Supreme Couple In Apocalypse: Undead King & Demonic Queen

Erix touched one of the magic circles on the wall and got the notification.

[Do you wish to accept the challenge?]

'Yes'

A second later, everyone disappeared from the cavern.

[Challenge: defeat the Crystal Magma Goloth]

The group appeared in a mysterious lavatic place with a crystal biome and a fifty-meter-tall giant standing just a kilometer away.

*Roarrr!*

The giant roared, conjuring magma meteors above it as they rapidly shot toward the group.

Erix's eyes flashed as consumed Prana and produced Nihilir Wisps that appeared before the incoming meteors.

The moment those wisps touched the meteors, they vanished and appeared behind the giant, giving it a taste of its own attack as it slightly stumbled forward.

*Crackle!*

Rin waved her Blade Eater katana and Raibor Power Slime longsword, releasing a giant cross-slash costing 20,000 Prana, 2000 spirit force, and 2000 Blade Ki for a full buff of Ruined Blade Piece class-skill.

Rin's best class skill, Ruined Blade Piece, activated whenever she consumed Blade Ki in her attacks. Ruined Blade Piece: Random offense-type buff + 10% to 100% increase in your attack's power depending on consumed Blade Ki in the next attack.

The Cross-slash was two attacks, so after the first one, the second one got the Ruined Blade Piece effect.

The cross-slash dealt significant damage to the Crystal Magma Goloth, creating a giant, deep X-shaped gnash on its body and blasting it back.

"You guys became so powerful," Isabella said as a sigh of amazement left her mouth.

She took out her staff with a four-colored magic orb and created a water-elemental field before using Wind and creating icy attacks.

Since it was a Magma/crystal type Boss, Ice had an attribute advantage against it.

Aria conjured her giant whale. It opened its mouth and released a burst of condensed water bullets that exploded upon impact.

Crystal Magma Goloth had a gigantic amount of Vitality and toughness, but it still neared its death after those attacks, with Erix finally finishing it off by releasing his attack.

"I can't believe we finished it off so fast…" Isabella wryly smiled.

The scenery cracked like glass after the giant boss died, and the group found themselves in a magical cavern littered with Prana crystals stuck on the walls and floors.

"We have to break the crystals from their nodes. If you break them from somewhere else or even a crack forms, its energy will leak, and Prana stone won't form."

Isabella informed them and then demonstrated how to do it.

She conjured a simple Prana blade and used it to cut a nearby spiking crystal from its node.

The crystal had seven nodes, similar to seven zig zag-type linings, and she had to precisely cut through the linings to separate a chunk from the whole crystal—1 low-grade Prana stone acquired.

"This crystal has seven nodes, so we'll get seven Prana stones from it."

Everyone understood the assignment and started mining Prana stones.

The whole cavern had approximately a hundred crystals, which were roughly 600 to 1200 low-grade Prana stones depending on the Prana crystal's size and nodes.

Prana stones were very important for Royal-order powerhouses and above.

Aside from being a general currency, a Royal-order powerhouse needed Prana stones to expand and strengthen their Arcane Spirit Pond gradually, which was their source of Magic power and Prana capacity.

The initial steps towards the Empyrean-order required three stages of Arcane Spirit Pond's strengthening.

-First stage: infusing the pond with 10,000 low-grade Prana stones.

-Second stage: infusing the pond with 5000 medium-grade Prana stones.

-Third stage: infusing the pond with 1000 high-grade Prana stones.

After these three stages, the Arcane Spirit Pond would have expanded and this process also increased the Prana energy capacity of the pond.

Afterward, it was daily training to comprehend the new patterns that would appear at the bottom of the pond after it expanded with the first three stages.

Comprehending those patterns would allow one to form an Arcane Spirit Vortex using Prana at the center of the pond, thus pushing people to the next lifeform stage—Empyrean-order.

…

"Found it!"

Meanwhile, the people of Laveron City found the cave's entrance and informed others as people started gushing into the entrance.

Although the Prana Vein cavern had five floors, it was still not enough for every group to occupy a mining cave.

The guild parties had a big advantage, but almost all people were part of a guild despite not being official members, so the management was not too chaotic.

However, competition was still fierce. It was not allowed to hurt each other in the event avenue, but people could challenge a group that had occupied a mining cave, and if they won, they would be allowed inside and farm Prana stones with others.

The existing group wouldn't get kicked out, which was a plus for everyone in a way.

Still, not everyone could occupy a mining cave.

Fortunately, the number of Royal-order powerhouses all over the world was still low, and Noble-order powerhouses had no use for Prana stones, so the ones who had already reached Royal-order were benefiting and progressing, leaving others behind.

Those who progressed leisurely and had less comprehension power would take longer to enter Royal-order rank, becoming eventual fodders and working force.

On the other hand, those working hard relentlessly using their wits and capabilities would rise and sit at the top in this thoroughly dog-eat-dog world where nothing else but power mattered ultimately.

…

"They are here," Karas said as he looked at the mining cave's red-glowing magic circle that Erix and others occupied.

If the circle was glowing red, it indicated the mining cave was occupied.

"Tell us how powerful they are after you fight them," John, the blond-haired guild leader of White Feather guild, said with a laugh.

"I am sure we will lose against them, so we'll occupy one of your caves here," Karas smiled. "Wait for us."

The other five guild leaders winced while Karas touched the magic circle and initiated the challenge.

The others rapidly touched the remaining magic circles and began their boss challenge.

Meanwhile, Erix and others got a notification of the challenge and it was not avoidable.

After three seconds, the group vanished from the mine and appeared in a vast grassy land that looked like thousands of hills littered due to the high-low of the ground.

"You really want to know our combat power, eh?" Rin grinned as she saw Karas and the others.

"Come, I'll solo you all. You seven vs me."

Karas didn't have a change in expression, but his party members grunted and grimaced.

She was looking down on them!

"Let me motivate you more," Erix smiled. "If you manage to defeat Rin, we'll accept defeat and leave the entire mining cave for you."

"There are others on the 5th floor, so we'll just take one of those."

"Let's begin," Karas nodded as he took out a pair of brown metallic guns with ruby and emerald patterns.

The others in his party also took out their various weapons.

One-time-use items and consumables weren't allowed during the event challenge battle to prevent it from dragging and make it fair.

"Don't wait for me. Just attack," Rin floated up and approached them, stopping just five hundred meters from the group.

"Because if I attack, it will be over."

Karas nodded, "Begin."

At his signal, all nine party members of Karas's party unleashed their skills.

*Swoosh!*

*Crrr!*

First, Rin was trapped in a giant triangular prison before a hole opened at its front where several powerful condensed dark blue orbs with volatile lightning shot inside, exploding.

Right after that, ten flame spears with patterns shot towards the dust and debris that rose after the triangular prison was destroyed with explosions of those dark blue orbs.

*Boom!*

Each spear exploded in a narrow blast before a few more attacks shot toward Rin.

Rin wasn't visible to them ever since she was trapped, so they didn't know how much damage they did to her or if they defeated her, but the remaining members also hurled their attacks.

In the end, Karas also released his prepared attack, a giant icy flower with eccentric light yellow patterns.

"Interesting, he has an attribute-concept of ice," Erix noted in surprise.

"From an event or Mystic shop," Isabella said. "I am also planning to buy an Attribute-concept slate since I have enough Mystic coins."

*Boom!*

Karas's attack also struck Rin, but when the visual finally cleared, everyone in Karas's party felt their heart jump out of their mouth.

"Sorry. Your attacks were not enough to break my defense," Rin smiled, surrounded by her Chronace Field and simply dissoluting all attacks that neared her.

Not a single impact managed to reach her.

"That confirms my hunch," Karas muttered. "She is Rank 2 on the leaderboard. Rin."

"I'll attack now," Rin's eyes gleamed, and in the next second, Rin waved her hands and released ten ultra-fast and condensed slashes bearing all of her powers costing a total of 20,000 Prana, 1000 Blade Ki, and 1000 spirit force.

Karas and his party had conjured their defenses, but aside from Karas, the rest instantly vanished and appeared outside the cavern.

Karas's figure was almost cut into two, but since this was a challenge, he wasn't injured in the real.

The thick, condensed ice coating his body was shattered along with the shield that he conjured.

Although he survived, Rin didn't need to use a second attack because his Vitality hit 0, and he disappeared, arriving in the cavern.

"Boss, what the fuck?! What was that power?"

"It wasn't like any element we've seen so far!"

"It was a strange elemental power indeed. My ice defense was thoroughly shredded and severed while the aftereffects were also deadly," Karas nodded and walked towards the mining cave occupied by John.

"But no need to dwell on it. Focus on the event and mine Prana stones. We confirmed what we had to confirm."