A Blood Veiled Boss

Han signaled them to enter, with Logan taking point, shield raised and feet ready to plant in the ground. The moment they stepped under the stone archway, the lifeless giant Rukvar stirred. Its grey skin flushed red as it roared to the sky, muscles bulging as vitality surged back into its massive frame.

Everyone immediately split apart. Han sprinted forward to draw its attention just momentarily, while Logan triggered his defensive skills. His eyes gleamed faint red, his feet lit with energy, and he shot forward in a straight charge as though being pulled across the ground right towards Han. The instant the boss locked eyes with him, the red glow seemed to transfer, and it roared in fury, turning its full focus onto him.

The boss’s fist came smashing down, aiming to crush Logan where he stood. He planted his shield firmly, bracing against the blow. The impact forced him back several meters, boots tearing through the dirt, but he absorbed the strike and pushed forward again, keeping his eyes locked on the towering foe.

Joseph wasted no time either. At the far edge of the arena, he conjured a concrete pillar beneath himself and Che, raising them just above the eight-meter boss’s head. He expanded the platform to give them space, ensuring they had the height advantage should the monster’s focus shift. Che immediately began chanting and fired her first spells.

Boom!

Her fireball struck the Rukvar’s back, exploding into flames with an intense blast. The beast however, barely flinched, its thick hide only slightly singed. Undeterred, Che unleashed more spells—fire arrows, a torrent of flame, even a crude imitation of Joseph’s condensed fireball. Concentrating her attacks on one spot, she eventually burned through the tough exterior, flames licking the raw flesh beneath.

Meanwhile, Han slashed at its legs, his sword flickering faint blue. He darted around the Rukvar’s feet, constantly moving, and with a precise, dedicated strike behind the knee, he severed nerves that sent the monster crashing down to one knee.

While the others fought with their all Joseph, however, mostly watched, a slight boredom in his eyes. His eyes tracked Logan’s flawless aggression taking skill, noting how unnaturally effective it was. ‘It’s ignoring everyone else—even Han cutting at its tendons. That skill is insanely strong. It does require constant eye contact with the target but still, it’s almost too easy.’

Still, he joined in soon after. He conjured a crude water dome around Logan. Each strike from the giant’s fists burst through the shield, but with every attempt Joseph refined it. After several tries, the system answered.

Rippling Water Barrier (F) – Create a barrier of water around a target which spreads the impact across the whole barrier.

With the skill learned, he immediately shifted. The clumsy, collapsing domes became a smooth, glass-like barrier. Each punch sent ripples across its surface like waves on a pond, dispersing the force before shattering. Logan braced behind his shield, still pushed back, but the barrier took the edge off each devastating blow.

The boss staggered on one knee, blood staining the dirt as it thoughtlessly kept trying to stand. Then, without warning, its body began to change.

The Rukvar’s skin darkened to a furious crimson, veins swelling until they burst, blood spilling across its body and soaking the grass. The blood smothered Che’s flames almost instantly, quenching them before they could dig deeper. It thickened into a slick, gelatinous layer that dulled Han’s blades, forcing him back. The ground beneath turned to mud, each stomp splattering gore across the arena.

Joseph’s instincts screamed at him. ‘Second phase.’

The rampaging Rukvar attacked with greater ferocity. Joseph’s barrier barely had any effect anymore. One savage strike broke through with ease, sending Logan skidding across the bloody earth, shield rattling in his grasp as he impacted an invisible wall.

GROAAAAAAAA!

Having the wind taken out of him after that last impact, the line of sight broke. The monster roared in triumph, its focus snapping to Han. Han narrowly evaded a wild swing, dodging as many of the sharp rocks kicked up in the process, countering with a slash across its wrist at a moment’s opportunity. The shallow wound barely drew more than a trickle of blood.

From above, Che panicked. Flames burst from her staff one after another, desperate to hurt it, but the boiling blood replenished itself faster than she could burn it away. Each spell fizzled out in a hiss of steam.

Joseph watching rolled his eyes and stepped beside her. “Mage 101; don’t waste mana. If your attack’s ineffective, change elements or adapt your current one. Have you seriously never played a video game before? It’s water, it has an advantage over fire.”

Her wild eyes steadied, his calmness spreading. She gritted her teeth, thought quickly, and inspiration struck.

Raising her staff, a spear of translucent mana began to form, its shell spinning around fast, like a drill, greedily pulling in air. Flames roared within the hollow core, building to an intense, caged inferno. Pouring everything she had left into it, she launched the blazing spear.

Han and Logan recognized her intent, drew the Rukvar’s attention. Logan’s glowing eyes forced its focus for a few moments, with Han then luring it into position. The fiery spear struck its chest dead on.

The shell split, and flames exploded inward, tearing through its insides like wildfire. The beast shrieked, clawing at its chest, but the inferno inside couldn’t be smothered by its blood. Steam billowed from its skin as its innards cooked.

Even so, its vitality was monstrous. With rage and pain fueling it, the Rukvar dragged itself forward, smashing the ground, trying to crush anything within reach. Han slashed again, his blade sparking faint lightning as he severed its other knee’s tendons, crippling its movement further.

He looked up, locking eyes with Joseph, and gave a sharp nod.

Joseph had already moved Che further back. He drew his bow, channeling mana and spirit into a Bursting Shot. The arrow hardened, a thin barrier splitting mana and spirit within its core.

The giant Rukvar, fully collapsed, clawed at the ground, roaring through the blood and pain as it ferociously attempted to retaliate. Logan shifted its attention just enough, forcing its head to turn, leaving the neck exposed.

Joseph exhaled, aimed at the glowing weak point, and released.

The arrow pierced clean through the blood veil and hide, embedding deep near the spine. With a thought, he shattered the internal barrier. Mana and spirit mixed violently, detonating with a sharp, brutal explosion.

The Rukvar convulsed. Its roar cut short as its throat and nerves shredded from within. Its eyes dimmed, vitality draining in an instant as the corpse fell heavily to the ground, sinking into the blood-soaked mud.

Silence followed, broken only by ragged breathing.

Joseph lowered his bow with a sigh as Che slumped forward, physically and mentally exhausted, barely standing. Han wiped his blade, blood dripping down his arm from a cut caused by sharp rocks kicked up during its thrashing about. Logan leaned on his shield, drenched head to toe in gore and sweat. Joseph alone looked untouched, his expression calm.

The massive corpse began sinking, absorbed into the arena floor over the next few seconds. System prompts flared before their eyes:

[Congratulations on killing the Giant Elder Rukvar and completing the trial.]
[To leave, please enter the arena and select “Yes.”]

A simple, yet vital set of text soothed all their minds as the air shifted into thankful relief.