"Elena, use this."

  Darwyn hurriedly handed his fire-element bow to Elena. She hesitated for a second before gripping it tightly, nodding.

  "Alright, fall back! I’ve already set my Sticky Bombs—this time, there's no way I’ll miss!" Darwyn declared with confidence.

  The rest of us, exhausted and battered from the relentless battle, quickly retreated, leading the Spriggans straight toward the trap.

  It didn’t take long before Sticky Bombs detonated with a thunderous BOOM, engulfing the Spriggans in fiery explosions.

  "Hah! Told you I wouldn’t miss this time!" Darwyn cheered, pumping his fist.

  Orin wasted no time, swiftly following up by hurling a Flameburst Flask straight into the chaos. The glass shattered on impact, igniting the already burning Spriggans in an even more intense blaze. Unfortunately, she couldn’t use Quick Enhance this time—her Mana was already drained from the Mana Bomb earlier.

  The fight dragged on, every move growing heavier as fatigue set in. But slowly, methodically, we cut them down—one by one.

  Darwyn's decision turned out to be the key. The fire arrows Elena unleashed inflicted significant damage, even though she was still weakened under the Feeble status effect.

  When the final Corruptus Spriggan fell, its body dissolved into white light, leaving behind something unexpected—a Soul Fragment.

  A rare drop. And worth a fortune.

  I picked it up, turning it over in my hands as my mind immediately did the calculations.

  If we sell this… how much of my debt would that cover?

  "This is bad—I can feel Aegros approaching!" Elena’s panicked voice shattered my thoughts. I barely had time to react before a massive shadow loomed behind the thick veil of purple mist.

  “The heck?!” I blurted out as a hulking figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

  ***

  Corruptus Spriggans were more than just formidable enemies. They were the Watchers of the Forest, creatures meant to warn intruders that something far worse lurked ahead.

  And that something was Aegros.

  We knew the risks when we chose this path. Among the five Guardians of Thalorien Forest, Aegros was considered the weakest—his attacks were slow, his abilities less devastating than the others. That’s why we targeted him.

  But this?

  This wasn’t part of the plan.

  Aegros wasn’t supposed to be here. He was meant to spawn in an open clearing ahead, not in this confined space surrounded by dense, misty woods.

  That explosion…

  Blast it!

  The Sticky Bombs from our last fight must have woken him up early.

  And to make things worse?

  We were not in top shape. Orin was low on Mana, Darwyn was running out his bombs, and Muradin—our main tank—was struggling to keep up due to earlier injuries.

  Muradin, however, wasn’t one to show hesitation. Instead, he let out a thunderous war cry, his voice booming across the battlefield.

  "Hold your ground! Don’t panic—I’ve fought this thing before! I know how to take it down!"

  Darwyn, standing beside him, grinned. "Yeah, yeah, it looks terrifying, but trust me—it’s not as bad as it seems."

  Orin grinned. "Says the guy who misses all his shots."

  "HEY!"

  We didn’t have time for banter.

  Aegros finally emerged from the mist, his monstrous silhouette towering over us.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  He resembled an armored colossus, with thick, obsidian-like scales pulsating with glowing ethereal runes. His massive shield, nearly as wide as his own body, covered his front like an impenetrable fortress.

  Then, he moved.

  With a low, rumbling growl, Aegros swung his colossal shield, aiming to flatten us in one blow.

  "DODGE!"

  Muradin and I barely leapt back in time, the sheer force of the impact shaking the earth and sending a shockwave that nearly knocked us off our feet.

  "Aim for the runes!" Muradin barked.

  Darwyn turned to Elena. "Switch to your Webweaver Longbow! Fire won’t work—his resistance is too high!"

  Elena nodded and quickly swapped weapons, her Phantom flickering to life beside her as she loosed an arrow straight at the exposed rune on his shoulder.

  THWACK!

  The shot landed. Aegros let out a deep, guttural growl, the rune flickering slightly from the impact.

  "Orin, use lightning!" Darwyn ordered.

  Without hesitation, Orin hurled an Electroflask with deadly precision.

  BZZT! BLAAR!

  A crackling surge of electricity ripped through Aegros’s massive body. He staggered, his movements halting momentarily.

  "Now!"

  Muradin and I rushed in from opposite sides.

  I swung my warhammer, slamming it into the rune on his left arm, causing blue energy shards to scatter into the air.

  Muradin followed up with Shield Bash, then swiftly swapped to his battleaxe, burying it deep into the glowing sigil on Aegros’s right arm.

  The guardian roared in pain, his body trembling from the damage.

  But Darwyn wasn’t done.

  [Lightning Bolt cast]

  A streak of electricity shot forward, hitting Aegros square in the forehead rune.

  I blinked. "...Did Darwyn actually land a hit?"

  Apparently Elena’s Phantom helped aim for him. Still, the stunned effect gave us precious extra seconds to keep attacking.

  "Erynd! Muradin! Fall back!" Darwyn shouted.

  We barely dodged as Aegros slammed the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward. A shimmering barrier formed around his body, temporarily repelling all incoming attacks.

  Elena loosed another arrow—only for it to bounce off uselessly.

  "Wait until the barrier disappears, it shouldn’t take long!" Darwyn shouted.

  This was how the fight unfolded.

  Under Darwyn’s quick commands, we kept the rhythm, damaging the runes one by one. We just had to hold on long enough to end this phase.

  ***

  Nearly an hour had passed, and we had finally managed to destroy all eight of Aegros' runes.

  The moment the last rune shattered, Aegros shifted into Defensive Mode. Its massive form transformed into an immovable fortress—obsidian scales interlocking into an almost impenetrable shield, its body a bastion of resilience.

  Watching it unfold, I couldn’t help but be reminded of those movies where cars turn into giant robots.

  The massive shield, now fused with its body, pulsed with a faint light.

  “Stop attacking!” Darwyn ordered.

  We all froze mid-action, stepping back to catch our breath. Muradin chugged a low-rank healing potion, while Orin moved to a safer position, closing her eyes in concentration—attempting to meditate and recover some Mana.

  A sharp Ziiing… filled the air, emanating from Aegros’ unmoving form.

  A few seconds later, a blinding white energy burst from its shield. I barely had time to brace as the wave hit. Muradin and I took the brunt of it, gritting our teeth through the impact.

  Surprisingly, the attack wasn’t as devastating as it seemed—a trick I had shared with my team earlier.

  “Now! Attack!” Darwyn yelled.

  Elena and her Phantom wasted no time, firing arrows laced with Sticky Bombs. Even in his dire state, Darwyn wasn’t about to sit back—he was determined to contribute in whatever way he could.

  Orin followed up instantly, hurling an Enhanced Electroflask straight at Aegros. The moment it connected, a deafening crackle echoed as electricity surged across its body.

  Muradin and I charged, slamming everything we had into the so-called immovable fortress before us.

  Clang! Thud! Bam!

  My warhammer bounced off uselessly. Muradin’s axe barely left a dent. Aegros’ defense was absurdly tough.

  “This is taking too damn long!” Muradin growled after another unsuccessful swing, his frustration boiling over.

  “Hey, you thick-headed dwarf! Don’t do anything reckless!” Darwyn shouted, half-pleading.

  But, of course, stubbornness was Muradin’s defining trait. There was no stopping him now.

  He grinned. “Everyone, hit it with everything you’ve got! Now!” shouted Muradin when Aegros’ shield began to flicker weakly.

  A barrage of explosions from Sticky Bombs. A devastating Mana Bomb. Even Thunderstrike Slam, Muradin’s ultimate technique, came crashing down onto Aegros’ towering form.

  Yet—nothing.

  No cracks, no visible damage. It was like hitting a mountain with pebbles.

  Still, none of us stopped. Blow after blow, we kept hammering away at it, refusing to give in.

  Then—

  ZIIING!

  A sharp, piercing hum erupted from Aegros' body, far louder than before. The very air around us trembled with energy.

  Muradin's eyes widened. "Everyone, get back!" he bellowed.

  A faint glow pulsed from Aegros' shield, growing stronger by the second.

  Darwyn cursed under his breath. “You stubborn fool!” he snapped before leaping out of the way.

  BLAAAST!

  A blinding white energy wave erupted from Aegros, slamming directly into Muradin.

  He gritted his teeth, digging his heels in, holding his shield up against the onslaught. His entire body trembled under the sheer force, boots skidding backward as the ground cracked beneath him.

  I stood frozen, gripping my weapon tight. I had no magic, no spells—nothing I could do but watch, my heart pounding, hoping Muradin wouldn’t be obliterated right in front of us.