Chapter 116: The Final Gambit

A scream echoed from the Forgotten King while its deformed body changed because the temple's power was fading. The temple's darkness started fading as the shadows diminished to show their cracked stones. The fight continued into an additional phase.

[Final Phase Activated – Defeat the Forgotten King!]

The pounding of her heart did not slow Natasha down as she controlled her breathing. The bleeding status reduced her health points but she chose to ignore both the Bleeding Status and the pain from the monster's attack. She couldn't afford to falter.

Alison moved ahead while his blade released a high-pitched resonance. "We finish this now."

Dren produced another cracking sound with his knuckles and his flame intensity increased. We should unleash our total power against it.

The Forgotten King roared with fury as its enormous body convulsed while trying to fight off its recovery. The red glyphs which covered its chest discharged violent bursts that seemed to work against its power restoration.

[Warning! Boss Monster Initiating Core Restoration!]

Natasha's eyes widened. It's trying to regenerate!

"We have to destroy those glyphs before it fully recovers!" Ira shouted.

Eldric had already begun casting. "I'll weaken its defenses—get ready!"

When Eldric completed his casting the air emitted golden runes before they wrapped around him. A sudden wave of restraining chains flew toward the Forgotten King to encircle his body.

[Enemy Restraint Applied – Movement Speed Decreased by 50% for 10 seconds!]

"Now's our chance!" Alison rushed forward using his ultimate skill which made his sword glow with bright silver light.

[Skill Activated: Celestial Severance!]

The monster's chest became exposed to an explosive arc of energy which struck the active glyphs. The temple experienced powerful shockwaves because of the impact which caused the beast's magical bonds to visibly disintegrate.

[-5,000 HP]

The enemy defense system experiences a major reduction because of Core integrity weakness.

As the Forgotten King screamed from its pain its ghostly figure started to malfunction while parts of its shadowy body displayed the symptoms of a failing program.

Before the strike Natasha pulled a deep breath and tightened her hold on her sword. She had one shot at this.

[Skill Activated: Phantom Strike!]

The creature lost sight of Natasha when she disappeared and she popped up behind him. The sword blade went into the middle of the remaining glyphs in a quick correct motion.

CRACK!

The chamber filled with a destructive noise that came from breaking the last remaining glyphs.

The Forgotten King froze.

Time froze as every noise in the chamber disappeared from existence.

Then—

[Final Blow Landed!]

The team earned 100.000 EXP points by defeating the boss monster.

The Forgotten King emitted one last loud scream before its collapsing body vanished. Its dark shape dissolved into thin air and transformed into scattering ashes which drifted through the atmosphere like disappearing flames. The heavy burden which had burdened the group members disappeared while the temple's disquieting gloom faded into an ominous stillness.

[Boss Defeated – Congratulations, Team!]

[Quest Progress: 90% Complete]

[Special Rewards Unlocked!]

For a moment, no one moved. As Natasha recovered from her breathing she stared at the spot where the Forgotten King just stood while her sword continued trembling in her shaking hands. The wound on her side was still hot but the joyous feeling of victory overwhelmed her. They had done it. Their victory defeated the terrifying monster which had tormented them throughout the ruined areas.

Alison maintained a smooth breathing pattern while he inspected the room through narrow eyes. "Is it really over?" His composure remained steady but Natasha sensed his nervousness because he was anticipating another shadowy threat to appear.

Dren moved toward us while his fiery fists displayed traces of heat from the battle. The familiar smile emerged on his face as he told her "I'll be prepared for a second round."

Natasha saw Ira move his gaze from the monster's corpse to meet her eyes. Ira noticed the blood continuing to leak from Natasha's armor through her armor while she spoke softly.

Natasha waved it off. "It's nothing. We're not done yet." She scanned the group members one at a time. "We need to move quickly. The danger for my brother remains active.

[Quest Objective: Rescue Natasha's Brother – Complete! Awaiting Final Stage!]

The system's voice spoke calmly within their thoughts even though the lingering tension created a stark contrast with its measured tone. The temple kept its secrets even though the Forgotten King had been defeated.

Alison spoke to her with a calmer tone while maintaining his sense of haste. "You're right. We have no time to waste." The rare gentleness in his detached manner appeared as his hand softly caressed her shoulder. At that instant Natasha locked eyes with him and she forgot about everything but his presence. Their relationship which emerged through shared hardships including combat and struggle had always existed but now it became indisputable.

They both turned towards Ira as he shouted to break the momentary distraction. "Look at this!"

She knelt beside a stone pedestal while gently touching the ancient stone surface. A hanging sphere emitted strange luminescent beams from inside the pedestal container.

Dren narrowed his eyes while speaking these words "This wasn't present here before."

Ira touched the orb with her fingertips while being careful not to damage it. Upon contact the orb produced a soft resonating noise that filled the space.

[Alert: New Key Item Acquired – The Orb of Eternity]

I completed my mission to extract the Orb from the ruins. Quest Objective Complete.

As soon as Ira extracted the orb completely the temple walls started grinding against one another as though they had just awakened from ages of slumber. The stone structure began to tremble while breaks formed across the walls.

"What's happening?" The tension in her voice grew stronger as her sword grip became tighter.

Quickly stepping back Ira kept the orb safe in her hands. We seem to have set off a reaction but none of us can determine exactly what it is.

A deep reverberation pierced the temple walls while the earth started to tremble beneath their feet. The temple ceiling started to break apart while rocks fell near their feet.

"Move!" Alison barked while his eyes monitored the collapsing ruins.

The members of the group reacted immediately by racing toward the temple's exit. Using his fire-powered fists Dren created a passage through the debris so the group could escape. The orb in Ira's hands shone brightly while she approached behind Dren. Alison and Natasha protected the team as they followed the others.

The approaching group reached the entrance when the earth beneath them collapsed. An infinite darkness revealed itself as the temple floor split open to reveal a vast chasm below. The falling stones and crumbling ruins accelerated their escape from the abyss.

"Go! Go!" During the escape Dren accelerated toward Ira to pull her toward the edge with his hands.

Natasha hurried behind them with her heart pounding. Her leg weakness from bleeding made her struggle to keep moving forward but she refused to halt. Not now.

[Warning: Structural Collapse Imminent!]

The system produced the warning but it arrived when it was already too late. A significant portion of the roof above their position caved in while heavy stones fell in a dangerous descent toward their heads.

"Watch out!" Alison shoved Natasha to safety as she shouted. He took all the debris that fell from the ceiling while making a deep sound from the impact that his body endured.

[-1,200 HP]

"Alison!" Natasha burst into tears while panic overwhelmed her heart.

His body showed obvious signs of exhaustion while he managed to keep himself from collapsing to the floor. He spoke in a nonchalant manner but his eyes revealed the heavy weight he carried.

Another violent rumble struck the ground forcing them to hurry.

"Come on!" Dren called out as he launched himself toward the entrance which was collapsing. Ira moved behind him as she held the orb with both hands while believing it was their lifeline.

The two girls followed her through the path of falling rocks while avoiding the debris. They had made it this far. The group refused to watch everything end when they were standing before the exit.

The group escaped through the exit as the temple fell behind them using their final remaining burst of energy before reaching fresh air. A massive collapse occurred as the ground beneath them shook violently.

They had made it.

The heavy breathing from Natasha interrupted her inspection of her fellow adventurers. Her body suffered greatly while her mind kept spinning but at this instant they had secured their survival. For now.

"We… we did it," she said breathlessly, her voice full of disbelief.

But Ira wasn't celebrating. A serious expression appeared on her face while she observed the orb. "This isn't over. Not yet."

Another pulse from the orb produced an energetic shockwave that penetrated through her body. Something worse awaits us beyond what we already confront. Something worse."

Natasha frowned. The brutal fight against the Forgotten King failed to shake Ira as her words created an intense shiver throughout her body. What was the orb really? And what dangers did it hold?

As she turned to Alison, their eyes locked again, a silent understanding passing between them. They weren't done yet.

And neither was their fight.