When a boss splits in two, logic dictates that each individual part should be weaker.
The Soul-Devourer did not care for logic.
[Soul-Devourer (Corporeal)]: Level 30
HP: 2,000,000 / 6,000,000
Physical Attack: 8200
Physical Defense: 6300
.....
[Soul-Devourer (Spiritual)]: Level 30
HP: 2,000,000 / 6,000,000
Magical Attack: 6500
Magical Defense: 6300
.....
The corporeal form’s physical attack had jumped to 8200, but its defense had also skyrocketed to 6300. Most of the party wouldn't even be able to scratch it.
The spiritual form was just as bad, with magical defense so high that even with the inherent double damage vulnerability of ghosts, they’d struggle to make a dent. If both creatures focused their fire on a single target, no one would survive.
Seeing the new stats, Kael immediately issued orders. “Hazel, you tank the physical one. Everyone, do not attack the spirit form—I’ll pull its aggro! We burn the physical one first!”
“Got it!” the team responded.
“Orion, start setting up the glyph of manifestation now!”
“On it!” Orion replied instantly.
“Aside from Hazel and Orion, everyone else switch to support! Buffs and heals only, forget about damage.”
“Roger!”
Angler began to chant, sending two iridescent insects to latch onto Hazel and Kael, bolstering their physical and magical defenses. IronShell slammed his palms together, enveloping them both in an Ethereal Barrier, a shimmering shield of energy with 5000 health.
With the rest of the party focused entirely on keeping them alive, Hazel and Kael were able to hold their ground. Kael ignored everything else, focusing all his firepower on the corporeal Soul-Devourer.
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The boss’s defense was so high that his clones’ arrows were often plinking harmlessly off its hide, doing single-digit damage. When an attack failed to break through the armor, the Galeharrow’s passive effect wouldn’t trigger. Meanwhile, Hazel was taking a beating from the boss’s 8000-damage swipes. It was clear she couldn't last long.
“Hazel, don’t try to facetank it!” Kael called out, sensing her struggle. “If it gets rooted, back off and recover!”
“Okay!”
As if on cue, Kael’s Silkbind Shot activated, wrapping the creature’s legs in golden threads. Hazel immediately took the opportunity to disengage, creating distance to let the healers catch up.
But then something unexpected happened.
The rooted boss flexed its powerful legs, and with a resounding SNAP, the golden threads of light shattered!
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Kael was stunned. This was the first time any creature had ever brute-forced its way out of his Silkbind Shot. It seemed his Galeharrow bow was finally reaching its limits.
With his clones contributing almost zero damage, Kael’s DPS on the physical boss dropped significantly, averaging around fifteen thousand per second. It was slow, but it was progress. At this rate, the corporeal form would be dead in three or four minutes. Then, once Orion finished the glyph, they could deal with the spirit.
The plan was solid. The reality was a mess.
As Orion focused on channeling the glyph, the spectral Soul-Devourer sensed the danger. Its eyes blazed green as it realized the glowing circle was a trap. Abandoning Kael, it shot forward like a bullet straight at Orion.
Suddenly, the spirit’s advance was halted mid-air, ensnared by a spectral blue rope. It turned its head to see Susan’s ghost, her hands outstretched, holding it back with all her might. The Soul-Devourer’s spirit thrashed violently against the bonds, and Susan’s form flickered as she struggled to maintain her hold.
Orion saw the desperate struggle and his anxiety spiked. He poured all his focus into finishing the glyph.
60%... 70%... 80%... 90%...
BANG!
A psychic shockwave echoed through the cavern. The Soul-Devourer’s spirit finally broke free from Susan’s grasp and resumed its beeline for Orion.
Panic surged in Kael’s chest. “Lunara, hit the spirit with everything you’ve got! Pull its aggro!” he yelled.
Lunara immediately unleashed a barrage of spells at the ghost.
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The Soul-Devourer completely ignored her. The glyph’s progress was now at 95%. Orion knew he couldn’t fail now, not when he was so close. Seeing the spirit closing in, he slapped a paper sigil onto his chest.
[Sigil of Feigned Death]!
He instantly collapsed, his health bar vanishing. The spirit screeched to a halt, confused by the sudden "death" of its target. It circled Orion’s "corpse" twice before turning its attention to the next logical threat: Lunara, the mage who had just attacked it.
But the sigil's effect was short-lived. The moment it wore off, Orion scrambled back to his task.
96%... 97%... 97%...
The instant he got to his feet, the Soul-Devourer sensed him. It abandoned its pursuit of Lunara, spun in mid-air, and shot back toward Orion.
99%...
This time, Orion had no tricks left.
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As a Diviner, all of his points were in Intelligence and Spirit. With no defensive buffs, he couldn't possibly survive a direct hit. His health bar emptied instantly. He had no more revival sigils. He was out of the fight.
A collective sigh of despair went through the party. They were only 1% away.
Having killed Orion, the spirit’s attention snapped back to Lunara. She quickly threw up a Mana Shield.
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The shield absorbed 50% of the damage, allowing her to survive the first hit. As the boss coiled for a second strike, she chugged a health potion and cast another spell.
[Ice Block]
Her entire body was instantly encased in a solid block of ice.
Immune
Immune
Immune
Ice Block, the mage’s ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card, granted three seconds of total invulnerability. The moment it expired, the boss struck again.
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Lunara’s potion was on cooldown. Her Ice Block was on cooldown. The healers were desperately trying to keep Hazel alive and couldn’t spare a single global cooldown to save her. All she could do was watch as the spirit delivered the final blow.
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Lunara was dead.
With its primary targets eliminated, the Soul-Devourer’s spirit fixed its gaze on Bronwyn, a level 21 mage.
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Without a mana shield, she was killed in a single hit. After Bronwyn, it went for IronShell. He quickly activated another Ethereal Barrier.
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Even with his shield, IronShell fell in two hits. The Soul-Devourer’s spirit was like a God of Death, reaping souls across the battlefield. Soon, only Kael, Hazel, and Rena remained.
It was then that they got a sliver of good news. A system message popped up for Kael’s party. The corporeal Soul-Devourer had finally fallen.
But the victory was hollow. Everyone who could effectively damage the spirit form was dead, and the glyph was unfinished. How can we possibly win?
Hazel’s health was on fumes. She glanced at the bodies of her fallen comrades, her voice cracking. “Mr. Dawnbreaker… I don’t think the three of us can do this!”
Kael didn’t answer. He was standing off to the side, methodically rubbing something onto a bundle of arrows.
Hazel’s health dipped into the red. She was on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry! I can’t hold on!”
Five seconds later, with a final cry, she too collapsed.
Rena, the last one left besides Kael, felt a strange sense of calm as she looked at his steady, focused expression. The boss’s aggro was now on her. She cast a spirit shield on herself, boosting her magic resistance, and began healing herself while running away. Her goal now was simple: kite the boss as far from Kael as possible to buy him more time.
Finally, more than twenty yards from the circle of light, Rena fell. As her vision faded, her last sight was of Kael, still calmly preparing his arrows.
“It’s up to you now…” she murmured.
Now, only one living person remained on the battlefield.
As the Soul-Devourer’s spirit hurtled toward him, a faint smile touched Kael’s lips.
“There,” he said to himself. “That should be enough.”
He nocked an arrow, drew his bow, and took aim at the ghost.
