Chapter Title: Forest (4)
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The Abomination was the first boss monster to appear in the game. This undead beast was one of the summons that players couldn't acquire themselves.
As such, it had been designed to be extraordinarily powerful. Its regeneration ability was the standout feature—any ordinary damage healed almost instantly.
To take down an Abomination, players had no choice but to use holy water from the general store, acquire a divine skill, wield blessed gear, or resort to silver weapons. Most opted for holy water since the other options were hard to come by in Wizley Village.
The standard strategy was to splash holy water on it to weaken its regeneration, then pile on the damage while it was vulnerable.
No matter how skilled a veteran player was, the Abomination's regen made it impossible to solo with just a basic weapon. Pros prided themselves on clearing it with minimal holy water or in record time.
So, what about Dante? He wasn't a vet. If he were, he wouldn't need his cheats in the first place.
That said, he wasn't a total newbie. He'd cleared every quest in Wizley Village and moved on to the next area plenty of times.
Dante knew a fair bit about the Abomination, too.
'Forgot the holy water, but I've got firepower instead.'
His logic was simple: no matter how strong the regen, overwhelming it with raw power would do the trick.
True to his plan, when the Abomination swung its massive hand at the Skeleton Knights, they blocked with their shields while others charged in, slashing at its body.
Meanwhile, the Half-Liches and Liches unleashed their magic in earnest. A massive ice spear erupted from one Half-Lich's wand, piercing the Abomination's flesh.
The Lich slammed its staff down next, freezing the ground beneath the beast and starting to encase its body in ice.
As the dual ice attacks slowed it just a fraction, the Skeleton Knights seized the opening and hacked away relentlessly.
In that interval, the Half-Liches and Liches prepped their next barrage. Dark clouds gathered in the clear sky, and a colossal bolt of lightning crashed down on the Abomination.
Kraaaaaargh!
A chunk of its body charred and plummeted to the earth amid a scream of agony. Then two Half-Liches swung their wands, summoning dozens of fireballs that slammed into it, setting it ablaze.
"Dullahans, finish it off."
At Dante's command, the Dullahans around him surged toward the Abomination. They swung their greatswords at the reeling beast, already battered by the Half-Liches' and Liches' heavy magic.
Gaping wounds far worse than the Skeleton Knights' carved into its flesh. As regeneration tried to knit them shut, the Lich cast another spell—not basic magic, but a curse to worsen wounds and slow healing.
The Half-Liches followed with their own curses: one debuffing all its stats, the other amplifying damage taken.
Spotting the curse markers as they manifested, Dante bellowed to all his summons,
"Pile on!!!"
His minions redoubled their assault. Wounds multiplied rapidly across the Abomination's body.
A Dullahan's greatsword severed both its arms; Skeleton Knights shredded its torso; Half-Liches and Liches scorched and froze it solid.
Under the onslaught, it let out one final agonized howl before collapsing. Dante's summons held back from striking the fallen corpse.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Your level has increased. Your level has increased. Your level has increased.
Three level-ups. Dante grinned. First boss down, flawlessly. In under three minutes, no less—an outstanding feat.
'If I'd brought holy water, it would've been even faster. What a shame.'
He activated Harvest on the corpse. It crumbled to dust, vanishing into his inventory with one item.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have acquired 167 gold.
"Ah, damn it."
The curse slipped out unbidden. He'd really blown it this time. Abominations dropped all sorts of loot.
He'd hoped for gear—or at least materials to craft some. Instead, just cash. Sure, gold mattered, but after felling the first boss? Anticlimactic.
"In... incredible, Sir Dante! The Abomination's a powerhouse of an undead, and you took it down so effortlessly!"
Dante chuckled.
"It's easier than you'd think. Death Knights are tougher."
"Death Knights are top-tier undead! Of course they're brutal! Even this Abomination ranks high among them—and it was bigger than any I've seen. Must've been a special variant."
Ribel had a point, and Dante nodded. Objectively, though, the Abomination was on par with a Dullahan or Lich.
Why the long fight? It was a boss, not a regular summon—beefed up for the occasion.
A standard Necromancer's Abomination would've fallen before the Dullahans even moved. Bosses were a whole other league.
"At least all the totems are smashed now."
"Yes, that's a relief. But we've got a bigger problem."
Dante nodded.
"The guy in the black robe?"
"Exactly. What was he after?"
"Attacking the village, maybe?"
"The village? Why target a remote speck like—"
Ribel trailed off. To outsiders, Wizley Village looked ordinary. But up close...
"Something's bothering you."
After a moment's thought, Ribel replied,
"Yeah. If that's the case, he won't back off easily."
"You think so?"
"Definitely. Expect more tricks. It's unsettling—let's head back."
"Got it."
Dante reverse-summoned all but two Dullahans.
"Dullahans, carry me and Sir Ribel."
They scooped them up. Dante explained to Ribel,
"Faster than running. Guide us, please."
"Leave it to me."
"Dullahans, full speed ahead. Follow Ribel's directions—get us to the village ASAP."
They kicked off, barreling forward at breakneck speed, smashing through trees like battering rams. Dante paled.
'What are you, dump trucks?!'
He worried about getting hurt but trusted their handling. The speed, though...
'Gotta be hitting 60 mph!'
Wind battered his face like highway gusts with the window down.
"That way!"
Ribel navigated steadily despite the gale. In under twenty minutes, they reached Wizley Village.
Thankfully—or not—it was peacefully unchanged. Ribel sighed in relief; Dante fought nausea, dismounted, and steadied himself.
"Let's go in."
"Yes, Sir Dante."
With totems destroyed, first contact with the shadowy culprits made, and the boss raid crushed cleanly, Dante returned to the village—and promptly crashed in his room from motion sickness. He vowed never to ride Dullahan-style again.