Sam dashed forward and activated [Apostate], flooding his shield and redirecting the attack back at the woman. She flinched in surprise and summoned a shimmering green shield around herself. The yellow glob exploded against the shield, spraying caustic venom all over the chamber, with the majority of it landing on the scorpion.

  The beast reared back in shock as the magic began eating away at its carapace. To her credit, the woman rode the bucking monster like an expert bull rider. Her feet remained firmly planted behind the head segment, even as Siel began launching a salvo of arrows.

  “Take down the scorpion,” Sam projected, taking off at a lateral sprint, trying to get clear of the massive pincers. Siel reacted instantaneously, aiming for the gaps in the segmented limbs.

  Sam took advantage of the momentary distraction to inspect the boss, surprised to see that both the woman and the scorpion had only a single entry.

  [Bereft Temple Guardian - Bronze - Rare - Boss]

  This unholy fusion is the result of the greatest of betrayals; a punishment reserved only for those who once sat in the goddess's highest esteem.

  Unholy fusion… Sam’s eyes went wide as he refocused on the woman’s legs. It had been hard to tell at a distance, given the twitching nature of the mount, but the woman's legs had grown into the back of the scorpion. Bruised purple flesh broke through the black carapace, creating a deformed hybrid monstrosity.

  Sam was hit by a wave of nausea as he drew closer to the guardian. The creature reeked of death and rancid meat. Decay hung over it like a cloud, making his eyes water.

  The sudden distraction caused his thrust to go wide. His spear skidded across the black armoured shell, the Iron weapon completely outmatched by the Bronze boss’s fortitude. It was the most painful example of the weapon’s current limitations. Sam could only hope it would regain its edge once he upgraded it with his [Divine Core].

  He was forced back as the woman launched another glob of venom from her spear. The yellow liquid splashed across his greaves, and he quickly stored and re-equipped them before it could damage the metal. They reappeared completely clean, the system clearly unable to distinguish between an active attack and simple dirt and grime.

  It was a trick he’d been experimenting with, but had yet to utilize in combat. He had a habit of unequipping and re-equipping his gear as they travelled, and it had been Siel who had suggested the skill may have applications in combat.

  He’d gotten extremely good at managing the items in his quick slots. He kept his tafla open but minimized by default, and it had become second nature to swap weapons mid swing based on the enemy at hand.

  He made the change as he launched himself back at the scorpion, his hammer with the obsidian chiton. His arms vibrated as the hammer struck, and he was nearly knocked off his feet by the sudden recoil.

  It felt as though he’d struck an extremely dense spring, though the icon on his HUD told him it was magical in nature. Clearly, the creature had a skill that enabled it to resist brute-force attacks. Luckily, Sam was uniquely positioned to address it.

  He regained his balance and ducked under a snapping claw, thankful for his helmet as the appendage scraped against the top of his head. Activating [Platebreaker], he twisted and brought the hammer upwards in a vicious uppercut.

  The head of the hammer connected with the joint, and Sam was rewarded with an audible crack. Bits of carapace fell away, but Sam was disappointed by the extent of the damage. He’d barely managed to break a single section of chiton and was still miles away from incapacitating the limb.

  He scrambled back as the beast rotated its bulk, nearly impaling him on one of its many-jointed limbs. On the far side, Molly took tentative runs at the creature, but was hesitant to get within reach of the venom-spitting spear.

  Sam retreated, chest pounding as the pain of his injuries forced their way through the adrenaline. Behind him, the twang of Siel’s bow continued at a steady cadence. More and more shots were beginning to find their mark as she learned to predict the monster’s movements.

  The gaps around the scorpion’s head were beginning to look like a pincushion. Sam didn't need the enhanced vision from [Arcane Eyes] to see the creeping vines begin to work their way around its neck.

  Clearly sensing the danger, the former priestess bent down to dispel the vines, yellow light dancing at her fingertips.

  “Oh no you don't,” Sam snarled as he charged back into the fray. The beat of his [Prototype Cor] was frantic alongside his heart, but beneath them both, the steady stream of his Heart Chakra flowed like a raging river.

  He felt the mana pour from the opening, and he directed it to wash out through his pores. [Apostate] covered him like a shroud, making him appear invisible to magical sight. A soft, cool blanket enveloped him as he leapt forward, spear outstretched.

  The woman looked up, then back down, so focused as she was on the [Creeping Arrows] jutting from her symbiote steed. It was the momentary pause before the frantic double-take that gave Sam his opening.

  Her head snapped back up, mortal eyes telling her what her arcane had not. She began forming her shield, but the tip of the spear had already closed the gap, blade warping with the effect of [Longinus Strike].

  It slid through the shield like a fish in water, serrated head embedding itself squarely in her gut.

  She let out an agonizing scream as the blade plunged into her flesh. Sam’s cry of triumph was short-lived, the breath knocked from his body by one of the scorpion’s colossal pincers. The force of the hit blasted him across the chamber, slamming him into the far wall.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  He had the wherewithal to activate both [Iron Skin] and [Battle Healing] in the moment before impact, but his body still cracked like an egg from the force of the blow. His vision flickered and went out, the pain from his ruptured organs sending him spiralling into unconsciousness.

  His eyes snapped open, but he had no way of knowing if seconds or minutes had passed. His vision swam, head pounding as the room drifted in and out of focus. He was dimly aware that he was being dragged, a trail of blood—his blood—staining the stone in front of him.

  He tried to move his legs, but found that he couldn't. Panic sprang to life in his chest, lungs heaving as he tried to take stock of his body. He twisted his neck, nearly passing out once again from the pain. He managed to get a glimpse of his legs and saw they were tightly bound in a vine rope that was doggedly pulling him across the chamber.

  The sound of combat still filled the sanctum, Molly’s squeals punctuating the scorpion’s clattering gait.

  “I'm awake,” Sam said to Siel, trying and failing to find her from his position behind the dais.

  The vines stopped dragging him and slowly began the process of unwinding. “Thank the moon, I was worried that you may have slipped beyond the vents.” Siel’s voice was measured, but Sam could detect a hint of panic beneath.

  “It'll take more than a big bug to take me out,” he replied, forcing as much bravado as he could through the connection. Unsteadily, he crawled to his hands and knees, wincing as the last of his ribs slotted themselves back into place.

  His back was a mess, and he was forced to store his breastplate and helmet. Both had bent from the impact with the wall, the crumpled breastplate severely restricting his breathing.

  He hated how naked he felt without his armour. He reached up a hand to touch his chest, and it came away bloody. While most of it was his own, he did notice a patch of black ichor splattered across his body.

  He got up and stumbled, relying on the stairs of the dais to keep him upright. Beyond, Siel was still locked in pitched battle. Each attack from the boss nearly spelled disaster, but she moved with supernatural grace as she expertly dodged the scorpion’s flailing limbs.

  Sam was waiting for the inevitable spray of venom that would spell the end of the fight, but shockingly, none came. The Guardian had her hands on her abdomen, trying and failing to use magic to close the massive puncture wound.

  Sam couldn't help but grin as a wave of dark ichor flowed out from between her splayed fingers. The injury shouldn't have been debilitating, but the lingering effects of [Longinus Strike] were making magical recovery impossible.

  Siel managed to score a big hit with her [Lunar Blade], shearing off the tip of one of the beast’s claws. Sam let out a whoop as the piece fell away, but once again his celebration was short-lived.

  The injured claw snapped forward with the speed of an angry viper. It lifted Siel bodily from the floor, freezing Sam’s heart in his chest.

  Time stretched as Siel was raised high in the air. Seconds jumbled together, each one longer than the last. He couldn't see the sylvan's face, but he could imagine her look of terror plastered on it.

  Her scream echoed through the chamber as the beast slowly tightened its grip.

  Sam forced himself to move forward, eyes flicking through his tafla as he desperately looked for something he could use to turn the tide. It was clear that Siel couldn't last much longer. It was time for a Hail Mary.

  Sam put one foot in front of the other, acutely aware of his body's condition. At that moment—it didn't matter. He had friends in danger. He had a job to do.

  Each step grew progressively heavier as he trudged across the room. The mana rippling from his legs made him lightheaded as it worked its way up to encapsulate his entire body.

  His [Avalanche Greaves] thrummed against his shins, making him feel as though he were in one of those pay-by-the-hour massage chairs.

  It was his first time using the item’s active ability, and he only had the description to go by.

  Active: Indomitable Descent

  When active, it significantly boosts speed and momentum. Increases overall hardiness to correspond with the gained momentum.

  24 Hr Cooldown

  While it was an expensive cooldown to burn, he just didn't see an alternative. The guardian eyed Siel with a look of outright loathing as the claw attempted to fight through her nigh-indestructible scale mail.

  The armour gave Sam precious seconds as he accelerated. He summoned his shield, raising it in front of him like the head of a battering ram. Wind rushed in his ears, and he blinked once before finding himself barreling headlong into the scorpion's mouth.

  The monster buckled under the impact, and despite the size disparity, Sam knocked the creature back a few feet. The shock of the hit dislodged Siel, who crashed to the floor in a heap.

  Molly took advantage of the chaos to summon a few [Lunar Blades] of her own, driving them into the monster’s flank. The boar twisted her neck like she was digging for truffles, ignoring the limbs that broke against her armour.

  The guardian screamed as her monstrous counterpart was gored by the glowing silver crescents. Siel lay momentarily forgotten as Sam went to work with his hammer. The pain was nearly unbearable, but he pushed it aside. Nothing mattered except the next swing. Nothing mattered except killing the boss.

  It was this single-minded determination that had him almost miss the chime when his hammer finally broke through the scorpion’s carapace and into its brain. He blinked in surprise and looked up, expecting the woman to be staring down at him.

  Instead, she was slumped over and covered in blood. She’d died at the exact same moment as the scorpion.

  Sam let out a massive sigh of relief and immediately went to check on Siel. She was curled up in the fetal position, but still very much alive.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Years of first aid training came back in a rush as he laid a blanket under her head.

  “Y—yes, I'll be alright.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. Green veins flashed under her skin as her healing skill went to work. Molly trotted over to stand guard, which allowed Sam to go loot the boss. He recovered her barb-tipped staff, along with an ornate belt and an intricately carved stone disk.

  He summoned the disk, turning it over in his hand. [Arcane Eyes] was going haywire as he inspected it.

  [Temple Key]

  Break through the illusion of the temple of Bast and claim the freedom of the Endless Sands.

  Upon reading it, another chime sounded.

  [Quest 2/3 Complete - Survive the Bereft of Bast]

  Defeat Waves 5/5

  [Time Remaining: 00:00:32:15]

  The text changed even as he read it, and his eyes went wide.

  [Quest 3/3 - The Face of God]

  Pass through the Sunrise Gate and prove your worth to she who stands above all.

  [Time Remaining: 00:00:32:14]

  A slight tug pulled at Sam’s gut, and he realized the quest was leading them onwards. Siel stirred beside him, and he could see that she was reading the updated quest text. She met his gaze, face taut with confusion.

  He gave a small shrug, flopping down next to her on the stone. “Your guess is as good as mine,” he said, biting his lip. “I just wish we had more time.”

  She let out a strained laugh. “I feel like you’re not the first Warrior to have that sentiment.”

  “True,” he said, pulling out the jewelled belt and examining it. “But it’s not every day you have a date with a god.”