Marcus's earlier attempts to get a rise out of the frosty Icefall had fallen flat, but backing down wasn't in his nature. As he jogged, he made a show of muttering to himself, hoping to finally crack that icy composure and see a flicker of genuine emotion.
No such luck. Icefall was every bit as unshakeable as Crystal Nance. Where Firebrand and FreshwindElara had erupted, Icefall remained utterly frigid, her demeanor suggesting Marcus was little more than a gnat buzzing at the periphery of her awareness.
His attention shifted to the hulking Ironwood King. 'Fine,' he thought. 'I'll just take this big guy down and then go grind levels with Elara.'
A single, well-placed Taunt skill snapped the monster's focus squarely onto him.
'This is the knight's lot in life', he mused. 'Designated meat shield. Even with a pathetic attack stat, a high-level Taunt is like waving a red flag. The thing will stay glued to you, even if you're hitting it with a stick.'
'You idiot!'
The word screamed in Firebrand's mind as she watched the knight.
Her Meteor spell had carved over 300 damage from the ordinary Ironwood Treant, but her attack on this infuriating man had barely scratched out 200. The number left her stunned, freezing her in place. It was the same paltry amount her sister Icefall was dealing to the evolved Ironwood King. Just how much defense did this guy have? She couldn't even begin to calculate it.
Successfully Taunted, the Ironwood King abandoned its pursuit of Firebrand. Its whip-like branches lashed out three times in a clean, brutal Arboreal Whip combo. The furious assault, however, only managed to shave a little over 400 points from Marcus's health. Compared to Werewolf Cabaro's ultimate move, this was a gentle breeze. For a knight sporting nearly 2,000 Health, it was barely a nuisance.
Seeing his health bar dip, FreshwindElara swiftly cast two Heal spells, topping him off in an instant.
'Perfect,' he thought. 'Didn't even have to touch a potion.'
"You've got this, Stone! Hold it right there!"
A surge of pride warmed FreshwindElara's chest as she watched him stand firm against the monster. She expertly layered a series of support buffs over him, further blunting the Ironwood King's offensive power.
"Go on, attack! He's got it under control, it's perfectly safe."
Once she was confident the King posed no real threat to Marcus, FreshwindElara turned to the twin Sorcerers. They were standing together, not casting, but simply observing the knight's battle. Assuming they were hesitant, she urged them to join the fight.
The sisters exchanged a loaded glance, then reluctantly began to chant, hurling spells at the enraged tree.
Their original plan had been to let the knight hang himself. With defense that high, he was clearly a pure tank, a damage-less sponge. They wanted to see how he'd handle the Ironwood King on his own, and watch that smug grin finally wipe off his face when he found himself stuck, unable to kill it or escape.
By the time the monster finally finished him off, they would have dropped out of combat and could simply use a Town Portal Scroll, leaving him to his well-deserved frustration.
Of course, if he had actually asked for their help nicely, they might have considered it.
But hearing the Cleric's hopeful voice, a pang of guilt pricked at them. This was the same kind Cleric who had offered to help them earlier and had just healed Firebrand without a second thought. How could they just stand by and let her friend get slaughtered? With a silent sigh, they began their assault in earnest.
Oblivious to the twins' malicious internal monologue, Marcus was busy patting himself on the back. He'd gone out of his way to help, and if he had known the kind of thanks he was getting, it would have ruined his whole day.
"Ladies, let's turn up the heat!" he shouted, feeling invincible and completely unaware he was playing the hero in a thankless narrative.
He didn't bother attacking the Ironwood King himself, instead spamming his Taunt skill on cooldown. As long as the King was fixated on him, the two high-damage Sorcerers could burn it down without him lifting a finger.
FreshwindElara had already grouped the twins into a temporary party, and within moments, the quartet found a brutal rhythm. Marcus anchored the furious monster in place while FreshwindElara and the twins, positioned five meters back, unleashed a relentless volley of magic. The Ironwood King's health began to plummet.
The King roared in frustration, cycling through Arboreal Whip and Head-Shake Dance, desperate to splinter the knight who dared mock him. Yet, for all its fury, its target remained annoyingly alive and provocative, not even budging from his spot, as if this were all some kind of game.
It was the Ironwood King! It would not be toyed with! Its rage boiled over, and it accelerated its attacks, ignoring all others. It vowed to pound the knight into mulch.
"Evolve… come on, evolve…"
As he watched the King's rage build, Marcus kept spamming Taunt. He even took out his Skeleton Blade and started idly carving weird shapes into the monster's bark-like shell, hoping the indignity would push it over the edge into becoming an Arcane-Beast. He was curious to see what that looked like.
Besides, the higher the monster's level, the better the loot. Marcus was all for the Ironwood King getting a promotion if it meant a better payday.
"Awooo…"
The Ironwood King let out a final, mournful howl, a sound of profound injustice. But it wasn't an evolution. Marcus saw its health dip below 200 and finished it with a swift Double Strike, cutting the cry short.
'Holy hell.'
This Ironwood King was a generous one. It actually dropped two Mythic Artifacts, both pulsing with a dark, potent light. It had died a death worthy of respect.
Marcus scooped up the two items to inspect them.
Ironwood Staff: Black Mythic Artifact, One-Handed Weapon. Requirement: Sorcerer. Effect: Unknown, cannot be used.
Ironwood Staff: Black Mythic Artifact, One-Handed Weapon. Requirement: Sorcerer. Effect: Unknown, cannot be used.
Two identical Sorcerer staves. Marcus glanced at the twin Sorceresses. Did this tree have a thing these women? Was it some kind of woodland pervert that specifically dropped two mythic staves for them?
Icefall and Firebrand watched the knight land the final blow. They shared a look. How convenient that the knight, who hadn't lifted a finger to attack the entire time, managed to perfectly time the killing strike. But it wasn't their problem. They were ready to leave, eager to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the infuriating man.
As for the loot, they didn't care what it was. They certainly weren't about to start negotiating shares with him.
"Firebrand, come on! Let's see what dropped!"
Icefall and Firebrand were about to make their exit and bid a quick goodbye to FreshwindElara. But the Cleric, seeing the monster defeated, broke into a radiant smile. She happily grabbed Firebrand's hand and pulled her toward Marcus. With a shared look of resignation, the twins followed.
During the fight, while standing behind Marcus and casting, the three women had little else to do but talk. They'd chatted, and in the process, had become surprisingly familiar.
"Stone, what did it drop? Anything good?"
"We hit the jackpot! Two Sorcerer Ironwood Staffs, and they're both Mythic Artifacts! One for each of you. Color me jealous."
"Mythic Artifacts? That's insane! Both of them?"
"You bet. Do you think I'd settle for anything less?" Marcus boasted, entirely convinced that his sky-high Luck stat was the only reason for the windfall.