The battle raged with ferocious intensity.

  The cavern was filled with deafening cries, a chaotic blend of our shouts and the monstrous roars of our enemies.

  BLAAST!

  Orin launched a Mana Bomb, the glowing sphere streaking through the air before detonating with a brilliant flash. The explosion ripped through the Morgoths and Borgoths, leaving scorched remains in its wake.

  Korrogoth answered the attack immediately.

  With a thunderous bellow, its massive body began to quake violently. The beast stomped its colossal hooves against the cavern floor, sending deep tremors through the ground.

  [Tectonic Surge cast]

  A powerful shockwave rippled outward, and the earth beneath us began to crack and split apart. Jagged fissures tore through the battlefield, while chunks of stone and debris rained down from above.

  "Shoot—watch your footing!" I yelled, barely dodging a falling boulder.

  The only silver lining?

  Korrogoth couldn’t move while channeling the attack.

  Elena wasted no time. Her Silkshade Phantom dashed forward, weaving through the chaos and drawing the attention of the rampaging Gabborgoths and a few Borgoths.

  Muradin, meanwhile, stood his ground at the front lines. His shield absorbed a relentless onslaught—venomous quills from the Bristlegoths, scorching fireballs from the Infergoths. His armor hissed as poison and flame scorched its surface, but he refused to falter.

  I kept my focus on him, weaving buff and healing spells as fast as I could, ensuring he didn’t collapse under the relentless barrage.

  Meanwhile, Darwyn—our main damage dealer—zeroed in on Korrogoth. He dashed through the battlefield, narrowly avoiding the crumbling terrain, while Gorgroth, our monstrous ally, unleashed Spitfire into the fray, incinerating any creature foolish enough to stay in its path.

  [Enhanced Frostbound Flask used]

  Orin hurled an ice-laced flask toward the Infergoths.

  CRACK!

  Upon impact, the flask exploded in a wave of freezing mist, its chilling effect exploiting their weakness to frost.

  The explosion of frost sent shards of ice in every direction, freezing some of them in place while others shrieked in pain. Their bodies, accustomed to fire, couldn’t handle the extreme cold.

  Furious, they turned toward us, eyes burning with vengeance.

  Muradin gritted his teeth and did the only thing he could—charged forward to meet them.

  "Muradin! Now’s your chance!" I called out.

  His expression was grim but determined. He knew what I meant. His shield glowed faintly, and he braced himself for the inevitable impact.

  Up until now, Muradin had rarely used Bastion Strike. It was a short-range, low-damage skill, useful for a light knockback but never a game-changer. At least, that’s what he thought.

  Until I told him otherwise.

  I had spent hours researching numerous skills during my twelve years of playtime. That’s when I found a hidden mechanic—a secret about this skill.

  The power of Bastion Strike wasn’t in the attack itself.

  It grew stronger based on how much damage Muradin had taken during the first activation, Bastion Charge—which supposedly only increased his resistance.

  Naturally, he hadn’t believed me at first.

  "That sounds like a load of crap," he'd scoffed when I first explained it.

  "Really? Then why don’t you prove it yourself?" I had smirked. "Too bad you don’t have the spine to do it."

  Muradin had grumbled about it back then. But now, as his entire body smoked from burns, as he absorbed every ounce of pain from the Infergoths’ kamikaze attacks, he felt it—a surge of power rising from deep within him.

  The skill wasn’t weak.

  He had just never used it properly.

  And now?

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  It was ready to explode.

  [Bastion Strike cast]

  A blinding surge of energy erupted from his shield, pure white and searing hot—targeted at Korrogoth.

  Korrogoth roared in agony, its massive form reeling backward. Its Tectonic Surge stopped, interrupted by the attack.

  The impact of Bastion Strike, empowered by Inner Strength, was devastating—only slightly weaker than our usual Thunderstrike Slam combo.

  It worked.

  Muradin let out a breathless laugh. "By the gods… you were right!"

  "Of course, I was." I grinned. "You really think I read all those dusty books for fun?"

  Orin wasted no time. She hurled a Frostbound Flask straight at Korrogoth, its icy contents shattering upon impact. A surge of frost spread across the beast’s legs, slowing its movements as its thick, armored hide cracked beneath the sudden chill.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  Korrogoth rose once more, its colossal frame looming over us, steam rising from its body as it shook off the ice.

  Then, with a deep, snarling breath—

  It charged.

  Its massive tusks gleamed under the dim cavern light, aimed straight for Muradin, who was already struggling to stay on his feet after unleashing his Bastion Strike.

  “Move, dwarf!” Darwyn shouted, already sprinting toward him.

  Muradin barely had the strength to react. His armor was scorched, his shield dented, and yet—his stubborn pride refused to let him fall back.

  "Damn it, Muradin!" I cursed, heart pounding. "You can’t take that hit!"

  Korrogoth was closing in fast. Even with the Frostbound Flask slowing it down, it was still too fast for Muradin to escape on his own.

  Darwyn was closing the distance, reaching for Muradin’s arm—

  But they weren’t going to make it.

  My mind raced. We needed to do something. Now.

  [Galestride cast]

  A sudden gust of wind surged around the target. But it wasn’t meant for Muradin or Darwyn.

  Instead—

  It was for Elena’s Phantom.

  "Elena!" I barked. "Send your Phantom in—now!"

  She didn’t hesitate. With a sharp motion, she redirected her Silkshade Phantom—a ghostly illusion of herself—toward the charging Korrogoth.

  Darwyn immediately understood and launched the follow-up action.

  At the same time, a swarm of Gabborgoths and Borgoths were still chasing after it.

  Hopefully this worked.

  The Phantom lunged into Korrogoth’s path just as the beast reached full speed.

  And then—

  BOOM!

  A deafening explosion ripped through the cavern.

  The force of the detonation slammed into Korrogoth’s side, sending the behemoth crashing sideways with an earth-shaking impact.

  Elena had sacrificed her Phantom in a last-ditch suicide attack—a strategy we had previously used against the Blood Berserker.

  But this time, it hit even harder—thanks to Wyrmstone Bracelet.

  Korrogoth roared in fury, struggling to rise, dazed from the unexpected blast.

  Muradin, who had just moments ago been on the brink of collapse, suddenly grinned.

  "Heh." He wiped the blood from his chin. "Now that’s more like it."

  Without wasting a second, he switched his shield into two massive axes.

  [Thunderstrike Slam cast]

  Muradin’s axes whizzed through the air, slicing deep into Korrogoth’s thick hide—followed by a thundering sound. The beast howled, but before it could retaliate—

  Darwyn was already there.

  His bowstring thrummed, releasing an arrow that crackled with electricity.

  [Lightning Bolt cast]

  ZZZAP! The charged arrow pierced straight into Korrogoth’s wounds, the electricity spreading like wildfire across its armored body.

  Gorgroth, sensing the opportunity, launched a barrage of Spitfire, the burning liquid seeping into the cracks Darwyn’s attacks had made.

  Korrogoth thrashed wildly, its agonized roars reverberating throughout the cavern.

  But we weren’t done yet.

  "Now! Everyone, hit it with everything you've got!" I shouted.

  Orin used Mana Surge and immediately threw something from her hand—Flameburst Flask—this time aimed directly at Korrogoth’s head.

  Muradin roared in defiance, his axes falling like hammers of vengeance.

  Elena let loose her strongest shot yet.

  The cavern was filled with blinding light.

  Korrogoth's massive form shuddered, its movements slowing—before its body was consumed by the glow.

  And then—

  It vanished.

  The final boss was dead.

  For a moment, none of us spoke.

  The silence that followed was almost eerie, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing and the distant echoes of battle still fading into nothingness.

  Then, as if waking from a trance, we all turned to the few remaining monsters, who—now without their leader—looked hesitant, even afraid.

  We didn’t give them the chance to fight back. It was over in seconds.

  And finally—

  The waves were done.

  We had won.

  Exhausted but triumphant, I sank to my knees, barely able to catch my breath.

  "Well," Orin finally muttered, still panting. "That was hell."

  "You don’t say," Darwyn chuckled, slumping down beside me.

  Muradin, covered in burns and bruises, simply threw his axes aside and flopped onto his back.

  "Somebody get me a damn drink," he grumbled.

  Elena let out a breathless laugh. "You’re not even standing and you’re already demanding ale?"

  Muradin grinned weakly. "Damn right. We all earned it."

  I couldn’t help but smile.

  After everything we had just endured—after the relentless waves, the monsters, the battle of sheer survival—

  We were still alive.

  And for now?

  That was enough.

  [High Willpower detected. A special event has been unlocked. Preparing...]

  minus sign next to it?