Chapter 1109: Fake Boss?

"This creature—according to the system, it's definitely a boss monster, but... Something feels off about it compared to other boss monsters I've faced.'

From the moment he entered Polkentin's Secret Underwater Base, Izroth found that it differed from a normal dungeon, raid, or open environment. However, he was even more certain after encountering the Failed Chimera.

'Is it an open dungeon?'

Normal dungeons allowed up to six players who were in a party together to enter.

Furthermore, even if another party entered the same dungeon, it would be impossible for them to run into players from other parties.

In RML, this was known as a closed-off environment-a place, in a way, disconnected from everything except what was within its confines.

Most dungeons and raids in RML were closed-off environments; however, that did not mean that open-environment dungeons and raids did not exist. That being said, from what Izroth understood after reading all the information released by the RML beta testers, open- environment dungeons and raids did not appear below level 100 areas.

Of course, it was not as though the beta testers were omniscient. After all, none of the beta testers had managed to discover the true power of the combat master class and wrote it off as trash.

'Still, even if it is an open dungeon-isn't this monster a little too weak for a level 70 boss?'

For a level 70 epic boss monster, the Failed Chimera's HP was too low. Naturally, this was not unusual as boss monsters with low HP had their strengths focused elsewhere. That is where the problem lied.

Graaaah! Boom! Boom!

The Failed Chimera lashed out as it chased after Izroth. However, every time the monster was about to crush Izroth beneath its mighty paws, he avoided the blow at the last moment and launched a counterattack.

The power behind the Failed Chimera's attacks could not be looked down on as it caused the ground it struck to cave in and crumble. Despite this, even compared to a level 50 rare dungeon boss, the Failed Chimera was lacking in several ways.

For one, even though it had low HP, its attack, defense, and agility were still on the lower end of the spectrum. The earth magic it used earlier also lacked a certain depth to it.

"This thing... It's not a real boss monster. It's just a well-made fake on the outside. This Polkentin— when I first saw that name, I thought it was just another backstory created by the system. But, seeing how active Polkentin is, can it be a separate quest line that involves the mass-producing of boss- ranked monsters? If so, such an individual is too dangerous for the Mortal Realm left alone.'

Izroth had never met the Mad Alchemist Polkentin; however, he had more than a few run-ins with those who were similar. People like Polkentin cared little for anything else besides advancing their own research. They were the type to do whatever it took to reach that goal. The most frustrating part about these individuals was that, be it a path of salvation or one of destruction they walked, it was irrelevant. Even if the world around them became a living nightmare, so long as they had their research, nothing else mattered.

Izroth had a strong feeling that this Polkentin was no different, considering how the Mad Alchemist let the experiments run wild.

Suddenly, as the ripples from Izroth's Ninth Sword Form: World Quelling Ripple reached the transparent magic barriers that blocked the pathways onward, the barriers began to destabilize.

Izroth, who had been waiting for this moment, Izroth used a normal charge of his Primed Instantaneous Movement to immediately widen the distance between itself and the Failed Chimera.

GRAAAAAH!

Seeing its enemy run away after toying around with it left the Failed Chimera in a state of rage as it rushed toward Izroth with all its might.

Swoosh!

Izroth darted forward and sped through a small opening left in one of the barriers by his ninth sword form.

The instant Izroth made it to the other side of the barrier, he forcibly canceled the ninth sword form as the ripples came to an abrupt halt.

BANG! Grah! BANG!

The Failed Chimera slammed full force into the magic barrier; however, it was blocked off. The creature tried multiple times to break through with brute force but to no avail.

"That fake should keep them interested for a while.'

If he pushed through with the battle, Izroth had every bit of confidence in eliminating the Failed Chimera. But, after finding out that it was a fake boss monster, Izroth quickly came up with a different idea.

By fake, Izroth meant that the Failed Chimera's power was below that of a genuine level 70 epic boss monster. Of course, if that were the only reason, Izroth would not have chosen to leave it be.

Not long after their initial exchange, Izroth used Deep Insight on the Failed Chimera.

[System Alert: [2] Flaws have been discovered in <<Polkentin's Failed Chimera #395»>!

[System Alert: Flaw [1]: This creature is highly unstable due to the reckless way it was brought into the world.[]

[System Alert: Flaw [2]: This creature is considered a half-monster.

After his Deep Insight reached the 20% skill level mark, Izroth was now able to view up to two flaws on a target of his choice. Upon using it on the Failed Chimera, Izroth uncovered that it was only a half-monster. As for the Failed Chimera's other half, Izroth had a rough idea; however, he could only hope his suspicions were wrong. If not, Polkentin would have lived up well to his title as the Mad Alchemist.

Graaaaah...

The Failed Chimera stopped attacking the barrier as it let out a low growl before walking back toward the center of the room and lying down. After it realized that it was no longer able to reach its target, the Failed Chimera seemed to lose all interest in Izroth.

Meanwhile, Izroth shifted his attention toward the end of the dark, damp, cave-like passageway he stepped into. The passageway was less than ten meters long and roughly four meters across. At its end was a simple wooden door with a bronze handle.

Izroth approached the wooden door and examined it with Deep Insight; however, there was nothing special about it. But, there was something that stood out on the other side of the door that Izroth could sense well before his approach.

"The infected mana beyond this door is several times more concentrated than what I've come across so far. I have yet to see any traces or signs that Empyrean or Selene have been to this place. Could it be that their disappearance and the infected mana aren't related, after all?'

"No, it's still too early to dismiss it. Still, how troublesome..."

Izroth opened the door and was immediately hit by a wave of intense infected mana. Although the infected mana had no direct effect on him, it made the air itself feel thick, as though one was walking into an incredibly dense mist.

'Oh? My Energy Vision Sense appears to be working again. I'm still unable to peer into the heart of this place, but I can detect what lies in this area and a bit beyond. There doesn't seem to be anything out of

the ordinary here.'

Despite scanning the room with his Energy Vision Sense, Izroth did not sense any monsters or other presences. As for the room itself, it was what one would expect of a researcher who hid away their lab in such an out-of-the-way place.

Glowing moss illuminated the room and revealed a sturdy wooden bookcase that housed several tomes. Some of the tomes emitted an eerie and even sinister aura that instinctively

drew one in.

There were jagged rock walls lined up as shelves that held several bizarre concoctions that ranged from bubbling potions in glass beakers and jars filled with glowing liquids to organic matter floating in a strange liquid substance. And, a scarred stone table sprawled across the room's center, covered in scattered notes and crumpled papers, accompanied by a few tools. Right as he stepped into the room, Izroth received a few alerts from the system.

[System Alert: You have entered «<Research Room #7»>![]

[System Alert: Warning! Your presence has been made known to <<Head Lab Assistant, Zitra

The Cruel»>!

[System Alert: You have received the quest «<An Essence of Madness»>! Would you like to

accept?

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