Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV
37 Floor, Dungeon.
...
...
The atmosphere was charged, the air as dense as lead as Lucius and his Xenos allies, a coalition of creatures once feared and misunderstood, gathered at the threshold of the White Palace. This place, known as the home of Monster-Rex Udaeus, a formidable level 6 being, now displayed a macabre scene. Udaeus, the undisputed ruler of this domain, lay defeated, his imposing body reduced to nothing more than a carcass being voraciously devoured by the Juggernaut.
Lucius, with his brow furrowed in a mix of disgust and determination, watched the Juggernaut intently. The creature was an abomination of the dungeon, a monster that fed on its own to evolve at that moment. With each passing moment, Lucius could feel the growing threat; the monster devouring Udaeus's corpse might well be ascending to the terrible levels 7 or 8.
Despite the tension spreading through his nerves, Lucius remained unshakable. Beside him, the Xenos shared a look of resolution mixed with a touch of fear for some. They knew what was at stake, the threat the Juggernaut represented not just to them, but to the entire dungeon, as the monster now seemed uncontrolled.
The Juggernaut, in all its monstrosity, seemed to sense the presence of the intruders. For a brief moment, it lifted its head from its grotesque meal, its eyes burning with an inhuman fury. But then, with evident disdain, it returned to focus on devouring Udaeus, as if the observers were nothing more than annoying mosquitoes he could hunt down once he finished his meal.
Lucius, feeling the monster's contempt, clenched his fists. 'He's not even seeing us as challengers... he's mocking us,' he thought.
Lucius turned to his companions, each with their own abilities and determinations, and nodded. They had discussed this, weighed the risks and consequences. It was time to act.
Lyd, the leader of the Xenos and Lucius's ally, stepped forward. His usually relaxed and friendly posture now displayed a seriousness that was rarely seen. He looked at his fellow Xenos, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Let's go, attack!"
With a collective roar of courage and fury, the Xenos advanced. They knew they were facing a threat beyond anything they had ever faced before, but the need to protect their home and their dear friends was the channel for this fight.
The Juggernaut, sensing the approach of the attackers, finally stood up from his macabre meal. His gaze, filled with a savagery that chilled the blood, fixed on the group advancing in his direction.
Lucius, strategically positioned behind the more direct fighters, focused his attention and magical power on Juggernaut. He knew that his lightning bolts, though powerful, would be just a nuisance to the colossal creature, but even a nuisance could create an opening for his new allies. With a decisive gesture, he launched a continuous beam of lightning, which collided with the Juggernaut, making it waver and divert its gaze for an instant by the flash in the darkness, an opportunity that Asterius and Erebus did not let pass.
Asterius, with his sword in hand, advanced with the determination of an ancient warrior, the blade singing a battle hymn as it cut through the air towards the monster. Erebus, with the brute force emanating from his imposing being, delivered a powerful punch that reverberated with the energy of a volcano about to erupt. For a moment, the Juggernaut was pushed back, surprised by the sudden and coordinated attack.
However, the creature recovered quickly, revealing the extent of its terrifying strength. With a quick and brutal move, it flung Asterius and Erebus away, as if they were nothing more than rag dolls.
"He's incredibly strong..." Asterius murmured, rising with difficulty. But his gaze remained unwavering, fixed on the monster.
"But it's a worthy challenge!" Erebus exclaimed, the enthusiasm of a warrior thirsty for a worthy fight shining in his eyes, unlike Asterius, who was bleeding from the wounds made by the Juggernaut at that moment, began to heal his own wounds.
Meanwhile, Lyd, Gross, and Ray moved in a fluid pattern, trying to surround the Juggernaut and attack its vulnerabilities. Lyd, with his reptilian agility, dodged the sharp claws, while Gross, with his robust strength, attempted to hold and deflect the devastating blows. Ray, with his ability to fly, hovered over the creature, launching rapid and precise attacks with his claws.
Ranye, Let, and Four, although apprehensive, did not let fear paralyze them. They moved with almost supernatural synchrony, attacking from the flanks and seeking to distract the Juggernaut in any way possible.
Lucius, seeing his companions fighting bravely, knew he needed to create a distraction to help them. Focusing intensely, he conjured a giant fireball, a pulsating sphere of energy that grew with each second. With a determined motion, he launched it against the Juggernaut, aiming for the creature's head as it focused on repelling the Xenos' attack.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* The successive explosions lit up the palace hall, each detonation sending shockwaves through the air. For a brief moment, the Juggernaut seemed to waver under the continuous attack, smoke and fire obscuring its monstrous figure.
Lucius watched attentively, ready to intervene and conjure more of his powerful magic.
"Let's go, attack!" Lyd shouted, and all the Xenos advanced toward the Juggernaut again.
The monster paused for a moment, staring at the xenos with a cold intensity. Lucius took advantage of this moment of distraction to launch a series of lightning bolts against the Juggernaut. Although they didn't have much effect, they served to divert its attention, allowing Asterius and Erebus to get close again.
Lucius continued to conjure a series of Fireballs and launched them against the Juggernaut, causing explosions that served to distract it. For a moment, it seemed that the pressure on the Xenos had lessened. However, with a deafening roar, the Juggernaut spun its body, hitting everyone within its reach.
"AHHH!" The screams of pain from the Xenos filled the air as they were violently thrown away.
The Juggernaut hadn't finished; with Ranye lying on the ground wounded, the monster advanced to finish its prey, but at the last moment, Erebus appeared and let his body be pierced by the beast's claws.
"Ahhh!!" He groaned, beginning to spit blood, but his body did not move to protect his companion.
This gave time for Asterius to appear and strike the monster's face, causing it to recoil and relieve the pressure on Erebus, who began to heal the next moment with his regenerative ability.
Lucius, seeing his allies in danger and that the situation was not positive even with various xenos of levels 4, 5, and 6, knew he needed to act quickly. Opening the system and with the cancellation card already prepared, he activated a spell called Chrono Stasis, a complex magic that manipulated time around a selected target. With a precise gesture, he cast the spell over the Xenos, Ranye, Let, and Four, who were more injured, enveloping them in a sphere of time that, in an instant, teleported them to a safe location near him while he cast healing over the wounded.
"Now, Erebus, Asterius, can you distract them a bit?!" Lucius shouted while healing some of the fallen xenos. The two Xenos in question positioned themselves again, nodding, facing the overwhelming attacks of the creature's claws.
The Juggernaut, realizing the resistance of its opponents, roared with wild disdain. It was a force of nature, an entity born to dominate and destroy. But Lucius and the Xenos were not ready to give in.
Quickly, Lucius analyzed the situation, his mind working frantically to formulate a new plan. "Erebus, Asterius, focus on dodging and attacking in gaps! We won't beat him with brute force!" he shouted, casting a series of spells to create distractions and open opportunities for more effective attacks from the xenos while he healed the others who were close.
Erebus, recovering from the impact, nodded in agreement and repositioned himself, using his agility and strength to avoid the blows of the Juggernaut and look for weak points in its defense. Asterius, with a determined roar, followed suit, swinging his sword with lethal precision.
Lyd, Gross, and Ray, though shaken after that spin from the Juggernaut, gathered their strength and continued the fight with Erebus and Asterius, supporting each other and using their unique abilities to confuse and weaken the monster. Ranye, Let, and Four, though injured, began to recover thanks to the healing magic of Lucius and returned to the battle.
Lucius, meanwhile, remained a step behind, his mind and magic fully focused on supporting his allies and looking for any possible advantage. With a gesture, he created spheres of time to protect them from direct attacks while teleporting them to another safe location combining his Chrono Stasis spell and teleport.
The battle continued with increasing fury and intensity. The Juggernaut, though visibly bothered by the change in tactics, continued to be a formidable threat, its devastating attacks and unshakable fury.
In a critical moment, Lucius saw an opportunity. "Now!" he shouted, casting spells to make the Juggernaut shrink for a moment and signaling to Erebus and Asterius. The two Xenos, understanding immediately, combined their attacks in a coordinated assault, hitting the Juggernaut in a vulnerable area with concentrated force.
The monster roared, shaken by the combined attack, and for a brief moment, seemed to waver. But the fight was far from over, however, Lucius and his Xenos allies would not back down. With the battle unfolding frenetically around him, Lucius saw that Lyd was about to be hit by a devastating blow from the Juggernaut. Without hesitation, he quickly used Chrono Stasis! A bright ball of blue time energy emerged with ancient scriptures, spinning as they defied comprehension. The ball quickly expanded and enveloped Lyd, paralyzing him in time and space for a crucial moment.
The blow from the Juggernaut passed where Lyd had been just a second before, hitting only the void. At the same moment, the Chrono Stasis teleported Lyd to a safe location next to Lucius, away from the immediate reach of the monster.
Lyd, surprised and disoriented but unharmed, looked at Lucius with gratitude and admiration. "Lu-chi... that was amazing! How did you do that?"
Lucius, focused on the battle, quickly replied, "No time to explain now. Stay alert and ready to dodge. I'll use Chrono Stasis to protect any of you in imminent danger."
"Yes!" Lyd said, inspired by how useful Lucius was being while the rest of the xenos surrounded Juggernaut.
Lucius, with his attention divided between attack and defense, remained alert to any sign of danger to his allies. Whenever a Xeno was about to be hit by a potentially fatal attack, he launched the Chrono Stasis, freezing them in time and teleporting them to safety. The battle was becoming a game of cat and mouse, with Lucius using all his skill and strategy to keep his companions safe from the overwhelming power of the Juggernaut, while the latter was receiving more and more wounds from the xenos' attacks.
"We can win this fight!" Lucius murmured, looking at the Juggernaut being pressed.
---------
Fallow me on Patreon!
🌟 RaccoonLeague | Patreon🌟
Visit our Patreon for more: https://www.patreon.com/RaccoonLeague