The Forgotten Warden loomed over Yeo, its towering skeletal form a silent threat, its red eyes burning like the last embers of a dying flame. The halberd it held was jagged and rusted, but it radiated a malevolent power that made the very air crackle.
Yeo could feel the pressure in his chest—the weight of a creature whose presence defied time itself. This wasn't just an enemy; it was a guardian, a relic of a world long lost, a being that had been waiting for someone like him to show up.
He couldn't waste any more time.
> [Boss Encounter: Forgotten Warden – Lv. 20]
[Optional Challenge: Defeat the Warden to Unlock Heroic Echo Ability.]
His mind raced as his Echo Pulse skill slowly recovered. The power surged within him again, but it wasn't enough. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, his hands trembling from the energy he'd already expended.
The Warden's bone fingers tightened around its halberd, and with a roar that shook the very ground beneath them, it lunged.
Yeo barely had time to react. Flash Step.
He appeared on the far side of the chamber, just as the halberd sliced through the space where he had stood. The floor cracked beneath the force of the swing, sending debris flying.
"Faster," Yeo whispered to himself.
But the Warden wasn't going to give him the time. With a sudden motion, it swung the halberd around in an arc, sending a shockwave of dark energy in his direction.
> [Warning: Forbidden Energy Discharge – Avoid or Perish.]
Yeo's eyes widened. The shockwave was coming too fast. Without thinking, he activated Echo Pulse.
A new phantom appeared beside him, a ghostly warrior with glowing armor and a massive sword. The phantom swung the sword in a wide arc, blocking the shockwave just as it reached Yeo.
The blast still pushed him back, but the damage was reduced. He gritted his teeth. His phantom had held its ground, but the Warden wasn't done. The skeleton raised its arm and hurled its halberd straight toward him.
It flew with terrifying speed.
Yeo had only one choice. Flash Step.
He dodged—barely. The halberd grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash. Blood dripped down his hand, mixing with the dust and dirt of the dungeon floor.
The pain was sharp, but it didn't slow him down. If anything, it spurred him on.
The Warden charged.
Yeo stumbled back, his thoughts racing. The Warden was relentless. The more Yeo dodged, the more it adapted. He needed to find a way to hit back. To break through.
Then it hit him.
The Forbidden Essence—that was the key. The Warden was a vessel for it. That was why it was so strong, so unyielding. But if he could sever its connection to the forbidden power…
Yeo's eyes narrowed. He had to take a risk.
Echo Pulse.
He called upon another phantom, but this one was different. This one had a staff—a long, shining staff that radiated with the same energy as the Warden's power. It glowed with gold and crimson, a balance of light and darkness.
The phantom raised its staff, pointing it toward the Warden. A pulse of energy shot out, striking the Warden's chest directly.
The creature reeled back, its body cracking and groaning as the forbidden energy began to unravel.
Yeo grinned. He had it.
In one final, desperate charge, he summoned every ounce of strength left. Flash Step took him directly behind the Warden. His blade of radiant energy crackled as he brought it down with everything he had.
Shing!
The Warden's skull shattered, the bone breaking like glass. The halberd fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
Yeo stood panting, his breath ragged, the remnants of his power slipping away.
> [Boss Defeated: Forgotten Warden – Lv. 20]
[Heroic Echo Unlocked: Echo of the Warden – Strengthened Body. Resistance to Forbidden Energy.]
[Reward: Warden's Fragment (Consumable)]
Yeo's knees buckled as he collapsed to the ground, his vision swimming. The dungeon around him seemed to pulse with a deep, ominous energy as the Warden's body disintegrated into dust.
He had done it. The hardest fight of his life was over.
But something lingered in the air. An unsettling feeling.
The dungeon wasn't done with him yet.