Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World
Chapter 28: [28] Boss Monster (2)

Chapter 28: [28] Boss Monster (2)

Ark raced along the back of the monster, slashing and hacking at whatever free skin he could find.

But it was difficult...

Apart from the sensory organs by the side of its head, most of its body was covered with corpses which were like makeshift armour.

A number of times, his dagger would strike bone or rotten flesh, wasting all his effort. This meant that even though he had been relentlessly attacking the monster, he had done barely any damage.

’It is still a boss, of course it wouldn’t be that easy!’

If they wanted to beat it, they needed a decisive blow, something that could finish off the monster with one strike!

The monster’s head snapped in his direction, and then it flung Ark off its body, sending him into the rainy skies.

And then the worm lunged at him, its maw wide open, revealing rows of endless serrated teeth.

Ark gritted his teeth and let out a muffled curse. Up in the air, there was no way to properly defend himself, and with no foot hold, his attacks would be several times weaker.

"You bastard!" Ark laughed. "You’ve finally gotten me haven’t you?!"

He had done his best, but at the end of the day it was a level ten boss, and he hadn’t even passed level two.

The monster’s maw widened with anticipation, and just as it was a few inches away, Ark smiled.

"Just kidding... I still have a team you know?"

Bang!

Multiple blood spikes suddenly pierced its head in different locations, followed by a gust of wind that tore into the monster, peeling off its armour of corpses and revealing part of its black skin.

Ark glanced at their direction and smiled. Soo-jin and Isabella were pointing their hands at the monster, already readying their next wave of attacks.

The Grave Keeper lost all its momentum and began to descend, when a shadow appeared behind Ark.

Eagle-like claws clamped around his shoulder, and then a snarky voice came from above him.

"Once we beat this thing, you have a lot of explaining to do..."

"..."

Her eyes glowed a bright yellow, currents racing along her body. Lightning sparked in the clouds above and then Olivia called out to them.

Tzzzzzz!

The lightning raged in the clouds above, and the winds howled as though to prophesy of the destruction to come.

And then it came.

Just as the worm touched the ground, a large bolt of lightning came down upon it like divine judgement.

Bang!

A bright light erupted from the point of impact, dust shot up into the sky, and an electric buzz filled the air, tingling her skin.

Ark stared at the area with a blank look on his face.

’Woah...’

The skill was likely a restrictive one, a spell that she could only use when the conditions were right. But the sheer destruction it unleashed was well worth it.

"That was a pretty good spell..."

"Hmph! Of course it was." She replied smugly, then her expression shifted slightly. "Although I can’t take all the glory I guess. This wouldn’t have worked without you distracting it, or Soo-jin guessing your intentions..."

Ark’s entire body stiffened. "Olivia sharing credit? Am I hallucinating? The worm has already swallowed me hasn’t it?"

Olivia blinked. "What are you talking about?" She sighed as the dust began to clear, it would have lasted far longer if not for the rain. "Did we get it?"

Since they had not gotten a notification, it was obviously still alive. But there was a chance it was only hanging on to its last embers.

The dust finally settled, revealing the monster, and Ark could hardly believe his eyes. He heard Olivia’s breath stiffen as they both stared at the scene below them.

The ground was scorched, cracks ran through the entirety of the rock, and the floor was as black as coal.

But the corpse eater was almost completely unharmed. Judging by the piles of ash around it, instead of taking the damage head on, the monster piled up corpses to form a shield which absorbed most of the damage.

Its entire body was now bare, but the worm was undoubtedly alive and well.

The monster stared up at them and slithered upwards, rising like a cobra. Its throat began to swell, its eyes still locked on them.

"What is it doing?" Olivia asked, her wings beating calmly at her sides.

Ark stared at the worm for a while, and then it hit him—

"Run, it is going to spit!"

He was not sure if she acted on his warning alone, or if she was just horrified by the thought of being spat at, but Olivia flew like the wind. "It is going to what???"

Splash—!!

The Grave Keeper spat out a continuous stream of green, the liquid chasing after them. At first sight, it looked harmless, but Ark watched as those that fell touched the ground, the rocks fizzling as they were burned by the substance.

"Faster, Olivia, it is acid!"

If she was hit by so much at a go, her wings would melt off like butter.

Olivia beat her wings even more ferociously, managing to escape the attack before landing roughly on the mountain, both of them rolling over the floor before coming to a stop not too far away from Soo-jin and Isabella.

They were lying side by side, Olivia’s breathing erratic.

"Good job." Ark commented as he stood up and offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet.

He kept his eyes on the monster, his dagger clutched tightly in his hands. "Join the others, I’ll handle things here myself—"

Before he could finish speaking, the monster lunged at them, but unlike before, it was several times faster!

In the space of a few seconds, it was right in front of him!

The corpses that had served as a shield were actually weighing it down, and now that they had stripped it off, they had to contend with its speed.

’Why does this monster have a fucking phase two?!’

"Olivia, get back!"

The monster used its body as a weapon, swinging it like a mace. A wave of blood and wind met it mid way, ripping into its flesh, but the tail did not stop, nor was it slowed down in the slightest.

And then it came at Ark.

It was as if he was being attacked with a tree trunk. ’If I don’t dodge that, I’ll die!’

BANG!

The monster’s tail pounded into the floor, upturning the earth and sending rocks flying in all directions.

Ark only managed to escape by the skin of his teeth, but the others were not so lucky. Soo-jin and Isabella had not expected the monster to be that fast, nor had they expected it to fully extend its tail.

Soo-jin was also injured, which meant her mobility was severely hampered. Compared to when she was at full health, she was barely able to use one-third of her original speed.

As the tail came, they reacted quickly, managing to avoid the worst of it, but they were not fast enough to avoid it fully.

The two girls were sent high into the air, and they came down hard, their bodies bouncing on the hard rocky mountain, and rolling several times. As for Olivia, the shockwave had practically blown her into the sky.

[Soo-jin is bleeding. Her health will continually be depleted over time]

[Olivia is bleeding. Her health will continually be depleted over time]

[Isabella is bleeding. Her health will continually be depleted over time]

Soo-jin stood up slowly, blood drifting down the side of her head. She lifted her gaze, meeting the milky eyes of the worm that hung over them like a fiend, staring down at them.

Her vision was double, her head felt heavy, and she was still exhausted, having lost so much blood earlier. But despite that, she summoned her fan and glared at it...

To hell with her injury. Even if she tore the wound open, she would fight till the last drop of her blood.

But it seemed someone was not too keen on that idea. Isabella suddenly stepped in front of her, shielding her with her body. "Stay behind me, Miss Soo-Jin, I will protect you this time."

Those were the words that escaped Isabella’s mouth. But what was she supposed to do against that thing?

All she could do was hope it would be distracted while it feasted on her body, long enough for Soo-jin to escape, but the thought of it filled her with dread.

’This girl...’ Soo-jin shook her head, baffled by her unshaking loyalty. ’You’re my aide, not my bodyguard...’

Why then was she so hell bent on risking her life for her?

The Grave Keeper snarled, and was about to strike when someone shouted from a distance—

"Over here you overgrown maggot!"

The grave keeper turned, and then in a heartbeat, a large chunk of its head was suddenly blown apart, the point right where its sensor had been.

That day, the skies rained black.