Deep within the recesses of Fafnir's True grave, a one-sided massacre the likes of which Lydia and Palmer had never seen had just taken place.
To their side were the equally befuddled Crescent Moon Twins, Julius and Titus Remus. These four had not lifted a finger for the past hour, despite the fact that the crew had just met the dungeon's final boss.
The crew had fought many different types of draconic creatures on their way down to the final level of the dungeon at an incredibly fast pace. Just after the sand dunes had been dealt with, they discovered an entrance to a large crypt in the middle of the desert. The crypt was ominous and was filled with draconic murals on the walls, detailing Fafnir's legendary tale.
At the centre of the room was a baby dragon deep in slumber, as if it had no care in the world whatsoever. The dragon had deep purple scales, a large strong western style frame and long claws that had an odd purple mucus that emitted a deadly stench that could frighten away ghosts.
With every exhalation, the baby dragon released a thick miasma of poison that quickly suffused throughout the room. The moment the crew entered, they had to strengthen the dense layer of Truth covering their bodies as they were afraid of being affected by the poison.
The boss was revealed by the system to be Poison King Dragonling, said to have been descended from Fafnir himself. The creature was of a somewhat pure draconic bloodline and was a Dungeon Boss of the highest calibre. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this boss was capable of standing toe to toe with the weakest of World Bosses.
Yet despite the perilous situation, a mere ten minutes after the group had entered, the dragon had been obliterated into nothingness!
Gone were the murals that had decorated the walls of the crypt. Gone were the tiled floors that seemed as if they had been polished nonstop for centuries on end. Gone was the crypt itself as the walls and roof had long been blasted open.
Instead, what lay before the quartet of Lydia, Palmer, Titus and Julius was a destroyed wasteland that would be unidentifiable had they not seen what it had looked like before.
Half of the desert was covered in stormy winds that threatened to engulf any and all that dared to enter, while the other half of the wasteland had turned into a frozen wasteland that seemed to have come out of a frost giant's nightmare. In the middle where the winds and the frigid air met, storms whipped up resulting in odd supernatural phenomena such as lightning bolts in a clear sky and tornadoes coming in and out of existence.
The two individuals responsible for the scene ahead stood calmly in opposition to each other. Their auras were intense, but it was clear that they were actually powering down from greater forms of power.
Gianluigi Remus' blood-red pupils were filled with bloodlust as he surveyed his work with pride. His black suit was completely unruffled, as if he had not been in battle at all while his medium-length blond hair swayed gently despite the chaotic winds about him, almost as if the air was worshipping his very existence.
Opposite him stood the ever-stoic Natasha de Ligt. Her long dark hair and raven-black eyes held an intimidation that could easily overwhelm the weak of heart. The fact that she was also a top-tier beauty only served to make her seem even more untouchable, like an ethereal fairy that disdained to be touched by the filth of the mortal world. She was not being active in any manner, but the frigid air coming out from her body was so intense it seemed as if she was capable of freezing time itself.
These two had just distinguished why they, Mercedes and Ulysses were classified in a category different from the rest.
When the Dragonling had first awakened due to their presence, the quartet had found it somewhat difficult to breathe in its very presence despite having reinforced themselves with Truth. They had looked at the Dragonling and believed that they could only be victorious if they were patient and went all out. The Crescent Moon twins were even prepared to open some Doors at the beginning of the battle to alleviate the pressure they felt from the Dragonling. And yet despite the absurd power of the Dragonling, Natasha and Gianluigi, with only 2 doors open each, casually dispatched the creature.
The duo, which had intended to not go all out on a small mission, had been triggered by a certain event the moment they entered the crypt, resulting in them being forced to use a lot of their true powers.
Many of the major powers had instructed their savants to avoid using their most important skills, especially in the first half of the dungeon, as the enemy could use this chance to take Intel. Thus Natasha and Gianluigi had been very low-key for the majority of the journey.
Now, as for why they had decided to get serious, the answer to that was simple.
The moment the Dragonling awoke, a huge flood of experience entered the dungeon, stunning everyone present. It was clear that the experience must have come from Will defeating the enemy he was facing, as this was the greatest wave of experience Natasha and Gianluigi had experienced without receiving assistance from elders within their organisations.
Many powerful sects would have high-level cultivators accompany their prodigies on expeditions, taking advantage of the experience-sharing system to have the young ones level up quickly. Although this reduced the rewards their prodigies received, it saved them a great deal of time.
Both Natasha and Gianluigi had witnessed the death of World Bosses a handful of times while being accompanied by Elders in such a manner. Benefiting greatly each time. This abnormal wave of experience was exactly what they had experienced before with their elders!
In those experiences, they had been fortunate enough to have been granted the opportunity to grant the finishing blow, granting them great rewards such as titles, which further increased the gap between them and other users. But now they felt the same sensation in Fanfnir's Grave. This could only mean one thing. Solitary and his companions had defeated a World Boss!
The moment Gianluigi and Natasha heard the Agonised Banshee scream, they knew it was a World Boss. This was not a creature they dared take on in an environment so unfavourable to them without preparation.
Will's crew on the other hand were prepared and just happened to find that environment highly suitable. They also had Lyra's buffs allowing them to make the environment even more favourable for them. This and their teamwork allowed them to dispatch an otherwise difficult World Boss.
Natasha and co had not witnessed the fight, and it was precisely this lack of knowledge that bothered her. Because this wave of experience meant that Peerless Dao Master's Trio were able to defeat the World Boss by themselves!
Gianluigi and Natasha's expressions became grim because they knew how frightening such a being was. The moment they saw the wave of experience, they reacted by unleashing some of their most powerful abilities, ones they normally reserve for important moments.
Why? Because they could not be outdone by Locals!
To Natasha and Gianluigi, Solitary was a local. The fact that he and his crew of weaker locals who had not even reached level 99 were capable of defeating a World Boss was shocking enough. If Natasha and Gianluigi had delayed in defeating the Dragonling, it would have been a massive loss of face!
The top-tier factions such as the Veritas and The Frozen Asgard Sect valued face greatly. Thus Natasha and Gianluigi had to consider the socio-political ramifications of their taking too long to defeat the Dragonling. Unfortunately for the Dragonling, it had faced these two savants at the wrong time!