What happens when you were living a somewhat peaceful, somewhat tranquil life with some minor conflicts, such as your mom not buying you your favourite candy, but she bought your sibling his or her favourite candy...
like when your sibling ate the last slice of pizza without telling anyone...
oh!no! That's the start of another world war in your house.
You sort of get it; it's normal.
It's normal for everyone on earth to have somewhat a life like this.
So think about what will happen to you when suddenly your normal life turns upside down, your definition of normal changes, and then you are in a place that is crazy enough to be like a video game.
BAM!
Yeah! You're using a weapons and skills that resemble deadly magic—WOW!
Then, after fighting somewhat weak monsters, you even started getting the hang of it and subconsciously liking it too.
even if you thought you were doing it for the sake of your survival in this alien land.
BAM!
BAM!
This was somewhat what life was like for the group who were facing the Guardian of the Eclipse, yeah! except for one lunatic who was just reincarnated a few days ago.
But again, you sort of get it.
Let's cut him some slack!
Right!
A group that just started to understand the a, b, and c of their situation in the tower was facing off against a monster that made them feel fear and disparity on different levels.
The Guardian of the Eclipse was a towering behemoth with four massive arms that seemed to ripple with muscle and veins. Its skin was a sickly shade of green, covered in boils and scales that glinted in the dim light. Its face was a grotesque fusion of human and beast, with six beady eyes that glowed with an otherworldly light and a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth.
The group could see the name of the monster, which earlier used to be only the guardian and now has transformed into the Guardian of the Eclipse.
The name was not the only thing to change. Every definition of that monster said the guardian was nowhere to be seen on this monster.
This was a completely different monster.
But it was the horns that truly set the guardian of the eclipse apart. Twisted and gnarled, they seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, their tips almost touching before branching off in different directions. Each horn was covered in a fine web of glowing veins, pulsing with a sinister power that made the very air around them feel thick and heavy.
With all this, the humming sound was still in the air.
"T-that... that..." Hannah, who saw the Eclipsian guardian and was already terrified of the humming sound in the air, fainted as she said those words in absolute horror.
The group that had frozen still while looking towards the new monstrosity woke up from their stupor as Hannah's words reached their ears.
There was one more thing that woke the group from their stupor.
[Group notification: Group member Hannah has been affected by the Eclipsian hymn and will have all her stats nullified and be in an unconscious state.]
As soon as this notification subsided, a sound of someone falling came, and the group heard another notification.
[Group notification: Group member Rex has been affected by the Eclipsian hymn and will have all her stats nullified and be in an unconscious state.]
The only ones standing right now were Ethyn , Ignis, and Kate.
Kate and Ethyn could see the bodies of their unconscious group members, but there was no reaction to this as they were having difficulty keeping themselves conscious.
"I-Ignis…" A voice quivered in his ears.
He turned his head and saw Ethyn's pale face. She was staring at him with a mix of fear and disbelief, her eyes wide and moist. Her lips trembled as she tried to form a word.
He knew what she wanted to ask. How could they possibly survive this?
How could they stand a chance against this beast that had barely lifted a finger and already incapacitated three of their comrades? He could see their limp bodies on the ground.
Ignis felt a surge of dread in his chest. But he also felt a flicker of admiration as he glanced at Ethyn and Kate. They were still standing while facing the sonic attack involuntarily.
'I have a strong will, forged by years of playing at the highest level in my previous life. But these two girls... they are remarkable for enduring this sonic assault,' he thought solemnly.
Ignis closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He then opened his eyes and looked towards the eclipsian guardian and used his appraisal skill.
_______________
Name: The Guardian of the Eclipse
Rank: Gold-Unique
Race: ???
HP: [10,000/10,000]
MP: [4,000/4,000]
_______________
Stamina: 120
Intellect: 160
Strength: 160
Defense: 190
Vitality: 200
Agility: 100
_______________
???
_______________
As Ignis caught sight of the towering monster before them, he couldn't help but think about how slow it was, despite its formidable size. But its strength more than made up for that, and Ignis knew that they would need to be at their best to stand a chance.
He then looked towards Kate and Ethyn, who would be fighting by his side.
Although Kate had just gone through a lot since the start of the battle and had failed badly in protecting her teamates, that didn't let her drown in failure; it was evident from her demeanour that she was ready to fight.
Ethyn looked a bit scared for the first time after there fun huntings but he knew she would not back down from the fight.
Knowing the behaviour of the girls and that he could trust his back, Ignis spoke after a long silence.
In a solemn tone, he said, "It is a unique rank monster." He proceeded to relay the details gleaned from his appraisal skill.
Midway through his explanation, the low hum in the air abruptly ceased. The group turned to see the Eclipsian Guardian fixating on them.
Suddenly, with a mighty stomp of its foot, the ground shook violently.
BAAAM!
Without warning, a boulder the size of a grown man was hurled into the air. In one swift motion, the Guardian snatched the rock and flung it towards the group.
The group, poised for combat, was taken aback by the Guardian's cunning maneuver.
"It's bastardly smart!" Ignis commented with a hint of amusement, impressed by the monster's strategic attack.
"We can't avoid this; otherwise, it'll strike the unconscious ones.," he urgently instructed.
Without hesitation, Ethyn retrieved her new longbow, which was nearly as tall as she was. She placed it firmly on the ground, loaded two arrows, and aimed at the hurtling rock with unwavering focus. Her movements were quick, purposeful, and serious.
DUM!
DUM!
DUM!
The ground trembled beneath their feet as the sound of something massive approached from behind the flying boulder.
BOOOM!
With a resounding thud, the arrow struck the rock, unleashing a thunderous explosion that would have made a watermelon jealous. The rock was reduced to nothing but a cloud of dust and debris, scattering in all directions.
Ethyn, who was scared a bit moments ago, had a smug expression on her face as if to say, "Look, that's what my arrow can do."
But that expression was short lived.
DUM!
DUM!
The thundering sound grew louder and more distinct, unmistakably signaling the Eclipsian Guardian's rapid approach.
"It's coming!" Ignis barked, urging both Ethyn and Kate to brace themselves.
Ethyn swiftly loaded two arrows, while Kate's sword glowed with a bright, orange light, revealing its silver-ranked weapon superiority.
Despite their preparations, the Guardian still caught them off guard with its unconventional attack. While charging towards them, it picked up two boulders, each the size of a human, and hurled them towards the trio.
"What the hell?" Ignis exclaimed, frustration and annoyance evident in his voice as he saw the boulders hurtling towards them.
Ethyn swiftly loosed two arrows towards one of the boulders, but she couldn't reload in time to intercept the other incoming rock.
"It's going for the unconscious ones! We can't fight here!" Ignis shouted, taking charge and sprinting towards the other boulder. He deftly retrieved his kusarigama and used his skill [Stringer].
The iron ball glowed with an intense, fiery light as Ignis swung it with incredible speed towards the incoming boulder, striking it with tremendous force.
With a resounding crack, the boulder shattered in two, falling harmlessly to the ground just a few meters away from the group.
The Eclipsian Guardian continued its relentless pursuit, undeterred by Ignis' feat of strength.
"Ethyn, take the opposite side and provide ranged support!" Ignis barked, gesturing for Kate to follow him into melee range with the monster.
"We'll have to take the fight to the other side," he added.
"Got it!" Ethyn replied, quickly moving to the opposite side as directed.
Kate followed Ignis closely, readying her glowing sword for battle. As the Eclipsian Guardian closed in, Ignis readied his kusarigama and called out to Kate.
"Let's do this, Kate! Time to show this bitch its place!"
With a fierce battle cry, Kate charged forward, her sword trailing sparks of orange light as she swung it towards the monster's massive frame. Ignis followed suit, swinging his kusarigama in a deadly arc towards the beast.
The Eclipsian Guardian roared in fury, its massive fists swinging with devastating force towards the two warriors. The battle had begun in earnest, and the outcome was far from certain.