Chapter 20: The Dark Cave (Part 2)
"Serpent's Abode: Retrieve the Scepter!"
Author's POV
(What? The author has a POV too—don't complain! (^__^))
The deeper the party ventured into the cave, the more they noticed a strange shift in their surroundings. The narrow path gave way to a vast, cavernous dome, dimly illuminated by a hovering sphere of light at the very center. The sheer scale of the area made them pause for a moment, their footsteps echoing faintly across the stone floor.
"Is it just me, or does that thing look way too familiar?" Ayana narrowed her eyes at a large creature standing in the distance. "That looks almost like the Cerberus we fought before!"
"No," Shion replied sharply, adjusting his glasses. "Look again. The size and aura are different… and there are five of them."
"Wait—five?" Jin stepped forward, blinking in disbelief. "You mean we have to fight five Cerberus… things?"
"Exactly," Zaphro said, his tone grim. "Be careful. This is no ordinary battle."
---
Level 150 Meta Cerberus (Boss)
HP: 200,000 / 200,000
Defense: 20,000
Skills:
Paralyzing Stare – Immobilizes players who make direct eye contact.
Rebound (Passive) – Reflects all magical attacks; immune to spells.
Mirror Image – Temporarily splits into two for 30 seconds.
Reaping – Unleashes a high-speed critical claw combo.
Cyclone – Summons a massive air current to sweep enemies away.
Death Pulse (AOE) – A devastating dark aura burst.
Blindness – Temporarily blinds opponents for 10 seconds.
Acid Spit – Launches corrosive fluid at range.
Gold Reward: 100,000,000g
Drops: Random Rare to Epic Items
---
"You've got to be kidding me…" Slicer muttered, staring at the five massive canines.
"Dead serious," Zaphro replied flatly.
"Well then, let's get this over with. We haven't even found the scepter yet," Erik chimed in, spinning his staff.
The boss monsters were spaced out evenly within the dome, each guarding a quadrant. Strangely, there were no minions—just the five looming beasts. The mysterious glowing sphere in the center remained suspended mid-air, humming quietly with magical energy.
"Watch your spells," Zaphro warned. "We're underground. If the ceiling collapses, it's game over."
With that, the party sprang into action. Verillion led the charge, raising his staff.
"Terra Blockage!" he called out, causing jagged stone pillars to erupt from the ground and trap one of the Cerberus in place.
Zaphro and Slicer took the opportunity to close in. Their blades slashed at the trapped beast, but to their dismay, even their strongest physical strikes only shaved off 2% of its HP. The creature was absurdly tanky.
The ranged players—Erik, Ayana, Erenir, and Verillion—followed up with blasts of fire, lightning, and raw energy. Erik's eyes glinted with determination as he summoned his ultimate skill.
"Poseidon's Trident!" he shouted.
A towering, ethereal trident materialized before him, crackling with power. With a grunt, Erik hurled it at the immobilized boss. The force of the impact shattered the stone prison and sent the Meta Cerberus tumbling across the floor. Its HP dropped by 5%.
"Nice hit!" Ayana called out.
Before the beast could recover, Verillion charged in recklessly.
"Wind Deflect!" he cast, cloaking himself in protective currents. Unfortunately, he looked directly at the Cerberus—and immediately froze in place.
The creature lunged forward with unnatural speed, using Reaping. But Verillion's wind barrier absorbed the blow.
"Tundra Blast!" Verillion retaliated, slamming his staff into the boss's skull. The Cerberus staggered back. "Ground Spikes!"
A jagged spire of earth erupted from beneath the boss, launching it into the air.
"My turn!" shouted Slicer. "Blade Eruption!"
Countless swords erupted from the ground, slashing the airborne boss mid-fall. As it crashed down, it used Mirror Image, splitting into two.
Shion and Jin responded instantly, engaging the duplicates. Without making eye contact, Shion charged up a skill.
"Twin Slash!" he struck the clone's head with precision.
Jin moved in close, shielding his eyes. "Focus Stab!" His spear pierced the Cerberus' shoulder—off target, but still effective.
Meanwhile, Ayana and Erenir focused their ranged attacks on the boss's eyes, trying to disable its deadly gaze.
As the clones merged back into one, the boss roared and summoned a massive Cyclone.
"Back!" Zaphro yelled.
Verillion stepped forward, summoning a protective dome. "Chrono Shield!"
The barrier deflected the raging wind. The team regrouped.
They repeated the pattern—disabling, distracting, and chipping away. The battle dragged on, and after half an hour, the Meta Cerberus was finally at 15% HP.
Zaphro didn't want to risk another Death Pulse, especially after Erik and Aryus were nearly wiped out earlier.
"Frost Field!" Zaphro cast a wide AOE, freezing the boss in place.
"Binding Array!" Erenir followed up with a glowing purple seal that trapped the beast.
"Vine Grip!" Ayana conjured thick vines that wrapped around its legs.
The Cerberus struggled violently, but the coordinated barrage didn't stop.
Moments later—
[Meta Cerberus has been slain by party!]
The notification popped up across their screens.
One down… four to go.
"Sweet!" Aryus grinned, looting the remains. "Cavalier Cape and a new armor set!"
He replaced his old Titanium Alloy gear with the shiny silver-and-gold set. With the Sacred Mace in hand, he now looked every bit the gallant knight.
"Looter ka lang talaga, bro," Slicer teased with a laugh.
"Nauna lang ako mag-click, chill," Aryus smirked.
---
As they prepared for the next fight, something changed.
The glowing sphere in the center dimmed, casting the dome in eerie shadows.
Then they saw it—a long, gleaming scepter floating within the sphere.
"That's the scepter!" Ayana gasped.
The moment they spotted it, the team hurried to defeat the remaining four bosses. Now familiar with their attack patterns, they coordinated swiftly. One by one, the Meta Cerberus fell, though the battles remained grueling. It took two more hours to completely clear the cave.
Finally, the last Cerberus collapsed into dust.
The floating scepter began to lose its light—and slowly descended.
Ayana rushed forward and grabbed it just as it touched the rocky ground. She stored it in her inventory.
But just as they were about to celebrate—
RUMBLE!
The entire cave began to tremble violently. A massive magic circle appeared in the center of the chamber, pulsing with blinding energy.
From its depths, something colossal began to emerge.
[Legendary Ferullian Hydra has arrived!]
The system notification echoed in all their minds.
"What the—what is that?!" Jin's voice cracked. "I-is that an Epic Boss?!"
---
Level 150 Ferullian Hydra (Epic Boss)
HP: 400,000 / 400,000
Defense: 30,000
To be continued...