"You will You will not defile the Sanctum!" Captain Simbra boomed.

  "You will not defile the Sanctum!" the hundreds behind him roared, the sound echoing across the valley.

  Kael's team felt a chill run down their spines. They were facing a level 30 boss with ten million health, backed by a small army of elites who likely had a million HP each. A one-shot kill was out of the question, even for Kael. If they all charged, it would be a total wipe.

  Captain Simbra pointed a trembling finger at the Elder. "Old man, for sixty years we've treated you with kindness, haven't we? We gave you food, drink, and our respect. All we asked was that you stop blaspheming against our god. And now, at death's door, you insist on this madness. You've left us no choice but to be cruel."

  The Guardian Elder simply offered a serene smile. He gave his staff a gentle wave. A pulse of golden energy washed over the crowd, and a glowing rune materialized above their heads, freezing them all mid-shout. Captain Simbra and his hundreds of followers were locked in place, unable to move a muscle.

  Orion's jaw dropped. He had an Immobilize spell, but it was single-target and required him to carefully inscribe a glyph. This old man had just cast a mass paralysis spell with a casual flick of his wrist. The raw power was staggering.

  "They will cause more trouble when this wears off," the Elder said calmly. "We must hurry."

  Everyone nodded, still in awe.

  Led by the Elder, the five of them proceeded without further interruption, arriving at the entrance of the Behemoth's Sanctum. It wasn't a sprawling temple, but a compact, foreboding structure more like a mausoleum built for a king.

  The Elder pointed his staff toward the entrance. "The first floor is filled with the undead—zombies, skeletons, and wraiths. In life, they were all people killed by the Behemoth."

  "The second floor is home to the Behemoth's spirit. It has three forms."

  "The first is its spirit form. It cannot be harmed by physical attacks, only magic."

  "The second is its primal form. It reverts to the shape of the original Behemoth, with incredible speed and devastating attack power."

  "The third," the Elder's voice grew heavy, "is its Possessed Form. The spirit of Apollo takes control. In this state, it shifts from melee to a ranged attacker. That alone isn't the issue. The problem is that it radiates an aura of Apollo's power, which severely weakens anyone who opposes it."

  He shuddered. "Over the centuries, we fought it hundreds of times. We only witnessed this third form in our last five attempts. It is… terrifying. It was then we realized we could never defeat it on our own."

  A cold sweat broke out on the others as they listened. Even this impossibly powerful Elder trembled when speaking of the Behemoth.

  Kael, however, remained unfazed. It's just lore. He refused to believe it was truly that unbeatable. From a game design perspective, if the boss was really capable of wiping out hundreds of high-HP players, the content would be impossible to clear. There had to be a gimmick.

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  After the briefing, the Elder waved his staff again, chanting. Three glowing icons appeared above each party member's head. A sword, a shield, and a swirling orb. Their attack, defense, and skill power were all increased by 20%.

  Following that, Kael had everyone consume the potions and buffs they’d bought in the village.

  He looked at his team, his expression serious. "Everyone ready?"

  "Ready!" they answered in unison.

  "Three, two, one, go!"

  Expecting an immediate onslaught, Hazel charged into the Sanctum with her shield raised.

  But the main hall was empty. Eerily silent. There were no zombies, no skeletons, no wraiths.

  Kael's stomach tightened. Dammit. Someone beat us here.

  He quickly switched his Heart of the Ocean to Night Vision mode, and the world shifted to shades of grey. "No Torches," he whispered. "Stay close."

  "Right," Lila and the others responded.

  They had barely taken two steps when the area around them brightened. The Elder had cast a group night vision spell, illuminating everything within 30 yards.

  The party advanced cautiously. After about 200 yards, they found the staircase leading up. This was the boss floor. There had been no system notification, which meant the boss was still alive.

  Hazel moved to take the lead, but Kael held up a hand.

  "I'll go first," he said quietly.

  Kael took a deep breath and started up the stairs.

  CRASH!

  The moment he reached the second floor, a thunderous impact echoed through the chamber. He looked toward the sound and saw a team of more than a dozen players battling a massive creature. All the windows on this floor were boarded up, plunging the room into darkness, but he could make out silhouettes illuminated by bursts of fiery magic.

  The monster had to be the boss, and from its shape, it was already in its second form.

  Kael immediately sent a message to Lila. "Come on up, the entrance is clear."

  One by one, the rest of his team materialized beside him. They crept forward, moving cautiously toward the battle. As they got closer, they noticed the entire combat zone was enveloped in a dome of faint, purple light that spanned at least 60 yards.

  Lila and Kael exchanged a knowing glance. They both recognized it instantly.

  [Domain of Torment]!

  The signature skill of Eclipse_Blackthorn. It blanketed an area of 50x50 yards, casting Abyssal Blessing on allies and Abyssal Curse on enemies.

  Abyssal Blessing: Increase damage dealt by 20%, reduce damage received by 20%.

  Abyssal Curse: Decrease damage dealt by 20%, increase damage received by 20%.

  Judging by the 60-yard range, Eclipse had clearly upgraded the skill, and who knew what other effects it might have now.

  But that wasn't all. In the center of the fray, a familiar bell pulsed with power. The [Sunfire Bell].

  And next to it, planted firmly in the ground, was a massive banner. Kael felt a headache coming on. It was another Saint Relic: the Banner of Solomon.

  [Banner of Solomon]:

  Increase max HP and Mana by 50%

  Increase HP and Mana regeneration by 50%

  Increase healing effectiveness by 50%

  Any one of those three items was a game-changer. To have all three stacked together against a single boss was absurd.

  With the Domain of Torment active, his team would suffer a 40% damage differential right off the bat. The enemy team, buffed by the Sunfire Bell and the Banner of Solomon, was on another level.

  Lila and Rena's faces were grim as they took in the scene. Orion, on the other hand, was practically vibrating with excitement.

  "Boss, let's gank them!" he whispered eagerly. "We're stacked now. We can totally wipe the floor with them!"

  Kael just shook his head with a wry smile, too preoccupied to explain. He continued to observe the battlefield.

  Seeing Kael ignore him, Orion sidled up to Rena. "Rena, what's the big deal? It's just a Sunfire Bell. Our buffs are way better than that."

  Rena quietly explained the effects of the Domain of Torment. Orion sucked in a sharp breath.

  Then, Kael detailed the stats of the Banner of Solomon for the whole group.

  The fight went out of Orion completely. He wasn't the only one. A single, heavy question hung in the air between them all:

  What now?