When the Putrid King's health dropped below 5,000, it triggered two linked abilities.
[Zombie Horde]: Summons 5 Zombie Overseers, and 20 assorted Zombie Miners and Throwers.
[King of the Dead]: For each zombie that dies, the Putrid King restores 2% of its max HP. For each zombie that is alive, its attack power increases by 2%.
The synergy between the two skills was disgustingly effective. For a Normal party, there were only two ways to handle this phase.
Strategy one: Ignore the adds and burn the boss. This was the fastest method, but also the most dangerous. The zombie horde was no pushover, and with the Putrid King still throwing out AoE attacks, it was a recipe for a team wipe.
Strategy two: Stop all damage on the boss and kill the adds. The main tank would focus on surviving the empowered boss while the rest of the team methodically cleared the horde. This was safer, but it would allow the boss to heal back up to half its health. Since Zombie Horde had a long cooldown, the team could then re-engage and kill the boss before it could summon another wave.
Kael, however, knew a third option: cheese it.
The newly summoned zombies had no aggro on the players, so they would remain stationary in the cavern. The Putrid King, however, would continue to chase. All he had to do was kite the boss out of the room.
After running for about 300 yards down the tunnel, Kael stopped and turned. Hazel, though confused, immediately raised her shield and planted herself in front of him. About a minute later, the Putrid King lumbered into view, its chains rattling. It reached Hazel and immediately lashed out with its chain.
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"Oww, that really hurts!" Hazel cried, her voice trembling.
Kael drew Whisperwind and began firing, shouting encouragement. "It's almost dead! Just hold on!"
Hazel gritted her teeth, her knuckles white on her shield. She pulled out the last six pieces of her Prime Steak, hoping it would be enough. But the 500 health she gained every three seconds wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the damage she was taking.
Suddenly, the Putrid King whipped its chain in a wide arc, unleashing its AoE attack once more.
WHACK!
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Hazel's health bar instantly bottomed out, and her potion was still on cooldown. She watched in horror as the Putrid King raised its chain for the killing blow.
It's over!
She squeezed her eyes shut and yelled, "Dawnbreaker, you have to avenge me!"
But the blow she was expecting never landed.
Am I dead? Or is the Putrid King dead?
Hazel opened her eyes to see Kael looking down at her with a grin. "Avenge you for what?"
She blushed, suddenly embarrassed, and quickly hid her face behind her shield.
Kael chuckled and stopped teasing her, bending down to collect the mountain of loot the Putrid King had dropped. Boosted by his luck stat, the boss had exploded like a pi?ata, dropping three full sets of armor and eight skill books, two of which were advanced versions.
An advanced skill book was essentially an enhanced version of a base skill, not a completely new tier. For example, Kael could learn Precision Shot, which was the advanced version of the base skill Aimed Shot.
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[Aimed Shot]: Target an enemy's weak point. 20% chance to deal a 2x critical hit. Skill Point Cost: 2.
[Precision Shot]: Precisely target an enemy's weak point. 33% chance to deal a 3x critical hit. Skill Point Cost: 3.
The other advanced book was a pet enhancement for a Hunter. Of the remaining books, one was usable by Hazel.
[Iron Will]: Reduces the effectiveness of debuffs on you by 20%.
All three armor sets were Epic quality.
[Set of the Rotstalker] (5 pieces)
[Rotstalker's Hood]: +20 Con, +20 Agi, +20 Phys Def, +20 Mag Def
[Rotstalker's Amulet]: +20 Str, +20 Agi, +10 Phys Def, +30 Mag Def
[Rotstalker's Ring]: +60 Agility
[Rotstalker's Tunic]: +10 Agi, +30 Phys Def, +40 Mag Def
[Rotstalker's Boots]: +60 Agi, +6 Movement Speed
(Requirement: Leather Armor Restricted)
(3/5 Set Bonus): +80 Agility
(5/5 Set Bonus): Summon a zombie with a taunt ability that can absorb 5 hits. 1-minute cooldown.
In total, the set gave him +20 Strength, +20 Constitution, +250 Agility, +60 Physical Defense, +90 Magical Defense, and +5 Movement Speed. Kael's stats soared once more.
[Player]: Dawnbreaker
[Class]: Archer
[Level]: 10
[HP]: 1000
[MP]: 300
[Strength]: 130
[Constitution]: 50
[Agility]: 430
[Intelligence]: 30
[Spirit]: 30
[Physical Attack]: 580
[Physical Defense]: 105
[Magic Attack]: 30
[Magic Defense]: 105
[Attack Range]: 35 yards
[Movement Speed]: 9.3
[Luck]: 999
[Talent Skill - Marksman's Instinct]: Adds Agility * 0.5 as bonus damage.
[Active Skill - Double Shot]: Fire two consecutive shots, the second deals 80% damage.
[Passive Skill - Precision Shot]: 33% chance to deal a 3x critical hit.
His basic attack damage now topped 790 per hit. He gave the plate set, the Set of the Rotwarden, to Hazel. He planned to auction off the third set, the cloth-based Set of the Rotmancer, in a few days.
These three sets were the dedicated loot from this new dungeon. A Normal run would typically drop one or two pieces, maybe a third from an Overseer if you were lucky.
Collecting a full five-piece set would be an incredible grind for most players. As the ones who discovered the dungeon, Kael and Hazel got all three sets at once.
After equipping their new gear, they headed for the mine exit. Just as they reached the entrance, a monstrous roar echoed from the tunnel behind them. It was unmistakably the Putrid King.
Hazel's face went pale, but before she could say anything, Kael grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the open air.
Ignoring her confused look, he walked straight to the two guards. "What was that terrifying roar?" one of them asked. "What happened in there?"
"We encountered a Putrid King," Kael replied calmly. "We just finished subduing it."
The guards looked like they'd seen a ghost. "A… a real Putrid King?" one stammered.
Before Kael could answer, a ghostly wind swirled beside him, coalescing into the translucent figure of Greg. The guards gasped in terror.
"C-Captain Greg?"
Greg nodded solemnly. "Indeed. I was ambushed by those bastards from the Blackwind Brotherhood and murdered in that mine. A fragment of my soul was imprisoned by the Putrid King. Thanks to these two heroes, I am finally free."
One of the guards pointed a trembling finger toward the cave. "But the Putrid King in there…?"
"A creature of that power is not so easily destroyed," Greg explained. "These two brave souls have merely wounded it gravely. Before long, it will regenerate. Once it recovers its strength, it will surely emerge to wreak havoc on the living."
"Then what should we do?" the guards asked, slightly relieved it wasn't about to burst out right now.
"You must spread the word," Greg commanded. "Summon heroes from all across the land to venture into the mine and strike it down. Only by repeatedly defeating it can we keep its evil contained."
The moment Greg finished speaking, a cascade of notifications filled Kael's vision.
[System]: Congratulations! You have completed [Delve into the Secrets of the Abandoned Mine] and successfully unlocked the level 10 Dungeon: [The Abandoned Mine]!
[System]: As you are the first player on this server to unlock a Dungeon, your rewards have been enhanced!
[System]: Lucky Bonus triggered!
Three notifications in a row. Kael's mind reeled. What kind of prize is it going to be?
He thought he was prepared for anything, but when he saw the final reward, his jaw dropped.
A genuine grin spread across his face.
Holy crap. My luck is insane!
