Chapter 32.

CHAPTER 32.

Amber didn’t understand what had even happened, one moment she was about to kill the Fire Velstalker and the next she was blasted across the room. The monster used some kind of skill and had ascended to become a Fireblessed Velstalker. However, she didn’t have any time to wonder about what the boss monster had even done because⁠—

I’m going to die.

Amber gritted her teeth, trying to move as she saw a surging inferno coming her way. The flames melted the ground, their incandescent heat burned the air itself, and the only sound that came was the crackling of the melting surroundings.

She could feel her skin scorching as she inwardly screamed.

Move.

She had long used the stored rage into Recovery of Curses, but her body was unresponsive. The flames loomed closer⁠—

Move!

Amber gritted her teeth and her legs twitched. The flames loomed closer and her regenerating skin began to singe and scorch; burning away once more.

MOVE.

And at that moment, she finally managed to use Quick Dash as the flames struck behind her. The wall exploded and Amber almost fell back to the ground. Her entire body was trembling, and even though she was actively forcing the rage from the burning surroundings into Recovery of Curses, she still felt like she was going to die if this continued.

Deep labored breaths left her as she turned to look at the now⁠— Fireblessed Velstalker, it was charging right at her with explosive speed. She gripped her sword, her legs were shaking but her arms worked well enough.

It has a second phase. She frowned. So this is a true boss of the tower…

Amber readied her sword, placing part of her rage towards her next attack. In the end, there was only one thing she could do and that was to⁠—

Fight⁠— Cursed Cleave!

Amber slashed forward, the monster charged as red flames enveloped it like armor, and her slash⁠— hit⁠— the monster screeched and blood splattered. Amber almost smiled before she saw the Velstalker’s wounds cauterize before her very eyes. She scoffed and used Quick Dash as a beam of super-heated flames hit the spot she had just been standing on.

She was sweating, and even though Recovery of Curses was constantly aiding her, she felt tired⁠— exhausted already. She stared at the gigantic dinosaur-like monster. Its level was considerably higher than hers considering the question marks. But even then, the tower had never given her something impossible so far in all her six months there.

It was a trial of strength, so there had to be a way for her to defeat the Fireblessed Velstalker, but the question was⁠— how?

Amber watched as the monster snarled and turned in her direction, swiping its tail as multiple flaming projectiles were shot in her direction. She ducked and they flew overhead, singing her hair and burning the wall behind her.

The monster was much larger, much stronger, and much more dangerous. Could something like that have a weakness? Amber stared at the monster that immediately began to rush at her, however its flames seemed dimmer.

She raised her sword and immediately used a rage-laced Cursed Cleave. The radiant slash flew towards the monster who erected a flaming armor. More blood splattered but the wound was cauterized⁠— and Amber saw the flames recede once more⁠—

She used Cursed Cleave immediately again and to her surprise the monster dodged. It stepped to the side and raised its tail. Amber saw the flames flare up and immediately moved out of the way. The tail whipped and with it came a scorching wave of inferno. Part of her leg was burned, but it quickly regenerated. Instead, she focused on something else:

Why did it dodge? Why did the Velstalker dodge? There was no reason for it to do so considering its previous behavior.

She frowned seeing the flames around the monster recede. There was something weird about that. But the monster paid it no mind and instead came her way, rushing with nimble steps. It was much faster than her, and if it weren’t for Quick Dash she’d be completely and utterly outclassed.

Amber took a deep breath and instead gripped her dagger.

Something is odd about the way the flames around the monster behave. It chose to take Cursed Cleave before and yet it dodged that time… Her instincts were telling her that she had to pay close attention to that. Perhaps it’s not an untouchable being…?

Her eyes narrowed and the monster arrived, the flames around its body gained vigor once more and it stomped⁠— the ground cracked and fires exploded. Amber’s eyes momentarily widened seeing a notification, but instead she ignored it and used Quick Dash forward⁠— she pierced through the flame wall as her skin singed and the monster’s eyes grew wide.

Cursed Cleave⁠—

The monster tried to move out of the way, but her dagger slashed and took half of the monster’s neck and a moment later the dagger went into its tender flesh. Blood splattered and a pained and hoarse shriek echoed.

Amber grinned and used Quick Dash as she saw the flames surge.

She landed meters away as an inferno exploded around the monster. It erupted from the ground at its feet and hit the ceiling, superheating it in a single moment. The rock melted, some dripped with orange light and some pooled beneath the monster in a caldera. The heat was stronger than ever before, and the monster’s wounds had been cauterized immediately.

However, the dagger remained, slowly cutting and lacerating the Fireblessed Velstalker’s body. The wounds however, would always end up being sealed shut by the surrounding heat. The monster didn’t burn but its wounds did oddly enough. However, this time it didn’t rush, instead it looked at Amber with nothing but scorn.

It snarled and hissed. Amber grinned.

“Angry or what⁠—”

And the monster shot a fireball from its mouth. Amber moved out of the way and it did it again and again. The fireballs came faster and faster as the monster grew progressively more frustrated by its inability to hit her. The attacks were weaker and a lot slower; so much so that she didn’t even need skills to dodge. However, in turn the monster continuously attacked without respite.

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Amber continued to dodge however, this time she used her sword and sent Cursed Cleaves in the monster’s direction. Some shallowly cut but most completely missed. It was a stalemate that didn’t seem to be able to be resolved, except the temperature inside the room remained just as high.

She was sweating and growing tired, Recovery of Curses was still working overtime along with the rage Amber supplied it. Though, thanks to its Second Rank she was regenerating more than what she was being injured.

Just a bit more, then I’ll get close…

She had a plan in mind, that’s why she didn’t use Cursed Stomp so far; she had to preserve all the mana she could.

The stalemate continued as Amber stared at the heated rocks surrounding the monster. Soon she’d be able to ignore it and attack the monster, and she just had to⁠—

The monster roared; a blast of flames erupted at its feet and the temperature rose. Amber blinked as the ceiling and ground further melted and re-melted. Once more, the monster was protected from her. And she couldn’t help but blink as it began to shoot more fire balls at her.

She stared at the boss, the Fireblessed Velstalker.

“You can’t be serious…”

The fucking monster wanted to kill her by making her die from exhaustion!

She gritted her teeth and continued trying to attack the monster but to no avail, and when she tried to grow closer it would use a powerful blast of flames to keep her at bay. One that triggered its cooldown but she still couldn’t get close enough without burning herself. Still, the monster seemed to have simple attacks; and ones whose purpose only served one thing.

Keeping her at a distance.

And thanks to that she could tell what attacks the monster used; in fact they were easy to guess. Which is why Amber continued to try on getting closer, watching the monster continuously use surges of flames⁠— eventually the ground around the monster cooled and Amber grinned.

She used Quick Dash once and used Cursed Cleave. The slash tore through the air and the monster stepped away instead of sending a fiery blast her way. Then with another Quick Dash she arrived before the monster. And Amber already knew what it was going to do.

She stomped⁠— the ground fractured and the monster was stunned.

And the guard of her sword hit the Fireblessed Velstalker right in the face, enhanced by Cursed Cleave its maw was split open as the monster let out a defiant roar. Amber saw the heat bubble up but she stomped again.

She had been saving her mana just for this!

Her sword slammed the creature in the face as it let out a defiant screech. However, when it tried to do something, Amber stomped again. Her Wisdom was much higher than ever before so she could just do it, and she made sure to enjoy every moment of it.

“Fireblessed my ass!”

Her hilt crashed against the monster’s forehead with a loud bang. Lacerations exploded across its bloodied head but the Velstalker seemed as defiant as ever. It tried to attack back but it was met by a stomp, and unable to resist the stun it received another hit.

“The only blessing you are getting is me thanking you for my Class Advancement!”

The monster reeled in pain and Amber hit it again. The rocks around the room began to dim, and the temperature actively dropped but Amber didn’t let her guard down and more importantly, she didn’t stop bludgeoning the shit out of the boss.

“Just fucking die already!”

She swung and the monster was sent stumbling back, gasping for air. It fell on the ground and looked at her defiantly and Amber prepared for it to get a third phase. So her attacks stopped, but instead the flames around its body completely dimmed and shifted, hardening into an armor. And then, its tail completely ignited.

And while Amber would’ve thought the monster was entering a new power up she saw the way it wobbled and knew it was its last stand.

The monster snarled, a low one that barely had any energy behind it.

And then, it screamed. It put its everything as it rushed at her with lightning speed. Amber met it with a Cursed Cleave, and the monster met the attack with its flaming tail. Both attacks connected and clashed together, blood exploded and Amber felt her arms burn.

The monster hopped back and with a low hiss continued with another fast attack. Amber also met it.

They continued to exchange attacks.

Amber felt light-headed, the 2nd Rank effect of Recovery of Curses had ended sometime ago and now she was fighting for her life. Her vision was blurring. However, she could also tell the monster was on it’s last leg too. Its current speed was a far cry to what it had once been.

Amber watched as the monster sometimes struggled to even grasp reality before looking right at her. For some reason, it clung to its own life more than anything else she had met, and to some extent she understood it.

Why would it let her slay it just like that?

Why wouldn’t it fight till the bitter end?

And she respected it; she respected the tenacity and resolution to kill her it displayed.

Amber stomped and the monster’s armor took the brunt of the attack, in turn it slammed with its tail and she blocked it. She didn’t know for how long the fight had gone on, but she could feel that Curse Battery had some use again. She just had to peel away the monster’s armor and maybe then⁠—

She dodged out of the way as the monster tried doing a mid-air flip slamming its tail. The ground shattered and the monster chased, its eyes resolute as it gained part of its once glorious speed.

Amber stomped again and the armor took it, she blocked again as she engaged in a dance with the monster. However, not one minute into it the armor of the monster’s legs fell. She grinned at that and raised her sword to block.

The tail struck and she knew that after this she’d win.

Got you⁠— and her sword bent.

The Sword of all Mortals gave way, unable to withstand the heat any longer and the burning tail hit her clavicle. Amber winced and the monster landed on its legs with a triumphant smirk. Its sharpened teeth showing. To her, it was clearly saying it had won.

The searing pain made her flinch and stagger, something was wrong within her body. Her vision was blurring, and she felt like fainting.

Was this it? Amber asked herself. Am I really going to die?

She could see the monster in slow motion, slowly turning with its flaming tail.

She couldn’t die like this, not at the hands of this thing⁠— she too wanted to live. She wanted to see the world of Vir, explore the ancient civilizations she had learned about, learn about everything. But she wouldn’t be able to do it if she died here, which is why⁠—

Amber gritted her teeth and raised her foot as the monster started its finishing strike.

“As if I’d let you fucking win⁠—”

And she stomped, the monster discombobulated and she reached with her arm, touching the creature’s torso. She didn’t bother to use Curse Manipulation, only unleashing everything that Cursed Rage Synergy held. And as the monster was recovering, she spoke.

“Battery.”

The skill activated and the armor exploded⁠— blood continuously burst due to the 2nd Rank of Curse Battery, and Amber reached for the staff on her back. She gripped the thorn-shaped wood hard and took it out.

The monster was still reeling and without hesitation she used Cursed Cleave swinging it sideways⁠— a scintillating arc sliced through the monster before the staff’s butt pierced like a stake and blood exploded in all directions. The Curse of Demonic Blood caused the ichor to continue flowing long after Curse Battery’s effect had ended.

The monster pulled back in pain, it tried to remove the Staff of Demons with its claws but it was unable to. It screeched and flames exploded in random directions, completely missing Amber. Meanwhile she stumbled back in tiredness, she had no weapon to defend herself and the energy she was pulling from the lone Sword of All Mortals wasn’t enough to replenish her missing stamina.

And yet⁠—

The monster screeched in defiance. Amber’s eyes widened as it began to sprint at her with its flaming tail.

“No way…”

She raised her bent sword and the monster⁠— stumbled. It fell onto the ground gasping for air as its armor dispersed into ash and its tail began to extinguish. However, it stared at her defiantly even as it died.

It was over…

Amber saw the flames extinguish and she fell on the ground in exhaustion and pain. She was injured and she wondered if she was going to die⁠⁠— I’ll invest everything into Vigor and hopefully I’ll survive.

She watched as the monster finally closed its eyes and⁠— turned to ash. A myriad of notifications soon came, but three in particular stood out to her.

[You have reached level 100. 5 stat points awarded. +10 stat points to every stat.]

[You have broken past the limits of your humanity!

The stars themselves have blessed you.

You may now acquire a Legacy Branch.]

[Class Advancement is now Available!

You may now evolve your class.]

A Class Advancement and a Legacy Branch…