In the depths of the rift, the air solidified, heavy as steel.
That colossal beast took a single step forward, and it felt as if the entire world shuddered.
The Storm Tuskgor.
Its body towered higher than a house, tusks like twin scimitars, its hide crackling with storm runes. Every breath tore the air apart with thunderous roars.
At its feet, floating stones were shredded into debris by the gales.
The system prompt appeared cold and merciless:
[Rift Boss: Storm Tuskgor (Grade A)]
[Objective: Defeat the boss, stabilize the Rift Core]
…
Fatty Third's legs quivered uncontrollably. "Big bro… this thing looks like it could swallow all three of us whole in one bite…"
Ling Xue drew a deep breath, sword raised, eyes resolute. "Don't be afraid, Xu Zhu. It isn't invincible—we can find its weakness."
Xu Zhu didn't answer. His Residual Edge had already activated.
Death trajectories filled his vision, red lines covering the Tuskgor's massive body—each line a path to certain death.
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 91%]
[Warning: At the brink of the extreme. Further strain will cause mental rupture.]
Blood seeped from his forehead, eyes bloodshot. Yet he did not retreat a single step.
——
The Storm Tuskgor roared!
Its voice thundered like lightning, a shockwave blasting the stone slabs skyward.
The next instant, its massive form lunged, tusks crackling with stormlight, ripping straight toward Xu Zhu!
"Xu Zhu!" Ling Xue's voice rang sharp. Her sword arced, cleaving through the rushing gale, pushing aside part of the strike.
At the same time, Xu Zhu sidestepped under Residual Edge's guidance, his body sliding past the tusks by a hair's breadth. His staff lashed up, striking the beast's jaw!
Boom!
Sparks burst, but the heavy storm-rune hide only cracked slightly!
Fatty Third went pale. "We can't break through!"
——
The Tuskgor bellowed in fury, its tail sweeping wide with storm-edged blades.
Ling Xue blocked with her sword, only to be blasted back, her arm bleeding. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself upright. "Its shell's too thick—we have to aim for joints and inside!"
Xu Zhu's gaze sharpened, Residual Edge filtering the chaos, until he caught a flicker—a storm rune pulsing irregularly under the beast's left chest!
"There!"
His shout tore through the air as his steps surged forward!
Residual Edge full-throttle—time in his eyes nearly froze. All death lines compressed into a single sliver of life.
Channeling all his strength, his staff thrust straight into the fissure in the Tuskgor's chest!
BOOM!!!
Storm energy erupted, waves of force exploding outward.
The Tuskgor howled in agony, its massive body staggering back, chest rune shattering, blood and stormlight spraying out in torrents!
——
[System Prompt]: Storm Tuskgor wounded. Core energy reduced by 20%.
The spectator feed exploded:
[Holy crap! The Residual Blood Maniac broke its guard!]
[He found the weak spot!]
[Residual Edge prediction + core resonance! This is insane!]
…
But Xu Zhu's chest heaved violently, eyes shot with crimson, ears filled with deafening buzzing.
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 95%]
[Warning: Mental overload imminent]
Ling Xue shouted urgently: "Xu Zhu, enough! You'll collapse!"
Xu Zhu's voice came low, cold as a blade: "If we don't kill it, none of us leave alive."
——
The Tuskgor roared again, stormlight flaring, entering a berserk state!
Its entire body blazed with runes, tusks wreathed in thunder as it charged!
Life and death in a heartbeat.
Xu Zhu's eyes blazed scarlet, his throat filling with blood. He roared:
"Residual Edge—Extreme!"
Residual Edge sync spiked—
[99%]
His world froze entirely.
Wind, thunder, tusks—all locked in the air.
Only one thread of life stretched straight into the Tuskgor's heart!
Xu Zhu stamped hard, his body vanishing like a phantom. His staff pierced that life-thread, driving straight into the monster's heart!
BOOOOOOM!!!!
Thunder shattered, the storm collapsed, the Tuskgor's death cry shook the heavens. Its colossal form crashed down, breaking apart into a storm of fragments.
[System Prompt]: You have slain Rift Boss · Storm Tuskgor!
[Event Reward: Rift Energy Crystal ×1]
[Storm Overture Progress: Stage Two Complete.]
——
The battlefield fell silent.
Spectators froze, staring at the one-HP figure, chest heaving, still standing tall.
Residual Blood Maniac.
Child of the Storm.
The man who single-handedly felled an A-grade rift boss.
The channels went insane:
[Myth!]
[He's become a myth!]
[Residual Blood Never Dies!]
…
Xu Zhu's vision blackened, Residual Edge sync dropping from [99% → 72%], his body swaying violently.
Ling Xue rushed forward, catching him, her voice trembling: "Xu Zhu! Hold on!"
He whispered hoarsely, the taste of blood heavy in his throat:
"I… didn't die."
Fatty Third collapsed to the ground, bawling: "Big bro's invincible! We lived!!"
The storm's roar faded, but everyone knew—
This was only the overture.
The true storm… had only just begun.