NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Judgment Sword
Ares arrives at the ruins' entrance, only to find a massive crowd of players crammed in like sardines, chatter echoing on all sides.
But Apocalyptic Guild has rudely taken over the entrance to the ruins.
"Scram! This place is under Apocalyptic Guild's control!"
"Move along, nothing to see! Beat it!"
Each member of Apocalyptic Guild stands there with a nose-in-the-air smirk, exuding pure arrogance.
Ares feels a surge of anger welling up inside, but he calms himself with a quick breath. He knows throwing down with this bunch now is a one-way ticket to humiliation.
Gritting his teeth, he shoves his frustration deep down and turns toward the outskirts, planning to power up and prepare for the road ahead.
He steps into the quiet fields outside the city. It's eerily hushed except for the rustle of the breeze through the leaves.
Suddenly, a crushing presence sweeps over him, making it hard to breathe.
Heart pounding, Ares looks up to see a colossal monster ambling closer. Its body radiates a strange, ghostly glow, like a demon crawling out of some black abyss.
[Ruins Guardian (Elite BOSS)]
[Level: 50]
[HP: 200000]
[ATK: 1500]
[DEF: 1000]
[Skills: Earthquake (AOE damage plus stun), Soul Shock (mental damage with a chance to confuse)]
"An elite BOSS!"
Ares is taken aback.
Ever since arriving in Black Dragon City, he's been diligently combing through guides. Only then did he learn there's a ranking system for bosses.
The Flame Goblin he ran into before was a hidden boss—but above "hidden" lie Elite, Heroic, Lord, Alpha, and God-Tier bosses.
Right now, his Attack is only 22. Even if his talent multiplies his damage, once you factor in the boss's defense, each normal strike might do around 10,000 damage. He'd need twenty solid hits to bring it down.
And an elite boss won't just stand there like a clueless training dummy. Plus, dying in this game triggers nasty penalties—heavy EXP loss and a long period of crippling debuffs, making it impossible to move freely.
Realizing all this, Ares spins around to bail. Tangling with a high-level boss right now is borderline suicidal.
But just then, a system message lights up: You are now in combat!
The Ruins Guardian's bloody-red eyes fix on him and lock in. No chance of escaping the fight now.
"Damn it… No choice but to go all in!"
Ares grits his teeth and lets out a fierce shout, charging the Guardian at full speed. He leaps high into the air, his iron sword whistling downward in a heavy arc.
"-10003!"
A bright red damage number floats above the BOSS's head. The Ruins Guardian seems shocked that a mere Level 5 player can land such a powerful blow. Furious, it swings a massive claw in retaliation, whooshing through the air in a deadly sweep.
Ares dodges by the skin of his teeth. In that instant, fragmented memories streak like lightning through his mind: he sees himself standing on a war-torn battlefield, surrounded by endless screams and slaughter, battling a monster that looks eerily similar to this Ruins Guardian.
These half-buried recollections sharpen Ares's reflexes even further. Despite his low Agility stat, it's like some mysterious force is guiding his body. He slips past each attack, safe and sound.
In the heat of the fight, Ares senses something weird—a new grace in his movements. He can almost predict every strike from the boss, reacting just in time to dodge. With this uncanny combat instinct, the boss hasn't landed a single hit, and its HP has already dropped below half.
But just when Ares thinks victory is within reach, disaster strikes.
The Ruins Guardian lets out an enraged howl, unleashing a blinding aura. Its power becomes even more savage, doubling both its attack speed and raw strength.
[Warning!]
[You have triggered the Elite BOSS's second phase. Its attack power and aggression have been doubled.]
Now the pressure is on for real.
Just as he's about to collapse under the strain, an odd power flares up inside his body, like this dire battle has awakened something hidden within him.
At the same time, a new system prompt crackles through his ears.
Unlike the usual crisp, robotic voice, this one stutters as if the system itself is struggling:
[System has detected an unknown factor causing a mutation!]
[You have obtained a growth-type weapon—Judgment Sword!]
In a flash of purple light, a broken sword with a mysterious aura appears in Ares's hand. Even though the blade is snapped, it radiates an intimidating power, as though recalling its once-glorious past.
Ares frowns, but there's no time to overthink. He glances at the Judgment Sword's attributes:
[Judgment Sword (Growth-Type)]
[+200 ATK]
[Special Attribute 1: Enemies struck by Judgment Sword cannot regenerate HP.]
[Special Attribute 2: Enemies struck by Judgment Sword who are below God-Tier become stunned for 1 second (passive effect).]
[Active Skill: Phantom Seven-Strike – Instantly lash out at the target seven times. Each hit deals 80% of your Attack. (No cost; 24-hour cooldown.)]