Duel Against the Fallen Guardian
The Fallen Guardian did not wait for an invitation. The instant Eris moved, it lunged, blade cloaked in dark energy, and stabbed directlyout her heart.
"Damn it—!"
She barely avoided it in time, the charred metal slicing through the air where she had stood only seconds earlier. This cause the mighty swing to rattle out shockwave down the tight hallway knocking and resonating the walls, causing a wind of dust to blow.
System Alert:
New Combat Trial Initiated!
You will have to defeat Fallen Guardian to move along.
Recommended way: Use Shadow Magic against Dark Energy.
"No pressure," Eris thought wryly. She squeezed Leon closer to her, willing herself to focus.
The Fallen Guardian was towering over her, its crimson eyes locked on her. The ancient, rusty robes it wore, however, were an indication of age, while the strength it emanated felt anything but old.
"It's stronger than any of the others," Leon warned. "But it's slow. Use that."
If, slow or not, she got just one clean hit, she was dead.
The Guardian lifted its giant blade one more time, a veil of dark energy lining the edge, and threw it into a wide arc.
"Not today!"
Eris's Shadow Step saved her just in time as she leapt backwards. She phased through the attack, her form going ethereal for a moment before resuming at the Guardian's side.
She didn't waste the opening.
She slashed downwards with a ferocious yell, Leon's blade fizzling with Shadow Magic. The force sent a ripple of dark energy cascading into the Guardian's armor.
CLANG!
The blow landed but rather than slicing through, the Guardian barely twitched. It turned slowly toward her, as if the attack had been no more than an inconvenience.
"Oh, crap—"
The Guardian's gauntleted fist shot out, unexpectedly. She had no time to dodge.
BAM!
The impact knocked Eris backward, crashing her into the wall of the dungeon. A jolt of pain ricocheted through her ribs, and her vision swam for a second.
System Alert:
You have taken 34 HP Damage!
Health Remaining: 72/110
Eris groaned, pushing herself to her feet. "Okay… that hurt."
"Stay on your feet! It's coming!"
The Guardian was already in motion. It raised its sword and prepared to strike down, a devastating slash that would surely bisect her with ease.
She had to act fast.
Instead of jumping back, though, she lunged forward, dipping under the strike just as it bore down on her. The Guardian's blade struck the ground, raking cracks across the stone floor like spider webs.
She was already moving.
Shadow Magic: Dark Vortex!
Dark tendrils of energy spiraled off of her blade as she slashed upwards right at the exposed chest of the Guardian.
BOOM!
The impact sent a ripple of shadow energy cascading through the Guardian's plates of armor. For a moment, the monster buckled, jarring it with its steps.
System Alert:
Critical Hit! Guardian Armor Fallen Integrity: 85%
"Not enough!"
Clenching her teeth, Eris soldiered on. She couldn't let it recover.
She activated Phantom Dash, her movement speed doubled for a few seconds as she ran around the Guardian. She needed an opening. A weak spot.
And there — at the base of its spine, where the armor plates didn't perfectly align.
"Go for the back!" Leon shouted.
Eris didn't hesitate. She sprang onto its back and, twisting Leon's hilt, plunged the blade directly into a gap in its armor.
CRACK!
The Guardian emitted a guttural, mechanical groan and lurched forward, dark mist gushing from the wound.
System Alert:
Armor Integrity: 45%
"Almost there!" Eris shouted.
The Guardian bucked violently, attempting to throw her. She struggled to cling to him, clawed at Leon until she found purchase.
But she didn't anticipate what followed.
The Guardian shook its head and loved its heart.
"Ah—!"
The impact winded her. Losing her grasp, she fell to the ground with a thud, rolling just out of the way of a stomp attack from the Guardian, which left a crater where she had been standing just moments before.
System Alert:
Evasion Successful!
"You okay?! " Leon's voice was filled with concern.
"I'm alive!" Eris shouted back, panting. "Barely!"
The Guardian had turned back to her, but this time she noted something different —
A flow of dark energy poured from the wound in her back. It was weaker now. Slower.
"That's it! Keep attacking the wound!"
Eris grinned despite herself. "Let's end this."
She sprinted ahead, veering left, then right, outsmarting the Guardian's slow-moving bulk. The monster swung blindly, but she was already behind it.
With every ounce of strength she could muster she leapt, wheeling over the Guardian's shoulders, falling straight in behind it.
Then, she thrust Leon directly into the wound, channeling all of her mana into the strike.
"TAKE THIS—DARK REQUIEM!"
Out of the blade poured a torrent of shadow energy, swallowing the Guardian whole.
For a moment, it all slowed.
Then—
BOOM!
It was like a corpse: The Guardian — having released a last death wail — its body gave up the ghost, and the dark energy in its body burst out, exploding in all directions. The walls of the dungeon shuddered with the force of the blast, and then —
Silence.
The Guardian was gone.
System Alert:
Fallen Guardian Defeated!
+1200 EXP Earned!
Level Up! Level 8 → Level 9
New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Strike (Active Skill)
Eris dropped to her knees, panting. She was dripping with sweat, her muscles sore from exertion.
"You did it," Leon exclaimed proudly.
She let out a tired laugh. "Hell yeah, I did."
But before she could even conclude her celebration, another System Notification appeared.
System Alert:
Boss Key Acquired.
You can now challenge the Dungeon Boss.
Eris blinked. "Wait. BOSS?!"
Barely had she processed the words when the stone door at the end of the corridor began to glow, opening ever so slightly—
Unveiling whatever nightmare greeted her on the other side.
She swallowed hard. "...Of course."