"What the hell is a Realm World Boss?!!" Carl yelled in shock, the numbers on his galaxy screen searing into his retinas. Five million attack power. That was a number for gods, not dungeons.
"I have only heard of them once," Mirabella said, her gaze serious. By 'once', she meant in her past life.
"These Monsters known as Realm World Bosses are the strongest monsters in that realm. For example, the first server refers to a realm..."
"But, the first server already upgraded," Grace muttered, clutching her staff, her knuckles white.
"Yes, although it upgraded, it's still the first realm. Just take our world as a realm," She explained quickly. "It's an apex predator of an entire dimension."
"Milady is right. Whenever you encounter a Realm World Boss, you should run. That's if you can," Elizabeth said. Her voice was steady, but the air around her chilled. With a flick of her wrist, a long, blood-red sword manifested in her hand—a weapon that hummed with a thirsty resonance.
"Ten of you, stand back. This isn't your fight," She ordered, stepping in front of the students.
"Gosh, why would there be such a powerful monster here? This is a Lv120 red dungeon. The highest level should be 120," Carl yelled, frustration warring with fear. He signaled his team, and they jumped back, creating distance. Elizabeth was right; this was a battle of titans, and they were ants.
The Crystal Emperor hovered, his purple eyes scanning them like data points. He stared at them for some seconds, processing, then vanished.
WHOOSH!
He reappeared instantly in front of Jessica, his fist blurring as he sent a punch aimed at her head.
"Hmph!"
She snorted, her reflexes honed by two powerful abilities. She leaped backward just as the fist connected with the air where she had been.
BOOOOM!!!!
The Emperor smashed the ground. The shockwave pulverized the rock, rising a cloud of smoke and debris. But before she could even land, he shot forward through the dust, appearing in front of her mid-air.
"What?"
Jessica's eyes widened. She quickly raised her spirit energy swords and layered a defensive barrier, crossing her arms to block.
BAM!!!!
The attack smashed into her guard. The force was cataclysmic. It wasn't just physical impact; it was kinetic devastation.
BOOOOM!!
She was launched like a cannonball, smashing heavily into the ground, creating a furrow of earth fifty meters long. She vomited a mouthful of blood, her internal organs screaming.
'Shit! She didn't tell me this monster will be this strong! I shouldn't have woken it up!' She thought, regret piercing through the pain.
_____
[Some moments Ago.]
WHOOSH!!
Jessica appeared in front of a jagged red boulder on a hilltop overlooking the forest. She twirled her spirit swords.
"Those guys? I will ask her about them when I get back," she muttered, dismissing the students she had left behind. She walked towards the rock and tapped it lightly with her swords. It rang hollow.
"Get the heart..." She stared at the red rock with a frown. Her mission parameters were vague. "Does rock have heart? Maybe what I am looking for is inside."
She leaped backward, creating distance. Then she shattered her swords into pure energy motes and placed her palms together, weaving signs at incredible speed.
"Earth style, Earth Drill! Lightning grave! Water style, Water dragon!" She yelled.
BOOOOM!
The earth before her shattered and formed a huge, rotating drill that shot forward. Simultaneously, lightning arcs materialized around the rock, crackling with violent energy.
BOOOOM!
Water shot out from the ground, moving like serpentine dragons, and merged with the earth drill, hardening it into concrete sludge before impact.
"Now!"
BOOOOM!!!!
The attacks all exploded in unison. The red rock didn't stand a chance; it shattered, revealing a pristine crystal coffin hovering within, sealed with a glowing, intricate runic script.
"Um?"
She tilted her head to the side, curious. She walked towards the coffin, staring at the rune.
"Not bad," she assessed. "High-level containment."
She stretched forth her hand towards it, and a white rune circle appeared in front of her palm.
"Unsealing Rune!" She yelled, and sent it towards the sealing rune.
BOOOOM!!!
The two runic circles collided, matter and anti-matter reacting violently. The force threw her back, and she slid on the ground until she dug her heels in to stabilize herself.
"I did it...."
She froze. The coffin lid dissolved, and a figure made of dark, translucent crystal walked out. He radiated an aura so heavy it felt like gravity had doubled.
"Huh? Am I to take its heart?" She muttered in confusion, looking at the creature's chest.
"My heart, aren't you arrogant," the Crystal Emperor spoke. His voice wasn't sound; it was a vibration in her bones. He stretched forth his hand towards her.
"Hey!! I just set you free, shouldn't you thank me or at least be my slave?!" She asked, indignant.
The Crystal Emperor blinked, his purple eyes staring at the Mythical Eye on her forehead, then at the girl herself.
"I was sealed in that place by you Humans. Do you think I believe you?!" He asked. His stretched hand started glowing with a terrifying purple light.
"Humans sealed me here for hundreds of years... And you expect me to believe a human will set me free?" He asked, his tone dripping with centuries of hate. "You only free what you wish to use."
"Crystal doom."
"You!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
The energy blast was instantaneous. The whole hilltop exploded, vaporizing the rock and throwing Jessica miles away, sending her hurtling back towards the clearing where the others waited.
_____
[Present.]
WHOOSH!!!
The Crystal Emperor shot towards her again, closing the distance instantly. He appeared in front of the downed Jessica, pulling back his fist for the final blow. He planned on finishing her off before she could rise.
BOOOOOM!!!!
The impact shook the entire dungeon. Dust and shockwaves rippled out, knocking the weaker students off their feet.
"....?!"
"Huh?!"
Everyone was stunned. Even the Crystal Emperor was dumbfounded. He stared at his fist, which was stopped dead—caught in the palm of a small, blue-haired girl.
Mirabella stood over Jessica, her hand smoking from the impact.
"Huh?!!"
The system damage log flashed in Mirabella's mind.
{Damage Taken: 5,000,000.}
{Defense: 0 / 1,715,720.}
{Health: -3,284,280.}
{Total Health: 136,041,320 / 139,325,600.}
She had tanked a five-million damage hit and lost barely 2% of her total health.
"Huh?!"
The Crystal Emperor leaped backward, creating distance from this anomaly. "You withstand my blow?"
"You?! Why are you helping me?!" Jessica asked in confusion, wiping blood from her chin.
"Hey." Mirabella looked at her over her shoulder, her expression complex.
"Believe me, I hate the new you... But I can't just stand there and watch you get killed." She clenched her fist, forcing circulation back into her numbed hand. "We have history, unfortunately."
She turned back to the Emperor. "I will get back to you after I deal with him. All of you stand down, leave this to me." She said.
"But?" Elizabeth started, stepping forward.
"You heard me, Elizabeth, that's an order," she added, her voice brokering no argument.
Elizabeth stopped, bit her lip, and sighed helplessly. She lowered her red sword. "As you wish, Milady."
"Young master, Should we?" Zoginoi turned to Hitachi, whose gaze was fixed on the Crystal Emperor with analytical intensity.
"No, she wants to fight it alone, we will stand back and watch," Hitachi said calmly. "I want to see her limits."
The Crystal Emperor looked at his hand, flexing the crystal fingers, then at Mirabella. "You are strange, child... No human can have such high defense or health stats. You smell of that family who sealed me, yet look like prey."
'This monster's intellect is 100%. He's very smart,' Mirabella thought. She couldn't trick him; she had to break him.
With a flick of her wrists, the twin spirit swords appeared in both hands, glinting with lethal intent.
"Let's end this quick." She added.
The Crystal Emperor nodded slowly, acknowledging a worthy opponent. He grabbed his white cape and tore it off, letting it drift to the ground.
"Humans will always be annoying!" He yelled, as his purple energy flared up, causing the ground to crack beneath him.
"Let's have a good fight."