The secret boss of Verdant Glade was Verdant Warden, a colossal ancient creature standing at over five meters tall.

Its body was an intricate fusion of bark and vines, reinforced with layers of thick, verdant moss. Emerald-green eyes pulsed with an eerie glow, radiating an intelligence beyond that of a mere beast.

Its limbs, gnarled and twisted like the roots of an ancient tree, crackled with raw nature magic. They were extensions of the land itself, capable of bending the very environment to its will.

A being of immense power.

And yet, those two seriously thought they could take it on alone?

I frowned.

From what I could tell, Max and Odori's strength had to be at least on par with third-floor, maybe even fourth-floor adventurers. That was no joke. But even we had barely managed to make it this far with a full party.

There was no way they'd survive against the Warden on their own.

Not unless they were hiding something.

And then Odori raised her druid's staff. So it wasn't just for show after all.

A soft golden glow pulsed from the tip as she began to chant, her voice low and melodic, weaving an incantation that none of us recognized.

She lifted the paintbrush in her other hand and drew something in the air.

The strokes shimmered, forming intricate glyphs that hung suspended in the air like glowing ink on an invisible canvas.

I had never seen magic like this before.

And I wasn't the only one.

My entire party stood frozen, watching in awe.

Then, without warning, a massive creature emerged.

Its giant frame was composed of obsidian-black stone, its body an intricate mosaic of interlocking rock plates. The sheer density of its form radiated an overwhelming pressure, an aura of raw power that sent a chill down my spine.

Despite its monstrous presence…

It looked outwardly adorable.

I blinked.

It had round, almost comically oversized eyes that gleamed with an innocent curiosity. Its form, while massive and imposing, had an odd cuteness to it. It was like someone had taken an unstoppable titan and made it weirdly cuddly.

"What… the hell is that?" Muradin muttered, eyes wide.

"I have no idea," I admitted, completely dumbfounded.

In all my time playing Dreadspire, I had never seen a summon like this.

Not in any records.

Not in any hidden lores.

Not in any legends.

This thing… shouldn't exist.

Odori, seeing our stunned expressions, merely smirked.

The creature moved.

It lumbered forward toward Max, its obsidian frame shifting with deep, grinding rumbles.

And then, It began to disassemble.

The pieces of its massive stone body peeled away, breaking apart into floating shards that drifted toward Max's body.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Before our very eyes, the fragments latched onto him. Melding together, forming an armor-like shell around his frame.

By the time the last stone settled into place, Max no longer looked human.

He looked unstoppable.

A living fortress of black stone and raw power.

A warrior encased in an armor that pulsed with pure energy, like a titan forged from the very earth itself.

Holy shit.

Even I had to admit. He looked incredibly badass.

Not that I'd say it out loud.

"Alright," Odori chirped, grinning.

"We're ready when you are."

***

The battlefield was in chaos.

Wild beasts, enchanted creatures, and restless forest spirits filled the Verdant Glade, responding to the relentless call of their master.

This was Call of the Forest, a nightmarish spell belonging to the Verdant Warden, one that allowed it to summon an army of nature's fiercest defenders.

We were struggling.

Even with five of us, it had taken everything we had just to take down a single Thornhide Boar, a beast with bark-like armor and monstrous strength.

Max was handling three Forest Direwolves at once.

Effortlessly.

No spells.

No flashy skills.

Just pure, brute strength.

A direwolf lunged, its fangs gleaming.

Max's stone-clad fist collided with its skull.

One punch.

The beast's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The second and third wolves circled, wary, but Max didn't wait for them to strike. He charged. Tore through them in an instant.

One strike caved in a ribcage.

Another snapped a spine.

They barely had time to yelp before dropping dead.

I swallowed hard.

What the hell was this guy?

And he wasn't done.

The moment the wolves fell, a Treefolk Guardian loomed over him. A two-meter-tall monster of bark and thorns, its wooden arms creaking as they swung toward him.

CRACK.

The devastating attack slammed into Max's armored form. A blow that could've crushed a lesser warrior.

Max didn't even flinch.

The guardian reeled back in confusion.

Max reached up, grabbed its wooden limb… and ripped it clean off.

Before I could process what I'd just seen, Odori had finished casting.

She summoned a Red Dragon.

Sort of.

What… in the world…?

The massive creature materialized before us in a swirl of crimson energy.

But it wasn't what I expected.

It was fat.

Like, really fat.

Its round, pudgy belly jiggled slightly as it landed, its tiny wings flapping uselessly. Its short, stout snout made it look more like a grumpy dog than an apex predator.

And its teeth…

Why were they so round?

I gawked. "That's a… dragon?"

Odori grinned. "Cute, isn't he?"

The chubby dragon huffed, as if offended.

Then, without warning…

It opened its mouth and unleashed hell.

A torrent of black fire erupted from its maw, so intense that the air around it warped and cracked.

The flames consumed an entire wave of Fae Tricksters, mischievous forest spirits known for using illusions and deception to confound their enemies.

They never stood a chance.

And something unbelievable happened.

The Verdant Warden, still cloaked in its powerful Verdant Shield, should have been able to shrug off any attack.

The shield, which absorbed damage and granted it absurd regeneration abilities… was obliterated.

The moment the black flames touched it, the shield shattered.

The dragon let out a satisfied "Hmph!" and vanished, its work complete.

I barely had time to react before another shift in the battlefield caught my eye.

The Vine Lashes were gone.

Completely gone.

The Verdant Warden's most dreaded ability, long, whip-like vines capable of striking with incredible speed and force, ensnaring and strangling enemies, was nowhere to be seen.

Normally, those vines regenerated instantly after being destroyed.

But now?

They were just… gone.

Max rolled his shoulders, stepping forward with that same unreadable expression.

Odori dusted off her hands and turned to us with a bright smile.

"Well," she said cheerfully.

"I think that makes things easier, don't you?"

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