MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

The moment the third rune shattered, the entire cavern shook violently, as if the earth itself was recoiling. A deep, resonant boom echoed through the battlefield, the force of it pressing down on everyone's chests like an invisible weight.

Then—

The golem roared.

It wasn't just a sound—it was a force, a violent eruption of corrupted energy that sent shockwaves tearing through the battlefield. The cavern walls groaned, cracks forming along the jagged stone as the sheer magnitude of the energy release warped the environment.

A pulse of black-green poison mist exploded outward, drowning everything in an instant. The purification zone Ana had created was ripped apart like paper, golden light devoured by the golem's overwhelming presence.

Raven barely had time to twist away before he was hit.

The shockwave slammed into him, launching him backward like a ragdoll. His back struck the cavern floor hard, a sharp spike of pain lancing through his ribs as he skidded across the rough stone. He rolled, barely managing to push himself into a crouch, coughing as he struggled to refocus.

The battlefield had changed.

The Poison Field had strengthened.

The once-thin, wispy mist had transformed into a dense, churning storm, thick enough that vision was reduced to just a few feet. It moved unnaturally, slithering and coiling like it had a will of its own.

But the real danger—

Was the golem itself.

The Golem Awakens

The runes that had once flickered weakly across the golem's body were now completely gone. The last of its restraints had been severed.

The veins of sickly green corruption pulsed beneath its stone exterior, brighter, more volatile. The damage Raven had inflicted was still there—a massive crack spreading down its shoulder, a gaping wound where the rune bomb had struck—but instead of weakening it, the injury seemed to be fueling its transformation.

Its movements, once slow and deliberate, had changed.

The golem lurched forward, faster than before. Its massive stone limbs, previously bound by failing enchantments, moved fluidly, almost unnaturally for something of its size. The sheer weight of its steps sent tremors through the battlefield, each impact cracking the cavern floor even further.

The corruption was taking over, consuming whatever fragments of its original form still remained.

Its core, now partially exposed, pulsed with unstable energy, leaking tendrils of darkness into the surrounding mist. The cavern's atmosphere shifted, the poison no longer just an environmental hazard but something more—

Something alive.

The First Retaliation

Then—

The golem attacked.

There was no warning. No slow buildup.

It lunged forward, its massive arm carving through the mist like a meteor. The sheer force of the movement howled through the cavern, an unstoppable force hurtling toward them.

Raven barely had time to react.

"MOVE!" he shouted, already diving to the side.

Liz, perched on a rock for a better vantage point, flipped backward just as the golem's fist obliterated the boulder beneath her. Stone shards flew in all directions, razor-sharp debris slicing through the poisoned air.

Daniel, still above, loosed another arrow, aiming for the exposed core—

But the golem adapted.

It moved—faster than before.

With an unnatural, jerking twist, it shifted mid-attack, swatting Daniel's arrow out of the air with the back of its hand.

Daniel's eyes widened. "What—"

The golem's glowing eyes locked onto him.

Then, with no hesitation, it threw a boulder the size of a house directly at him.

A Battlefield of Chaos

Mist Low appeared beside Ana in an instant, his illusionary form flickering. "Golden girl, hate to break it to you, but that thing just got a whole lot worse."

Ana was already moving, fingers tracing new runes in the air. "I noticed!"

The poison mist surged again, its density doubling as if reacting to the golem's increased power. The field was no longer just hindering them—it was actively trying to kill them.

Raven, breathing hard, gripped his dagger tighter.

This wasn't the same fight anymore.

They had broken the last rune—

But in doing so, they had unleashed the golem's full strength.

And now, they had to survive it.

The battlefield was a chaotic maelstrom of poison and destruction. The once-thick mist had turned into a raging storm, its corrupted energy surging through the cavern like a living force. The Poison Field wasn't just a lingering effect anymore—it was evolving, lashing out in unpredictable pulses, distorting vision, and warping the very air they breathed. The golem was changing, growing stronger, adapting.

But Mist Low?

He was smiling.

Where others saw a monstrous force of destruction, he saw patterns. Movements. Weaknesses hidden in plain sight. The way the golem reacted, how its glowing eyes flickered between threats, the slight delay between its movements—all clues. He had been studying it, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Now?

It was time to play a little game.

---

Mist Low's Vanishing Act

With a lazy flick of his wrist, Mist Low's form dissolved into the poison mist. His Trickster-exclusive class made it effortless—he wasn't just hiding; he was part of the mist itself. To the untrained eye, it would seem like he had vanished entirely.

The golem's burning green eyes flicked toward where he had been—then looked away.

Perfect.

That confirmed Mist Low's theory: The golem wasn't reacting to physical presence alone. Instead, it relied on the corrupted energy around it to sense movement. It didn't have natural vision—it perceived the battlefield through the distortion in the Poison Field itself.

Which meant…

If someone manipulated that energy, they could manipulate the golem's perception too.

A slow, sharp grin spread across Mist Low's face.

Let's make it hit itself.

---

A Trick of the Light

With a flick of his fingers, a perfect illusion of Raven appeared.

The illusion moved like the real thing—same stance, same speed, even the same shadow flickering across the broken cavern floor. It looked so convincing that even Mist Low himself had to admire his work.

And the golem?

It took the bait instantly.

The massive construct whirled, slamming its colossal arm downward, aiming to crush the illusion.

BOOM!

The impact shattered the stone floor beneath it, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Dust and debris exploded into the air, and the cavern trembled from the sheer force. The golem had put everything into that strike.

Except…

It had hit nothing but air.

Mist Low chuckled, his invisible form perched casually on a rock. Too easy.

But he wasn't done yet.

With another flick of his fingers, he created a second illusion—this time, a glowing weak point on the opposite side of the golem's body. A bright, pulsing crack in the stone, just realistic enough to fool the eye.

Daniel, positioned above on a higher ledge, caught sight of it immediately.

He didn't question it.

Arrow nocked. Wind Shot activated.

The arrow soared through the mist, curving mid-air, guided by Daniel's ability.

It slammed into the fake weak point with a resounding boom!

The golem flinched violently. Its entire form jerked away from the supposed damage—exposing its real weak spot completely.

Mist Low smirked.

"And now, the finishing touch."

---

Raven's Strike – The True Target

Raven, who had been watching for the perfect opening, moved instantly.

His body was a blur, his dagger flashing as he lunged toward the now-exposed real weak point—the core pulsing with corrupted energy beneath the fractured armor.

Stealth activated.

For a brief second, he disappeared from sight, using Mist Low's illusions as cover. The golem didn't register his presence at all.

Then—he struck.

His dagger sank deep into the core.

The instant the blade connected, the golem let out a terrible, guttural scream. The corrupted heart shuddered violently, cracks spreading outward like lightning.

The cavern reacted.

The entire space trembled as unstable magic surged through the battlefield. The Poison Field pulsed like a dying heart, its energy unraveling in erratic bursts.

Mist Low's illusions finally shattered—their job complete.

With a satisfied sigh, he reappeared a few feet away, brushing imaginary dust off his coat.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make a monster hit itself."

But Raven barely had time to yank his dagger free before—

BOOM!

A shockwave ripped through the battlefield, hurling them all backward.

Stone collapsed from the cavern ceiling, green energy exploded outward in jagged arcs, and the entire chamber erupted in blinding light.

---

Silence.

Then—

A system notification appeared.

> Warning: The Poison Golem is entering Phase 2.

The third rune has shattered.

The Poison Field is strengthening.

Mist Low whistled.

"Oh. That's bad."

Raven, still catching his breath, wiped sweat from his brow.

"No. That's progress."

Ana wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure?"

Because at that moment—

The golem's power surged.