This was the most dangerous part of the fight so far.

  In this phase, Gravelurker’s attacks would become deadlier—its damage would spike drastically—enhanced by visible Mana swirling around its pincers.

  Worse still, it would start using its sticky web to restrict our movement, trapping us like helpless prey. On the bright side, it had stopped using its camouflage annoying trick.

  I gritted my teeth. We needed to end this phase quickly. We had been battling through the second phase for hours, fighting tooth and nail. I could feel the effect of the Grave’s Whisper growing stronger with each passing moment.

  Our original plan was to conserve Soul Power—the resource needed for using weapon skills and Soul Fragment abilities—until the third and final phase.

  But the battle had already dragged on far too long. If we wanted to survive, we had to adjust our strategy now.

  “Change of plans. Hit it with everything you’ve got! Use your strongest attacks!” I shouted, my voice barely cutting through the chaotic battlefield.

  Muradin and Darwyn glanced at each other, nodded, and complied.

  Darwyn was the first to move.

  He shot multiple arrows, each tip glowing with a volatile light—Sticky Bomb.

  Swoosh—!

  The arrows lodged themselves straight into Gravelurker’s open mouth.

  Then—

  BOOM!

  A violent explosion erupted from inside the monster’s maw, sending out a shockwave of blue-tinged Mana.

  Gravelurker let out an ear-splitting screech, its entire body writhing in agony.

  [Quickdraw cast]

  Muradin charged forward.

  In one swift motion, he swapped weapons, pulling out Mordok’s Battleaxe—a massive, enchanted weapon known for its devastating power.

  I channeled Inner Beast into him, enhancing his strength before he used his ultimate move.

  “This is gonna hurt, bastard!” Muradin roared.

  THUNDERSTRIKE SLAM!

  A deafening boom rang out as Muradin’s axes struck down with enough force to send shockwaves through Gravelurker’s entire body.

  I didn’t let up either—I unleashed Wind Cutter after Wind Cutter, slicing through the air in rapid succession.

  At the same time, Elena and Darwyn rained arrows down like a storm, aiming for its weakest points.

  Gravelurker wasn’t just going to take the hits.

  It retaliated.

  WHAM!

  The giant pincer, now coated in swirling blue mana, lashed out.

  Muradin was sent flying. His body slammed into the cavern wall with a sickening crack!

  His axes slipped from his hands, clattering against the stone floor.

  For a moment, I feared the worst.

  [Rejuvenation cast]

  [Tempest Shield cast]

  I hurriedly shielded him, focusing on keeping him alive while Darwyn and Elena went all in, trying to bring the monster down before it could finish Muradin off.

  At the last possible moment, Gravelurker suddenly retreated.

  But it wasn’t fleeing.

  Instead of striking with its massive pincers, it shifted tactics—unleashing a relentless barrage of webbing in our direction.

  “Watch out!” I shouted.

  Thick, sticky threads shot through the air, threatening to ensnare us like helpless prey.

  I barely had time to react. Wind Cutter!

  Blades of compressed air sliced through the webs, freeing myself and the others before we were completely trapped.

  Darwyn and Elena kept up their attack, refusing to give the monster any breathing room.

  Meanwhile, Orin struggled to drag Muradin to safety, her hands trembling as she pulled his heavy form away from the front lines.

  My vision blurred.

  A dull, suffocating pressure pressed against my skull, and I knew exactly what it meant—

  Grave’s Whisper was reaching its limit.

  90%. Maybe more.

  Each breath felt heavier. Each movement, slower.

  Darwyn must have felt it too.

  His expression twisted with urgency as he activated his final gambit.

  “Now! Explode, you bastard!” he growled, triggering every single Sticky Bomb he had planted onto Gravelurker’s body.

  BOOM—!

  BOOM—!

  BOOM—!

  A chain of violent explosions tore through the monster’s thick exoskeleton, sending shards of its crimson red carapace flying in all directions.

  ROOOOAR!

  Gravelurker let out an ear-splitting shriek of agony.

  But it wasn’t done yet.

  Enraged, it desperately unleashed another wave of webs, this time far denser and faster than before—

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  A final, frantic defense mechanism.

  Before we could escape, the webbing engulfed us.

  The sticky strands wrapped around my limbs, pulling me down.

  My body refused to move. My mind felt like it was sinking into an abyss.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Gravelurker’s massive form trembling, its body curling in on itself.

  It was hibernating.

  Thank goodness we made it just in time.

  I barely had time to register the sight—

  Before my consciousness slipped away completely.

  [Grave’s Whisper progress has reached 100%]

  [Entering Eternal Grave World…]

  I could see a dark shadowy figure—one that felt eerily familiar. The way it moved, its small frame, the tiny antlers that had just begun to sprout…

  It was me.

  A shadow version of me.

  When Grave’s Whisper reaches completion, our consciousness is pulled into the Eternal Grave World, leaving our bodies vulnerable. If this happens before the Gravelurker enters its hibernation state, it’s game over for all of us.

  One great danger had passed, but another loomed ahead. In this world, we had to face ourselves—literally. And we had to do it with nothing but our bare hands.

  But the shadow could sense our fear. It fed on it, grew stronger because of it. And worst of all, we had a time limit. One hour, at most.

  Thud. Thud. Crack. Smack.

  We traded blows relentlessly. Every punch I landed, it returned with equal or greater force. But then, behind it, I saw something—visions flashing to life, scenes playing out as if my mind had been laid bare.

  Unfortunately, Ooborosk’s Mantle passive skill couldn’t counter this kind of effect.

  I saw Muradin, Darwyn, Orin, and Elena—the Ironwood team. Then Instructor Vallen, the Archdruid, and the other druids. Even Sam was there. But something was wrong.

  They were all looking at me with disgust, their faces twisted in hatred. One by one, they turned their backs and vanished into the void, leaving me behind.

  A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. My breathing hitched. Fear crawled through my veins like a venomous serpent, sapping my strength.

  The shadow struck me hard—right in the side of my head. The impact sent me reeling.

  [Willpower exceeds 100. Eternal Grave World effects have been diminished]

  No. I refuse to let this break me.

  Gritting my teeth, I steadied myself and lunged forward, throwing everything I had into my next attack. My fist connected, sinking deep into the shadow’s form. A harrowing scream tore from where its mouth should have been.

  Then, the scene shifted.

  This time, I saw it from my own point of view—the accident.

  Slow motion.

  A truck swerving out of its lane, heading straight for our car.

  Glass shattering.

  Metal crumpling.

  My father’s body, trapped, crushed, blood seeping from every wound, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles. His face contorted in pain, helpless.

  My mother’s screams, raw and hysterical.

  The violent jolt, the deafening crash—the moment of impact swallowing everything.

  Tears streamed down my face before I even realized it. My body trembled, but I forced my arms around myself, grounding myself in the moment.

  “I can do this,” I whispered.

  No, I had to do this.

  I could feel its strength waning, its movements growing sluggish. I didn’t just rely on my fists—I used everything I had. Kicks, headbutts, even bites.

  Chomp! My teeth sank into its shoulder. The sensation was bizarre—tasteless, yet unnervingly solid. The moment I did, my shadow twin mirrored the action, clamping down on my own flesh with the same unrelenting force. Pain shot through me, but I refused to let go.

  Man, he's just as crazy as I am.

  Scene after scene flashed before my eyes. My lonely days in the hospital, the sterile walls closing in on me. The moment I found my mother hanging, life drained from her eyes, unable to bear the weight of existence. The cold rejection of my relatives, throwing me out into the world without a second thought. My tiny, suffocating room—the only refuge I had left.

  No. I wouldn’t let these memories control me. The past was unchangeable. What mattered was now.

  I let out a feral growl and attacked relentlessly. My fists hammered into the shadow, every strike fueled by raw determination. My knuckles split, pain radiated up my arms, but I didn’t stop.

  [Successfully exited Eternal Grave World]

  A sudden jolt. My consciousness slammed back into my real body, and the first thing I felt was the suffocating tightness of the web constraining me. Sticky and unyielding, it clung to my skin like a second layer of flesh. I clawed at it desperately, using what little strength remained.

  [Warning: Mana reserves are empty. Your HP will gradually decrease]

  Drainweaver Web.

  Gravelurker’s ultimate skill before its final phase. It wasn’t just an immobilizing trap—it drained everything from an unconscious target. First, it drains your Mana instantly, then it began to sap your life force.

  Combined with Eternal Grave World that rendered the target unconscious, if the target didn’t break free within an hour, no matter how strong they were, they were as good as dead. Only the target itself could free themselves from the trap of Drainweaver Web.

  A quick check on my condition. My health had barely dropped, meaning I hadn’t spent long in the Eternal Grave World. Ten minutes, at most.

  I scanned my surroundings. My team was still unconscious, their bodies bound in the same suffocating webs. Time was slipping away.

  I need to make a move. Soon.

  My fingers closed around Muradin’s fallen axe. Without hesitation, I tore it free from the ground and surged forward.

  Druid Warrior Mode.

  With both axes in hand, I unleashed a storm of strikes upon the hibernating Gravelurker. Each blow was delivered with everything I had, my muscles screaming with exertion. My voice rose with every swing, a desperate battle cry echoing through the cavern.

  But it wasn’t enough. My strikes couldn’t outpace its regeneration.

  “Eryndor, what’s going on?"

  Orin.

  Finally.

  She’d gotten out of the Eternal Grave World much faster than I expected. Impressive.

  “Use the item you have prepared!” I commanded, not pausing my assault.

  [Blightroot Draught used]

  A faint glow pulsed through the Gravelurker’s body as the potion took effect. Luckily, Orin had studied all its ingredients beforehand—she was able to materialize it perfectly.

  Blightroot Draught. One of the few things capable of slowing the Gravelurker’s monstrous regeneration.

  This was the most terrifying part of its final phase. If it healed even half its health, we’d be forced to restart phase two from the beginning. And if that happened… we were finished.

  No potions. No Mana. Bodies already battered and bruised.

  This was our only chance.

  This had to end now.

  ***

  One by one, our team regained consciousness. Darwyn came to about ten minutes after Orin, followed by Muradin another ten minutes later. That left Elena—she only had twenty five minutes left before it was too late. But there was nothing we could do except pray and trust in her strength.

  Darwyn focused on firing his arrows, though he could no longer use any skills. He had exhausted all his Soul Power in the previous phase. Still, his condition was far better than Muradin’s. The dwarf, still reeling from Gravelurker’s previous attacks, staggered and struggled to stand. But, stubborn as ever, he refused to back down. With gritted teeth, he hefted his warhammer and forced himself into battle.

  Orin wasn’t about to be left behind either. She swung her wooden staff, striking Gravelurker’s hardened body with relentless determination.

  For nearly fifteen minutes, we pushed ourselves beyond our limits, throwing everything we had left into the fight. And yet, despite our exhaustion, none of us could ignore the single thought dominating our minds—Elena.

  Ten minutes left. Her body remained limp, unmoving.

  Seven.

  Five.

  With only two minutes remaining, a faint movement.

  Darwyn let out a choked sob, then snapped, “Are you insane?! Do you know how close you came to making your brother die of panic?”

  “You should’ve seen the snot dripping from his nose,” Muradin wheezed between ragged breaths, casting a teasing glance at Elena.

  Orin let out a joyful squeal, and I could only smile weakly, relief washing over me.

  "I-I’m sorry," Elena stammered, still shaken, but without hesitation, she jumped into the fray, even though her life was probably already on the line.

  With our final member rejoining the battle, the tide shifted. Gravelurker’s once-impenetrable regeneration struggled against our combined assault. The beast was weakening.

  But it wasn’t about to die quietly.

  With a deafening screech, it lurched up from its hibernation, its massive claws once again crackling with Mana as it prepared to strike.