Kai looked at what was down there, and he was shaken to his core. Was this even a goblin at this point?
"What the hell is even that?" Kai asked. It seemed that he had come across what was the boss of the second floor. The monster that he was looking at right there was no normal monster.
Standing at over ten feet, covered in tendrils that were spiraling and twisting in every which way, its body was twisted and turned, and the only recognizable part of this monster was the face that looked like that of a normal goblin.
Above its head wasn't just one massive health bar, but rather three, and its level was fifteen. The aura around it stopped every other monster from coming close, making it the only one that was on the stairs.
Its upper body was so massive that it couldn't even walk itself and had to hurl itself upward.
"Appraisal," Kai muttered.
[Goblin Calamity Monster]
[A Goblin King that Failed to Become a Goblin Lord. Its level has heavily been reduced due to the failure, but it retains most of the strength it gained from almost evolving.]
[Its current form requires sustenance and so will consume all prey that it comes across.]
There was a ton of information there, but Kai didn't want to waste time thinking about all of that now. His focus was on the monster before him, a goblin calamity monster born from a failed ascension from goblin king to goblin lord. Kai could already feel its presence and its strength from all the way up there as it slowly climbed the stairs toward the platform.
He looked at it with a grim expression.
"How am I supposed to fight this now?" he muttered.
He wasn't sure if his sword skills would be enough, or even his magic. Sure, Lightning Fall might damage it, but would it really be enough to clear three health bars? The spell was his strongest weapon right now, and he intended to use it. If it worked, good. If it didn't, then he would be in serious trouble.
He stepped away from the edge of the platform and waited for the monster to appear.
Behind him, Mira still sat with her back against a pillar, calmly playing with Cuddles as if nothing dangerous was happening. Kai glanced at her and let out a faint smile. She was free and relaxed, doing whatever she wanted, while he stood here tense, fully focused on the monster approaching.
He clenched his teeth.
Due to Mira's buff spells, he would receive a huge boost the moment the monster stepped onto the platform. But that still didn't mean he could fight it head-on. The number of tendrils that creature possessed would make it nearly impossible to get close, even with Butterfly Dance.
His best option was clear.
Hit it hard with his strongest spell first.
Then rush in and finish it.
If the spell didn't kill it outright, it might at least disorient the creature long enough for him to land the final blow. It had to be fast, precise, and decisive.
Beyond that, he also had to keep the fight entertaining.
After all, he was streaming.
Keeping viewers engaged was part of the job. He needed to make the fight flashy, dramatic, something people would remember. If this was the boss of the second floor, then he needed to milk the moment for everything it was worth.
Soon after, the monster appeared.
Its presence alone caused the platform to tremble. Long tendrils shot out and latched onto the surrounding pillars as it pulled itself onto the platform. Its glowing red eyes immediately locked onto Kai.
It attacked instantly.
Several tendrils shot forward from the edge, racing toward him like spears.
Kai hadn't expected it to strike so quickly. The moment he noticed the attack, he barely managed to react, throwing himself to the side as the tendrils smashed into the pillars with enormous force, cracking stone and sending dust into the air.
Kai rolled across the ground and quickly got back to his feet.
He glared at the monster.
"Where the hell is your courtesy?" he snapped before immediately casting his spell.
Lightning Fall.
A massive magic circle formed above the creature, glowing brightly before bolts of lightning crashed down from the sky. One strike after another slammed into the goblin monster with devastating force.
The first health bar vanished.
Then the second.
Then the third was almost completely destroyed.
When the lightning stopped, the monster had only about a quarter of its original life left.
Kai's eyes widened in excitement.
He hadn't expected his spell to be that powerful.
As the lightning faded, he immediately prepared to rush in for the finishing blow.
But then something happened.
The monster's health began regenerating.
Slowly, but clearly.
Kai froze for a moment.
The bar was rising again.
"You have to be kidding me…" he muttered.
Without hesitating any further, he lunged forward. The monster was still disoriented from the lightning strike, and Kai wanted to take advantage of that before it fully recovered.
But just as he closed the distance.
The tendrils moved.
On their own.
One snapped toward him like a whip.
Kai barely raised his sword in time.
Clang!
The tendril smashed against his blade and launched him backward. He slammed into the wall with brutal force, coughing up a mouthful of blood before sliding down to the ground.
Before he could even recover, the tendrils came again.
At the same time, the monster continued regenerating.
"They're moving on their own…" Kai muttered.
He forced himself up and began dodging as tendrils smashed into the floor, pillars, and barrier around him. Dust filled the air as he sprinted across the platform, weaving through attacks.
Meanwhile, Mira remained calmly seated in the corner, watching the fight as if it were entertainment.
In her mind, Kai would handle everything.
She didn't worry at all.
Kai, of course, had no idea she trusted him that much. If he knew, he would probably be shocked.
But he didn't have the luxury of thinking about that now.
He paused for a brief second to catch his breath before rushing forward again, aiming for a small opening in the mass of tendrils.
But the tendrils reacted instantly.
One lashed out again.
Kai slashed to the side, sparks exploding as his blade collided with the attack. But the strength behind it was overwhelming.
He was thrown into the air and slammed straight into the barrier.
His body slid down slowly before he managed to land on his feet.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Internal damage.
Half of his health had disappeared in that single exchange.