When fighting an extremely powerful boss, there was always a chance they could trigger an effect.
The moment it activated, the area around them would instantly transform.
The air itself would thicken with danger. And every living thing nearby would feel it.
In this type of zone, death became more punishing.
Because once you died there, you would lose more lives than usual.
That was why anyone who knew what they were doing stayed far away from these kinds of creatures.
Facing a [Special Boss] and the like wasn't bravery. It was recklessness.
Most of the time, those bosses weren't even killed.
Players either avoided them or ran away the moment they saw the warning signs.
And after what Karl had just witnessed, he understood perfectly why.
He had seen it annihilate an entire team within seconds.
Wiping them out before they even had the chance to react.
Not even a single one of them managed to escape.
The boss hadn't just been strong. It had been overwhelmingly so.
From his vantage point, Karl's gaze locked on the monster as he pulled up its status panel.
---
[Soul Mage (Level 8)]
[Rank: Elite (Special Boss)]
[HP: 20,000]
[Time: 18 minutes 27 seconds]
---
'That should be doable,' Karl thought. 'There's no way this fight lasts that long.'
Special bosses like this one were always different from the rest.
Compared to "normal" bosses, they had much higher HP and were far more powerful.
But what truly set them apart was the countdown timer.
That [Time] line wasn't just for show. It was their lifespan.
Once that timer hit zero, the special boss would vanish from existence. Never to be seen again.
It didn't matter how much health it had left.
Once the countdown reached zero, it was over.
That was the reason almost no one ever managed to kill them.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, the countdown ran out long before anyone could bring them down.
This one, judging from the remaining time, had spawned with only thirty minutes total.
Karl stared at it with calm confidence.
No one in this entire city could defeat something like that... except him!
The [Soul Mage] itself was a haunting sight.
A being cloaked in shadow, skeletal in shape, with hollow eyes that glowed with two gray, floating pupils.
It clutched a long, twisted staff. The kind that seemed to hum with dark energy.
Every move it made left faint trails of soul mist behind.
And even standing still, it radiated power.
'A mage fight,' Karl muttered under his breath as he advanced. 'Good.'
He raised his staff.
Scorching Fireball! Blizzard Crystal!
Fwish! Boom!
Two explosions erupted almost simultaneously.
The ground shaking under the impact.
-3,300! -2,500!
Just like that, a fourth of the boss's health was gone.
But Karl didn't wait around.
The moment his spells landed, he retreated.
Taking several quick steps backward. Preparing to dodge.
And it was a good thing he did.
The soul mage raised its staff and pointed forward.
Darkness Pulse!
A jet of pitch-black energy erupted from the staff. Surging straight toward him.
Karl ducked. Barely avoiding it as the pulse whizzed past. Tearing through the air like a blade.
His [Magic Barrier] shimmered faintly around him.
Ready to absorb any hit he couldn't evade. But he didn't need it yet.
The soul mage continued its relentless assault.
Launching several more pulses in rapid succession.
But Karl's movements were sharp and precise.
He sidestepped. Crouched. And twisted just out of range every single time.
If it weren't for his years of battle experience, he wouldn't have survived for even ten seconds.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he countered.
He sent another row of spells, hitting the [Soul Mage] once more.
Boom!
-3,300! -2,500!
The soul mage staggered. Its eyes flaring brighter with rage. It raised its staff high.
Soul Call!
A silver pulse exploded outward. Spreading through the entire area.
Karl frowned.
Rumble! Rumble!
The ground began to shake. And from the surrounding streets, figures started to emerge.
There were some [Shadow Wraith] and even some [Soul Revenants], humanoid monsters with transparent bodies.
---
[Soul Revenant (Level 8)]
[Rank: Rare]
[HP: 3,000]
---
Karl's eyes narrowed.
"Fine," he said quietly, raising his staff once again.
Scorching Fireball!
Fwish! Boom!
-3,300! -3,300! -3,300!
The explosion wiped out half the summoned monsters instantly.
The rest pressed forward. Their hollow eyes fixed on him. Unfazed by the carnage.
But Karl didn't flinch.
Blizzard Crystal!
A glowing shard of ice formed at the tip of his staff before launching straight toward the [Soul Mage].
Boom!
-2,500!
The boss reeled. But countered immediately.
Soul Rays!
Silver energy shot from its staff like concentrated beams of death.
Magic Barrier!
BOOM!
The rays slammed into the barrier. Cracking it violently but not breaking through.
Karl moved just in time to avoid another wave.
But the [Soul Mage] didn't stop. It kept firing again and again.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Each ray tore through the ground where he'd just been standing.
'That thing's doing a lot of damage…' Karl thought.
This made it even more apparent how merciless [Gods Ascension] was to those that couldn't fight back.
A single one of those rays would kill any player at this level instantly.
Karl spun, evading an incoming [Soul Revenant], and cast again.
-3,300! -2,500!
More damage. More explosions.
The battle dragged on for minutes. Intense. Fast. And brutal.
By the time it reached the two-minute mark, every summoned monster was gone.
The battlefield was littered with ash and shattered soul fragments.
The [Soul Mage] itself was barely standing. Its HP now below 5,000.
'Almost done.'
But then...
Fwish!
The staff in the boss's hand began to glow.
Karl's eyes widened.
'Charged attack? Damn, I didn't think there was one this early…!'
Charged attacks were rare but devastating.
To use one, a monster or player had to gather power. Leaving itself vulnerable during the charge.
But once released, the result could erase everything nearby.
Karl acted fast.
Blizzard Crystal!
-2,500!
The attack hit dead on. Leaving the boss with only a sliver of health.
But the glow didn't fade.
Soul Pulse!
A massive silver wave burst outward. Radiating from the [Soul Mage] and spreading across the entire zone.
Karl's face hardened.
'Shit.'
BOOM!
The wave slammed into him. Colliding with his barrier.
Cracks spread instantly before the barrier shattered entirely.
He managed to stay on his feet. Unharmed. But now defenseless.
One more hit and he'd die.
That wasn't the end of the world. He had plenty of lives.
But it would waste time, resources, and risk the boss disappearing before he returned.
So, he took a deep breath. Gripped his staff tight. And went all in.
Scorching Fireball!
The [Soul Mage] responded in kind.
Soul Ray!
The two attacks collided midair.
The ray tore through the flames. But Karl's fireball didn't stop.
It pushed forward. Burning through the silver light until it struck the boss directly.
BOOM!
-3,300!
The explosion rocked the square.
When the dust settled, the [Soul Mage]'s HP hit zero.
Its shadowy form disintegrated. And its staff and cloak fell lifelessly to the ground.
Ding!
---
[You have killed "Soul Mage (Level 8 Elite-Rank Special Boss)"]
[You have killed x5 "Soul Revenants (Level 8)"]
[You have killed…]
[You have gained 10,300 experience points.]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 7 + Level 8!]
[All your attributes have increased by 10. And you have gained 10 free points to distribute.]
[You have gained 7 Evolution Points!]
[You have gained 59 Lives!]
---
'Damn!' Karl grinned.
No wonder special bosses were so good, the experience, evolution points and lives Karl got from this were incredible.
It had been a perfect subjugation of the boss, and he felt proud of himself.
Karl looked at the remains of the boss.
The faint embers still glowing from his last fireball.