Slam! Slam! Slam!

The [Guardian of Mist] pounded its twin spears into the ground again and again, each strike shaking the air, each echo rolling like thunder through the white fog.

The shockwaves splintered across the battlefield, breaking loose chunks of stone.

Stark barely moved.

His eyes stayed locked on the towering figure in front of him.

His grip on the staff didn't tighten or tremble.

He simply shifted his weight slightly to the left, just enough for the next spear to smash into the ground where his body had been half a second ago.

"..."

He didn't speak. He didn't need to.

Instead, his mana pulsed, sharp, refined, perfectly timed.

Bind of Silk! Thorny Vines of Fate! Torrent of Lightning!

Three spells unfolded almost simultaneously, each one weaving seamlessly into the other.

Threads of white silk shot forward, snapping tight around the guardian's legs.

Vines laced with shimmering green thorns erupted from the ground, curling around its body.

Then lightning burst through the mist, three piercing bolts, all striking toward its chest from different angles.

But the [Guardian of Mist] wasn't some slow brute.

It twisted its body, cutting through the silk and vines as if they were paper.

Then, with a single motion, it commanded the mist around it, and spectral claws formed from the vapor, blocking all three lightning strikes in midair.

The bolts fizzled out against the translucent claws.

'Hm…' Stark's gaze sharpened.

Those [Mist Claws] were circling constantly around the guardian, almost like its personal orbiting defense system.

Every time Stark moved forward, they reacted instantly, slashing out, forcing him to dodge or rely on his barrier to tank the hit.

Slash!

A claw cut across him, but the strike only sparked against his protection.

[Unbreakable Magic Barrier: 17,900/100,000]

The number flickered briefly at the corner of his vision.

Still, Stark didn't seem the least bit worried.

He knew the difference between danger and pressure.

The guardian might have been powerful, fast, reactive, disciplined, but it wasn't invincible.

Not against him. If even one of his spells landed, it would be over.

Blazing Meteor! Crystal of Death!

Two high-tier spells fired in rapid succession.

One from above, one from below, a perfect pincer strike.

"Futile…" The guardian's voice rumbled low, almost regretful, as it stopped its assault and focused entirely on defense.

Every time Stark launched an attack, the creature abandoned all offense to block it.

It was playing carefully and smartly.

It wasn't trying to overpower him anymore.

It had realized who it was facing: a mage.

And a mage could burn through mana faster than any warrior burned stamina, and its cooldowns were much higher.

If it just outlasted him, waited for his mana to empty or his barrier to collapse, it would win.

The guardian knew that. Stark knew that too though.

Mist Claws hovered protectively in front of the guardian, ready to block or slice depending on what came next.

Clang! Slash!

Each time Stark's spells met the defense, the mist rippled like glass.

Deflected! Blocked!

But Stark's eyes didn't dim.

If anything, they gleamed brighter.

Because if he knew how the enemy would react, then he also knew how to end it.

"None of your attacks... will work…" the guardian said again, its voice trembling like air in the fog, "I have sensed... the aura... of a God on you..."

"Hm."

Stark exhaled softly, expression unreadable.

He didn't need to ask which god.

The [God of Oblivion], it was always that.

Still, it didn't matter who watched. He needed to win first.

And so, instead of casting another spell, Stark moved.

He lifted his foot high, and slammed it into the ground.

Calamity Shockwave!

The impact tore through the mist with a deep crimson pulse.

The shockwave expanded outward like a ring of fire, distorting the fog into swirling spirals.

The guardian froze for just an instant, a fraction of a second of disruption.

Then its body shuddered, regaining balance.

"You cannot—"

Before it could finish, Stark's hand shot up.

He gripped the [Revenant Bell] around his neck and gave it a hard shake.

Bam!

A piercing blue wave burst out, sharper, colder, the sound of shattering souls.

Soul Shockwave!

The two effects combined, physical shock followed by spiritual disruption.

One alone might not have worked.

But back-to-back? Even a special boss staggered.

The guardian's body went still, mist rippling violently around it.

'Now.'

Torrent of Lightning! Piercing Skeletal Spikes!

Three lightning bolts formed instantly, whirling into arcs as Stark guided them with precise movements.

They cut through the air from three different angles, converging toward the guardian's chest.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Even stunned, the [Mist Claws] reacted automatically, blocking the attacks before they hit.

But that was exactly what Stark wanted.

Because the moment those claws shifted position, the ground beneath the guardian cracked open, and fifteen bone spikes erupted upward like a trap closing shut.

Piercing Skeletal Spikes!

Each one slammed into the guardian's torso, shoulders, and legs, impaling through the mist flesh and nailing it to the ground.

-72,000! -72,000! -72,000!

Over a million total damage in an instant.

The [Guardian of Mist] froze, then its form began to dissolve.

The claws shattered, the fog thinned, and the massive body crumbled apart into a collapsing heap.

Fwiiiish—

The [Mist Domain] that had surrounded them began to fade, the walls of white mist swirling before evaporating entirely.

Stark found himself standing once again in the [Land of Mist], the endless, pale forest of vapor spreading out all around him.

And at his feet, the guardian's body remained.

Not vanishing like most monsters. Not turning into mist.

'Not all of it was controlled by the fog…' Stark's eyes narrowed, a sharp grin forming, 'That means… it won't disappear!'

Ding!

---

[You have killed "Guardian of Mist (Level 50 Special Boss)"]

[You have gained 1,500,000 experience points.]

[Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 42 + Level 43 + Level 44!]

[You have gained 15 points in all attributes and 15 free points to distribute.]

[You have gained 34 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 2,100 Lives!]

---

Hand of Avarice!

The spectral black hand shot out from Stark's staff, plunging deep into the guardian's corpse.

Energy surged back into him like a current of light.

Ding!

[You have gained 28 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 2,130 Lives!]

And then, something glimmered on the ground.

Three items dropped.

Stark crouched down, scanning them with focused eyes.

The mist had cleared entirely now, and his [Mist Summon] meter was gone.

He could move freely across this zone without worrying about the summoning event triggering again.

He extended his hand toward the first glowing item.

[Skill Book: Elemental Spears (Legendary): Mage-type skill book. Requirement: Level 50.]

'Oh shit,' Stark muttered, eyes widening, 'A new skill book... and a legendary one too.'

He could already feel the mana radiating from it, powerful, pure, raw.

A level 50 spell would completely outclass everything he currently had.

And if he evolved it like his other skills to ancient rank...

A grin tugged at his mouth.

He stored it in his inventory instantly, already imagining the destruction it could bring.

If it was anything like the guardian's spear attacks, the damage potential would be absurd.

Next, he checked the second item.

---

[Earth and Fog Spear (Mythical): Warrior/Sentinel-type weapon. +7,300 Strength, +2,000 Agility. Requirement: Level 50.]

[Spear Call (Passive): After throwing the spear, you can call it back to your hand after a second.]

---

A solid weapon, but not for him. He was no warrior.

Still, the value was impressive.

The stats alone made it worth storing or selling later.

Then his attention shifted to the last drop, the one he'd pulled directly from the guardian's corpse using [Hand of Avarice].

It gleamed faintly in a swirl of silver mist.

'Hah,' Stark's grin widened, 'This is the one I wanted.'

He crouched again, fingers brushing the cold surface.

The notification appeared.

[Mist Repellant Ring (Mythical)]

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