[1st Named Boss]
[Level 27 Black Wyvern]
[HP 105,000/210,000]

Flap, flap, flap.

Whoooosh!

As the wyvern’s massive wings flapped, a powerful gust of wind swept through the cavern.

"The special pattern is starting! Beimerung, get ready with the 'Mana Barrier'!"

Beimerung, the pink-haired mage gripping her staff, nodded in acknowledgment.

Flap, flap.

Kaaahhh!

The wyvern roared from its lofty height.

Keek, keek, keek.

From the holes in the cavern walls, the hatchling wyverns began crawling out.

"Just as expected, there’s a special pattern at 50%. Let’s proceed like we planned."

The members of the Chris Raid Party exchanged determined glances as they gathered around Beimerung.

Keek, keek.

The hatchling wyverns swarmed around the party members.

Kaaahhh!

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

The airborne wyvern screeched and flapped its wings, sending a flurry of scales down.

"Now!"

Vwoom.

At Chris's command, a bright light radiated from the tip of Beimerung’s staff.

The light quickly formed a dome-shaped barrier that surrounded the party.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

The wyvern’s scales, which had been heading straight for the party, were absorbed by Beimerung’s 'Mana Barrier,' dissipating harmlessly.

Seeing the successful block, Chris shouted.

"Scatter!"

Tat-tat-tat!

As the mana barrier faded, the Chris Raid Party members quickly dispersed in different directions.

Keek, keek, keek!

The hatchling wyverns, letting out eerie cries, chased after the now-separated party members.

Tatat.

Chris, having created some distance from the group, turned to face the two hatchling wyverns that had followed her.

Vwoom.

A blue light glimmered from the talisman Chris held.

Boom!

Chris's main exorcist skill, Sealing Array, exploded around one of the hatchling wyverns, dealing massive damage.

Keek!

The injured hatchling wyvern screeched, and the other, still chasing Chris, hesitated.

Chris took out another talisman, keeping track of the time in her head.

Seven seconds had passed.

"Regroup! I’ll block the next attack with my Protection Talisman!"

Tat-tat-tat!

The scattered party members quickly regrouped around Chris, moving with perfect coordination.

The Chris Raid Party, having played together since the open beta, moved as if they were one.

Ten seconds had passed.

Kaaahhh!

The named boss, Black Wyvern, let out another roar as it unleashed a second wave of scales.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

The scales, which had been blocked by Beimerung’s mana barrier earlier, were now absorbed by Chris’s Protection Talisman.

"Scatter!"

Tat-tat-tat!

Chris moved quickly, checking the number of remaining hatchling wyverns.

There was one left she hadn’t managed to deal with, and each of the other party members was marking two.

There was enough time.

If they kept up this pace, they’d get through the 50% pattern without any problems.

Kaaahhh!

Thwack, thwack!

The third wave of scales came down, but this time, the group didn’t gather.

Gathering for the third time would have left them with too little time to handle the hatchling wyverns.

Luckily, Cherni, who had a personal ranged defense skill, was targeted this time.

Chris, having finished off the last hatchling wyvern she was responsible for, called out to the party members.

"How are we on the remaining hatchlings?"

"One left!"

Crack!

Cherni’s Earth Spirit cast Stone Edge, which impaled the last hatchling wyvern.

Keek!

With the last hatchling wyvern defeated, Chris smiled and looked up toward the sky.

However—

Flap, flap.

The Black Wyvern was still hovering, high and mighty.

It stretched out its neck and opened its mouth wide. From deep within, flames began to form.

Fwoosh.

The fire flickered ominously with a red glow.

"Why isn’t it coming down!?"

Chris screamed, panic in her voice.

And at the same moment—

Whoooosh!

The wyvern's breath attack engulfed the Chris Raid Party.

"Why didn’t it come down!?"

Chris raged, glaring at her resurrected party members.

"Are you sure all the hatchling wyverns were taken care of?"

"Yes, Beimerung's wyverns were definitely taken down!"

"You saw me finish off the last one myself, didn’t you?"

"..."

Beimerung and Cherni responded, but one person remained silent.

Chris slowly turned her gaze to the silent individual.

"...Hey, Death."

Flinch.

The fighter, Deathmaster, flinched as Chris called his name.

"D-damn it! This cursed tomb is suppressing my power. Ugh! If only I could use at least 30% of my strength!"

"That’s why you’re walking. Ugh."

Chris sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. She could understand the problem.

"The hatchling wyverns are too fast. They even have the intelligence to run away when outnumbered or alone. It’s hard for melee fighters to catch them quickly."

"It’s true; when we’re grouped, they hesitate. Maybe we should stay separated?"

"No, the wyvern’s scale attack is random targeting. If one person gets hit twice by the scales, they’ll definitely die. If even one party member dies, the strategy fails. We have to gather at least once to block the scales."

They could reduce the number of times they gathered to once if the ranged defense skills were used for personal survival.

However, that would put Deathmaster, who lacked any ranged defense, at risk. If he got targeted by the scales more than once, there would be no way to prevent his death.

For a melee class like the fighter, chasing down the hatchlings was already difficult. Asking him to handle both the hatchlings and his own survival was unreasonable.

Leaving things to luck was only an option for the 75% phase of the wyvern’s first flight. After reaching the 50% special pattern, they couldn’t afford to take any more risks.

In the end, the speed at which they dealt with the hatchling wyverns was the key.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Chris’s mind—a girl with graceful movements, cutting through monsters with her Moonlight Slash.

"If only we had a swordsman with an area attack skill."

"A-are you saying you’re going to abandon the great fighter Deathmaster?"

Deathmaster stammered, his face turning red.

Chris grinned and poked him in the side.

"Hey Death, have you ever thought about leveling a swordsman instead? Apparently, they get pretty strong after level 16."

"Are you suggesting that I, who have devoted my life to fists since birth, would abandon my resolve now? No way! Uwoooah!"

Thud, thud! Fwoosh!

Deathmaster, his face red, threw punches into the air with exaggerated force.

Chris, chuckling at his outburst, turned to the other party members.

"Anyway, we need to be more coordinated. I’ll help mark the hatchling wyverns that Death is targeting. You all just focus on your own targets."

[Black Wyvern's Earring]
[Elite]
[Strength +13, Agility +13, Intelligence +13]
[Critical Hit Chance +3%]
[Critical Damage +10%]

"Heh."

A wide grin spread across my face.

Once again, I had obtained an earring on the first clear of the dungeon! And it had excellent stats, too.

The critical hit chance was 2% higher than my previous accessory.

Just like the Orc King’s Cave, this elite dungeon’s first named boss also dropped an earring.

I quickly swapped out my old earring for the new one, feeling satisfied as I checked the boosted stats. Then, I continued to move deeper into the dungeon.

Step, step.

I walked for what felt like an unusually long time.

Was there nothing between the first and second named bosses in this dungeon?

There weren’t any monsters in sight.

Instead, the passageway gradually widened as I moved forward.

"Am I close?"

The corridor had grown significantly wider, with blue flames flickering on torches set into the walls.

As I reached the end, I noticed something out of place.

Embedded in the wall were statues.

"Oh."

They were knight statues, something I hadn’t encountered before in this dungeon.

Each statue depicted an armored knight, standing firm with their swords planted into the ground. The swords they held were so firmly placed that they seemed to consecrate the area, making it feel like a sacred space.

It was as if these statues were preserving the legendary heroes of old, their figures etched in stone.

Impressive.

With wide eyes, I admired the statues as I continued to walk forward.

And at the very end of the corridor stood a lone knight statue, distinct from the others that were embedded in the walls.

The wide passageway.

The solitary statue of a knight standing at the end.

Facing the statue, a cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

"No way..."

Sparkle.

I could have sworn the statue’s eyes flickered with light for a moment.

Was it just my imagination? Please, let it just be my imagination.

Rumble.

The once-quiet corridor began to vibrate ever so slightly.

At first, it was just a faint tremor beneath my feet.

Rumble, rumble.

But as time passed, the shaking grew stronger and more noticeable. The ground beneath me was clearly trembling now.

The vibrations from the floor spread to the walls and then to the ceiling, causing the entire corridor to shake.

Crack.

The statue’s eyes blinked open.

As if waking from a long slumber, the stone eyes began to glow with life.

The statue’s face moved slowly, its expression changing.

Its gaze, filled with fierce resolve and determination, scanned the surroundings.

Crack, crack.

The knight statue’s head turned slowly, and the sound of stone grinding echoed through the corridor.

Then, at a certain point, the statue stopped moving.

Its eyes locked onto the intruder who had disturbed its long sleep—me.

"...Oh no..."

The statue, now fully aware of my presence, took a step forward.

Thud.

[2nd Named Boss]
[Master’s Statue]
[HP 308,000/308,000]