Chapter 22: Decapitation Tactics - Part 1

As soon as the six-person assault team, led by Morin, stormed into the battlefield, their presence was immediately detected by the enemy.

Undead Wizard Dilo, the towering skeletal sorcerer draped in tattered black robes, turned his glowing red eyes toward them, a sinister grin stretching across his bony face.

"Ologa! Tear them apart!!!" he bellowed.

At his command, the Bone Dragon Ologa, which had been lying dormant like an eerie statue in the battlefield, suddenly stirred. Its massive skeletal frame, adorned with obsidian-like scales, groaned as it rose, and its crystal-like skull tilted slightly.

Then—

"ROOOAAARRR!!!"

The air vibrated with the dragon's thunderous roar, sending an unnatural chill down Morin's spine. Almost immediately, he felt an odd pressure enveloping the battlefield—a system-based attribute check.

Morin barely had time to process this before Ologa unfurled its massive wings and shot into the sky like a missile. Within seconds, it was hundreds of meters above them, circling ominously, its hollow eyes scanning the battlefield.

And then, just as suddenly—

"It's diving—SPREAD OUT!" Morin yelled.

He had seen this kind of attack before. It was straight out of every nightmare-inducing high-level raid boss fight he'd ever encountered in SAO.

The others didn't question him. Over time, Morin had built a reputation for making the right calls in boss fights, and nobody wanted to test whether he was wrong this time.

WHOOSH!

A violent windstorm erupted as Ologa plunged toward them. Its jaw gaped open mid-dive, and a terrifying realization hit Morin.

Shit. Breath attack incoming!

A gray-black wave of death spewed from Ologa's maw, searing the ground in a long, unholy torrent. The moment it hit, the area where they had been standing was instantly corroded, leaving behind only a charred, molten crater. Several unfortunate skeleton soldiers caught in the attack were reduced to nothing.

Morin and Asuna, having dodged just in time, exchanged glances. The silent understanding between them was clear:

No one survives that attack.

The problem was—Ologa wasn't done.

"It's still coming—MOVE!" Morin barked.

A deafening crash shook the battlefield as the bone dragon slammed into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the area, throwing debris into the air like an explosion.

Then came the whistling sound—the telltale sign of a massive area attack.

Ologa swung its massive tail and wings, unleashing a devastating sweep aimed at everyone within range.

And as if that wasn't bad enough—

The Undead Wizard Dilo, perched atop Ologa's back, raised his bone staff. Six eerie black skeleton phantoms materialized and rushed toward them!

Morin didn't hesitate. He pulled a light-golden crystal from his inventory and crushed it instantly.

System Message:

→ You have used a Sacred Amulet!

→ Holy attribute damage increased. Status ailments purified. HP & MP recovery boosted.

Sacred Amulets weren't easy to come by. If Morin's guild, Star Flame, hadn't been one of the strongest, he wouldn't have had such a rare item in his inventory. But now wasn't the time to be stingy.

The moment the black skeleton phantoms reached him, new system prompts popped up:

→ You are being targeted by a Panic Spell!

→ Multiple status checks incoming… Failure results in loss of control for 3 to 10 seconds. Defense significantly reduced.

→ Sacred Amulet effect activated! Panic Spell nullified!

Morin exhaled in relief, barely stopping himself from blurting, "Screw you!"

Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky.

A loud crash rang out as the black bone dragon's tail slammed into the battlefield, sending three of their elite teammates flying like ragdolls. Their health bars nosedived in an instant.

"Watch out for the Necromancer's control spells!" Morin shouted.

The timing of Dilo's spells was too perfect, syncing flawlessly with Ologa's attacks. If Morin hadn't reacted immediately, he would've been caught in it too.

Asuna and another elite player managed to avoid the Panic Spell's effects using their own special skills. But the other three weren't as lucky—they were left frozen in place, completely helpless as Ologa's attack slammed them aside like bowling pins.

If Morin and Asuna hadn't intercepted the follow-up, those three might've been dead already.

"Asuna! You and the others focus on the Necromancer! We'll handle this damn dragon!"

Morin barely managed to block Ologa's next attack, but the sheer force numbed his arms. He knew this wasn't sustainable.

In any MMO, killing the healer first was rule number one—and in this case, Dilo was the ultimate support unit.

The problem?

Between Dilo's never-ending army of undead and Ologa's brutal defense and attack power, this boss fight was a complete nightmare.

Even Asuna, using her signature rapier sword skills, had barely chipped away at Ologa's first health bar. And the damn thing had six of them.

The only logical move was to take out Dilo first—and fast.

"Got it!" Asuna's determined voice cut through the chaos.

With effortless grace, she dashed forward, dodging debris and undead minions. Then—

With a quick jump, she landed on Ologa's massive back.

Despite the wild movements of the dragon, Asuna's footwork remained flawless, as if she were walking across a stable platform. Her target was clear—

The Necromancer sitting smugly on the dragon's back.

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