We couldn't stay long in Silvered Hills. Without its protective field effect, we were exposed, sitting ducks. After erasing our tracks, we headed straight to the next area.

We followed a narrow, hidden trail just beyond the hill. The path was made of slick stone and climbed steeply, forcing us to crawl on all fours like desperate mountaineers.

Eventually, we reached the top, and the view took our breath away.

Below us stretched a shimmering lake, its water so clear it mirrored the sky and cliffs around it like polished glass. It was almost surreal, like the world had paused in perfect harmony. A wide, flat field of lush grass surrounded the lake, enclosed on all sides by towering cliffs. No exits. No escape routes.

We rested briefly to catch our breath and double-check our gear. Whatever came next, we needed to be ready. The Scavengers Clan could be nearby, and an ambush wasn't out of the question.

"Let's finish this quickly," said Darwyn, peering down toward the lake.

"So, we have to wipe out every single one of them to trigger it?" Muradin asked, turning to me.

"Yeah, that's what the tomes said," I replied. "Relax. There may be a lot of them, but they're not exactly heavy hitters. You should be fine."

"As long as the reward makes me stronger, I'm in," he said, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh, it definitely will," I nodded. "Just remember, the drop rate's high, but not guaranteed."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But hey, we've got Orin," Muradin said with a wink, glancing her way.

"Oh right, once we're down there, there's no way back up, right?" Darwyn asked, stepping closer to the edge to take a look.

"Correct," Orin replied with a shrug. "Unless you can fly. Which, sadly, only applies to me. And I'm not strong enough to carry any of you."

"Exactly why our prep has to be airtight," I added.

"Let's do this," Muradin grinned, storing his shield and hammer. "Time to make some noise!"

With that, he launched himself down one of the natural slides at the cliff's edge, disappearing fast down the slope.

We waited a beat, then followed one by one, sliding after him into the next challenge.

***

SPLAAASH!

A small monstrous tadpole-like creature burst out of the ground and lunged straight at Muradin, followed immediately by several more, one after another in an endless onslaught.

Soaked from head to toe, Muradin gritted his teeth and tried to fend them off while chugging down a potion.

The Thunderproof Tonic gave him a massive boost in lightning resistance, but only for a short time.

[Enhanced Electroflask used]

Orin hurled a glowing Electroflask directly at Muradin. Sparks exploded in a wide radius, electricity crackled through the air. The nearby Dripspawns, whether hidden underground or actively attacking Muradin, screamed in unison as they were struck, flailing violently before collapsing in a twitching heap.

Dripspawn was a fluid-bodied monster, like an oversized tadpole made of living slime. They swam just beneath the soil, leaving behind faint wet trails, and ambushed prey by erupting from the earth, momentarily solidifying their forms to strike.

They were infamous for overwhelming their enemies with sheer numbers, especially around Crystal Lake, their nesting ground.

Orin's well-timed blast wiped out more than a dozen of them instantly.

Muradin didn't waste the opportunity. He dashed to another patch of the area, baiting another cluster of monsters out of hiding. One by one, we were clearing the entire Crystal Lake.

So far, our strategy was working.

"Help me here!" Muradin shouted, holding his ground as another wave surged toward him.

I cast Rejuvenation in his direction, followed by Tempest Shield. Magical armor flared around him, deflecting the slithering horde as they crashed into his defenses.

"They just keep coming," he growled.

"Looks like we've got enough of them now!" I called back.

Muradin chugged another vial of Thunderproof Tonic, and Orin followed with Electroflask.

BZZT! BLAAR!

A violent surge of electricity erupted across the battlefield. It coursed harmlessly over Muradin's shielded body, then forked into the damp earth around him.

Tadpole-like shapes burst from the ground, writhing in agony as they were fried mid-leap. One by one, they convulsed and vanished in flashes of light, as if the lakebed itself was putting on a farewell fireworks display.

"I think that's the last of them," said Darwyn, returning from his sweep of the area, scanning for any surviving Dripspawns.

"Good. That buys us enough time to rest," I said, checking my pocket watch. "Luckily, they take a while to respawn."

"Great job, Mister Bromir!" Orin said cheerfully, patting Muradin on the back—

ZAP!

She yelped and jumped back.

Muradin blinked. "...Still conducting, huh?"

His armor was still sizzling faintly with heat and static.

"Next time," Orin grumbled, shaking her hand, "a little warning would be nice."

***

We spent some time restocking potions, restoring our resources, and making sure all our cooldowns had fully reset. Nothing too exciting, just the usual pre-boss ritual of anxious preparation and nervous hydration.

More importantly, we went over our strategy once again: how to face the secret boss that dwelled in the depths of Crystal Lake. And, of course, we had to brace ourselves mentally. The guardian we were about to face was no ordinary beast. It was tricky, unpredictable, and deadly. And we were going to try and beat it with just the four of us.

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

"Okay, Mister Gwydion. I'm ready," said Orin with determined eyes.

"I've been waiting all day for this," Muradin added with a grin.

"Alright, here we go," said Darwyn, pulling out a special container with a twitching Dripspawn sealed inside. He placed it carefully on the ground.

With practiced precision, Darwyn fired an arrow that pierced straight through the container and skewered the creature's head cleanly. It died instantly, no drama, just death.

Then, it began.

A tremor rolled through the ground. The crystal-clear surface of the lake rippled. Waves spread outward, slow but menacing. Something was waking.

Orin and I quickly summoned our Spirit Beasts, Gorgroth and Hororo, while Muradin and Darwyn moved into their designated positions.

The earth trembled violently.

A shadow appeared beneath the lake. Massive. Unnatural. It grew clearer and larger with each second.

Then—SPLASH! A monstrous toad-like creature exploded out of the water in a single, gravity-defying leap, landing before us with a shockwave that nearly knocked me off my feet.

Orrug the Blooming Glutton.

The secret guardian of Crystal Lake. An ancient, bloated colossus with a grotesque, amphibian form. Its skin was a horrifying mix of wart-covered bark and slick flesh, sprouting glowing mushrooms, coiled algae, and bizarre lotus-like flowers. That strange floral infestation earned it its title, The Blooming Glutton.

Its maw, wider than a cave entrance, dripped with foul green saliva said to be dangerous. As if to make a point, it opened its mouth and let out a deafening croak before spewing hundreds of white, egg-like projectiles toward us.

"Scatter!" Darwyn shouted, instantly sensing the danger.

The eggs burst on impact, spraying corrosive acid in wide arcs. But it was all just a distraction.

Orrug was already in the air again.

It came crashing down right where Darwyn had stood moments earlier, leaving a deep crater in the earth.

Gorgroth reacted fast, launching a glob of goo at the creature's back, but the sticky substance slid right off Orrug's slick skin. Even Spitfire, Gorgroth's signature attack, barely singed it. The Glutton was clearly highly resistant to fire.

[Electroflask used]

Orin and I both hurled our Electroflasks. The resulting shock hit Orrug squarely, sparks dancing across its bloated form.

The monster shrieked in pain and surprise. It worked.

Hororo, the owl Spirit Beast, swooped in to assist. But even its sharp talons failed to pierce the guardian's slippery hide. Darwyn's arrows didn't fare any better. They curved and deflected the moment they struck the creature.

"You might wanna save those arrows, pal," Muradin called out dryly before bellowing a taunt that echoed through the trees.

Orrug turned toward Muradin, its throat bulging. Another acid barrage incoming.

But Darwyn was quicker.

He let loose a single, well-placed arrow tipped with a Sticky Bomb. It flew straight into Orrug's gaping mouth.

BOOOOOM!

The eggs exploded prematurely, inside its own throat. Orrug staggered, roaring in fury, then slammed its massive head into the ground repeatedly. Darwyn lost his balance, shaken by the shockwaves of the beast's tantrum.

Then Orrug leapt again.

This time, it was aiming right at Darwyn.

A shadow fell over him as the monstrous body hurtled downward.

[Ethereal Form cast]

Reality bent.

Orrug's hulking mass didn't crash into Darwyn, it was floating in mid-air. Its body had turned ghostly green and intangible, rendering it unable to move. Darwyn used the split second to dash out of range.

BLAAR!

I hurled another Electroflask, hitting Orrug's exposed side hard. The electricity surged, double the usual impact while it was still ethereal.

Orin followed up with a charged Mana Bomb. The blue energy sphere exploded brilliantly against Orrug's body, just before Orin tossed another Electroflask for good measure.

The Glutton collapsed, slamming into the ground as the Ethereal Form effect wore off.

Hororo, sensing Orin's Mana was drained, flapped gracefully over and perched on her shoulder. The owl closed its eyes like it was meditating, and began casting Feather of Focus.

A soft blue glow surrounded Orin.

Slowly, her Mana began to recover, gentle and steady.

Orugg opened its gaping maw once again, preparing to spit a volley of acid eggs in my direction.

But before it could, BOOM! Darwyn fired another Sticky Bomb straight into its mouth, detonating it mid-roar. The oversized toad thrashed in fury, going into another tantrum.

That was the core of our phase-one strategy: Gorgroth and Muradin kept it distracted, while Darwyn looked for openings to shoot Sticky Bombs into its mouth. Meanwhile, Orin and I hammered it with lightning attacks, its one true weakness.

BAAAAM!

Orugg launched into the air with Croak Leap, slamming down hard, this time right on top of Gorgroth. Even with its towering three-meter frame, Gorgroth looked tiny beneath the monstrous weight of the beast.

The carnivorous plant tried to resist, but it was no use. Orugg crushed it flat, and Gorgroth fell with a heavy thud, motionless.

As usual, Orin and I kept up the pressure, tossing Electroflasks whenever Orugg's attention shifted. But we were running low, dangerously low.

"Only one left," Orin muttered.

"Me too," said Darwyn, already nocking another arrow. He fired into Orugg's mouth just as it opened again, and KRAKOOM!

Another explosion rocked the beast's head.

Orugg flew into another rage, slamming its skull repeatedly into the ground before leaping high, straight at Darwyn.

But this time, Muradin was ready. He didn't run. He stepped in front of Darwyn, shield raised, bracing himself like a stone wall.

I knew what he was doing.

I raised my staff and cast Inner Beast on him.

[Aegis of the Titans cast]

Muradin slammed his shield into the earth. A golden, translucent barrier shimmered into place around him, but he didn't stop.

[Bulwark of Defiance cast]

His black armor thickened, pulsing with energy. He widened his stance, a fortress of muscle and steel.

[Bastion Charge cast]

He raised his shield, now glowing faintly white, and aimed it directly at the falling beast.

BAAAAM!

Orugg, massive and roaring, crashed down onto Muradin with the force of a meteor.

For a heartbeat, it seemed like Muradin would be flattened.

But somehow, impossibly, he remained standing. His boots carved trenches in the dirt as he slid back from the force, but he did not fall. He gritted his teeth and shoved his shield forward, right into Orugg's face.

[Bastion Strike cast]

ZIIIIIING!

A blinding blast of energy erupted from Muradin's shield. It wasn't just light, it was a righteous, searing force that tore across the battlefield like divine judgment.

I shielded my eyes with my left arm and cast Rejuvenation with my right, aiming it straight at Muradin.

When the light faded… what we saw was nothing short of breathtaking.

Orugg, who was several times Muradin's size, had been blown backward, completely airborne, back-first, flailing helplessly in the air like an overturned beetle. It landed hard and began thrashing, all four of its legs twitching in the air.

"Now!" I shouted.

Orin and I hurled our final Electroflasks.

CRACK! KRA-KZZZT!!

A deafening blast echoed as the lightning struck its exposed belly. Electricity rippled across its soft underbelly, charring the skin and forcing a shriek out of its lungs.

Orugg let out a massive croak, so loud it shook the trees and rippled across the surface of the lake like an earthquake in water.

We all stood there, panting, bruised, and soaked.

Phase two was about to begin.

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