[Two Days Later.]
[Deep within an Unnamed Wilderness.]
"What is that?" Carl asked, his voice a strained whisper, filled with shock and awe.
They had reached the source of the Titan's pilgrimage. Before them, atop a small, five-meter-high earth hill, was the object of the hunt: a brilliant, glowing white flower, reminiscent of a Ghost Orchid. At the heart of its luminous petals was a pulsing, translucent Red Cocoon. Mirabella could clearly distinguish the faint, sleeping silhouette of a person curled within the dense material.
"So, that is their target," Mirabella murmured, finally setting her sights on the massive, scaly form of the T. rex, which dwarfed the surrounding forest. The Titan was not alone; the area was swarming with Fifteen Boss-level monsters and an additional Five World Bosses, all converging on the glowing hill.
"Are we going to stay here and watch?" Carl asked, turning to Mirabella, his nervousness evident.
"Are you that naive? Look at the numbers," she rebuked softly, her gaze intensely analytical. "We have fifteen Bosses and five World Bosses rushing in. Moving now, without understanding the dynamics, is suicide. Besides, we don't know if that plant—or the person inside the cocoon—is inherently dangerous."
"Person? I can't see anyone there," Carl said, squinting. He pointed at the glowing orchid. "That thing is as small as a baby's fist. What type of person can be inside?"
'He can't see the silhouette? It seems my perception is enhanced compared to the average player.' Mirabella noted, filing away the intelligence. She focused on the T. rex again.
'Something is wrong with this big guy. The sheer aura of terror and strength it possessed in my previous life—it's missing.'
Her head snapped back to the Orchid, her eyes widening in a sudden, terrifying realization.
'It can't be... In my past life, the T. rex was already a World Boss when it appeared, its strength inexplicable. Did this T. rex consume the Ghost Orchid and the person inside, boosting its power to god-like levels?! If that is the case, it mustn't happen. None of these monsters can be allowed to claim this treasure!'
With a decisive flick of her wrists, the twin swords stolen from Vinos shimmered into existence in her hands.
"Carl, stay back. Getting close will attract every single one of these monsters to your position," she instructed, her voice low and serious. She glanced at the massive World Boss Vulture circling high above the Ghost Orchid.
"Yes, Senior Sister! I will stay back," Carl nodded instantly. Though he had grown stronger, he recognized the sheer scale of the threat. This was not his fight.
Mirabella turned to him, activating her World Boss Blade title, causing her blades to faintly hum with power. Carl, understanding the necessity of the damage boost, silently accepted the team invite prompt.
"Now let's—"
Mirabella froze, cutting herself off as she noticed ten new figures rushing towards the scene. She instantly recognized the gleaming white armor and the stylized crimson crest—the insignia of the Sword Empire's Elite Soldiers.
'Why the hell are they here?' she thought, instinctively pulling back further into their rocky hiding spot.
"Whoa! Who are those guys?!" Carl gasped in awe, staring at the formidable riding soldiers.
'What is truly happening here?'
Mirabella's mind raced, revising her entire understanding of the past: 'In my previous life, the Sword Empire organized the alliance to fight the T. rex after it appeared, and only then claimed its corpse. Hold on...'
Mirabella's eyes widened in disbelief, her conclusions solidifying. 'These guys know about this plant! They sent elite soldiers—Level 50 and above—to the First Server just to claim it, hiding this invaluable knowledge from the other two Empires! First the Dragon Empire's secrets, and now the Sword Empire's... they are all operating on hidden information.'
BOOOOOOM!
The sky abruptly darkened, then cleared. A vertical column of blinding sunlight pierced the clouds, striking the Ghost Orchid with pinpoint accuracy. The glow of the plant intensified, and the Red Cocoon pulsed violently.
"Huh?! Is it about to bloom?" Cupcake asked in confusion from Carl's shoulder.
GRAAAAA!!!
SCREECH!!!
GRAAAAA!!!
"It sure looks like it," Mirabella muttered, watching as all the surrounding monsters—Bosses and World Bosses alike—screamed and surged towards the hill. The race was officially on.
"Stay here!" she yelled, and without hesitation, activated her teleportation skill, vanishing from their hiding spot to join the mad rush.
"Stop those monsters!!! We must secure the treasure!" Captain Raynor roared, drawing the legendary class sword from his waist.
"Yes!!!" the rest of the squad shouted, spurring their mounts to maximum speed.
'These fools,' Mirabella thought, hidden from the Sword Empire soldiers by a clump of trees. 'The strongest among them is only Level 65, the Captain. Fighting this many high-level monsters with only ten men? What are they thinking?'
"Formation!! Now!!" Raynor barked. His war steed slowed dramatically, while the other nine soldiers moved swiftly to form a perfect, crescent-shaped defensive line. Raynor himself moved to the anchor position at the back.
'What maneuver is this?' Mirabella stopped her sprint, deciding to observe the enemy's tactics before engaging.
"Charge!!! Semi-Death Formation!!! Aim at the powerful targets!" Captain Raynor instructed. His soldiers nodded, their eyes fixed on the oncoming beasts.
WHOOSH!!!
Mirabella blinked as immense amounts of Spirit Energy flared around the nine soldiers. Their energy didn't just boost their individual stats; it interlinked, creating a focused wave of devastating power as they charged.
"Today!! We will acquire the ghost orchid and bring glory to our Empire!!!" Raynor yelled, the mission now his sole focus.
Mirabella slowly scanned the coordinated formation. She nodded in respect. "Impressive. With this focused firepower, these ten could effectively take down a small mountain. I want to see the outcome of this battle."
She moved her gaze back to the oncoming tide of monsters.
GRAAAAA!!!
Sensing the concentrated, deadly threat, the fifteen Boss monsters all turned their attention to the charging soldiers. However, the five World Bosses continued their unrelenting path toward the glowing Orchid.
'Strange... why would the Bosses leave the Orchid? I thought they were all here for the treasure? They could simply use the World Bosses as a shield and try to get it first,' she thought, frowning slightly.
'There are two possibilities: One, the Bosses are simply terrified of the World Bosses and are going after easier prey—the soldiers. Or, Two, they are all being controlled, perhaps subconsciously, by one of the World Bosses, who is acting as a leader and directing these monsters to intercept the humans.'