Fwoosh! BOOM!

-455,400!

The [Gardener] instantly took almost half a million damage from that single attack, the blast echoing through the maze like a miniature explosion.

The sheer number popping up above its body was already terrifying on its own, a reminder of just how strong Karl's spells really were at this point.

Yet even with that, even with the fire and the impact and the force behind the hit, the monster barely reacted.

Its massive frame shuddered for a moment, just a little twitch of its body, but nothing more.

No cry, no stumble, no sign of it truly feeling the pain.

Ding!

[You have afflicted "Burn" to "Gardener"]

Small flames erupted across the boss' huge body, sticking to the patches of green and the places where the vines overlapped like armor.

It was taking damage, slowly but steadily, though anyone could tell it wasn't enough to bother something like this.

A DoT effect meant nothing if the monster's overall health pool was simply too massive.1

The damage ticked away little by little, but the boss didn't even acknowledge it.

One thing every player had to understand in this world was that damage could indeed stun, shake, or push monsters depending on how strong the attack was.

However, the higher the monster's HP, the more insignificant the damage became.

It didn't matter how flashy the spell looked or how big the damage number appeared.

If the health bar was tens of millions, or even a few million, then even a huge strike would barely register.

For example, if Karl stood in front of a boss with something like one hundred million health, even if he managed to hit for a million in a single blow, the monster wouldn't react at all.

Not even a flinch.

To a creature with that much HP, Karl's strongest spells would be nothing more than the equivalent of a mosquito nibbling its arm.

Annoying maybe, but not something worth reacting to. Basically, it meant nothing.

But still, even if the boss' HP was massive, Karl could tell the attack had caused at least something.

A tiny reaction. The [Gardener] had shuddered.

It wasn't enough to interrupt anything or knock it back, but it was proof that his attack wasn't completely meaningless.

The mouth carved into the [Gardener]'s face shifted.

What had once been a blank cut turned into an angry expression, sharp teeth appearing along the slit as if someone had carved rage into it.

Then green aura began leaking out of the cut-open eyes, trailing like smoke as the boss lowered its body.

'Oh shit.'

Karl's instincts kicked in immediately.

That posture, that shift, the change in aura, it all signaled one thing.

The [Gardener] was charging an attack.

Storm of Lightning!

Zaps of electricity surged from Karl's staff, crackling through the air before shooting straight at the monster.

-161,920!

It was a solid hit, strong enough to shake most monsters at his level, but compared to the [Fire Meteor], it was still weaker.

And like before, the [Gardener] didn't even budge.

"Well, that should be fine," Karl muttered, trying to steady his breath as he kept an eye on the boss. "I still have my barrier after all—"

Fwoosh!

Before he could even finish speaking, the [Gardener] completed its charge.

A violent burst of green aura exploded outward as the attack finished forming.

Life Cutter!

The boss lunged forward with terrifying speed, faster than Karl expected, and swiped its massive shears toward him.

BAM! CRACK!

-25,000!

Karl's barrier shattered instantly.

Pieces of the broken magical shield evaporated in front of him, leaving him standing there completely defenseless.

"Alright, this ain't gonna work."

Fwish!

The [Gardener] swung its shears again, the blades cutting through the air faster than Karl could react, forcing him to dodge by only a hair's length.

It was much faster than him. Much stronger. And much more relentless.

'No idea how much health it has, and it'll hit me in a few seconds if I don't get away.'

Karl's main problem was straightforward.

His speed simply wasn't enough to keep up with the [Gardener].

Even if he had the firepower to deal damage, he needed time to use it.

He needed distance. But this monster didn't allow either.

And so, to resolve this issue...

Head Cut!

The [Gardener] snapped its shears shut right next to Karl's head, missing him by a split second.

If he had reacted even a fraction slower, his head would have been gone.

Fire Meteor!

Karl fired off another meteor, aiming it straight at the monster's torso.

The blazing attack descended and crashed against the boss, making it stumble.

-455,400!

The impact wasn't enough to stop it, but it forced the shears to miss their target.

'I've already dealt over one million health, but a level 50 boss surely has more,' Karl thought, trying to calculate.

'But... I'm guessing based on its level and rank that it has around three million.'

Three million HP was a terrifying number for someone under-leveled.

Even if he could keep hitting it with big spells, he needed to survive long enough to cast them.

Right now, that didn't seem possible. And so, when the [Gardener] lunged again...

Fwish!

Karl focused on his system panel and activated the [Mount Bell] without hesitation, summoning Moonless.

He hadn't wanted to call her.

She was still injured from the [Vine Serpent] fight.

He had been planning to let her rest longer, especially since traveling inside a maze with a mount was difficult.

But he had no choice.

Fwoosh! BAM!

Moonless appeared instantly in front of him and rammed right into the [Gardener], pushing it back a single step.

It wasn't a powerful push, but it created just enough space for Karl to breathe.

"Stand back," Karl yelled sharply, "If it cuts off your head, it's over."

A mount's level always matched its master's, so Moonless was currently level 25.

And each time Karl leveled up, she would follow, growing slightly stronger.

If someone sold or abandoned a mount, their loyalty reset and so did their stats, but as long as Karl kept her, her growth was tied to his.

Still, even with her naturally strong stats, Moonless wasn't strong enough for this boss.

Her slam only staggered it for a second.

Slash!

The [Gardener] swung again, and the blade of its shears cut across Moonless' side.

HOOOWLLLL!

Moonless let out a painful cry, stumbling from the blow.

Karl clenched his teeth, anger boiling under his skin.

'I have no idea how long I can keep going, and Moonless is surely gonna die.'

It wasn't about not having enough damage.

Karl could kill the boss if he had the time to fire a few more spells.

The problem was surviving long enough to cast them.

Every second the boss stayed close meant risking instant death.

And so…

"Let's get away," Karl ordered loudly.

Moonless immediately reacted, dodging another attempt at decapitation and rushing toward Karl, lowering herself so he could climb on her back.

Fwish!

Karl hopped on quickly, gripping her tightly as the [Gardener] began chasing.

He didn't waste a second.

Fire Meteor! Storm of Lightning!

Boom! Zap!

-455,400! -161,920!

'Over 1.5 million dealt,' Karl judged quickly, 'Half, I guess?'

He still couldn't see the health bar.

Normally, players couldn't run from the [Gardener]. It chased until they died.

That alone made it one of the most feared monsters here.

But Karl used the brief stun from the Fire Meteor to give Moonless a head start.

Thanks to her [Sprint] passive, she was faster than the boss.

They rushed through the maze, turning several corners, the passages narrowing as Karl held on.

'It's kind of cramped, but better than nothing,' he thought, 'Just have to avoid it.'

Two minutes passed. No sounds behind them.

Karl allowed himself to believe he might have escaped.

But then—

BOOM!

A wall in front of them exploded, pieces flying everywhere as a massive pair of shears burst through.

"STOP!"

Moonless halted instantly, but her momentum was too strong, and Karl was thrown forward, slamming into the wall ahead.

-500!

The damage was small, but it still hurt.

Karl pushed himself up, forcing his focus back into place.

Through the destroyed wall, the [Gardener] stepped forward.

Its carved mouth curved upward into a cruel smile, enjoying the chase, enjoying toying with him.

"Alright then," Karl said, tightening his grip on his staff, eyes narrowing. "It's you or me, then."

DoT = Damage over Time

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.