“Still alive,” Alistair said flatly.

  “No shit,” Kael muttered. “I died of old age thirty minutes ago.”

  The Warden of Stone was somehow still standing.

  Barely.

  It teetered at the edge of collapse, one leg cracked to hell, missing an arm, and covered in badger claw marks, bite wounds, and thorn gouges. Its helmet was gone, revealing nothing but a glowing cavity that pulsed like a dying furnace.

  Brimma, sweaty and wheezing, leaned on her staff and shot another weak bolt of green energy at the thing’s chest.

  [Spirit Staff – Energy Bolt] → 11 Damage

  Warden of Stone – HP: 52/1800

  “Thrilling,” Alistair said. “My blood’s never felt more tepid.”

  “I was bored forty minutes ago,” Kael said. “Now I’m a lich.”

  Brimma didn’t look at them. Her eyes were locked on the Warden like she was willing it to die out of spite.

  “Keep talking,” she huffed, “and I’ll cast Eternal Flatulence on both of you.”

  Thessaly blinked. “That’s not a real spell.”

  “It will be,” Brimma muttered darkly, hurling another bolt. “If I have to suffer, so do your digestive tracts.”

  Another explosion of light. The Warden flinched but didn’t fall.

  “Gods damn it,” Brimma groaned. “My new damn spell, still has four minutes left on cooldown!”

  She flung her staff at the ground like she wanted it to explode. It didn’t. She picked it back up with a grunt.

  The Warden raised its remaining arm. Slowly. Predictably.

  Alistair stepped in front of Brimma just in time. The massive stone blade came down and slammed into his arena shield like a gong hitting divine bureaucracy.

  [Arena Protection: Active – Alistair]

  Impact absorbed. No damage taken.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You missed. Try again.”

  The Warden shuddered, confused and utterly done.

  Brimma snarled and slammed her staff down again.

  [Spell Cast: Thornbloom Totem]

  The totem exploded into view, spinning as it sent a burst of spiked earth shards into the Warden’s exposed chest. One, two, three bolts, then the final fourth ripped through what remained of its glowing core.

  [Critical Hit – 54 Damage]

  Warden of Stone – HP: 52 → 0

  [Miniboss Defeated – Warden of Stone]

  [Loot Dropped: 1x Godkey Fragment | Earth-Touched Armor Scrap | 35 Gold Coins]

  The Warden let out a grinding exhale as its body cracked down the middle. Then it fell, backward, collapsing into rubble with all the grace of a drunken cathedral.

  Dust rose in a tired mushroom cloud.

  Alistair slow-clapped. Loud. Sarcastic.

  “Oh no,” he said. “Don’t stop now. I was just beginning to enjoy myself.”

  Brimma exhaled and dropped to a squat, then to her back, flopping into the dust with a groan of relief. “I don’t care what you say. That was satisfying.”

  Kael wandered over, brushing debris off his shoulders. “You look like you ran a marathon through a meat grinder.”

  “I feel like I gave birth to a boulder,” Brimma wheezed. “But... worth it.”

  Alistair raised a brow. “That your maternal instinct kicking in?”

  She flipped him off without looking. “No. That’s my level up.”

  [Brimma has Reached Level 23]

  Kael blinked. “You actually leveled?”

  Brimma sat up and grinned. “Oh, I leveled. And I’ve got a few surprises for the next poor bastard we find.”

  She stood, dusted herself off, and limped toward the Warden’s remains.

  A glowing fragment hovered in the rubble, jagged, pulsing with latent energy.

  She plucked it free.

  [Godkey Fragment Obtained – 1 / 7]

  Alistair stood over the remains of the Warden, one boot planted on what used to be its chest cavity. The air still crackled faintly with magic discharge. Dust swirled lazily around him.

  Then, for the first time since entering the Arena, a new sound chimed in his head.

  [Loot Available: Warden of Stone Defeated]

  1x Godkey Fragment (Claimed)

  35 Gold Coins

  Earth-Touched Armor Scrap (Rare Crafting Material)

  He blinked. “Huh. That’s… new.”

  “New what?” Kael asked, sauntering over while brushing dust off his shirt.

  “Got a notification about the loot. Like, actual notification.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Thess said. “I got that too. It’s probably because the minibosses are Arena sanctioned.”

  Brimma groaned. “Took the system long enough to get with the program.”

  Alistair knelt down and sifted through the rubble. Gold coins clinked into his palm. The armor scrap was heavier than expected, charred, rune-scarred, and still faintly warm.

  He turned to Brimma, raising the coins. “So… do I keep these, or…?”

  Brimma squinted. “My kill. My loot.”

  She raised her hand and wiggled her tiny fingers expectantly.

  Alistair sighed and deposited the coins into her outstretched palm like a peasant paying tribute to the world’s crankiest goblin queen.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Happy?”

  “Getting there,” she muttered, pocketing the coins. “Scraps go in your pouch. I’ve got plans.”

  Alistair gritted his teeth and obeyed, flipping the material into his dimensional pouch.

  [Item Stored: Earth-Touched Armor Scrap]

  Rarity: Rare

  Use: Blacksmithing / Runecrafting

  Effect: Increases defense of any crafted piece by +10%. Potential to enhance earth-aspected magic or elemental absorption when refined properly.

  Note: Cannot be sold in current phase.

  “Ooh,” he said aloud. “Fancy rock bits.”

  Kael leaned against a pillar, eyeing the clearing. “So, what now?”

  Alistair stretched his arms overhead. “Obviously, we track the next miniboss.”

  Brimma let out a sound that was one part groan, one part dying bagpipe. “Can’t an old woman get a moment of peace? My joints are staging a coup.”

  “That’s because you’re old and frail,” Alistair said, smirking.

  She grabbed a rock and chucked it at his head.

  It bounced harmlessly off his Arena shield, but the intent was clear.

  Then, behind them, the air pulsed and a ripple of light tore itself open like a curtain being yanked off a window.

  A tall portal shimmered into existence. Circular. Faintly golden. At its center: a single glowing rune.

  [Tier Progression Portal Identified]

  Requirement: 1x Godkey Fragment

  Status: Brimma – Entry Eligible

  Warning: Passage is One-Way. Once entered, you cannot return.

  Alistair’s eyebrows rose. “Huh. I guess that’s how they’re sorting us.”

  Kael frowned at the portal. “So, Brimma… you gonna ditch us and go see what’s behind door number ‘screw-you-guys’?”

  Brimma looked longingly at the portal. Then sighed. “I wish I could escape your incessant nagging. But if I leave you alone, one of you will absolutely do something stupid.”

  She turned slowly, locking eyes with Alistair.

  “Like tame a monster.”

  Alistair blinked. “That was one time. And he’s very well-behaved.”

  Buddy let out a sharp bark from the rubble, then burped a puff of flame.

  Brimma rolled her eyes. “Exactly.”

  She grabbed her staff and limped toward the portal. “Let’s go, idiots. I’ve got six more to collect, and my monolith spell’s back.”

  Kael muttered, “She says it like it’s a good thing.”

  Alistair followed last, smiling faintly.

  “Bad news for the next poor bastard we find.”

  The Crawling Obelisk tore through the battlefield like a siege engine summoned by a very tired, very angry druid grandma.

  Chunks of broken terrain rolled in its wake. Stone cracked in webbed patterns beneath it. The monolith ground forward, gliding like a predator too old to run but too mean to stop. It crushed everything it touched. Shrubs. Ruins. An unfortunate statue of someone important-looking.

  The miniboss, some plated insectoid brute the size of a bear, scrambled to stay ahead of it, legs scraping against the crumbling terrain as Brimma hurled bolt after bolt of green energy from behind cover.

  [Earth Bolt – 18 Damage]

  Enemy HP: 684 → 253

  Thessaly crouched in front of her, arms raised. Her shield flared in existence as she tanked the blast of a tail swipe that would've split a tree in half.

  Kael stood just behind, eyes scanning for weakness. Calm. Controlled. Razor-taut.

  And Alistair… was sitting on a rock about ten meters back, scratching Buddy’s ear.

  “You smell like victory and sulfur,” he muttered fondly.

  Buddy made a low, pleased grumble, fire curling from the corners of his mouth like he’d just finished roasting something small and delicious.

  A system prompt blinked in front of Alistair’s vision.

  [Miniboss Identified: Duneclaw Sentinel]

  Level: 23

  Class: Burrowguard – Insectoid Tank

  HP: 253 / 684

  Traits: Hardened Carapace, Tunnel Instinct

  Abilities:

  ? [Earthshatter Swipe] – Area knockback

  ? [Tremor Burrow] – Escapes underground, re-emerges violently

  ? [Hiveborn Tenacity] – Receives less damage from ranged attacks

  Status: Afflicted by [Crush] – Movement Speed -50%, Dodge Disabled

  “Poor bastard,” Alistair said aloud. “You picked the wrong grandma to mess with.”

  Then Kael jolted.

  He didn’t shout. Didn’t draw.

  But he went absolutely still. A breath held too long.

  Alistair’s fingers froze mid-scratch.

  “What is it?” he murmured, already following Kael’s eyes.

  His gaze landed on a figure standing half-shrouded by broken pillars.

  Not close. But not far enough to ignore.

  It had blue-gray skin like cracked ceramic, and its head was half-covered by a carapace helm shaped like a split geode. A row of glowing eye-like orbs blinked across its forehead, and its arms were long, almost too long, with double-jointed fingers trailing like silk threads.

  It didn’t draw a weapon. Just stood there, watching.

  Definitely not human.

  Alistair frowned. “Who the hell is that?”

  The champion tilted their head slightly. Took in the battlefield. The obelisk. Brimma’s relentless barrage. Thess’s shield-arm twitching from exertion.

  Kael tensed beside Alistair.

  Buddy let out a guttural growl, deep and volcanic. His lips curled back. Fire licked the edges of his maw.

  Alistair narrowed his eyes.

  For a long moment, the enemy champion just watched.

  One of the glowing eyes on the watcher’s face pulsed once.

  And turned.

  Without a word, they vanished into the broken terrain, cloak flicking behind them like smoke.

  Alistair let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

  “Creepy bastard,” Alistair muttered. “Didn’t like that.”

  “Later,” Kael said sharply. “Look!”

  The ground heaved beneath the Duneclaw. Cracks spread out in a fan. It screamed in pain but didn’t fall.

  Thess stepped back, breathing hard. “Little help!”

  The Duneclaw slammed its plated head forward in a reckless charge. Thess grunted as she caught the impact on her shield-arm, but the hit nearly threw her backward.

  Alistair moved first, stepping between the miniboss and Brimma just in time to catch a second blow square to the chest. His Arena Shield flared with violet light as it absorbed the impact.

  Kael was a blur, intercepting from the flank as one of the creature’s spiked limbs lashed out.

  The battlefield quaked with every lurch of the Crawling Obelisk. The ground behind it had turned to fractured, useless terrain, a trail of ruin dragging ever closer to the desperate, scrambling miniboss.

  Brimma stood firm, sweat glistening on her brow, her lips curled in a feral grin.

  Then she whispered something low and vicious.

  [Spell Cast: Veil of Dread]

  Type: Illusion / Debuff

  Mana Cost: 8

  Cooldown: 15 seconds

  Effect: Cloaks the caster in shadows. Nearby enemies suffer -5% accuracy and temporary disorientation.

  Dark tendrils erupted from her body like living smoke, coiling around her form and then spreading wide, reaching the Duneclaw, clinging to its mandibles, fogging its vision with ghostly afterimages.

  The insectoid miniboss twitched, legs stuttering mid-motion.

  Its compound eyes flashed in confusion.

  It turned left, right, then froze.

  Too late.

  Crunch.

  The monolith surged forward, its bulk cracking the stone beneath it, its rune-etched surface aglow with buried heat.

  It collided with the Duneclaw like divine punishment made real.

  The sound was not dignified.

  It was wet.

  A meaty, horrifying splat echoed through the ruin, followed by a grotesque shlorp as chunks of carapace and liquified bug matter were smeared into the arena floor like overripe fruit.

  Bits of leg twitched once and stopped.

  Silence fell.

  Then a chime.

  [Miniboss Defeated – Duneclaw Sentinel]

  1x Godkey Fragment

  29 Gold Coins

  Chitin-Plated Leg Segment (Crafting Material)

  Alistair stood slowly, his Arena Shield flickering down with a soft hum.

  Kael let out a long breath.

  Thess sat down where she stood, arms limp at her sides. “Is it… finally dead?”

  Brimma blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Crushed like a roach in a temple boot.”

  She lifted her chin, eyes sparkling with smug delight. “And that, boys and girls, is why you always let the monolith finish the job.”

  Alistair looked down at the smoking remains. “I’m gonna be picking bug guts out of my boots for a week.”

  Buddy barked once and padded over to the corpse, sniffed it… then immediately recoiled, sneezing fire.

  Kael pinched his nose. “That’s definitely going to attract flies.”

  Brimma strolled over and plucked the glowing fragment from the wreckage without a word.

  [Godkey Fragment Obtained – 2 / 7]

  Alistair raised a brow. “So what’s next? You summon two monoliths at once and call it a day?”

  Brimma just smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

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