The team pressed deeper into the Misty Palace. The heavy fog clung to their bodies like wet cloth, even with the glow of the Lumina Sight potions guiding their vision. The mist thickened in patches, and from those pale curtains came the silhouettes of more soldiers.
But these Wraith soldiers were no longer like the ones before. With the fall of their General, their minds seemed to have shattered. They threw themselves at Kaito and his team in blind rage, heedless of formation or survival.
Every clash was raw. They roared, weapons swinging with no care for their own defense. Even though the soldiers themselves weren't as strong as the General, their frenzy made them troublesome. Attacks that would have been easy to parry before now came in wild angles, leaving the frontline bleeding from scrapes and bruises.
Yet one by one, the party cut them down. Kaito's blade tore through the mist like fire. Hiroto held the line with his new shield, every strike sounding like a gong. Daichi's fists cracked like thunder with each blow. Suzune and Ravenblade darted in and out of shadow, their daggers slicing open gaps before vanishing again. Nina, Kaede, and Lucian rained frost, lightning, and flame across the battlefield, while Mei rin's arrows never missed their mark. And Aika's healing light bound them together, keeping the group alive through the storm.
By the time the last shriek faded into the mist, their boots crunched over the remains of dozens more Wraith soldiers.
Kaito flicked the edge of his blade, clearing off the black residue that clung to it.
Suzune was already kneeling near the loot, sorting through the glowing motes. "After this we have a total of forty pieces of equipment. Twelve mysterious iron, the rest bronze."
The others exhaled in relief. The sheer number would keep the guild stocked.
They pressed forward again until the mist broke suddenly into a wide space.
In front of them stood a massive set of doors. Unlike the weathered stone corridors they had passed, these doors gleamed as if untouched by time. Golden patterns ran across their frames, twisting into motifs of crowns and lilies. The lavish carvings made it clear: this was no ordinary chamber.
The throne room.
Kaito didn't hesitate. He placed both hands against the heavy gate and pushed. The doors groaned open, the sound echoing like a funeral bell.
The sight within froze the team where they stood.
The chamber was vast, modeled after the grand palaces. High vaulted ceilings rose above, their arches decorated with gold filigree. Crystal chandeliers, long dulled but still majestic, hung from above. Red carpets stretched across the polished marble floor, leading straight toward the dais. Tall windows lined the walls, though mist pressed against their panes, blotting out any view of the outside world.
At the end of the hall stood a throne carved of black stone. Its back rose high like jagged wings, draped with faded silken banners. Lined to either side were rows of ornate chairs, clearly meant for ministers or retainers but all of them stood empty, dust gathering on their seats.
Yet the hall was not empty.
At every pillar along the chamber's length, armored figures stood silently. The faint glow of their eyes marked them as Wraiths, but unlike the soldiers outside, these were different. Their posture was upright, their armor finely wrought, their hands gripping polished halberds that glimmered with runes. These were not common soldiers. They were guardians.
The observation skill flickered across the team's vision at once.
[Wraith Royal Guard] (Mysterious Iron)
Level: 16
HP: 12,000
Attack: 452+
The numbers burned into their eyes.
Kaede's jaw clenched. Nina's breath caught. Even Lucien's usual arrogance slipped for a moment as his lips tightened.
"These… their attack power is even higher than the Yellow Weasel Demon…" Suzune whispered, her voice strained.
Only Kaito's eyes stayed calm.
On the throne sat the final figure.
A woman, regal in her bearing, her form draped in black robes that seemed woven from shadow itself. Her hair was pale silver, cascading like threads of moonlight over her shoulders. The faint glow in her eyes was not the pale blue of ordinary Wraiths, but a deep amethyst that glimmered like cursed gems. Her fingers rested lightly on the armrests, one hand clutching a staff topped with a black crystal that pulsed faintly with necrotic light.
The Mist Queen.
Behind her throne, half hidden by shadows, was a great circular portal. Its frame was carved from obsidian, etched with runes that no one could read. For now, the portal was dark and dormant.
The dungeon's exit.
To open it, they had to first defeat the Queen.
The team stared in silence. Even with their restored strength, the weight of the room pressed heavily on their shoulders.
Kaito's voice cut through it. Calm. Steady. Certain.
"Listen. We change our battle plan here."
Everyone turned toward him, waiting.
He continued, "I'll handle the Queen. The rest of you take the Royal Guards."
Their expressions shifted. He was serious.
In his last life, guild after guild came here. They tried it every way. They fought the guards first, then her. They fought the guards first, then the queen. They were wiped out again and again. The only strategy that worked was taking them on at the same time. If she's left alone, she'll drown the royal guards in buffs and heals. The guards will never fall. And even if one does, she'll raise it again through revive.
The Mist Queen not only a sorceress. She knows cleric spells heal, revive, blessings. She knows elemental magic. Fire, frost, lightning. Defensive barriers. And above all, she commands necromancy. Even in his previous life the players had doubted as to why such a powerful boss was there at only level 15.
Kaito's eyes swept across the team as he raised his sword slightly, his voice steady but firm.
"Hiroto, you'll be our main tank for this fight. You don't need to block every strike that comes at you if it looks too dangerous, then dodge. Holding the line doesn't mean throwing your life away."
He shifted his gaze to Daichi. "If Hiroto takes too much damage or Aika cannot keep up with the healing, then you'll step in. You don't have to fight as long as he does, just hold the guards long enough for him to recover."
Turning to Aika, his expression softened slightly. "Your focus is Hiroto. Keep his health above the critical point no matter what. Don't panic if the damage spikes. Just stay calm and keep casting. We need him standing."
Then he looked to the rest of the party. "The Royal Guards may look frightening, but their weakness is their health. Their attack power is high, but their bodies cannot withstand long battles. Don't waste energy panicking. Focus on finishing them one by one. Leave the Queen to me. No matter what she does, I'll keep her attention. Your job is to bring down every guard quickly and cleanly."
He lifted the Solstice Blade, the light reflecting in his eyes. "Follow this plan, and we win."
"Alright, move in after I bypass the Royal Guards," Kaito said as he stepped into the throne room.
Kaito stepped forward, his boots echoing across the marble floor. The instant he moved, the Wraith Royal Guards reacted. Their hollow eyes burned brighter, and in perfect unison they turned toward him. Their blades lowered, armor clanking, they began to advance, their formation tightening as they moved to surround him.
But Kaito did not retreat. Instead, his body flickered. He darted left, then right, his figure weaving in sharp angles across the floor. It was the same zig-zag movement the Wraith General had used during their battle. At that time, the technique had forced him and his team into desperate positions. Now, he was the one using it.
He had learned it by watching, by feeling the rhythm of the General's movements in the middle of combat. Even now, as his body repeated the motion, it felt natural as though the path had already been carved into his instincts.