"Super your ass!"
Dragonsoul kicked Titan down to the fifth level before quickly entering himself. I followed close behind, while Diana and Violet entered side by side. Grimm brought up the rear - if any monsters suddenly spawned, he'd be the one to get obliterated.
As soon as we entered the fifth level, an eerie wind rose up and the temperature plummeted. It was freezing!
When Diana and Violet appeared together, they both let out startled cries. Diana immediately tightened her mage robes, while Violet crossed her arms over her chest, accentuating her impressive assets even more.
Looking ahead, we all gasped in shock.
With ash-gray hair wildly flowing, golden armor, a long sword, and a purple cape billowing in the wind, before us stood an imposing sword-wielding skeleton. Its hollow eye sockets somehow conveyed an air of utter superiority as it gazed upon us like we were mere insects, full of disdain.
[Millennial Skeleton King] (Golden-tier Boss)
Level: ???
Attack: ???
Defense: ???
HP: ???
Special: A mighty king who perished here ten thousand years ago. His anger and refusal to accept defeat caused him to be resurrected. Now the Skeleton King leads thousands of troops from hell, attempting to sweep across the continent of Ethereal Surge.
Everyone was dumbstruck. Titan's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Holy crap, a golden-tier boss! We're totally screwed!"
Dragonsoul gripped his greatsword tightly. "Stay calm! If we take him down, we'll be set for life!"
Ghostflame chimed in, "What a shame I can't equip my Extinction set right now. We might actually have a shot at killing this boss otherwise!"
Diana's alluring lips parted in awe as she murmured, "A golden-tier boss... we've struck gold, haven't we?"
I asked, "When do we attack?"
My question snapped everyone back to reality. Even the Skeleton King suddenly opened his eyes wide, unleashing a piercing cold light from his eye sockets that sent chills down our spines.
The Skeleton King's warhorse had also been reduced to bones, but it was still clad in armor. With a bone-chilling neigh, it stomped its iron hooves on the ground before charging towards us at lightning speed!
"Whoosh!"
A flash of cold light erupted as the Skeleton King raised his sword. The blade's edge gleamed with an otherworldly glow, clearly no ordinary weapon.
"Watch out!" Dragonsoul shouted.
Titan, at the forefront, hastily raised his battle axe to block. With a crisp "clang," the Skeleton King's sword strike sent Titan flying. He slammed into the rock wall with a "thud," losing over half his health in an instant!
Everyone was shocked. Titan had managed to block successfully, yet he still lost over a thousand HP. If the Skeleton King landed a direct hit, would anyone survive?
Diana quickly commanded, "Everyone spread out! Use frost skills to slow him down. He's too fast!"
As the highest-level players in the game, we naturally obeyed Diana's orders. We quickly dispersed, but to my surprise, I saw the Skeleton King's next target was Violet!
I swiftly fired an Armor-Piercing Arrow. A flash of white light streaked past, exploding against the Skeleton King's back. The damage was acceptable - "542!"
Violet's face paled in fright, but she flashed me a grateful smile. I had no time to return the gesture, as the deadly Skeleton King was now charging straight for me!
Dragonsoul suddenly appeared to one side, raising his sword with a battle cry: "Sweeping Thousand Armies!"
A purple light flashed as Dragonsoul's massive blade stabbed into the skeletal warhorse's rear. The Skeleton King's health dropped twice in rapid succession, dealing "234" and "185" damage. Considering the Skeleton King's defense, that was impressive damage from Dragonsoul!
Sweeping Thousand Armies was a multi-hit skill that could potentially strike up to 5 times in a frenzy, but at our current level, players could only manage two hits.
After landing his blow, Dragonsoul wisely pulled back his sword and retreated at an astonishing speed.
The Skeleton King, as if insulted, roared in anger and charged towards Dragonsoul. Dragonsoul cried out in panic, "Brothers, save me!"
Of course, it wasn't the "brothers" who saved Dragonsoul, but Diana's Ice Arrow spell. In an instant, the Skeleton King's speed was drastically reduced, easing the pressure on Dragonsoul.
I also used Ice Arrow in combination with Armor-Piercing Arrow to deal heavy damage to the Skeleton King. Among all the players present, I had clearly become the main damage dealer. Only my Armor-Piercing Arrow could inflict significant damage on the Skeleton King. Even Diana's Fireball spell could only chip away about 400 HP at a time.
After the initial panic, we finally stabilized our formation. Diana, Ghostflame and I formed a triangle, taking turns drawing the Skeleton King's aggro. Dragonsoul and Titan would seize opportunities to land Earth-Shattering Slash or Sweeping Thousand Armies, then flee like mad. They knew all too well that if the Skeleton King's sword so much as grazed them, it would likely mean instant death.
Time ticked by, and everything was progressing smoothly. After half an hour of whittling away at its health, the Skeleton King was finally down to its last sliver of HP, on the verge of defeat!
Titan was visibly excited. He charged in with his battle axe, landed a thunderous blow, then immediately turned tail and ran. His comical retreat drew a burst of laughter from Violet.
As the main attacker, I had burned through nearly all the mana potions in my inventory in this short time. I even had Dragonsoul ferry a batch of mana potions to Diana, as her mage class consumed far more than mine.
Watching the once-imposing Skeleton King reduced to this state, it was clear that even the most formidable boss was powerless against perfect tactical control!
Dragonsoul licked his lips excitedly. "The first golden-tier boss in Ethereal Surge is about to fall to us. This alone should earn us a place in the history books!"
Titan chimed in, "Boss, you sure our names won't end up on the tombstones of the Skeleton King's victims instead?"
Dragonsoul glared at him. "Come on, can't you say something more auspicious?"
Titan shouted, "Long live the Skeleton King! May he reign for ten thousand years, unmatched in glory and invincible in battle!"
Well, that was certainly auspicious enough...
Just then, a sudden change occurred, as if Titan's ill-omened words had come true.
The nearly-dead Skeleton King abruptly halted, raising his sword high. An arcane incantation echoed around us as the ground began to quake. Stone spires crashed down around us, and it felt as if the entire fifth level of the Phantom Cavern was about to collapse!
"Ding!"
System Notification: Warning! The Millennial Skeleton King is using his skill - Summon Thousand Armies!
Amidst the thundering of hooves, the rock wall before us suddenly transformed into a void. Countless skeletal cavalry wielding long spears emerged, charging through the air with tiger-like ferocity that struck fear into our hearts!
In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred undead riders were bearing down on us!
Titan, at the front lines, immediately swung his massive axe in a powerful Earth-Shattering Slash. The skill's radiance flashed, sending the first few riders tumbling. But the riders behind them surged forward, instantly engulfing Titan. A flash of white light, and Titan was dead, sent back to town to resurrect.
Dragonsoul was shocked. He started to turn, only to find a blur of movement behind him!
The Skeleton King's massive form swept across the ground, its deadly sword slicing into Dragonsoul's chest with a "swoosh." Dragonsoul had no time to react as his health was instantly depleted, a massive "3458" damage number appearing above his head!
Another flash of white light, and Dragonsoul was dead too, leaving behind a pile of health potions on the ground.