At forty percent, it started to change.
Steam poured off its shoulders in coils. Heat wobbled the air. It threw its arms wide—chains screamed and broke: one snapped like a gunshot, the other ripped free in a shower of rust.
A single stomp shattered the ankle shackles; broken teeth of iron skittered across the floor. Then came a hard quiet.
No more chain drag, no leash—just speed and weight.
'Yeah, this is the problem.'
Haeun was competent, and Loki knew that. She'd proven it in this fight's first phase, almost perfectly.
But this was where it got ugly.
"What… is happening to it?" Haeun asked, a small frown pinching in.
"Looks like a second phase," Loki said, voice going very flat. "It's a guess, but expect its patterns to change and its speed to spike. That's what happens in games, usually. Be careful."
"Hm. Got it," she said.
Although Loki knew the beast's moves inside out, he could not tell her everything because she would get suspicious.
'She is a smart woman, she will ask questions later'
The Minotaur bellowed and stamped—heat burst out in a furnace-stomp that rippled the floor. Loki slipped to the shockwave's edge, catching only a whisper of impact; Haeun phased, let it break on nothing, and went right back to sewing void into its hide.
[Void Lance] — [Corruption +1]
[Void Lance] — [Corruption +2]
[Void Lance] — [Corruption +3]
[Void's Grasp (boss): Slow 3%]
[Void Lance] — [Corruption +4]
The Slow barely touched it now; whatever drag her void laid on its limbs burned away in the heat rolling off its hide. The bull moved like a kiln come to life—muscle shimmering, air wavering.
It gave a baiting shoulder dip, horns tilting like it meant to hook, then snapped the other way—a brutal, wide grab without the old chain-telegraph. Loki slid under the reach and went for the safe, reliable line he'd trusted a hundred times before: the hamstring.
Steel met hide with a dry scrape… and skated.
'Can't penetrate with this dagger.'
The second phase had hardened the flesh like fired clay. The easy lines were gone.
'Eyes are the only soft spot now, but it's too risky.'
The bull drew breath—head down, hoof dig, heel lift—and charged. It's speed, faster and meaner than before.
"Gate—now," he said, and she drew the crescent.
[Void Gate]
Her outline ghosted, a shimmer of not-quite-there. The Minotaur ripped through the space she'd occupied and smashed the wall; stone cracked and shed dust.
The bull did not stagger this time. It rebounded into a back-kick that would have pulped ribs. But Haeun was already out, reappearing ten meters off and sewing again.
[Judgment: Rupture]
[Void Siphon: +10% Max Mana]
The hit made it flinch one beat. Loki stepped in to keep pressure, hand ready to use [Umbral Pulse] if a smash tried to pin her.
He'd switched roles without a word. Since he can't damage it, he'd buy windows instead—angles, control, attention.
But the bull wasn't stupid; it would feel who was dealing damage and start to ignore what didn't hurt.
So to avoid that, Loki used his only epic skill.
[Poisoned Dagger]
The throw kissed its cheek and skittered—no penetration—but the flash of threat near the eyes snapped its attention.
He would use [Vanish] and then reappear, not for damage—just to pull its face the right way. Lances bit, not loudly—clean and constant. Bruise-dark filigree crept under hide; the slow returned by hairs, just enough to matter.
"Stun up in three," Loki said, eyes on shoulders and hips. "Rupture on my stun."
It heaved both arms for a slam.
[Umbral Pulse]
Shadow burst like a pressure wave—The damage was mitigated, but the shock still stole a second.
[Stun: 1.0 s]
Haeun's hand closed on invisible threads.
[Judgment: Rupture]
A low crystal note sang inside the Minotaur; the void collapsed and snapped back.
[Consumed: 5 Corruption stacks]
[Boss: Flinch]
[Void Siphon: +10% Max Mana]
They danced the edge. Loki's body lived inside the hinge of each swing; Haeun held her lane at ten meters and sewed, unblinking.
The bar bled: 22%. 18%. 15%.
''Hauen is doing damage, but… but time is a risk.'
The longer the fight ran, the higher the chance of mistakes. So Loki decided to speed things up.
[Vanish]
He counted breath—one, two—and broke stealth on the only soft line that remained.
[Poisoned Dagger]
He threw dead straight, a ruthless thread for the eye. The epic edge hit wet, kissed bone, then found the seam behind it. Venom lit and drank.
[Critical Hit]
[Assassination Triggered ]
[Weakspot Triggered]
[Passive 5 — First strike after breaking stealth deals double damage]
[Target has been Poisoned]
The bar went to 12% instantly, and the poison ticks chewed it lower. The bull roared and clapped a hand over the ruined socket, half-blind now.
'Nice. It it'
The fight got easier, but it was not over. He could not get careless.
"Keep pressure," he said, already sliding to keep its head on him.
Haeun answered with the work: stitch, reset, stitch. Corruption stacked; the Minotaur's motions dragged a hair under the weight of it—just enough to open windows you could use.
12%. 9%.
"Stun ready," Loki said. "Rupture on my mark."
It drew up; he hammered it.
[Umbral Pulse]
[Stun: 1.0 s]
[Judgment: Rupture]
[Consumed: 5 stacks]
[Boss: Flinch]
[Void Siphon +10%]
7%. 6%. The fight wanted to be over.
Everything went to plan. He even had contingencies for when it didn't.
Until it didn't.
Multiple rusted lengths of chains in the ceiling, worked loose by a dozen shockwaves, fell from the dark like a thrown spear.
"Gate!" Loki barked.
Haeun didn't know why, but she moved anyway.
[Void Gate]
The chain cut through her ghosted outline and slammed the flagstone, skidding sparks. She reappeared. clean, but Gate was now down. Loki didn't have the bull's aggro, and its one good eye found her.
"Charge incoming—Haeun!" he snapped.
It came off the line like a train. Horns down. No room. No cover. Loki ran, but there was nothing he could do.
He did the math in a breath. Umbral had just fired—fourteen seconds left. Even with Shadow Blink, there wasn't time to get her clear. If he tried, he'd die; if he died, she'd follow seconds later.
He felt his jaw set.
'Nothing I can do now. I'll kill the minotaur and share the loot later to apologize'
His body told the truth before his mind did. He stopped—not frozen, set. Weight down. Blade angled to guard his own line, not hers
Haeun saw it. She read the decision in his stance—cleanly. Her eyes softened, and the smallest smile touched her mouth: acceptance.
She closed her eyes, awaiting the bone-crushing impact.
Loki was gonna start planning how to proceed from here when he turned, just to take a final look at her face—and something in him shorted out.
The world narrowed to her face in that cold light.
Thought shut off.
His body moved a second before impact.
[Shadow Blink]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skills Used:
Imu-Ha:
Void Lance (Crude, Active)
Fires a dart of starless-black energy (10 m).
• Base: ~20 dmg, 0 s CD, 8 Mana.
• On hit: Corruption +1.
• Refund: If target has ≥3 Corruption, refund 4 Mana (1 s internal CD).
Void Gate (Crude, Active)
Become intangible for 3.0 s, make a teleport gate, pass through it, then reappear within 10 m (line-of-sight).
• Contact while intangible: Corruption +1 to enemies brushed.
• 22 Mana, 16 s CD.
Judgment: Rupture (Crude, Active)
Consumes all Corruption on target to deal Void damage.
• Base 25 + 20/stack; at ≥3 stacks: brief interrupt (boss = flinch).
• On kill: Void Aftershock (5 m) for 18 dmg + Corruption +1 to enemies hit.
• 30 Mana, 16 s CD, 12 m range.
• Void Siphon (tied to Rupture):
Restore 2% Max Mana per stack consumed (up to 10%).
Mana Rush (Crude, Active)
+100% Mana Regen for 20 s. 35 s CD.
Mana Bank (Crude, Passive)
+100 Max Mana.
Void's Grasp (Passive)
Enemies at ≥3 Corruption are Slowed (12%; bosses 6%) and take +5% Void dmg.
Loki :
Shadow Blink (Uncommon, Active)
Teleport to a shadowed spot, gaining a brief stealth window on arrival.
Vanish (Uncommon, Active)
Enter stealth in place.
Umbral Pulse (Uncommon, Active)
Shadow shockwave that stuns nearby enemies.
• Normal: ~2.0 s stun; Boss Phase 2 reduced to 1.0 s.
Poisoned Dagger (Epic, Active)
Thrown blade; applies Poison (ticking damage).
Backstab (Uncommon, Passive)
Bonus damage when striking from behind.
(Class Passive 5)
First strike after breaking stealth deals double damage.
Weakspot (uncommon, Passive)
Identify a weak spot. Striking vulnerable spot deals bonus damage
Assassination (Uncommon, Passive)
Effect: Deal +120% damage to enemies at ≤15% HP.
Note: Don't know if anyone cares, but if you also want boss Skills/Stat, type +1 in the comment