NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75: An Obsidian Heart
Ace briefed his team on the boss's skills and behavior. Everyone listened. Tyler and Seraphina looked surprised by the level of detail. It sounded like he'd soloed this boss several times.
Usually, Rankers verified intel more than once before committing.
Chaewon and Alex showed no doubt. That kept Tyler and Seraphina from questioning him.
They used their standard formation, with Mercer close to Alex.
The team fanned out and readied for battle. Ace moved deeper along the creek bank to confirm the boss's location. Soon he spotted a massive two-headed wolf lapping at the river.
Its long tongues whipped the water, splashing loudly. The sound grated.
Ace took his archery stance, straight as a drawn bow. He pulled and let fly a spinning arrow into the boss's side. Silver fur darkened with blood. It howled toward the shot.
Ace didn't hide. He let the boss see him, then turned and ran for his team.
The Bow's Damage, the Armament, and Tyler's buffs make this easier. Having a good King is a game changer.
Ace sprinted toward his team. The others waited behind trees and in safer positions.
Alex held his ground with his shield up. When the huge two-headed wolf burst from cover, he tightened his grip on the handle.
I've seen a lot of shit, but monsters like this remind me I haven't seen enough.
Bracing hard, he boosted his defenses and rooted himself, locking his position. The boss wouldn't take the bait or try to avoid him. Ace had said its pride wouldn't let it act like the rest of the pack. It was the alpha. The Alpha.
Both heads slammed into the shield. Even with every skill active, they almost forced Alex back. One head opened its jaws wide and bit the shield's rim. The muzzle was wide enough to swallow it whole. Alex refused to let go. The other head slipped to the side, angling for his flank.
Mercer stepped in and slid between Alex and the snapping jaws. He set his sword diagonally as a guard.
A warm golden aura bled from the blade, countering the provoke effect. In truth, he was boosting health and mana regeneration for both, letting them hold longer. It worked, and the boss misread the skill.
With the front locked down, Ace and the other two damage dealers advanced.
Chaewon took one flank; Seraphina took the other.
Chaewon's sword flashed violet. Her cut climbed the boss's side and split into afterimages. It looked like a purple beast clawed the flesh.
On the opposite side, Seraphina ran in. With her blades low, she spun through and carved an irregular line. Each cut seared and burst inside the wound.
From above, Ace watched his team and readied the drop. He didn't have a flashy skill like theirs, but his dive with the spear carried him through the air with a paper‑tear hiss. On the drop, he drove the point deep into the boss's back. The monster doubled over, belly hitting the ground as both heads arched and eyes bulged.
"Your sword's not for show, lil' bro! Get in!" Alex shouted, grinning.
"Yes!" Mercer said, then slashed diagonally across a fallen head, taking its eye and shutting it down.
"Well done," Ace called, as a proud older brother. "Brace for impact!"
It came at once. The boss's howl hurled everyone back. Ace caught a branch, swung, and settled above the fight.
Chaewon and Seraphina sprinted to the willow roots. Alex and Mercer got to their feet and reset their line.
On Ace's signal, Chaewon and Seraphina cut the hidden vines. The crowns bent and crashed onto the boss's heads. The hit stunned it. Branches held in place, pinning the monster.
Ace's eyes shone crimson. "Finish it."
With the boss unable to move, Ace's team severed both necks and ended the fight. It was so easy that some expected an undead second phase.
Ace landed beside the corpse and laughed. "Not happening. You set your loot options, right?"
"Yes." Seraphina met his eyes.
"Once this boss takes damage, it trades defense for strength. Stronger, but easier to kill. That's why we could cut through its necks and skulls so fast."
"It's also because of those trees," Chaewon said.
As she spoke, the crowns snapped back. Blood splashed over the red banners hanging from the branches and soaked in. That was the location mechanic for this boss, meant to help Rankers beat it.
In Ace's first life, people discovered it much later. This time, he used it from the start.
"Let's see the drop," he said, rubbing his hands.
Alex and Mercer chimed together. "Gacha!"
Tyler and Chaewon enjoyed the "Gacha" moment with Seraphina's loot options, but Alex and Mercer's hype was enough for the team—and maybe too much, edging toward childish. The two kept it down and walked over to Seraphina with Ace.
Seraphina smiled at their reactions and opened her system.
[You have defeated the two-headed wolf boss as a team.]
[You have three options to choose from to extract a loot, and pick two of them as well: An Obsidian Heart, Primordial Shield, Wolf-Fur Boots.]
Alex let out a low groan when he saw a shield among the two picks. He didn't even stop to ask why she could pick two; his eyes stayed glued to Primordial Shield. He wanted it. He really wanted it. One look at his face and those bright eyes said enough.
Seraphina looked at Ace.
He nodded. "We'll take the shield, of course. Two options because the boss would drop more than one item, right?"
Seraphina nodded. "Yes."
"This leaves us with one more item... An Obsidian Heart is intriguing," Ace said.
"You don't know this item?" Chaewon asked, not hiding her surprise.
"I don't really know this item, but... there's already something named after obsidian, isn't there?" Ace said, hinting at what came to mind when he saw the name.
Tyler caught it first. "The Obsidian Shrine."
Each member of Ace's team reacted similarly to the name. Only Seraphina stayed blank; she still hadn't broken free of guilt and Gesta's shackles. The others groaned or showed open displeasure at yet another tie to the shrine.
Two already felt like too much.