“It looks like an undead boss,” Fowl stated. “I mean, I can see through it.” Less than sixty seconds remained on the timer counting down and Max stopped complaining. “It’s fine,” Tanila said. “So your dimensional space is locked. Rakonath will be fine.” “Buffing, want the big one or not?” Batrire asked. “No, save it,” Max replied. “We’ll have to see what this one does. I’m surprised that this one’s only twenty-five feet tall.” “Yeah, and you can’t phase into it and kill it from the inside,” Cordellia teased. “Guess you’ll have to fight it the good old-fashioned way.” Max nodded and gazed across the small tower floor. Less than half a mile wide in diameter, the graveyard was illuminated by a yellow moon, casting shadows everywhere on the grey ground. Different tombstones rose were scattered all over, yet in the middle was the boss, a ghostly knight that glowed blue and was transparent. Their ranger pointed out it had a halo but that it was cracked, a few pieces missing and the sword it wielded was taller than all of them. Its shield covered over half its body, glowing runes that made Max a little concerned about what it could do. We’ll go slow, test it out, and see what we can do. Remember, the tower is adapting and learning, it appears. Your ranger is right, you can’t phase into this one. Correct. Now then, let’s do what we do best. Kill things. Grunting, Max cracked his neck and pointed at the boss with his weapon, causing it to grow another two feet. “I’ll grab its agro and test it out, Fowl, be ready. We won’t know if anything comes from the graveyard until it actually does.” Their warrior nodded as he rotated his shoulders. “I’ve got them. Just let me know when it’s time for me to have some fun.” Smiling, Max raced forward, the timer vanishing as he crossed the small crystal circle. Empty sockets in the plate helm glowed green and a green nova of magical energy rushed out from around it. Jumping into the air, Max flew over the ground when a notification appeared. [ Cursed Benediction ] His chest tightened, and every bone in his body suddenly ached. It’s an aura. Your health is slowly decreasing. Max glanced at his health bar and saw that the small drain was almost impossible to notice; his healing ability was keeping up. The closer he got to the boss, the more it drained. So it needs to be a fast fight! Max flew at the boss, thrusting his spear while Bob sent wind blades at its back. The ghostly knight blocked his attack, swinging its blade at him. A wail came as the sword struck his bone shield, yet the attack didn’t pass through. Max could feel his body growing tired, the aura draining not only health but stamina as well. They traded blows over and over, each unable to get past the defenses. Every spell that Bob sent did nothing, striking the ghostly armor and either dissipating or unable to penetrate the protective plate covering. Go full offense. Let’s test the barrier. Max let an attack at his leg get past his shield, the blade striking the protective ability and bouncing off. It cried out in some wail and Max ignored it, swapping out the shield for his other weapon, going on the offensive. [ Demonic Teleportation ] His blades struck against the back of the boss’s hip, cutting or appearing to pass through the plate armor it wore. No blood or any liquid came, yet it howled, spinning around toward him. Max used his advantage of speed, staying behind it, landing blow after blow, hearing the boss wail again, yet he couldn’t tell if any damage was being done at all. A fifth of his health was gone, the aura doing more damage than his regeneration could handle. He saw Batrire’s health dip slightly and felt magic wash over him. Pain came as the heal she sent struck, and a third of Max’s health vanished, causing the boss to glow blue. The sword came at him as he stumbled, trying to ignore the ache that seemed to grow deeper inside his body, urging him just to lie down and hope it would go away. Healing spells, they hurt you! But regeneration isn’t– Max stopped asking questions as Bob directed their path. He moved away from the group, flying up and away, luring the boss away from everyone. We won’t have a lot of time. I’m sure whatever damage we did was mitigated by Batrire’s healing and your health drain. Is it draining my life for itself?! Yes. I’ve been studying it as we fought, not focusing on offensive spells, as they’ve done nothing. This is an ability similar to that one of the boy you fought in the arena. Only this one is much stronger, and I cannot resist it. Now be ready. Once we move out of its range, I’m certain it will move toward your friends. We should heal as soon as we escape the aura. Ignoring how Bob had said should, Max studied the boss as they led it to the far side of the graveyard where the ground ended, a giant space of emptiness beyond the grey dirt and land. Flying upward as fast as possible, Max found that the aura had a limit of about two hundred yards. His regeneration immediately kicked in, and his hitpoints skyrocketed to full health in half a dozen seconds. As Bob had thought, the moment he was out of the aura, it turned, racing toward his friends. The knight turned as he came at it, unable to get its shield up in time to stop his attack. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. Both weapons transformed into spears, driving them into the area between its helm and armor near its neck. They sank into the ghostly body, each of them at least four feet deep and then Max had to escape as his Haste ran out and the boss’s sword came at him. He kept the boss turned toward him, ignoring the pain as their warrior got close. When Fowl was in range of the aura, the boss shuddered and Max watched as his friend’s hitpoints decreased. That aura won’t save him. No but it will do damage. I need a minute, we all need a minute. Dodging a shield slam and a sword that followed right after, Max sliced his arm and cast the spell he wanted. [ Demonic Summoning ] The space that formed looked different in the moon's light, and the boss’s next attack slowed, stopping as the fractured world appeared. Before him, Max saw the black door appear, and the grotesque shapes that decorated it began to move, twisting and turning before it swung open. As they did, Sog stood in the middle, flanked by a trio of demons kneeling with their heads down. “Max, it has been a while. You must be doing well, as I sense the power coming through our bond!” Smiling, Max motioned to the trio around his demonic friend. “It appears you are growing stronger as well. How are things in your world?” A chuckle came from Sog, who motioned to the trio still in their same positions. “I cannot complain. Now then, tell me, what can I do to help?” Max pointed at the ghostly sword that was frozen behind the fractured wall. “I’m facing some kind of ghost boss right now. It has an aura that drains my health and heals it. The closer I get, the worse it is, and even my healing isn’t enough to keep up with the drain. What is worse is if my healer heals, I take damage while I’m in whatever aura it has.” Sog frowned and moved closer to the boss's location, snapping his fingers, causing the doors to slam shut. He then turned his full attention to studying it through the kaleidoscope area. “Those are not from our domain, yet there is one who has something similar to what you described. Are you able to damage it enough before it kills you?” “I’m not sure. My healer tried to heal me and I believe it healed the boss. So I had to retreat and heal on my own. My dwarven friend is behind it right now, and his reflective aura damages the boss. Unfortunately, he can’t be healed while taking damage, and I’m not sure if he is doing more damage than the boss heals from injuring Fowl.” His demon friend shook his black head and Max smiled, only now realizing he was only two feet taller than his friend because of the Ultimate Form. “You’ve grown way more than I realized until now,” Max stated. Laughing, Sog nodded. “I wondered for a moment about yourself and then remembered you had that ability. I prefer to stay smaller as it enables me to react faster and not be as big of a target. Besides, I’m not facing many challenges right now unless I initiate the fight. But back to the question at hand, I think your friend should be coming out on the better end of the deal. If I am correct, his damage should mitigate most of the healing the boss receives, most likely managing to damage it. The problem is when full parties are in range of the aura.” “So we are hurting it, just not quickly.” Once again, Sog nodded. “In time, if you can manage to escape and heal, you should be able to wear it down. Though I’m certain it has other abilities that have not yet been revealed, it wouldn't seem right for a creature to have one or two. What floor are you on now?” His friend coughed and cleared his throat, his eyes turning yellow as he gazed at Max. “You are close. Very close to finishing it. Not enough time has passed since you first summoned and now you are at the pinnacle of completing the tower. Tell me, are you willing to summon me again if you manage to defeat it?” “Like for that fight or afterwards?” Laughing, Sog grinned, all his teeth now on display as he patted Max’s arm “After, I would prefer not to die so close to the end. I will come if you need me for that fight, but the little I know about the last floor is that very few make it past it. Regardless, I can help with this fight if you desire. Its aura will not bother me like it does you and I can do more damage to help defeat it.” “I won’t turn down the aid,” he replied, holding out a hand. As they shook, Sog laughed. “Your hand, it’s so big.” The boss radiated with a yellow aura suddenly. Max watched his hitpoints and Fowl’s plummet suddenly. “PULL BACK!” Max shouted. He noticed that Sog was clutching his left arm, having dropped the blazing black sword he had been attacking with. It’s reflecting everything! Even Fowl’s aura! As it did, the knight swung faster, its shield and weapon taking advantage of Max’s weakened state, sending him flying backward through the air and missing a leg. Nodding once at his demon friend, Max flew upward, summoning blocks of earth to try and slow down the boss as it turned on his ally. There was no need to finish that question as he kept his eyes focused on Sog, the demon summoning a giant black shield that absorbed the boss’s attacks. Each strike drove the demon backward, yet no sound came from the contact the boss’s shield or weapon made with the defense of his friend. Max counted the seconds as he healed, grateful that he had chosen regeneration as the ability to upgrade. It had already given him so much and continued to pay dividends. Go all in, wait for it. Whatever it’s using, the ability should wear off soon. And if it comes back? You’ll kill yourself and your ability should prevent that. What happens then, I have no idea as we’ve never killed ourselves before. The thought of doing so much damage and having it be enough to end his life was hard to comprehend. They had been wearing the boss down for almost two minutes, and now all that work had practically taken the three of them out instantly. [ All Cooldowns Reset ] They flew back at the boss, watching it continue its assault against Sog. It felt like an eternity. Max could not do anything, just slightly out of range of the aura, as he watched his friend hide behind a shrinking black shield of ooze. Bob summoned a fireball, pouring mana into it as they counted the seconds. The yellow aura faded, and Max didn’t hesitate. Max streaked through the air, both weapons now a sword, bringing the pair together like scissors at the boss’s neck. Sog’s barrier faded and the demon leapt to the side as the ghostly blade slammed into the dirt where he had been standing. Fowl’s, Tanila’s, and Cordellia’s hitpoints decreased, but he sensed their combined attack coming. Boss arrows, an ice spear almost as wide as the boss, and a fireball all struck as one. Flames covered the ghostly form as Max continued to hack at it repeatedly. The spell Tanila had sent pierced through the knight’s armor, sticking out and looking ridiculous. Another Empowered boss arrow struck, each of them lodged between sections of the knee area where protection was weak. Roaring, Max gave everything he had, sending out a Fire Nova and then a Frost one. Bob continued his assault, wind blades and lightning all assaulting the ghostly figure before them. And then Max’s next strike met no resistance, the image of the being they were fighting suddenly fading from existence. His hitpoints climbed upward, and Max saw that everyone else was no longer taking damage. Sog rose, rotating his left arm before retrieving his dropped swords. “It appears you killed it,” the demon stated. “How do you know that?” Sog started to laugh and Max cocked his head sideways as Sog began to grow. “Because I just got a new skill.”