The ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Bone Dragon's battle structure was clear: each phase consisted of 5% of standard damage and 20% gimmick damage, totaling 25% per phase.
As the special phases progressed, the frequency of lightning strikes increased. In the second phase, targeted lightning struck twice in quick succession. By the third phase, it struck three times.
We barely managed to execute the gimmicks, reducing the Bone Dragon's HP to 75%, then 50%, and finally 25%. However, time became our enemy. The time-attack system and the boss's enrage mechanic brought our attempts to a halt.
Once the Bone Dragon entered its enraged state, shockwaves radiated outward, and the battlefield became engulfed in relentless lightning strikes. A stronger barrier regenerated around the boss, and the dragon bone spears did not respawn. Even the existing spears were destroyed in the initial shockwave.
What followed was an overwhelming display of destructive AoE attacks, far beyond the capacity of a few invincibility skills. It was a pure time-attack scenario, where the system rendered the fight unwinnable without meeting the strict damage requirements.
This dungeon was designed for the damage output of twelve players. Even with my ability to account for three or four players' worth of damage, it was impossible for just the two of us to reach the final special phase at 20% HP.
No matter how hard I pushed myself, the transition from 25% to 20% in the standard damage phase remained an insurmountable wall. Even if we succeeded in reducing its HP to 20%, the enrage timer would trigger before we could complete the final special phase gimmick.
We lacked the strength.
---
"Let’s call it a day," Chris suggested, stifling a yawn.
"So soon?" I asked, reluctant to stop.
"This is a month-long raid dungeon," she reminded me, pointing to the interface clock. "I know you want to keep going, but overexerting ourselves won’t help. Besides, it’s late."
Reality time confirmed her words—it was already late at night.
I bit my lip in frustration.
We had discovered all the mechanics.
The solution was clear.
Next time, I’d use *that power* to finish it.
Resolving myself, I turned to Chris.
"Chris, I have an idea for how we can do it."
"No," she said firmly, cutting me off.
I froze in shock.
"W-why not?!" I stammered.
Her unyielding gaze held me in place.
"Even though I don’t know the details," she began, "I can guess how you’ve been managing that insane damage on your own."
I stiffened.
"That golden power I saw in your past," she continued. "It goes *whoosh* or whatever, right? Maybe a hidden class? A Hero? For you, this place is half reality, isn’t it? And every time you’ve forced your way through these challenges, your real body has suffered for it."
"Uh..."
Tears welled in my eyes.
If Chris already knew, using that power would be difficult.
She couldn’t stop me from deliberately taking damage, but her disapproval weighed heavily on me. I couldn’t go against her wishes.
"But," I started, "if it’s just the two of us..."
Chris sighed deeply, then pulled me into her lap. Looking at me with a soft smile, she spoke.
"I have a card to play too," she said. "It’s limited to once a day, and it’s a bit embarrassing, so I was saving it for when we had a sure chance of success."
"Really?" I asked, hope rising.
Could Chris have a hidden power too?
She chuckled. "It’s just a new skill the Onmyoji class gets in *Grave of Swords*. Not some crazy ultimate move, but something like a personal version of *Spiritual Infusion*. Think of it as a self-enhancement skill."
I nodded, understanding. The Onmyoji’s hallmark skill, *Spiritual Infusion*, was a powerful party buff. It made sense that the class would also have a personal enhancement ability.
"Using the lightning pattern and lightning rod gimmick, we can deal 20% damage per phase, totaling 80%. That leaves the players needing to deal only 20% themselves—just 200 million HP," she explained. "For a twelve-player raid, that’s manageable, but..."
"But even for us, two players won’t be enough to meet the damage requirement," I finished.
Chris nodded. "Our attempts today already pushed us to our limit. Still, with this skill, we might barely squeeze into the final special phase before the enrage timer."
"And once we reach it, we might figure something out," I said, standing up from her lap.
With a determined smile, I clasped my hands behind my back and tilted my head playfully.
"Hehe, Chris, I trust you. Let’s do this!"
Chris beamed, rising to her feet with a triumphant roar.
"Raaah! With Rain’s encouragement, I’m fired up!"
---
**[First Named Boss]**
**[Bone Dragon]**
**[HP: 249,990,011 / 1,000,000,000 (25%)]**
**Crack!**
**Boom!**
The third special phase ended, and the Bone Dragon knelt, having taken another 20% in damage.
This was familiar territory.
The real challenge lay in the 5% leading to the final special phase at 20% HP.
It was a tight time-attack scenario.
I prepared my *Star Blade Slash* combo, watching Chris from across the battlefield.
"Grave of Swords" had granted her a mysterious new skill—what could it be?
Chris extended her arms, clutching talismans in each hand.
**Creak. Creak.**
A strange sound echoed.
**Creak. Crack.**
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Her body began to expand.
"Ah!"
I froze, sword forgotten, as I let out a startled cry.
Muscles bulged along her arms, threatening to tear her clothes. The transformation spread to her legs, torso, and finally her entire body.
Chris had grown about 1.5 times her normal size, her figure resembling an ogre with rippling muscles. A cold, blue glow emanated from her eyes.
**"Raaaah!"**
---
**[Onmyoji 'Chris']**
**[Demonic Form]**
---
So this is why she called it embarrassing.
But I loved it.
Muscles are awesome.
With stars in my eyes, I swung my sword and shouted, "Chris, you look amazing!"
"Raaah!?"
Startled by my compliment, the muscular Chris hesitated briefly before delivering a series of devastating punches to the Bone Dragon’s skeletal frame.
Her raw strength, amplified by her transformation, rapidly chipped away at the Bone Dragon’s HP.
Together, we drove the boss into the final phase.
**Hum!**
The barrier reappeared at 20% HP.
The last special phase had begun.
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
Lightning rained down in unprecedented numbers.
Chris’s Demonic Form didn’t have great mobility, so she crouched under her protective talisman barrier while I sprinted toward the regenerated bone spears.
**Tap.**
Lightning struck the first spear as I reached it, and I hurled it at the barrier.
**Clang!**
It bounced off.
"What?!"
Before I could react, a massive shockwave erupted from the Bone Dragon, destroying the remaining eleven spears.
"Enrage!"
---
The Bone Dragon’s enrage state rendered the final phase seemingly impossible.
Clutching my sword, I prepared myself for the inevitable lightning strike.
If I died, I could trigger the Hero’s power, pierce the enrage barrier, and unleash everything I had.
As I braced myself, I saw something move.
Chris, in her Demonic Form, grabbed the last active spear.
**"Raaaaah!"**
With a tremendous leap powered by her muscular legs, she soared onto the Bone Dragon’s back.
**Crack!**
The sound of the barrier shattering echoed as Chris drove the spear deep into the Bone Dragon’s shield.
Lightning rained down on her.
"Chris!" I screamed.
---
**Ding.**
**[Party Member 'Chris' has died.]**
**[Raid Progress: 1/3]**