5.
Starting from the third village, where raids beca available, each town or city had its own infamous raid boss.
Pentamire was no exception.
Its legendary raid boss was none other than the Erald Devourer, Muelion.
A spirit-beast hybrid, it took the form of a massive lion composed of wood.
With its majestic yet fearso presence, Muelion had beco the most powerful and well-known raid boss in Pentamire.
Unlike most raid bosses, however, Muelion’s battlefield was an open field, aning other players could watch the battle unfold.
Of course, the "open field" aspect was only an illusion.
In reality, each raid was instanced, aning that outside players could not interfere, though they could still observe the action in real ti.
This spectator-friendly design had turned Muelion’s raid fights into viral sensations.
Videos of Muelion encounters used to rack up millions of views—back when it was still a fresh challenge.
Even so, the boss remained incredibly powerful, and very few parties had managed to clear it.
As a result, the queue for Pentamire’s raid was always the longest.
Many players lined up not to challenge it, but simply to watch.
After all, unless you were exceptionally strong, there was no real chance of clearing it anyway.
For many, spectating was the next best thing.
“Anyone beat it today?”
“Nah, not a single clear.”
“Hmmm, should I just go do quests instead?”
“Let’s watch one more attempt before heading out.”
It wasn’t so much that they had ti to kill—
Rather, many had grown weary from excessive grinding.
Watching raids like this was a way to fight off burnout.
Today's crowd was as large as ever, but none of the raid challengers had been particularly remarkable.
With the lack of excitent, the mood was starting to die down.
Then—
“Huh?”
“What is it?”
A player nad Bipeng suddenly reacted to sothing, catching the attention of his friend Winrong.
Seeing his puzzled expression, Winrong followed Bipeng’s gaze.
But...
Nothing seed out of place.
“What are you looking at?”
Winrong asked, confused.
Bipeng, still staring, pointed at soone.
A lone player stood at the front of the queue, waiting for their turn.
Winrong frowned, unimpressed.
“So what? It’s just another raider.”
But then—
“Wait... that player isn’t part of a party.”
“What? Are you serious?”
“He’s gonna solo the raid?”
At Bipeng’s words, Winrong took a closer look.
Sure enough, the player was alone.
No party mbers.
No backup.
A solo challenger.
But...
The player’s gear didn’t look special.
Not shabby, but not particularly impressive either.
Dressed in a plain black robe and a worn-out black mask, their appearance was... oddly unassuming.
The aesthetic vaguely resembled a Demon King, but no one actually believed it was him.
After all—
"Why the hell would the Demon King be here?"
It made as much sense as an idol group lining up for fish-shaped pastries in so random neighborhood.
And so—
Bipeng and Winrong, unfazed, continued chatting and snickering.
“Oh-ho? Even if he fails, this should be entertaining.”
“Right? You wouldn’t attempt this unless you had at least so confidence.”
“I an, sure, Muelion’s a bit old news, but soloing it is still ridiculous.”
“Pffft, exactly. Still, gotta give him credit for trying.”
Their mocking laughter drew disapproving glances from nearby players.
Many had also co just to watch, but there was no need to be so openly obnoxious about it.
So even visibly frowned, annoyed by their behavior.
But Bipeng and Winrong were oblivious.
Or rather, they didn’t care.
If anything, they seed to be enjoying the attention.
“If he fails too miserably, it’ll be embarrassing~”
“Right? Maybe we should cheer him on so it’s less embarrassing?”
Hearing them mock so openly, a few players quietly moved away.
No one wanted to get involved with idiots.
Better to avoid the trouble altogether.
As they continued laughing to themselves, the lone player’s turn finally arrived.
“Oh, oh! It’s starting!”
“Let’s watch him fail, then we’ll go questing.”
By now, the mysterious player had beco nothing more than their entertainnt.
They watched as the black-robed figure stepped forward—
Walking toward the grassy hill that served as Muelion’s den.
And then—
The trees began to stir.
Roots and branches rose from the earth, twisting together—
Taking shape.
A massive wooden lion, over ten ters tall, erged.
The erald glow in its eyes burned with ferocity.
And then—
Muelion roared into the sky.
“KRRRAAAAUUUGHHHHH—!!”
The earth trembled under the force of its cry.
Bipeng and Winrong, unfazed, simply watched.
They’d seen this countless tis before.
But—
The black-robed player tilted their head.
As if genuinely intrigued.
This simple gesture—
Made Bipeng and Winrong sneer.
“Pffffft. Is he scared?”
“First ti seeing Muelion, and he’s already pissing himself?”
“I an, Muelion’s no joke, but still—”
“Classic newbie reaction.”
Their mockery was pathetic—
Especially coming from players who hadn’t even tried fighting Muelion themselves.
But the black-robed player didn’t acknowledge them.
They simply began preparing their skills.
Bipeng and Winrong smirked.
"I hope he fails miserably."
And then—
Sothing changed.
The ground beneath the player began to darken.
Not just a shadow—
But sothing deeper.
Darker.
Like a void swallowing the very light itself.
And then—
The abyss manifested.
Ssssshhhhh—.
A sinister darkness began seeping outward.
It didn’t distinguish between friend or foe—
It consud the entire area.
Not just Muelion’s hill—
But even the waiting players were touched by its reach.
As the chilling aura crept beneath their feet—
The onlookers instinctively stepped back.
Sothing wasn’t right.
Sothing was happening.
Even Bipeng and Winrong, who had been laughing monts ago, felt their throats go dry.
And then—
They saw it.
A monstrous eye erged from the darkness.
At first—
It was hard to even recognize it as an eye.
It looked like a mass of shifting black flesh.
But then—
From within the writhing abyss, a ghastly pupil erged.
The mont they saw it—
They froze.
Paralyzed.
Horrified.
Even Muelion’s vibrant erald eyes began to darken.
The massive beast—
The fearso raid boss—
Was shaking.
“Krrrrr....”
A low growl escaped its throat.
And everyone knew.
Muelion was—
Terrified.
But it wasn’t over.
The black-robed player casually snapped their fingers.
Snap—!
A grotesque insectoid head erged from the ground.
A nightmare creature—
One that fed on tree spirits.
Its disgusting mandibles clicked hungrily—
Before sinking into Muelion’s leg.
Crunch!
Muelion’s right foreleg—
Was gone.
“Th-this is impossible....”
"W-What the hell is that?!"
"Gasp!"
Even though most of the players present were not inflicted with the Fear debuff, many found themselves shuddering, covering their mouths, or even turning away from the grotesque scene before them.
It was beyond disgusting—beyond repulsive—a nightmare incarnate, perfectly crafted to invoke terror.
Bipeng and Winrong were no exception.
"What kind of skill is this...?"
They couldn’t comprehend what they were witnessing.
And then—
Snap—!
The black-robed player snapped their fingers once more.
Muelion, who had already lost its leg, turned its gaze in horror toward the new manifestation.
And there—
A spectral entity lood before it.
Muelion gulped nervously as it locked eyes with the ghostly figure.
A being with hollow voids for eyes—a form that pierced beyond emptiness, touching the abyss itself.
And then—
The wraith began to shift.
Crack!
Crack! Crackkk—!
A grotesque, bone-chilling sound filled the air.
Its form twisted and contorted.
And when it finally settled—
Muelion’s worst nightmare stood before it.
A colossal insect.
Larger than Muelion itself.
A monster whose jaws could tear through the lion’s throat in a single bite.
Its antennae extended—
Brushing over Muelion’s body.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A slow, deliberate touch, as if testing whether the al was ready.
Muelion wanted desperately to escape.
But it couldn’t.
It was completely immobilized—
Not by chains.
Not by bindings.
But by the Eyes of the Abyss, watching from the black-robed player’s side.
Muelion glanced away in sheer desperation—
Only to look back just in ti to see—
The giant insect opening its maw.
KAAAHHH—!!!
Muelion scread in terror.
The wraith-insect did not lunge at it directly.
Instead—
It exploded into a swarm.
Bzzzzzzzzt—!!!
A black storm of insects erupted.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
Hundreds of thousands.
A sea of black wings blotting out the sky—
Darker than the abyss itself.
And then—
They descended.
Like a torrential downpour.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Each bite sucked the very essence from Muelion’s wooden body.
It was being devoured alive.
“AAAAAHHHH!!!”
“R-RUN!!!”
“W-WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!”
So players panicked, trying to flee—
Only to realize sothing.
The swarm only attacked Muelion.
“H-Hey, they’re not coming for us?”
“S-Still... let’s not take any chances.”
“W-Who is that guy?!”
“What kind of skill is this? I’ve NEVER seen anything like it!"
As the players trembled, trying to make sense of the chaos—
The black-robed player snapped their fingers once more.
Snap—!
A turquoise portal opened beside them—
And their minions erged.
The mont the spectral servants appeared—
Several players imdiately recognized the truth.
"Th-The Demon King?!"
“Y-You’re kidding!?”
“Wait... those two dumbasses were mocking the Demon King this whole ti?!”
As the black-robed player’s identity beca clear—
The gathering crowd turned their gaze toward Bipeng and Winrong.
Their faces paled as realization sank in.
Maybe...
Maybe they should run.
But before they could make a move—
The raid was over.
Muelion’s ravaged corpse collapsed.
Shattered.
Consud.
Utterly annihilated by the Demon King’s army.
The fastest clear record ever recorded.
And then—
The Demon King himself stepped out of the raid field.
Step.
Step.
Bipeng and Winrong flinched.
Their entire bodies trembled uncontrollably.
They were about to piss themselves.
And then—
A charming, yet mischievous voice rang out.
Snap—!
A delicate hand flicked a finger—
And Helena appeared.
Her lush red hair practically glowed under the light.
Her expression?
Playful.
A devilish grin spread across her lips.
And then—
The sound of skittering.
Rustle. Rustle.
Sothing crawled over Bipeng and Winrong’s legs.
“AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
"S-SAVE !!!"
The two scread, flailing like madn.
Helena laughed lightly.
Her crimson eyes twinkled with amusent.
"Oh?"
"It's just an illusion, you know?"
Bipeng and Winrong froze.
They looked down.
Nothing was ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) there.
Nothing.
The players watching erupted into cheers.
"THE DEMON KING IS A LEGEND!!!"
"THAT WAS THE MOST SATISFYING THING EVER!!!"
"DUDE, THAT RAID FELT LIKE A DAMN MOVIE!!!"
"HELL YEAH, MAJESTY! SHOW THESE IDIOTS WHO'S BOSS!!!"
"WE SUPPORT YOU!!!"
The loud praise made Seong feel...
A little awkward.
He quickly slipped away from the crowd.
After distancing himself—
He sensed sothing approaching.
Turning—
He saw her.
Penelope.
Overpalace Pentamire's Branch Leader.
She stood before him.
Head bowed.
And then—
With careful reverence, she spoke.
"The Black Star has sent a ssage for you."
Reviews
All reviews (0)