The appearance of the towering bear put everyone on high alert, including Kieran. Like the party's reaction, the stream was in a similar uproar.
Of course, Kieran didn't have the stream chat open, or it would just be one massive distraction.
However, he couldn't just turn off his party member's mouths. Therefore, he was forced to listen to their articulated astonishment.
"Damn, this thing is like a bulldozer or something. How in the hell can a bear get that big? Surely it hasn't taken some kind of mutated Viagra, right?" Altair murmured while also analyzing the Boss.
The towering bear's appearance was a mixture of Guraha and Shibak amplified a few times over. As a genuine Boss, it released a fearsome presence.
The crystalline armor surrounding its body was already a deep amber color, forming sharp blades that made the bear's limbs far more lethal. A low growl sounded from its throat as the colossal bear revealed its sabertooth tiger-like fangs.
This monster was the boss exclusive to this difficulty.
「 Lv.13 Grifear, King of the Forest (Rare)
Dungeon Boss
Beast Type
Health: 11,000/11,000 (100%) 」
"Oh wow," Sithik muttered in awe, teeth chattering and knees buckling. An urge to release the contents of his bladder overwhelmed Sithik when he locked gazes with Grifear.
"D-does anyone else feel that?" Sithik asked, squeezing the words through pursed lips.
"Feel what?" Altair glanced toward Sithik, noticing his unusual behavior.
"It's suffocating. It feels like I'm a zip lock bag being dipped in water to vacuum seal the bag!" Sithik choked while speaking.
However, Kieran joined the conversation with a peculiar expression. "You're experiencing Boss Suppression. Boss Monsters are different from regular monsters. Some of them possess pressure strong enough to debuff certain players."
Kieran was naturally a player unaffected by such suppression. After all, it was a state that originated from a player's spirit. The stronger one's spirit, the less likely one was to be affected.
"Relax and breathe through it. The pressure is designed to destabilize you. If you let that happen, Grifear will most likely wipe us all out," Kieran directed.
Grifear's name held a hidden warning. If one showed fear within its presence, it would mark the beginning of the end, starting with a near-unavoidable party wipe skill.
A second later, Kieran lifted his Novice Greatsword and began to speak. "There isn't much for me to coach you on here. It's a new Boss, but it's an amalgam of every monster faced in this dungeon."
With his Novice Greatsword raised, Kieran glanced to the side. "Sithik. Cygnus-"
"Yes?" Cygnus called out, clutching her small cross between her thumb and index finger. Although she trembled faintly, she summoned the courage to stand straight and listen attentively to Kieran's orders.
"I'm listening, boss!" Sithik exclaimed.
"Make sure you focus. Pay attention to our Health at all times and maintain a decent distance, preferably at the cusp of your healing range."
Both of them nodded solemnly, conveying that they understood the message clearly.
While Kieran was delivering his instructions, Grifear growled menacingly. Although it wasn't a loud growl, the nearby trees and ground rumbled in response.
'My first Boss since I have returned,' Kieran inwardly remarked. An excited gleam flashed within his gaze as his hand twitched with anticipation.
Understanding that Grifear was an opponent that required all his attention and utmost ability, Kieran made the necessary preparations.
〈System: Strength has risen from 55 to 60.〉
[Attack Power has increased to 152.]
〈System: Agility has risen from 50 to 55.〉
〈System: Control has risen from 30 to 40.〉
His remaining 20 UAP vanished, increasing what Kieran felt was most important in the battle. Next, Kieran used his previously earned SP to improve a crucial skill in his current fighting style.
〈System: You are using 8 SP to increase «Warrior's Aura» from Lv.3 to Lv.5. Continue? [ Y | N ]〉
Once Kieran agreed, the dense blue aura billowing from his body deepened in color and presence, giving off an increasingly overwhelming feeling.
「Warrior's Aura (Lv.5)
Skill Rank: D
Skill Type: Active
Mastery (00.00%)
Skill Description: Manifests the aura of a Warrior by stimulating their tenacious will. While this skill is active, the user's attack damage increases by 30%. There is a 5% chance of attacks triggering the «Knockback».
Consumption: 3 Mana Points every 5 seconds
Prerequisites: Warrior Class
Cooldown: 50 seconds (Only begins after deactivation of the skill.) 」
…
Once Kieran's Warrior's Aura appeared, Grifear released a deafening roar and rushed toward the party with speed rivaling Hrulhar. Watching a colossal figure move at a velocity that was contrary to its size dismayed the party.
Nevertheless, Kieran's expression grew cold as he dashed forward and intercepted Grifear's advance.
Clang!
Kieran swung his greatsword against Grifear's defending paw and lost some Health, but it wasn't dangerous. However, when Grifear tried to follow up with a second strike, Kieran seemingly vanished.
Altair appeared in place of Kieran's vanishing figure, lashing out his dagger. Due to his movements, Altair spun like a black tornado, unleashing a series of light attacks, garnished with a final Concussive Strike.
The hit-stun effect didn't apply, but Kieran suspected as much. Grifear's DEF and physique were too robust for Altair's trivial STR to be enough.
Furthermore, Altair felt a throbbing pain in his elbow, as if it would snap.
When Grifear moved to swat Altair out of the air, Kieran intercepted again with a Directional Slash performed in a downward motion.
Tang!
'As expected...' Kieran thought while shaking his hand with a tense expression. 'Grifear's Hardened Trait is stronger than Shibak. If not for my Medallion of Growth, the situation could have been worse.'
In a situation like this, although they were incredibly high but far from their peak, Kieran's combat standards couldn't offset the disparity in attributes.
Grifear's attributes were too absurd, and while players weren't affected by abnormal states induced by the pain of their actions inside Beginner Zones, they could perceive that pain.
Swoosh! Bang!
Before Kieran could contemplate their current situation, Grifear's large paw smashed into the ground and split it apart, launching many rocks in every direction.
Kieran dodged most of the rocks that flew from this attack, but some blocked his vision.
Boom!
Kieran quickly reacted to Grifear's large paw, which tore apart the rock debris, by bracing his Novice Greatsword against his body.
"Ngh!" Kieran groaned.
After landing, he slid across the ground and glared at Grifear, who unleashed another deafening bellow.
As a boss, Grifear's primary instinct was to assert dominance. So emerging triumphant in a clash led to its prideful roar. But, this behavior naturally sparked a subtle reaction within Kieran.
Whoosh!
After two Healing Lights landed on him, Kieran sped toward Grifear. Grifear tried to attack Kieran, but he could easily read Grifear's actions and avoided them.
'Ah. Grifear is a mere low-level Dungeon Boss, yet because of my lacking stats and physique, it feels confident enough to consider itself superior. How far I've fallen...' Kieran inwardly thought.
"Truly a shame," Kieran muttered to himself before arriving before Grifear a few seconds later.
Usually, Kieran would begin his combination with Charge, for the additional damage, but Kieran decided there was a better and more prudent option.
Kieran jumped and aimed a Savage Break at Grifear's head.
Bang!
Grifear's head snapped back from the force of the Savage Break and the effects of the Warrior's Aura.
-435
The damage wasn't amazing, but the battle alerts that followed were.
〈Battle Alert: «Grifear, King of the Forest» has been «Dazed». [Duration: 5 seconds.]〉
〈Battle Alert: «Grifear, King of the Forest»'s DEF has fallen by 25%.〉
Dazed was one of the abnormal states players could inflict upon monsters, which differed from Stunned. Whereas Stun robbed a monster's ability to move, Daze also increased the chances of inflicting a Critical Hit.
Although they didn't have a tacit understanding, Altair understood that Grifear's lack of movement meant it was time to unload his skill arsenal.
In the meantime, Kieran initiated his onslaught as well. Upon landing, Kieran slammed into Grifear as he ignored the budding pain.
"Charge!"
-250 «Stunned»
Kieran wasted no time in following up with a Force Slash that kicked up a few turbulent winds.
…Boom!
-1,459! «Critical Hit»
"HOLY SHIT!" Sithik screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Oh my lord…" Aspaira muttered as she chanted Flame Wave's spell.
Although Sithik and Aspaira witnessed Kieran's earlier damage, the current situation was a shock. It was over 1,000 damage against a Boss Monster, after all.
Of course, they weren't aware that Kieran had increased this skill to Lv.5, which greatly bolstered its damage percentage. Furthermore, they also didn't understand that anyone could achieve such damage.
Why? Because Kieran accomplished this with a mere E Rank Skill!
Following this shock, Kieran, Aspaira, and Altair unleashed a combined total of 4,500 damage before Grifear recovered from its daze.
However, once it recovered, Grifear released a menacing, bloodthirsty growl. Most of its animosity was aimed at Kieran because he was responsible for most of the damage it suffered.
All of a sudden, Grifear's body began releasing an amber glow.
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:
The amber glow surrounding Grifear signified a large skill attack that was about to be released when enraged. It was known as Earthen Blade Cyclone, beginning with Grifear pounding the ground.
The crystalline blades on its limbs broke apart as the ground split opened and spewed fragmented projectiles in every direction.
It was a skill that most players were incapable of dodging because the spacing between projectiles was almost nonexistent. Because of this, Kieran had everyone line up behind him in a straight line to minimize their exposure.
As Kieran mentioned, Grifear was the amalgam of every monster thus far, so remembering the old patterns was the key to surviving against it.
Usually, what Kieran was doing would be handled by the party's tank, but there was none.
Peng! Peng! Peng!
Kieran deflected the incoming crystal and earth projectiles, losing Health every time he did so. However, he had Cygnus apply a Restorative to help replenish the Health he lost frequently.
Cygnus and Sithik would alternate supplying a Healing Light or Mending Aura when needed.
Despite the alarming impacts, Kieran didn't find it unbearable and continued to persist against the consistent bombardment.
'This much is necessary. It's nothing I can't overcome,' Kieran thought. They were too close to the end for him to give up now.
By the end of the storm of crystal projectiles, Kieran's Health had fallen to 15%, but Sithik used Regeneration Burst to quickly return a large amount of Health.
Though Kieran's Health rose quickly, his worried expression didn't change. Contrary to Guraha, who entered a weakened state after unleashing its large skill, Grifear seemed perfectly fine!
Grr!
Grifear growled after seeing that its target had survived its attack. The instinct to rip them limb from limb surfaced in its mind.
All of a sudden, Kieran tapped his interface and disabled his helmet's cosmetic effects, which similarly revealed his deep black ear-length hair swaying with the light wind.
Most individuals assumed that he wore a helmet to hide his sub-par looks, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Kieran wore his helmet simply because it was part of the set supplied to him.
After removing his helmet's effects, Kieran sighed in relief as he felt the breeze against his cheek. 'This game is truly the best outlet, allowing me to release my repressed emotions,' Kieran thought before revealing a satisfied smile.
It had truly set in that he had returned to his glorious battlefield—Zenith Online!
Whoosh! Bang!
While basking in this feeling, Kieran felt a sudden change in the wind caused by Grifear's haphazard charge. Its immense figure pounded the ground and slammed down a few moments later.
Kieran responded by double-handedly slashing his sword up.
Boom!
The ground around Kieran's feet fractured while his feet formed a deep indent. A quarter of his Health vanished, but a Mending Aura replenished a portion of that instantly.
The situation wasn't the best, but Kieran remained calm. Skills on cooldown? It was no issue for Kieran. He was confident in his current STR, AGI, and CTL.
"Heal me continuously," Kieran said.
Afterward, he engaged in a battle of physical might with Grifear, something that made the stream viewers gawk.
Who had the gall to match a Boss pound for pound?! Was he insane?
"More! Fight back more!" Kieran bellowed, challenging the boss with a crazed look seeping into his eyes.
Despite wielding a heavy greatsword, Kieran's attacks gradually accelerated to the point many began to question if he were wielding a normal longsword rather than a greatsword.
Unknowingly, Kieran's expression morphed into one of a smiling demon, and his heart began to pound harder.
Bang! Bang! Ting!
Although his Health continued to rise and fall, like the readings of a heartbeat monitor, Kieran ignored it. This current brutal fight served as an outlet for him to channel many of his resentments.
Because of how focused he was, Kieran exhibited an intrinsic understanding of his skill cooldowns. Approximately twenty seconds later, Kieran ducked underneath Grifear's retaliation and struck upward.
"Force Slash!"
Grifear wasn't Dazed this time, but Kieran linked his movements together seamlessly and triggered the Knockback effect. When Grifear stumbled, Kieran followed up with another attack.
"Charge!"
Thud!
Grifear's Health dropped considerably due to the two attacks, but it depleted further with Kieran's next action.
"Savage Break!"
…Booom!
-1,605! «Critical Hit»
'This is insane,' Altair thought in silence. He looked at Kieran with an unusual gaze and subtly shook his head. 'I thought my combat mechanics were good, but this guy is a monster. I could learn a few things from him.'
There were times when Altair felt Kieran had been put in a predicament where he couldn't dodge or retaliate, but he continued to prove him wrong by unleashing attacks or movements from the most awkward positions.
Any average person would have failed if they were put in such a precarious situation. It took confidence to carry out these actions—confidence that one would succeed no matter what.
Kieran's actions resulted from his years of proper training from reputable combat trainers, which he grew to surpass.
"Did you all survive?" Kieran casually asked before glancing over his shoulder.
Grifear had unleashed a cone-shaped attack earlier that involved several brittle boulders exploding, so Kieran was ensuring that they had survived. Though, their survival was no longer required to clear the run.
It was approaching its last stretch.
"I'm a-okay. But I'm terrified and shocked as well," Sithik said, almost distraught.
Eventually, Aspaira's magic attacks lowered Grifear's Health until its body began swelling and pulsating with a berserk power.
Upon reaching 15% of its Health, Grifear roared to the sky and released an increasingly berserk aura and savage expression, bearing its fearsome fangs.
〈System: «Grifear, King of the Forest» has entered its «Berserk» phase.〉
〈System: Grifear's STR and AGI have increased by 20%.〉
〈System: Grifear's DEF has decreased by 25%.〉
The Berserk Phase was a system available to all bosses, but its effects varied depending on rank, level, and type.
Beasts typically experienced increased STR and AGI at the expense of DEF while going Berserk.
'Finally,' Kieran inwardly remarked.
Although Kieran was happy that this change finally occurred, he could no longer be careless and engage in a frontal assault. A 20% increase in STR meant Grifear's attacks had become incredibly dangerous.
Swoosh!
Grifear's AGI boost hastened its movement, which kicked up a violent gust of wind.
Kieran instinctively activated the Hardened Skin ability attached to the Crystalline Ring. He gained a 10% Damage Reduction, but the damage from a single strike was ridiculous.
-100
Kieran blocked part of the strike, but it claimed nearly a third of his Health. Even with Cygnus and Sithik's healing, Kieran didn't feel comfortable suffering so much damage.
'It's faster, but because it's Berserk, it's also more dangerous,' Kieran thought.
After receiving the attack and being forced back, Kieran noticed that Grifear targeted Altair next. Grifear's attack pattern no longer followed the aggro values; Grifear attacked based on the closest target.
BOOM!
Altair was sent flying from a vicious swipe, losing more than 150 Health. Seeing as Altair's Health barely surpassed 190, it was a massive amount of damage.
Because of Grifear's increased AGI, Aspaira failed to land any spells, which naturally frustrated her.
"It's so fat and fast!" Aspaira scowled and stomped her foot.
"It's deserving to be the Dungeon Boss," Altair commented, rolling his shoulders and grimacing. A Restorative Mist enveloped his body and gradually soothed some of the pain he felt.
"We're close. Don't let your spirits be defeated now. It has less than 2,000 Health remaining," Kieran said.
His words reinforced their desire to clear the dungeon, but it was somewhat challenging to handle the beast until Kieran's skills came off cooldown.
Soon enough, Kieran realized that handling Grifear's rampage fell upon his shoulders. "After two hits, cast Regeneration Burst and then unload your weaker heals."
Kieran met Grifear's advance a second later and unleashed a Heavy Slash.
After three exchanges, a burst of pleasant energy encompassed Kieran.
+192
Bang! Bang!
Another burst enveloped Kieran.
+204
Whoosh!
Kieran unleashed a Force Slash after the second Regeneration Burst appeared but to the party's dismay, Grifear dodged the attack!
"No way! How did it dodge that?!" Sithik exclaimed. His anxiety had increased to the point that he began biting his nails.
If it had become fast enough to dodge at such a close distance, wouldn't that mean his Savage Break could potentially miss?
After following Kieran's direction, the only skill that remained available was Healing Lights, but even if they unleashed it together, it wouldn't save Kieran from a fatal attack.
'Remain calm,' Kieran told himself.
While the others could panic, he couldn't. What he needed was to focus.
As soon as Charge came off cooldown, Kieran coupled it with a Directional Slash, hoping one of them would trigger the Knockback effect.
-250 «Resisted»
-169
Unfortunately, the Berserk Phase made Boss Monsters more resistant to abnormal statuses.
However, Kieran wasn't the type to give up due to one failed attempt. Kieran continued swinging his sword.
Finally, once Savage Break returned from cooldown, Kieran closed the distance until he was eye-to-eye with Grifear.
"This is the end," Kieran remarked coldly.
-1,643! «Critical Hit»
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:
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