[Your party has entered a Boss fight!]

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Zeth pointed his sword at Clyde .

[Boss has used Beckoning challenge! You can only focus on him and him alone . ]

Clyde sneered, aimed a hand, unleas.h.i.+ng an energy ball . Zeth batted it to the side then charged the young man . Clyde blocked his first strike, then second . Upon the third block, he took a graze to the shoulder .

The Hidden Lotus leader continued to push him back . That pulled anger into the young man . He wouldn't be easy meat .

[Your HP/ MP: 90%]

Clyde roared then swung aggressively . Zeth laughed, easily parrying, easily pus.h.i.+ng back .

[You've activated Spirit slash . ]

[Zeth activated Lightning evade . ]

To Clyde's relief, he didn't have to yell for help . No one could expect him to take on a freaking boss enemy solo . Not yet .

[Dark activated Black scattering strike . ]

[Zeth activated Flash step . ]

Clyde's eyes widened when the boss was right in front of him, grinning . Dark's spheres of magic hit the ground, dissipating harmlessly .

[Zeth activated Crimson slash . ]

[Zeth's pa.s.sive skill activated Heated boost!]

[Zeth's pa.s.sive skill activated auto-knockback . ]

The bloodred sword slash cracked Clyde's invisible armor and he felt himself on his back, weightless . Pain and sticky warmness on the wound accompanied him on the trip to the ground .

[Your HP: 23%]

[Harumi activated Flash heal!]

[Harumi activated Ma.s.s light heal!]

[Your HP: 78%]

Clyde struggled against the remaining pain to stand . Zeth aimed a hand at Dark but didn't bother to attack when the chuuni quickly retreated . Seth, Toru, and Kitome finished off the Lizard guards, putting a smile on Clyde's face . They could take this f.u.c.ker together .

[Your heart protection has canceled out Beckoning challenge . ]

Zeth stepped forward toward Clyde then pointed at Seth .

"Pop . "

[Zeth activated Tier 2 magic: Abyss pillar]

[Seth's pa.s.sive skill activated: Emergency magic s.h.i.+eld . ]

A geyser of blackness poured on top of Seth, shortly after a greenish bubble surrounded him . It may have saved his life, but judging from his screams, still dealt damage .

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[Seth's HP has dropped to 12% . ]

Harumi aimed her wand at Zeth's head .

[Harumi activated Lightning blast . ]

As it collided with the boss, Toru gave the party a needed buff .

[Toru used Brawl shout!]

"f.u.c.k this guy!"

[Party attack boosted by 15% . Party fighting spirit increased by 20%]

Zeth aimed a finger in the path of Harumi's amazing beam of lightning . It flickered out .

[Zeth used Spell cancel . ]

Clyde shook his head, frustrated . How were they going to beat someone like this?

"Alice, we could use a hand here . One-shot him . "

"Would if I could," she said, stepping beside the young man, "but he's a lot different than before . You'd better find a way to break his defenses or catch him by surprise . "

Zeth started toward Clyde, ignoring the others .

[Toru activated Axis flas.h.!.+]

Toru rushed forward, bright white light outlining him, only to receive a b.i.t.c.h slap with a single hand . The backhand sent the n.o.ble spiraling at least twenty feet .

"Don't mimic that," Alice said .

"To think Toru would turn out to be…so useless," Clyde said .

"Don't count him out yet—his attack succeeded," Alice said .

"Oh rea—"

A glowing white mark in the shape of a tiger appeared on Zeth's arm . The size of a baseball, it quickly duplicated multiple times then froze in a fierce glow . The Hidden Lotus leader tried and failed to get rid of the mark . Abruptly, the lights flickered then exploded .

[Boss HP: 460%]

"Five hundred percent again," Clyde said . "Alright guys, we've got to hit him with every—"

[Zeth activated Sonic Speed . ]

Alice blocked the sword block with one she seemingly formed from midair . Zeth laughed .

"You've got to do more than lead, Clyde," Alice said . "Be on guard . He's a tricky one . "

[Kitome activated Lovey-lovey spiral . ]

[Seth activated Brawler's faith . ]

Zeth dodged Kitome's spiral of heart bombs . Seth almost got in a glowing swing from his bat, only to have it parried away . Seth danced out of the way of the demon's blade, while receiving small healing waves from Harumi .

[Activated Scatter shot . ]

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Two of Clyde's energy b.a.l.l.s managed to hit .

[Boss HP: 430%]

Well, at least there's progress, Clyde thought as he prepared to reengage the demon .

"Battle formation two," he shouted .

Everyone obeyed then unleashed skill after skill . Zeth blocked and parried away everything .

[Zeth activated Crimson slash . ]

Clyde felt a little guilt at being glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of that attack . Toru seemed to take it in stride, supported by Harumi's healing .

Clyde knew the party needed to do something quickly, as Harumi's MP wouldn't last forever . He reached into his inventory and pulled out the steel dagger Clare gave him the previous week . His felt stupid for not raising the dagger combat level .

"Alright stats, don't fail me now . " He placed the dagger in his sword's sheathe, utilizing extra straps to make sure it held .

Alice looked at him with unreadable eyes but nodded .

[Alice activated Radiance!]

[You are the only one in your party compatible enough to receive Radiance . You are surrounded with Radiance . Unknown stat boosts to both you and your weapons . ]

Pink aura surrounded Clyde as he walked toward Zeth . The demon noticed him right away, grinning, walking to the challenge .

The two engaged again, sword to sword, steel upon steel . Clyde still stood no chance, but his boosted stats allowed him to keep up with the boss .

Suddenly, a black beam struck Zeth hard enough to knock him to the ground .

[Dark used Getsu Gen Beam! Critical! ATTACK ONCE MORE!]

[Boss HP has dropped to 400%]

"Dark you son of b.i.t.c.h, awesome man," Clyde said as he stabbed his sword into Zeth's neck . He expected death, a boss explosion or something, but the demon only laughed . With a flash of light, Clyde realized he was thrown off him like a used tissue paper . Zeth shrugged and smacked off everyone else's attacks with too much ease .

[Boss HP has dropped to 360%]

[Your HP has dropped to 65%]

Zeth stood up, dusting himself off . A cloud of mist briefly oozed from his mouth as if he let out the thick breath of smoker .

"Enough of this . "

He held up a finger . A light formed then began to expand in a familiar giant death sphere . Suddenly, it winked out, causing the demon's eyes to widen in surprise .

[Alice used Raid Canceller . Zeth's Negative Raid ender has been negated!]

Zeth sneered .

"You traitorous b.i.t.c.h! Dammit, what a pain in the a.s.s cooldown . "

He charged Clyde . What he didn't know was that the young man stood ready for him . He activated Precise slash at the same time Kitome fired two heart bombs . All of it hit .

[Boss HP has dropped to 315%]

[Alice activated All calm . ]

[All party members restore 20% HP , 20% HP, cure of all status effects, including hunger and thirst . ]

Zeth jumped backward with a hand aimed at Clyde . The young man dodged the ball of magic as he proceeded to push forward . Radiance continued to empower him .

Seth and Toru fought alongside him like a vanguard, but the demon was just too good . He dodged, parried, and blocked .

Clyde knew the range attackers awaited an opening, but what good would it do?

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[Neko used Night shadow . ]

A sphere of violent magic suddenly surrounded Zeth then exploded in a display of many colors .

[Critical! Boss HP has dropped to 240% ATTACK ONCE MORE!]

"Nya, I'm not supposed to interfere," Neko said . "Only this once . Now go . You owe me for the risk . "

Clyde shook himself to snap away the awe of that attack . What kind of power did she possess? He took aim . So did everyone else, sensing the chance .

[You activated Spirit wave]

[Harumi activated Lightning blast . ]

[Kitome activated Lovey-lovey heart spiral . ]

[Dark activated Black bolt crash . ]

[Alice activated Raid crus.h.i.+ng beam]

The combined power hit like a freight train, driving the demon to a stony wall .

[Boss HP has dropped to 100%]

"Are you kidding me," Clyde barked . "How is he not dead?"

[Your party has entered a boss fight, phase 2!]

Mist poured from Zeth's mouth like a smoky fountain . The demon laughed and laughed, then he began to convulse .

"Oh f.u.c.k no, let's not stand there and watch him transform," Clyde said too late .

The demon leapt high into the air . Large bat-like wings spouted from his back . He grew at least ten feet tall, several feet wide, rippling with enough muscle to put even intergalactic bodybuilders to shame . His face grew more lizard-like, his head a blue alligator, teeth now large fangs . Mist oozed off him . It reminded Clyde of the fog flow from an industrial-sized freezer .

[Zeth has activated Mist Beast Form . ]

[Zeth used Demon Protect! Unaffected by Alice's spells . ]

"Well f.u.c.k, there goes my plan," Clyde said .

"That glow…sorry Clyde," Alice said . "He's been learning to counter me for years . Guess he found it . "

"To think I resort to this for mere humans," Zeth said in a deep voice that sounded like grinding wood . "I grow tired of this . "

[Your MP: 23%]

Clyde sighed .

"We've made it this far . Let's finish this s.h.i.+t . "

"Indeed," Toru said .

Seth raised his bat . Kitome nodded . Harumi gave Clyde a brief, warm smile

Zeth roared, then inhaled deeply . That intake of air bothered the young man a lot .

"Move people!" Clyde bellowed .

[Zeth activated Shadow fire . ]

The group dove! The bluish white fire splashed into a wall, turning it to purple haze and ashes .

[Zeth activated Flash swipe . ]

Before anyone could react, giant multiple streaks of light appeared from nowhere as Zeth thrusted forward a claw . The bright white razor-like lines were at least fifteen feet long .

Clyde didn't have to tell the party to run this time, but it did them no good . A burst of intense pain bombarded his side .

The young man collapsed .

[Your HP has dropped to 5% Your heart protection has prevented multiple status effects . ]

Everyone else looked like s.h.i.+t, struggling with ma.s.s pain, hardly able to move .

[Alice attempted to activate a spell . Zeth's Flash swipe's ma.s.s lingering Area of Effect/AOE has canceled it . ]

[Warning! Your party is in danger of being wiped!]

No…So… Close, Clyde thought . He forced himself to his feet, though not without stumbling . The pain in his side spread cross entire body . Zeth landed in front of him, laughing . It sounded dark, guttural .

"Did you really think that you stood a chance to begin with?"

He smacked Clyde to the ground .

[Your HP has dropped to 2%]

Clyde laughed . Zeth roared .

"You find something funny, human . "

He stormed over to the young man and lifted him . The young man dropped his sword .

[Alice attempts to activate multiple spells but is still inflicted with mute . ]

She rushed Zeth but a surprise long blue tail sent the demoness flying .

"Do any of you know who I am?" Zeth barked . "I'm the leader of the Hidden Lotus . Left Eye of the great demon lord of this city . What did you expect?"

Clyde sighed as he slowly pulled the dagger from his sheath . With one impossibly quick movement, he plunged it into Zeth's eye with all the strength he could muster .

Zeth screamed in utter agony as he dropped Clyde, covering his eye with large claws .

[Boss HP has dropped to 60% Critical! ATTACK ONCE MORE!]

[Talent activated: main character stuff . Finis.h.i.+ng Aura!]

"Give it all you got!" Clyde ordered as he picked up his blade . He plunged it into Zeth's throat with a good Deep Slash . And as a team, everyone invoked whatever skill or attack they could muster . Even Toru and Seth risked close range engagement to finish off the Mist Beast .

[Zeth's HP has dropped to 0%]

Zeth let out a final wheeze as he fell . Clyde thought he'd turn back to his humanoid shape, but surprisingly didn't . He loomed over the demon .

"You may be strong, but we didn't come here to lose to the first boss . "

Alice caught the young man in a hug . The young woman's healing magic was already flowing through the air without so much as a motion of her hand .

"I've got one more thing to do," Clyde said as he released her .

He walked to the giant orb of raw power and called to it . Not with words, but feelings . He wasn't sure how he did it .

The orb flowed into him like a stream of mist, eagerly allowing the young man to engulf it, to become one with it .

[Battle completed . Victory! Reward: 30,000 EXP and $5000 . ]

[You have reached levels 23, 24, and 25 . Stats increased! You have learned Spirit s.h.i.+eld! You have learned Quick Mediation!]

[Congratulations, you have absorbed your first line of power! Your reputation has increased to level 2 . ]

[Let it be known that absorbing an Omen's sphere has flushed you with unknown benefits . Remember, you are the only being capable of learning all elements . The orb has increased the levels of some of your skills by 1 . You have learned the special ability, Acrobatics . ]

[The number of Omen's...o...b.. you've absorbed will be added to your stat page . The power will continue to flow through you for an eternity . ]

[Warning: absorbing too many could change you from human to something else . Keep that in mind . ]

[You have found Zeth's Book of Mist . Item cla.s.s: mysterious . Item added to your inventory . ]

Clyde was overwhelmed, but also too tired to give a s.h.i.+t, even about the large amount of money earned . Even Neko seemed to sense his exhaustion . After checking on the others, she led them out of the dungeon .

Clyde didn't want to admit it but pulsing through his veins was a new strength . He wasn't sure if he could even control it .

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