The first to arrive was a vampire knight, his armor drenched in sacrificial blood, twin swords gleaming. Behind him, the Bloodfangs burst through the cracked stone, snarling and eager.
A voice rang out from behind them—a new figure, cloaked and crowned in bone: Lord Vargath, a pseudo-boss awakened by the Chalice's call.
[Trial of the Blood moon chalice initiated. Kill the trial boss to gain additional rewards.]
[Lord Vargath - Lv 42]
Pseudo-Boss of the Forgotten Chalice
Affinities: Blood Magic / Beast Mastery
Right now, adrien could not care less about additional rewards. He solely wanted to kill the wolf who injured Fenrik to that degree. Adrian rose to his feet, the mark of the Bloodbound Pact glowing fiercely on his forearm. Vargath laughed, a sound like shattering glass. "A mortal dares claim the blood relic? Amusing. I'll make your death a slow one."
The air grew heavier. "Who are you to interfere with my..." The Werewolf Alpha went silent and suddenly hit the blood-stained sand. His head then came of spilling blood and flesh. "I don't like to be interupted, do i? Now, where were we?" The figure asked, facing adrien. Adrian called forth his skill.
[ Umbral Construct: Shadow Lance]
The weapon formed slower than he'd liked—it was still basic, unstable—but sharp enough to pierce flesh. "Nyxaris," Adrian whispered. The familiar rose out of the ground. It seemed to have also underwent evolution with him. It's fur looked more sleek, seemingly absorbing light. "We hit him first. Together." With a primal cry, they charged at the boss.
Vargath howled, blood spraying from the wound in thick, corrupted gouts. The vampires and Bloodfangs faltered, momentarily thrown into disarray by their leader's injury. But it wasn't over.
With a guttural snarl, Vargath ripped the weapon from his side, his eyes burning with manic hatred.
"You will suffer for that, little godslayer!" he spat.
Adrian stumbled back, vision swimming. His stamina was dangerously low; each movement now felt like wading through a swamp of knives. Nyxaris shielded him with his body, snapping his jaws at an approaching Bloodfang.
Just as Vargath raised his clawed hand to deliver the final blow, a massive explosion shook the entire chamber. From above, Galvir—the dwarven merchant—and Fenrik burst through the collapsing ceiling, weapons flashing.
"Oi! Get yer arse moving, laddie!" Galvir roared, tossing a glowing alchemical bomb at Vargath. The pseudo-boss recoiled, shielding himself. Fenrik leapt into the fray, his claws coated in silver.
Their arrival turned the tide, giving Adrian precious seconds to breathe. He wasn't alone. Not anymore.
With Fenrik and Galvir buying time, Adrian gathered his last reserves of energy. The system chimed urgently.
[Blood Moon Chalice Trial progress: 75%]
Optional Objective: Defeat Lord Vargath for Bonus Rewards.
He gritted his teeth. Every fiber of him screamed to retreat. But something deeper—a primal instinct—told him he needed to finish this.
He summoned his Umbral Construct one last time, forging a fragile, needle-thin dagger. Pure precision.
"Nyxaris, bind his movement!" Adrian ordered. The shadow beast snarled, pouncing onto Vargath's back, claws sinking deep into corrupted flesh. The pseudo-boss stumbled, screeching in fury.
Adrian sprinted forward, dodging a wild blood spell, and leapt. With every ounce of strength left, he plunged the shadow dagger straight into the rune cluster at Vargath's heart. A terrible, keening shriek tore through the ruins. Light and blood exploded outward.
When the dust settled, Lord Vargath was no more. Only ashes and echoes remained. Adrian collapsed to his knees, utterly drained. Above, the Blood Moon Chalice pulsed once more—and a shard of pure, black crystal floated toward him. A Godslayer Crystal Fragment. The first of many.