Meanwhile within the forest region of the Star Games, Corvex bursts forward at high speed, her figure cutting through the dense trees like a blade as she closes the distance between herself and the Star Party ahead.
her eyes locked onto them with unwavering focus, and in the middle of her dash, she smoothly reaches into her magic inventory before pulling out a small glass bottle, her movement so fluid that it almost goes unnoticed until the very moment she releases it.
The bottle drops and it shatters upon impact.
And in an instant, a wide radius of the area transforms.
The ground beneath them hardens into a reflective glass surface, spreading outward unnaturally fast, while the surrounding trees, plants, and even the smallest fragments of nature become coated in a thin crystalline layer.
The sudden shift causes the Star Party to hesitate.
The Healer looks around, clearly confused.
"What is the purpose of this…?"
The Warrior tightens his grip on his greatsword, stepping forward without fear.
"It doesn't matter… it doesn't give us a disadvantage!"
The Archer narrows her eyes, already sensing danger.
"Be careful… she's at a much higher level than all of us."
A translucent interface appears beside Corvex.
Level 27, Class: Master At Arms
The Monk exhales sharply, steadying himself.
"We outnumber her… we can win this!"
Without waiting any longer, the Warrior charges forward, raising his massive blade before swinging it down with overwhelming force, intending to crush Corvex in a single decisive strike.
Yet she slips past the attack effortlessly, her movement precise and almost effortless as her eyes briefly flash
A weak point indicator appears on the Warrior's neck. In the next moment, she counterattacks with her blade slices cleanly across his throat.
Blood erupts violently from the wound, splattering across the glass floor as the Warrior collapses, his body hitting the ground with a heavy impact.
"She's strong!" the Archer shouts, immediately releasing a powerful arrow infused with energy, forcing Corvex to twist her body mid-motion to barely evade the attack.
The Monk follows up instantly, launching himself forward as his fists ignite with aura, striking Corvex with a powerful blow that she blocks using her blade.
But the pressure does not stop there, as he unleashes a relentless barrage of aura-infused punches, each one faster and heavier than the last, forcing Corvex onto the defensive as she is gradually overwhelmed.
Then, she activates a skill.
"Weapon Change."
Her sword instantly transforms into a massive shield, expanding outward as it absorbs the full force of the Monk's barrage, the impacts echoing loudly across the glass battlefield as every strike is blocked.
In that brief moment, she glances to the side.
The Warrior.
He's getting back up.
His HP bar climbs steadily, reaching three-quarters full, as a green healing aura surrounds his body.
Corvex's eyes narrow slightly.
"…I'll need to eliminate the healer first."
She raises her hand.
"Weapon Add-On."
A spear materializes instantly, forming from energy before solidifying in her grasp, and she hurls it high into the air with immense force, causing it to vanish momentarily before descending at incredible speed toward the Healer, who is still focused on casting her recovery spell.
The Archer reacts instantly, firing multiple arrows toward the incoming spear, but upon impact, each arrow shatters uselessly against it.
"Run!" she yells.
The Healer breaks her casting and turns to flee, but the spear continues to track her relentlessly.
Thinking quickly, the Archer fires a glowing thread of magic that attaches itself to the back of the spear, and upon impact, it multiplies rapidly, anchoring itself to the glass floor and surrounding trees, forming a web-like restraint that begins to slow the spear's descent.
The Healer stumbles and falls, scrambling backward in panic, the spear stops just inches away, dropping harmlessly in front of her.
She exhales in relief.
Meanwhile, the Monk shatters Corvex's shield with a final powerful strike, the force breaking through her defense as he steps forward, only to notice the Warrior standing.
His body is riddled with deep cuts and gaping wounds.
"…She's strong…" he mutters.
Then, his HP bar drops to zero as he collapses dead.
Corvex now stands with two daggers in her hands.
She moves in lightning speed and dashes forward, weaving through the Monk's next barrage of aura punches with refined precision, dodging instead of blocking as her speed increases drastically.
The Monk's eyes widen.
"She's even faster now… in that case—!"
He gathers all of his energy.
"Spirit Energy Blast!"
A massive surge of energy erupts from his hands, engulfing Corvex entirely in a blinding explosion.
The Archer breathes out in relief.
"We got her! Hurry, we need to support him and finish—!"
A scream cuts her off from the healer, the Archer turns to see Corvex stands beside the fallen spear.
Her daggers move relentlessly again and again.
The Healer's HP bar plummets to zero as her body collapses.
"…She teleported to her weapon…" the Archer whispers, realization hitting her.
"Of course… her Class is Master at Arms…"
The Monk's blast ends as the smoke clears with no sign of Corvex.
Confusion spreads across his face as he turns just in time to see the Archer being launched through the air. A spear is embedded deep within her body.
Her HP bar hits zero instantly as she crashes violently onto the glass floor, blood scattering across the surface.
"…When did she—?"
A deep rumble interrupts him.
The forest shakes violently.
The Monk turns toward the source as it is Dark Garden.
The Boss Monster crashes through the forest with overwhelming force.
"What?! Why is the Boss-monster here?!"
Suddenly Corvex appears behind him and her blade moves with terrifying precision.
Weak point indicators flash across his neck, waist, and ankle and in a single, seamless motion she cuts through all of them as blood erupts violently. His HP bar drops to zero and falls.
Corvex exhales softly.
"After all the effort my beloved has put into this battle… I will not allow it to be ruined."
She raises her hand.
The glass beneath her responds instantly, expanding upward into towering walls that seal off the area, blocking Dark Garden's advance as the creature crashes against them, its massive form shaking the barriers.
Dark Garden then screams
"Blood! Give it to me!"
Corvex then answers
"It's over for you."
Dark Garden begins to break through the glass walls, its power surging as cracks spread rapidly across the barriers, but before it can fully break through.
The fallen Star bodies and their blood explode into streams of glowing EXP orbs that flow directly into Corvex.
She opens her tag menu to still see the Pure-Hearted tag.
She pauses then clicks her tongue softly.
"…So it wouldn't have mattered if I killed Hans earlier…"
Her gaze lowers slightly.
"Killing other Stars is part of the system… survival isn't considered as evil deed…"
A faint irritation crosses her face.
"…How annoying."
The walls shatter.
Dark Garden bursts through, unleashing a storm of vines, roots, and sharpened wood, all surging toward Corvex in a massive, overwhelming attack.
She reacts instantly, jumping onto her sword as it lifts her into the air, allowing her to escape upward as the forest itself begins to rise beneath her.
The Boss's attack expanding higher and higher, attempting to consume everything above it.
"I need to retreat…" she mutters, her expression sharpening.
"If it consumes my blood, it will recover its lost levels."
She rises higher but the attack follows, closing in then she sees him.
Nox.
Rushing in at incredible speed.
His HP, stamina, and mana, all dangerously low. Yet his eyes Burn with purpose.
Corvex smiles softly because she fully understands without a word. She throws her sword toward him. At the same time casting a Skill.
"Weapon Exchange."
Her stamina and mana drop instantly to one-fifth.
Nox catches the blade.
In that instant, the transferred energy flows into him.
His stamina and mana surge back to four-fifths.
He grips the weapon with both hands.
It ignites with Holy fire erupts from its form as it expands, transforming into a massive greatsword radiating divine power.
Nox raises it high and speaks
"All Mighty… Holy Inferno Smite!"
Nox's holy flame–infused great sword swings downward with overwhelming force, its blazing aura tearing through Dark Garden's massive attack as divine fire and raw power collide violently, slicing through layers of vines and corrupted growth before erupting into a massive explosion that engulfs the entire area, swallowing the Boss Monster within a storm of fire and destruction.
The shockwave spreads outward as the flames erupt across the forest.
Pillars of fire rise in every direction.
Nox lands heavily on the scorched ground, his body tense as he quickly scans his surroundings, the battlefield now transformed into a burning wasteland of flickering flames and shattered terrain, while behind him.
Corvex crashes down hard onto the ground, Nox's eyes then sharpen instantly.
"It's not over yet!"
As Corvex forces herself up, her vision still slightly blurred, she catches a sudden movement from the corner of her eye as a spiked vine bursts violently out of one of the flaming pillars, thrusting straight toward her.
She quickly summons her spear mid-motion, twisting her body just enough to parry the attack as the impact sends sparks and fragments flying, but before she can regain her footing, more vines begin erupting from every direction, striking from unpredictable angles.
She reacts instinctively.
Spinning her spear rapidly, she deflects each incoming strike in a fluid motion, her movements precise yet increasingly strained as her stamina continues to drop, her breathing growing heavier with every second.
Nox dashes toward her but suddenly stops mid-step.
His eyes widen.
"Where is the Boss—?"
A realization hits him instantly.
"…Wait… this is a distraction… I'm the real target!"
From within a nearby fire pillar Dark Garden emerges.
Her form bursts forward, extending her arm as it splits into countless writhing vines that surge toward Nox with terrifying speed, forcing him to immediately raise his great sword and counter the attacks, slashing through wave after wave as sparks and flames explode around him.
Then her flower-like arm opens as a concentrated energy blast fires out of it.
Nox barely reacts in time, raising his blade to block the attack as the force crashes against him, pushing him backward while his body strains under the pressure.
His HP begins to drop.
439… 401… 385… 354… 300… 289…
Corvex sees this as panic sets in, she's still fighting off the incoming vines, as she cuts through each attack while speaking under her breath.
"I have to take the risk… or I'll lose him…"
She opens her inventory mid-combat.
Her fingers press a command.
A potion materializes in her hand.
She dodges another incoming strike and throws it the world then slows in her mind.
The potion spins through the air, passing through waves of heat and flickering flames, as Corvex watches it with unwavering focus, her entire vision locked onto that single moment.
At the same time Nox's HP continues to fall.
210… 176… 132… 93… 44… 31…
Finally, the potion reaches him, it crashes against his shoulder, shattering causing his HP to heal back to half.
At that exact moment Dark Garden's energy blast ends and simultaneously a vine pierces through Corvex's stomach.
Her body jerks violently as the vine lifts her into the air, blood beginning to flow through it, being drawn directly toward Dark Garden.
Nox's expression changes instantly into a serious and focused one.
"There's still time… before the blood reaches her!"
He moves in mach speed rushing toward the vine while tracking the flow of blood moving through it, as Dark Garden gives chase behind him in pursuit.
"I'm close enough!"
In one swift motion Nox throws his great sword.
Then immediately turns around, raising his arms to shield himself.
As Dark Garden strikes.
Vines explode forward, piercing through his as blood sprays violently across the battlefield, his body pinned onto the ground while the Boss Monster endures the corrosive effect of his tainted blood, her level continuing to drop as she holds him down.
Then she noticed Nox's Great Sword flying as it cuts cleanly through the vine carrying Corvex's blood up ahead. Severing it completely as Corvex falls.
Nox exhales through clenched teeth.
"You're out of moves."
Dark Garden is stunned at this sight as her Mana and Stamina is zero.
She turns in time to see Corvex rising once more.
Corvex grabs a handful of flames from a nearby fire pillar, pressing it against her wound as she burns the injury shut, stopping the bleeding through sheer will and pain.
Nox shouts
"Finish her off!"
Corvex's eyes widen.
A weak point indicator appears.
On Dark Garden's head but A shield icon overlays it.
She glances at Nox who is still pinned and covered in blood.
Their eyes meet and in that moment she once again understands what she has to do.
She summons her sword and launches forward at blinding speed, her body becoming a streak of light as she closes the distance instantly.
Dark Garden begins to speak.
"Your attacks are useless to—"
Before she can finish Nox spits out a massive spray of blood into the air.
Corvex spins as her blade cuts through the airborne blood infusing it mid-motion.
And in a single, decisive strike, she slices through Dark Garden's head.
The weak point indicator detonates instantly.
Dark Garden's Hp then drops to zero as her body falls and explodes.
Countless EXP orbs flood all over the place, surging into both Nox and Corvex as their bodies absorb the energy, their levels skyrocketing rapidly until both reach
Level 39.
Corvex collapses onto her back, completely drained, her HP and stamina barely holding.
97… 64…
The flames begin to fade around them.
Nox is lying nearby, breathing heavily, his voice calm despite everything.
"…Well done, Corvex… I owe you coffee after that."
Corvex exhales softly, her voice weaker but sincere.
"If anything… it's also my fault this fight dragged on this long… But I already knew there was a chance another Star Party would enter this region… so I had to stop them before they interfered with your battle…"
Nox closes his eyes slightly.
"Save your breath… we need to rest."
Corvex smiles faintly, her chest rising slowly as she feels a deep sense of satisfaction, pride filling her heart as she realizes she has finally proven her worth beside him.
Then a sharp ringing sound cuts through the moment.
Corvex groans softly.
"…What now…?"
She opens her menu with slight difficulty, her body still weak as she sees an incoming call as it is Hans.
She struggles to lift her hand before Nox speaks, slightly annoyed.
"Pick it up already… that ringing is killing me."
She presses the button the call connects instantly.
"We just gained a bunch of levels! Does that mean you guys defeated Dark Garden?!" Hans shouts excitedly.
Nox responds calmly.
"Yeah… we did. Couldn't have done it without Corvex."
Hans erupts into celebration, his voice loud and energetic as Voytek's voice joins in
"As expected from you, Nox… facing that Boss alone for that long, especially with that level gap… that's not something any ordinary Star could pull off."
Nox exhales.
"It's all thanks to training… Ultra Syndicate… and those who came before us."
Corvex hesitates with her voice trembles slightly.
"…Are you guys… not mad at me?"
Hans answers immediately.
"Of course not! You're still part of the party! We wouldn't have made it through that puzzle region without you either!"
Corvex's emotions break through.
"I'm… I'm so, so sorry… Hans… Voytek… for what I tried to do before… I was—"
Voytek cuts in calmly.
"We understand. It was all for love… I would've done the same if something happened to Hans."
A pause.
"Your apology is accepted."
Hans follows up immediately.
"Deeply accepted! We forgive you, Corvex!"
Corvex covers her eyes with her arm as tears begin to fall, her body trembling slightly as relief finally washes over her.
Nox speaks once more.
"We need rest for now… send us a full status report through voice message."
The call ends as both of them rest quietly on the ground as the air blows softly.