13 Book 3 Chapter 9

A bright light lit up the room as if welcoming the arrival of its master. The field boss was over ten feet tall and weighed more than a tank. Three giant spider-like legs propped it up, their ends sharper than knives. The upper half of its body could rotate separately from the bottom while three red hexagonal energy shields protected it, leaving few gaps. Most terrifying of all, the boss had six guns attached to it, all of them energy-based: two miniguns, two plasma beams, and two shotguns.

"And here I thought the quest was too easy," Cheslov whistled when he saw the robot.

Ebba swiftly used her high level inspect skill and reported. "It has two phases, all of its weapons have unlimited ammo, and-"

A deep thrum cut her off, followed by a thick beam of red energy that ripped through the air. It arrived quickly and without warning.

Ebba was filled with regret as the red light encompassed her. There was still a promise she had yet to fulfill. Even now, the corpses of her family rested in her inventory, lifeless, and cold. When her flesh began to melt like snow under the sun, a towering figure appeared in front of her.

Jason put the full weight of his body behind his shield, but even then, the plasma beam pushed him back. It destroyed his energy shield in the blink of an eye. Tank let out an anxious squeak as she cast Bulwark around Jason, the barrier now able to absorb over two thousand damage, while at the same time using Rejuvenating Waters on Ebba.

"Spread out!" Shenlong commanded as soon as he reacted. It was a meaningless order; everyone already understood that splitting up was the best option.

Intense heat washed over Jason, the destructive power of the plasma beam astonishing him. It came at the speed of light and deals over four thousand damage per second! Does it have no weaknesses? Even including his defensive skills and equipment, Jason would die in four seconds under the beam. Thankfully, after a second, his companions no longer stood behind him. Jason used Burst to escape the beam, his eyes locked onto the boss. The plasma beam tried to keep up with him, but it was far too slow.

"The beam can't move well!" Jason shouted as soon as he saw this.

The boss activated the rest of its weapons, hundreds of beams blasting out. Each shotgun shot a hundred small orbs, while the miniguns unleashed an endless barrage. The other plasma beam turned on, its target Olivia.

The boss was a mobile fortress as it attacked in all directions. It was a beautiful display of light, like something you'd see at an art festival. Only when you saw the steel walls slowly melt into liquid would you realize this was no light show. This was a terrifying weapon of destruction.

Lightning covered Peter's body; his speed surpassing everyone. This skill was the most reliable one he possessed, purchased from the tournament's reward shop. After six months, it's level was much higher than before.

Lightning Shroud - Level 4 - Apprentice

Consume 25% mana to become the embodiment of lightning for 1 minute.

+100% Agility

+50% Reaction speed.

+Attacks have a chance to stun targets for .1 seconds.

+You are no longer affected by air resistance.

15-minute cooldown.

The ability was classified as a berserk skill, and only a handful of ascenders had them. They were extremely rare as they could turn the tides of a battle. Among Jason's party, only Eboni, Zhen Hu, and Peter had them.

The boss's shotgun fired at Peter when he charged forward. A hundred energy orbs closed in, the gap between each one no more than an inch. Peter's eyes flickered with lightning as he sped up. His katana struck out, deflecting over twenty orbs. In the next moment, Peter was at the robot's feet. He jumped up, his katana the embodiment of a lightning bolt. Flash after flash struck the robot's body, its health falling at an astonishing rate.

In response, the boss focused on Peter. Both miniguns and a shotgun forced him back, but even that wasn't enough to wound him. Though he could no longer attack, he significantly reduced the pressure on his allies.

Eboni pounced forward, her massive body slamming into the red energy shield. Cracks spread across the barrier as she swiped and bit with wild abandon.

Miraculously, Zhen Hu flew in the air. His berserk skill was similar to Peter's in that it focused on speed, although the element was wind, not lightning. Zhen Hu flew around the boss from a distance, wind coiling around his arms. The physical strength of his body infused into the air around him. With every punch, wind blasted towards the boss, leaving cuts across its body.

Olivia's shadow clones wrapped around the boss's legs and squeezed, slowing it. Sharp tendrils rose from the shadows and slashed relentlessly.

Amara bombarded the boss from afar, her damage shockingly high. With the boss focused on Jason and Peter, she was able to unleash the terrifying firepower of a mage.

Underneath the robot, Shenlong's spear stabbed out. He followed the boss as it moved, targeting the same spot every time, a joint between its leg and body. The dexterity required to accomplish this was extraordinary. To attack the same spot hundreds of times while the boss was moving was no easy feat.

Not long after, the moment he was waiting for arrived. The metal joint broke off, leaving the only remaining connection a handful of wires.

"Leave it to me!" Cheslov appeared at Shenlong's side. He planted his foot on the ground and swung his warhammer with both hands, sending the boss's leg flying. The tip of the leg embedded itself a foot into the ceiling.

The boss groaned as it fell over, no longer able to support itself. Even better, it crushed a minigun and plasma beam underneath the weight of its body.

The difficulty of the fight dropped drastically. Now that they didn't have to pay as much attention to defense, the damage the boss took skyrocketed. Soon, its health fell to twenty percent.

"Phase two, incoming!" Ebba warned from behind her abomination.

Everyone backed off, caution long since baked into their very being. A phase change was always a serious matter, even more so on a new monster.

The boss deactivated its weapons and shields as hundreds of holes opened up all over its body.

"Seriously?" Roy gasped from behind Ebba's abomination, a thought forming in his head.

Small barrels, no larger than a finger, sprouted out from the holes. Thousands of energy beams shot out in every direction, leaving hardly any room to dodge.

Shenlong instantly deduced what the best decision to make was. "Form up behind the abomination! We charge as one!"

An abomination was a meatshield. It might be the slowest undead to exist, but it more than made up for it with its health pool. By using the abomination as cover, Jason and his companions slowly approached the boss. Unfortunately, while Tank's Rejuvenating Water's healing was percentage-based, the abomination was an undead. Healing spells would only wound it.

By the time they were next to the boss, the abomination had dispersed into light. Jason took over, trying to absorb as much damage as possible. Shenlong and Peter both excelled in swift attacks, so they cut down as many beams as they could. With all three working together, the pressure the rest of the team faced was nearly nonexistent.

In a short while, the boss let out a mechanical groan before disappearing in a flash of light. Loot littered the floor, an amount equivalent to a raid boss.

"We got a jackpot!" Roy shouted with glee.