Kaiden and Na? arrived at the outskirts of Hollowmere, where a decrepit greenhouse loomed before them. The structure was overgrown with vines that pulsed faintly, as if alive. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something acrid, a warning of the danger within. The greenhouse had long been abandoned, its glass panels cracked and clouded with grime. Faint growls echoed from within, hinting at the monstrous presence inside.
Just outside the entrance, they spotted the female Guardener, Ironstride. She leaned against a broken signpost, arms crossed, and her gaze held irritation in them. She barely acknowledged them before speaking.
“Figures,” she muttered. “More new players rushing to their deaths.”
Na? raised a hand in greeting. “Hey. Didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you out here?”
Ironstride sighed, pushing off the signpost. “Unfortunately, I’m stuck here. This Bio Dome requires multiple players to clear, and every team I’ve joined has been absolute garbage. Just a bunch of clueless noobs getting crushed. If you don’t have at least decent coordination, this thing wipes you out in seconds. It’s basically gatekeeping people who suck at VRMMOs.”
Kaiden narrowed his eyes. “So what, you’re just waiting for a competent team to carry you through?”
Ironstride scoffed. “I’d solo this if I could, but the dome mechanics won’t let a single player in.”
Na? glanced at Kaiden. “Maybe we should party up? I have a feeling we’ll need a Guardener for this.”
Kaiden clenched his jaw but ultimately relented, sending the invite. He still hadn’t forgotten how she had abandoned him during their last encounter, but he wasn’t about to let personal grudges get in the way of survival.
Ironstride laughed as the party request notification popped up. “Oh? Didn’t think you’d have it in you.” She accepted with a smirk. “Alright then, let’s see if you two can actually keep up.”
With their team now assembled, the trio stepped into the Bio Dome. Their quest markers updated immediately:
[Defeat Mandrake Reaper ]
Inside, the environment shifted instantly. The cracked floor of the greenhouse gave way to a massive underground arena, shrouded in mist. Pulsing vines crawled along the walls, glowing with an eerie luminescence. At the far end of the space, a lone figure stood. A man draped in dark robes, his back to them. He turned slowly, revealing a sinister grin.
“You’re too late,” The mysterious Buyer spoke, his voice filled with dark amusement. “The power of the Omni Clan’s creation is now mine.”
From above, the ceiling shattered. A monstrous plant creature descended with a deafening crash, its body a tangled mass of thorned vines and pulsing spores. The impact shook the entire battlefield as dust and debris flew into the air. The creature let out a guttural roar, its petals unfurling to reveal razor-sharp teeth.
Kaiden tensed. “Wait, are we supposed to take down the Bio Threat and deal with that lunatic?”
Na? let out a surprised yelp as two health bars appeared on their HUDs, one for the monster and another for the Buyer.
“And now you see what I was talking about,” Ironstride commented.
The Mandrake Reaper lashed out with its vine-covered limbs, swiping at the team with terrifying speed. Ironstride stepped in, raising her shield as she activated her defensive stance.
“I’ll handle the aggro. Nyte, go for the Buyer,” she shouted.
But Kaiden hesitated. He wasn’t convinced the Buyer was the real threat. The Bio Threat had to be dealt with first, otherwise, they’d be wiped out. He gritted his teeth, lunging forward to strike at the monster’s vines, aiming to break its cells before it could regenerate.
“Nyte, what the hell are you doing?” Ironstride snapped, barely deflecting a lashing tendril. “We need to take out the Buyer first, or this thing just keeps going.”
“I’m breaking its defenses. It’s the bigger threat!” Kaiden countered, dodging a vine strike just in time.
The two of them clashed verbally even as the battle raged on. Meanwhile, Na? was struggling to keep up with the relentless damage output. His healing flasks were being used up at an alarming rate, and his cooldowns weren’t refreshing fast enough.
“Guys, I hate to interrupt, but I can’t keep up if you’re both fighting different fights,” Na? shouted.
Kaiden hesitated for a fraction of a second, glancing at Ironstride. She was struggling to maintain control of the battle, and he knew she had more experience in this raid. As much as he didn’t trust her, he had to make a choice.
“…Fine. You lead,” he said begrudgingly.
Ironstride didn’t waste a second to retort back. “About damn time.”
Kaiden attacked the Buyer while Ironstride held off the Mandrake Reaper. She barked orders at Na?, instructing him to focus his heals on Kaiden until Phase 2.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The Buyer was faster than expected, dodging and countering Kaiden’s strikes with unnatural speed. His attacks were relentless, each blow chipping away at Kaiden’s LP rapidly. However, Na?’s support kept Kaiden from dropping, his healing abilities working overtime as his stamina dwindled.
After a grueling back-and-forth, the Buyer’s health bar hit the threshold, triggering Phase 2. The air around them grew heavier as the Buyer let out an unearthly yell, his body convulsing violently. His limbs elongated, his skin took on a hardened chitinous texture, and multifaceted, insect-like eyes snapped open across his grotesque new form. Wings sprouted from his back, fluttering rapidly as he hovered above the battlefield, screeching.
Now, the Buyer was airborne and attacking alongside the Mandrake Reaper. Before, he had only healed and buffed the monster, but now he was dealing heavy damage alongside it.
Ironstride activated her defensive skills: Reinforced Guard and Iron Bulwark, but suddenly, her status bars exploded with debuffs: Poisoned, Entangled, Weakness, Slow. She was immobilized, and her LP plummeted dangerously fast. Na? instinctively prepared a heal, but Ironstride shouted at him to stop.
“Don’t panic. I’m out of action for now, but this is part of the fight. Run to the edge of the arena. Now.”
Na? faltered. “But—”
“Just trust me,” she bellowed.
Kaiden and Na? hesitated but obeyed, sprinting to the outer edge of the battlefield.
Above them, the Mandrake Reaper and the Buyer ascended high into the air. Then, in perfect synchronization, they plummeted down with monstrous force.
Kaiden and Na? barely evaded the impact as the ground ruptured. The entire area quaked, dust and debris exploding outward from the sheer force of their landing.
Ironstride had taken the full impact.
Kaiden’s eyes widened as her LP bar hit 1.
“No way, she’s still standing?” Na? gasped.
The debuffs faded instantly. Ironstride barely looked fazed, though her breathing was ragged. “That’s why I told you to run. That attack is an AOE finisher it wipes Reapers and Supporters instantly. But Guardeners? We have a trait that negates landing damage. All my other parties wiped because they panicked instead of trusting the mechanics. Now heal me,” she commanded.
Na? snapped into action, casting Vital Sap to restore her LP. With Ironstride back at full strength, the battle resumed.
Kaiden refocused on the Buyer, recognizing the weak point that had formed from his grotesque transformation, his Stem Core. A flickering, pulsing green mass embedded in his thorax.
“I’m taking him down,” Kaiden declared.
“Good. Keep it up.” Ironstride gritted her teeth as she absorbed the Mandrake Reaper’s relentless strikes.
Kaiden pressed forward, dodging and countering until he finally struck true, his blade slicing deep into the Buyer’s stem. The mutated figure shrieked, his wings beating frantically as [-90 LP] flashed above him. Another strike [-75 LP] sent him into a violent convulsion midair, his insectoid body twitching uncontrollably. His LP plummeted to zero, his final screech echoing as he collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his body dissolving into data.
With the Buyer gone, the Mandrake Reaper lost its buffs, becoming significantly weaker. Now fighting as a team, Kaiden and Ironstride worked together, each landing calculated strikes against the Mandrake Reaper’s exposed weaknesses. Kaiden unleashed Fractured Strike directly into its central stalk [-85 LP], causing the creature to screech in fury. Ironstride followed up with a powerful Shield Bash, staggering the creature and dealing [-60 LP] as it recoiled. The Mandrake Reaper lashed out, striking Kaiden with a spiked tendril [40 LP], sending him skidding back, but Na? quickly restored his lost LP with Vital Sap.
Seeing an opening, Ironstride drove her shield into the ground, activating Bulwark Rush, charging forward and crushing several of the Mandrake’s exposed vines [-70 LP]. Kaiden took advantage of the moment, spinning his scythe in a fatal arc strike, severing the creature’s last root [-95 LP]. The Mandrake Reaper let out a final cry, its form convulsing before crumbling into dust, signaling their victory.
[Quest Completed: Defeat Mandrake Reaper]
A rush of experience flooded their HUDs as all three leveled up:
Level Up!
[Nyte: Level 7 ]
LP: 180/180
AP: 110
ATK: 38
DEF: 28
DEX: 26
AGI: 45
INT: 19
WIS: 16
[Ironstride: Level 5 ]
LP: 210/210
GP: 60
ATK: 21
DEF: 40
DEX: 15
AGI: 22
INT: 10
WIS: 17
New Skill Learned: Fortified Presence - Increases aggro generation by 25% and grants a temporary 10% boost to DEF for 10 seconds when taking consecutive hits.
[Mixmaster: Level 4 ]
LP: 110
SP: 80
ATK: 18
DEF: 16
DEX: 17
AGI: 22
INT: 24
WIS: 27
New Skill Learned: Corrosive Draught Throws a vial of acidic liquid that breaks down enemy defenses over time. Deals moderate damage initially and applies a Defense Down debuff (-10% DEF) for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.
Before they could celebrate, a cloaked figure stepped forward from the shadows. Their voice was calm yet ominous.
“Resistance against the new world is futile. Accept metamorphosis… or be set ablaze by the sun’s judgment.”
Before Kaiden could react, the figure vanished without a trace.
Na?, wide-eyed, exhaled. “Well, the game just got interesting.”
Ironstride removed herself from the party, nodding to them. “That was better than I expected. Thanks for the assist.”
Kaiden frowned at her usual indifferent attitude, but he returned the sentiment. “Same to you.”
Their quest markers updated: [Report the Bio Threat’s Defeat to the mayor].
