Colossus
21
Alex and Arnaldo ran toward the location Félix had indicated. The corridor opened into a massive underground hall, with enormous, twisted, and worn stone columns supporting the entire chamber. Black moss covered the walls, and dim, flickering lights clung to the crusted stone surfaces.
The air smelled of blood, and signs of decay were visible everywhere. The silence of the hall made the hurried footsteps of the two stand out sharply.
Alex pushed his perception attribute to the maximum, linked to gravity around him. He could sense the danger lurking in the darkness, sending warning signals to his heart.
Behind them, the decomposing bodies of hunters crawled forward like puppets.
Arnaldo decided to take the front in a protective stance. He activated one of his skills to illuminate the passage, Aura of the Sword Saint Lv 3, slightly dispelling the darkness and the surrounding miasma.
"Stay behind me, Alex."
However, the first attack came from above.
Arnaldo was the first to react before the impact reached him. He used his golden sword, charged with his aura, slicing the undead hunter that fell from above. Yet, the enemies were shredded in a movement imbued with the power of the Sword Saint.
Alex did not just stand by. With lightning covering his body, he used Excalibur to sever the heads of the approaching undead hunters, showcasing his agility and dexterity to the fullest.
Unfortunately for them, from the corpses they had just defeated, new undead arosefaster, stronger, and more brutal than the previous ones.
The walls, coated in black liquid, trembled, and a tremendous roar echoed throughout the hallthe dungeon boss had finally appeared.
The floor split open, and an enormous creature burst forth from the opening. It was the boss; both could feel it. It was more accurate to say that the undead creature was a grotesque colossus, formed from dozens of corpses fused together to create the boss's body.
The monster had four arms, each wielding massive blades, and its green eyes burned with a flickering green flame.
Arnaldo took the lead in the attack, throwing himself at the boss. To do so, he used Step of the Archangel Lv2, transforming into a golden flash. His sword pierced the boss's chest, causing it to roar violently and expel a grotesque black liquid. The sacred light seared the monster's flesh, but from the wound, smaller undead emerged.
"Leader, they're multiplying, and no matter how many I kill, others appear almost immediately," Alex took a step back, his voice revealing concern.
As a novice hunter, he wasn't accustomed to this kind of strangeness. They needed to find a way to handle the situation before it became too late.
The Sword Saint did not hesitate upon seeing the unfolding events. He used Purifying Waves Lv2, sweeping the ground with the intensity of his sacred aura, burning the undead until they turned to ash.
"Don't worry, just keep fighting with everything you've got. I won't let the professor's kid die in a dungeon. You just need to cover me, okay?" Arnaldo said, giving Alex a bit of reassurance.
Alex expanded his Gravitational Defense Lv2, forming a heavy field that protected even the Sword Saint. This caused the boss's blades to be deflected. Then, lightning enveloped his body, and in an instant, he activated Lightning Step Lv2.
He left a trail of purple light, and his sword Excalibur easily sliced through the tendons of the undead colossus's left leg.
Using his gravitational control for a brief moment, he drew a downward cut, sealing the creature's movements.
The colossus staggered but did not fall. Each fragment cut from its enormous body writhed as if it had its own form, rising as smaller undead, all with burning eyes and sharp claws.
Arnaldo continued his attacks, each carrying 100 points of his strength attribute. The dragon engraved on his sword became more visible as he wielded it, and the golden glow of his aura illuminated the corpses that immediately rose after being struck.
Alex held his breath and unleashed all his power to amplify the gravitational force around him. His aura surged dramatically, crushing an entire wave against the dungeon's stone floor. Bones shattered, yet the dust reshaped into more bodiesit was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.
The entire dungeon seemed like an extension of the boss's body; every extermination was an invitation for the next wave of undead creatures. Arnaldo kept his guard raised, eyes fixed on the colossus, which regenerated all the damage he and Alex inflicted.
"Leader, I want to leave… this never ends. It feels like we're accomplishing nothing."
Arnaldo smiled slightly in response; he saw something that Alex could not.
The boss's roar echoed once more, making the stone walls tremble. The tide of undead continued to grow, showing no sign of weakness.
Chains made of bones shot out from the walls, intertwining with each other, whipping through the air like countless serpents, attempting to crush Alex and Arnaldo. The floor vibrated with every snap of the chains.
Arnaldo's aura intensified, pressing down oppressively on the entire monster-filled hall. He concentrated all his cutting power, imbuing the Sword Saint's aura into his golden blade. The sunlight-bright glow illuminated the surrounding darkness.
"Alex, I'm going to need a boost," the voice sounded confident and firm.
Alex felt inspired to give everything he had. There they werea king and a saint battling against undead who refused to rest.
The gravity around the Sword Saint inverted at Alex's command; the air distorted slightly. With an incredible leap, Arnaldo shot forward like a golden meteor, leaving behind residual images.
From above, Arnaldo raised his sword to deliver a powerful strike. The dungeon's stone ceiling violently split open.
The dungeon shook; columns collapsed with a thunderous crash, and rivers of monsters surged forth, arms and claws entangling to trap the Sword Saint.
Alex advanced at the same moment. Excalibur glowed with a purple light as he activated one of his abilities.
King's Command Lv1
A pulse of royal authority erupted across the battlefield, reverberating with the lightning that surged from his sword. All the monsters hesitated for a moment, frozen under the weight of a true king.
Arnaldo seized the opening Alex had created. The Sword Saint descended from the sky like a golden shooting star. His sword slash tore an arc of pure condensed aura, slicing the air before him. The boss recoiled in horror, its entire body cracking like pressure glassbut the dead flesh began regenerating in the next second.