As we teleported to the 8th floor, we were greeted by an eerie, endless graveyard. Tombstones stretched as far as the eye could see, filling the barren wasteland under a pale, colorless sky.
The silence was suffocating, broken only by the occasional gust of wind that stirred the dust and ash. We stood in the center of it all, teleported to a small rune-inscribed platform surrounded by the graveyard, as if dropped into the heart of death itself.
The graveyard radiated a cold, oppressive stillness, as if the air itself was mourning the souls trapped here. Reyna stepped forward, her footsteps unnaturally loud in the silence. She knelt beside a dusty tombstone and carefully brushed away the grime. The name etched into the weathered stone read, Lilian Valente.
It was a chilling reminder of the horrors we faced in this world, where NPCs and players alike were nothing more than names on forgotten graves, casualties of monsters and nightmares far beyond our understanding.
Small clusters of slimes slithered sluggishly across the ground, their translucent bodies glistening in the dim light. They scavenged for anything they could devour, mindlessly sweeping the graveyard for scraps. Above, a weak, pale sun bathed the floor in an unnatural glow, casting long, twisted shadows that only deepened the atmosphere of dread.
We stood just outside the teleportation circle, waiting for someone—or something. The tension among the party was palpable, everyone casting wary glances at the tombstones as if expecting the dead to rise at any moment. I glanced around, noticing the uneasy expressions on my comrades' faces, each reflecting the growing dread of what lay ahead.
We were all capped at level 8, the highest we could be on this floor. No matter how powerful we were elsewhere, here we were bound by the rules of the tower—a cold, unforgiving equalizer.
The wait dragged on, the silence pressing in as we prepared to face whatever horrors this floor had in store.
CRACK
The sound of the teleport rune hummed as we all turned, eyes widening. Behind us, a woman materialized, her commanding presence immediately drawing attention. Her name, LV 8 Rhy, floated above her head, and her face was unmistakable.
She had medium-length blonde hair, the tips dyed orange, and her sharp yellow eyes seemed to glow in the sunlight. Two swords rested on her back, their hilts engraved with familiar names—Sun and Lunar—common practice among players to personalize their gear.
Her armor gleamed in the sun, light but sturdy, similar to the Seraphina's style, though hers was customized with a unique flair. The silver plates were trimmed in gold, and the chainmail beneath shimmered with an iridescent glow. A pendant hung around her neck, catching my eye—a deep blue gem encased in a silver frame with a crescent moon etched into the metal. She wasn't wearing any guild insignia, which meant she was likely guildless, a solo player. Yet, I recognized her from the rankings.
A warm smile spread across her face, lighting up the desolate graveyard floor, but Viri wasn't impressed. She rolled her eyes at Rhy's entrance, which Rhy immediately noticed.
"Still upset about your loss to Adrian?" Rhy teased, her tone mockingly sweet.
Viri smiled, though there was a hint of irritation. "Adrian beat me fair and square," she admitted, her voice calm.
"What was it he said?" Rhy added, imitating Adrian's tone. "'You can challenge me anytime.'"
Before Viri could respond further, Tenshi sprinted over, throwing her arms around Rhy. "I haven't seen you in forever, Rachel!"
Rhy chuckled, returning the hug. "Good to see you too," she said warmly, her eyes drifting over to me as they parted.
As the conversation continued in the background, Eli tugged at my arm, pulling me aside.
"How do you know Rhy?" I asked, my voice low so as not to interrupt the others.
Eli smiled knowingly. "Although Rhy doesn't belong to a guild, she hops around helping where she's needed."
"Why is she here?" I whispered, trying not to sound rude.
"Sho asked her to come. Just in case something goes wrong."
"Goes wrong?" I frowned.
Eli's expression darkened. "Recently, some monsters and bosses have been buffed—healed or enhanced by outside players."
"So, the spider boss was…" I trailed off, feeling a knot in my stomach.
Eli nodded, her voice tinged with sadness. "Yes, another player must've buffed it. Or at least, that's what Sho thinks."
Rhy walked up to me, giving me a once-over, then another, as if assessing my worth. My nerves tightened under her gaze, though I tried to hide it. Her presence felt overwhelming, like being measured by someone far beyond my league.
"So," she began, a slight smirk on her face, "what's the plan for this fight? We've already got one dead weight."
I chuckled nervously. "Although we're not as strong as you, we'll try not to slow you down."
Eli nodded beside me, echoing my sentiment. But before Rhy could respond, Reyna stepped in.
"Viri and I will do most of the damage. You can just watch," Reyna said, her tone confident.
Rhy smiled, a playful glint in her eye. "Alright, I won't do anything. But I won't let you die from your own pride either."
Tenshi frowned, stepping forward with concern. "No, we'll need her help."
Reyna looked at her, her voice soft but firm. "What do you suggest we do, then?"
Tenshi hesitated for a moment, then responded. "Since she's here, why don't we have her disable the boss while we handle the minions?"
Reyna considered the idea, nodding slowly. "Not a bad plan. Is that alright with you, Rhy?"
Rhy's proud smile returned as she glanced around at all of us. "I'm at your command, Reyna," she replied with a slight bow.
As the sun dipped lower, shadows stretched across the graveyard, and the ground beneath us started to shake. Tombstones rattled, and cracks formed in the dirt, like something buried deep was trying to break free. The tremors grew stronger, nearly knocking us off our feet. The sound of digging grew louder, filling the air as the boss—no, the bosses—stirred, ready to rise from their graves.
RUMBLE
Hundreds of skeletal hands burst through the ground, each one grasping a weapon—swords, shields, spears, axes—rusted and worn, yet deadly in their grasp. The clattering of bones echoed as more and more skeletons rose from the earth, an army armed with ancient gear, their hollow eyes empty yet filled with a silent rage. Then, behind them, a giant skeleton emerged, towering over us like a small building. This one was different—not just in size, but in its attire. A tattered black cloak draped over its massive frame, and unlike the hollow sockets of the others, it had two eerie, red floating eyes that stared down at us with malevolent intelligence.
Rhy stepped forward, drawing the sword engraved with Lunar. Her fingers glided across the blade, tracing the intricate runes etched along its surface. As she did, a ripple of shadowy energy pulsed from the sword, and a dark pool of shadow materialized beneath her feet. Without hesitation, she sank into it, disappearing completely before reappearing in an instant right next to the towering skeleton.
"Shadow magic," I thought to myself, watching her with a mix of awe and unease.
With a fluid motion, Rhy swung her sword, unleashing a massive arc of black energy. The slash expanded, wrapping around the boss like living shadows, binding its limbs and forcing the colossal skeleton to the ground with a heavy crash. Its bones creaked under the pressure as it struggled against the magical restraints, but to no avail. Rhy sat triumphantly atop its fallen form, her smile smug.
"My job is done," she declared, her voice filled with pride.
I stood back, guarding the mana bombs Viri had brought with us as a last line of defense. Eli stayed close behind me, knowing I was her shield should the fight take a turn. Across the battlefield, I watched Reyna activate a series of Phoenix Feathers, igniting in a brilliant golden glow as she hurled them at the approaching skeletons. Unlike the tougher spiders we had faced before, these skeletons crumbled with a single hit, disintegrating into dust the moment the feathers made contact.
Viri, still with her shotgun strapped to her back, opted for brute strength, throwing powerful punches that shattered the skeletons with ease. Each blow she landed sent bones flying, her strength overwhelming even the largest of the skeletal warriors. The fight was intense, but controlled. However, something felt off.
I glanced around the battlefield, searching for Tenshi. She wasn't supplying her usual support magic, and it made me uneasy. My eyes darted through the chaos, Seraphina was nowhere to be seen either. It was like she vanished just before the fight started, slipping away unnoticed.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Something wasn't right. I gripped my weapon tighter, ready for the unexpected.
As we fought through wave after wave of seemingly endless skeletons, a thought kept coming to mind—the World Atlas. It was the most accurate depiction of the World Tree, our only guide through this strange reality, and it hadn't been wrong yet. So why hadn't the other four bosses appeared?
Reyna's fire magic left trails of ash and burn marks across the ground, while ice mana bombs created frozen statues that were shattered with the next strike. Viri's sheer physical strength caused the skeletons to crumble into piles of dust as she moved through them like a wrecking ball. The skeletons were relentless, but we were holding our ground.
I kept throwing mana bombs into the thick of the enemy, the explosions scattering the undead warriors into pieces. The battlefield was littered with the remains of countless skeletons—frozen fragments, charred bone, and weapons shattered beyond recognition before they inevitably turned to pixels. Each wave we faced felt like it could be the last, but no matter how many we took down, more kept rising from the ground as if the graveyard itself was an infinite well of soldiers.
Hours passed, but it felt like minutes. The skeleton army showed no signs of slowing down, and the weight of fatigue began to settle on all of us. The battlefield stretched on, a wasteland of destruction. The heat from Reyna's flames clashed with the cold left by the ice spells, creating an eerie fog that shrouded the area.Then, without warning, the ground beneath our feet trembled violently.
RUMBLE. RUMBLE. RUMBLE.
The massive skeleton lord, still bound by Rhy's magic, let out an ear-piercing roar, its hollow eyes burning brighter. With a sudden burst of strength, it broke through the shadowy tendrils that had held it captive, sending Rhy flying backward through the air. She crashed into the ground, skidding to a stop near the teleport rune.
I watched in horror as the boss stood tall, its enormous form towering over the battlefield. Around its neck hung the pendant—a glowing white light emanating from it, slowly healing its shattered bones. The pendant was our target, the key to stopping this monster, but it seemed indestructible.
Rhy was back on her feet in an instant. She wiped the red from the corner of her mouth.
Reyna was the first to move, summoning a massive wave of fire that engulfed the Skeleton Lord. The flames roared as they consumed its cloak, but the light of the pendant flickered and the damage was undone just as quickly. Viri charged in from the other side, her fists coated in earth magic, punching through the bones of the creature with force. But again, the light pulsed, and the damage was repaired faster than they could destroy it.
Rhy joined the assault, her shadow magic wrapping around the creature's legs, pulling it down to the ground again. She slashed at the boss with Lunar, trying to weaken it, but no matter what they did, the pendant continued to heal the damage.
I glanced at Eli, who stood frozen behind me, her hands shaking. She looked terrified. I stepped closer to her, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm despite the chaos around us.
Eli nodded, though her expression was still strained. "I-I just don't know what to do. They're all so much stronger than me..."
I gave her a small smile. "You won't mess anything up. Just do your best."
She looked up at me, her fear slowly melting into a soft smile. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she nodded again, her hands steadying. "Thanks," she whispered.
The battlefield roared with the sounds of combat as Reyna, Viri, and Rhy continued their assault on the Skeleton Lord. Despite their best efforts, the white light from the pendant was too strong, healing the boss faster than they could hurt it.
"We're running out of time!" Reyna shouted, her voice filled with frustration as her flames dissipated against the skeleton's healing.
"I know!" Rhy gritted her teeth, frustration growing as she watched the light repair their every blow.
"Enough!" Rhy muttered, her voice barely audible over the chaos of the fight.
She tightened her grip on Lunar, the blade humming with dark energy, the runes along its edge glowing a deep violet. Without hesitation, she darted forward in a blur of motion as she sliced through the skeleton lord with a single, clean arc. The shadows followed her like a dark veil.
Her eyes locked onto the pendant hanging around the neck of the Skeleton Lord, that stubbornly glowing white light continuing to undo all the damage she'd inflicted.
Reyna launched another wave of fire, brighter and hotter than before, while Viri sent massive chunks of earth flying at the boss, keeping it off balance. Rhy sprinted forward, her movements fluid and nearly impossible to track. With one swift, precise strike, she plunged her sword into the boss's ribs, using it as leverage to leap up and reach for the pendant.
For a brief moment, it seemed like she might succeed. Her hand grazed the pendant, fingers just brushing the smooth surface of the glowing amulet. But then, as soon as she made contact, the entire battlefield seemed to shift.
A shockwave burst from the pendant, a blinding white light blasting outward. Rhy was hurled through the air like she'd been struck by an invisible force, her sword torn free from the Skeleton Lord's ribs as she crashed hard into the ground, leaving a deep crater in her wake.
"RHY!" Tenshi screamed, running toward her.
Rhy groaned, coughing as she forced herself back up, clearly shaken by the impact. A thin line of red ran down from the corner of her mouth, but with a defiant grin, she wiped it away.
The Skeleton Lord, rattled but undeterred, let out a low, chilling laugh that echoed through the graveyard, sending shivers down our spines. Its eyes flared brighter, and with a sickening crunch of bones, it stood tall once more, brushing off Rhy's shadow magic like it was nothing. The sinister laughter grew louder.
"We're far from done," it rasped, its voice ancient.
The earth beneath it trembled violently. Cracks spiderwebbed through the ground as it raised a skeletal hand toward the sky. Then, with a loud thud, four more skeletons clawed their way up from the soil, each armed for battle. One wielded a massive sword that gleamed in the fading light, another brandished a deadly spear, a third held a bow with arrows made from bone, and the last clutched a wand.
These new skeletons were just as menacing as their lord, their empty eyes glowing with the same eerie light.