Phase two was deceptively simple.

  With all its minions defeated, the King Kobold let out a guttural snarl before abruptly digging into the ground. Its massive claws tore through the stone floor like it was mere dirt, leaving behind a yawning hole as its massive form disappeared beneath the surface.

  We immediately closed ranks, standing back to back in a tight formation, waiting for Darwyn’s signal.

  Unlike the Kobold Diggers, which only attacked from below, the King Kobold was far more unpredictable. It could strike from any direction—above, below, or even from the walls.

  The only thing keeping us alive? Darwyn’s uncanny ability to track it.

  His eyes flickered across the battlefield, analyzing every shift in the terrain. Then, in a firm, decisive voice, he called out—

  “Muradin! Three o’clock, from the wall!”

  Muradin reacted instantly. He pivoted just as the King Kobold erupted from the stone, moving with terrifying speed. Its hulking form shot out sideways, its clawed hands slicing through the air in a deadly arc.

  CLANG!

  Muradin barely managed to intercept the attack with his shield. The force sent him skidding back, his boots scraping against the stone floor.

  “Now!” Darwyn shouted.

  The moment Muradin halted its momentum, the rest of us launched our strongest attacks. Lightning crackled, wind howled, and arrows tore through the air, piercing into the King Kobold with unrelenting force.

  Again and again, the battle repeated.

  Each time it burrowed, Darwyn tracked it. Each time it emerged, Muradin took the hit, and the rest of us retaliated.

  But as time passed, exhaustion began to set in.

  Muradin’s movements were slower now, his breathing labored. King Kobold’s brutal strikes sent him staggering each time, momentarily stunning him before he could recover. His armor was battered, his shield dented and cracked.

  The battlefield itself was a treacherous mess. Gaping holes littered the ground, forcing us to tread carefully. One misstep, and we’d plummet into the dark abyss below.

  Yet, we weren’t the only ones struggling.

  The King Kobold was slowing down.

  Its attacks were less precise, its movements losing their deadly speed. Deep wounds marred its thick hide, proof that our relentless assault was taking its toll.

  I tightened my grip on my scepter, assessing the situation.

  “Not much longer now…” I murmured under my breath.

  If my calculations were right, we were minutes away from Phase Three.

  And that…

  That was where things would get truly dangerous

  ***

  Minutes had passed.

  The air felt heavier, charged with an ominous energy. Suddenly—

  RUMBLE!

  The entire room quaked violently. Cracks splintered across the stone floor. The King Kobold was nowhere to be seen.

  And then—

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  Without warning, the floor collapsed beneath us.

  “Shoot!” I barely had time to curse before we were all plunging into darkness.

  The chasm was deep—far deeper than it seemed from above. The howling void swallowed us whole, the wind roaring past our ears as we fell.

  Through the abyss, Darwyn’s voice rang out.

  “Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen!”

  No hesitation—we all reached into our inventories, pulling out the one item that would save our lives.

  “Three… Two… One—”

  “Now!” Darwyn commanded.

  [Featherfall Tonic used.]

  A cool sensation rushed through my body as I swallowed the Featherfall Tonic. My descent slowed instantly, the magic within the potion negating the lethal impact.

  Without it? We’d be dead on arrival.

  Our boots touched down gently onto the floor of a vast, flooded chamber. Ice-cold water reached our ankles. Total darkness surrounded us—silent, suffocating, absolute.

  “Darwyn?” I called.

  [Illumne casted.]

  A brief glow illuminated the chamber. We were able to check the surroundings before it’s fading again.

  We split up, moving swiftly into position. The room was circular, with jagged walls offering small alcoves—perfect hiding spots.

  “So close,” Muradin muttered.

  Then—

  BOOM!

  A massive form crashed into the chamber, sending shockwaves through the water.

  The King Kobold had arrived.

  Dim, eerie light began to pulse from the crystals embedded in the walls, casting unsettling shadows across the chamber. Though it wasn’t much, it was enough to reveal one crucial advantage—

  We were hidden in the darkness.

  King Kobold straightened, its heavy tail rising high, charged with deadly energy. And then—

  BAM! BAM! BAM!

  The tail slammed into the ground, again and again, shaking the entire chamber. Cracks split the stone, water sloshed wildly, and the air hummed with lethal force.

  The beast spun violently, its tail carving through the entire room.

  One hit. That’s all it would take. No armor, no skill—nothing could save us from this instant-kill move.

  We held our breath. Stayed low. Waited.

  The barrage continued for what felt like eternity.

  And then—silence.

  I exhaled shakily. No casualties. Not yet.

  But this wasn’t over.

  King Kobold’s attack pattern was relentless—a short break, then another devastating spin. We had mere seconds to retaliate before we had to retreat again.

  We struck hard, unleashing everything we had in those brief windows of opportunity—

  Only to fall back into hiding when the tail rose once more.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Four times.

  Everything was going smoothly—Until it wasn’t.

  BAAM!

  The tail came crashing down.

  Right on top of Muradin.

  A stunned silence filled the chamber. We froze, staring through the swirling dust. As the debris settled, Muradin stood there—shaking, breathless, alive. A hair’s breadth away from death.

  I swallowed hard. My heart skipped a beat for a while.

  ***

  After several more rounds of brutal attacks—with some closed calls, finally the battle reaching it ends.

  King Kobold was nearing its limit—its movements sluggish, its once-dominating form weakened. But if we didn’t end this now—

  It would escape. And trap us here until the Tower closes.

  “Wait.” Orin’s voice cut through the tension.

  We turned to see her, staff raised, a strange blue energy swirling around it.

  “Orin, what are you—”

  The energy surged. A soft, radiant light enveloped the King Kobold, its massive body locking into place.

  We stared in shock. This wasn’t in the plan.

  “Finish it.” Orin’s voice was steady, unwavering.

  [Quickdraw casted.]

  Muradin’s equipment shifted in an instant. His shield and hammer vanished, replaced by two massive axes—Mordok’s Battleaxe.

  Without hesitation, I cast Inner Beast on Muradin, feeding him raw power.

  He raised both axes high, muscles tensing, before bringing them down in a devastating, earth-shattering blow.

  [Thunderstrike Slam casted.]

  A twin-axe strike, imbued with the raw force of a storm.

  The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave tore through the room, sending ripples through the water, the sound deafening. The King Kobold shuddered.

  Then—with one last, agonized roar—It collapsed. Dead.

  We stood there, catching our breath, the enormity of our victory settling in.

  For a moment, nobody spoke.

  Something unexpected emerged before us.

  another monster?

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