Fwoosh! Sprint!

Moonless burst forward at full speed. The moment she moved, the world around them blurred.

The [Blooming Lands] vanished into streaks of color as trees, vines, stone structures, and patches of crimson flowers flashed past in seconds.

Even with Karl's absurd agility boosts, he knew there was no comparison.

Moonless was simply on another level. And the terrifying part was that this wasn't even her limit. As her level rose and her loyalty increased, her speed would only continue to climb.

Karl stayed low on her back, steady and relaxed, letting her handle the movement completely.

Minutes passed in what felt like mere moments.

The massive vine in the distance grew larger and larger with every second. What had once looked like a distant landmark now dominated the horizon, stretching upward endlessly.

And finally—

They arrived.

Moonless slowed to a stop at the base of the vine, directly beneath the towering [Death] flower.

Up close, the scale of it was overwhelming.

The vine alone was thicker than anything, its surface covered in layered bark-like growths and veins pulsing faintly with red light.

Above it, the enormous crimson flower loomed, its massive petals spreading outward like a ceiling and blocking out a large portion of the sky.

Karl tilted his head back slightly.

Even knowing what was up there, the sight still made his chest tighten just a bit.

"Alright," Karl said as he jumped off Moonless' back. "Stay here."

He glanced upward once more, eyes tracing the length of the vine.

"Can't know what that thing can do… or what might happen."

Moonless let out a low sound and nodded, lowering herself to the ground and sitting obediently. Her eyes stayed locked ahead, alert and focused.

There were no monsters nearby. Nothing ever wandered close to this place.

It was as if the entire area instinctively avoided the [Death] flower. Still, Moonless didn't relax in the slightest. She waited patiently, ready to react the moment Karl needed her.

Karl stepped forward alone.

He took a deep breath and raised his staff, pointing it straight toward the gate embedded at the base of the vine.

Blazing Meteor!

A blazing mass of fire formed instantly at the tip of his staff and shot forward.

Fwoosh!BOOM!

The impact shook the ground.

Just like the first time, the earth in front of the gate cracked open violently.

The [Floral Guardian] erupted from below, vines snapping outward as it emerged, its massive shield already raised in front of it.

BOOM!

The blazing meteor slammed into the shield and scattered, the flames dispersing harmlessly as if they had hit an immovable wall.

The guardian didn't even flinch.

"Here we go," Karl muttered as he spun his staff and stepped forward. "I couldn't defeat you last time."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"But this time… it's different."

---

[Floral Guardian (Level 50)]

[Rank: Legendary (Special Boss)]

[HP: 3,000,000]

---

The first thing Karl noticed was the panel.

Unlike the previous encounter, he could now see everything clearly: its rank, its level, and its total HP.

That alone told him how much stronger he had become. The [Floral Guardian] itself hadn't changed at all.

It was a two-meter-tall monster formed from thick vines and hardened stone, its body rooted directly into the ground. At the center of its face was a single massive yellow eye, unblinking and unsettling.

Its legs appeared fused into the earth, using the ground itself as a source of nourishment and stability.

Its right arm, made of dense vines reinforced with stone, held an enormous shield that looked capable of stopping almost anything.

Its left arm was far worse.

A massive pink carnivorous plant had grown from it, complete with thick vines acting as muscles and a huge maw filled with jagged teeth.

Drool dripped slowly from its mouth, hissing softly as it hit the ground.

This thing was a true defensive tank.

It existed for one purpose only: to block the gate and prevent anyone from passing.

Karl was almost certain the shield could nullify the vast majority of physical and magical attacks alike. Trying to brute-force through it head-on would be pointless.

But that didn't mean it was invincible.

Karl took a few steps closer. The [Floral Guardian] didn't move.

Its yellow eye followed him precisely, tracking every step, every shift in posture.

It couldn't leave its position directly in front of the gate. That was its role. Its shield stayed raised at all times, forming an unbreakable barrier between Karl and the vine.

Trying to surround it physically would be suicide.

The moment anyone stepped too close from the side, the carnivorous plant acting as its left arm would tear them apart instantly.

And worst of all—

Its gaze never left you.

No matter where you moved, no matter how fast you were, that single yellow eye stayed locked onto you.

Even those who possessed the first two keys were not allowed to ascend the [Death] flower.

"They really don't want anyone going up," Karl thought with a grin. "And even if you do, you still have to clear that [Flower Challenge]."

He exhaled slowly. hen he spun his staff in his hand and pointed it forward.

Storm of Lightning!

A violent surge of lightning exploded outward, striking from all directions at once and engulfing the [Floral Guardian].

Because the shield only covered its front—

ZAP!

-283,680!

The damage number burst into the air.

The [Floral Guardian] took a massive hit. Still, it didn't budge.

Under normal circumstances, this strategy would be completely useless.

For most players, the damage output simply wouldn't be enough. They'd need to repeat the process for hours, and there was always the chance the boss could regenerate or enter an enraged state.

But Karl wasn't "most players."

His damage was absurd. And his cooldowns were short.

Eight seconds later, [Storm of Lightning] was ready again.

ZAP!

-283,680!

Another massive chunk of HP vanished.

The guardian remained silent, unmoving, its yellow eye fixed on Karl while the carnivorous plant on its left arm growled in agitation.

Karl didn't stop. Again. And again.

Each cast slammed more lightning into the guardian, steadily draining its HP as it stood there, rooted in place.

The yellow eye began releasing a strange liquid, seeping down its rocky face, making it look almost like it was crying.

The carnivorous plant's growls grew louder, more aggressive, its teeth clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

For a special boss, it almost felt pathetic.

ZAP!

-283,680!

By the eighth cast, the [Floral Guardian]'s HP dropped below one million.

And then—

Ding!

["Floral Guardian" has entered its second phase.]

Karl's eyes narrowed.

Before he could even fully process the notification—

BOOM!

Vines erupted violently from behind him.

Karl reacted instantly, twisting his body and leaping aside as the vines slammed into the ground where he had been standing a split second earlier.

'I guess it can attack from a distance now,' Karl thought calmly. 'Still fine.'

He turned back toward the [Floral Guardian], already preparing another spell, and then he froze.

The [Floral Guardian] was moving.

The thick vines that had rooted it to the ground tore free as its lower body reshaped itself. Stone and plant matter twisted together, forming a pair of powerful legs.

In the next instant, it dashed forward.

The distance between them vanished in a blink.

The massive carnivorous plant on its left arm lunged forward, its maw wide open, teeth glistening as it aimed straight for Karl.

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.