Celerion was one of the five Guardians of the Forest, known for having the most devastating attacks and being the strongest Guardian—second only to Cindralis. Its strikes were lethal, capable of bypassing a portion of its target’s defenses, cutting through shields and armor as if they were nothing more than parchment.

  Had it not been for Mirelance Shroom, obtained after our battle with Cindralis, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. The moment Muradin consumed it, we had our key to victory. Our strategy was simple—stall for as long as possible.

  By engaging Celerion during daylight, we had already stacked the odds in our favor.

  The monster’s ability to vanish into total darkness and ambush its prey was significantly weakened. It couldn’t summon its shadow companions—miniature versions of itself, just as vicious and relentless.

  But most importantly…

  It couldn’t use its Nocturnal Gaze, an ability that allowed Celerion to see even invisible enemies.

  Fighting it under these conditions was the only way we could survive.

  While Muradin and Elena kept Celerion occupied, the rest of us worked quickly to set up a trap.

  Using Aqua Bomb, we created a large mud pit, taking advantage of the soft ground in this area. Darwyn rigged a steel net high up in the trees, ready to drop at the right moment. Meanwhile, Elena’s Phantom fired strands of webbing across the mud pit, creating an almost invisible surface, before camouflaging it with fallen leaves.

  Despite all its strengths, Celerion had two fatal weaknesses.

  The first was its fragile defense. It compensated for this with its incredible speed and its most troublesome skill, Shadowmeld—an ability that allowed it to blend into the darkness for short bursts, making it nearly impossible to hit. Fortunately, this skill was less effective in daylight.

  The second was its extreme aggression. It attacked anything that moved, without hesitation. This reckless nature made it highly susceptible to Muradin’s passive skill, Forge’s Resilience, which attracted enemy aggro. Thanks to this, Elena remained relatively safe from direct attacks.

  And just as we predicted—when Elena’s Phantom struck Celerion, the beast immediately shifted focus, lunging straight at the clone, which led it directly into our trap and allowed us to finish it with our strongest attack.

  One more characteristic of Celerion. Just like Cindralis, Celerion Soul Fragment was incredibly rare. In fact, its drop rate was even lower than that of the other Guardians.

  Which is why we all stood frozen in disbelief.

  There it was. A Soul Fragment, lying right there on the ground.

  "That’s… impossible," Darwyn muttered, eyes wide.

  "Looks like we got damn lucky," Muradin grinned, though he still sounded a little skeptical.

  The only downside? None of us were melee assassins, the class best suited for the skills granted by this fragment. But that didn’t matter—this thing was worth a fortune.

  Even if we couldn’t use it, we could sell it for an absurd price.

  I quickly picked up the Mirelance Shroom lying next to the Soul Fragment and ate it without hesitation. We would need my spells to stand a chance against the next Guardian.

  Elena watched me for a moment, then let out a small sigh. “Guess that means I’m the last one crippled,” she muttered, crossing her arms. But we had already agreed—I needed it the most for our next battle.

  "I can’t believe we’ve already taken down three Guardians," Orin said, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

  Muradin let out a booming laugh and clapped me on the shoulder. "All thanks to our brilliant tactician over here!"

  "I never thought we’d be able to defeat Cindralis and Celerion like this," Darwyn admitted, shaking his head in amazement. "Hell, I didn’t even know about their weaknesses until today."

  Elena exhaled sharply but then gave me a genuine smile. "Well, it worked out, and that’s what matters."

  I felt my face warm under their praise, unsure how to respond.

  "Aww, someone’s getting shy," Orin teased with a smirk, nudging me with her elbow.

  The group burst into laughter, and I allowed myself to relax. Three Guardians down—closer to our goal.

  ***

  Crunch!

  Gorgroth sank his massive jaws into the dying Slytheris, tearing through flesh and bone with terrifying ease. The sickening sound of bones cracking echoed through the battlefield. Moments later, he spat out a piece of the serpent’s body part—Rooted Spine—a rare section where its venomous essence concentrated.

  This wasn’t just any piece of flesh. Rooted Spine was a coveted alchemical ingredient, essential for crafting deadly poison. Of all the places in Thalorien Forest, Slytheris could only be found in this very cave—the one we had entered after barely recovering from our battle against Celerion.

  Orin scanned the battlefield and quickly turned to the others. “Hey, where are the Mana Stones? We need to count them later!” she called out, dodging a lunging Slytheris.

  Standing at three meters tall, Gorgroth had unlocked another ability—devouring smaller, weaker enemies whole. The trade-off? Any Mana Stones dropped by its victims were absorbed into its body, making them unrecoverable.

  [Rejuvenation cast]

  A soft green glow enveloped Muradin, soothing the burning pain coursing through his veins. The venom from Nyrathos’s fangs was potent, spreading like wildfire through his system.

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  The Guardian serpent loomed over them, its emerald scales shimmering with an eerie glow. More than ten meters long, its presence dwarfed every other monster they had faced so far. Even Ooborosk, the giant serpent I had once slain, seemed insignificant in comparison.

  Whoosh!

  A flaming arrow shot across the battlefield, striking Nyrathos in the side. The serpent hissed in irritation, its tail snapping toward Darwyn in retaliation.

  "Shit—!"

  Darwyn barely rolled out of the way as the razor-sharp tail whipped through the air. Muradin, moving on instinct, intercepted it with his warhammer, the impact sending a deep tremor through the chamber floor.

  While the three of us fought Nyrathos, Orin and Elena were locked in battle against an endless swarm of Slytheris, the serpent-like monster that refused to let up. Unlike most Watchers, these creatures actively fought alongside the Guardian.

  [Enhanced Flameburst Flask used]

  A wave of blue fire erupted across the battlefield, engulfing dozens of Slytheris in an instant. Gorgroth's Viscous Goo, still coating their bodies, intensified the flames, causing them to burn even faster.

  Elena and Gorgroth took advantage of the chaos, cutting down the writhing serpents before they could recover. But no matter how many they killed, more kept coming.

  "Sis, did you find it yet?!" Orin gasped, her arms burning from the relentless fighting.

  Elena shook her head, breathing heavily. “Not yet!”

  ***

  Without warning, Muradin swung his warhammer straight at Darwyn.

  “Whoa—!”

  Darwyn barely dodged, the hammer smashing into the ground where he had stood just moments ago. He stumbled back, eyes wide.

  “The hell was that, Muradin?!”

  I reacted immediately, casting Rejuvenation on him. A few seconds later, his stance wavered, and his eyes flickered back to clarity. He looked around, disoriented.

  "That cursed skill again," I muttered.

  With its molten gold eyes, Nyrathos had activated Hypnotic Gaze.

  A skill as dangerous as it was frustrating—it inflicted multiple status effects, the most annoying being Confusion, forcing the target to attack their own allies.

  Seeing an opening, Nyrathos lunged forward with terrifying speed, sinking its venomous fangs into Muradin’s back.

  Or at least, it tried.

  Korrogoth’s Bulwark Armor held firm, preventing the razor-sharp teeth from piercing Muradin’s flesh. But even that wasn’t enough—the deadly venom of Nyrathos sizzled on impact, corroding the enchanted metal and seeping through to his skin. Muradin gritted his teeth, his face contorting in pain as the venom burned into him.

  “Damn it… that sting’s worse than it looks,” he muttered, staggering slightly.

  Thwip!

  Darwyn fired a Sticky Bomb arrow straight into Nyrathos’s open mouth. The projectile lodged deep in the serpent’s maw before detonating with a deafening bang, making the beast recoil in shock.

  "Nice shot!" I called out.

  That brief opening was all I needed—I rushed to Muradin’s side, casting Rejuvenation, letting healing energy surge through his battered body.

  But Nyrathos wasn’t done yet.

  With a furious hiss, the massive serpent whipped its tail at us, its emerald scales gleaming as it cut through the air like a blade.

  I reacted instantly, casting Tempest Shield.

  A shimmering barrier formed around Darwyn, allowing him to dodge out of harm’s way just in time.

  Me? Not so lucky.

  The impact slammed into my stomach, sending me flying several meters through the air. My vision blurred as I tumbled across the stone floor, pain flaring through my ribs. Just as the darkness started creeping in, strong arms caught me midair.

  "Gorgroth…" I barely managed to whisper.

  The massive beast grunted, setting me down carefully.

  Orin was already at my side, uncorking a potion and pressing it against my lips. The bitter liquid burned its way down my throat, but almost immediately, my strength started to return.

  I blinked the dizziness away and pushed myself up. No time to rest.

  [Galestride cast]

  A gust of wind surged beneath Darwyn, enhancing his speed and allowing him to evade Nyrathos’s relentless pursuit. Meanwhile, Muradin braced himself, his grip tightening on his shield before slamming it forward.

  [Shield Bash cast]

  The impact sent a shockwave rippling through Nyrathos’s massive frame, momentarily stunning the beast.

  "Take this!" Orin shouted, hurling a Flameburst Flask. It shattered against Nyrathos’s scales, igniting in a fiery explosion. The serpent recoiled, thrashing wildly as flames licked at its body.

  Darwyn and Muradin took the chance to catch their breath.

  "How are you two holding up?" I asked, my voice tight with exhaustion.

  Orin exhaled sharply, managing a tired smirk. "My potions are running low. Not sure how much longer we can keep this up."

  Elena, wiping sweat from her brow, shook her head. "Almost done. I’ve checked most of the area," she reported.

  I nodded, pushing myself back to my feet. No time to hesitate—I had to keep everyone on their feet.

  [Rejuvenation cast]

  ***

  Time stretched in a blur of attacks, counterattacks, and near-death moments. Just when it felt like the fight would never end, Elena’s voice rang out.

  “There! Over there!” she yelled, pointing toward her Phantom, which hovered near a dark corner of the cavern.

  I didn’t waste a second.

  "Gorgroth! Hit that spot with Viscous Goo!"

  The monstrous beast obeyed, launching a thick, sticky substance toward the nest.

  [Enhanced Flameburst Flask used]

  Orin hurled another Flameburst Flask, igniting the goo-covered nest in a blazing inferno. As the fire spread, Darwyn unleashed a barrage of Sticky Bomb arrows, each one exploding on impact. The cavern shook with the force of the blasts. Gorgroth also spewed its liquid fire at the nest.

  The Slytheris nest erupted into flames, their hissing shrieks filling the air as the fire consumed them.

  Finally, the endless wave of Slytheris slowed.

  “We did it!" Orin exhaled, triumphant. "Now we can finally help you guys with Nyrathos!"

  Elena didn’t celebrate—she was already back in motion, swiftly cutting down the remaining Slytheris. Though the swarm had thinned, plenty were still left to deal with.

  At least no more were coming.

  We could see it—Nyrathos was enraged. The colossal serpent thrashed its tail violently, sending chunks of rock flying as it slammed against the cavern walls. A deep, guttural hiss echoed through the darkness, making my blood run cold.

  Then, its golden eyes began to glow.

  "Shoot… no, no, no—don't look into its eyes!" I shouted, but it was already too late.

  A strange sensation crept over me. My limbs felt heavy, sluggish, as if the air itself was pressing down on me. Then, a flash of movement—too fast to react.

  CRACK!

  Nyrathos' massive tail slammed into my chest like a battering ram. The impact sent me hurtling through the air, pain exploding in my ribs as I crashed against the cavern floor. My breath hitched—I couldn’t move. My body screamed in agony, but worse than that was the realization that my legs… felt wrong.

  I looked down. Horror clawed at my chest. My legs were turning to stone.

  The same fate was consuming the rest of my team. Darwyn lay sprawled on the ground, his bow slipping from stiffening fingers. Elena tried to push himself up, but her hands had already turned into lifeless rock. Even Gorgroth vanished, swallowed by the curse, instead of turning to stone like the rest.

  I clenched my jaw, my heart pounding. "Darn it... we're dead," I muttered.

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