The Magma Hound's roar shook the plaza, rattling Denver's bones. Heat shimmered off its molten body as it lunged, jaws wide, fangs dripping liquid fire.
Denver didn't think. He moved.
"Lumin!"
The cocoon pulsed with light, threads stretching outward in luminous strands. They wrapped around Denver's arm, anchoring him as the Guardian manifested at his side—fragile wings beating with a faint hum.
The hound's maw crashed down, fangs snapping inches from Denver's face. Sparks exploded as molten teeth scraped against Lumin's shield, the barrier cracking under the force.
Denver's knees buckled. His health bar dipped by a quarter, not from direct damage but from sheer proximity to the beast's heat.
He gasped, sweat pouring down his temple. "We… we can't tank that again."
The hound snarled, flames coiling between its teeth. A breath attack—he'd seen the Vanguard players obliterated by it minutes ago.
Think, Denver, think!
His eyes darted across the battlefield. Rubble scattered the plaza, pillars cracked and toppled from earlier blows. The ground was fractured, glowing with veins of lava where the hound's claws had struck.
He wasn't going to win by brute force. That was obvious.
But maybe—just maybe—he didn't need to win.
"Lumin, distract it!"
The Guardian pulsed once in acknowledgment, wings scattering faint motes of light. The particles hovered in the air, glowing brightly enough to catch the hound's gaze.
The beast growled, snapping toward the lights. Fire built in its throat, a molten glow that bathed the plaza in orange.
Denver sprinted—not toward the hound, but away, weaving through fallen stone. He kept low, dagger tight in his hand, though he doubted he'd ever pierce that armor.
Its weak points… the glowing cracks. Strike those, or nothing.
Lumin zipped overhead, fluttering erratically. The lights it scattered seemed to confuse the hound, its molten eyes flicking between targets. It hesitated, frustrated, before unleashing its breath.
A cone of fire swept across the plaza. Stone blackened, air warped with heat. But the light motes held—the flames parted around them, as if Lumin's glow distorted the attack's trajectory.
Denver skidded behind a fractured pillar, chest heaving.
"That's it," he whispered. "You're not a fighter… you're a decoy."
The hound snarled, flames dripping from its jaw. It whipped its head back and forth, searching. Then it spotted Denver.
Their eyes locked.
"Damn it," he breathed.
The beast charged.
Stone shattered under its claws. Sparks flew with every step. Denver bolted from cover, lungs burning, his stamina bar dipping dangerously low. He wasn't built for sprinting. He wasn't built for combat at all.
But Luck was on his side.
The beast lunged and the fractured ground gave way beneath its weight.
The Magma Hound slammed into a pit of broken stone, its momentum carrying it forward. It staggered, roaring in frustration, one leg sinking deep into a molten fissure.
Denver's eyes widened. An opening.
"Lumin!"
His Guardian darted down, scattering more motes of light across the fissure. The glow magnified the molten cracks, brightening them like targets painted on the hound's armor.
Denver gripped his dagger, palms slick with sweat.
If I don't hit now, we're dead.
He leapt.
The world slowed.
The hound thrashed, claws tearing at the ground. Its molten chestplate cracked wider where it had struck the fissure, glowing like a furnace door.
Denver landed hard against its side, dagger raised high. With every ounce of strength, he drove the blade down.
Metal screeched against stone. Sparks flew. The hound roared, a sound like an erupting volcano.
And then—
[Critical Strike:Weak Point Pierced]
Its health bar dipped—a sliver, but visible.
Denver's eyes widened. "It worked."
The hound bucked violently. Denver was thrown, skidding across molten stone. His health bar plunged, heat burning through his armor. He rolled, coughing, vision swimming.
But the damage was done.
The hound's chestplate glowed brighter, fissures spiderwebbing across its armor.
Lumin pulsed overhead, its glow synchronizing with the cracks as though resonating with the beast's core.
The system chimed:
[Guardian Ability Unlocked:Gleam]
Effect: Weakens enemy armor at illuminated weak points.Duration: 10 seconds.]
Denver grinned through gritted teeth. "So that's your trick."
The hound roared again, fury boiling in its molten eyes. Flames ignited across its body, an aura of pure fire. Its health bar dropped further—not from his strike, but from something else.
Overheating.
Denver realized it instantly.
The fissures had destabilized its body. Its own flames were eating at it from within.
"That's our chance."
He staggered to his feet, dagger trembling. "Lumin, again!"
The Guardian flitted around the beast, scattering motes of light directly on its glowing fissures. The ability triggered once more—Resonant Gleam.
The cracks widened. The hound howled, stumbling.
"NOW!" Denver roared, charging.
He stabbed again, this time at its leg. Sparks burst, molten blood spraying across the plaza. His health dipped as it splattered onto him, but the damage was real.
The hound collapsed to one knee.
Its health bar plummeted—to 30%.
The plaza erupted in shouts.
"Someone's damaging it!"
"That kid—he's got it cracked open!"
"Focus fire, now!"
Survivors who had hidden in fear now rallied. Arrows of light, fireballs, and blades struck the glowing fissures. Each hit triggered another crack, another scream of molten fury.
Denver staggered back, chest heaving. He'd started the chain reaction, but he wasn't about to get greedy. His health bar hovered dangerously low, one wrong move from death.
Instead, he let the others pile on.
The hound thrashed, flames erupting skyward. But surrounded, weakened, it faltered.
With a final, ear-splitting roar, the Magma Hound collapsed. Its body fractured, crumbling into shards of obsidian and molten light.
The plaza fell silent.
Then the system chimed:
[Field Guardian Defeated: Magma Hound]
Contribution: 18% (Luck Modifier Applied)
Rewards: Rare Guardian Egg (???)
EXP: +1,200 | Level Up!]
Denver stood frozen, staring at the glowing egg that materialized in his hands.
It pulsed with molten light, heavy and warm.
The survivors gasped, pointing.
"He got the drop?"
"From THAT thing?"
"No way—that's unfair!"
Their voices grew heated, angry.
Denver's stomach sank. He hadn't even wanted to play this cursed game, and now all eyes were on him—for good or bad.
Lumin fluttered beside him, glowing softly, as though proud.
Denver tightened his grip on the egg, heart pounding.
He didn't understand why Luck had chosen him, or what kind of Guardian slept inside this molten shell.
But one thing was clear:
The game had marked him.
And in Guardian Online, marks were the same as targets.
The ground shook.
Denver froze. The others fell silent.
From the far end of the plaza, the dungeon's gate pulsed with molten light. Flames seeped from its seams. The obsidian walls cracked, glowing symbols burning into their surface.
[Warning: Dungeon Event Triggered – Floor Guardian Released]
The molten gate split wide.
And from its depths, a second roar echoed.
Deeper. Louder. Far, far worse.
Denver's stomach dropped. He clutched the egg tighter, Lumin's glow trembling beside him.
The tutorial wasn't over.
It had only just begun.