The Tyrant Mire-King was in terrible shape; its massive form swayed as one eye socket lay ruined and its cracked, armored hide oozed blood.

While the creature's six legs trembled and its movements grew sluggish, it was still standing and fighting.

It was admirable, but idiotic.

The final push toward the creature's death began as the bears closed in from three sides, and the Rift-Sprites unleashed a volley of lightning that struck the creature's large body, burning away scales and flesh.

The skeletal warriors targeted the soft tissue behind the Tyrant's legs and the gaps in its armor, while the shadow guardians' lances pierced its wounds.

The last to hit were the spectral mages, who raised their staves, their mana-charged weapons glowing with an eerie light, and fired a volley of stone bullets that struck the Tyrant's chest, cracking its ribs and puncturing its lungs.

They followed up by unleashing their strongest attacks, as twenty fire lances struck the exposed chest where earlier wounds had weakened its natural armor. The concentrated magical bombardment punched through scale and flesh to reach its vital organs.

The Tyrant roared, not in rage this time, but in agony. The Tyrant thrashed violently, crushing another bear and scattering skeletons like leaves, yet the damage was irreparable.

Reidar stepped forward with his wand raised and channeled his remaining mana into a final Oblivion Lance.

The dark energy coalesced into a spear of void-touched power that screamed as it flew and roared as it struck the already wounded chest.

It bored through the creature's defenses and detonated inside its body, causing the Tyrant to convulse once, violently, before it collapsed.

Its giant body slammed into the ground with a force that shook the earth, flinging mud and water in every direction. The creature's four eyes went dark, its legs curling in as death took hold. Silence settled over the swamp.

Then, the notifications appeared in Reidar's eyes.

—[«Tyrant Mire-King—Level 130 - defeated!»]—

[You have gained 17250 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]

[You have earned 6727.5 Survival Points.]

—[«The First Killer» title has triggered!] —

[Skill gained: « Aura of the Alpha »]

Reidar felt the knowledge settle into his consciousness—a toggle skill radiating command, bolstering allies and weakening foes within a radius. It was exactly what his army of summons needed.

He turned his attention inward, checking the skill.

—[« Aura of the Alpha »]—

Tier: T10

Proficiency: 0.0%

Type: Active

Casting: Toggle

[ Description ]

An aura of pure command radiates from the caster. All allied summons within 30 meters gain +10% to all stats (S.H.I.E.L.D., A.C.U.M.E.N., F.L.A.I.R., F.L.I.P.). All enemies within the same radius feel its predatory pressure, suffering a -5% penalty to their stats.

[ Core Attributes ]

Base Power: N/A

Damage Type: N/A

Mana Cost: ~20 Mana/minute (Upkeep)

[ Secondary Effects ]

Alpha's Command (Buff): All allied summons within 30m gain +10% to all stats (S.H.I.E.L.D., A.C.U.M.E.N., F.L.A.I.R., F.L.I.P.).

Predatory Pressure (Debuff): All enemies within 30 meters suffer a -5% penalty to all stats.

[Acquisition Data]

Source: Dropped by Tyrant Mire-King

Requirements: Level 100

—[«END»]—

Reidar shut down the interface. There was no time for him to study the new skill now, although it seemed quite useful at first glance. Over half of his creatures were destroyed, but at least the quest's goal was complete.

…

…

…

Helga's warhammer came down with a final, sickening crunch, pulverizing the skull of the last Mire-Crawler in her immediate vicinity. The creature's body went limp and sank into the ground. She stood panting, her shoulders trembling, while the massive weapon rested on the corpse.

She killed many monsters that day.

A chime sounded in her mind and in the minds of everyone else who was joining the raid.

—[QUEST COMPLETE: Quell the Mire]—

All goals had been fulfilled. The mire had been cleansed. The raid received its rewards, and they were impressive.

Helga heard the usual surge of energy that was a prelude to a level up.

[LEVEL UP! You have reached Level 119.]

[You have gained 0.5 attribute points to distribute.]

A second later, another notification appeared to her and every survivor in the valley.

—[QUEST COMPLETE: The Culling of the Verdant Valley]—

The quest provided a different kind of reward. It was neither a skill, a title, nor an item. It was that it gave to everyone in the valley +10% Resource Yields, which meant Survival points, C.L.A.S.P. points, items, better items, and so on. Whoever brought people to the valley to level up would have a far easier time getting stronger.

A ragged cheer went up from the survivors scattered across the battlefield. They had done it; the fog would lift, allowing them to go home. However, they knew for sure they were going to come back here again.

Helga leaned on her hammer, scanning the scene. The raid was a mess. Armor was dented and bloody; faces were smeared with mud and exhaustion. But they were alive.

The summoned bears, now flickering and translucent as their time ran out, had turned the tide. The last handful of Mire-Crawlers faced Aldric's Sun Chasers hunting them on the far side of the area. But they were not needed to complete the quest.

She took a deep, relieved breath, but the air caught in her throat. Her pale blue-gray eyes narrowed. Something was off.

The mana in the air, which had been a chaotic storm during the fight, should have been settling. Instead, it felt… thick. Congested.

Aldric's expression shifted from triumph to alertness. He felt it too.

"Something's wrong," he said.

Helga nodded, her knuckles white on the haft of her hammer. "It is."

But then everyone got their answer.

[URGENT WARNING! ALL THE MANA FROM THE ENVIRONMENT IS GETTING SIPHONED! TIME LIMIT BEFORE IT GETS COMPLETELY ABSORBED: 5 MINUTES.]

[QUEST RECEIVED: SAVE THE MANA!]

[IF THE QUEST IS NOT SOLVED IN FIVE MINUTES, THE REWARDS FROM THE QUEST THE CULLING OF THE VERDANT VALLEY WILL DISAPPEAR.]

[ERROR. IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THE QUEST IN THE ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF TIME.]

[QUEST: SAVE THE MANA! FAILED.]

"What the fuck is happening?"

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.