Chapter 75 The Swordking's Pet

The group stood before a massive set of double doors carved with intricate designs of swords and battles. The mana emanating from the door was thick, causing the air to vibrate faintly.Aria placed her hand on the door with a serious expression. "This is it. According to the runes on the side, this is the access point to the second floor."

"About time," Drask muttered while gripping his axe tightly. "But you know it's never just a simple walk through the door."

"Exactly," Aria replied. "We'll need to defeat whatever boss is guarding the way."

"Great," Gareth before raising his sword. "The sooner we clear this, the better our chances of getting to the lower floors first."

Torin raised his bow with a quiver full of enchanted arrows strapped to his back. "Let's just hope it's not one of those bosses with cheap one-hit-kill mechanics."

"Focus," Viora voiced before adjusting her grip on her staff. "I'll keep everyone alive, but don't make my job harder than it needs to be."

August adjusted his daggers and pulled his hood tighter over his head. "Let's get this over with."

Aria pressed her palm against the door, and with a loud creak, it slowly began to open.

The room beyond was massive, with high vaulted ceilings and a floor of polished stone. Scattered across the room were piles of gold, jewels, and ancient weapons.

But in the center of the room stood a beast that dwarfed them all.

Towering at twice the size of a mammoth, it was covered in thick, dark fur that rippled with its every movement. Its muscular frame exuded raw power, and its crimson eyes locked onto the intruders.

It held a massive sword in one clawed hand that exuded faint magical energy.

[ System Notification: Boss Encounter: Scurry the Ancient Swordking's Pet (Level 18). Beware of its custom abilities. ]

Drask let out a low whistle. "Twice the size of a mammoth and holding a sword? Who thought this was a good idea?"

"It's only level 18," Torin voiced while nocking an arrow. "We can take it."

"Don't underestimate it," Aria warned. "Dungeon bosses always hit harder than their level suggests."

Scurry let out a deafening roar upon noticing the intruders, releasing a sound that reverberated through the room, making the treasures on the floor clink together. With surprising speed for a creature its size, it charged toward the group.

"Spread out!" Aria shouted.

The group scattered as Scurry swung its massive sword in a wide arc, carving through the stone floor like butter with its sword.

August activated Dash to evade just in time as the wind from the swing ruffled his cloak.

"Viora, keep the buffs coming!" Aria yelled as she cast a fireball at Scurry's side.

The explosion scorched its fur, but the beast seemed unfazed.

[ -10 HP ]

"I'm on it!" Viora replied while raising her staff. A warm glow enveloped the group as their stats were temporarily boosted.

[ System Notification: Buff Activated: +25% Defense, +20% Attack Power. ]

Gareth charged in with his shield raised to block Scurry's next attack. The sword came down with a deafening crash, and Gareth grunted as he absorbed the blow. "It's strong as hell! Someone hit it while I've got its attention!"

Torin fired a volley of arrows aimed at Scurry's eyes, but the beast raised its free arm to block. "Damn it, it's smarter than it looks!"

Drask flanked the creature, swinging his axe at its leg. The blade bit into its flesh, drawing a roar of pain from the beast. "It's not invincible! Hit it where it's soft!"

[ - 450 HP ]

August darted in and out of Scurry's blind spots, landing precise strikes with his daggers on its exposed flank.

Each cut seemed to do minimal damage, but he was chipping away at its health bar bit by bit.

[ -150 HP ]

[ - 120 HP ]

[ 200 HP ]

[ System Notification: Scurry's HP: 87%. ]

Scurry reared back on its hind legs and slammed the ground with both its sword and fist, sending shockwaves through the room. The force knocked everyone off their feet.

[ System Notification: Custom Ability Activated - Tremor Smash! ]

[ -400 HP ]

[ - 430HP ]

[ - 500 HP ]

[ -450HP ]

[ - 480 HP ]

"Damn it!" August muttered as he rolled to his feet.

His HP had taken a hit from the shockwave, now sitting at 95%.

"Stay on your feet!" Aria shouted before casting a chain of ice spells to freeze Scurry's legs. Find exclusive stories on empire

The beast roared as frost crept up its limbs, momentarily slowing its movements.

"Now's our chance!" Gareth yelled while rushing in with his sword. He slashed at Scurry's exposed chest, leaving a deep gash with the blow.

[ -350 HP ]

Drask followed suit, carving into the beast's side with a swing of his axe. "It's working! Keep at it!"

[ -420 HP ]

But Scurry wasn't done yet. With a roar, it swung its sword in a full circle, forcing everyone to dive out of the way.

"Watch out!" Viora yelled, quickly casting a healing spell on Gareth, who had taken a glancing hit.

[ System Notification: Healing Activated: +300 HP, +200HP Restored. ]

August narrowly avoided the swing, using Dash, and appeared behind the beast. He stabbed at the back of its knee, causing it to stumble. "It's almost down! Hit it hard!"

At this point, the beast's HP bar had reduced from 15,000 to 4,000.

But the group was running on fumes.

Drask kept taking blows from up front while August repeatedly slashed the beast from behind.

"Keep up the pressure!" August's voice cut through the chaos. "Berserker, keep it distracted!"

"Easier said than done!" Drask grunted upon noticing his HP bar flickered dangerously close to 20%.

Aria lifted her staff as mana swirled around her. "Infernal Flame Barrage!" she chanted, sending a cascade of fiery explosions raining down on Scurry.

Each strike chipped away at its health, reducing it by a few hundred points.

[ System Notification: Scurry HP: 3,200. ]

Torin followed suit, letting a series of enchanted arrows loose. One struck Scurry's shoulder, and another hit its thigh, causing it to stagger.

"Keep firing!" Torin yelled. "We've got this!"

As the beast's HP hit 1,000, it let out an ear-splitting roar that made the ground tremble.

[ System Notification: Scurry has activated Swordking's Fury. All players' HP reduced by 50%. ]

A shockwave erupted from the creature as its massive sword glowed with a dark, ominous light. August felt the impact like a hammer to his chest. His HP bar immediately plummeted to 42%.

"Damn it, that hurt!" Gareth groaned with his shield arm trembling.

"It's gone berserk!" Viora screamed. "I can't heal fast enough!"

Scurry's entire body seemed to radiate an unearthly glow as it entered Frenzy Mode.

[ System Notification: Frenzy Mode: Damage immunity active for 20 seconds. ]

Aria's fireballs and Torin's arrows bounced off the beast, leaving no visible damage. "It's invulnerable!" Aria shouted. "We have to survive until it wears off!"

The beast swung its sword in wide arcs, cleaving the ground and sending massive shockwaves through the room.

Drask barely dodged one swing causing his HP to dip to a perilous 15% after the edge grazed him.

"Keep moving!" August yelled.

He activated Dash to evade an incoming attack causing his body to blur as he repositioned himself behind the beast. "Cleric, we need heals now!"

"I'm trying!" Viora's staff glowed as she cast Holy Restoration.

A warm light enveloped Drask and Gareth, restoring a chunk of their HP.

[ System Notification: Holy Restoration: +25% HP recovered. ]

With only two seconds left on the frenzy timer, Scurry reared back and let out another roar. Its sword gleamed brighter than before.

[ System Notification: Scurry has activated Swordking's Cleave. ] Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The attack was unavoidable, and the massive blade came crashing down. Viora, who had been mid-cast, was hit directly.

She was sent flying across the room, crashing into a pile of gold coins.

Her HP bar dropped to 5%, and her healing stopped temporarily. "I—I can't heal right now!" she gasped.

The beast turned its glowing gaze on Drask, its next target. Drask's HP was already at 10%, and the incoming blow would surely kill him.

"Drask, move!" Aria screamed, casting a frost spell to slow the beast's attack, but it wasn't enough.

The sword came crashing down with a perilous force but before it could reach its target, August activated Dash, appearing in front of Drask.

In a split second, he crossed his daggers to parry the attack.

"Arcane Shield!" he muttered under his breath. A glowing blue barrier appeared around him, absorbing the brunt of the impact.

[ System Notification: Arcane Shield activated. ]

The shield cracked under the immense force, but it held just long enough for the frenzy timer to end.

[ System Notification: Frenzy Mode deactivated. Damage immunity removed. ]

"Hit it now!" August yelled.

Aria unleashed a devastating spell. "Storm Surge!"

A torrent of lightning bolts rained down on Scurry, crackling and surging through its massive frame.

Torin followed with a Piercing Shot, lodging an arrow deep into the beast's eye. Drask, with a roar of his own, charged forward and swung his axe with all his might, cleaving into Scurry's side.

August, still recovering from the earlier parry, activated Dash again and appeared behind the beast.

With a flurry of precise strikes, he targeted its weakened joints.

[ System Notification - Scurry HP: 100. ]

Gareth charged forward with his sword glowing. "This is it!" he yelled and slammed the blade into Scurry's chest.

The beast let out one last roar before collapsing to the ground. Its massive body dissolved into shimmering particles.

[ System Notification: Boss Defeated: Scurry the Swordking's Pet. ]

[ EXP distributed evenly: 12,000. ]

At the far end of the room, the massive door to the second floor creaked open, revealing a staircase descending into the depths.