<h4>Chapter 121: PHANTOM SEEKERS NOW ONLINE - PART 2</h4>


    After scorching her respective Rosedrake, Be targeted the one attacking n, but with a violent flutter of his wings, Dairion appeared in front of her and grabbed her by the neck, shouting, "Are you using fire, our natural enemy?! Outrageous! You''ll perish first!"


    Anastasia received a notification that her ''sister'' was in danger, but her master was a priority. Without thinking twice, she tried to charge toward n, but the Rosedrake caught her, closing its petal maws around her waist.


    [This isn''t going well!] n said through Party Chat, his weapon overheating again. The rose''s shadow loomed over him. [At least save yourself, Sloochie!]


    Just as n was about to toss his weapon to his side, the slime adhered to it sprang to life and took humanoid form. Standing at a height of 4 feet and 2 inches, the Advanced Slime spoke with the voice of a ten-year-old child, "I would never escape, n! I''ll protect you!" He then puffed his entire body like a balloon, negating the rose''s attack.


    The Rosedrake shake its head, seemed to stare at its new opponent, and opened its maws wide, ready to swallow him whole, but arge silhouette intervened, catching the hardened petals with big, muscr hands.


    "Loading, <i>Housekeeper Mode,"</i> Dk said in a lower voice. She now stood almost ten feet tall, wearing a leather vest that revealed her gray, hulking arms and shoulders. "Good job, Sloochie," she said, looking back at him with a smile. "You did well protecting our Guild Master."


    "Miss Dk!" the orange slime boy beamed before n grabbed him by the wrist.


    "Come! Give her space to fight!"


    On the other side of the battlefield, where the young NPC pyromancer''s life bar was gradually decreasing, Fabio came to her rescue. He kicked Dairion in the face, causing the boss to fall onto his back.


    "Are you okay, Ms. Be?" Fabio asked in a gentle tone.


    "Thank you so much, sir," Be replied, caressing her neck. "Don''t mind me. I''ll cover you."


    With a nod, Fabio dashed forward, ready to take on the boss. That left only Anastasia, still struggling to break free from her designated Rosedrake''s maw. As soon as she received confirmation that her Master and sister were alright, she closed her eyes. [Master n, permission to go Super.]


    "You heard her, Sloochie!" n said to the slime, who nodded and turned liquid, adhering to n''s clothes again. After confirming that he had a mana boost, n announced through party chat, [All set! Go all out, girl!]


    [Thanks, n, Sloochie,] Anastasia said in a formal tone. Then she channeled mana around her body and cast, "Super Mode..." Immediately gaining a boost in strength, she pushed her shield up until it broke the maws enclosing her. Her smooth fair skin gained fur until it covered her entire body, her mouth and jaw erged like that of a canid, arge fluffy tail emerged from under her skirt and lifted it, and her eyes turned a beastly golden. <i>"Fox Hybrid Form!"</i> she cried, as if a surge of simted adrenaline ran through her digital veins. The Rosedrake fell soon after, prey to her new feral might.


    Meanwhile, Fabio and Be were having difficulty hitting the enemy. When Fabio threw an electric-powered punch forward, Dairion would dodge it with anticipation. And when Be tried to scorch the ce where the boss was standing, he would flutter his wings and fly away. With Sloochie''s support, n shot Fire bullets at Dairion, but he dodged with extreme ease.


    [What the hell is going on?!] n cried through Party Chat. [We can''t hit him anymore!]


    [Oh, so it''s this time of the battle, huh?]


    [ra? Do you know what it''s--Wait, no! No spoilers!]


    [This isn''t a spoiler, n. This is surely just amon mechanic some of the Novus'' bosses share. Dairion has entered a special phase and won''t snap out of it until we hit him in a very specific way.]


    [But how? Dairion is dodging our fastest member''s attacks, and even my long-range shots!]


    [You have your answer already, Guild Master.] ra giggled, repositioning her sses. [One has to throw a hit so fast he cannot even anticipate.]


    n narrowed his eyes for a moment before gasping. [Ashley!]


    350 feet away from him, a girl with long frontal braids that reached her waist reached for her back and grasped a sniper rifle. [n, I''m in position. Sorry for beingte.]


    [How did the treasure hunting go?]


    [Very fruitful, yes. I will show you my findings once we return home.] She then looked through the scope, targeting the enemy''s head. [Target in sight. Ready to take the shot. Awaiting orders.]


    n gulped before smirking. [Fire.]


    The next thing he saw was Dairion''s forehead bursting open, and with it, the remainder of his HP dropping.


    The boss copsed, bringing a sense of calmness to the spacious cavern. n and Dk let out a sigh of relief, while the three NPCs rxed their postures and put away their weapons.


    [Well, that was easy.] n snickered, to which ra exhaled loudly.


    [It never is...]


    The ground shook, making them lose bnce. Multiple tree roots emerged from under their feet, and two, in particr, picked Dairion''s fallen body with extreme care and devotion. A thunderous female voice was heard,menting, <i>"My sweet king! WHAT HAD THEY DONE TO YOU?! You can''t fall in this ce! Not here, not now! Rise, my beloved King! Rise and bring justice to these woods, I beg you--No, Imand you!"</i>


    n saw one of the branches pierce Dairion''s heart, injecting it with energy. The boss was then brought to life, sporting a new regal, pristine white outfit and wings to match it. A system notification announced:


    <i><strong>-------------------</strong></i>


    <i><strong>Cryptic White Dairion</strong></i>


    <i><strong>- The Heart of the Wood''s Emissary -</strong></i>


    <i><strong>----------------------</strong></i>


    [Ah, right. Of course it has a Second Form,] n said, through clenched teeth. [But... Although I know this is all scripted, it looked very sick--I mean, everyone, stay on guard!]


    n heard Ashley firing again, but this time, the wound on Dairion''s forehead healed in a matter of seconds.


    [Ashley, watch out!] n cried as Dairion flew in her direction. An impact was heard soon after.


    Meanwhile, the bursting tree branches let the rocky wall in front of them copse as they reached out, revealing an enormous hawthorn tree trunk underneath. More Rosedrakes emerged too, uttering a chilling cry.


    --------------------------


    <strong>Elemental Spirit Tree, Briarose</strong>


    <strong>- Queen of Lawford Woods -</strong>


    ---------------------------


    <i>"Your blood will serve as nutrients, invaders!"</i>


    [The horny tree is here!] n eximed, taking in its majestic size. Since he could not see its canopy, he knew this was nothing more than its root system.


    [Your orders, Guild Master?] Fabio asked before Anastasia charged forward, still affected by her Beast Form adrenaline rush.


    [Protect Be! I want her to deal as much Fire damage as possible.]


    [Roger that!] Be and Fabio said in unison.


    [What about me?] Dk asked n, in an almost pleading tone.


    [I''ll let you decide which form to take, something effective against the enemy. I''ll go hide and take cover. I can''t let Anastasia run wild; she''ll hurt herself.]


    Dk nodded, looking him in the eye. [Call me if you need me. Beating this without you would be meaningless.]


    After watching Dk go, n ran in the opposite direction and hid behind one of the dead rose canes to cast, <i>"</i>Active Skill, <i>Puppet Master."</i>


    Communication with Anastasia synced right away. She was currently charging forward, cutting down any living branch that tried to smash her with feral brute force. (Master n? I''m so sorry, I lost control again.)


    (You''re doing great, actually! Let''s see what we can do to take down this overgrown tree, together.)


    At the farthest corner of the rocky chamber, ra monitored Ashley, who was engaged inbat with Dairion. No matter how many times she tried, Ashley could not harm her enemy, who regenerated almost instantly. [n, I have a theory. The Faerie King can only be defeated once we get rid of the giant tree first. Ashley and I will take care of him. You go after Briarose.]


    [Finally, it''s time for you to do something! Understood, leave the tree to us!]


    [Don''t thank me], ra replied while gesturing in the air with fingers that radiated mana. A magic circle appeared on the ground as she cast, [Summoning Fiend, Eight-Way Dark Lover!] Multiple tentacles emerged from the magic circle without revealing their owner and rapidly extended toward the unsuspecting flying boss, binding his limbs and waist. [This will hold up for a while,] ra said to Ashley, who was bleeding from her forehead and nodded.


    Through Anastasia''s eyes, n watched as Rosedrakes protected the tree from any attacks Be threw at it, getting reced as soon as they were burnt. <i>And we only have one pyromancer...</i>


    nmanded Anastasia to cut one of them with all her force, and from the cane, a thick purple gas emerged. [Oh, you have to be kidding me!] he eximed, forcing Anastasia to leap back immediately.


    System warnings appeared in his field of vision. [Poison! Great, just great! So the only safe way to get rid of them is by burning them?]


    A vine entangled Anastasia''s ankle, causing her to fall violently against the ground. When n made her turn around, both of them saw the vineing from one of the roses, as if it were a tongue. Two more roses crawled forward, pointing their closed petals at the NPC. Then, it happened in an instant. Anastasia was showered in a thick purple mist.


    In his panic, n did everything in his power to help Anastasia break free. He even ordered her to leave her shield behind. It took him a while to notice that no matter which key he pressed, Anastasia was not moving anymore.


    [F-Fabio! Help Anastasia, please!]


    [It seems that someone has beaten me to it, Guild Master,] the male NPC replied, watching a silhouette jump inside the venomous gas. Soon after, a half-human, half-spider creature emerged, carrying Anastasia in her arms. [Bravo, Ms. Dk. Well done,] Fabio celebrated, making a short bow as she passed him by.


    Dk, transformed into an arachne thanks to her data from thete Professor Spiegel, dashed all the way to n''s location. After gently cing Anastasia on the ground, her gaze focused on n''s distressed expression. "She''s still alive."


    n quickly retrieved a bottle from his inventory and offered it to the NPC, who could barely breathe. "Anastasia, this is an antidote. Please drink this!"


    Anastasia sipped it slowly, but her status remained unchanged.


    "Are you okay, Dk?" n asked quietly.


    "I''m immune to poison in this mode. She... breathed a lot of it."


    ra reached their side and quickly knelt in front of the affected NPC. "I''ll take care of her, n. Go."


    Clenching his teeth, n grabbed Anastasia''s shotgun/de, nodded, and gestured to Dk to apany him, giving instructions along the way. "I need you to take the Count''s form. Is that okay with you?"


    The woman smiled mildly. "It''s totally fine. I''ve already moved on. But thanks for asking first. What''s my objective?"


    n replied through their general chat, [We can''t get close to it, so Dk will cast the most devastating spell she can muster at those Rosedrakes. That will give Be the opportunity to target the tree directly. Fabio and I will cover you both.]


    [I''ll do my best, Master n!] Be eximed.


    [Consider it done, Guild Master,] Fabio said.


    [I''ll keep guarding Dairion, so don''t worry about him,] Ashley added.


    Dk nodded, exhaling. "All right, then..." She closed her eyes and allowed herself to prolong the moment as much as she could. "Loading..." she whispered, this time with a sense of determination. Glimpses of a tall gentleman with pointy teeth crossed her digital mind. The memory was corrupted; she could no longer remember his full face or his voice. But it was okay. It was better that way. <i>"Countess Mode."</i>


    Her body transformed into that of a youthful woman, dressed in a gothic red dress. A choker ne adorned her neck and cleavage. Her fingernails grew sharp, resembling ws, and her skin gained a purple hue. She felt her canines extending, and her hair turned wild and wavy.


    Now, she could smell it all, from every corner of the Boss Chamber, the blood of the fallen fairy minions, and the leaking sap of every in Rosedrake. Boss Encounters were treated differently than regr battles. The Novus allowed corpses to remain in the battlefield until either the User fell or the Boss was defeated, because, who knows, maybe they could serve a purpose.


    "Water Crafting, Dark Style..." Dk intoned,manding every single drop of blood and sap toe her way, even the dried droplets from Ashley''s forehead. Knowing that would not be enough, the Countess cut her wrist and offered her own life to the spell. In a matter of seconds, a red ball formed in front of her, growing in mass by the second.


    Meanwhile, Be was channeling all of her mana into her next spell. "Major Fire Crafting..." she was casting, her golden-tier staff aloft.


    n and Fabio were also doing their best. The Combat Butler kicked and punched with electric fury at every Rosedrake that dared to have its sights on Be. Every time the elemental monsters released poison through their wounds or maws, Fabio would step aside with fast feet and retreat.


    n attacked from a distance, defending Dk. His fire-enhanced shots were quite effective against the creatures. Rosedrakes would fall feet away from reaching him. Yet, something was nagging him. He nced in Be''s direction.


    "Sloochie... Support Be."


    <i>"But if I go, your weapon will return to normal."</i>


    "It''s okay, I also have Anastasia''s weapon. Go. Give Be all the mana you have."


    <i>"All right. If you think you can handle this..." </i>The slime boy turned liquid and fell to the ground, then took humanoid form and dashed toward Be, fusing with her mage robe.


    "Sloochie?" the NPC called out.


    <i>"n''s orders. So don''t disappoint him, okay?"</i>


    Be checked the increase in her mana pool and smiled. "I can do it!"


    Ashley observed Dairion gathering all of his strength to break free from the tentacle binding his right arm, ripping it by force. She then shot his free hand to stop him from doing the same with the others. [Dairion is growing stronger!] Ashley cried.


    [How are the spells going, guys?!] n asked, switching to the shotgun.


    [I am ready,] Dk replied first. [Be?]


    [Yes! Just give the order, Master n!]


    Before he could yell, n was tackled by a crawling Rosedrake, tossing him to the ground. All of the participants took notice and held their breath. [Master n!] Fabio cried first, ready to go to his aid, but n turned around and fired his shotgun inside the Rosedrake''s open maw.


    [DYLAK, FIRE!]


    <i>"Blood sports!"</i> The woman threw ateral kick at the crimson ball she had gathered, sending it forward. A Rosedrake was in the way, which was dispatched by Fabio with one swift punch. The ball then sessfully reached the epicenter of the guarding monstrous living roses and exploded, sending hundreds of sharp red des in every direction. Rosedrakes lost their petals violently, and their canes were cut cleanly.


    There was now an open path toward the Briarose. <i>"My children!"</i> she shrieked.


    [BELLA, NOW!]


    The NPC pyromancer extended her staff forward and chanted, <i>"Infernal Dragonbreath!"</i> Sheunched an incandescent beam of concentrated fire in a straight trajectory, its tip resembling the head of a dragon. The spell made contact in a second and burned through the giant tree as if it was butter, which let out a chilling cry.


    "MY QUEEN!" Dairion cried, getting rid of thest tentacle imprisoning him. Ashley shot at him immediately, but he flew toward Briarose, ignoring the hole in his chest. "MY BELOVED, MY EVERYTHING!"


    [His HP is in the red!] Ashley yelled. [Deal the finishing blow, now, n!]


    The Phantom Seekers'' Guild Master stood on his feet and swapped weapons again, this time choosing a magnum handgun. "Active Skill, <i>Steady Shot,"</i> he cast, and the world around him slowed down, allowing him to carefully correct his aim. He only needed to pull the trigger and secure the victory.


    However, an eagerly impatient young boy imed the kill first. "This is for Anastasia!" Sloochie cried at the top of his figurative lungs, engulfing Dairion with his gtinous body and incinerating it from the inside.


    n''s shot missed as Dairion''s charred corpse fell to the ground. A system message appeared soon after.


    ------------------


    <strong>Congrattions!</strong>


    <strong>Dairion, King of the Faeries and Briarorse, Queen of the Lawford Woods, defeated!</strong>


    ----------------------


    "T-That happened..." n muttered, holstering his gun.


    <i>"Nya-ha-ha!</i> Did you see that, guys?" Sloochie said, hands on his hips. "I avenged sister Anasta--!"


    ra engulfed her fist with Dark energy and bumped his head. "You idiot! You took all that XP from n!"


    Covering his injured head, Sloochie turned to him, and said apologetically, "S-Sorry, n! I forgot..."


    "Ah, it''s okay," n shrugged, patting the slime''s head. "You''re also part of this team, right? So you also have to get stronger."


    "T-Thanks, n! I''ll make sure not to screw up next time!"


    "At least you''ve reached level 30 now," ra said, exhaling, before noticing n''s concerned expression.


    "Anastasia?"


    "Didn''t make it."


    "Oh..." n snickered bitterly, lowering his gaze, "We... really need a healer... Huh."