The clash split the mire into craters of venom and shattered stone. Rhys slid back, steam rising from his blade, chest heaving. Puddle rippled beside him, light and shadow halos still flickering. Bounce stamped the ground, growling low, shell cracked but glowing.

Myrrex shrieked. Its many legs scraped against rock, the swamp trembling as venom geysered from its wounds.

[ Boss HP — 50% ]

[ Second Phase Initiating: Venom Sovereign Form ]

The centipede's body convulsed violently. Segments split open, peeling back like broken armor. A new layer pushed through, crystalline and glowing sickly emerald. The mandibles elongated, serrated, dripping venom that burned holes straight through the ground. Its eyes flared a deep green, and from its back sprouted venomous wings, translucent and steaming.

"Great," Rhys muttered, sword raised. "It can fly now."

With a screech, Myrrex launched upward, its body writhing through the air like a grotesque serpent.

Boss Skill – Venom Wingstorm!

The beast whipped its wings, scattering acid rain so violently it became razor streams. Trees toppled, the swamp churned into rivers of bubbling green.

Bounce rushed forward, silver light blazing.

Divine Skill – Moonlit Rampart!

A glowing wall of lunar radiance rose, intercepting the storm. Acid hissed against it, eating holes into the shield—until Puddle poured mana into his own spell.

Ancient Water Magic – Aqua Veil!

Waves of cleansing water wrapped the barrier, cooling it and holding it together.

Rhys sprinted out from behind their protection, blade glowing with layered elements.

"Now!"

He vaulted high—

Magic Sword Technique – Whirlwind Slash!

Blades of mana spiraled, striking Myrrex mid-flight. The creature screeched as its wing membrane tore, crashing back to the swamp in a spray of venom.

"Kuyuuu!" Puddle's body pulsed.

Tri-Cast – Water Jet + Light Bullets + Shadow Tendrils!

The barrage hammered Myrrex's exposed back, piercing the crystalline armor and binding its tail.

Bounce didn't waste the chance—

Divine Skill – Lunar Stampede!

He charged like a comet, ramming into the centipede's underbelly. Segments cracked open, spraying venom like a fountain.

But the Sovereign wasn't done.

Boss Skill – Venom Nova!

Its whole body pulsed, releasing a massive shockwave of toxic mist. The swamp ignited with green fire, corrosion flooding the air.

Rhys gritted his teeth, mana shield shattering under the sheer force. Burns flared across his arms.

"Dammit—"

Puddle flared all three halos at once.

Light Shield + Gleaming Halo + Dark Mist!

Radiance blunted the toxins, healing light pulsing outward, while shadows dulled the enemy's accuracy.

Rhys inhaled sharply, chest tightening under the burning air. He raised Aether Vein, eyes blazing.

"Alright, you oversized pest—this ends now!"

He dashed, sword cloaked in roaring flame and flowing water.

Fireball + Water Blade → Steamburst Edge!

A boiling slash tore into the centipede's side, flesh and crystal hissing under the hybrid burn.

The monster writhed, its wings beating furiously to escape.

Bounce leapt again—

Moonfall Crash!

His silver-lit body slammed down onto the beast's thorax, pinning it for just a heartbeat.

"Kuyuuuuuuu!"

Puddle summoned his strongest fusion yet—

Ancient Light + Dark Magic – Eclipse Spear!

A radiant-dark lance formed, hurling down and spearing straight through Myrrex's glowing core.

The Sovereign screeched, its body spasming, venom boiling in chaotic streams.

Rhys leapt high, gathering every drop of mana, every pulse of bond from Puddle and Bounce. His blade became a comet of silver, flame, and steam.

Final Magic Sword Technique – Arc Surge Slash: Comet Rend!

A lightning-fast strike, blazing with fused mana, ripped clean through Myrrex's core.

The centipede froze mid-shriek. Its body convulsed, wings shattering, armor splintering as venom geysered into the air like dying fireworks.

With a final, gurgling roar, the beast collapsed—its massive form sinking into the swamp with a tremor that shook the trees for miles.

The swamp hissed as Myrrex's corpse melted into pools of green fire and sludge.

[ Boss Defeated – Venomcarver Myrrex, Sovereign of Corrosion ]

[ Calculating Rewards… ]

Lines of silver text shimmered before Rhys' eyes.

[ Items Acquired ]

Venomcarver's Fangblade (Epic – One-Hand Sword)

Serrated edge that drips Sovereign venom.

Basic Attacks: +15% chance to inflict [Corrosion] (armor shred over time).

Skill Bonus: Enhances all Magic Sword Techniques with poison affinity when wielded.

Chitin of the Sovereign (Epic – Armor Fragment)

A plate of Myrrex's crystalline carapace.

Can be reforged into armor or fused into existing gear.

Grants Passive: Toxic Resistance +25%.

Core of Venom Sovereign (Rare Boss Core)

Contains condensed venom essence.

Usable for alchemy, weapon fusion, or summoning rituals.

[ Unique Rewards ]

Passive Skill Acquired – Venom Resistance

You take 40% less damage from poison and acid effects.

Duration-based venom effects reduced by 30%.

Fusion Unlock – Venom Surge Slash (Magic Sword Technique)

Combine Water Blade + Shadow Tendrils to release a venomous mana strike that corrodes armor and slows enemies.

"Definitely the best place to farm levels and equipment," Rhys mumbled as he checked the rewards. He let out a breath, sitting down to rest while his skills cooled off from their long chain of combat.

Once his body recovered and every cooldown timer blinked green, he stood and began making his way down the winding path that sloped toward the peak of Rank 1.

"Right now I'm at level 181… nineteen levels left until 200," he muttered, eyes narrowing as he looked ahead.

The swamp gave way to something far harsher—its rot and venom dissolving into searing heat. The earth cracked beneath his boots, glowing veins of magma threading through blackened stone. The air shimmered, heavy with sulfur.

A lava-based terrain.

The heat licked at his armor. Puddle rippled uneasily, his body bubbling under the oppressive air, while Bounce stamped, glowing brighter to resist the swelter.

Ahead, geysers of flame roared skyward, and shapes moved within the molten haze. Not swamp fiends this time, but hulking Magma Wardens, their bodies half-molten rock, their arms dragging obsidian clubs. The ground shook as they turned, magma drooling from their jaws.

[ New Zone Discovered – Ashen Crucible ]

[ Enemies Scale: Lv. 180–195 ]

The Wardens roared in unison, and from deeper within the caldera, something heavier stirred—an oppressive presence making the very air vibrate.

Rhys gripped Aether Vein tighter, silver flame flaring.

"Looks like the climb isn't over yet."

The first Magma Warden bellowed, swinging its molten obsidian club. The weapon's arc tore through the air, spraying sparks like falling stars.

Rhys sidestepped—

"Magic Sword Technique – Swift Cut!"

A silver streak lanced across its chest. But instead of blood, magma hissed from the wound, bubbling angrily as the Warden barely flinched.

The second slammed its club down. The ground fractured, a wave of lava surging outward.

"Puddle!"

"Kuyuuuu!"

The slime burst upward, casting—

Ancient Water Magic – Aqua Veil!

A cooling tide spread over Rhys, Bounce, and himself, resisting the suffocating heat.

Immediately, he followed with—

Water Jet + Shadow Tendrils – Venom Surge Slash!

His sword shimmered with liquid venom-light. The strike carved into the first Warden's arm, corroding obsidian into ash, slowing its movements as dark tendrils coiled into the cracks.

The creature roared in agony.

Bounce charged with a defiant cry—

Divine Skill – Lunar Stomp!

Moonlight erupted as his foot crashed into the scorched ground, staggering the Wardens back.

But they retaliated—

Magma Wardens' Skill – Infernal Maul!

Both swung in unison, clubs blazing like meteors.

"Not breaking me!" Rhys thrust his palm forward.

Mana Shield!

The barrier rippled under the dual strike, sparks exploding outward. His knees buckled, but Bounce braced against him, adding his aegis.

Puddle unleashed a tri-cast—

Water Jet! Light Bullets! Dark Mist!

Jets of water hissed against magma, steam clouding the battlefield; radiant orbs punctured their cores; shadow fog dulled their burning glow.

Rhys seized the chance.

Magic Sword Technique – Whirlwind Slash!

Blades of mana ripped through the steam, carving deep gouges into molten chests.

The Wardens staggered—just as a deep, seismic growl shook the caldera.

From the crater's heart, a colossal Magma Titan began to rise, its body forged of flowing lava, its skull crowned with obsidian horns. Heat distortion warped the air around it.

[ Mini-Boss Spawned – Molten Colossus, Titan of Ashen Crucible ]

[ Lv. 195 ]

The Wardens backed away reverently, bowing their molten heads as the Titan stepped forward, each stride cracking the battlefield into rivers of fire.

The monster raised its arm—lava swirling into a blazing orb.

Titan Skill – Solar Eruption!

A miniature sun formed in its palm, ready to hurl devastation across the caldera.

Rhys' grip tightened.

"Alright then… let's burn."

The Titan's palm blazed like a newborn star.

Titan Skill – Solar Eruption!

The orb hurled forward, detonating mid-air into a blinding inferno. The entire caldera flashed white-orange as rivers of molten fire cascaded outward.

"Bounce!"

The little lunar beast stomped the scorched ground.

Divine Skill – Moonlit Aegis!

A shimmering crescent barrier unfurled, shielding Rhys and Puddle from the collapsing world. The blast struck, searing against the dome. The ground beneath them cracked and bled lava, but the aegis held.

"Kuyuuuu!"

Puddle glowed with triple resonance—

Light Shield + Gleaming Halo + Aqua Veil!

Healing, defense, and regeneration pulsed outward. The air cooled slightly, and Rhys' mana surged back into him.

"Perfect timing." Rhys exhaled, stepping forward. Aether Vein blazed with silver fire, humming in sync with their bond.

Magic Sword Technique – Vertical Slash!

The strike soared skyward, carving a radiant arc into the Titan's chest. Lava spilled like blood, hissing as it struck the obsidian floor.

The Titan roared in fury. It stomped, the ground fracturing into collapsing magma pits.

Titan Skill – Volcanic Rift!

Fiery fissures burst open, spewing geysers of flame all around.

"Fast on your feet, Rhys," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

He darted across the shifting battlefield—

Swift Cut → Arc Surge Slash!

A compressed mana arc ripped through one of the Titan's kneecaps, shattering hardened magma plating. The giant staggered, dropping briefly to one knee.

Bounce roared—

Divine Skill – Crescent Rush!

He slammed shoulder-first into the Titan's leg, widening the crack.