Chapter 24: Trouble by the Lake
Astarte_toki's POV
It's already been almost a month since I started playing Enigma Online PH.
I can still clearly remember how it all began. At first, I was completely overwhelmed by the immersive game environment. Everything felt so foreign and strange. But eventually, I managed to adjust. Like always, I chose to play solo. I'm not really comfortable around other players unless I need to ask a question… or engage in PvP.
Except for players like kobi23, the info breaker who always startled me with his random appearances. But despite his eccentric behavior, the data he sells is top-notch. Because of him, I've managed to hunt down rare and even epic items like rings and armlets.
His guides are very detailed, so I never have trouble finding the mobs that drop those items. Thanks to that, I now have two Rings of the Forgotten One, a powerful epic accessory, and two Armlets of Nightmare, also epic items. My character's main build is focused on STR and DEX, and with these items equipped, my DEX got a significant boost.
As for my back item, I managed to get something amazing: the Mystic Orbs. They're so stylish—three glowing orbs (red, blue, and yellow) that don't attach to my back like normal wings. Instead, they hover and circle around me, giving me the ability to fly and defend. The best part? They move automatically to block incoming attacks depending on the situation.
O_O Amazing, right?!
I even got myself a pet—a flying-type bird named Vastro. It's a giant green avian with razor-sharp talons, imbued with the power of wind. A perfect companion for someone like me who prefers speed and precision in battle.
---
Today, I was wandering the outskirts of Frontier Village, searching for rare monsters. I purposely entered secluded areas, avoiding other players who were busy grinding or preparing for the big tournament happening in two days. Honestly, I wanted to join, but being guildless makes that nearly impossible. Finding a compatible guild this late would be tough.
Oh, right—I haven't even introduced myself properly. My real name is Clifford Saturnino, 22 years old. Just your average happy-go-lucky guy. Well, not really. I actually work night shifts as a maintenance technician at Sierra Sector's private transport station. That gives me the entire morning free to play. And lately, I've been seriously considering becoming a full-fledged pro gamer here in EOPH. You can earn real money, after all.
Eventually, I stumbled upon an unexplored area on the map. As soon as I stepped past the boundary, the system labeled the place as Shanzue Lake. The land formation resembled a dormant volcano—cone-shaped, with a lake resting in its center. The only entrance by land was through a narrow cave passage.
No monsters so far. I stood before the wide lake, observing the surroundings. There were steam vents scattered around, releasing hot air at regular intervals. The temperature in the area was also noticeably high.
Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind me.
"Nice area you've found here."
Shit—someone followed me?!
I quickly turned around, assuming my combat stance. The player looked startled by my aggressive reaction and immediately raised both hands.
"Whoa! Chill, man. I'm not your enemy," he said calmly.
"Who are you? How did you get here? Were you following me?" I fired off a string of questions.
"Hey, hey—one at a time," he replied, chuckling. "Name's DarkZero. I followed you when you passed through the zone I was guarding."
"Why'd you follow me?" I asked, still skeptical.
"You looked suspicious. I'm a Defender-class player—my job is to monitor and eliminate PKers. Lately, there's been an uptick in PK activity in this area, so I've been on patrol."
"I see. I've heard rumors about that too. But I'm not a PKer—I'm just a solo player hunting rare monsters."
"Figured as much," he said, stepping closer. That's when I got a better look at him.
He was an Angel Race player with jet-black hair and eyes, fair skin, and stood around 5'6" or 5'7", with a lean, muscular frame. He wore a dark green plated armor set, no helmet, but had a sleek headgear attached near his ears that curved to the back of his head. His wings were a deep mahogany hue—probably max-upgraded.
I couldn't see any weapons on him, only two small pouches on either hip. Ah, a Slinger Type.
"I'm Astarte_toki. Nice to meet you, Defender," I said, offering my hand.
We shook hands as I glanced around again. "You got any allies nearby?"
"Nope, I work alone—just like you," he replied with a grin.
"Really? That's dangerous, you know. What if you get outnumbered by PKers?"
"I'll fight back. That's all there is to it," he said without a hint of hesitation.
This guy... he's definitely used to brawls.
"You're crazy, haha," I laughed. "So, do you know anything about this area?"
"Nothing, actually. First time here," he answered with a smirk. "But hey, I'll help you explore. No PKers around today anyway. Rumor has it there's an Epic Boss hidden in this lake."
He leaned in closer. "Here's what I know for a fact: There are seven Epic Bosses across the Meldivar Map. Three have already been defeated—Mermedion, Black Garuda, and Ferullian Hydra. The Hydra was the key to unlocking the Helliopolis map, so there are major rewards involved if we find one of the remaining four."
"Yeah, I read that in the game guide. But if there's really an Epic Boss here, wouldn't this place be swarming with high-level players by now?"
"You've got a point," he admitted. "But there's a reason why most players stay away. After the last update, things changed—Dark Matter Clouds, rogue AI, strange malfunctions. It scared off a lot of people."
He walked up to the lakeside, crouched down, and dipped his fingers in the water. "Not too hot… which means water-type monsters might live here."
I was about to respond when he suddenly dove into the lake.
"What the—"
"Come on in! The water's great!" he called out, grinning.
"Alright, alright," I muttered, jumping in after him.
We dove deep, exploring the lakebed. The water was murky but still passable. Our glowing gear served as our light source. Every 45 seconds or so, we resurfaced for air. A few water monsters tried to attack us, but I shifted into bow mode underwater to take them down efficiently.
"There's a deep trench on the left side," DarkZero pointed out. "Let's spam skills there—maybe something's hiding."
"Got it!" I activated flight mode, floating above the water as we positioned ourselves.
"Phoinix Shot!" I called out—an AOE skill that fires up to 25 arrows, each with a 20% critical chance.
"Descending Blow!" DarkZero followed up, throwing a black card that hovered midair before unleashing a magic circle. A dark beam blasted from the circle, causing a small explosion.
Suddenly, the water below began swirling—a whirlpool forming at the epicenter.
"Looks like we found something," he said seriously.
"I'm ready. You?" I grinned, summoning Vastro for aerial support and decoy tactics.
"It's surfacing—whatever it is, it's massive!"
DarkZero pointed at a shadow emerging from the lake depths. Within seconds, the water exploded upward as a gigantic beast burst forth.
---
[Boss Information]
Name: Amphibicus Jinyu Rex
Level: 100
HP: 120,000
DEF: 22,000
Category: Epic Boss
Element: Water
Type: INT and AGI
Gold Reward: 50,000,000 Gold
Main Drop: Legendary Dragon's Heart
Other Drops: 30 Crystals (all types), Rare to Epic items
---
The boss resembled an enormous lizard, like a Komodo dragon but twenty times larger. Its claws were like hooked blades, its tail lined with jagged fins, and its back was covered in lethal-looking spikes. It didn't have wings, but it floated above the lake on a spinning platform of water—like it had its own hovering device.
"Vastro!" I shouted—
"Vastro! Wind Breaker Dive—now!" I shouted.
My giant emerald falcon screeched and dove down like a missile, cloaked in rushing currents of wind. It slammed into the boss's face just as it finished emerging from the lake, causing a small shockwave that sent ripples across the water's surface.
The massive reptilian boss hissed and reeled back. Its eyes—glowing deep sea blue—locked onto my pet and flared with hatred.
"Damn, this guy's tough," DarkZero muttered beside me as he drew another card from his waist pouch. "Time for round two."
He tossed the card into the air—this one etched with silver runes—and shouted, "Twin Bind: Eclipse Chains!"
Two dark, glowing chains erupted from the card mid-air and wrapped around the boss's front legs. For a moment, Jinyu Rex was pinned in place, struggling against the magical restraints.
"Perfect timing. My turn!" I leapt up, switching into Bow Mode, and began casting.
"Rapid Flare Arrows!"
One, two, three—twenty glowing arrows shot in a spiral pattern, each one embedding itself into the exposed underbelly of the monster. A red damage notification popped up above its head:
- 8,920 CRIT!
- 7,412
- 9,033 CRIT!
"Not bad!" DarkZero grinned. "But he's not even halfway through his health bar!"
Just then, the boss let out a guttural roar, shaking the entire lakebed. The chains shattered like glass, and Jinyu Rex launched itself into the air using a burst of pressurized water from beneath its body. Its bladed tail whirled like a saw, aimed right at us.
"MOVE!" DarkZero shouted.
We scattered in opposite directions just as the tail crashed down where we stood, carving a deep scar into the lake's rocky shoreline.
My HP bar dropped slightly—just a graze—but the impact knocked me off my feet.
"Damn, this guy's got AoE and mobility?" I muttered as I rolled to dodge another strike. "And I thought Ferullian Hydra was annoying…"
"I'll draw its attention," DarkZero called out. "Get ready for a burst combo."
He flared his wings and activated Slinger Mode. Twin guns materialized from his side pouches—sleek, dark green with pulsing neon lines. He spun in mid-air, firing a rain of dark bullets that pulsed with magical energy.
"Hollow Fang Barrage!"
The bullets pierced the boss's legs and tail, staggering it momentarily. While it was dazed, I moved to a better vantage point and activated one of my most powerful abilities.
"Windburst Snipe: Piercing Gale!"
A single glowing arrow, spinning with violent wind energy, formed on my bowstring. I aimed straight for the monster's right eye and released.
- 11,542 CRIT!
Blind (Right Eye) inflicted!
Jinyu Rex screamed in rage, flailing and causing waves to rise from the lake. It thrashed, blind on one side, and summoned a rotating vortex of water around its body like a shield.
"Watch out—he's entering second phase!" DarkZero warned.
The boss's body glowed as its stats spiked. A notification appeared on my HUD:
[BOSS ENRAGED]
Attack Speed +50%
Water Elemental Buff Active
"No holding back now," I growled. "Vastro, Sky Storm Mode!"
My falcon flapped its wings and rose above the lake. A mini-cyclone formed above its body, then shot downward like a twister. Jinyu Rex tried to resist, but the wind current threw off its balance.
"Now, all-in burst!" DarkZero yelled.
He dropped four more cards—each one embedding in the air around the boss, forming a glowing square.
"Final Lockdown—Burst Round Delta!"
A massive sigil formed underneath the boss, and shadowy bullets fired upward from the floor, tearing into its underbelly.
I followed up immediately.
"Arrow Rain: Zephyr Edge!"
Dozens of green-tinted arrows rained down from above, each slicing through the weakened water shield.
- 6,302
- 7,000
- 10,201 CRIT!
Then—
[BOSS HP: 2,004/120,000]
"This is it!" I shouted. "Final shot!"
I activated my ultimate.
"Soulpiercer Arrow—Finisher Mode!"
A glowing arrow, forged from wind and pure focus, formed on my bow. My entire gear set lit up as the wind around me calmed. For a moment, I could hear nothing but the soft whistle of the breeze.
I fired.
The arrow whistled through the air, breaking the sound barrier, and struck the boss directly in the chest.
CRITICAL HIT — 22,004 DAMAGE!
[BOSS DEFEATED!]
The monster let out a final shriek as its body convulsed and exploded into light, sending shockwaves across the lake.
Both of us hovered mid-air, panting. Silence returned. The waters calmed. A rain of light-blue particles floated around us.
Then the loot notifications appeared.
[You obtained: Legendary Dragon's Heart]
[You obtained: Epic Item – Waterwalker Armlet]
[You obtained: Rare Drop – Crystal x30 (Mixed Types)]
"YES!!" I shouted, high-fiving Vastro mid-air as he screeched in victory.
DarkZero floated over with a grin. "Not bad, newbie."
"Hey, I've been here a month," I joked.
"I can see why," he replied, checking his loot. "You got skills."
We both laughed.
But as we hovered above the lake, a strange hum echoed through the air. DarkZero immediately tensed.
"You hear that?" he asked.
"Yeah… what is—?"
Before I could finish, the air around the lake shimmered. A strange glyph appeared just above the water, and a deep, mechanical voice echoed into our minds:
"Unauthorized intrusion detected. Sector 9-Aquos Seal compromised. Activating system lockdown."
Our HUDs glitched for a moment. Then a new message popped up:
[WARNING: Anomaly Detected]
[Incoming Signature: ??? Class Boss – Origin Core Guardian]
DarkZero and I exchanged glances.
"Well," I muttered, drawing my bow again. "Looks like trouble really did find us by the lake."