Noir shot into Skrill's blind spot just as Korb's scythe carved a red arc through the air.
"Holy Chains!" Vanilla's voice rang out like a divine command.
Cracks tore through the dungeon floor as radiant chains burst upward. They shot from the earth like serpents of light, wrapping tight around Skrill's legs and arms. For the first time, the boss faltered, his movement halted mid-step.
Noir activated Backstab.
In a blink of flickering shadows, he phased behind Skrill. His dagger gleamed silver before plunging deep into a chink in the armor beneath the shoulder blade. The blade twisted.
Critical Hit!
250% Weapon Damage
Poison Applied: –8 HP/sec for 10s
Dizzy Effect: –20% Movement Speed for 8s
Skrill let out a guttural howl that made the walls tremble.
His HP plummeted to 36%.
[Bloodred Skrill activated: Redblood Manifestation]
[+15% Movement Speed | +10% Armor]
"It's getting serious," Noir muttered, sliding back. "Time your skills. Call out your CDs."
"I got aggro again—get ready to follow up!" Polar barked.
He slammed his shield against the ground, sending out a booming shockwave.
[Taunt Activated]
Skrill's crimson eyes locked onto him like a predator spotting fresh meat.
Polar rushed forward, greatsword slicing sideways in a brutal arc.
[Cleave – Armor Damage inflicted]
Skrill staggered as sparks flew off his plating.
Korb didn't wait. His eyes glowed violet as he swung his scythe wide.
"Discarlo!"
A pulse of cursed red energy erupted outward, distorting the air in a ten-meter radius. Dark tendrils licked across Skrill's skin, slowing his limbs.
Then came Rotona—a double-strike, Korb's scythe slashing down, then up, drawing twin arcs of blood.
He pivoted, planting his feet.
"Scythe Blast!"
A violent spiral of force exploded from the weapon's sweep, launching Skrill back a step.
"You're all going to bleed," Skrill snarled, his voice distorted—inhuman.
[Crimson Reap activated: Target — Vanilla]
A glowing Blood Rune flared into existence above Vanilla's head.
Noir's eyes widened. "That's a delayed burst—he's trying to nuke the backline!"
"Shit—cover her!" Korb shouted.
Vanilla raised her staff with trembling hands. "Magic Shield!"
A shimmering, violet shield formed around her as the rune pulsed brighter and brighter—
Then it detonated.
A geyser of red light erupted around her.
Rune Detonation: 40% HP lost
Vanilla remaining HP: 30%
She hit the ground hard, coughing.
"W–what the ffff was that!?" she groaned.
Still dazed, she forced herself to sit up.
"Healing Prayers!"
Golden light spiraled upward from her form.
+30% HP (Self)
+10% HP to Party
The team caught their breath—but the boss didn't give them time.
Void's voice cut through the haze. Cold. Angry.
"Enough."
"Astral Paradox."
The sky above the dungeon tore open with a thunderless roar. A swirling rift of galaxies and cosmic winds spiraled into existence, casting the battlefield in a kaleidoscope of shifting starlight. Shadows twisted and danced across the ground as time itself seemed to falter.
Skrill got caught in the celestial storm, staggered, movements slowed by 70% for 3 seconds—dragged down by the weight of the stars.
He raised one hand—
"Chrono Trap."
A time mine materialized beneath Skrill's feet, its core pulsing with ticking energy.
40% Chance to Freeze
"I'm going in! Finish him!" Polar roared, his voice echoing like thunder through the crumbling dungeon.
He surged forward, activating Warpath—the ground cracked beneath his boots as he charged, greatsword low, eyes locked on the towering boss.
Skrill turned, crimson eyes narrowing.
But Noir was already gone.
Swift Step.
A flicker of shadow. A whisper of movement.
He reappeared beside Polar, blade flashing in a silver arc that carved through Skrill's side.
Backstab.
The boss reeled—but Noir wasn't done.
He vanished again, blinking behind Skrill in a blur of afterimages. His dagger plunged between the ribs, right beneath the shoulder blade.
Critical Dash Slash—Activated.
Noir's eyes narrowed. Now.
Eight rapid strikes exploded from his form, each one a blur of steel and precision. The air cracked with the force of his assault.
Then—
Shadow Feint.
A clone burst into existence beside him, mirroring his every move with eerie perfection.
Sixteen total slashes danced through the air like a storm of blades.
Blood sprayed. Sparks flew. The dungeon trembled.
Six Critical Hits.
–8% Boss HP
Skrill staggered, black mist pouring from the cracks in his armor.
Noir landed lightly, sliding back into a low stance, breath steady.
Korb charged back in.
"Curse Guillotine!"
The dungeon floor cracked.
From beneath Skrill, a massive spectral blade erupted straight up through the boss's torso—its edge wreathed in violet fire.
Boss HP: 10%
Skrill reeled. His armor cracked. His skin burned. Mist oozed from his body like leaking gas.
His voice dropped, demonic and broken.
"You dare… corner me?"
Suddenly, the ground went silent. The air snapped cold.
[Phase Transition Initiated: Bloodred Skrill – Final Form]
[Bloodred Skrill has activated: Image of 10,000 War Experience]
A dark light erupted from Skrill's core—consuming the room in red mist.
Noir instinctively took a step back. "Here we go…"
From the mist, six silhouettes emerged.
Identical.
Each holding Skrill's massive cleaver.
Each radiating the same pressure.
Their nameplates shimmered crimson.
Six identical figures stepped out from the smoke, boots cracking against the stone. Each was a perfect mirror of Skrill: same armor dripping crimson, same demonic cleaver dragging across the floor, same wild, furious eyes. They stood in a hexagonal formation—silent, imposing.
Bloodred Skrill – Final Form: Image of 10,000 War Experience
Noir's eyes narrowed. No HP bars. No indicators. No tells.
"Clones," he muttered. "Only one of them's real."
All clones: 40% of Skrill's original attack powerAll skills mirrored
Korb's face tightened. "This is it, guys. Brace yourselves!"
A heartbeat later—they charged.
The Skrills exploded into motion, dashing in from all sides like a six-blade guillotine. Footsteps boomed. Cloaks flared behind them. The pressure tripled.
"Shit—get ready!" Void barked, pulling back.
But Polar was already moving. "TAUNT!"
He slammed his shield into the floor. A tremor burst outward, a sonic shock drawing all the clones' attention. In perfect unison, the six Skrills turned toward him like wolves spotting the same prey.
"Come at me, freaks!" Polar roared.
But they weren't stupid.
They didn't rush blindly.
Instead—
[All clones activated: Smash of the Century]
Six cleavers rose into the air, spinning into a hurricane of destruction.
"MOVE—!" Noir shouted, but it was too late.
The throne room shattered with force as six cleavers slammed into the ground, shockwaves rippling like explosions. Stone cracked. Walls groaned. Everyone was thrown back.
Noir hit the ground and rolled, ears ringing. Dust choked the air. His HP dropped by 22% even through evasion.
Vanilla crashed to her knees behind a pillar. "That's insane! How are we supposed to dodge six at once?!"
Korb growled, standing slowly, a fresh gash across his arm. "We can't drag this out. We need to find the real one. Fast."
But every clone moved like the original.
They blinked. Shifted. Mimicked each other's footwork perfectly. One would feint left while another mirrored it to the right.
"They're syncing their animations," Void muttered, scanning the battlefield. "They're built to confuse us."
Noir gritted his teeth, clutching his daggers.
"Then we break the rhythm."
He vanished into a shadow sprint.
Swift Step. He circled wide, flanking the farthest Skrill while his clone from Shadow Feint rushed the one closest to Korb. Each illusion retaliated—perfectly timed counters, fake or not.
Noir leapt, twisting midair, and struck with a Backstab into one's ribs.
No system message. No blood mist. Nothing.
"Not him," he hissed, blinking away just as the clone retaliated with Echo Cleave, its blade slicing empty air.
Void appeared beside him. "Still no clue?"
Noir's brows furrowed. "He didn't react to the poison tick. The real one would have. That's our tell."
"Got it." Void raised a glowing palm. "Let's make this interesting."
Chrono Trap spread beneath three clones mid-advance—time froze briefly, just long enough for Korb to dash in.
"Eat this!"
His Curse Guillotine erupted upward from under the center-most Skrill.
The blade sliced through—only for the clone to vanish in smoke.
"A fake," Korb spat. "This is getting old."
Vanilla activated Divine Echo, sending a pulse of light through everyone. "I can't keep healing you if you get hit by all six again—figure it out, fast!"
"Then it's time for a gamble," Noir muttered.
He bolted for the farthest clone—one that had stayed slightly behind since the phase began. It hadn't activated a skill yet. It hadn't taunted. It had only watched.
Too calm.
Noir slid behind it.
Backstab.
His dagger plunged into its back—and this time, the metal sang on impact. The blade pulsed with venom again.
Poison inflicted –8 HP/sec
Dizzy inflicted
Critical Hit!
"YES!" Noir grinned. "Weapons passive activated again—this is the real one!"
Korb didn't wait.
"Everyone! Burn that one NOW!"
Void hurled a glowing orb—Temporal Collapse, detonating a gravity well at the real Skrill's feet. The boss staggered.
Polar slammed into his side, activating Shield Breaker—his blade cleaving Skrill's right arm.
Vanilla shouted, "Sanctuary Aura!" A golden ring enveloped the team, reducing incoming damage by 30%.
Noir blurred into motion again.
Swift Step > Critical Dash Slash > Shadow Feint
Sixteen blinding cuts carved across Skrill's torso. Half of them are critical. Each strike thudded with the weight of punishment.
Korb followed up with Rotona, his scythe tearing across Skrill's legs before planting it and activating Scythe Blast—a concussive wave knocking the boss into the wall.
Skrill howled. His armor cracked. Blood sprayed in a mist of deep crimson.
Boss HP: 3%
But Skrill wasn't done yet.
His body shook. His clones shrieked and exploded into red light, the energy rushing back into him.
He floated now, aura burning hot and unstable.
"You think… this ends here?"
[Bloodred Skrill – Last Skill: Bloodstorm Execution]
Red lightning surged from the ceiling. His blade turned pitch-black.
Everything turned still.
Then—
Skrill vanished.
"WHERE IS HE?!" Korb shouted.
Suddenly, Skrill reappeared above the team, his blade raised for a descending strike of hell.
Noir's eyes widened.
Backstab.
He blinked midair—meeting Skrill's falling form.
Both blades collided.
A flash of light. Then silence.
[Boss Defeated: Bloodred Skrill – The One That Never Dies]
Skrill's body split down the middle, collapsing into smoke and shattering into red shards.
The throne room fell dead silent.
A single chest materialized at the center, glowing gold and red.