WHOOSH!!
The air tore open as a crimson projectile, infused with raw magical energy, streaked toward the immobile Black Soul Eater tree. This was no ordinary arrow; it was a concentrated energy of death.
BAM!!!
The arrow connected. Instead of merely shattering, the Boss monster reacted with a silent, agonizing speed. The massive trunk of the Soul Eater shattered, and a collective, unheard scream seemed to echo in the space where the tree stood. The sheer magical force of the strike was too much for its massive Defense stat. In less than ten seconds, its leaves shriveled and dusted away, its black trunk splintered violently, and it collapsed onto the cracked earth, reduced to a husk.
"My Arrow Storm dealt magic damage equal to 200% of my full Attack, which was then subject to my One Hundred-Fold Force multiplier," Mirabella murmured, walking toward the wreckage. Her face held a grim satisfaction.
"I still can't believe I took down a Level 30 Boss in one hit."
"The Master Account System is truly incredible," she mused, stopping before the decomposing corpse.
She was operating on knowledge from her "previous life" but executing her strategy with a precision only the unique system granted her. She tapped her GF bracelet.
A final, luminous purple flash flew from the carcass, condensing into a single Monster Card.
"Okay, let's absorb this card." She stretched out her hand. The card shattered instantly, dissolving into a stream of iridescent, purple light that flowed into her body.
{Exp Gained: 50}
Mirabella raised her head. Across the twilight sky, golden text materialized, moving in a silent, majestic stream.
[Player Spectral soloed and Killed a Lv30 Boss, congratulations to them.]
"Huh? I almost forgot about the World Announce system," she grumbled.
"It only broadcasts major achievements, meaning this Boss really is a high-stakes target for its level. But fifty EXP? After a kill this difficult." She checked her profile, which the Master System provided in full detail:
{Name: Mirabella Sunny.}
{Game Nickname: Spectral.}
{Level: Lv1. (135/300 Exp).}
{Age: 22.}
{Physical Attack: 100.}
{Agility: 14.}
{Defense: 30.}
{Health: 6,600.}
{Magic Attack: 100.}
{Kills: 10.}
{Boss killed: 2.}
"This is annoying," she sighed, checking the 135/300 Exp bar. "I killed such a powerful Boss and only got 50 EXP. When will I even reach Lv2, which is essential for increasing my stats? The experience curve is brutal."
She turned back to the spot the tree had occupied. Instead of empty ground, a massive, ornate golden hatch had appeared, sunk into the earth.
"I need to keep pushing. I need to increase my Defense immediately. Right now, I can kill anything, but one strong hit will kill me just as easily."
She walked toward the hatch, gripping the massive handle. The golden doors, despite their size, swung open effortlessly, revealing an utterly dark hole beneath.
"I can't see the end of this hole, Master," Cupcake, perched on her shoulder, pointed out anxiously.
"It's an illusionary defense mechanism," Mirabella dismissed. "A basic fear trap. This is the entrance to the armor god."
Without a second thought, she jumped into the void, the heavy doors slamming shut behind her with a sound of finality.
___
BAM!!
Mirabella landed lightly on a cold, unforgiving rocky floor. She was in a dark, narrow hallway illuminated by sputtering, ancient torches. The walls were covered in countless hieroglyphs and cryptic warnings.
"Huh?"
She walked towards a section of the wall, staring at the strange, swirling characters. Immediately, her Master System translated the script into plain English, projecting the text over the symbols:
"Beware of kinetic and elemental traps. The Armor God rests in his throne hall. Only the worthy key may open the final chamber."
"So, the Master Account translates ancient texts," Mirabella muttered, her face stunned despite her usual composure.
'This is an unprecedented advantage.'
"If I had access to this translation last time, we wouldn't have lost so many good people in this hallway."
Her eyes quickly scanned the wall. The text didn't just warn; the translated script specifically indicated the location of each pressure plate, tripwire, and directional plasma emitter.
"Come on, Cupcake, let's go. I know all the save spots."
She started walking, a complex, high-speed sequence of steps that looked like a bizarre dance: a skip right, a hop left, a double step right, a jump left, then two quick steps to the left. She moved with impossible precision, her footfalls hitting the only safe spots in the entire ten-minute stretch of the hallway, bypassing mechanisms that would have reduced her 6,600 HP to zero instantly.
Finally, she reached a massive, ten-meter-high golden gate. A complex, circular shield was engraved deeply into the metal.
"Please," Mirabella whispered, pushing her hair back:
"I don't need a shield. A strong armor will be better." She placed her palms on the door, then pushed. The door, despite its imposing size, swung open with alarming ease.
"This door is huge, but it's so light," she muttered, walking into the vast Throne Hall of the Armor God. The hall was empty, dominated only by an elaborate, golden throne at the far end.
"Okay, Cupcake, time to test your innate lightning ability. We're on a clock." Mirabella pointed to the throne. "Destroy that with a focused lightning strike."
Cupcake jumped down, her small body expanding slightly. White lightning bolts began to arc and crackle violently from her fur. With a concentrated burst of power, she sent a focused stream of high-voltage energy toward the golden seat.
"Now! Cupcake, stay back!"
Mirabella didn't wait. She lunged forward, running at maximum speed. Her agility allowed her to sprint behind the moving lightning bolt.
BOOOOOM!!
The lightning struck the throne, shattering it instantly in a flash of heat and pulverized metal. A small, glowing golden gemstone—the Key—flew out of the explosion. Before it could touch the ground, Mirabella, having perfectly timed her sprint, snatched it from the air.
"Phew... Thank goodness. I didn't make the same mistake twice." She inspected the gemstone.
"What is that, Master?" Cupcake asked, shrinking back onto her shoulder.
"The Key. Last time, we let it touch the ground," Mirabella explained, her gaze serious:
"If it touches the floor, the magical essence dissipates, and the dungeon entrance locks permanently. This is what we needed." She turned her gaze to the north side of the hall, where a secondary, steel-reinforced door was now visible, activated by the Key.
"That door leads to the main chamber of the Armor God. That is where we will meet the next, far more challenging enemy."
"What enemy?" Cupcake asked, feeling the shift in the atmosphere.
"A World Boss," Mirabella confirmed, her lips thinning into a line of determined focus. "One that will require more than just a single attack."