Thunderous crashes echoed from the forest edge as entire trees fell in succession. Vel recognized the pattern immediately—not random destruction, but the telltale sign of a behemoth's Trample ability. The creature was charging, clearing everything in its path.
"It's using Trample!" Vel shouted, his pulse quickening. "We need to stop its charge or it'll break right through the walls!"
Mora nodded grimly, her expression showing she already understood the threat. "Target the legs!" she called down to the guards. "Don't try to stop it head-on—you'll be crushed! Be ready to evade once you've fired!"
The sergeant processed this information instantly, her face hardening with determination. "Rangers! Draw your bows!" she commanded, her voice carrying across the entire outpost. "Aim for the front legs! Fire on my mark!"
The sound of bowstrings being pulled taut filled the air as the guards readied their weapons. Vel prepared himself, calling up his spell interface. The familiar blue glow of [Ice Lance] appeared before him, Vel quickly switch it to his [Ice Lance: Sniper] variant.
Then the behemoth burst into view.
Its massive form dwarfed even Vel's expectations—four powerful legs thick as tree trunks supported a body covered partially in bone-like armor plates. Where the armor didn't cover, its skin hung in thick, wrinkled folds. But what sent a chill down Vel's spine was the dark mist emanating from the creature's body, swirling around it like living smoke.
The sight immediately reminded him of the Alpha Wulfangs that had attacked Oakhaven—the same unnatural darkness clung to this creature, marking it as Voidtainted.
"Fire!" the sergeant commanded.
Arrows whistled through the air, most finding their mark in the behemoth's front legs. The creature bellowed in rage but didn't slow its charge.
Vel focused intensely on his spell, shaping the ice into a perfect crystalline shard. He visualized the exact point where the leg joint connected—where armor was thinnest and impact would be most effective. With a quick gesture, he released the spell.
The polished ice projectile spun through the air, leaving a faint blue trail as it flew straight and true, embedding itself deeply in the behemoth's front right leg joint.
"Impressive," Mora commented beside him, her voice cool despite the chaos.
The behemoth stumbled as Vel's ice lance struck its joint, massive bulk sliding forward with devastating momentum. For a heart-stopping moment, Vel thought it might topple completely—but the creature's powerful hindlegs found purchase against the earth. It regained balance with terrifying grace, dust and debris cascading from its armored hide.
Then it roared.
The sound split the night like thunder, reverberating off the outpost walls. The behemoth's massive head swiveled toward their platform, intelligent eyes burning with fury as they locked onto the source of its pain. Dark mist swirled thicker around its form.
"Engage! Don't let it gain ground!" the sergeant shouted, raising her sword high.
Guards rushed forward in formation, spears gleaming in the torchlight. Their boots pounded against the packed earth as they closed distance, spreading into practiced flanking positions.
"Watch out for the stomps!" Vel called down, remembering the creature's abilities from his design.
As if responding to his warning, the behemoth lifted one massive foreleg and brought it crashing down. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, but the guards had already scattered, their timing perfect.
The creature's tusks swept sideways in a devastating arc. Two guards couldn't dodge fast enough—the ivory weapons caught them and sent them flying like ragdolls into the wooden fence posts.
Then Vel spotted Celia.
She darted between the behemoth's legs with incredible speed. While other guards distracted it from the front, Celia took position in its blind spot. Her blade flashed as she thrust into the gaps where armor met flesh, each strike calculated.
Mora's bowstring sang beside him as her arrow, glowing with green energy, streaked like a comet toward the behemoth's left eye. The creature jerked away, but the arrow struck flesh near its temple.
The fight seemed under control, their coordinated assault working exactly as planned. But watching Celia stay so close to those massive limbs made Vel's stomach clench with worry. One wrong step, one moment of distraction—
The behemoth suddenly coiled backward, muscles bunching beneath its hide. Its stance shifted into something Vel recognized with growing alarm.
"Move! Watch out for the tusks!" Vel screamed at the top of his lungs. "It's going to lunge!"
Then, like a spear, the behemoth sprang forward. Its massive body launched through the air with terrifying speed, tusks extended like twin lances.
Vel watched in horror as the guards raised their shields against the impossible force. Wood and metal shattered on impact as the tusks pierced through their defenses like paper. Bodies flew backward, some crashing against the outpost wall with sickening thuds, others tumbling across the ground.
"No!" Vel shouted, his voice drowned by screams and the behemoth's triumphant roar.
Despite the barrage of arrows and sword strikes it had endured, the creature showed no signs of slowing. Its Voidtainted hide seemed to absorb each blow, the dark mist swirling more intensely with every impact.
Celia darted in again, her rapier flashing as she struck at the behemoth's flank. The blade connected, but barely penetrated the thick hide. She pulled back, frustration evident on her face.
"It's too thick!" she called out, narrowly avoiding a sweeping tusk. "I can't get through!"
Vel's mind raced. That rapier had been Graham's gift to her—a finely crafted weapon that should have been more than capable of wounding the creature. If it couldn't penetrate, the guards had no chance.
Their attacks simply aren't strong enough, Vel realized with growing dread.
Making a split-second decision, Vel abandoned his position and raced down the steps, moving closer to the battle. He pulled up his skill interface, switching to the healing spell he'd been practicing.
"Lienthar Solith Revinuem!" he incanted, directing the pale green glow toward a guard who lay bleeding against the wall.
The man's wounds closed partially, enough to keep him from death's door. Vel moved quickly between the injured, casting healing spells where they were most needed.
"Vel! What are you doing?" Mora shouted from above.
"We need to target its belly!" Vel called back, ducking as debris flew past his head. "It's the only weak spot! Everything else is too heavily armored!"
Vel scanned the chaotic battlefield, looking for an opening. If he could just get a clean shot at the behemoth's underside—but the creature kept low to the ground, protecting its vulnerable belly as it charged and pivoted.
Vel's thoughts raced as he weaved through injured soldiers, casting healing spells to sustain their combat efforts. The behemoth let out a thunderous roar, its colossal body shifting as it braced for another crushing charge.
"We're barely scratching it!" one guard shouted, his voice tight with fear.
Vel gritted his teeth in frustration. This wasn't working—arrows bounced off armored hide, swords couldn't penetrate deep enough. In the game, players would whittle the behemoth down until it entered a knockdown state, creating a damage window to target its vulnerable underbelly.
But here, with real lives at stake, they couldn't afford to wait.
Think, Vel, think! He couldn't afford to cast recklessly, testing spells until something worked. Each incantation had to count.
His eyes tracked the behemoth's movements, noting how it protected its underside, how it gathered itself before each lunge—the way its muscles bunched, its weight shifted back...
That was it.
"Celia!" he shouted across the chaos. "We need to make it leap backward again! Like before!"
Celia glanced at him, confusion flickering across her face before understanding dawned. She nodded sharply and darted forward, her rapier flashing as she delivered strategic strikes to the behemoth's front legs—not to wound, but to provoke.
The behemoth roared, taking the bait. It backpedaled exactly as Vel had predicted, coiling its massive body for another devastating lunge.
Vel's fingers flew through the interface, modifying his Ice Claw spell. Not projectiles, not a weapon—just ice, spreading across a surface. Simple but potentially devastating if placed correctly.
"Everyone, clear left!" Vel shouted. "Mora, be ready to hit its underbelly when it falls!"
As the behemoth launched into its charge, Vel cast his spell, aiming not at the creature itself but at the ground where it would land.
"Glacis Solith Feryis!"
A patch of ground instantly frosted over, the smooth, slick surface appearing just as the behemoth's right front paw came down. The massive creature's foot slid, throwing its weight off-balance mid-charge. For a heartbeat, it struggled to correct itself, its legs scrambling for purchase on the icy surface.
The behemoth teetered, its massive bulk thrown completely off-balance by the ice beneath its feet. The creature's vulnerable underbelly was briefly exposed as it struggled to right itself.
"Now!" Vel signaled to Mora.
From her vantage point, Mora had already drawn her crossbow. Her face showed intense concentration as she aimed, a faint shimmer of energy gathering around the bolt's tip. Vel could almost see the air itself condensing around the projectile, channeling power into the specially crafted bolt.
With a sharp click, the crossbow released. The bolt moved so quickly it was merely a blur—a flash of movement that ended with the distinctive sound of metal piercing flesh.
The behemoth's roar shook the very ground. The bolt had struck true, burying itself deep into the creature's exposed belly. Dark blood spurted from the wound as the monster thrashed, desperate to regain its footing on the slippery surface.
"That's our chance!" Vel shouted. "Everyone charge! Go now while it's down!"
The guards needed no further encouragement. They surged forward as one, weapons raised. Celia darted in ahead of them all, her rapier finding the same wound Mora had created, driving deeper.
For a moment, victory seemed certain. The behemoth's movements grew sluggish, its massive head drooping as blood pooled beneath its body. We've got it, Vel thought. The creature would soon fall, and they could end this before losing any more lives.
But then—a change.
Like thunder, a wave of darkness pulsed outward from the behemoth's body. The shockwave slammed into everyone nearby, lifting them off their feet and hurling them backward. Vel felt himself flying through the air before crashing hard against the wooden wall of the barracks.
The dark mist surrounding the behemoth suddenly intensified, swirling more violently. The creature's body went rigid, its head snapping up. Its eyes, previously clouded with pain, now blazed with unnatural energy—twin orbs of pure darkness.
Pain lanced through Vel shoulder as he struggled to his feet. Around him, guards and Celia lay scattered, many unconscious from the impact.
The behemoth rose slowly, its movements no longer those of a wounded animal. It stood tall, the darkness flowing around it like a living shroud. Its eyes fixed on Vel with terrible intelligence—not the mindless rage of a beast, but something calculated and coldly aware.
Vel's blood ran cold as recognition dawned on him. This wasn't just a Behemoth anymore. It had transformed into something else entirely, a transformation that had never existed in his original design.
Vel struggled to his feet, a sharp pain coursing through his shoulder. Blinking away disorientation, he noticed a flicker in his vision—his interface activating. Normally dismissive, he now desperately sought any information it could provide.
The translucent panel materialized before his eyes:
Voidtainted Ravager Behemoth
Elemental Attribute: Dark
"This isn't in the game..." he whispered to himself. His knowledge of behemoth attack patterns and weaknesses might be useless now. He'd have to rely on instinct and logic instead of memory.
"Everyone watch out!" Vel shouted. "It's changed—it's not the same behemoth anymore!"
The creature rose to its full height, lifting both front legs high into the air. Vel recognized the motion—a standard ground pound attack—but something felt wrong. The dark mist surrounding the behemoth concentrated around its raised limbs, pulsating with malevolent energy.
"Get back!" Vel yelled, though he knew his warning came too late.
The behemoth slammed its forelegs into the ground with devastating force. Instead of the expected impact, a dark shockwave of energy burst forth, rippling outward along the ground in all directions. Guards caught in its path were thrown backward, bodies crumpling as the wave passed through them.
Only Celia, with her incredible reflexes, managed to leap clear of the attack, landing nimbly several yards away.
Vel stared in horror. This attack pattern was completely new—nothing like the behemoth's standard abilities. "This is not good," he muttered. "The guards stand no chance against this."
The sergeant seemed to realize this too. With grim determination, she positioned herself closer to the creature, raising her sword defiantly.
"Fall back!" she ordered her remaining guards. "Get the wounded to safety!"
Vel knew what she was doing—offering herself as bait to draw the creature's attention. It was brave, but foolish. Against this transformed monster, she wouldn't last long alone.
The scene reminded him of another person who had made the same sacrifice—someone who had given everything to save him and Oakhaven. No. He would not let it happen again. He had been powerless back then, but now he could still do something.
Without hesitation, Vel grabbed a sword from a fallen guard and rushed forward to join her. If only those with combat experience stayed to fight, fewer lives would be needlessly lost.
Mora descended from her vantage point, crossbow at the ready, taking position beside him. Celia circled around, her rapier gleaming as she joined their makeshift line of defense.
They stood together—a four-person party facing the darkness-shrouded behemoth.
Strangely, the creature didn't immediately attack. It stood motionless, its glowing eyes sweeping over them one by one, as if truly seeing them—assessing them. Not as prey, but as worthy opponents.
Vel's thoughts churned as he assessed their small party. Four against a Voidtainted behemoth in its second phase—the odds couldn't be worse. They needed a proper formation, but who could serve as the frontline?
The sergeant stood ready, her sword raised defiantly, but Vel could see the slight tremble in her stance. She was brave, certainly, but nowhere near Clara or Honka's level of combat expertise. She wouldn't last more than a few seconds against the behemoth's enhanced attacks.
His eyes darted to Celia. No—absolutely not. Though skilled with her rapier, her fighting style relied on speed and precision, not absorbing damage. One direct hit from those massive tusks would end her.
Mora was clearly a ranged fighter, her crossbow their best chance at dealing consistent damage from a distance.
Which left...
"I'll take point," Vel announced, stepping forward before doubt could take root. "Everyone, keep your distance. Don't engage directly—look for openings when it focuses on me."
"Are you insane?" Celia hissed. "That thing will tear you apart!"
The sergeant gave him a skeptical look. "Boy, you're no frontline fighter."
But Vel's mind was made up. If things went catastrophically wrong, his Admin status might activate again. The slumber mode, though painful, had saved him before. Better him than anyone else—he had safeguards they didn't.
"Trust me," he said firmly, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "I know what I'm doing."
Before they could argue further, Vel raised his palm to his face, drawing on one of the few defensive spells he'd learned.
"Sanctus Lumire Aeghis," he intoned, feeling the warm rush of light magic flow through him.
A faint golden shimmer enveloped his body—Landre's spell, the Light Blessing. It wouldn't stop physical damage, but against a creature now imbued with dark energy, it offered crucial protection.
Thank you, Lan-neechan, he thought, drawing strength from the memory of his sister's teachings.
Vel wasn't just a mage—Von had trained him well with a sword. He could hold his own, at least long enough for the others to find an opening. With the Light Blessing active, he stood a chance against this darkness-infused monster.
"Stay back!" he called over his shoulder, gripping the borrowed sword tightly. "Wait for the opening!"
Drawing a deep breath, Vel charged forward directly toward the behemoth, sword held high to draw its attention. The creature's glowing eyes locked onto him immediately, exactly as he'd hoped.
Vel focused on the behemoth's movements, calculating each step. The creature's dark eyes tracked him, its massive body tensing before it struck. When its right tusk swung toward him, Vel ducked underneath, feeling the air displacement as it passed overhead. The left razor paw swiped next—too fast to evade completely. Instead of trying to dodge, Vel angled his borrowed sword to deflect the blow, redirecting its momentum.
The impact still sent vibrations up his arm, nearly wrenching the weapon from his grip. His entire body shuddered from the force, but he maintained his footing.
It's so much stronger now, Vel thought, gritting his teeth. The Voidtainted transformation had amplified its already formidable strength to terrifying levels.
The behemoth reared up, preparing to bring both front legs crashing down directly onto Vel. There was no way to deflect this—the sheer weight would crush him instantly.
As Vel braced himself to leap backward, an arrow whistled through the air, striking the behemoth's right eye. The creature howled, its downward slam veering off-target as it thrashed in pain.
Vel glanced briefly toward Mora, who was already nocking another arrow. That's gold-rank archery for you, he thought with appreciation. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect.
Taking advantage of the monster's distraction, Celia darted behind it, her rapier probing for gaps in its armored hide. She moved with precision, each step calculated to keep her just beyond the reach of its thrashing tail.
"Guardian's Oath!" The sergeant's voice rang out across the battlefield.
She extended her sword toward Vel, the blade glowing softly. Energy flowed from it, enveloping his arms in a gentle radiance.
Instantly, Vel felt the change. The borrowed sword seemed to lose half its weight, and his once-exhausted arms felt rejuvenated and powerful. Each movement became crisper, more decisive.
A combat enhancement, he realized. He'd heard of such abilities but had never experienced one himself.
"Your strikes will have more power now!" the sergeant called. "Make them count!"
With renewed strength flowing through his arms, Vel pressed his attack. The enhanced sword felt like an extension of his will as he targeted the behemoth's wounded front leg—the same joint he'd struck with his ice lance. Each slash carried devastating force, biting deep into flesh and sinew.
The creature favored its injured limb, shifting weight to its unwounded legs. This made its movements predictable—exactly what Vel needed. When it pivoted left to avoid his strikes, Vel was already there, sword carving through exposed muscle.
Behind the behemoth, Celia's rapier found purchase between armor plates, her precise thrusts drawing dark blood. Mora's arrows continued their deadly rhythm, each shot timing perfectly to disrupt the creature's slam attacks before they could build momentum.
The sergeant maintained her position, sword glowing as she sustained the enhancement flowing through Vel's weapon.
We can actually do this, Vel thought, dodging another swipe. Their coordination was working—
The behemoth suddenly coiled backward, muscles bunching in a familiar pattern. But instead of targeting Vel, its burning eyes fixed on the sergeant.
"Watch out!" Vel screamed.
But instead of lunging forward as expected, the behemoth reared its massive head back and let out a deafening roar. Dark energy coalesced around its tusks, condensing into glowing projectiles that shot forward with terrifying speed.
No way, Vel thought in shock, the creature can use projectile spells? Nothing in his knowledge of behemoths included ranged attacks like this. The void corruption had fundamentally changed its abilities.
Without conscious thought, Vel threw himself forward. In the split second before impact, he positioned himself directly in front of the sergeant, his body becoming a human shield.
The dark projectiles slammed into him with devastating force. Each impact felt like being struck by a hammer, driving the air from his lungs. Only the golden shimmer of Landre's Light Blessing prevented the darkness from penetrating deeper.
Pain lanced through Vel's entire body as he staggered backward. His interface flashed a warning—his HP had dropped to below half. Without the Light Blessing's protection, he would've been killed instantly.
Vel gasped for breath, each inhale sending fresh waves of agony through his chest. The sergeant steadied him from behind, her eyes wide with shock at his sacrifice.
"Stay back!" Vel managed to wheeze to Celia, who looked ready to rush to his side. He needed her to maintain her distance—her speed was their advantage, but only if she stayed mobile.
Across the battlefield, Mora was already drawing her bow, aiming to disrupt the behemoth as it gathered dark energy around its tusks for another volley. But the angle wasn't in her favor—tusks obscured her shot. She needed to reposition, but that would take precious seconds they didn't have.
Vel could see the dark projectiles forming again. He couldn't withstand another barrage, and neither could the sergeant.
With no time to think, Vel raised his hand toward the behemoth, drawing on one of his simplest but most reliable spells.
"Air Cutter!" he yelled.