August''s Hidden Strike and stealth abilities were useless against Lyriss; as a higher-level assassin, she could detect his movements and evade his attacks effortlessly.
"You''re outmatched, Aleman," she taunted while spinning her daggers in her hands. "But I''ll give you credit. You''vested longer than most."
August activated Dash again, barely escaping her next attack. He noticed Drakos preparing to strike down another yer and knew he had to do something drastic.
He activated his Phantom Splice, creating a clone of himself that mirrored his every move.
"Let''s see how you handle two of me," he muttered before yelling to Lilo, Ezran, Boris, and the rest of the group.
"Scatter now! Get away!"
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He and his clone activated Wind Surge simultaneously, sending twin gusts of powerful wind spiraling toward Drakos and Lyriss as the group fled from the path of the attack.
Thebined force hit them both like a freight train, sending them flying backward.
[System Notification: Aleman has used "Wind Surge." Damage: Drakos HP: -7,200. Lyriss HP: -6,000.]
For the first time, Drakos and Lyriss looked visibly shocked. The sheer force of the attack had taken a chunk of their HP—the first significant damage they''d suffered in this fight.
"The assassin is also a mage?" Orlma said from her position as her calm demeanor faltered for a moment. "Interesting."
Drakos roared as his bloodlust intensified. "You''ll pay for that, boy!"
But August wasn''t done. He stepped forward, raising his voice so everyone could hear. "Everyone, stop! I know we''re all fighting to get to the passageway, but isn''t it clear who the real threat is here?" He pointed at Drakos, Lyriss, and Orlma. "Shouldn''t wee together to defeat the strongest enemies first before we tear each other apart?"
The chaotic battlefield stilled for a moment as yers considered his words. Drakos snarled as his grip tightened on his de. "Cowards. You think you can gang up on us and win?"
"Game on! I will cut down everyst one of you!" Drakos roared with his bloodlust surging even higher. His eyes gleamed with malice as he prepared for the iing horde.
The air was tense, the battlefield now divided between those who sided with August and those who feared Drakos too much to act.
"Let''s do this," August muttered, gripping his daggers tightly as the battle reignited.
Everyone swiftly lunged at Drakos, Lyriss, and Orlma. They had be the number one targets here.
The chaos soon reached its peak as thebined effort of over forty yers had finally begun to chip away at the trio''s dominance.
However, Drakos, Lyriss, and Orlma were not going down easily. Each of them disyed abilities far beyond what most yers had encountered in Enders Light.
Orlma unleashed a devastating "Aetheric Cataclysm", a spell with an enormous area of concentration.
[System Notification: Orlma has cast "Aetheric Cataclysm." AOC Damage: -5,000 HP to all within range.]
The attack wiped out several yers instantly, sending them into respawn outside the dungeon. Those who survived scrambled to heal, regroup, and retaliate.
"She''s insane!" Lilo shouted while jumping behind a piece of rubble for cover. Her *"Rapid Volley" skill sent arrows flying toward Orlma''s barrier, but they dissipated harmlessly against the glowing shield. "We need to break that barrier, or she''ll keep healing them!"
Ezran, visibly shaking, nodded and began chanting. "On it! Give me cover!"
Boris charged ahead, roaring as his axe glowed with the power of "Berserker''s Wrath."
The weapon mmed into Drakos with a heavy blow, staggering the warrior.
[System Notification: Boris has used "Berserker''s Wrath." Damage: -1,500 HP.]
Drakos, however, retaliated with a brutal swing of his sword, activating "Cleave of Obliteration." The attack cut through Boris''s defenses, sending him crashing into a wall.
[System Notification: Drakos has used "Cleave of Obliteration." Damage: -6,900 HP. Boris HP Remaining: 2,100.]
"Boris, fall back!" August shouted as he darted toward Lyriss while brandishing his daggers.
He needed to keep her from targeting the others. The assassin moved like a shadow stabbing and shing at opponents before they could even see her.
She cornered one yer, executing a spinning backflip kick followed by a "Hidden Strike", eliminating him immediately.
[System Notification: Lyriss has used "Hidden Strike." yer "Aldrin" Defeated. -1 Level.]
However, the moment she killed this yer, she got noticed by about ten others who lunged at her, giving her more to handle.
August seized the opportunity and nked her. He activated "Dash", appearing behind her, and drove his dagger into her back.
[System Notification: Aleman has used "Hidden Strike." Damage: -4,500 HP.]
Lyriss staggered as her HP dropped significantly. She spun around, her eyes wide in surprise. "You... you''re better than I thought," she hissed with blood dripping from her lips.
"Too bad it''s over," August retorted before delivering the final blow.
[System Notification: Lyriss Defeated. Loot Dropped.]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
With Lyriss gone, the focus shifted to Orlma, who was bombarded from all sides.
Her barrier was soon damaged and her frailty as a mage became apparent. A volley of arrows from Lilo and a fiery "Eruption" spell from Ezran overwhelmed her.
[System Notification: Orlma Defeated. Loot Dropped.]
Drakos, now alone, let out an enraged roar. His HP was dangerously low, but instead of weakening, he activated "Bloodlust Ascendancy," granting him a massive attack buff at the cost of constant HP loss.
[System Notification: Drakos has activated "Bloodlust Ascendancy." All attacks +50%. HP drains by 50 per second.]
Drakos''s de cut through the remaining yers like butter. His ferocity was unmatched, and within minutes, only August, Lilo, Boris, Ezran, and two unknown yers remained.
One of the unknown yers charged him but was cut down instantly.
[System Notification: Drakos has used "Decimation Arc." yer "Rikan" Defeated. -1 Level.]
"Damn it! He''s too strong!" Boris growled. "We can''t hold him off much longer!"
Drakos lunged at them once more with his sword raised and August activated Arcane shield upon noticing that he could evade in time.
The shield absorbed most of the blow as Drakos sword came crashing down but it shattered under the sheer power of the attack.
[System Notification: Arcane Shield Broken. Aleman HP: -3,200. Remaining HP: 7,000.]
Drakos loomed over August with his de raised for the finishing blow. "Die, little rat!" he snarled before plunging the de downward.
Before the sword could strike, a sudden, overwhelming pressure filled the air. Drakos froze and fell to his knees.
"What in..." Before he could evenplete his sentence, the pressure intensified and his body fell t to the ground as though a mountain had fallen on him.
"What the—?" August voiced in confusion while stepping back as a figure emerged from the shadows.
The tall man had an air of unshakable confidence as his white hair flowed behind him like a cape. His red glowing sword, Crimson Doomde, remained strapped to his back, unused. He wore a warrior''s helmet, concealing most of his face, but his eyes burned with a quiet intensity.
"I hate bullies," the man said calmly.
With a simple gesture, the pressure increased, and Drakos''s HP drained to zero in an instant.
[System Notification: Drakos Defeated. Loot Dropped.]
The floor went silent as the remaining yers stared in awe. The yer''s aloof expression remained unchanged as he turned. "You can thank meter," he said before walking away, heading toward the passageway.
August exchanged stunned looks with Boris and Lilo, who seemed equally speechless. "Who... who was that guy?" Lilo finally whispered.
"No idea," August replied with a low tone. "But he just saved us."
---
Meanwhile, on the 103rd floor, Aria and the rest of the group stood before a massive set of gilded doors. The intricate carvings on the surface depicted the life of the Swordking, his victories, and his descent into darkness. A system notification appeared before them.
[System Notification: ess Denied. Key Required to Enter.]
"What key?" Torin muttered in frustration. "Did we miss something?"