strongest firepower in the game.

“Ah, I don’t think I could ever be like you, haha.”

Then she suddenly placed her hand on my shoulder.

“That’s not true, Kyou! I used to be weak, just like you… but I became strong. You don’t need to be strong like me. Don’t copy me. Be strong in your own way...I know you can do it.”

Her words felt strangely familiar, like I’d heard them before… but I couldn’t remember when, where, or from whom.

I could only smile and nod.

In the end, I defeated Helion, with Ayane only helping a little. 

It was a moment I could never forget. Playing with her made me enjoy the game again.

…

Thinking back to that made me realize something...I was overthinking this fight.

I was afraid of dying before I could save Ayane. Afraid I wouldn’t get to see her again… or tell her how I felt.

I smiled and stopped dodging. 

“I’ll borrow your way, Ayane… I will break through and attack with everything I have!”

...

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