The Thornhide Ravager's roar split the forest, a sound so deep it rattled bone. Trees bent from the shockwave.
[Regional Boss: Thornhide Ravager — Lv ???]
Its first strike shattered the frontline. NPC shields splintered like twigs. Men were tossed aside, blood spraying against the dirt.
"Hold!" the Guard Captain roared. Spears locked again, lines reformed, arrows flew in volleys. The soldiers fought with precision—rotating ranks, covering gaps instantly, even dragging back the wounded without breaking formation.
For NPCs, it was terrifyingly real.
And yet… bodies kept falling.
Kenji stood still, watching, blades at rest. His party did the same.Patterns mattered more than heroics.
The Ravager rotated twice before every charge. Right paw heavy, left slightly delayed. Tail sweeps at the third strike.
Kenji's eyes narrowed. Predictable. For now.
"Adventurers—move!" the Captain's command snapped like a whip.
Kenji leapt forward.
Kyl's bowstrings thrummed, arrows slicing air. His aim was steady, his rhythm smooth. Talented. However, he lacked experience. His footwork dragged behind.
Skarlie's staff flared with light, waves of healing washing through the lines. Her timing was precise, her presence steady. But twice she strayed forward, almost in claw range. Skilled, but careless.
Kenji's Twin Fangs cut arcs of silver, movements so clean the soldiers around him slowed just to stare. Each step flowed into the next, his strikes a blur of precision—every crit landing like he had rehearsed it a thousand times.
NPCs gasped under their breath."Did you see him—?""He moves like a phantom!"
But the Ravager… learned.
Its tail sweep staggered, its paw feints changed. Its eyes locked onto Kenji, adapting to his rhythm.
Kenji smirked faintly. So it grows sharper too.
The battle stretched like an eternity. Blades clashed, arrows pierced, blood sprayed. At last, the Ravager's health bar dropped.
[Thornhide Ravager — 10% HP]
It convulsed. Its body twisted, thorns splitting wider, blood misting from its hide. Red light burned in its eyes.
[Berserk State Triggered!]
Its speed doubled. Its strikes blurred like shadows.
NPC formations collapsed instantly. Shields were torn apart, men crushed before they even screamed. Healers faltered, archers fled. Even Kenji felt the shock in every parry, every dodge.
His rhythm broke for the first time.
Then the Envoy moved.
He stepped forward, cloak whipping in the gale. His hand rose. With one gesture, the air stilled, heavy with power.
Cold radiance flooded the field.
The Ravager struck—and the Envoy met it head-on, palm glowing with runes that carved into reality itself. The impact sent shockwaves tearing trees from the earth.
Gasps erupted.
"Impossible…""He stopped it with one hand!"
Steel clashed against steel, claw against arcane light. The fight shifted beyond comprehension.
The Ravager's berserk fury tore into the earth, carving trenches with its strikes. The Envoy answered with flawless counters, each one carrying crushing weight.
Kenji alone kept pace, weaving around the beast's flanks, his blades cutting weak points when openings appeared. Soldiers and players alike could only watch.
So fast. But not untouchable.
[Thornhide Ravager — 3% HP]
It let out a roar, body trembling, then exploded outward with red energy.
[Boss Ultimate: Ravager's Howl of Ruin]
A shockwave of thorns burst across the battlefield in all directions.
"Fall back!" the Captain bellowed.
Too late.
Dozens of guards screamed, skewered instantly. Healers and archers crumpled.
Skarlie staggered, hair whipping, barely rolling clear at the last moment. Her health dipped dangerously low, but she survived.
Kyl wasn't as lucky.
A thorn the size of a spear punched through his chest. His health bar hit zero in an instant.
[Party Member Kyl has died.]
His body dissolved into fragments of light, his last scream cut short.
Kenji's eyes lingered on the fading glow.
Talented. However, he lacked experience.
He turned back to the Ravager, blades ready. The fight wasn't over.