The doors groaned as I pushed them open, stepping cautiously into the central chamber. The air was thick, heavy with dust and the unmistakable scent of decay. My torch flickered, shadows stretching along the walls carved with ancient runes. Every corner seemed alive, every crack a potential threat.
At the center of the hall, a massive pile of bones lay heaped in an unnatural mound. My stomach tightened. It wasn't just debris—it was deliberate. Skull after skull, limb after limb, stacked and tangled as if some unseen hand had orchestrated it.
I stepped closer, sword in one hand, shield in the other, bow slung across my back. Rope coiled neatly at my side. The closer I got, the more the bones seemed to shiver and shift, almost in anticipation.
And then, subtly at first, the bones began to stir. Limbs moved, skulls rattled. I froze. The pile was forming… something. Something massive.
The bones coalesced, rising, twisting, and locking into place. Torso bones fused, skulls aligned into a massive, grinning visage. The formation stopped at the torso—the lower limbs were absent, but it didn't matter. The size alone was enough to make my heart hammer.
Hovering in the center of the skull was a green orb, faintly glowing, almost hypnotic. I instinctively knew—hit that orb, and the giant skeleton would falter. Hit anywhere else, and it barely mattered.
I stepped back, breathing slow and deliberate, eyes scanning every angle. My sword felt light in my hand, the shield snug against my arm. Rope coiled and ready. Bow and arrows strapped tight.
"This is it," I whispered to myself. "The real fun begins."
I circled the chamber carefully, noting the scattered skeleton minions that lingered at the edges. They hadn't grouped yet. They waited, watching, biding their time. The green orb pulsed softly, almost taunting me, a clear promise that the challenge had begun.
I crouched behind a pile of rubble, studying the pile-turned-boss. Every bone, every angle, every faint glimmer from the orb was a potential clue. How it moved, how it might attack, what patterns it could follow—every detail mattered.
Finally, I stepped fully into the chamber, sword raised, shield forward, rope ready, bow at hand. The skeleton boss loomed before me, motionless for now, but alive in the sense that mattered: it was waiting, aware, calculating.
I exhaled. "Alright, Nolan. Let's figure you out."
The chamber shook instantly. Bones rattled around me as the massive torso lunged and thrashed, fists swinging in every direction. My sword felt heavy in my hands, shield braced, but instinct screamed at me: move or die.
I darted to the side just as a massive fist slammed into the stone floor, sending shards and dust flying. The impact rattled my teeth and knocked the wind out of me, but I rolled, barely keeping my balance.
Another swing came from the left—too fast to anticipate fully. I ducked low, rolling under the swinging arm, sword scraping against a rib jutting from the pile. Pain shot through my arm from the vibration, but I forced myself to keep moving.
Bones flew, rattled, clattered. The green orb in the skull glimmered, pulsing with each thrash, almost mocking me. I leapt back as a third strike slammed where I had just been, splintering the floor. Dust choked my lungs, but adrenaline carried me forward.
I counted the seconds in my head—one… two… three… each thrash pushing me closer to the wall. My sword felt like a twig, my shield heavier than ever. I had no idea which way the next strike would come, so I kept moving in unpredictable arcs, spinning, ducking, sliding.
Finally, after ten chaotic seconds of mindless swinging and crashing, the boss slowed slightly, the thrashing halting just enough for me to catch my breath. My arms shook, sweat dripping from my brow, and I leaned on my sword for support.
"You… you're insane," I muttered, staring up at the torso. "Okay… okay, let's see if I can figure this out."
A deafening roar echoed through the chamber, rattling my teeth and making the torchlight flicker wildly. My stomach dropped—hundreds of skeletons at the periphery and those already near the central pile began shuffling and rushing toward me, rattling and clattering as they moved.
I took a sharp step back, sword raised, shield braced. The horde was closing fast, a chaotic mass of bones and empty eye sockets, snapping and swinging in unison. I swung my sword wildly, parrying a dozen skulls that lunged at me simultaneously, ducking under a swinging arm just in time to avoid a crushing blow.
The floor shook beneath my feet as more skeletons slammed into the walls, rattling everything in the chamber. I ducked, rolled, and swung my sword at a few that got too close, cracking skulls and sending limbs scattering. My arms ached instantly, but I kept moving, weaving between the skeletons in a desperate dance of survival.
Then, I noticed something—the massive torso, the boss itself, had frozen mid-motion. Its green orb pulsed faintly, but the torso didn't move at all. Its roar still echoed in my head, but physically… it was paralyzed.
A tiny part of me considered taking advantage, maybe striking at the orb—but right now, I couldn't. The skeletons were everywhere, clawing, snapping, and swarming. I had no choice but to focus entirely on survival.
I darted behind a toppled pillar, sliding the shield to block a flurry of skulls smashing toward me. Using the rope, I tripped one skeleton into a pit nearby, then vaulted over it, landing on the opposite side. My sword slashed clean through another, but for every one I cut down, two more surged forward.
One minute. That was all I had. One minute to survive the chaotic wave while the boss twitched in place, green orb glowing faintly. My heart pounded. Every move had to be precise. One wrong step, one misjudged swing, and I would become another pile of bones in the chamber.
I gritted my teeth and muttered, "Alright… if you're gonna paralyze yourself, you better not screw this up. Let's survive this minute, then see what we can do next."
The massive torso loomed still before me, green orb pulsing faintly, unmoving. My heart pounded—this was my chance. No more dodging, no more waiting. I tightened my grip on the sword, shield ready, rope coiled at my side.
I darted forward, weaving between the skeletons that still surged toward me. My sword swung in a wide arc, aiming straight for the green orb. Sparks flew as the blade connected with bone and energy, and I felt a slight resistance—not the crushing force from before, but a heavy, pulsing feedback from the orb itself.
I pulled back, then lunged again, slashing in a diagonal motion. The orb flared brightly, and I felt the skeleton torso shiver. For the first time, I thought I might actually damage it. I struck repeatedly, each hit making the torso convulse slightly, shifting the bones that made up its massive form.
The skeletons attacking from the sides became reckless, smashing into each other as I rolled and parried, slashing at anything that came too close. My arms burned, but I didn't stop. I struck again at the orb, feeling the vibration run up my arm. The torso jerked violently, then froze again, pulsing.
I took a step back, chest heaving, sweat dripping into my eyes. The orb glowed faintly but steadily—it had survived my assault, at least for now. I realized this wasn't going to be a simple fight. Every strike would count, every dodge had to be perfect, and the skeletons weren't going to let me linger.
I muttered under my breath, "Alright… that's something. Just a tiny dent, but it's a start. Let's see how long I can keep this up without becoming… bone dust."
My chest tightened instantly. The torso shuddered violently, and I realized… it wasn't paralyzed anymore. Its massive hands slammed into the ground, sending clouds of dust and fragments flying. I barely had time to register the movement before it hoisted enormous boulder-sized bones in each hand.
"What the hell… okay, okay, think!" I muttered, rolling sideways just as the first bone slammed into the stone floor where I had been standing a second ago. The shockwave rattled my shield, and dust filled my lungs.
I barely managed to dive under another swing, the bone smashing down mere inches from my head. Every throw shook the floor, sending smaller bones tumbling toward me from the pile. The green orb pulsed furiously, mocking me, daring me to come closer.
And then, just as I was catching my breath, I realized… more skeletons were arriving. From the chamber edges, dozens of them clattered and lunged, hollow eyes glowing, weapons raised—or limbs raised like crude clubs. They moved as one, rushing toward me to swarm.
I rolled backward, sword swinging to deflect a skull that lunged for my head. Shield raised, I blocked another strike, then vaulted over a smaller skeleton while narrowly dodging a thrown bone from the boss. My arms burned. My lungs screamed. My mind raced.
Rope coiled in one hand, I swept it in an arc, tripping a group of skeletons and knocking them into each other. Sword slashed through another. Shield blocked yet another, sparks flying as bone scraped against metal.
I took a step back, panting. The torso loomed above me, hurling another massive bone, and I realized… this wasn't going to be a simple fight. The skeletons kept coming, the boss kept throwing, and I had to survive. Every movement, every dodge, every strike counted.
I muttered under my breath, "Alright, Nolan… no more hesitation. Time to dance with the bones and see how long I can stay alive."
The massive hands of the torso swung again, grabbing up another pair of boulder-sized bones and sending them hurtling toward me. I dove to the side, rolling under the first, then sprinted diagonally to avoid the second. Dust, shattered bones, and shards of stone exploded around me, making the chamber feel like a warzone.
My sword felt heavier with every second, but I knew hesitation would get me killed. I took a deep breath, scanning the green orb again. The boss's thrashing slowed just slightly, the orb pulsing faintly faster than before. My mind clicked. If I can time this right… I can hit it now.
I feinted to the left, rolling under a boulder that slammed where I had just been. The orb was open for a brief instant—just long enough. I leapt forward, sword swinging in a clean, precise strike aimed directly at the green orb.
There was a loud, piercing shriek that echoed through the chamber. The torso jolted violently, staggering slightly, bones rattling in a chorus of pain and fury. The boulder in its hand flew off course, smashing harmlessly into the wall.
I landed, heart pounding, staring at the glowing green orb that had just taken my strike. Sparks of energy flickered from it, and I felt a tingle through my arms from the force. My instincts screamed: its health is lower now. Judging by the shriek and the way it stumbled… maybe around 65%.
I muttered under my breath, adrenaline surging. "Yes… yes! That's something. Just a dent, but it counts. Keep this up, Nolan. One step at a time."
The skeletons around me hesitated, rattling uncertainly as if sensing the torso's pain. I raised my sword, gripping it tightly, shield ready. I had finally done some real damage, and now I had to survive long enough to keep the momentum.
The shriek faded, but the chamber didn't calm. The green orb glowed brighter now, almost frantically, as if aware of the damage it had taken. The torso slammed its fists into the ground again, but this time, spikes shot up from the floor around me, jagged bone shards snapping toward my feet. I leapt high, landing on a toppled pillar, my rope coiled to swing if I needed an escape.
No time to catch my breath. The boss raised one massive hand and slammed it downward—but not at me this time. Instead, it created a gust of bone shards spinning like a mini cyclone, flying in unpredictable arcs. I ducked under one, rolled away from another, and swung my sword at one, shattering it midair. Sparks and bone fragments rained down.
The skeletons swarming the chamber reacted instantly, moving faster than before. I pivoted, using my shield to block a few that got too close, while simultaneously stabbing at one that lunged too far. My arms were screaming from exertion, my lungs burning, but I couldn't stop.
The torso didn't pause. It slammed its fists together, causing a shockwave of bones and energy to ripple outward. I felt the floor vibrate beneath me and stumbled slightly, barely keeping my footing. Using the rope, I swung to the side, flipping over a skeleton and landing behind it to cut it down.
Then something new—its green orb emitted a pulse of necrotic energy, shooting tendrils of shadow across the floor toward me. I ducked low, rolling through one, but another grazed my arm, leaving a shallow burn. My chest tightened; I realized the boss wasn't just physically strong—it was learning from me.
I lunged forward, trying to reach the orb again, but the torso lifted a massive pile of bones and hurled them as a barrage. I rolled between them, each dodge feeling like threading a needle. I swung my sword at the orb while mid-roll. Sparks flew, but the orb held steady. The torso shrieked again, the sound deafening, and I felt a sharp pain in my leg from a grazing blow of bone.
Another attack came—fingers of bone shot outward from the torso, stretching unnaturally like they were alive, attempting to pierce me from multiple angles. I dodged, rolled, and stabbed one back, cutting through the skeletal limb just as it swung past my shoulder.
I could see the orb pulsing, and I knew it was now weaker, but the skeletons were relentless. I slashed one away, dodged another, rolled under a bone spike, and attempted a full lunge at the green orb. Just as I connected…
A massive skeletal fist swung downward from above, faster than I could react, catching me square in the chest. The impact sent me flying across the chamber. Bones shattered beneath me, dust and debris filling my lungs. Pain exploded in every direction. I hit the floor hard, sword and shield skidding from my hands.
Everything went black.