Book 2/ 30 - Cheating Bosses

[Author's Note : The Image is a more accurate depiction of Haero as a kid. But the hole is sealed. Just a jagged scar. This was the best that came out. So I'll manage it]


_


Ring - 9th
Realm - MURHIL


That was the second explosion she'd tanked, the second time she was waking from unconsciousness. Athena surveyed the end of the room and found the Sykerians seated with their backs to the walls. She didn't say it, but she honestly expected to see a game over or something—not from the explosion, but due to them taking advantage of her being unconscious.

From their numbers, even those that had been knocked out were awake. Athena pushed to her feet and ignored the mumbles as they noticed her wake. They had dragged her to one side too, it seemed. She eyed them, searching until she found him—Ernwes. It was crazy how their features were varied when they all had a single eyeball.

Focus. She turned to the end of the room. They had more floors to clear. The bronze doors looked majestic. Focusing now, she could see that the lower part was actually doors. High up were bars, leaving space to see beyond. Not that the darkness let her see.

There were footfalls next to her, and she turned to the Captain. "Ernwes. No injuries, I hope?" He shook his head.

"Just the former."

"Can your Sykeri push forward?" He nodded without hesitation.

"Then get them ready."

"How long before we move?"

"Five. Where are these spheres?" Ernwes looked troubled before pointing to the side. They'd ignored them when they dragged her to the side.

Athena picked up the five spheres and watched as each one of them tried to grab her essence. She couldn't help but wonder at the possibilities of the spheres holding the Wisps.

"Ernwes!" The Sykeri captain stopped and turned to her. Athena still had an eye on the sphere. "How long will it take the dungeon to respawn?"

"At most, a day."

The spheres moved into her storage, and she pulled up two notifications that she still had from earlier. She'd gotten them from defending against the lightning bolt. In her annoyance and all the drama, she'd ignored them until the fight happened. Now was the best time to check them out.



**Willpower Imbue**
Athena can infuse a medium-sized object with a fragment of her willpower, granting it temporary properties such as increased durability, sharpness, or a faint glow. This effect lasts for a short duration (5 minutes -> 15 minutes), and the object gains additional traits such as minor elemental effects (e.g., heat, cold, or light).



Like all her other skills, she knew she'd only know the cost of its use when she actually tried it. it did drain my essence. And it feels like it got better from before. Athena didn't dare think the lightning blast was more powerful than the Wisps exploding. She could remember fixing cracks in the shield she made. "The improvement must have occurred then."

The next notification was even more interesting.



**Reality Sculptor**
**Skill merged with Object Manipulation**
Athena can now shape larger objects or environments within an extended radius (up to 20 meters). The changes are more stable and require less focus to maintain. She can create more complex objects or illusions, such as a functional tool or a more detailed environment.



"So I can create whatever I want within the given range. Nice and yet quite limiting." She wondered if what she could create would also be limited by her essence. Definitely.

"Luckily, I got something new for that." She pulled out the new essence orbs she got from the Wisps. They were all Novice orbs. Unlike Fledgling Orbs that held essence of only ten to one hundred and ninety units, Novice held two hundred units to less than a thousand.

"Perfect." She had lots of those. With a smile, she absorbed some of them to top off her essence. Eyeing the Sykerians and remembering they'd made only a few kills, she walked up to Ernwes. Grasping his hand, she cupped them for him and placed hers above his.

"Here." He eyed her hand as she poured thirty of the orbs into his hands. His palms were little. "For your Sykeri. Have them top up their essence." He looked surprised and then bowed to her.

"Thank you, my Lady. I'll have this shared."

Athena checked herself over. Any bruise was gone, and she lacked injuries. A glance at the grimacing and limping Sykeri tugged at her chest. From what Ernwes had told her about the dungeon, past that bronze door would be the first boss.

Considering the dungeon is reacting to me, it goes to say they'll be in quite the danger in there. Figuring out healing needed to be done sooner rather than later. First, she activated her Reality Sculpt. Figuring out her skills was a good thing before a fight.

It was like a wave rushed out of her in a sphere. Invisible and unseen, it spread on for a distance before halting. *20 meters.* She could feel the edges of the influence. Her influence. Her will. It was thick and powerful, yet it was unseen. A tiny orb, silver and gray, appeared floating three meters away from her.

Athena moved, and she found her sphere of influence moved with her. She was the eye of the storm. "This skill costs double what object manipulation took". Frowning at the down tick of her essence, she approached the orb. It was thick, yet when she touched it, it felt weird.

"I didn't give it any features or properties". Quickly doing so she made it thicker and denser, made it grow a bit larger as well until it was the size of a baseball. "Wait. That didn't cost anything".

Cocking her head to the side, she tried showing her curiosity to her sphere. It was interesting. The sphere took her essence and was kept up by it. It was like Reality Flux but this time under her control.

Athena didn't realize she was thinking of the ideas she had as she thought of the ideas she had. Needles formed around her. Then they shifted to glass, to water, and then to fire.

"No temperature".

She gave it heat, and it burned. "Not me".

She could see the environment smolder but felt nothing. The fire vanished, and she formed a spear similar to the one she was already using. She collapsed it into a blade and then a dagger, made it back into a spear.

"I wonder". She imagined, and they came to be. Fairies. Just like Luciv. But they looked dull, their eyes vacant. "Of course. They're but creations, not actual life. But wait. If I can do that, can I?". Collapsing the fairies, she formed back the spear.

"Come". It was less of the word and more of the visual intent she had. The spear flew through the space and slammed into her outstretched hand.

She collapsed it and then formed balls around her. Making sure she was facing away from the Sykerians, who were watching, injuries and orbs they held forgotten, she made the balls shoot for the walls.

The wall exploded out from the force of the strike. Athena tried it again. Then again. She frowned. "I can only control it within my sphere... beyond, and it's out of my control". Still, the fact it had kept flying and hit the wall told Athena it still held onto some velocity or just gained it.

She had quite the host of ideas to try and was already lowering herself into a sitting position when Ernwes cleared his throat behind her. "We're ready, My Lady. Five is up."

Athena hid her annoyance at being disrupted. She gave him a nod and focused on forming another spear and shield for herself. "I'll need to improve my threshold quickly".

The shield was round and with little aesthetic. Making it light and thick was easy. Turning, she looked at the others. They stared back, standing on their feet and waiting.

"Ernwes." She and the Captain stepped forward and stopped in front of the doors. "Your Sykeri. Can they fight? From the information provided, this should be a boss room, right?" Ernwes nodded. "Are you sure they can handle the boss with their injuries?"

"No, my Lady. Please forgive them. With the increase in difficulty, I believe the boss will follow the same pattern. I don't think they can stand against it with their injuries."

"Then keep them here. I need to experiment with my capabilities anyway."

"But my lady. Not all are injured. We're here to protect..." He trailed off as he remembered them running and her doing the protecting. Athena didn't say anything in reply, simply turning to stare at the doors. She reached out, grabbed the handles that were the height of her head, and pushed.

There was no creaking of hinges as the doors swung open. Just the darkness within. "Get those that can follow," she ordered and waited, watching the darkness like smoke roll out of the doors.

Ernwes returned with only two others—the Sykerin from earlier and a Sykeri. "Let's go."

Stepping past the doors and into the room sent goosebumps over everyone's skin. "Keep walking". Athena steeled her nerves. The darkness looked like it didn't want to end as she waded farther in.

"Light ahead." Athena turned and found she was still somehow with the rest. She wasn't thinking of separating or anything like that, but with the darkness, she'd not expected them to see her. "Some party mechanics perhaps". she thought.

The Sykeri with Ernwes pointed to the left. "I need to know their names". There was a pinprick of light in that direction, small and distant. They all moved that way. The darkness, still chilling her skin, made her move faster and, in turn, urged the Sykerians on. The light was a wide circle the size of an Elder Force. Looking at the circle then back at the others, she stepped in, and they followed.

The room was tall and wide. The ground was adorned with white marble, and the walls seemed to be smooth metal. She could see glowing crystals hanging in spires from the ceiling to illuminate the room. Her main concern was up front, where a figure, kneeling at the foot of a throne, noticed their arrival. Wings whiter than snow spread out to reveal a figure larger than the Sykerians but an inch shorter than her.

"A foot?" Unclear of the measurement, she ignored it. It was shorter than her, and that was all that mattered. All four of them watched as the being stretched out its wings, raised both arms, and stretched as if waking from a long sleep. Then it dropped its arms and grabbed the heavy bastard sword that was stabbed into the ground. As it pulled out the blade with a scrape and a shower of sparks, Athena could see the bare chest and single loincloth that covered its dignity.

Golden eyes assessed the party, and then the wings flapped gently, lifting it off the ground.

"What's the plan, my lady?" Ernwes asked. Athena frowned. Even as she pondered, her vision twisted and turned in ways to win this fight. Her eyes settled, and she found the winged warrior was higher up. It seemed the sword was burning in a golden flame.

"Stay close."

The winged warrior didn't wait for them to move. Both hands dragged the blade, pointing it to its left and behind it, then it swung forward and to the right with strength. Its muscles rippled and danced with the action, and a crescent ray of golden fire descended on them.

A white and gray wall appeared. From a thin translucent thing, it thickened and became dense.

BOOM!!

The wall rattled and the ground cracked around it. "I'm guessing that's not the normal boss," Athena shouted to Ernwes. The Sykerian looked shocked and troubled as he nodded in agreement.

The wall vanished and Athena darted forward. Even as she ran various spikes appeared around the trio.

"Ernwes guard your Sykeri and assist from range. I doubt you can last against it". The winged warrior dropped from the sky like a bullet and stomped on the ground with its heels. The ground shook and winds from both the landing and the wings flapping spread out carving furrows and marks through the ground like blades.

Mind step carried her closer and she jabbed at it with the spear. Her spear was knocked to the side and the sword lashed out carving a line on her thigh. Golden liquid ran down. Side step took her to its left. The initial pain of the wound turned to pressure and she darted forward. Spear first and then bringing the shield forward. The spear was knocked to the side and the sword lashed out and struck the shield. The shield was dented and the force of the blow staggered her back. The sword was already coming for another hit. Mind Leap took her behind the warrior and thanks to the mirage left behind it was too late for the warrior to react when her spear thrust through its lower back and out from its front.

He jerked and cried out in pain. Athena pulled back her spear and side stepped so she was next to the boss. Her spear shortened as she visualized a machete. Appearing with her weapon on the swing she missed the slight pulse of gold from its eyes.

A golden barrier stopped her machete bouncing it off. The warrior was already spinning and cleaving its blade through the air. The roar and whistle of fire and a sharp edge cutting and burning through the air reached her. The golden barrier vanished and the sword struck her shield.

Her feet left the ground and Athena rolled twice before digging into the floor with her machete. The winged warrior was already above her swinging down with a roar. Mind leap cleared her from danger. The ground shook and her machete dug into his left calf.

Another pained roar and then the left wing struck her whipping her head back. The warrior moved tearing his leg free from the machete. The bastard sword was already whipping for her head. Side step took her to the opposite side of the warrior and she faced it. She thought fast.

"Jump back". Suggestion struck the warrior hard and she Mind leaped simultaneously. Appearing only to find the warrior had simply jerked in its place. The swing had stopped but it was already cutting at her fading mirage and then on when it found the mirage to be fake.

Athena leaped back as the blade cut through her former position. The warrior took a step and a white spike dug into its calf and into the ground. It faced the ceiling with a pained scream. Athena side stepped to its right leg and cut down. Machete met bone below the knee. The wing whipped out reflexively and she Mind Leaped in front of it and bashed her shield to its face.

He staggered back and the spike in its leg tore into the flesh and bone more. He hissed with rage. The machete was already transforming into a spear that she thrust. It dug through his bare chest and out from the back. Athena rushed closer as the wings beat. She didn't even think of it as a helmet formed over her head and she headbutted the warrior. The snapping sound from his legs told her the spike had broken.

With a cry she heaved the warrior single handedly with the spear, spun and tossed it up. Athena smiled as she didn't have to say a word. Spikes shot at the warrior as she watched two caught its left wing. One sunk into its side and another clipped its leg leg. The rest missed and she watched the warrior fall with screams. It's wings flapped but was awkward due to the spikes.

Then it hit the ground, rolling. There was another crack. Side step took her closer as the warrior stopped his roll and her boots smacked his face with a kick. Spear shrunk into a thick two handed sword that she brought up and down. Golden barrier.

Epiphany struck her with a sight.

Hissing she Mind Leaped away and then side stepped back to the Sykerians. It was just like she saw. The barrier vanished and the warrior was airborne. Light gathered in his palm the sword forgotten on the ground. Athena grasped for its mind with suggestion and just like before it didn't work.

It was enough to distract him for a moment as two spikes landed accurately on his chest and lower left abdomen. The light in his grasp shook and exploded. Fire erupted in waves for them. A white egg shell covered the group as the fire swept through the room. "This Dungoen sure loves explosions".

The moment the fire weakened for a moment she Side stepped right to where the warrior was. He was gone.

"No". She looked up. His arms quivered as he swung his sword with force. The same Crescent ray shot at the group. Mind Leap took her to them and the wave lashed over a hastily erected wall. It cracked and exploded in. A rock taking out the Sykerin while crushing the other one's leg. Ernwes roared throwing another spike with his telekinesis at the warrior's last spot.

Athena vanished and appeared midair. The spike shot past and she spotted the golden glow of the boss. She mind leaped even as she fell down as it eyed her. Appearing behind him the sound of stones crunching beneath her feet alerted him. 'Too Late'. Even as he spun to cut at her chains spawned from nothing. Like a twist of luck or fortune his sword froze midair as Reality Flux finally decided to rear it's head. Freezing the peculiar spot of its blade cutting through wind.

The time displacement made his movement unbalanced and his palm slipped from the blade even as the chains wrapped around his feet and bound his arms to his body. Athena didn't even think of the new facet of the Reality Sculptor she just showed. Manipulating of anything within her sphere.

Her two handed long sword cut through the air and then bit into his neck. She felt the warrior try to activate the golden barrier but fail. There was no pressure as her sword sliced through bone and it's head spun midair.

The chains clanged as the corpse hit the ground. Athena exhaled in relief. The boss was strong. The barrier it had and it's wings made killing it harder than necessary while it's flames and crescent strike made it a good damage dealer.. Worse just stabbing it didn't do anything. She didn't focus but she remembered noting the parts of the warrior she had cut at or slashed being healed.

"Annoying".

She turned already thinking of how to heal her Sykerians. 'My Sykerians?'. She frowned at the thought as she neared ,Ernwes already checking on the one with the crushed leg. 'I guess after all their attempts to fight with me, not trying to kill me while.i was out and even offering to follow me in here when they knew the boss would be more powerful makes me endeared to them'. She crouched next to Ernwes and took in the leg. 'It still doesn't solve the problem of Gordorik when we get back '.

"Is it dead my lady?".

"I believe so. Unless it can survive a beheading?". Ernwes looked up from the leg. His face grim.

"We didn't get any notification. Maybe we didn't...". His last words faded to the void as Athena shut upright, a frown painted her face as she processed Ernwes' words. "I didn’t get a notification either".

She was quick to move back to the corpse of the winged warrior, her mind racing with possible explanations. As she crouched beside the body, a sinking feeling crept into her chest. The corpse was there, dead and unmoving, but something was off.

"Why didn’t I get a notification then?". She hesitated before reaching down to push the shoulder and roll the body onto its back.

BOOM!

In hindsight, she should have suspected such a move. The corpse didn’t glow, didn’t pulse, or look like it was charging up. It just detonated. Fire erupted from the corpse as it turned to ash and energy itself, spreading out in a circle. The moment it reached her, the fire washed over her, burning straight through her defenses and slamming into an unseen shield that held it back from reaching the Sykerians.

Fire roared over her body, turning her skin to ash faster than she could think. Without guessing or reasoning, she grabbed at her will and pushed it to fix the damage. Simultaneously, she gripped the spreading flames and turned them into air that flowed out from her. In a second, the detonation became wind; in that same second, her Elder Force form went from skin to bones and brain, then back to skin, her blood working with her will to regenerate the lost body.

Her essence bottomed out instantly, and she felt a suction drag inside her. A migraine that refused to turn into pressure struck her, and she fell to her side. Her essence was spent, but her blood was still of a Primordial:s, taking over the task of healing and mending the burnt and erased flesh.

Athena shivered as she fought to pull out a Novice Orb. She just couldn’t. Her brain couldn’t focus. Feeling herself roll to her side from the pain wracking her body, she didn’t notice the orb being pushed into her palm until her automatic need to absorb essence let her feel the energy rolling in and refilling her essence reserves.

The pain receded as the essence flowed through her, mending her flesh, soothing her burning nerves, and clearing her mind. Slowly, she regained control of her senses and focused on the orb in her hand, draining it until it was empty. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, finding Ernwes and the remaining Sykerians standing over her, concern etched on their faces.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Ernwes asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Athena nodded, though she still felt the lingering effects of the explosion. "I’ll live," she replied, forcing herself to sit up. "That... was unexpected."

Ernwes offered his hand to help her up, and she accepted, pulling herself to her feet with a grunt. "The boss was stronger than I anticipated," she admitted, her mind already working through what had just happened. "And that last explosion... it was almost like a final attack."

Ernwes nodded grimly. "The dungeon's defenses are not to be underestimated, especially with how it’s reacting to your presence."

Athena frowned as she glanced back at the spot where the winged warrior’s body had been. There was nothing left but ash and scorch marks. "We didn’t get a notification because it wasn’t truly defeated until that last explosion," she realized, piecing it together. "It must have been a final attack, something that triggered upon death."

"That would explain the lack of notification," Ernwes agreed, his tone thoughtful. "A last-ditch effort to take out its enemies, perhaps.

Her shaking stopped. The migraine vanished into a pressure as Athena cursed. Notifications were present for her to look over.



**Seraphic Warrior Slain**
**Celestial Essence Orb Gained**
**Shardoway Gained**
**Celestial Amulet Gained**
**The Seraphic Warrior's Sword Gained**

**Floor 1 - Cleared**
**Rewards - Essence Orbs: Novice +100**
**Divine-Touched Feathers: 20**


_



**Mindful Restoration**
Athena can now influence the body's healing processes more deeply, promoting faster recovery from significant injuries or mental fatigue. She can also reduce the severity of chronic conditions or lingering pain.

**The Seraphic Warrior's Sword**
The Seraphic Guardian's Sword is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, forged from a rare and potent alloy of Angelite and Seraphite within the bowels of the dungeon for the Seraphic Warrior.



The sword was large, as tall as a Sykerian and wide as a thigh. The blade was white, and the edge pulsed with a subtle blue hue. The hilt was wrapped in white leather with a winged aesthetic guard. The pommel had a single blue gemstone that looked dull. The sword was, in one word, beautiful.



**Holy Resonance -> Willpower Resonance**
The Angelite-Seraphite blade creates an intrinsic connection to the wielder's willpower. Through this resonance, the sword can be summoned or dismissed at will, appearing in the wielder's hand in a flash of light. Additionally, the wielder can channel their will to teleport to the sword's location or summon the sword to their location from any distance, as long as they maintain their mental focus and intent.

**Celestial Edge**
The blade's single edge is imbued with the power of pure light, making it especially effective against dark and unholy beings. It can cut through magical barriers and armor as if they were paper, leaving behind trails of light in the air. Increased damage against Dark and Unholy forces.

**Light of Judgement -> Judgement of Will**
Upon striking an enemy, the sword can release a burst of holy light and compressed force that not only deals additional radiant damage but also blinds and disorients foes, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.



Athena had a wide smile as she watched the blade float within her sphere. The moment she picked up the blade, it created a pulse of energy that flooded into her nerves and mind. She willed it and felt both her essence dip and the sword vanish. Trying to feel or search for the sword gave her a general idea of its location. Nowhere. It just didn't exist again.

Alarmed, she willed it to come, and her essence dipped once more. The sword appeared in a flash of light, forming in her right hand. She stabbed it into the ground and then willed it to vanish again and then reappear. "I guess the Willpower Resonance works in my grasp or not."

"My Lady." She turned to see the Sykerians. The unconscious one was awake, and the one who had lost his leg was also awake and trembling in pain.

Athena almost punched herself for getting distracted by the loot she had gotten. Given the items were in her inventory, she rushed to the group and got down next to the one without a leg. "Please work." Setting her palm on his head, she used Mindful Restoration. Unlike her previous attempts and epiphany, the energy was drawn from her without having to use her blood. The energy was drained from her and into the Sykeri.

Ernwes watched as the leg healed in real time. It was like a reversal of the crushing. The Sykeri’s body twitched, veins swelling, flesh mending, and bones cracking back into place. With a last pop, the leg was normal. The energy drain stopped, and Athena shook her head.

Turning to the other one, she repeated the same thing, and the bruise on her head faded. The energy drain this time was minimal.

"You figured out how to heal?" Ernwes asked.

She nodded to Ernwes.

"I just needed to use energy that wasn't from them. That much energy drain would weaken them." Athena paused at the dark idea in her mind. Shaking the thought away, she helped the unconscious one to her feet.

Leaving the boss room was easy as it simply teleported them to the tunnel they had entered from. The other Sykerians clamored at the sight of them coming out uninjured. Ernwes had to calm them down, and Athena went around healing their injuries. By the time she fixed the last Sykerian, she felt tired. Not heavily, but still tired.

Giving the direction for them to rest let her recuperate her energy and think. Her thoughts didn't revolve around the dungeon or bosses. They went to the Sykerians here with her and those outside. Thinking deeply, she felt both angered and yet understanding of the Lord's attempts.

While she didn't like that her life was threatened here, she also knew she might have done the same. Still, Athena didn't have any intentions of letting things slide. For now, she focused on checking out her rewards. Since she'd already seen the sword, she pulled out the next item first: a single Holy Essence Orb.



**Holy Essence Orb (Novice)**
It is a concentrated manifestation of leftover power. It holds within it a vast reservoir of holy energy (900 Units).



"Luciv?" The fairy poked out her head, and while she didn't see it, she felt the movement. Holding up the orb, she asked, "Care to explain?"

"Ah. A core with a trait. Those are not rare and are quite standard."

"How standard?"

"Hmm. Understand it this way. Every orb has a specific energy type. For this core, it's Holy; for you, your orb would be Abstract. Some entities can hold two traits, which come out as different. There's another Orb you hold. A single different one. Get it out."

Athena didn't ask questions about how the fairy knew. Knowing things was her thing.


**Celestial Essence Orb**
It is a concentration of leftover power. It holds within it a vast reservoir of Celestial Energy.


"This one holds Celestial energy. Which means that the Boss had a Celestial Trait."

"Alright. So what happens if I cultivate with these?"

"Ah. That's the catch. See, each Elder can only cultivate and hold the essence of their realm. That means Titans can't hold Akashic energy. But that's also wrong. Titans can do magic, which is basically what the Akashic force is for, I guess. It's just different. In the same way, you can use these energies, just not in the same way you would use Abstract."

"That was a whole lot of confusion."

"And how do I use them?"

"I'd advise keeping the Celestial Orb for now. It'll be useful when you're trying to increase your threshold. As for the Holy Orb, honestly, I guess the two best things you can use it for are to attack or heal."

"Attack or heal?"

"Yes. Holy energy works best against dark energy. You can use it to amplify the already existing attack of your new sword or channel it to heal. Warning, though: channeling it is hard and also wasteful. Your body knows only Abstract, and while not antagonistic to the other energies, it will still try to convert them to Abstract."

The point was clear. Nodding, she sent back the orbs and pulled out the next item.



**Celestial Amulet**
It is a breathtaking piece of jewelry, radiating a divine aura. Crafted from a rare blend of silver and celestial gold, the amulet aids its wearer in warding off the forces of darkness.

**Item Abilities**
- **Divine Resonance**: The amulet vibrates with celestial energy, attuning itself to the wearer's spirit. This resonance enhances the wearer's connection to divine powers, boosting light-based abilities and enhancing the potency of holy spells and prayers.

- **Celestial Flame**: The amulet generates and aids the wearer in gathering a concentrated ball of celestial fire to release at its enemies.

- **Healing Grace**: When worn, the Celestial Amulet gradually heals minor wounds and ailments over time. The wearer experiences a sense of well-being and vitality, as the amulet's energy promotes rapid recovery and bolsters the immune system against diseases and poisons.

**Active Skills**:
**Radiant Shield**: The wearer can activate the amulet to project a powerful barrier of light around them, reflecting incoming attacks and purifying the area within its radius. This shield can be used to protect against both physical and magical threats, making it a valuable defense in combat.

**Celestial Blessing**: The amulet can channel a surge of divine energy into the wearer, temporarily enhancing their strength, speed, and perception. This blessing can turn the tide in critical moments, allowing the wearer to perform feats beyond their normal capabilities.

**Divine Retribution**: In times of extreme danger, the amulet can unleash a burst of celestial energy that harms all nearby enemies. This retributive strike burns with the power of the heavens, searing foes with holy light and driving away darkness.



"Wait. This is everything the Boss could do." Athena stared at the beautiful piece of jewelry in shock. From the quick healing to the barriers that kept appearing to stop her strikes, to the speed it showed in its flight and movements. "That's how it kept up with me, and I thought it was due to it being a boss." Even worse was the explosion. She had thought the boss had just exploded as a last-ditch attempt, but it was technically both that and a delayed attack to her cutting off the Seraph's head.

She ignored the thought that maybe all the bosses were similar, buffed with items.

Trying to put the amulet on took it from her hands to her neck in a flash of light. She felt strength flood her body and realized how tired she was from healing the Sykerians.

"With this, I'm a walking medical station."

The last item she retrieved was a white feather with flecks of gold. The description for it made Athena huff and send it back. It was clear now that the boss had been a geared-up weakling. Not even the wings had been his own. Still, she warned herself not to be too cocky. Geared or not, the Seraphic Warrior was fierce and strong. Thanks to the gear and items, yes, but still fierce and strong.

"Ernwes." She called for the captain as she sent it back to storage. The Sykeri moved to her as she pondered ways the feathers could be used. The feathers were not a one-time thing, so she could see them in soldiers' armor or clothes, activating when needed. It was not a permanent thing, and she figured the boss was somehow making the feathers last longer than their energy would allow.

"At least it recharges." She looked up to clear her throat. The captain was next to her. Tapping the ground beside her, she offered him a seat. Elder Force and Guard Captain stared at each other—one keeping a calm expression and the other thinking of how to start.

"We got the notifications for the boss's death and the floor rewards. I can have them gathered quickly, My Lady." Ernwes refused to meet her gaze, and Athena looked confused and then relieved.

"That's good. That you got rewards. Each of you or just the ones who entered the boss lair with me?"

"All, My Lady. Though the rewards differ for those who entered with you." His head seemed to tilt more to the ground.

"Stop that." His head froze, and she could feel the tension in him and in the air. Looking behind him, she saw the others look away.

"I get I'm a Force and all, but why do you keep acting all subservient and like bullied children?" Her eyes widened as she did a double-take. "Bullied indeed." She eyed the Captain's reaction. He jerked but said nothing.

"Lord Gordorik will have to go." She switched topics to what she really called him for. The captain stiffened, and she watched the emotions that flickered on and off his face: fear, alarm, panic, and then hope. The last one came as he opened his mouth.

"Please, My Lady. While the Lord's actions against you are indeed unforgivable, please… spare his life. He only…"

"I'm not killing him." She cut him off. The look of disbelief and suspicion made her sigh. "I won't kill him. I understand his reasons. I dislike his actions but I won't hold it against him. So I'll simply have to remove him from his seat."

Ernwes looked curious. The question, even unasked, was clear: How? Athena answered.

"I'm an Elder Force. I didn't want to, but I will have my way. This is where you come in. Help me keep your people alive. Think on it and decide when we leave the dungeon."

Athena stood before Ernwes could say something or think much. She had an idea of what she needed to do, both outside and inside. For now, though, the plan for what to do inside was clear. "Gather your Sykeri. Let's move to the second floor."

It didn't take long for the group to stand behind her as they moved to cross the gates once more. When a floor boss was killed, the doors to its position led to the next floor. Two Sykeri grabbed and pushed the doors inwards. Unlike the first time, there was no darkness past the doors or black mist creeping and chilling people—just the fresh smell of greens. The sight across was wonderful.

Subconsciously, Athena stepped ahead, and past the doors, the Sykeri followed.