As dozens of monsters slowly emerged from the mist, adding another layer of complexity to the chaotic battlefield, the boss, relentless in its pursuit, sought to finish off Martin.
"Watch out!"
Alex's [Spark] crackled, freezing the boss for a fleeting moment. It was all Adam needed to charge, flames erupting from his fist as he struck the fiend with unrelenting force.
Kunze, seizing the opportunity, shouted, "Focus on the minions! We can't let them overwhelm us. Alex, keep that [Spark] ready for the boss's next move. Adam, protect Martin. The rest of you, thin out the horde!"
The team adjusted their strategy on the fly, redirecting their attention to the emerging monsters. Lukas and Dominic, undeterred by the chaos, engaged the monsters with precision-cast shield bashes, creating openings for others to strike.
"Alex! Now!" Kunze's command triggered another surge of energy as Alex's [Spark] collided with the boss. Kunze's greatsword followed, sending the creature soaring and granting a momentary respite.
Yet, in the turbulent aftermath, a second fiend, mirroring the boss, emerged. out of the horde, catching the team off guard. Lukas barely managed to block its strike, signaling the need for a change in strategy.
Adam's voice pierced the air. "Boss, it's time for plan B. We've humored Holt enough."
Kunze didn't answer verbally but gave a curt nod, indicating his agreement with the proposed change. Kunze's silent agreement set the stage for a radical shift.
The boss monsters charged the team once again, but instead of directly engaging them in combat, Adam and Lukas swiftly grabbed Martin and Dominic, respectively, and threw them toward the oncoming monsters.
The two were shredded into ribbons almost immediately. The sacrifice was brutal, the two warriors meeting their end in a whirlwind of violence.
Startled by the turn of events, Alex barely had a moment to react. Before he could witness Lukas, Adam, and Kunze's desperate dash for the dungeon exit with Stefan in their tow, a kick to his back disrupted his thoughts. "Mother—"
"Redirecting his focus, Alex activated his boots, triggering an explosion that blocked the monsters and propelled him towards the exit. Lukas, alerted by the blast, turned and raised his shield.
The explosion grabbed Lukas's attention, and he swiftly turned, raising his shield in anticipation.
In mid-flight, Alex's [Precognition] blared warnings that intensified as he neared Lukas. "His shield is conductive," Alex reasoned, casting [Sparks] and a [Fiery Whip] to stagger Lukas and use him as leverage.
However, Lukas's shield glowed with unexpected energy. With a masterful maneuver, he redirected the [Sparks] back towards Alex. The collision erupted in a deafening explosion of sound and blinding light, engulfing them both in the chaotic explosion.
Kunze's urgent command cut through the chaos. "Adam! Get Lukas back! Fast!" Kunze, in a brief pause, unleashed a wave of energy from his greatsword, holding off one of the relentless pursuers.
Alex, just regaining his senses, witnessed Lukas, bearing burns from the explosive clash, gearing up for a shield-bash. Thinking fast, Alex activated [Earth Guard] and braced for impact. Lukas's strike barely budged him but shattered the [Earth Guard].
Seizing the opportunity, Lukas wound up for a powerful strike, leveraging his superior physique. In response, Alex activated a combination of skills—[Iron Claw], [Beastial Strength], and [Quicken]. The surge of power enabled him to grab Lukas's shield and effortlessly throw him over his own body, hurling him directly into an approaching fiend.
Despite being much stronger than Dominic or Martin, Lukas lasted only for a few moments longer. Agonizing screams accompanied his quick demise.
"Son of a bitch!" Adam, fueled by rage, charged at Alex with madness in his eyes. Alex, caught off guard, hastily activated his defensive skills, but Adam's fiery fist tore through the layers, sending Alex flying into a nearby ruined building. The first wall crumbled under the impact, but the second had halted Alex's trajectory.
Adam immediately charged Alex again, planning to finish him off.
"Get back, Adam!" Kunze's exasperated shout went unheard as Adam, driven by vengeance, ignored Kunze's exasperated shout and lunged at Alex again.
"Damnit!" Kunze's frustration echoed as Adam charged up another powerful strike, shattering the newly cast defensive layers.
"I'll fucking kill you!" Adam's fury unleashed a flurry of blows upon Alex, the strikes creating a cloud of dust in the ruins. In the midst of the onslaught, a metallic claw emerged, seizing Adam's face.
"Should have thought about that before backstabbing me." Alex, resigned to the inevitability of the fight, cast [Spark].
Adam's screams pierced the air, transforming into desperate squeals within seconds. A chilling silence followed, marking the end of a bitter confrontation.
Alex was ready to fight till the end from the very beginning, so he had no qualms in ending their lives, it was either him or them.
One of the boss monsters finally caught up with Alex. The relentless onslaught of the fiend left him with little room for an offensive counter.
Alex utilized [Iron Claw] and [Beastial Strength] to deflect the creature's vicious strike. Despite his formidable defense, the boss monster remained undeterred, relentless in its pursuit. With a rapid and calculated movement, it lunged forward once more, this time targeting Alex's neck with precision.
Alex, sensing the imminent danger, braced himself and blocked the monster's strike by condensing an [Arcane Aegis] directly on the trajectory of the impending strike, followed by [Guardian Barrier] and [Earth Guard]. The clash created a momentary standstill, but the relentless pressure from the creature threatened to break through his defenses.
Using this momentary standstill to his advantage, Alex executed a swift and precise kick to the monster's stomach. The unexpected strike caught the fiend off guard, momentarily staggering it and creating a window of opportunity for Alex.
In a quick and calculated move, Alex reached into his pocket, retrieving a magic crystal. With a firm grip, he crushed it, unleashing a wave of powerful energy that invaded his body. The foreign energy burned a path through him, merging with his own mana. Alex, quick to respond, activated [Rejuvenating Flame] to counteract potential damage.
The energy coursed through his body, splitting into three streams flowing towards his abdomen, chest, and head. Alex could feel his mana transforming inside him, a surge of power that both intrigued and alarmed him.
Before he could fully grasp the extent of the transformation, the monster lunged at him once more.
Undeterred, Alex, prepared a dozen of shards of [Ice Razor]. The shimmering shards materialized between him and the monster, and with a swift motion, they shot forward. The razor-sharp shards pierced through the fiend's body, creating a dazzling spectacle of frozen destruction.
The boss monster, momentarily halted in its advance, convulsed as the icy shards wrought havoc within its form. The battlefield echoed with the sounds of the ice cracking, and as the shards of [Ice Razor] completed their deadly dance, the once formidable foe crumbled, defeated.
Alex wasted no time. He quickly absorbed the plant essence strand the monster left behind and grabbed the skill shard it dropped, stowing it away in his backpack. The battlefield, now silent in the wake of the victory, held a fleeting moment of respite.
However, Alex's attention remained on the changes within himself. The energy that had coursed through his body, fueled by the magic crystal, continued to resonate. As he assessed the transformation, a sense of intrigue lingered in his thoughts.
"Looks like it is time to settle the debts." Alex mused.
Emerging from the ruins, Alex's eyes scanned the battlefield. Kunze, entrenched in a fierce battle with the second boss, skillfully defended against its strikes. Stefan, or rather, what remained of him was lying motionlessly on the white marble of the plaza.
Kunze, locked in the relentless dance with the second boss, cast a brief glance towards Alex. A flash of realization crossed his eyes—there was no way Alex would emerge unscathed if Adam still drew breath.
"Help me deal with the boss, there is no reason for us both to die here," Kunze's urgent plea cut through the chaos as he expertly deflected another strike from the relentless fiend.
However, instead of joining the fray, Alex, after a moment of contemplation, chose to sit down and watch the ongoing battle. The unexpected inaction from his "comrade" enraged Kunze, the frustration evident in his eyes.
"What in the hell are you doing?" Kunze barked, a mixture of anger and disbelief in his voice.
Alex, unperturbed, responded with a calm demeanor. "We can't win this by brute force alone. Sometimes, you need to see the whole picture to find the right strategy."
He chuckled, a tone of cynical wisdom in his voice. "Sometimes, the right strategy to survive is to make sure someone else dies in your stead. Isn't that right, Kunze?"
Kunze's eyes narrowed, a mix of anger and realization flickering across his face.
"Listen, if we just work togethe-" Kunze tried to persuade Alex.
"Is that what happened to Stefan?" Alex questioned, his words cutting through Kunze's attempt to reason.
"He was weak and we are not." Kunze replied. "You proved it by killing Adam."
"I've also killed the second boss, and yet you struggle so much." Alex's words hung in the air, challenging Kunze. "What does that make you?"