The grotesque abominations charged at Nyxaris, their fused limbs and monstrous forms twisting unnaturally as they moved. Their glowing eyes pulsed with the same cursed energy that radiated from the Puppeteer of the Forgotten Legion.
Nyxaris braced himself.
[HP Check]
Nyxaris: 48,500 / 48,500
Marionette Abominations (x5): ???
Puppeteer of the Forgotten Legion: ???
Zeraldris' voice echoed in his mind. "Be careful. These things are no longer mere puppets. They have merged into something stronger."
Nyxaris exhaled sharply. "Then I'll just have to cut them apart."
He raised his Arcane Blade, the shimmering violet energy surging across its edge as he charged forward.
[Skill Activated: Arcane Blade Mastery – Advanced Execution]
With precise movements, Nyxaris vanished from his spot, appearing mid-air above the first abomination.
SLASH!
His blade sliced downward, carving through the massive creature's chest—but instead of falling, its body rapidly stitched itself back together.
Nyxaris' eyes widened. "It regenerates?!"
[Enemy Ability Identified: Marionette Regeneration]
The fused abominations can regenerate unless completely obliterated.
The abomination retaliated, swinging its massive arm at him with unnatural speed.
Nyxaris barely had time to react—
[Skill Activated: Spatial Blink!]
WHOOSH!
Nyxaris teleported away, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The shockwave from the attack sent debris flying in all directions.
Zeraldris spoke urgently. "You need to destroy their core! Look at their chests!"
Nyxaris' gaze flickered toward the center of each abomination's body. There, **buried beneath layers of flesh and armor, was a pulsating dark crystal—**the source of the cursed energy.
"That must be their weak point!"
Nyxaris shifted his stance. This time, instead of aiming for their limbs or heads, he focused all his attacks on the glowing cores.
The abominations roared, attacking in unison.
Nyxaris had to be faster.
[Skill Activated: Arcane Judgement Slash!]
His blade flared with power, and with a powerful upward swing—
BOOM!
The shockwave carved through one abomination's chest, striking the core directly. The crystal shattered, and the creature collapsed into dust.
One down.
But there were four more.
[HP Check]
Nyxaris: 41,000 / 48,500 (Took minor damage from debris and shockwaves.)
Marionette Abominations (x4): ???
One of the remaining abominations lunged, swinging both of its massive bladed arms downward.
Nyxaris crossed his sword in front of him—
CLANG!
The impact sent him skidding backward, his feet digging trenches into the stone floor.
Nyxaris growled. "These things are getting faster!"
Zeraldris' voice rumbled. "Then you need to get stronger."
Nyxaris decided to take a gamble.
He channeled raw mana into his sword, but this time, he combined two elements at once.
Arcane Energy (Violet Lightning) → For pure destructive force.
Void Magic (Dark Pressure) → To erode the enemy's regeneration.
The blade shimmered violently, exuding a presence that made even the abominations hesitate.
Nyxaris vanished again.
[Skill Activated: Arcane Cataclysm Strike!]
He appeared behind two abominations at once, his blade arcing through the air in a wide crescent slash.
KRRRRSHHH!
The cores of both abominations were struck simultaneously, exploding into a burst of violet and black energy.
Two more down.
But as the last two abominations prepared to strike, the Puppeteer finally moved.
It descended from its throne, its porcelain mask cracking slightly as it raised its hand—
And then—
The entire battlefield shifted.
The floor vanished beneath Nyxaris' feet.
Everything around him turned black.
And suddenly, he was inside the Puppeteer's world.
The floating remnants of souls and broken warriors surrounded him, all connected by the Puppeteer's endless strings.
The voice of the Puppeteer finally spoke.
"You are an anomaly."
Nyxaris gritted his teeth. "And you're dead."
"No."
The Puppeteer raised both hands, and the remaining abominations fused into one final monstrosity—
A colossal marionette, its entire body composed of countless cursed souls.
[Final Boss: The Eternal Marionette]
HP: ???
Abilities: Infinite Regeneration, Soul Drain, Spatial String Manipulation.
Nyxaris took a deep breath.
This was it.
The final battle for the last Eldros Key Fragment.
And he was going to win.
Nyxaris stood alone in the Puppeteer's nightmarish domain, surrounded by floating, broken souls connected by endless strings. The Eternal Marionette, a colossal fusion of cursed spirits, loomed before him, its massive, disfigured limbs twitching unnaturally.
Its body was stitched together from thousands of souls, their agonized wails forming a nightmarish chorus. Six crimson eyes flickered open across its distorted face, each one locked onto Nyxaris.
"You will join the cycle," the Puppeteer's voice echoed. "Become part of my eternal
masterpiece."
Nyxaris gripped his sword tightly.
"Not a chance."
[Final Boss: The Eternal Marionette]
HP: ???
Abilities:
Infinite Regeneration: Can rebuild itself from cursed souls.
Soul Drain: Absorbs the life force of anything nearby.
Spatial String Manipulation: Controls space itself using its cursed threads.
Endless Marionettes: Can summon copies of past warriors to fight.
[HP & MP Status]
Nyxaris: 41,000 / 48,500 HP | 165,500 / 175,000 MP
The Eternal Marionette moved.
WHOOSH!
A dozen spectral strings shot forward, aiming to ensnare Nyxaris.
He barely had time to react.
[Skill Activated: Spatial Blink!]
BOOM!
Nyxaris teleported away, avoiding the cursed threads by inches. The ground where he stood shattered into nothingness, the space itself collapsing.
Zeraldris' voice echoed in his mind. "Those strings don't just bind—they erase anything they touch."
Nyxaris clenched his jaw. "Then I won't let them touch me."
[Tactical Shift: Break the Strings]
Nyxaris leaped into the air, his blade glowing with violet and dark energy.
He swung downward—
SLASH!
One of the Eternal Marionette's arms fell, but before it could even hit the ground, it regenerated instantly.
The damaged strings reconnected, and the arm reattached itself.
Nyxaris' eyes narrowed. "So that's how it is, huh?"
[Enemy Ability Identified: Core Threads]
Destroying the body does nothing.
The true weakness is hidden among the cursed strings.
The Eternal Marionette roared.
"DIE, INTERLOPER!"
Its entire body pulsed with cursed energy.
And then—
Hundreds of puppets materialized.
They were **knights, mages, warriors—**all bound by the Puppeteer's strings.
Souls of fallen heroes.
Each one charged toward Nyxaris, weapons raised.
Nyxaris exhaled. "Guess I have to fight them all, huh?"
Zeraldris chuckled. "I suggest you hurry. The real threat is still watching."
The Eternal Marionette simply stood in the background, controlling everything.
If Nyxaris couldn't reach it—
He was already dead.
[Skill Activated: Arcane Blade Storm!]
Nyxaris vanished from sight.
WHOOSH!
A hurricane of violet and black energy erupted, tearing through the first wave of puppets.
SLASH. SLASH. SLASH!
Each swing of his blade severed strings, instantly destroying the controlled warriors.
But they just kept coming.
[HP & MP Status]
Nyxaris: 38,500 / 48,500 HP | 150,000 / 175,000 MP (Slightly drained from constant fighting.)
"Damn it."
Nyxaris jumped back, dodging an incoming spear thrust.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
Threads shot toward him from below!
"Tch—!"
He barely teleported away, landing behind another puppet.
Nyxaris exhaled sharply.
"There's no end to them."
[Analysis: There's Only One Solution]
Zeraldris' voice was grim. "Nyxaris. You need to end this. Now."
Nyxaris narrowed his eyes. "I know."
The only way to win—
Was to find the Core Thread controlling everything.
[Tactical Shift: Locate & Destroy the Core Thread]
Nyxaris ignored the endless army.
Instead—
He focused all of his senses on the strings themselves.
And then he saw it.
One string—thicker, darker, pulsing with unnatural power—connecting all the puppets and the Eternal Marionette.
The source of everything.
Nyxaris smirked. "Found you."
[Skill Activated: Arcane Cataclysm Strike!]
Nyxaris channeled all his remaining energy into a single, deadly slash.
The entire battlefield darkened.
The Eternal Marionette's six crimson eyes widened.
"NO—!"
SLASH!
The Core Thread was severed.
And in that instant—
Every puppet collapsed.
The Eternal Marionette screamed as its entire body began to unravel, the cursed souls finally freed.
The battle was over.
[Boss Defeated: The Eternal Marionette]
Nyxaris gains 3 levels!
Nyxaris acquires the final Eldros Key Fragment!
The battlefield vanished.
Nyxaris found himself back in the real world—the ruined temple, now silent.
A golden light shimmered before him.
And there, floating in midair—
Was the final Eldros Key Fragment.
Nyxaris reached out, gripping it tightly.
A new notification flashed before his eyes.
[System Announcement]
[Congratulations! Player Nyxaris has completed the Eldros Key Fragment Questline!]
[A hidden path has been unlocked.]
[The Fate of the Arcane Sovereign is now in motion.]
Nyxaris exhaled heavily.
"So... what happens next?"
Zeraldris chuckled. "You just changed the world, kid. Now you deal with the consequences."
Nyxaris smirked. "Sounds fun."
And with that—
The next chapter of his journey had begun.