---THADDEUS, THE FLESH TITAN, LVL 120---
The giant from the sea swung its four limbs across the sky – one ending in a claw, one in a grafted spiked mace, one with a spear, and one bearing a giant longsword that sliced clean through the first houses at the edge of the village pier. Already, Ethan could hear the screams of the dockworkers as the beast bore down on them, looking for its prey.
And when its giant eyeballs lighted on Ethan, it opened its slit-mouth in a toothy roar, throwing gargantuan globes of blood and spittle across the battlefield.
The air over Sentinel was chaos. The smell of salt and blood mixed with the acrid stench of burning wood as terrified villagers sprinted for their lives, their screams piercing the cacophony of destruction. In the heart of the chaos loomed Thaddeus, the Flesh Titan, its grotesque form pieced together from countless corpses, an amalgamation of twisted limbs, patchwork muscles, and gnashing, malformed jaws.
Ethan perched on the crumbling edge of a rooftop, his breath heaving. Below him, Thaddeus lumbered through the streets, its four powerful limbs smashing through huts and stalls as if they were made of paper. Each of its strides shook the ground, leaving fissures in its wake.
"Sys, give me a read," Ethan growled through gritted teeth, his crimson eye locked on the beast.
[Appraisal: Success!]
BOSS: Thaddeus, the Flesh Titan
Level: 120
HP: 2500/2500
Core Skills:
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Flesh Regeneration: Recovers 1 HP per second unless directly hit in the Core.
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Titan Stomp: Ground-shaking attack that disorients enemies in range.
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Multi-Strike: Can attack simultaneously with all four limbs.
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Enlarge/Shrink self: Thaddeus is capable of morphing his form to suit his environment.
"He’s a walking fortress," Ethan muttered.
And you’re his primary target, Sys warned. Your every move needs to be precise, Ethan. One mistake, and you’re paste.
Ethan gripped Greybane tighter, the serrated edge of the sword gleaming in the firelight. He leapt to another rooftop, scanning for openings. Below, the newly sprouted Albion tree lashed out with its dark, thorny branches. Its roots erupted from the earth, seeking to ensnare the Titan, but Thaddeus snarled and raked one massive arm through the tree’s limbs, snapping them as if they were twigs.
Ethan grimaced. The Albion tree was powerful, but it wasn’t enough.
And no matter how hard he focused his mind, he couldn’t get through to the hybrids. Maybe Fauna had them wrapped in some protective barrier at the bottom of the sea right now. Maybe…
No. Thoughts like that won’t help.
He looked up at the snarling giant as it raised its grafted appendages, ready to bring them down upon his head.
I have to finish this myself.
He leapt higher, aiming for a vantage point atop the roof of the tallest building in the village. From there, he summoned a Spectral Snipe, the silver energy coiling along Greybane’s edge as he took aim at the glowing central eye embedded in Thaddeus’s chest.
The bolt shot through the air with a sharp whistle, but at the last second, Thaddeus raised one of its gnarled limbs, blocking the attack. The blast struck its forearm, sending chunks of flesh flying, but the Titan barely flinched.
“Damn it…” Ethan grimaced.
He’s defending his Core, Sys observed. You need to outmaneuver him.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Ethan darted to another rooftop as Thaddeus’s arm came crashing down where he’d stood, splintering the building into rubble. The debris rained down on the fleeing villagers, and Ethan’s heart wrenched as he watched a mother and child scramble to safety.
Ethan! Sys’s voice was sharp. Focus!
Ethan tried, but his battle fervor was rising—an insidious voice in the back of his mind whispering dark truths.
You’re holding back. You’ll never win this way.
“I can’t let them die,” Ethan growled, his voice tearing through the chaos.
They’re humans, the voice sneered. Weak. Insignificant. They’d kill you in a heartbeat if they could. Save the world, not these sheep.
“Shut up!” Ethan shouted aloud, driving Greybane into the rooftop beneath him in frustration. But his bloodthirsty side wasn’t wrong. Thaddeus was a Titan, and Ethan couldn’t afford distractions.
Thaddeus roared, its gaping maw opening wide as it charged toward another cluster of villagers. Ethan cursed and leapt after it, landing on its back and slashing at its twisted sinews. His blade carved into the monster’s flesh, but its regeneration quickly countered his damage.
You’re just delaying the inevitable, the voice whispered again.
Ethan gritted his teeth. His attacks were causing damage, but they weren’t enough. And even if he could destroy Thaddeus, the Titan’s massive body would crush the entire village if it fell here. He couldn’t win—not without losing everything he was trying to protect.
As despair began to creep in, the ground shook with a thunderous explosion. A volley of cannon fire ripped through the air, striking Thaddeus’s back and sending the Titan stumbling forward. Its roar of pain echoed through Sentinel, and it turned toward the source of the attack, its glowing eye narrowed in fury.
Ethan’s head snapped up, and his eye widened.
Out on the water, an ironclad battleship cut through the waves, its cannons still smoking. Atop the deck stood his companions, their silhouettes framed by the moonlight. Tara waved one of her daggers at him with a wicked grin.
“Hey, Mr Archon!” she called. “Need a hand?”
Klax stood at the ship’s helm, his powerful hands steady as he guided the vessel closer to shore. Fauna and Lamphrey stood at the bow, their magic swirling together as they prepared another volley of spells.
Ethan couldn’t help but smile, relief washing over him. “Took you long enough.”
The ship’s cannons fired again, the explosions lighting up the night as the shells tore into Thaddeus. The Titan staggered, its massive form crashing into the ocean with a deafening splash. Water surged onto the docks, drenching the village as the Titan thrashed in the waves.
Tara cupped her hands around her mouth. “What, no ‘thank you’? Rude!”
Ethan shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. He raised Greybane high, its blade glinting in the firelight.
The battle wasn’t over yet, but for the first time since this whole assault began, Ethan felt hope.
Everyone! he roared into his Memory Rune. Let’s take this oversized bastard down!
He launched himself into the sky with another Wing Buffet just as Thaddeus’ great atrophied sword-limb came down to smash into the village square. He scaled the timber roofs towards him, sending a few Twilight Edge strikes into the limb that was slowly detaching itself from the broken village ground.
We need one decisive strike! Ethan roared, narrowly avoiding the spear-limb as it sliced with impossible speed through the air towards him. Can you guys get him to turn around?
At first, Ethan only heard the roar of the beast as it opened its mouth to spread bile across the pier. Then, with a hoarse chuckle, Klax’s voice broke through:
We’ll knock this abomination back into the sea!
Ethan grinned, ignoring the voice that tried to rise to the forefront of his mind again. Now, with the aid of the Memory Rune, he could block it out. He could take the rage and use it to fuel his next strike. He was in control, now.
Power comes from the self…or it does not come at all…
Those words – Lamphrey’s words – dominated his mind as he roared up at Thaddeus’ two arcing limbs and managed to paralyze them just in time for the Hybrid-manned battleship to send a bombardment of cannon fire right into the beast’s great fleshy back. The titan swayed, smoke billowing from the hole that had been torn through its body, and swung up all its arms in fury.
THADDEUS HP: 1800/2500
BEGINNING REGENERATION…
Ethan grinned. That was his chance.
He leaped from the tallest house towards the lighthouse where this whole insane battle had begun, scaling its length with his claws and avoiding the fire of the stray Spectators who were still alive in the village proper. They were trying to protect their precious secret weapon even as Ethan’s Repulsor Shield sent all their magical projectiles spiraling right back at them. None could break the defense of the Archon in his prime.
And so, when Ethan finally got to the very head of the lighthouse, he faced the giant Thaddeus alone.
HP: 1870…1871…1872…
Ethan! Sys screamed at the back of his mind. How in the name of Karfanng are you going to take that thing down in one shot? I can tell you right now, as your System, there’s no single skill you have that is the equivalent to a nuclear detonation!
Ethan smiled, seeing Thaddeus’ rage-filled eyes meet his.
“You’re right, Sys,” he said. “There’s no single skill I have that can do that.”
The arms of the Flesh Titan rose to full height, ready to bring themselves down upon the beast’s single target.
…Ethan?
“Hang on to your…whatever it is you have, Sys,” Ethan replied. “We’re gonna try something new.”