*Splaaat!*

*Tap-tap-tap!*

I instinctively used *Backward Step* as something unknown came flying at me. In the spot where I had been standing, a viscous green liquid splattered, slowly spreading across the ground and staining it.

"Ugh."

Disgusting.

I grimaced as I stared at the liquid.

This whole place was unsettling. The appearance of the chimeras and their attacks were just downright filthy.

That green, slimy liquid... If it splashed on me, something bad would surely happen. It was obvious just from looking that it was either poisonous or acidic.

*Tap-tap-tap!*

I immediately darted to the left.

Judging by the speed of those acidic projectiles, I figured I could easily dodge them by running with the movement speed buff from *Backward Step*.

*Splat, splat!*

The *Blood-Maw* continued spitting acidic fluid while hanging from the ceiling. It released the acidic spit four times at intervals of about five seconds.

Judging by the poisonous fumes rising from the green liquid, standing on it would definitely lead to poisoning.

Did I have any antidotes with me? I quickly checked my inventory. Fortunately, I had packed a few antidotes just in case. But the best solution, of course, was to not get hit at all.

Either way, I needed to lure that acidic spit to the edges and find a way to bring that thing down from the ceiling.

Thankfully, the first patch of acid evaporated into a faint mist. It wasn’t the kind of hazard that would persist throughout the entire fight.

A general strategy began forming in my mind.

I needed to avoid the *Blood-Maw's* acid attacks while carrying out the mechanics of this special phase.

Suddenly, the *Blood-Maw*, still hidden in the shadows of the ceiling, curled its body tightly.

"?!"

Then, it extended its body with a forceful motion.

*CAAAAAAAAW!*

The loudest roar so far echoed through the entire arena.

"A wide-area attack."

The sonic wave would either rupture the eardrums of any player caught in it or shake their insides violently.

Of course, I was unharmed.

I had already anticipated a wide-area attack like this. The moment I detected the signs, I used the invincibility from *Backward Step* to dodge it without hesitation.

This confirmed it. This boss was essentially a more powerful version of the level 25 elite dungeon’s first boss, *Black Wyvern*.

Naturally, there would also be minion spawns.

My prediction was spot on, though the approach was slightly different.

After the *Blood-Maw's* roar, something started falling from various points around the boss room.

*Splat, splat, splat.*

They were eggs—similar to the ones I had seen in the lower part of the tower.

Judging by a rough estimate, there were dozens of them.

The *Blood-Maw* was, after all, the mother of these chimera-like creatures.

---

*Whack!*

Dodging the acid while breaking the eggs one by one, I began to think.

The eggs were spread across a wide area, and their growth rate was surprisingly fast.

Their color quickly changed, and they started morphing into cocoons. So this was how chimeras grew?

*CAAAAAAAAW!*

After dodging the third roar with *Backward Step*, I noticed that the eggs’ transformation accelerated whenever the *Blood-Maw* roared.

Rapid growth. The mother’s roar was speeding up the chimeras’ development.

The eggs were easy enough to deal with, but there was no way I could break all of them before they hatched. I’d be lucky to take out a third of them.

In that case...

I decided to stop running around breaking eggs.

No need to tire myself out dodging acid and frantically resisting the roars.

Once all the chimeras hatched, I would gather them and wipe them out all at once.

Relying on *Moonlight Slash* alone for area damage would be tough, but I had a skill up my sleeve that was worth the gamble.

Before long, the eggs began hatching one by one.

*Screech, screech, screech.*

"Oh. Baby *Blood-Maws*, huh?"

I grinned as I watched dozens of small *Blood-Maws* rise up around me.

For a brief moment, I wondered if it’d be hard to kill something so cute. But then I quickly realized they weren’t cute at all. They looked just like the mother, only smaller. Still, they were about the size of my own body.

*Screech, screech, screech.*

The baby *Blood-Maws* rushed toward me. Dozens of them screeching and charging was like a scene straight out of a dinosaur movie.

Perhaps due to their rapid growth, their HP was definitely lower than the chimeras from the lower levels. The real challenge was dealing with the sheer number of them while still dodging the mother’s patterns.

*Tap-tap-tap!*

I swiftly avoided the mother’s acid attacks while lining up the baby chimeras.

Then, I adjusted my stance.

*Thunk.*

I lowered my body, bent my knees, and gripped my sword tightly, preparing for my technique.

In front of me, 12 meters ahead, with a width of 4 meters.

I had already mastered the range and damage of this technique.

I had also memorized the *Blood-Maw's* patterns.

Everything was ready.

I fixed my gaze on the approaching baby chimeras, waiting for them to enter my range.

In 2 seconds... 1 second...

The mother *Blood-Maw* curled its body and extended it again, preparing for another wide-area sonic attack.

At the same time, the baby chimeras all entered my range.

*CAAAAAAAAW!*

In an instant, my body shot forward like a bullet.

---

[*One Flash* (일섬)]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
[Invincibility during execution]
[???]

---

*BOOM!*

*Slash, slash, slash!*

The torn and shredded bodies of the baby chimeras filled the area around me.

*Thud.*

At the same time, the mother *Blood-Maw* descended from the ceiling.

*CAAAAAAW!*

Enraged, it roared loudly and charged toward me.

I smirked at the *Blood-Maw* from behind my sword.

"Now, you're finished."

---

"Okay, it looks like Area 2 has a similar layout. Just like in Area 1, we need to figure out the chimera cocoon detection range and proceed carefully. I’ll lead the way, so follow me in single file."

"These mob sections seem pretty easy. Or is it just that it feels that way because Chris is so good at detecting their range? I bet other parties have to fight their way through hundreds of chimeras from the entrance."

Beimerung’s voice was filled with excitement, but Chris shook her head.

"It’s not just that. The more skilled parties probably already have a sense of how this zone works. Think back to the *Demon Army Outpost*."

"True, a party like *NoName* wouldn’t waste time on unnecessary fights."

Cherni, who was following closely behind Deathmaster, agreed.

"Yeah, if it’s Rain we’re talking about, she wouldn’t waste time here."

"They must have already taken down the first boss, don’t you think?"

The first boss, *Blood-Maw*.

As a stronger version of the *Black Wyvern*, there wasn’t any gimmick that allowed for a quick kill. You had to deal with all the eggs.

But for Chris’ party, who had previously defeated the wyvern without relying on any gimmicks, this wasn’t a particularly difficult fight.

They resisted the area attacks with party shields, while Beimerung and Cherni lured the acid to the sides. The four of them worked together to clear the eggs before they could hatch.

Sure, they could have let the chimeras hatch and then killed them all, but that would’ve made it harder to deal with the *Blood-Maw's* wide-area patterns. Breaking the eggs before they hatched was the easier option.

"Yeah, the only party we really need to keep an eye on is *NoName*."

The *NoName* party, with their overwhelmingly skilled swordsman, Rain. Since Chris’ party had defeated the first boss quickly, *NoName* likely had as well.

"Alright, everyone, why are we so focused on *NoName*? Let’s stick to our own pace!"

Chris tried to refocus the party, but Beimerung smirked as she followed closely behind.

"Hmm? Isn’t it you who’s thinking about *NoName* the most, Chris?"

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Chris, who’s head over heels for Rain. You want her to do well, but at the same time, you also want to beat her, right?"

"..."

Chris blushed deeply and walked in silence for a moment.

Rain, the cautious girl who was as wary as a stray cat. Chris had worked so hard to win her trust and to finally be able to hold her hand.

At first, Chris had been drawn to Rain because of her cute appearance. But the more she got to know Rain, the more she became captivated by her mysterious charm.

Those rare, small smiles that Rain showed made Chris incredibly happy.

But every time Chris saw those equally rare, hollow, onyx eyes, her heart would drop.

"There’s something about her... I can’t help but feel uneasy sometimes. She looks so fragile."

"..."

The playful laughter that had filled the air

 suddenly stopped. Chris, puzzled, glanced back to see Beimerung quietly smiling again.

"Yeah, yeah. Our Chris really cares about Rain. But you’re not planning on letting her take first clear, are you?"

"Of course not. This is about friendly competition!"

As they continued chatting, Chris’ raid party reached the upper floor of Area 2, where they spotted the second boss in the center of the room.

"Oh. The second boss is just standing there out in the open."

It had a lion-like mane that flared out in all directions, and its ferocious beastly face sat atop a massive, muscular body that resembled a bulked-up orc.

Chris rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she assessed the boss.

"A lion... maybe mixed with a bigger demon?"

"Uh, Chris, have you checked the boss interface?"

"Huh?"

Seeing Deathmaster’s alarmed expression, Chris glanced at the boss’s status screen.

Her face quickly mirrored his.

"What... what is this?"

The bosses in the *Demon Army Outpost* had around 3 million HP.

The first boss of *Aspiro's Fortress*, *Blood-Maw*, had 4 million HP.

And the second boss?

---

[Second Boss]
[Level 40 Lion Balgar]
[HP 20,000,000 / 20,000,000]