21 Colossus
Alex and Arnaldo ran toward the location Félix had indicated. The corridor opened into a massive underground hall, with enormous, twisted, and weathered stone columns supporting the entire chamber. Black moss covered the walls, while dim, flickering lights clung to the crusted stone surfaces.
The air smelled of blood, and signs of decay were visible everywhere. The silence of the hall made the hurried footsteps of the two stand out sharply.
Alex pushed his Perception attribute to its maximum, linking it to the gravity around him. He could sense the danger lurking in the darkness, sending warning signals through his mind.
Behind them, the decomposing bodies of hunters crawled forward like puppets.
Arnaldo decided to take the lead in a protective stance. He activated one of his skills to illuminate the passage.
Aura of the Sword Saint Lv3
The skill slightly dispelled the darkness and surrounding miasma.
"Stay behind me, Alex."
However, the first attack came from above.
Arnaldo was the first to react before the impact could reach him. He swung his golden sword, charged with his aura, slicing apart the undead hunter that fell from above. The enemy was shredded in a single movement imbued with the power of the Sword Saint.
Alex did not simply stand by. With lightning covering his body, he used Excalibur to sever the heads of the approaching undead hunters, showcasing his agility and dexterity to the fullest.
Unfortunately for them, new undead arose from the corpses they had just defeated, faster, stronger, and more brutal than the previous ones.
The walls, coated in black liquid, trembled, and a tremendous roar echoed throughout the hall. The dungeon boss had finally appeared.
The floor split open, and an enormous creature burst forth from the opening. Both of them could feel it was the boss. More accurately, the undead creature was a grotesque colossus formed from dozens of corpses fused together to create its body.
The monster had four arms, each wielding a massive blade, and its green eyes burned with flickering flames.
Arnaldo took the lead in the attack, throwing himself at the boss. To do so, he used Archangel Step Lv2, transforming into a golden flash. His sword pierced the boss's chest, causing it to roar violently and expel a grotesque black liquid. The sacred light seared the monster's flesh, but smaller undead emerged from the wound.
"Leader, they're multiplying, and no matter how many I kill, others appear almost immediately."
Alex took a step back, his voice revealing his concern.
As a novice hunter, he wasn't accustomed to this kind of strangeness. They needed to find a way to handle the situation before it was too late.
The Sword Saint did not hesitate upon seeing what was happening. He used Purifying Waves Lv2, sweeping the ground with the intensity of his sacred aura and burning the undead until they turned to ash.
"Don't worry. Just keep fighting with everything you've got. I won't let the professor's kid die in a dungeon. You just need to cover me, okay?"
Arnaldo said this, giving Alex a bit of reassurance.
Alex expanded his Gravitational Defense Lv2, forming a heavy field that protected even the Sword Saint. This caused the boss's blades to be deflected. Then, lightning enveloped his body, and in an instant, he activated Lightning Step Lv2.
He left a trail of purple light as his sword, Excalibur, easily sliced through the tendons of the undead colossus's left leg.
Using his gravitational control for a brief moment, he drew a downward cut, further restricting the creature's movements.
The colossus staggered but did not fall. Every fragment cut from its enormous body writhed as if it had a form of its own, rising as smaller undead, all with burning eyes and sharp claws.
Arnaldo continued his attacks, each one carrying 100 points of his Strength attribute. The dragon engraved on his sword became more visible as he wielded it, and the golden glow of his aura illuminated the corpses that immediately rose after being struck.
Alex held his breath and unleashed all his power to amplify the gravitational force around him. His aura surged dramatically, crushing an entire wave against the dungeon's stone floor. Bones shattered, yet the dust reshaped itself into more bodies. It was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.
The entire dungeon seemed like an extension of the boss's body. Every extermination was an invitation for the next wave of undead creatures. Arnaldo kept his guard raised, his eyes fixed on the colossus, which regenerated all the damage he and Alex inflicted.
"Leader, I want to leave… This never ends. It feels like we're accomplishing nothing."
Arnaldo smiled slightly in response. He saw something that Alex could not.
The boss's roar echoed once more, making the stone walls tremble. The tide of undead continued to grow, showing no sign of weakness.
Chains made of bones shot out from the walls, intertwining with each other and whipping through the air like countless serpents, attempting to crush Alex and Arnaldo. The floor vibrated with every snap of the chains.
Arnaldo's aura intensified, pressing down oppressively on the entire monster-filled hall. He concentrated all his cutting power, imbuing his golden blade with the Sword Saint's aura. The sunlight-bright glow illuminated the surrounding darkness.
"Alex, I'm going to need a boost."
His voice sounded confident and firm.
Alex felt inspired to give everything he had. There they were: a king and a saint battling against undead who refused to rest.
The gravity around the Sword Saint inverted at Alex's command, and the air distorted slightly. With an incredible leap, Arnaldo shot forward like a golden meteor, leaving behind residual images.
From above, Arnaldo raised his sword to deliver a powerful strike. The dungeon's stone ceiling violently split open.
The dungeon shook. Columns collapsed with a thunderous crash, and rivers of monsters surged forth, arms and claws entangling as they attempted to trap the Sword Saint.
Alex advanced at the same moment. Excalibur glowed with purple light as he activated one of his abilities.
King's Command Lv1
A pulse of royal authority erupted across the battlefield, reverberating with the lightning surging from his sword. All the monsters hesitated for a moment, frozen beneath the weight of a true king.
Arnaldo seized the opening Alex had created. The Sword Saint descended from the sky like a golden shooting star. His sword slash tore an arc of pure, condensed aura, slicing through the air before him. The boss recoiled in horror, its entire body cracking like pressure glass, but the dead flesh began regenerating the very next second.