With a final, contemptuous flick of its wrist, the Behemoth swatted the last survivor out of existence before turning its full attention to Kael.

  It let out a deafening roar. The golden light radiating from its body flared violently, and a new debuff icon immediately appeared on the party’s UI: [Breath of Apollo].

  But just as the Behemoth raised its ethereal bow to repeat the slaughter, the Guardian Elder of Behemoth's Watch lifted his staff. He closed his eyes and began to chant, his voice a low, resonant hum.

  A gentle warmth spread through Kael’s body. A soft, welcoming golden light, entirely different from the Behemoth's harsh glare, began to pour from him, blanketing the entire party in its protective aura.

  "Holy crap!" Orion suddenly shouted. "The Breath of Apollo debuff—it's gone!"

  The others quickly checked their status. "Mine too!"

  When the Behemoth's first golden arrow struck Kael, his 30,000 health barely dipped.

  -7,215

  The Elder’s spell had worked. Their defensive buffs were no longer being ignored.

  By now, Hazel had already charged to the boss’s side, slamming her shield into its leg.

  [Taunting Roar]!

  -1

  -1

  ...

  If Caleb Mordant and his allies were still alive to see this, their eyes would have popped out of their heads. With her multiple buffs and the powerful potions from Behemoth's Watch, Hazel's defense stat was now over 11,000. The Behemoth's once-devastating attacks were barely scratching her.

  -3,721

  -4,025

  Rena was now pumping out seven to eight thousand points of healing per second. To Hazel, the boss's attacks felt like little more than a tickle.

  Kael and his clone’s response was simple and brutal.

  -15,274 (Kael)

  -8,371 (clone)

  -35,827 (clone critical hit)

  -54,825 (Kael critical hit)

  ...

  Faced with a sustained 70,000 to 80,000 damage per second, the Behemoth's remaining health pool evaporated.

  4,000,000...

  3,500,000...

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  3,000,000...

  But as its health dropped to its final million, the creature went berserk. The golden light around it exploded, concentrating around its hands. The single golden arrows it fired were replaced by a Splintering Arrow effect, launching a volley that struck everyone in the room, including Kael’s clone.

  -9,225 (Orion)

  -9,159 (Rena)

  -7,979 (Lila)

  -7,136 (Kael)

  -13,621 (Kael's clone)

  Seeing this, Kael knew he had to change tactics fast.

  "Everyone else, stop attacking!" he commanded. "Use your survival skills and back off! Rena, get ready to focus-heal me!"

  The team chugged health potions as they fell back. Orion once again used Corpse Rigor, Rena threw a magic shield on herself, and Lila expertly parried an incoming arrow with her greatsword.

  Kael swapped his normal arrows for the soul-infused shards in his inventory. The clone was a liability now with the constant AoE damage; this was a pure DPS burn.

  -26,485 (Ice Arrow, slowing the boss's attack speed)

  -35,258 (Fire Arrow, dealing mixed physical and magical damage)

  -25,919 (Stone Arrow, knocking the boss back a step)

  -84,158 (Ice and Stone Arrow critical hit)

  -113,595 (Fire Arrow critical hit)

  He unleashed all six of his special arrows in a furious volley. As the final stone arrow found its mark, the Behemoth’s health bar finally hit zero.

  [System: You have slain the Behemoth spirit. You have gained 50,000,000 EXP.]

  [System: Lucky Bonus triggered! You have gained an additional 50,000,000 EXP.]

  The team stood in stunned silence. The boss's third form, the one that had systematically wiped three of the world's top guilds, was defeated in under two minutes? Was it really over?

  They checked the system log again, then looked at the glittering pile of equipment on the floor. It was real.

  "WE DID IT!" Hazel screamed, launching herself at Kael. Orion and Rena grabbed each other in a triumphant hug.

  Kael neatly sidestepped Hazel's flying tackle and sprinted toward the ornate seat at the back of the room where the Behemoth had first appeared. Three distinct glows pulsed there. With no time to inspect them, he swept them all into his inventory just as a new notification popped up, visible to everyone on their server.

  [System: Player Dawnbreaker has obtained the server's first Mythic item: Solar Mantle of Apollo!]

  [System: With the appearance of the first Mythic item, the server-wide (Earth) Equipment Leaderboard has now been unlocked.]

  Before Kael could even check the item’s stats, the global chat channel exploded.

  "WTF, WHAT DID DAWNBREAKER DO NOW?!"

  "Dawnbreaker is my god!"

  "Fucking hell, and people say this guy isn't cheating!"

  .....

  Curious to see where everyone stood, Kael opened the new leaderboard.

  Solar Mantle of Apollo (Mythic) - Owner: Dawnbreaker

  Sage’s Angling Rod (Ascendant) - Owner: Angler

  Obsidian Greatsword (Ascendant) - Owner: Draevan

  Diadem of Unyielding Will (Ascendant) - Owner: Dawnbreaker

  Boots of Flowing Step (Ascendant) - Owner: Dreadfang

  Galeharrow (Ascendant) - Owner: Dawnbreaker

  ...

  Of the top ten items, one was Mythic and seven were Ascendant. Kael himself owned three of them. He noted with some relief that now that other players with Ascendant gear were visible, the community’s envy was no longer focused solely on him.

  But Kael wasn't interested in the chatter. He knew this wasn't over. The Behemoth spirit hadn't been completely destroyed. Though faded, a faint golden light still protected its dissipating form.

  Lila had noticed it too. She walked over to him, holding out a piece of ivory-white bone. "The boss dropped this hand bone. Is this what you were looking for?"

  Kael took it. It was exactly what he needed: the [Right Hand Bone of Apollo]. This was the source of the Behemoth's terrifying third form.

  Just as Kael began to inspect the artifact, the fading remnant of the Behemoth and the Guardian Elder rushed towards him.

  "Champion, don't!" the Elder cried out in panic.

  Kael paused, looking up at him.

  "This entire Land of the Behemoth is sustained by the creature's spirit," the Elder explained breathlessly. "If you extinguish it completely, this whole dimension will collapse! All of my people will perish! We must study the god's bone in your hand… there must be another way!"

  Kael considered his words. He had a point. He stopped.