Open World Online (O.w.O)

• 1^st Person POV (MC)

-Present Time-

Thanks to that, I survived the tank buster without the need to trigger the MP restore effect. I maintained the juggle of continuous shielding, and DPS, and added healing to Deadeyes.

...

...

(“Hm? Something changed...”)

He hasn’t dropped to 50% yet! It’s still roughly 60%-ish...

The boss stopped attacking and instead, he began to move towards the centre, right above the prism as it thrums in increasing intensity.

From whispers now I heard loud words echoing in the room.

“Enemy... Destroy...” -Creature-

It continues to say it on repeat again and again.

“It shall be done.” -Ascended Fleshling-

*SPLASH* *SQUELCH*

Spilling over from the prism are mounds of organic matter like a bubbling pot. As a slurry of reddish brown texture accompanied by a sickening crunch of crushed bones. It piled up into a pillar that attached itself to Ascended Fleshling and spread to the floors in a patchwork of fleshy webs.

Ew... Ew... Ew...

I do not want to have pimple landmines added on top of everything as I cast [Hover] to allow me and Deadeyes to float just above it.

At the moment, the boss is invulnerable so Deadeyes and my fragments cannot attack until that invulnerable buff ends which is soon after this transformation I hope... cross your fingers!

The entire room from its ethereal navy blue hue with glimmering lights changes into a sinister colour of reddish brown as the fleshy patchwork of webs spread everywhere, I can see a rib bone seems to protrude from one of the fleshy bits including a humanoid skill.

Often it undulates and twitches like a living thing... I am glad that with Siegfried, I developed resistance against this kind of thing or else I already hurled my stomach contents to the floor.

Unfortunately, the buff didn’t fade even after his transformation rather a new HP emerges aptly named ‘Ancient Prism’ and my eyes immediately zone into the pyramidal relic covered by sinews and tendons.

(“Ahhhhhh... I see now.”)

*SQUELCH* *SQUELCH*

Numerous tentacles jettisoned from the patchwork as it wiggles and whips. Oozing reddish-black liquid and steam, along the tendrils there is a tiny slit that opens revealing eyes all staring at me.

This is an add phase...

The prism is covered by all of that organic gunk which I assumed protects it from damage.

Meanwhile, darting my eyes around I am surrounded by slithering and towering tentacles as...

*BAMMMMM*

Several tentacles slammed down towards me, and the noise of those hits echoed in the room as my barriers held. Some were broken apart but quickly reformed by my assigned fragments.

Oookay... I need to clean out these tentacles.

“[Widen: Necrotic Flood]”

Uttering those keywords, my body is surrounded by shadows and spectral shrieks once the cast is finished...

Waves of dark shadows came from me as they engulfed nearby tentacles sticking like glue. If I remember, the closer they were to me the more damage I dealt.

This explains some tentacles survived at the outer edges while the rest have been necrotized and crumbled away as if the shadows sucking their life.

*SQUELCH*

Bursting forth more and more are the tentacles but in this scenario, the prism’s HP got reduced...

(“I see... I see...”)

I need to keep culling the tentacles until it has low health or even outright killed itself.

Change of plans!

I immediately ordered the other fragments that were inert since they could not target Ascended Fleshling to use AoE {Spell} randomly to cause as many tentacle deaths as possible.

Each began to cast an array of {Spell} in different elements blasting them with lightning, a sudden freezing snap, blazing fire, and quaking earth. Even as far as golden beams and sinister shadows.

Culling off so many tentacles all at once. The range does include me, I knew friendly fire existed. Being immune to magic seemed to open up a new strategy like this.

The barrage of magical visual effects clustered my view though I can make sense of what’s going on...

My eyes glanced at the top right corner of my view seeing the prism’s HP slowly going down whenever new sets of tentacles emerged.

Juggling between re-casting barriers, refreshing buffs, re-spawning fragments, casting my own AoE {Spell}, and healing the Deadeyes.

I am glad, my multitasking experience works it’s wondering here!

As this continues, the prism lowers its health more and more until it has none left resulting in no more tentacles being spawned.

*SCHLOOOP*

It’s a drawn-out sucking noise as the prism retracted its flesh cocoon revealing it to me. Without even thinking about it, I immediately cast...

“[Maximize: Astral Barrage]”

It’s a fast casting {Spell} meaning, as soon as I uttered it. A cast bar appeared and filled up nearly instantaneously...

Several stars emerged around me orbiting for a fraction of a second before suddenly glimmered then launched themselves towards the prism dealing multi-hit damage directly to it.

At first, I thought it did not affect it. But...

*RATTLE* *RATTLE* *RATTLE*

Spider-web-like cracks begin to appear it spreads like wildfire covering the entire Prism unleashing a reddish hue between the cracks. As it did, I heard the thrumming getting louder and... angrier.

I do not know how to describe it but somehow I knew, I pissed off the creature.

It roared angrily echoing throughout the entire room, my ears ringing with intensity. The roar dies down when the red hue fades and the prism seems to be inert before falling to the hardwood flooring.

Once it hits, the prism shattered into a million pieces although it is inert so nothing new is happening! The add phase ended...

In doing so, all of those fleshy patchwork wrinkled and wither similar to plants without water in rapid moments before succumbing and turning into dust.

*THUMP!!!!*

A loud thud rumble as Ascended Fleshling or headmaster’s colleague seems to lose his levitation ability and not being held anymore by the fleshy patchwork. He then fell towards the hardwood floor of the tower.

He unnaturally stood up like a reanimated zombie with eyes still in red but his expression was that of a snarl. There’s also a massive tumour growing on the side of his head covering one of his eyes. It thrums much like the prism...

“What. Have. You. Done!!!” -Ascended Fleshling-

He growled between words, voices not of his own but combined with that creature as if it inhabited him.

(“Oh dearie me...”)

In instinct, I repeat cast [Astral Barrage] targeting the boss since his invulnerability buff has already faded.

“I SEE YOU DEAD!!!” -Ascended Fleshling-

*PRANNGGGGGGG*

Several barriers broke apart from the sudden emergence of jagged and sharp metallic structures jettisoning towards me, with [Shared Torment] Deadeyes taking some damage mitigating my MP being drained to 0.

*TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*

Side-running the boss, I hurled any fast casting {Spell} I can think off the top of my head. As of now, I am in a spell-slinging battle.

Though he uses [Imagine] constantly to produce blades, maces, swords, and many more hurling them to me...

“[Triple: Earth Wall]”

Three rectangular solid walls made from compacted dirt appeared in places that I pinpointed just like how I pictured it in my mind.

Immediately, I took cover behind the walls heard a multitude of thuds and felt its force on the other side.

I commanded my fragments to continue their [Blight] cycle with Deadeyes. Chipping down the HP steadily as he purely focused on me knowing I pissed him off...

While taking this rest chance, I re-cast [Contingency] assigning several {Spell} for ‘Just-In-Case’ scenarios and [Sigil] to myself.

Before finally the earthen wall crumbled and I ran again, I felt my joints getting stiff and sore indicating I was running out of SP.

Dunking down potions, I continued my ‘run and dodge’ tank tactic. Imbuing myself with [Dance of the Sylph] upping my dodge chance by a flat amount. It is a Spirit Archer Class {Spell}, super handy for low AGI players like me. Along with [Guidance] to boost the dodge chance.

*PRANGGGGG*

Another tank buster moves as the damage is transferred over to Deadeyes and a multitude of barriers simply shattered. I kept running, commanding the fragments to re-cast barriers as I ran.

...

...

...

(“Come on... Come on... Come on!!! Just a little bit more.”)

I can feel that this is the final phase, just need the DPS and my head already performed the calculations needed to burst the boss down. As I continue to run...

35%

...

29%

...

25%

...

20%

...

17%

NOW!!!!

Right in the nick of time, the fragments have crumbled and Deadeye's duration is almost done.

I skidded over almost toppling to stop as I honed in to the boss. I haven’t had this much run for a long while!!!

(“Here goes nothing!”)

“<Vancian>”

In the corner of my eyes, I can tell the stack for <Vancian> shines indicating it’s in use at the moment.

“[Entropy] 100%”

As soon as I activate my ability, the boss’ grows silent from his growls and snarls. Then He looked down to his chest as if surprised by something...

I looked at it too.

*CRACK* *CRACK* *CRACK*

The body of Ascended Fleshling begins to crack like an egg. Fissures appeared from his chest and spread to his appendages.

“AGHHHHH!!! WHAT IS THIS???” -Ascended Fleshling-

He shrieks, clawing at his chest.

The visual effects are remarkably similar to [Path of Ruination]. As the fissures expanded revealing outer space.

He slumped on the ground, crawling while the fissures continued to spread even reaching his neck and eventually his head passing through his eyes.

“No! It will be brought here! It will return! It will be with us and I will be its vessel!!! No! No!! NOOOOO!!!!” -Ascended Fleshling-

With the last of his mortal throes, he finally crumbled and his body vanished.

(“Haaaa... the battle music off. So I guess it’s done then?”)

I take a moment to sit and deactivate <Vancian> including re-deploying my [Fragments], setting them to ‘Follow’ as they obeyed by orbiting around me.

The Deadeye's duration is up and their skeletal bodies simply vanish as if blown by the winds.

Then... *PINGGGG*

-System-

Completed [The Forbidden Tower]

-System-

I also see rewards being given and added to my inventory as I tapped that screen to close the panel, not in the mood to check what I got.

(“That was intense!!!”)

Processing what I did, and since the floor is *ehem* somewhat clean now. I lay down and take a deep breath before letting all of it out...

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... I am glad it’s all done. I have to report all of this to Headmaster and...

Oh!!! What about the prism? I still have time before being automatically kicked out from the dungeon so I can afford to look around.

The notepad belonging to the Headmaster’s Colleague might be enough to complete the quest but still, that prism must be important right even if it’s broken.

I looked at the state of the shattered pieces of what once was the prism.

(“Should I restore it?”)

I let that question hang for a bit before deciding...

“Nahhhhhhhhh, I do not want to risk getting a call from that creature... I’m just going to pick up the pieces and give them to the Headmaster and it will be his responsibility! [Telekinesis]...”

Those pieces began to float by themselves and gathered into my palms.

It creates a semblance of a pyramid though in tatters as it floats downward a bit. The relic made contact with my skin...

As it did.

*FIZZLE* *FIZZLE *FIZZLE*

My brows furrowed in uncertainty, I think I see a glimmer like metal glints when a source of light hits hidden amidst the shattered pieces...

Before I can acknowledge it further though... a gentle breeze seemingly brushes on my face, I know this is a familiar sensation as I blinked.

(“Huh...”)

The whole world just went dark.