"You..."
AFKandChill was enraged by Ethan's threat. Never before, whether in real life or in games, had he been humiliated like this. And to make matters worse, it happened in front of Naomi, adding fuel to his frustration.
"Alright, AFKandChill, cut it out," Naomi intervened. "With all the traps around, it's understandable if one got missed."
AFKandChill felt even more furious after hearing Naomi's words. She was siding with an outsider? Was she crazy?
"I'm not causing trouble! He did it on purpose!" AFKandChill fumed.
"Hey, I think it's on you," *OverallSuspender* chimed in, clearly enjoying the situation. "There's a bunch of us here, and you're the only one who fell for the trap. Maybe you should look at yourself."
"You... you guys!" AFKandChill was on the verge of losing his mind. How could they say something like that? What did they mean by "look at yourself"? What was his problem?
"Fine, fine! It's all my fault, I'm just unlucky!" AFKandChill grumbled angrily, retreating to tend to his wound.
Watching this, Ethan's lips curled into a subtle smile as he turned and led the group forward.
Before long, they exited the tunnel and entered a large, spacious cavern. Standing in the center was a tall figure, completely wrapped in black cloth and holding an axe. This was *Slasher Black Rye*.
"Naomi, let's handle this boss ourselves," AFKandChill spoke up suddenly. After seeing Ethan take the lead for most of the journey, AFKandChill was feeling bitter. Now that they had reached a boss, he didn't want to lose the spotlight.
"That's fine," Naomi agreed, though her reasons were different. She knew that this *Hard* mode boss had a good chance of dropping a silver-tier item, and at this early stage, such a piece of equipment was incredibly valuable to her.
"Are you sure you want to handle this on your own?" Ethan asked, slightly surprised by Naomi's agreement. "This guy is tough—at least level 15. Are you confident you can beat him?"
"Who do you think you're looking down on?" AFKandChill snapped, irritated by Ethan's doubt. He might have lost to Ethan earlier, but he wasn't going to lose to a boss.
"We've fought Black Rye seven or eight times already. We know his skills inside and out. There's no way we'll lose," AFKandChill declared confidently.
"Alright then, go ahead," Ethan said with a shrug, stepping back to watch the show.
"Alright, guys, let's go! I'll start the fight!" AFKandChill said excitedly, drawing his weapon and firing an arrow at the boss.
Ethan couldn't help but laugh. If AFKandChill thought Black Rye was the same as the bosses in normal modes, he was in for a rude awakening. In *Hard* mode, bosses were exponentially stronger.
Sure enough, as soon as AFKandChill's arrow struck, Black Rye pulled it out casually and sighed.
"Sigh… why do you disturb me? I just want to guard this place in peace."
With those words, Black Rye raised his axe and casually slashed toward AFKandChill, who burst out laughing.
"Haha! This boss is stupid. Swinging his weapon from that far away? This isn't some fantasy wuxia world!" AFKandChill scoffed.
But in the next instant, a blade of energy shot from the axe, hurtling toward him.
"Watch out!" Naomi yelled, her eyes widening in shock, but it was too late.
The energy blade slashed across AFKandChill's arm, severing it completely. Blood spurted out in torrents.
"Ahhh!" AFKandChill screamed in agony as his health plummeted.
"What… how could this happen? Isn't Black Rye just a thief? Why does he have ranged attacks?" Naomi gasped in disbelief.
"Who told you thieves can't have ranged skills?" Ethan chuckled, amused by her confusion. In a game as flexible as *Godfall*, it wasn't unusual for characters to possess unconventional abilities. Some mages even learned warrior skills once they had enough strength.
Naomi was at a loss for words. She had no rebuttal for Ethan's response, but now wasn't the time to argue. They needed to regain control of the situation before things spiraled out of control.
"OverallSuspender, use your taunt! Draw his attention!" Naomi commanded.
"Got it!" *OverallSuspender* charged forward, raising his massive shield as he barreled toward Black Rye, activating his taunt skill.
"Oh? You want to dance with me too?" Black Rye sneered, his figure flickering out of sight.
"What the..." *OverallSuspender* was stunned. He had used his taunt skill, so why hadn't it worked?
"Don't bother trying to control him," Ethan explained from the sidelines. "Black Rye has extremely high resistances. Normal taunts won't work."
"Then what should we do?" *OverallSuspender* asked, panicked.
"Simple. Just insult him."
"Insult him?" *OverallSuspender* was dumbfounded. Would that really work?
"Yeah, insult him. Don't think of this as just a game. Bosses have intelligence and emotions. Sometimes, you have to provoke them," Ethan clarified.
"Alright, Dustwalker, I trust you," *OverallSuspender* took a deep breath, bracing himself.
"Hey, Black Rye! Your mother's a failure!" he yelled.
In an instant, Black Rye reappeared, his expression twisted in rage.
"You dare insult my mother? I'll kill you!" Black Rye growled, flashing toward *OverallSuspender* and thrusting his dagger toward his forehead.
"Golden Body!" *OverallSuspender* had intended to block the attack with his shield, but Black Rye moved too fast. Left with no other choice, he activated his *Golden Body* skill, turning himself into solid metal.
"Whoa, this guy has the *Golden Body* skill? What luck!" Ethan muttered, a tinge of jealousy in his voice. *Golden Body* was a common but highly sought-after skill, offering three seconds of invulnerability. While it came with the drawback of rendering the user immobile, its rarity made it even more valuable than *Blink*.
Seeing *OverallSuspender* turn into a golden statue, Black Rye snorted in annoyance.
"Golden Body, huh? Interesting!"
Rather than continue attacking him, Black Rye switched targets, turning his attention toward Naomi.
He wasn't stupid—he knew who the leader of this group was. Take out the leader, and the rest would fall easily.
Naomi tensed as Black Rye locked eyes with her, gripping her greatsword tightly in preparation for the attack.
Black Rye smiled wickedly as he swung his dagger toward her. It was a simple, unassuming strike—no flashy blade energy or illusions.
Naomi frowned, confused by the mundane attack. They were still so far apart. Why would he strike now?
"Watch your back!" Ethan suddenly shouted.
In that instant, a dagger materialized behind Naomi, aiming straight for her neck. Reacting quickly, she twisted her body just in time to avoid the fatal blow.
"Thanks!" Naomi called out, grateful for the warning. Without it, she'd already be dead.
"How can he hit me from so far away?" she asked, still puzzled.
"It's his unique ability—*Reach Beyond the Clouds*. He can attack from a distance. It's hard to defend against," Ethan explained. *Reach Beyond the Clouds* was typically a thief's pickpocketing skill, but Black Rye had adapted it for assassination.
Black Rye smirked at Ethan, his eyes narrowing. "Adventurer, you know a lot about me, don't you?"
"I know enough," Ethan replied with a shrug, completely unbothered by the threat.
In his previous life, Ethan had farmed the *Treasure Cave* almost daily. He knew not only the *Hard* mode, but even the expert-level dungeon inside and out.
"Ethan, what should we do now?" Naomi asked, her frustration evident. She had finally come to terms with the fact that this *Hard* mode boss was far more difficult than anticipated. With his energy blades and *Reach Beyond the Clouds*, Black Rye was overwhelming them.
Continuing like this would only lead to total annihilation.
"If you want me to help, you need to call me something nice. Maybe call me big brother," Ethan teased, a sly grin on his face.
"You..." Naomi's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. How could he take advantage of the situation like this?
"No? Fine. Keep doing things your way then," Ethan said, nonchalantly shoving his hands in his pockets as he leaned back to enjoy the show.
Naomi clenched her fists in frustration. As much as she hated it, she couldn't afford to let her pride get in the way. They were on the verge of defeat.
"Please… help us, Dustwalker…" she said, swallowing her pride, her voice strained.