Chapter 69: (7)Messiah's path
Apophis collapsed on the ground at the far side of the bridge.
He'd done it. He'd "defeated" the boss and crossed the bridge. But it had cost him all his team, because he'd been too confident and failed to see what was right in front of him.
If he beat the dungeon alone, that would restore his friends' characters, right? That was his only chance. He had to make up for the mistakes he'd made up till now.
But now he'd be alone against whatever else the dungeon had to throw against him. Surely this was too desperate for even him to succeed...
Apophis burned the wooden bridge behind him so the colossus couldn't follow, then continued on his way in the fog. Unfortunately, thousands of skeletons quickly emerged from the ground!
[Skeleton Fighter] [Elite] [Level: 20] [Rank: C]
[Skeleton Archer] [Elite] [Level: 20] [Rank:Tier C]
Fortunately, Apophis's recently acquired the Passive Skill ~Ghost~ would be perfect for this! Since he didn't have any party members to account for, Apophis could simply make himself immune to purely physical attacks and pass through the horde without issue.
Apophis turned into a ghost and covered his body with black flames, then charged through the thousands of skeletons!
They burned helplessly as he attacked them, leaving nothing but ruined terrain behind! Apophis was really in a bad mood, and his flames now made him look like an actual demon as he covered the area with black fire to kill any form of life remaining.
After three hours of slaughtering skeletons, Apophis reached lvl 24 and arrived at the edge of a cliff. At the very end lay an enormous building fifteen meters high, resembling a Greek pantheon. Somehow, the cliff and building were completely spared from being obscured by the Dungeon's fog.
Finally Apophis had arrived at what was surely the home of this cursed Dungeon's last boss!
Apophis took a quick break to renew his energy and to drink a few HP and energy potions. Then, at last, he entered the immense pantheon.
Inside was... emptiness. A vast space within, and a starry sky above. Where was the boss?
Apophis searched every corner of the pantheon and even stepped outside to see if there was a hidden passage to a basement, but found nothing. The place seemed totally empty.
Apophis returned to the center of the pantheon and sat on the ground. He took advantage of the free time to talk with Enclabossa. "Tell me, what do you know about this prophet, or this God of Truth?"
Enclabossa answered, "Yes, Master! He is one of the ten major gods of the universe, a god of light who hates evil! Nevertheless, he hasn't appeared in the universe for thousands of years. I had believed he was killed..."
Apophis answered, "If he hates evil, then we're totally dead, right?"
Enclabossa answered, "It is probable..."
Just then, a woman in a priestly robe appeared at the pantheon's entrance. A small boy held one of her hands, and she wielded a beautiful staff in the other.
[Prophetess of Truth] [Boss] [Level: 100] [Rank: A+]
Apophis sighed. This was what he had been looking for, at least. "I'm in a very bad mood," he said. "If you piss me off, don't expect any mercy!"
The Prophetess let go of the child's hand and pointed her staff at Apophis. "Your journey ends here, servant of evil!"
Apophis activated ~Berserk,~ then ~Susanoo,~ which he covered in black flame. He moved at great speed towards the Prophetess, who threw up a yellow shield around her using her staff!
~Susanoo's~ punch slammed into the Prophetess's shield, causing an enormous shock wave, but the boss easily stopped the attack. In response, she used her staff to unleash a huge ray of energy at Apophis!
His ~Susanoo~ shattered, and half his HP drained away from the immense power of the attack!
Apophis got back up, dripping with blood. Meanwhile, the boss had only lost 1% of her HP from his all-out assault.
Apophis reacted quickly by activating his ~Waterbending,~ covering the whole room with black water, which he then set on fire!
The flames spread quickly, threatening to consume the boss's body! But she reacted immediately, raising her staff to the sky! A huge yellow lightning bolt tore into Apophis, reducing him to ashes and destroying the ground around him...
But the Prophetess quickly realized Apophis wasn't dead, for his black flames still covered her. In moments, they burned away her robes, leaving her naked.
Ten minutes later, the black flames which still roiled through the room surged in an intense burst...
A huge Phoenix surged from the flames, spitting a jet of black flame at the boss, destroying her shield!
But while the Prophetess tried to resist the flames, Apophis threw himself on the child who had accompanied the prophetess and put a knife to his throat!
Before the lightning bolt had hit him, Apophis had activated ~Zooanthropy,~ allowing him to transform into a Phoenix. In this state, being reduced to ashes had merely allowed him to transform into an egg and be reborn in the same black flames that could not be extinguished except through his death!
Once she saw that Apophis had returned, the Prophetess tried to rush towards the child, but it was too late!
Apophis had a hostage, and now the advantage was his!