"Titania, bind it!" Lysander yelled, his voice cutting through the Shadowed Guardian's enraged roars.
The Fairy Queen responded instantly. Her hands moved in another series of graceful gestures, her emerald eyes glowing with power. The earth around the Shadowed Guardian began to tremble, and from the mossy ground erupted thick, thorny vines, their barbs as sharp as obsidian shards. They snaked upwards with surprising speed, lashing around the creature's massive limbs, its torso, and even its bony crest.
The Shadowed Guardian roared in frustration, thrashing violently as the thorny vines tightened their grip, digging deep into its chitinous armor. Black ichor oozed from the points of contact. The binding wasn't absolute, but it significantly hampered its movements, slowing its clumsy attacks and preventing it from fully bringing its weight to bear.
Lysander pressed his advantage. He moved with a relentless fury, his lithe form a blur of motion around the struggling beast. He channeled the shadow energy he had copied, visualizing the tendrils not as simple restraints, but as extensions of his own will, sharpened into deadly blades.
With each punch and kick aimed at the creature's vulnerable joints, the shadow tendrils lashed out, stabbing and tearing at the exposed flesh and softer chitin beneath the armor. The impact of his blows, combined with the slicing shadow energy, caused the Shadowed Guardian to bellow in pain. Its dull red eyes flickered with agony.
He focused his attacks, remembering the creature's sluggish intelligence. It relied on brute force, and the binding was disrupting that. He needed to exploit its momentary vulnerability before it broke free. He rained down a series of rapid strikes, each one accompanied by the vicious thrust of his shadow-infused limbs.
The Shadowed Guardian thrashed with diminishing strength, its movements becoming more sluggish as Lysander's relentless assault took its toll. Black ichor continued to flow from its wounds, and its labored breaths rattled in its chest. The dull red glow in its eyes began to fade.
Finally, with a powerful kick to its neck joint, amplified by a surge of shadow energy, the Shadowed Guardian let out a final, choked roar and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, its massive limbs twitching before falling still.
As the last vestiges of corrupted energy faded from the creature's lifeless form, a flood of experience surged into Lysander. Notifications flashed rapidly in his internal interface:
[+55,000 Lord Experience gained for defeating a significantly higher-level monster!]
[You have leveled up! Lord Level increased to 2.]
[You have leveled up! Lord Level increased to 3.]
[You have leveled up! Lord Level increased to 4.]
[You have leveled up! Lord Level increased to 5.]
[You have leveled up! Lord Level increased to 6.]
Lysander felt a surge of power coursing through him as he jumped several Lord Levels. The exhaustion from the fight was instantly replaced by a vibrant energy.
Immediately after the level-up notifications, another message appeared, accompanied by a shimmering, ornate chest materializing before him, resting on the mossy ground. It was crafted from a dark, unknown metal, inlaid with intricate silver filigree that pulsed with a faint magical light.
[Congratulations! For defeating a monster over 30 levels higher than your initial Lord Level, you have received a Mythical Tier Treasure Chest!]
Lysander took a moment to absorb the sudden influx of power, his glacial eyes fixed on the magnificent chest. Six Lord Levels and a Mythical Tier reward for such a difficult fight. The risks of this world were clearly matched by the potential gains. He glanced at Titania, who floated nearby, her expression one of relief and respect.
"Well fought, Lord Lysander," she said, her voice regaining its gentle chime. "That creature was a formidable foe, and you dispatched it with impressive speed and skill."
Lysander nodded, a grimly satisfied smile touching his lips. His rapid ascent in Lord Level was a significant boost. He felt stronger, more attuned to his internal system. His gaze returned to the treasure chest, the allure of its unknown contents now even stronger. But he knew better than to become complacent. They had found a potential sanctuary, but they were still in a dangerous world. The priority now was to secure this location and establish his territory. The spoils of their victory could wait, but the temptation to peek at such a rare reward was undeniably strong.