THE SYSTEM I MADE
Chapter 29
"The Grandmaster's Duel"
Kaidën stepped into the chamber, his presence immediately commanding the attention of both Lucien and the Elder Centipede King. Lucien, battered and bruised, let out a small smile.
"Took you long enough."
"You did well to hold it off," Kaidën said, nodding in acknowledgment.
"And I gave the mini boss a good beating on top of that." He glanced at the slain matriarch centipede, its body lying in a pool of blood.
The Elder Centipede King hissed, its antennae twitching as it prepared for another attack. Kaidën's eyes narrowed. He extended his hand, and stars began to shimmer around him.
"Star Magic: Celestial Barrage," he intoned, and a series of star-like projectiles shot towards the massive creature.
The centipede dodged the stars some hitting it's exoskeleton though successfully hitting the exoskeleton the attacks did not do much damage and it was already slowly starting to regenerate. Unfazed, it retaliated by spitting a stream of venom towards Kaidën.
He quickly cast "Star Shield," forming a protective barrier of starlight that absorbed the venom.
Kaidën then used his teleportation ability, "Star Step," blinking behind the Elder Centipede King.
"Star Magic: Orion's Blade," he chanted, summoning a massive sword of starlight that he swung at the centipede's back. The blade cut through the air with a brilliant flash, but the creature's tough exoskeleton absorbed much of the impact, leaving only a shallow wound.
The Elder Centipede King screeched and burrowed into the ground, disappearing from sight. Kaidën's eyes darted around, anticipating the next attack. Suddenly, the ground beneath him cracked open, and the centipede emerged, attempting to engulf him. Kaidën teleported again, avoiding the ambush.
"Constellation: Draco's Chain!" he called out, and ethereal chains formed from starlight wrapped around the centipede, trying to restrain it. The creature thrashed violently, breaking free of some of the chains but still partially immobilized.
It then resorted to another tactic, releasing a cloud of toxic gas. Kaidën swiftly covered his nose and mouth, casting "Star Veil" to filter the air around him. He knew he couldn't afford to be careless. The centipede was not only powerful but cunning.
"Time to turn up the heat," Kaidën muttered.
"Star Magic: Supernova Flare!" A brilliant explosion of light and heat erupted from his hands, engulfing the centipede. The creature let out a deafening roar, parts of its exoskeleton cracking under the intense energy.
The Elder Centipede King, now visibly wounded, retaliated with a desperate fury, launching itself at Kaidën with renewed vigor. It snapped its massive jaws, barely missing him as he dodged with precise agility. Kaidën countered with "Constellation: Ursa Major's Wrath," sending a series of powerful, star-infused strikes at the creature.
But the centipede was relentless, using its last reserves. It burrowed underground again, and Kaidën could feel the vibrations beneath his feet. He knew it would be back, and he had to be ready.
The ground erupted once more, the centipede lunging towards him. Kaidën teleported above it, summoning "Starfall Cascade," raining down celestial energy on the beast. The centipede screeched, its movements growing more erratic and desperate.
Just as Kaidën prepared for another attack, the centipede's mandibles caught his leg, pulling him down. He fought to free himself, feeling the pressure of the creature's jaws tightening. He could sense its venomous fangs inching closer.
The principal and councilors watched the battle with intense focus. The display screens showed Kaidën and Lucien in their fierce battle against the Elder Centipede King. Principal Thaddeus's brow furrowed with concern as he observed the fight.
"Kaiden is handling the situation well, but we haven't seen any sign of Alexander since he fell into that underground chamber," Councilor Elara Winters noted, her voice tinged with worry.
"We lost track of him, but the protective artifact hasn't activated," Councilor Roderick added, his tone anxious. "That means he's not in critical danger."
The Principal nodded, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "If that is true sir Roderick, It seems Alex is managing on his own, but we can't afford to overlook his situation."
Back in the dungeon, Kaidën was fully engaged in battle. The Elder Centipede King lunged at him, mandibles snapping perilously close. Kaidën dodged and retaliated with "Star Magic: Nova Burst," sending a wave of explosive energy at the beast.
Suddenly, the centipede's tail whipped around, striking Kaidën and sending him sprawling. He struggled to regain his footing as the creature bore down on him, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
At that moment, two blades with chains attached descended from above, piercing the centipede's tough exoskeleton. The chains tightened, pulling their user with incredible speed. Under the person's feet was an earth shield, accelerating the momentum. The shield struck the Elder Centipede King with tremendous force.
AIDA's voice announced.
It was Alex. He landed gracefully, using the momentum to attach the gauntlet's blades to the earth shield and sending it flying toward the centipede's eyes. The shield struck true, and the creature reeled back in pain.
"A-Alex!?" Kaidën couldn't believe his eyes.
Alex smirked, brushing some dirt off his shoulder. "It's impressive that they did this much damage to it, but it's annoyingly regenerating though it's regenerating rate is low, Atleast that should give us an advantage."
Kaidën was taken aback. He had heard from Damon that Alex was weak, but this display of skill and strategy was impressive. "I have to admit, I didn't expect this from you," Kaidën said.
On the screens, the principal and councilors were equally shocked. Councilor Elara Winters gasped. "That's Alexander? Incredible!"
Councilor Roderick nodded in astonishment. "He's not just managing—he's thriving."
Even Lucien and Lara, watching from a distance, were stunned. "I can't believe it," Lucien muttered. "That freshman did damage against the Elder Centipede King despite having its strong exoskeleton."
Alex glanced at Kaidën and smirked.
"This earth shield is pretty useful. I'm glad I decided to keep it after the Emberfall raid," he thought to himself, recalling the battle where he obtained it from the orc chief.
Kaidën nodded in agreement, a newfound respect for Alex evident in his eyes. "Let's finish this together," he said, ready to face the Elder Centipede King side by side with his unexpected ally, he had no choice but to side with the freshman as the obstacle infront of them was enormous he had to do it to pass the dungeon exam.
The Elder Centipede King, enraged by the sudden attack, lashed out with renewed fury. Poisonous saliva dripped from its mandibles, sizzling as it hit the ground. It reared back, preparing to strike again, but Kaidën was already on the move.
"Star Magic: Constellation Chains!" he shouted, summoning celestial chains that wrapped around the centipede, holding it in place. The creature thrashed wildly, but the chains held firm.
Alex took advantage of the moment. He launched himself into the air, his gauntlet blades gleaming.
AIDA announced. using his grappling hook watch to maneuver swiftly around the beast. He aimed for the centipede's eyes, knowing it was its most vulnerable spot.
The centipede roared in pain, thrashing even more violently. Kaidën's chains began to weaken under the strain. "Hang on, Alex! Just a bit longer!" Kaidën shouted, pouring more magic into his chains to strengthen them.
Alex gritted his teeth, dodging the centipede's flailing limbs. "I'm not done yet!" he yelled back. He landed another blow, this time embedding his blades deep into the creature's eye. The centipede screeched, a high-pitched, ear-splitting sound.
From the screens, the councilors and the principal watched in awe. "This is remarkable," Councilor Elara Winters said. "Alexander's performance is beyond anything we anticipated."
Principal Alderwood nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "He's proving to be quite the asset. Damon severely underestimated him."
Councilor Roderick couldn't hide his amazement. "If he can keep this up, they might just stand a chance."
Even Lucien, who had been skeptical of Alex's abilities, felt a newfound respect for his fellow student. "Looks like I was wrong about him," he muttered to himself.
Alex, still focused on the battle, called out to Kaiden. "Let's finish this, team leader"
Kaidën nodded, preparing his spell.
"I don't have any powerful skill like Kaidën and that's frustrating but for now I need his help to defeat this boss monster to complete the dungeon exam." he thought to himself.
The centipede unleashed a flurry of attacks, its massive mandibles snapping and its body coiling with deadly speed. Kaidën cast "Star Magic: Celestial Chains," attempting to bind the creature, but it broke free, its strength proving formidable.
"This thing is tougher than I thought," Kaidën muttered, dodging a poison spray.
"Hang in there, Kaidën!" Alex shouted, launching his earth shield at one of the centipede's joints. The impact caused a slight crack, but it wasn't enough to stop the beast.
The centipede burrowed underground, re-emerging beneath Alex and sending him flying. He landed hard, gasping for breath. "Damn it," he muttered, struggling to his feet.
"This monster is pretty clever the fact that it burrows itself underground giving it's body time to regenerate , it's covering up it's weakness of low rate regeneration." He thought to himself seeing the situation at hand.
"We need to find its weak spot except for it's eyes, there's got to be other ways."Alex said to Kaidën.
The creature roared, its mandibles closing in on Kaidën, who teleported just in time. "Star Magic: Constellation Blades!" he cast, summoning a flurry of magical swords that struck the centipede's exoskeleton, causing minimal damage.
Alex felt frustration rising within him. They were fighting hard, but the centipede seemed invincible. It was then that a flashback from his past life surged forward, offering a glimmer of hope.
.....
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...
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(INSIDE BLUE HORIZON STUDIOS BUILDING)
(1:23 PM)
The office was alive with creativity and innovation, the place full of employees working towards their work at hand. William, known in this world as Alex, sat at his desk, surrounded by sketches and notes. The project they were working on was ambitious, and the team was dedicated to making it a success.
"William, can you come here for a moment?" Zoey, a young game designer, called out. She held a tablet displaying the design for the Elder Centipede King. "I need your input on its abilities and weaknesses."
William walked over, his mind already ticking with ideas. "Sure, let's take a look."
As he reviewed the design, he pointed out key elements. "The exoskeleton should be tough, but not invulnerable. Let's make the eyes and joints between segments weak points. Also, give it a powerful poison attack and the ability to burrow underground, but with a cooldown period to balance it out."
Zoey nodded, taking notes. "And what about its behavior?"
"It should react to light, becoming temporarily blinded. This will give players a chance to strike its weak points. And when it takes too much damage, it should retreat underground to regroup. This will add challenge and unpredictability to the fight."
"Got it," She said, smiling. "Thanks, William. Your insights always make these boss fights so much better."
...
Alex shook off the flashback, his mind now clear. He knew the Elder Centipede King's strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.