CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: PLANT ABOMINATION AND RUINED KNIGHT FIGHT

The two monsters standing before Stark were the pinnacle of the [Ruined City].

One rare-rank boss, the other epic-rank, both at level 25.

Stark knew them well. From his past life, these creatures were infamous.

Countless parties had been wiped out here, convinced they were strong enough to take them down, only to die in a few minutes.

The moment Stark stepped close to the city’s edge, both monsters rushed toward him, as if the system itself had ordered them to crush intruders.

They weren’t random spawns. They were gatekeepers.

He spun his staff in his hand and fixed his cold eyes on them.

"Here we go."

The [Plant Abomination] was grotesque, a twisted mound of vines, branches, and roots mashed together into the shape of a moving beast.

Its body writhed as if hundreds of snakes were tangled around one another, and at the center was a wide, gaping mouth lined with jagged wooden teeth.

The [Ruined Knight], on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

A silent figure clad in pitch-black armor, its body radiating a suffocating aura.

It gripped a massive blade in one hand, its movements deliberate, every step thundering across the ruined ground.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Each footstep echoed like a death bell, heavy and final.

Stark remembered this sound.

In his past life, the mere rhythm of those steps could paralyze people with fear.

Many would log out the moment they heard it.

But Stark wasn’t like them. He stood there calmly, staff raised, not a flicker of hesitation on his face.

He unleashed his spells.

Cataclysmic Fireball! Plague Crystals! Storm of Lightning!

Fwish! Boom! Zap!

Numbers flared.

-84,375! -28,125! -15,000! Immune! -45,000! Immune!

"...Hm."

The [Plant Abomination] took the brunt of it.

Fire burned through its tangled vines, searing away massive chunks of its body.

It was an elemental weakness after all.

Its poison resistance nullified the plague effect, but overall it still lost nearly two-thirds of its health in a single barrage.

The [Ruined Knight] though... was another story.

Its armor was absurd, just like Stark remembered.

Much like the [Man of Steel] boss, it reduced all damage by half.

Worse, it outright nullified piercing and lightning.

That’s why the system spat out "Immune!" when his crystals and lightning struck.

No wonder this knight had been dubbed the terror of the city.

’Yeah... makes sense,’ Stark thought, tightening his grip. ’But that’s fine.’

The knight moved first.

Shadow Dash!

Its body blurred and streaked forward, blade swinging in a cleaving arc.

Stark sidestepped just in time, the black steel carving through where he had been standing.

At the same time, the [Plant Abomination] bloomed.

Dozens of flowers sprouted across its body, each one glowing before spitting out radiant orbs.

Blooming Beam!

Dozens of energy beams fired at him in rapid succession.

Stark raised his staff.

Powerful Magic Barrier!

A shimmering shield of mana surrounded him, tanking the barrage.

The shield cracked under the assault, but it held.

Clang!

The knight’s blade slammed down again, meeting Stark’s staff.

Sparks exploded as he blocked it, sliding back several steps.

His expression didn’t change.

From the outside, this looked suicidal, a lone mage standing against two of the strongest monsters in the city.

But anyone watching closely would see it: Stark wasn’t panicking, he was holding his ground!

The [Plant Abomination] seeing as the knight handled the human, suddenly activated another skill.

Healing Flower!

A giant blossom grew from its chest and spewed glowing liquid over its body.

Green numbers floated up.

+1,000! +1,000! +1,000!

Its health bar ticked upward, climbing back fast.

But Stark didn’t give it the chance to fully recover.

Cataclysmic Fireball!

He let his barrier shatter under the knight’s swing, ignoring the ringing impact as he unleashed another blazing inferno.

Fwoooosh! BOOM!

-84,375!

The fireball tore through the plant monster’s healing, obliterating its remaining HP in a single strike.

Its vines blackened and shriveled, collapsing into a heap.

The monstrous body twitched once before falling still. One down.

But the knight didn’t even glance at its fallen ally.

It pressed forward, blade gleaming with darkness.

Clang!

Stark blocked another slash, the force numbing his arm.

His staff rattled under the weight.

’Can’t do that for much longer,’ Stark thought, ’My staff might break.’

Weapons in [Eternal Soul] didn’t have durability in the traditional sense, but raw physics still mattered.

A weaker weapon clashing against a stronger one repeatedly risked breaking.

And staffs weren’t even meant for melee.

Only a madman would use a staff to block a blade.

But Stark was exactly that madman!

"Come on, then."

He grinned, forcing the knight back with another staff swing before launching more spells.

Cataclysmic Fireball! Sovereign Vines!

Boom!

-28,125!

The fireball scorched across the knight’s armor.

Vines burst from the ground, snaking up to hit it.

Clang! Slash!

The knight hacked them apart with brutal efficiency, breaking free in seconds.

’Figures,’ Stark thought. ’But this is fine. Just need to grind it down.’

The knight attacked again.

Ruined Strikes!

Its blade danced, each swing carrying monstrous force.

Dark energy hissed along the edge, capable of cutting down most players instantly.

But not Stark.

He sidestepped one blow, parried the next, then dropped another barrier to tank the third.

Each time, he fired back with fireballs.

The battle turned into a rhythm: block, dodge, cast.

Slowly but surely, cracks spread across the knight’s armor.

Each fireball wore it down, eating away at its overwhelming defense.

Seconds stretched. Minutes passed.

The knight didn’t slow, but even bosses had limits.

Its swings grew slightly heavier, its movements just a touch less sharp.

And that was all Stark needed.

Cataclysmic Fireball! Sovereign Vines!

Boom!

-28,125!

The explosion staggered it.

The vines lashed out again, and this time, the knight faltered just long enough for them to slam into its chest.

-21,563!

Its health bar plummeted, and finally, after an exhausting barrage, the [Ruined Knight] fell.

Its armored body hit the ground with a thunderous crash, the black blade slipping from its hand.

Silence returned to the ruined edge of the city.

Stark lowered his staff, breathing out slowly.

Both bosses were dead. He had cleared the strongest obstacle of the [Ruined City].

But even as the corpses faded, he didn’t relax.

He knew this wasn’t the end. Not yet.

"The [Church Sanctuary] is next," he muttered, eyes gleaming. "Then I’ll truy be done with everything the ruined cities have to offer except the events."

Ding!

---

[You have killed "Plant Abomination (Level 25 Rare-Rank Boss)"]

[You have killed "Ruined Knight (Level 25 Epic-Rank Boss)"]

[You have gained 240,000 experience points.]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 24!]

[You have gained 5 points in all of your attributes, and 5 free points to distribute.]

[You have gained 19 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 278 Lives!]

---

Loot glittered across the ground.

Stark strode forward, activating [Hand of Avarice].

A spectral hand stretched out, plucking rewards from the corpses.

Ding!

---

[You have gained 6 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 78 Lives!]

---

That was from the [Plant Abomination].

The hand then reached into the [Ruined Knight]’s remains.

For a moment, it hovered, as if the system itself was hesitating.

Then, a golden glow erupted.

Stark’s eyes widened.

’Shit!’

That glow was unmistakable

It was the sign of an item rank upgrade.

And when the light faded, Stark wasn’t disappointed.

On the ground lay a weapon glowing brighter than any of the other loot.

A blade that radiated majesty. A legendary-rank item.