In that fleeting instant, the long-handled scythes in Marcus and Pebble’s hands spun free like unleashed storm wheels.

WHIRL.

The weapons cut through the air with violent momentum, one from the left and one from the right, converging perfectly on the Frenzied Digger Corpse King while it was still suspended mid-leap.

The boss sensed danger. Not ordinary danger, but death.

Its body twisted instinctively, yet the spinning scythes moved too fast. There was no escape, and no chance to adjust its landing.

CRACK.

Both scythes struck at the same time. Marcus’s eyes widened as the impact landed.

"Holy shit!"

Then the system notification flashed. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

LETHAL STRIKE!

The damage stacked together, amplified by the boss’s own forward momentum and the full force of Desperate Strike. The result exploded beyond expectation.

-59,000

A massive purple damage number erupted into view; fifty-nine thousand damage.

The Frenzied Digger Corpse King, which moments earlier had descended like an unstoppable executioner, died instantly before even touching the ground.

’Brutal.’

A genuine Lethal Strike activation. It was the rarest kind of luck.

Marcus felt absurdly emotional for half a second. That kind of trigger almost never happened.

"Beautiful..." he muttered, nearly tearing up.

The knockback effect followed immediately. The boss’s corpse slammed backward through the air under the tremendous impact, crashing more than twenty meters behind the advancing monsters.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The body rolled helplessly across the stone floor, scattering loot with every bounce. Among the drops, the blue frost hoe and the blazing red fire hoe spun away from its hands, glittering temptingly under the cavern light.

Marcus’s instincts screamed at him to run over and grab everything immediately.

But he did not move. Because the Wailing Wandering Soul King was already less than five meters away.

Witnessing its fellow boss die in a single strike, the ghost king released a long, grief-filled howl that echoed across the cavern ceiling. Completely ignoring Sea Demon Soul’s taunt, it raised both spectral claws and snapped its cloak outward.

"Wailing Drill!"

Its body twisted violently.

Black wind exploded outward as the Wailing Wandering Soul King transformed into a spiraling vortex of darkness, drilling forward with terrifying speed, aiming to pierce straight through Marcus’s chest.

At the same time, the remaining seventy monsters finally closed the distance.

And behind them, the third boss halted its advance.

The Bent Back Bricklayer King planted its feet roughly ten meters away and swung its massive two-handed shovel in a sweeping arc. Black shadow sand burst forward like a storm cloud.

"Bricklayer’s Shadow Sand!"

Unlike the ordinary version Marcus had seen before, this attack expanded instantly into a full-area assault. Dark sand spread like a tidal wave, swallowing Marcus and every one of his companions inside a rolling veil of blackness.

Instead of panic, laughter burst from Marcus.

"Ha ha ha!"

He was not afraid of either boss. In fact, he welcomed this. The monsters had grouped themselves perfectly.

"GOOD!"

Golden light exploded outward from his body.

"The Ascendant’s Domain!"

Radiance swept across the battlefield. Marcus’s attributes surged upward by ten percent, while every enemy caught inside the domain suffered an equal reduction. Health bars visibly dropped as if sliced away by an invisible blade.

Several monsters froze completely under the oppressive aura, stunned for three full seconds by the overwhelming pressure.

Marcus grinned.

"What a gift."

He had already prepared his next step.

The moment he threw the scythes earlier, his right hand had re-equipped the Divine Artifact Adamant Shield to maximize defense. At the same time, he retrieved another item from his inventory, a treasure he had obtained in the Red Locust Grove.

The Red Locust Bee Hive.

"Summon Red Locust Bees!"

The hive in his hand rapidly expanded, swelling until it stood as large as two buildings stacked together. A thunderous buzzing filled the cavern as the entrance burst open.

BUZZZZZZ.

Thirty-eight Red Locust Bees poured out in a furious swarm.

They were only level 28, ten levels below Marcus and far weaker than the surrounding monsters. Against level 48 enemies, their damage potential was minimal.

But damage was never the point.

Their sudden appearance shattered the enemy formation.

The bee swarm intercepted everything at once. The Wailing Wandering Soul King’s spinning drill slammed into the living wall of insects. The Bent Back Bricklayer King’s Shadow Sand dispersed across the swarm instead of reaching Marcus. Even the smaller monsters found their attacks blocked by the chaotic mass of wings and bodies.

The enemies had charged aggressively, but without armor penetration they could not push through the living shield.

"KILL!"

Marcus seized the moment.

He charged forward with his frontline while the Red Locust Bees flooded ahead. Behind him, Goldie, Lyanna, and Camillo unleashed relentless area magic, turning the battlefield into a storm of destruction.

"Hundred Phantom Strike!"

The Bat Dragon Cloud Sword flashed.

Critical hits erupted nonstop as Marcus carved into both bosses and the trapped mobs tangled within the swarm.

Health bars plunged as chaos overtook the battlefield completely. Within seconds, the charging formation collapsed into utter disorder.

Slaughter followed.

Less than a minute later, more than fifty monsters lay dead across the cavern floor. The Red Locust Bees were wiped out as well, every single one sacrificed during the clash.

Marcus felt a brief pang of regret.

His level simply was not high enough yet to unleash the hive’s true potential against enemies ten levels stronger.

Still, they had done exactly what he needed.

The remaining twenty or so monsters now focused entirely on Sea Demon Soul, pounding relentlessly against the sturdy tank. Despite the pressure, Sea Demon Soul held firm with half its health remaining, completely unfazed.

The Bent Back Bricklayer King continued launching wide-area shovel strikes, shadow sand exploding across the battlefield again and again. Under the protection of Adamant Shield Wall, each hit dealt only around 150 damage.

Meanwhile, the Wailing Wandering Soul King floated directly in front of Marcus, clinging close to him as it repeatedly activated Ceaseless Resentment. Its ghostly claws slashed rapidly.

Shink. Shink. Shink.

Each strike dealt roughly 200 damage even through the Divine Artifact’s protection.

Marcus whistled inwardly.

Without Adamant Shield Wall, those hits would easily exceed 700 damage each. He would be forced to spam Super Health Potions just to stay alive.

As things stood, after about thirty seconds of sustained pressure from both bosses, he finally drank a Super Health Potion to stabilize his health.

But this was far from one-sided.

Sea Demon Soul continued tanking the remaining mobs flawlessly. Behind them, Goldie, Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna, and Vixen Queen Camillo blanketed the battlefield with wide-area magic, steadily thinning the enemy ranks. Most surviving monsters had less than three thousand health left. Another round of spells would finish them.

Marcus and Pebble pressed the attack as well.

With the Wailing Wandering Soul King glued to him through Ceaseless Resentment, Marcus suddenly realized something unexpected.

This boss’s close-range locking behavior was incredible.

Because it refused to disengage, his Triple Surge combo chained endlessly without interruption. He and Pebble could attack continuously without repositioning or chasing.

"What a fantastic skill..." Marcus muttered, almost impressed.

For melee classes, this was a dream opponent.

Even with partial physical resistance, the Wailing Wandering Soul King’s health continued dropping under their relentless assault. Seizing the opportunity, Marcus activated Insight to analyze it fully.

---

Wailing Wandering Soul King

Level 50 Intermediate Silver Boss

HP: 9,800 / 45,000

Originally an ordinary Wailing Wandering Soul, it obtained a Mythic Artifact known as the Wraith Cloak. The artifact greatly amplified its strength, allowing it to absorb other wandering souls and rise as their king. Eventually subdued by the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb overseer, the Armored Turtle Champion, it was assigned to guard the entrance to the third level.

Skills:

In addition to the standard abilities of Wailing Wandering Souls, Wailing Lament, Drifting Loiter, and Ceaseless Resentment, it possesses three advanced skills:

Wailing Drill:

A destructive ability derived from the Wraith Cloak. Generates a spinning dark windstorm that forms a drill-like assault capable of stunning targets. Originally used to absorb other wandering souls. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Wraith Teleport:

A high-level movement technique formed from condensed wraith energy. Allows instantaneous teleportation within five meters regardless of battlefield conditions. Cooldown: 2 seconds.

Wraith Shadow:

A unique power granted by the Mythic Artifact Wraith Cloak. Grants invisibility for three minutes. Cooldown: 1 minute.