The two remaining Level 45 Bone Crushers, enraged by the rapid demise of their comrade, charged Archelius with reckless abandon. Their spiked clubs swung in devastating arcs, aiming to crush the agile figure who had materialized power out of thin air.
Archelius, now Level 20 and maximized at Rank E++, met them with a lethal combination of speed and strength.
He used his Sprint Burst (Rank E++) to evade the simultaneous strikes, moving into the small space between the two lumbering beasts. He thrust the War God's Edge (Rank E++) into the side of the first Crusher, aiming for the kidney area, where the bone armor was thinnest.
SHRAAACK!
The pure System energy of the sword ripped through the beast, and it roared, staggering against its partner. Archelius didn't withdraw the blade. He leveraged the hilt as a pivot point and delivered a savage War God's Fist (Rank E++) into the chest of the second Crusher.
The 5x multiplier punch shattered the dense bone plating, stopping the creature instantly.
He withdrew the blade from the first Crusher, which was bleeding out and stumbling, and plunged it into the exposed chest of the second, finishing it instantly.
[Bone Crusher (Level 45) Defeated. XP Gained: 450.]
He finished the first Crusher with a final, decisive slash.
[Bone Crusher (Level 45) Defeated. XP Gained: 450.]
[Total XP: 11560/51200. Core Power: 80/100 (Remaining).]
The fight was over in less than ten seconds. Archelius retrieved the high-grade cores and bone plating, his breathing steady.
Raji and Theodore rushed forward, their eyes wide with awe, not fear.
"That was... calculated savagery, War God," Theodore observed, picking up a shard of bone armor. "You didn't waste a movement."
"Waste is death here," Archelius stated, sheathing the sword. "We move. Bethany, lead."
Infiltration of the Ritual Site
The gorge opened into a vast, shallow valley bathed in the crimson light of a massive, sacrificial pyre. This was the Bone Altar. It was a gruesome spectacle—a massive, polished skull surrounded by a circle of standing stones carved with feral, aggressive runes.
In the center of the altar, four figures were tied to stakes, the captured mercenaries Varen had mentioned. Two massive figures—Blood Hunters (Level 50)—were overseeing the ritual.
[Threat Detected: Blood Hunters (Level 50) x 2. Abilities: Physical Augmentation, Blood Magic.]
[Warning: Proximal Nexus of Exotic Energy detected at the Altar. Source: Imminent Sacrifice.]
"Level 50, two of them," Archelius murmured. "And the Exotic Core is there. We move stealthily. Raji, Shadow Stealth Shroud is too risky here—the Blood Hunters have enhanced senses. We use the terrain."
Bethany, tracking the energy, pointed to a deep ravine running along the flank of the valley. "That ravine is shielded from their direct sight. They are focusing their energy on the ritual, not the perimeter."
They used the ravine to approach the Altar. The air grew heavy and thick with the smell of scorched bone and blood magic.
Archelius paused near the ritual site, concealed by a cluster of massive, skeletal remains. He saw the two Blood Hunters—colossal, wolf-like humanoids with massive claws and dark red fur. They were preparing to light the pyre.
"Theodore, Raji, your job is the hostages. As soon as I engage, run the perimeter, cut the ropes, and get them back to the gorge. You move like ghosts. If you are spotted, I cannot cover you," Archelius commanded.
"Understood," Theodore and Raji responded, their faces grim but resolute.
The Sacrifice Interruptus
Archelius activated his War God's Vestment and Iron Skin, preparing for the assault. He didn't use stealth. He needed to draw the full, immediate attention of both Level 50 entities.
He burst from cover, the War God's Edge blazing with silver light. He sprinted directly at the Altar.
"The ritual ends now!" Archelius roared, his voice amplified by the System's raw power.
The two Blood Hunters spun, their yellow eyes fixing instantly on the Level 20 attacker. They roared in furious challenge, their massive bodies radiating pure physical malice.
"A pathetic whelp! You dare interrupt the rite of the Beast Lord!" one Hunter snarled, raising its massive, spiked claw.
The two Level 50 Hunters charged, moving with terrifying, coordinated speed.
Archelius knew he couldn't take both at once. He targeted the nearest one, activating the full power of his War God's Fist.
The fist impacted the Hunter's thick chest plate. The 5x multiplier was powerful, but the Level 50 armor held, only cracking slightly.
[Physical Damage Dealt: 15%. Blood Hunter 1 (Level 50) Health: 85%.]
The Hunter was stunned, but its partner immediately flanked Archelius, slamming its massive claw into his back.
CLANG!
The War God's Vestment absorbed the blow, the mitigation of the Rank E+ armor saving him from catastrophic damage.
[Health: 90/100. Core Power Damage Mitigated: 30%. Core Power: 75/100 (Remaining).]
Archelius was battered, but his defense held. He used his superior speed to disengage and create distance.
The Exotic Core
While Archelius held the attention of the Level 50 threats, Raji and Theodore moved with disciplined precision. Raji, the scout, created a distraction by throwing a shard of bone armor at the pyre, scattering the flames. Theodore, focusing on the ropes, sliced through them with his Rank F dagger.
The hostages were freed and immediately fled toward the gorge, guided by Raji and Theodore.
"You sacrifice your comrades for those weaklings!" Blood Hunter 2 roared, enraged by the distraction.
"They are my subordinates!" Archelius yelled, charging back into the fray.
He focused entirely on Blood Hunter 1, utilizing the War God's Edge (Rank E++) with relentless, precise cuts aimed at the joints and exposed neck. The superior Rank E++ damage output started to take its toll.
Meanwhile, the ritual site was collapsing. The disruption to the ritual, combined with the power of the fight, destabilized the nexus.
The violet light coalesced into a single, terrifying object: a pulsing, iridescent orb of pure, living muscle and bone—the Exotic Core.
The two Blood Hunters immediately shifted their focus, abandoning the fight to try and claim the core.
"The core is stabilizing! Kill him!" Blood Hunter 1 shrieked.
Archelius knew this was his only chance. He unleashed a final, desperate combination attack. He utilized Sprint Burst to reach the altar, then delivered a massive, two-handed strike with the War God's Edge against the neck of Blood Hunter 1, severing the head.
[Blood Hunter 1 (Level 50) Defeated. XP Gained: 500.]
The second Hunter roared in sorrow and rage, charging Archelius with a desperate lunge. Archelius met the charge with a perfect counter: he slammed the pommel of the War God's Edge into the Hunter's knee, then followed with a War God's Fist that annihilated the creature's core.
[Blood Hunter 2 (Level 50) Defeated. XP Gained: 500.]
[Total XP: 12560/51200. Core Power: 50/100 (Remaining).]
Archelius stumbled toward the iridescent orb, which pulsed with chaotic, feral power.
[Exotic Core (Beast Prime Grade) x 1 Acquired.]
He had the final component. He was Level 20, had completed the Dominance Kill, and held the Exotic Core.
[RANK UP: D]
The silver light of the System surged, no longer internal, but exploding outwards, encompassing Archelius and the entire desolate altar. The War God System was ready for its next ascension.