MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

The Slumbering One's Wrath

The cavern shook violently as the awakened guardian let out an earth-shaking roar. The suffocating mist twisted unnaturally, as if responding to the beast's will. This wasn't just poison—it was part of the Slumbering One itself.

A system notification flashed before them.

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[World Boss - The Slumbering One]

Type: Poison Guardian

Level: 8

Rank: Elite Boss

HP: 15,000/15,000

Status: Awakened, Enraged

Resistances: Poison (Immunity), Physical Damage (-30% Damage Taken), Magic Resistance (+20%)

Weaknesses: Fire (-10% Resistance), Critical Hits to Eyes (-15% Defense)

Abilities:

Venomous Mist (Passive): The air is saturated with poison. All non-immune entities suffer continuous HP loss (-10 HP per second) and gain Poisoned (Stacking) after prolonged exposure.

Toxic Regeneration: Absorbs surrounding mist to heal 2% Max HP every 10 seconds.

Piercing Howl: Emits a sonic wave that stuns all enemies within range for 3 seconds.

Corrosive Strike: Infuses its claws with acid, melting armor and flesh on contact. Reduces target's Defense by 20% for 10 seconds.

Mist Veil (Phase 2 - Locked): ???

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Raven's heart pounded. 15,000 HP?!

They were all only level 4 with barely 500 HP each. Underleveled, under-equipped, and trapped.

This wasn't a normal fight. This was a death sentence.

Ana gritted her teeth. "Yeah, no. That's bullshit."

Liz clicked her tongue. "We're going to die."

Daniel barely stirred, still too weak from the poison to react.

And Mist Low?

He laughed.

Not his usual, mocking chuckle—but a sharp, exhilarated laugh.

"Oh, this is fantastic." His golden eyes gleamed as he rolled his fingers, weaving mana through the air. "A real challenge."

Raven clenched his dagger. Mist Low was insane.

But insane or not, they had one option.

Fight.

The Slumbering One charged. Its colossal form blurred through the mist, faster than something that size had any right to be.

Raven barely dodged. The sheer force of its swipe tore through stone, sending shattered debris flying like shrapnel. A single hit would have crushed him.

"MOVE!" he barked.

Ana and Liz dove to the side.

Mist Low, however, stood his ground.

His hands flickered with power as he whispered an incantation. His illusionary clones split into the mist, vanishing into the chaos.

Then, with a snap of his fingers—

The entire battlefield warped.

The monster paused, its golden eyes flickering in confusion.

Its surroundings had shifted. The cavern no longer looked the same—Mist Low had twisted reality itself.

It wasn't an attack.

It was a mind game.

Raven's grip tightened on his dagger.

Now.

If they wanted to survive, they had to take advantage of Mist Low's magic—before the Slumbering One adapted.

The Slumbering One's massive head swayed, molten eyes flickering with confusion. The battlefield had changed, but not physically—Mist Low's illusions had distorted its perception.

The cave walls seemed to stretch and shift, the ceiling warping into an endless void. Even the poison mist swirled unnaturally, hiding real threats within false images.

For the first time, the boss hesitated.

Raven's eyes narrowed.

This was their chance.

He took a quick breath, his mind working at full speed. Direct confrontation was suicide. The boss was level 8, nearly untouchable for their underleveled party. But if they played this right—if they played like assassins, like hunters instead of warriors—they could bleed it dry.

"Mist Low," Raven whispered, keeping his body low to the ground, "how long can you keep this illusion up?"

Mist Low's golden eyes glowed, his mana rippling around him. Unlike before, he wasn't playing around. "Not long," he admitted, voice sharp and focused. "Illusions don't last against monsters with high perception. It'll adapt soon."

Raven gritted his teeth.

They had seconds.

That was enough.

"Daniel, aim for the tendons on its legs. We need to slow it down."

Daniel, still pale from the lingering poison effect, grunted as he pulled back his bowstring. His fingers were steady. "Got it. Blind spots only."

Raven nodded.

"Liz, you're with me. We strike the weak points together. We cut it down piece by piece."

Liz flashed a rare smirk, twirling a poisoned dagger in her hand. "Finally, you're speaking my language."

"Ana, charge up something big."

Ana spun her staff, electricity crackling around her fingers. "Fine, but if this thing eats me, I'm haunting you."

Raven exhaled. Time to move.

---

Phase 1: Disorient and Weaken

Mist Low's fingers twitched, and the battlefield warped again.

For a brief moment, the cavern seemed to expand infinitely, the poison mist twisting into mirages of movement. Multiple copies of Raven, Liz, and Daniel flickered into existence, all moving in different directions.

The Slumbering One growled, its molten eyes flickering between the illusions, unsure where to focus.

It was hesitating.

Raven took the lead. "Now!"

Liz fired first.

A poisoned bolt soared through the shifting mist, striking directly into the Slumbering One's right eye.

-250 HP (Critical!)

The monster shrieked, its massive body thrashing violently. The sheer force sent a shockwave through the cavern, making the unstable ground crack even more.

Daniel was already moving.

He rolled behind a fallen boulder, drawing his bowstring with pinpoint precision. His target wasn't the eyes—it was the beast's leg tendons.

He released.

The arrow sank deep into the Slumbering One's right hind leg.

-220 HP (Severing Weak Point!)

Movement Speed -10% (Stacking!)

The monster lurched forward, its balance momentarily thrown off.

Ana didn't hesitate.

She channeled electricity into her staff, releasing a chain lightning spell that jumped from the boss's wounded leg to its claws.

-180 HP

-190 HP

The Slumbering One howled. Its body glowed a sickly green as the Toxic Regeneration ability activated.

+300 HP Restored.

Raven's stomach twisted.

If they didn't kill it fast, it would heal through all their damage.

"We need to hit it harder!" Raven barked.

Mist Low's voice cut through the noise. "Give me three seconds."

His hands flickered through complex spell signs. The illusionary mist shimmered violently, shifting from harmless distractions to solid reflections.

For a brief second, multiple copies of Raven and Liz flickered into existence—all dashing toward the monster from different angles.

The Slumbering One snapped its gaze toward the illusions, momentarily unsure which was real.

And that was all Raven needed.

With a burst of speed, he leaped onto the boss's back. His dagger glowed with poison as he drove it straight into the soft tissue behind its eye.

-450 HP (Weak Point!)

The Slumbering One shrieked violently, its massive body twisting in rage.

But before it could shake him off, Daniel fired again— this time, directly into its other leg.

-230 HP (Tendon Severed!)

Movement Speed -20%

The beast staggered.

Liz was already moving, her dagger flashing as she drove it into its side.

-300 HP (Backstab Bonus!)

Poison Effect Applied (10 HP per second)!

Ana's spell finished charging.

With a roar, she launched a bolt of lightning straight into the wounded eye.

-500 HP (Severe Burn!)

The monster howled.

Mist Low snapped his fingers.

The illusions collapsed.

For the first time, the Slumbering One was truly blind.

Mist Low exhaled, a smirk flickering onto his face. "Damn, Raven." His golden eyes burned with amusement. "You're actually good at this."

Raven wasn't listening.

He wasn't done.

This wasn't just a battle.

It was a hunt.