The creature that stood before Jason was a masterpiece of natural lethality.
It was bipedal, like the golems, but lean and panther-like, its body covered in overlapping plates of silvery, razor-edged crystal.
A deep, menacing growl rumbled from its chest as its nameplate flared above its head in blood-red letters, an omen of the battle to come.
[Shard-Shell, the Crystal Tyrant - Level 8 Special Elite]
HP: 1,200/1,200
Behind the Crystal Tyrant, a battered, iron-bound chest rested on a stone pedestal, its lid slightly ajar, as if daring someone to claim what lay inside.
"Okay, pal. I don't want any trouble," Jason said, taking a cautious step into the cave.
I'm just here for the box.
You can keep the cave.
It's got great... uh... acoustics.
The Tyrant responded by lowering its head, its silver claws digging into the stone floor.
It was not in a negotiating mood.
Jason sighed. "Plan B it is."
He didn't hesitate.
He knew that with a Special Elite, the first move was crucial.
He activated [Thunderclap Slash] instantly.
Three streaks of lightning shot across the small cave, illuminating the walls in a flash of brilliant light.
CLANK! CLANK! CLINK!
The sound was even more jarring than with the golems.
It was the high-pitched ring of hitting solid diamond.
The damage numbers that appeared were insulting.
-1
-2
-1
The Crystal Tyrant barely flinched.
It let out a furious shriek, a sound like a thousand shattering mirrors, and exploded into motion.
It wasn't slow like the golems; it was a blur of silver death.
BOOM!
The Tyrant crossed the ten-meter distance in an instant, leaving a sonic boom in its wake.
It swiped with its claws, five silver trails of light tearing through the air where Jason's chest had been.
But Jason, thanks to his insane Agility, had already reacted, sidestepping the attack.
He immediately tossed a Concussion Charge.
It detonated at the Tyrant's feet, but the monster merely stumbled, shaking its head.
The [Stunned] status didn't even appear; it was only slowed by 30% for two seconds.
This thing had boss-level resistance.
Jason circled to its back, his sword a continuous blur, chipping away at its health.
-4
-5
-4
Every five seconds, a green number would pop over the Tyrant's head: +24 HP.
His damage per second was barely higher than its regeneration.
This was a losing battle.
He was burning through his resources while the monster was effectively treading water.
Suddenly, the Crystal Tyrant stopped.
It threw its head back and let out a deafening, high-frequency scream.
The entire cave began to tremble violently.
"Oh, that can't be good," Jason muttered.
The ceiling of crystals began to glow ominously.
Then, they started to fall.
Not as random stalactites, but as a concentrated, targeted rain of razor-sharp crystal shards, all aimed directly at him.
It was a party-wipe skill, designed to annihilate entire teams in seconds.
The wind shrieked as dozens of crystal spears descended rapidly down.
Jason's mind went into overdrive.
He dodged, weaved, and parried, his body moving in a symphony of impossible motion.
He used [Zephyr Strike] not to attack, but to dash through a gap in the deadly rain.
He used [Parry] to deflect a massive shard that would have impaled him, the impact sending a jarring shock up his arm.
The ground around him was pulverized, littered with shattered crystals and craters.
When the deadly rain stopped, Jason was breathing heavily, but he was alive.
And he saw his chance.
The Crystal Tyrant was now slumped forward, the silver glow of its body noticeably dimmer.
Its special attack had drained it.
A new debuff appeared: [Fatigued]. [Defense -50%, Regeneration Halted].
"Now it's my turn!" Jason roared, the ground exploding beneath him as he charged.
With the Tyrant's defense halved, his attacks were finally meaningful.
[Chop]! -45!
Normal Attack! -22!
Normal Attack! -24!
His [Thunderclap Slash] came off cooldown.
He unleashed it without a second thought.
-88!
-95!
-110! (Critical!)
In that ten-second window of fatigue, he tore away nearly 40% of the Tyrant's health.
Its HP bar was finally, decisively, dropping.
But as its health fell below 20%, the Crystal Tyrant shrieked again.
Its body began to convulse, and with a sickening crunching sound, it compressed.
Its crystal plates folded inwards, reshaping its form.
It shrank from seven feet tall to just four, its body becoming impossibly dense and sleek.
Its crimson eyes glowed with renewed fury.
Its transformation was complete.
The [Fatigued] status vanished.
Its speed and attack power skyrocketed.
It moved, and this time, Jason couldn't even see a blur.
All he saw was a flash of silver light, and then pain erupted from his shoulder as claws tore through his leather armor.
-98!
A single hit had taken nearly a third of his health.
He was completely outclassed.
There was only one option left.
"[Gravity Liberation]!"
The familiar weightlessness settled over him.
His body felt light as a feather.
The world seemed to slow down around him.
As the Crystal Tyrant lunged again, a silver streak of death, Jason met its speed.
What followed was a battle that defied physics.
The small cave became a cage for two phantoms, one silver, one dark, clashing in a whirlwind of motion.
CLANG! SCREECH! BOOM!
Sparks flew like fireworks as Jason's sword met the Tyrant's claws again and again.
He was no longer just defending, he was matching it blow for blow, his movements fluid and precise.
The thirty seconds of his skill felt like an eternity and a split-second all at once.
He saw the timer on his [Gravity Liberation] ticking down, 0:05... 0:04...
His [Thunderclap Slash] was almost ready.
He needed to hold on for just three more seconds.
He parried a vicious lunge, the force sending him skidding back.
0:03...
He dodged a tail swipe that cracked the cave wall.
0:02...
The skill icon lit up.
0:01...
As the feeling of normal gravity slammed back into him, threatening to make him sluggish, he poured every last bit of his strength into a final, desperate attack.
"[THUNDERCLAP SLASH]!"
The three arcs of lightning were more brilliant than ever. They converged on the Crystal Tyrant's chest, right where a core crystal pulsed with dim light.
CRACK!
The first arc shattered the outer plating.
CRACK!
The second deepened the fissure.
SHATTER!
The third and final arc struck the core.
A spiderweb of cracks spread across the Tyrant's entire body in an instant.
It froze mid-lunge, the light in its eyes dying.
Then, with a final, silent sigh, it exploded into a shower of glittering dust and loot.
Jason collapsed to his knees, his lungs burning, his HP bar sitting at a perilous 15/340.
A cascade of notifications filled his vision.
[System: Congratulations! You have performed the First Kill of the Level 8 Special Elite 'Shard-Shell, the Crystal Tyrant.' Reward: +10 Reputation in Crimsonwood Village, 1 Silver Coin.]
[System: You have gained 1,200 EXP (400% Level-Difference Bonus).]
He had won.
He dragged himself to his feet and collected the loot.
Among the crystal shards and silver coins were two items that made his heart leap.
The first was a skill book.
[Parry (Skill Book)]: Allows you to block a single frontal melee attack.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Job Requirement: Melee.]
"Finally," Jason breathed.
This was a god-tier defensive skill that would save his life countless times.
He then walked over to the chest and pried it open.
Inside lay a stunning kite shield, bronze edged with silver, and beside it, a massive greataxe with twin blades gleaming in the dim light.
[Aegis of the Depths (Shield)]: Level 5, Bronze Rank.
Defense +25, Block Rate +27%, Endurance +5, Strength +3.
[Miner's Fury Greataxe]: Level 5, Bronze Rank.
Attack Power +28, Strength +6, Endurance +2.
Skill: [Sundering Blow] - The next attack ignores 10% of the target's armor.
Jason's eyes gleamed as he looked at the axe.
He already knew who he was going to give it to.
He pulled up his friends list and sent a message to a Warrior he'd met a few days ago, a player named Solitary Ronin.
Jason: Hey, Ronin.
You and your friends up for a dungeon run? I've got a little something that might interest you.