With the combined power of the [Sunfire Bell], the [Banner of Solomon], and the [Domain of Torment], even a team of level 20 newbies could challenge a level 30 monster.

  These, however, were three of the world's top teams.

  They hailed from three different servers:

  From Earth, the guild [Serpent’s Coil]:

  Dreadfang, Lv. 30 Blademaster (1st Advancement)

  SoulSpark, Lv. 30 Warlock (1st Advancement)

  LunaBloom, Lv. 30 Priest (1st Advancement)

  SolarFlare, Lv. 30 Mage (1st Advancement)

  IronRoot, Lv. 30 Knight (1st Advancement)

  From Vesperia, the guild [Eclipse]:

  Eclipse_Raven, Lv. 30 Swordsman (1st Advancement)

  Eclipse_Blackthorn, Lv. 30 Soulflayer Warlock (1st Advancement)

  Eclipse_Cypher, Lv. 30 Warlock (1st Advancement)

  Eclipse_Jinx, Lv. 30 Protection Warrior (1st Advancement)

  Eclipse_Vex, Lv. 30 Mage (1st Advancement)

  From Aethelgard, the guild [Leonis Imperium]:

  AlphaShade, Lv. 30 Werewolf (1st Advancement)

  Comet, Lv. 30 Mage (1st Advancement)

  Anna, Lv. 30 Mage (1st Advancement)

  Sylvenmark, Lv. 30 Hunter (1st Advancement)

  Razorwind, Lv. 30 Protection Warrior (1st Advancement)

  All of them were level 30. They must have been grinding non-stop inside this Hidden Realm, waiting until they hit the level cap before attempting the boss. To have fought the Behemoth down to its second phase while remaining at full health and mana spoke volumes about their strength.

  [Behemoth spirit] (Level 34)

  Health: 20,000,000 / 50,000,000

  Physical/Magical Attack: 15,400

  Physical/Magical Defense: 5,100

  .....

  In this form, the Behemoth was a blur of motion, zipping between the players like a bolt of lightning. Its attack pattern was unique, completely ignoring traditional aggro mechanics. It would enter a roaming phase where standard targeting skills couldn't lock on. Then, it would randomly select a player and unleash a furious assault. Only during these ten-second windows could it be damaged. After its attack, it would disengage and begin roaming again.

  This meant that every single player on the field had to be able to tank its full damage output for a short duration. If they couldn't, they were dead. The creature was also terrifyingly intelligent, always prioritizing casters and other "squishy" classes.

  Under normal circumstances, this would have been a death sentence even for Rena and Orion. But the buffs these three teams were running were simply broken. The boss's 15,000+ base damage was reduced to around 9,000 after the Domain of Torment’s debuff.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  A level 4 Sunfire Bell, having been rung five times, added a flat 2,400 defense. Combined with their own gear and spell buffs, even a cloth-wearing mage could easily reach over 6,000 defense. Factor in the 50% boosts to health and healing from the Banner of Solomon, and it was impossible for the boss to one-shot anyone.

  They were so confident that they were casually chatting mid-fight.

  "See? I told you we should have cleared out the dead weight from the start," Dreadfang said with a smirk.

  "Caleb's right," Eclipse_Raven chimed in. "Those other four teams didn't deserve to share this loot with us."

  "We should have started this hours ago," AlphaShade grumbled. "You all insisted on grinding to 30. Wasted five hours."

  "AlphaShade, be reasonable," Dreadfang retorted. "Without level 30 gear and our 1st Advancement skills, we never would have survived its initial onslaught."

  "I agree with Caleb," Eclipse_Raven added smoothly.

  AlphaShade just snorted and said nothing.

  Watching from the darkness, Kael felt a profound shock. Their conversation revealed a grim truth: at least seven teams had entered this Hidden Realm. This alliance had simply eliminated the four they deemed unworthy.

  While his team had spent a day on the blacksmith's ore quest, these top-tier players had been catching up, and then some.

  They might have been in here for days. It was even possible another team had reached Behemoth's Watch before them but had failed to trigger the conditions for the Elder to join, leaving the opportunity open for Kael.

  Normally, in a Hidden Realm, once a monster was killed, it was gone for good. But this place was different. It had native NPCs who actively cultivated the Mawflowers, which meant the resource, and likely the monsters, could be refreshed. This Land of the Behemoth could be a permanent, high-tier farming spot.

  So why have I never heard of it in my past life?

  As Kael’s mind raced, a sudden shout from the battlefield snapped him back to the present. The boss was transforming again.

  Its health had dropped below 10 million. It floated into the air, curling its massive body into a ball as a faint golden light began to emanate from within. The light intensified, growing thicker and more brilliant by the second.

  The three teams didn't let up, but all their attacks were now met with a stream of "Immune" notifications.

  A frown creased Dreadfang's brow, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach.

  Eclipse_Raven sounded panicked. "Guys, I think it's about to power up, big time. What's the plan?"

  AlphaShade let out a cold laugh. "Look at us. We're untouchable. Why would we fear this little whelp? My lycan blood is a thousand times more potent than whatever this thing is. It can transform all it wants; it'll still die on my claws." As he spoke, he casually licked one of his gleaming steel talons.

  Unlike the players on the field, Kael was intensely curious. He wanted to see exactly what this powerful Breath of Apollo was all about. He glanced at the Elder and saw him clenching his fists, his jaw set tight as he stared at the glowing orb. The old man's body was trembling. He was terrified.

  After a full minute, the Behemoth unfurled. Its shape hadn't changed, but it was now completely shrouded in a blinding golden aura. It opened its eyes and gazed down upon the fifteen players with pure, undisguised contempt.

  Suddenly, it roared. The golden light engulfing it exploded in a flash so bright it was impossible to look at.

  AlphaShade instantly squeezed his eyes shut while activating Stoneskin to ward off any incoming damage.

  The light vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The players opened their eyes and immediately checked their health bars. Nothing had changed.

  "Wait," Caleb Mordant said sharply. "Everyone, check your status! We've got a debuff!"

  They looked. A new icon had appeared on their UI.

  [Breath of Apollo]: Effect unknown.

  The airborne Behemoth stood upright like a great ape. It raised its hands, one forward, one back, mimicking the pose of an archer. The golden light around it solidified, forming a magnificent longbow and a single, shimmering arrow.

  It let go.

  Swoosh…

  The golden arrow streaked toward Eclipse_Blackthorn.

  The Soulflayer Warlock sneered. Such a clumsy, slow projectile. Does it really think it can hit me?

  Just before the arrow reached him, Blackthorn's body suddenly convulsed. The arrow struck, but instead of finding purchase, it passed straight through a shimmering afterimage he left in his place.

  Afterimage! A classic escape skill, leaving a decoy while the caster blinks up to 5 yards away.

  But the golden arrow didn't fall to the ground. It stopped, did an impossible U-turn in mid-air, and shot directly toward Blackthorn's new location.

  He was shocked, but not beaten. Nice trick, but not good enough.

  "Hah!" Blackthorn barked, and his entire body dissolved into an incorporeal shadow. In Shadow Form, he couldn't be hit by targeted attacks. Physical or magical, they would simply pass through him.

  A smirk touched his lips as he waited for the golden arrow to phase harmlessly through his chest.

  This time, however, it didn't pass through. It slammed into him with the force of a battering ram.

  -19,755

  Thud.

  Eclipse_Blackthorn hit the floor, dead.