Chapter 94 Chapter 23.1 - Time Guardian
"I am ready now."
Looking at the small peak I had spent my whole month on, I mumbled.
I had already finished preparing for the raid of the boss and removing the camp.
"Time Guardian, huh? Certainly a tricky opponent."
A monster of a low rank-3 strength, physically. But, strange enough, its real strength didn't lie on his body but its time-related affinity. After all, even though most of the time, boss monsters' strength was determined by their mana wavelength and body, there were some special ones that were ranked higher thanks to their unique characteristics.
Time Guardian was one of them. If ranked according to the orthodox methods, it would be a low rank-three monster, but because of its uniqueness, it was ranked as low rank-4.
'Then, again. If you are prepared enough, nothing can stand in your way.'
Looking at the small pebbles that I had gathered while walking around and the arrowheads I made from those pebbles, I started checking everything one last time.
I double-checked my gear, making sure everything was set. The artifacts, potions, and supplies were all vital for what lay ahead. I thought about how far I'd come since I first arrived here. It felt like a different time.
My body was also all rested, and I had even taken a shower to feel refreshed. Everything was set in stone, and the only thing was left to confront the boss.
Stepping out into the grove, I blended in shadows, activating [Shadowborne].
Today was a cloudy and rainy day, even though just yesterday it was scorching hot. And according to my observations, it would stay like that for one more day.
With cautious steps, I moved deeper into the grove, alert to everything around me. The tension was high, knowing the final trial was approaching.
'There shouldn't be many monsters left.'
While training for the whole last month, my only object was not only to improve myself but also to trim the monsters in this place one by one.
I dragged the exploration, and since I am very good at stealth and range attacks, it was not that hard for me to trim their numbers, even when I was alone.
Therefore, I was sure that no monsters would stand in my way while I would be confronting the Time Guardian.
RUSTLE
As I ventured deeper, the shadows seemed to cling to me, providing a sense of concealment that was comforting.
And, just as I expected, eventually, I arrived at the heart of the Groove, where the boss monster awaited without encountering any other monsters inside the place.
FLINCH
The eerie presence of the boss sent shivers down my spine. Its flickering form made it hard to pin down a target, emphasizing its nature of time manipulation.
"Let's get this done."
TAP TAP TAP TAP
The rain continued to fall, setting a somber mood, fitting for the showdown ahead.
I carefully stepped forward, ready to confront the Time Guardian.
My senses heightened, every muscle prepared for the inevitable battle that would decide my fate within the Chrono Grove.
'The first stage should be relatively easy.'
I thought to myself, readying my bow as I looked at the boss monster before me.
The Time Guardian stood before me, a creature that defied conventional expectations.
Its form flickered and shifted, the spiritually-looking visage showcasing its affinity with the manipulation of time.
The boss resembled an ancient and mystical entity, its outlines blurred and the edges seeming to dissipate into the surrounding air. It was hard to pin down a specific shape as if it was in a perpetual state of transition.
In fact, it was later revealed that the Time Guardian was the ancestor of the [Eon Specters] and [Temporal Shifters]; both of them are the monsters habiting this place.
And because of that fact, the Time Guardian had the characteristics of both of them.
The creature's colors were a spectrum of blues of Eon Specters and silvers of Temporal Shifters, mirroring the shifting nature of time itself.
The hues swirled and mixed, resembling a whirlpool that drew the eye into its depths.
The Time Guardian emanated a subtle glow as the small sunlight passed through the clouds and refracted through a crystal, setting the atmosphere.
"Certainly, an incredible scene."
I muttered to myself, admiring its form while preparing for the impending clash. However, everything would meet its end in one way or another.
'Keen Eye.'
Activating my skill, I felt the mana moving into my eyes as my vision tunneled into the boss before me.
Even though the skill was supposed to show the weakness of the boss, since it was a low-rank skill, it wasn't doing its job properly. Even then, my eyes wandered around the boss, my trait [Perceptive Insight] doing its work.
I observed the monster and combined the information from the game with my observations.
I was still in the shadows, hiding from the boss, and the boss monster didn't make any move.
"Hooo…."
With a deep breath, I pulled an arrow from my quiver and nocked it onto my bowstring, eyes never leaving the flickering form of the Time Guardian.
'The pattern is like this.'
My heartbeat calmed down as the moment of confrontation approached. I was a hunter, not a warrior, and a hunter would never lose his cool.
I aimed carefully, judging the distorted figure of the boss, and released the arrow.
SWISH
It soared through the air, finding its mark as it collided with the Time Guardian's form.
However, instead of a satisfying thud, the arrow seemed to slow down, the boss's manipulation of time altering its trajectory.
The arrow lost speed, allowing the Time Guardian to shift its form just enough to let the arrow harmlessly pass through.
"This won't be easy,"
I muttered to myself, quickly moving to my next arrow, preparing to fire again.
'The time manipulation itself is changing the acceleration and its vectorial position.'
I adjusted my aim, predicting the time manipulation aspect of the boss's abilities. I needed to anticipate where it would be, not where it was.
The boss monster had yet to even awaken from its slumber; even its natural form was hard to attack.
Applying my green-colored mana to the arrow, I supplied the arrow with the mana. Since Green colored mana was the most stable one, it was my best bet.
SWISH THUD
Releasing the arrow, it hurtled towards the Time Guardian, and this time, I saw a slight waver in its form, a successful hit.
With my eyes, I could see the green tendrils forming in front of me, connecting my vision to the boss.
ROAR
But before I could celebrate, the boss retaliated, a ripple of distorted time lashing out in my direction. The speed of the attack was high, as it instantly accelerated right before my eyes.
'Dash.'
SWOOSH
I activated my skill, and I swiftly dodged, feeling the disturbance in the air as the ripple missed me by inches.
The Time Guardian's powers were formidable, and I couldn't afford to underestimate them. It was a battle of precision and timing.
However, the first arrow was the most important one. While I was training with [Temporal Shifters], I was trying to find ways to counter its form change, and I found one.
My green-colored mana countered the monster, marking its 'real' part that hadn't disconnected from this dimension.
Thanks to that, from the moment my first arrow landed, the following was going to be easy.
SWISH SWISH
I continued to fire arrows, each shot a careful calculation of the boss's probable position and its time-altering abilities.
My eyes constantly wandered around the space, observing every bit of little ripples in the environment.
It was a habit I had acquired while spending my time in this ever-changing space, and I learned one thing.
'Never make sure of something; always be ready for something to change.'
At this point, the shadows were practically useless, and I was expecting that. The boss monsters have a higher sensitivity to mana; thus, from the moment I started attacking using my mana, it was going to locate me easily.
Therefore, rather than moving in between shadows, I moved alongside the groove with my skill [Dash] active, constantly changing my location.
TAP TAP TAP
The sound of rain and my steps amongst the mud echoed in my ears,
The battle had just begun, and this was only the initial dance, a dance of ranged attacks and evasive maneuvers.
ROAR!
With a loud shout, the Time Guardian started throwing a bunch of rocks to me. However, if one thing was different, then it was the speed of the rocks.
SWOOSH SWOOSH, BOOM! BOOM!
Thanks to its ability to manipulate time, in fact, the Time Guardian has the ability to narrow the interval of time where the rock would reach a certain speed. And, thanks to that, the rock would have a higher acceleration, resulting in a narrower interval for me to dodge.
'Dash.'
However, my skill [Dash] came in handy as my body moved around the place, dodging the rocks thrown at me.
THUD CRACK
"Arghk….."
Even then,? it was impossible to dodge every attack. A rock hit me from my leg, and a groan left my mouth, my body shaking in pain as I staggered.
'My bone is broken.'
I immediately assessed the wound.
CRUNCH
And, without wasting any second, I instantly crunched the pill I hid in my mouth for the sake of such situations.
HEAL
Feeling the potion entering my mouth, I forced myself to move, as I could feel another bunch of arrows coming my way.
Just like I was adapting myself, Time Guardian was also adapting itself to my attacks, and thanks to its unique eye, he could see my movements clearly.
Then, again, this was within my expectations.
'It should be happening soon.'
Just at that moment, as the Time Guardian seemed to be growing accustomed to my strategy, the environment threw in a new variable.
'There it is.'
Gravity, already erratic in this place, seemed to shift suddenly, altering the trajectory of both the raindrops and my arrows, as well as the rocks thrown at me.
As the raindrops defied gravity, falling sideways or upwards, I took a moment to observe and adapt. I had been studying this place and preparing for the raid, and now I was getting the results of it.
I adjusted my aim, taking advantage of the odd gravity to fire my arrows at unconventional angles.
In my head, I simply imagined the trajectory of the arrows according to my observations and modeled the fight.
SWISH
The arrows curved and twisted, following the bizarre paths set by the distorted gravity.
And because of that, the Time Guardian struggled to anticipate and evade these unpredictable shots.
'This is why you are a mindless beast.'
SWISH SWISH
My arrows found their marks, and the Time Guardian roared in pain, its form destabilizing. Each hit weakened the creature, green-colored liquid dripping from the wounds.
However, just like every other type of monster, this one also had its own trump card.
ROAR
In frustration, the Time Guardian released a huge roar, its effects sending ripples through the space.
SWOOSH
I was thrown out as an aftereffect, as I felt my body getting pushed, as well as a weird-looking barrier covering the place where the time guardian was.
'The second stage starts.'
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