MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

Phase 2: The Predator's Snare

The Slumbering One reeled back, its molten eyes dimming as the illusions collapsed. For the first time, it was truly blind. The cavern trembled under its shifting weight, cracks forming along the unstable ground. A guttural snarl echoed through the chamber—wounded, furious, but still very much alive.

Raven's breath came fast, but his mind was clear.

"Stay on it!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Liz was already moving. She darted through the shifting poison mist, her figure flickering like a shadow as she dashed behind the beast. With a practiced flick of her wrist, she slashed her dagger across the Slumbering One's flank, aiming for the soft tissue beneath its armored plates.

-280 HP (Backstab Bonus!)

Poison Effect (Stacking) Applied: -10 HP per second

The monster roared and lashed out blindly, but Liz had already vanished into the swirling haze.

Daniel, positioned on higher ground, drew another arrow. His sharp eyes tracked the beast's movements—wild, unpredictable, but not unstoppable. He shifted his aim. If they couldn't kill it outright, they would cripple it.

He let the arrow fly.

-240 HP (Achilles Shot!)

Movement Speed -30% (Stacking!)

The Slumbering One staggered, its movements slowing as its wounded legs struggled to hold its massive weight. The poison mist swirled unnaturally, twisting in on itself—a sign that Mist Low was manipulating it further.

Raven's gaze snapped to the Trickster. "Can you push it deeper into the poison?"

Mist Low's lips curled into a sharp grin. "Oh, you're learning."

His hands moved through rapid spell signs, golden energy flaring at his fingertips. The mist thickened, swirling like living tendrils, coiling around the Slumbering One's form. Then—without warning—it surged forward, shoving the beast back a few steps.

Right into the densest part of the poisoned air.

Toxic Mist Overload Applied: -50 HP per second

The beast shuddered. Even its regeneration couldn't keep up with the growing damage.

Ana, standing further back, planted her feet and raised her staff. Lightning crackled along the length of the wooden shaft, sparks dancing between her fingertips. "Okay," she muttered, "big spell time."

Raven's eyes flicked to her. "You sure you have enough mana?"

Ana scoffed. "Shut up and let me be awesome."

Electricity surged. The air crackled with raw energy as she spun her staff in a wide arc, the cavern walls illuminated by a violent, flashing glow. Then—with a sharp thrust—she slammed the staff into the ground.

The spell erupted.

A massive bolt of lightning speared down from the cavern ceiling, striking the Slumbering One dead center.

-600 HP (Thunderstrike!)

Stun Applied (2 seconds!)

The beast convulsed, its molten eyes flickering violently. For a brief moment, it was completely frozen.

Raven didn't waste time. He surged forward, dagger gleaming in the dim light.

He wasn't aiming for a simple stab.

He was aiming to end it.

Mist Low must've sensed it because his illusions flickered once more. Dozens of Raven's afterimages appeared, all dashing toward the Slumbering One, each striking in unison. The monster, still stunned, couldn't react.

Raven leaped.

He twisted midair, angling his dagger for the soft spot just beneath the beast's skull.

Then—he struck.

The blade drove deep.

-800 HP (Fatal Strike!)

Bleed Effect Applied: -20 HP per second!

The Slumbering One convulsed violently. Its body trembled, molten eyes flickering weakly.

The ground beneath them rumbled.

Raven's pulse spiked. Not good.

"Mist Low! Is this cave stable?"

Mist Low, for once, looked serious. "…Define stable."

The cracks in the ground deepened. Stalagmites trembled. Pieces of the cavern ceiling crumbled, falling into the poisoned mist below.

Liz clicked her tongue. "Oh, fantastic. We're killing the boss and ourselves."

The Slumbering One wasn't dead yet, but it was dying.

And the entire cave was about to come down with it.

Raven clenched his jaw. No time to hesitate.

"We end this now."

Phase 3: Kill or Be Buried

The cavern trembled beneath them. The cracks in the ground deepened, veins of molten energy pulsing from the Slumbering One's dying body. The poisoned mist churned violently, mixing with the dust and debris falling from the ceiling.

This fight had to end now.

Raven wrenched his dagger free from the beast's skull, black ichor spraying across his arm. The Slumbering One's molten eyes flickered—rage and desperation burned in its final moments. It wasn't just going to die.

It was going to take them with it.

Raven's instincts screamed. Move. Now.

"Everyone, back—!"

The monster roared.

A shockwave erupted from its body, sending them flying.

Raven barely managed to twist midair, rolling into a crouch as his boots skidded against the trembling ground. Dust choked his lungs. Through the chaos, he spotted his party—Liz landed hard but recovered fast, Daniel gritted his teeth as he slid to a stop, and Ana barely avoided slamming into a stalagmite.

Mist Low, of course, landed like he was born to be dramatic—flipping midair before gracefully landing on one knee. "Tch. No applause? Tough crowd."

The Slumbering One rose.

Despite its grievous wounds, despite its failing body—it refused to fall. Its massive form loomed over them, molten veins pulsing erratically. But something was wrong.

The cracks in its body widened, glowing brighter—too bright.

Raven's breath hitched. It's self-destructing.

It wasn't just dying. It was going to explode.

"Get the hell away from it!" he yelled.

The Slumbering One let out a final, earth-shaking roar, its body trembling violently. The molten energy in its core surged, its body fracturing apart—

Liz's eyes flashed. "Not happening."

In a blur, she dashed forward, flicking something small into the air—a glass vial.

A high-grade paralysis poison.

The vial shattered against the Slumbering One's exposed wound, and within seconds, the effect took hold. The monster's movements slowed, its molten glow flickering—its core struggling to stabilize.

It wasn't going to stop the explosion.

But it gave them a window.

Raven's mind worked at lightning speed.

Only one way to end this before it takes the entire cave down.

He locked eyes with Daniel. "Can you hit its core?"

Daniel, still catching his breath, followed Raven's gaze—straight to the Slumbering One's exposed chest cavity, where molten energy surged wildly.

A weak point.

Daniel's face hardened. "One shot."

Raven nodded. "That's all we need."

Mist Low's golden eyes gleamed. "Then let's make it count."

His fingers twitched—magic surged.

The entire cavern distorted.

The mist twisted, the light warped, and for a brief second—

—the Slumbering One saw nothing but a thousand false arrows aimed at its core.

It flinched.

The real arrow was already in the air.

Daniel had already fired.

The arrow whistled through the chaos, cutting through the mist, slipping past the cracks in the Slumbering One's armor—

—and struck dead center in its molten core.

CRITICAL HIT!

-1,500 HP (CORE PIERCED!)

The Slumbering One froze.

Its molten veins flared one last time.

Then—

BOOM.

The explosion tore through the cavern.

Shockwaves ripped through the air, sending chunks of rock collapsing from the ceiling. The poisoned mist erupted outward, a tidal wave of toxic energy dispersing into the cavern walls.

Raven barely had time to react.

"GO!" he shoved Ana forward before she could get caught in the blast.

Liz vanished into the shadows, already sprinting for safety.

Daniel hit the ground running, diving past falling debris.

Mist Low, for all his smugness, yanked Raven by the collar, dragging him into the chaos.

The cavern was coming down.

And they had seconds to escape.