'It's focusing on defense. Hasn't gone on the offensive since its first attack...'
The Guardian remained immobile.
'Screeching probably is its way of activating that Skill, just like the Beasts had to roar for their Wind Blast...'
Apart from two wounds from Mark's Dark Corrupting Spears, the Boss Monster hadn't been damaged.
But it hadn't inflicted damage either.
'Right after its next screech ends, go for the counter. Aim for that head.' Mark ordered.
The next second, a reddish Colossal Fire Ball was on its way towards the Guardian.
Screech-
Grey and the Fire Spirit shot their long-ranged attacks the instant the eyeless hawk went silent.
The Boss Monster bent its spine, dodging for the first time.
Mark thought its movements unnatural.
A body that wasn't made to move.
That's what it seemed like.
'Still unsure what other Skills it has... Or what those heads can do...'
The Guardian remained standing with its back curled. Its spine drawn as if it were about to pop.
Its ragged breathing made its whole body sway up and down.
'Should go for a counter. But if it catches us off guard with some other ability...'
Mark was well aware of the Boss Monster's destructive power.
'The only thing that hit it was Corruption Magic. Was it really caught off guard, or does not mind Corrup-'
Suddenly, the Boss Room's large doors scraped against the floor.
Immediately, all eyes except the Guardian's were directed towards those doors.
"Phew... Why are they made to be so heavy?" Elisa sighed as she took a step inside the room.
The next second, a being made of flames appeared in front of her.
"He says it would be best if you remained on the other side."
"He can tell me himself."
"Apparently, he can't."
"Too bad."
Elisa stared at Mark for a bit, before turning towards the Guardian.
"I don't see much progress."
"We like to take our time."
"Right... You can still talk to him, right? Then tell him I've decided."
"Decided... What?"
"I'm getting out of here..." Elisa grabbed the bow on her back. "No matter what."
Mark chuckled and opened his left hand.
'Light, be ready.'
Elisa placed her right hand on the bowstring.
She took a deep breath in.
The next second, the Fire Spirit was forced to disappear and reappear a good distance away.
All the wind around her was sucked in.
It was condensed into a small and violent storm.
And the storm turned into an arrow.
Elisa pulled the bowstring with all her strength as she took aim.
'We're the same... You could've been in my place.'
Her eyes were locked on the Guardian's crying eyes.
'And if you were, deep down...'
She let go of the arrow, and it flew with tremendous speed and precision.
'I would've wanted you to make it outside.'
At the same time, Mark had thrown his Dark Corrupting Spear.
Once the arrow was a handful of meters away from the Guardian's body, the latter froze.
'Huh?'
Pierce-
Pierce-
'Both hit?'
"Apparently, you can't talk here, so I'll make this quick."
Before Mark had even realized it, Elisa was standing by his side, dual-wielding her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
"She's blind. It's a hunch", but I'm pretty sure.
Harrowing cries that shook the whole Boss Room echoed.
"With your level of Wind Magic proficiency, you couldn't have noticed. She uses the Wind around her to read her surroundings."
'Huh... That's a pretty cool Skill.'
"Either my arrow was too quick for her to read the Wind's fluctuations, or Wind Magic confuses her and messes up her reading. Get it?"
Nod-
Elisa's gaze turned back to the Guardian.
Her arrow had left a hole through its stomach, missing its crying head by a centimeter.
'Tsk. Guess I became unsure at the last second.' She thought to herself.
Mark's Dark Corrupting Spear had left a deep wound on the Guardian's back.
'Tsk.'
Despite his high Strength and the usage of the "Berserker[SS]" Skill, Elisa's attack had proved more effective.
"If I get close enough, I'll be able to fight her for control over the Wind. Even if I only manage to disturb her readings, that should be enough, right?"
'So you don't want to injure it any further?'
A question that couldn't be heard.
Nod-
"Good. Let's get to it then."
Just when Mark was about to step forward,
"Don't..."
He stared at her.
"Don't bring Krista into this."
'I wasn't going to.'
Elisa couldn't hear or, like she could before, read the answer. But maybe the expression on the Monster's face was enough.
The Guardian, despite the four deep wounds on its body, wasn't moving.
It was facing the direction of any of its enemies, which seemed to further prove Elisa's hunch.
"Tell the Spirit to make a good one."
Mark gave the order, and an incredibly high amount of Mana was condensed in front of the Fire Spirit's palms.
"Don't blame me if you all get burnt." He whispered.
BOOM-
SCREECH-
Elisa chuckled nervously at the sight in front of her.
"Not bad." She commented before her feet stealthily and rapidly shortened the distance.
Mark followed as fast as he could without utilizing his Berserker Skill's full potential.
'Despite protecting itself from the explosion, that heat must've put the Wind into total disarray...' Elisa thought as she ran.
The Guardian's arm-like wings moved frantically.
'Is it starting to conserve its Mana?' Mark asked himself.
Once Elisa stood about six meters away from the Boss Monster, she raised her right arm towards it.
With a pull, the Guardian turned in the opposite direction to where she stood and powerfully swung its arm.
The next second, it did the same towards its left.
The next second, to its right.
The next second, it didn't move.
The next second, Mark's clenched fist, wrapped in the Berserker's purple Aura, hit its back with great strength.
One, two, three.
Backswing-
'Heavy. Despite hitting with all my strength...'
Mark had managed to get three hits in before the Guardian's backswing forced him to step back.
'I couldn't move it.'
He didn't fear close-quarter combat.
The only thing he was cautious of, was the eyeless hawk's Expanding Wind Barrier.
It had managed to stop all the attacks thrown at it, so it was clear that getting hit by it would hurt.
Elisa took a deep breath.
The Wind on the other side of Mark's position started moving.
As if the Wind had been condensed, it took form.
'She's been manipulating the wind with incredibly high precision to give the Guardian the illusion of attackers piercing through that wind and approaching... You're telling me she can do more than that?'
Elisa smirked, despite the drop of sweat going down her face and the headache that was slowly getting stronger.
A being made of Wind.
That's what it looked like.
Elisa slowly took steps away from the Guardian.
'I can't move much... When doing this so...'
Mark remained immobile while she stepped back.
'If I can only get one hit... One perfect hit... Where would I...'
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
[Additional Effect:
Your Strength and Agility Stats will further increase proportionally to the amount of Damage Incurred.]
Elisa stopped moving.
And with perfect timing, both Mark and the being of Wind stepped forward.
Sensing two attacks approaching at once, the eyeless hawk raised its beak to the ceiling.
But just when it was about to let its ear-splitting screech out, the attacks suddenly disappeared.
Two more approached before disappearing.
Disoriented, the Guardian stumbled.
It turned around and around, swinging its arms at the numerous attacks it felt approaching.
The next second, the Boss monster finally felt an enemy enter the area in which the Wind was under its complete control.
An enemy that moved the wind around it in a natural way.
The Guardian immediately turned towards it as it spread its wings.
WIND BLAST-
BOOM-
Another portion of the room was turned into ruins.
The enemy had been turned to nothingness.
But while the Wind around the Guardian hadn't settled yet due to its own attack, something had suddenly touched one of its heads.
A head that shouldn't be touched.
Freeze-
Fluctuations, variations, movements.
The Wind was too unstable to read.
Elisa watched. Her knees on the ground. Her face covered in sweat.
Controlling the Wind the way she had was no small feat, especially when taking into account the Corruption that kept her from utilizing her full abilities.
But taking Control of Wind which is and has been under a Being's Control for a long time, is a feat that showcased such incredible Mastery, such incredibly high Magic Affinity that most could never replicate it. A feat that, unfortunately, all inside the Boss Room lacked the knowledge to appreciate.
The Monster had frozen both the eyeless hawk and the wing on that side too.
The Monster's body spun in the air.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Earth-Shattering Tail Flick" is evolving...]
[Your Skill "Earth-Shattering Tail Flick[B+]" has evolved into the Skill "Destructive Tail Flick[A]".]
The Skill "Berserker[SSS]" that increases Agility by 30% and Strength by 20%.
A powerful body part made from those of multiple Lower Wyverns.
A Passive Skill that increases the damage inflicted by tail attacks by 300%.
Enough torque to maximize both velocity and force.
And a frozen target, prone to breaking.
"Go for it."
A Destructive Tail Flick that went beyond shattering its target.
It even forced the Wind around the point of impact to flee.
'Me too.'
Mark landed on all fours, while the Guardian, now one head short, was left stumbling.
'I'm making it out no matter what.'
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