Re: Apocalypse Game
chapter-209

209 Veteran Battle

Despite the appearance of individual battles, the veterans were actually fighting in four separate groups, each with a distinct role and strategy. Cachellos and his mercenary team held the left side, positioning themselves to deal with any threats from that direction. Gabriel and his group took up the right side. Alan's team, consisting of NPC companions and Axel's group, stood side by side in the center, all activated their job-class buffs, prepared to face whatever dangers emerged from the heart of the tomb.

As the giant undead general emerged from its coffin, both Alan and Axel's teams were the first to engage. The Draugr General was an intimidating figure, standing at an imposing 5 meters in height. Its eye sockets emitted an eerie blue light as it wielded a colossal, rusty sword. A deafening roar echoed through the catacomb as it swung the heavy blade, cutting down Britannia knights and severely injuring the Death Knight players, taking a hundred health points away despite their high defense rating.

Witnessing the creature's incredible strength and ferocity, Axel urgently shouted, "Take a few steps back!" The teams quickly heeded his command, backing away from the monstrous foe.

While Axel's strategy leaned towards a defensive approach, relying on his Britannia knights to keep the Draugr General occupied until the mercenaries could fully engage, Alan had different intentions. He sought to maximize his rewards from the boss monster, which required inflicting as much damage as possible. To achieve this goal, he devised a plan and called upon Percival and Dagonet to provide him with protection, positioning them at his left and right sides.

With a clear path straight to the Draugr General, Alan unleashed his skills to bypass the creature's defenses. He initiated a rapid assault with his [Lunge Strike], a skill that inflicted a substantial 95 damage. Using Axel's Britannia knights as a buffer and distraction, he maneuvered around the giant undead's feet, continuously landing strikes.

Fighting such massive creatures in confined spaces demanded agility and hit-and-run tactics. Alan's blows consistently dealt around 100 damage and left cursed marks on the Draugr General, weakening its defenses by 1% with each strike. His calculated approach aimed to whittle down the formidable foe's health while avoiding its devastating attacks.

Alan's swift and calculated actions set the pace for the battle. The Silver Rapier and the two Blood Patriot players, Marcus and Jason, followed his lead, utilizing their unique abilities. The two players tapped into their wolf transformations, enhancing their agility and executing similar hit-and-run tactics on the Draugr General.

Zencher, though hesitant to get too close to the colossal undead, remained nearby, emanating his Death Knight aura, which provided a significant 10% boost to the damage output to himself, the Silver Rapier, Marcus, and Jason.

As the battle raged on, other veterans couldn't resist joining the fray. Florent, leaped into action, and with his long hair fluttering in the air, he landed on the creature's back, delivering a powerful thrust with his Epic spear.

"Save some for me!" shouted Cammie, positioning herself behind the Death Knight to take precise shots with her energy weapons. The battlefield was alive with the intense energy of battle as these skilled veterans coordinated their efforts to take down the formidable Draugr General.

Cammie's energy blast drew the attention of the Draugr General, causing it to pivot its massive head toward her. Instead of retreating, Cammie boldly moved closer to Axel, declaring, "I'm not going anywhere; this is the safest spot."

Her audacity irked Zencher, prompting him to call on the Death Knights to protect their boss. But before the Draugr General could close the distance, a towering furry figure intervened. Darcy Manon, in his Bear transformation, deployed his immense strength to halt the undead monstrosity's advance, gripping its arm and halting the movement of the massive undead sword.

With the Draugr General momentarily restrained, Nash, the Tempest, chanted a powerful lightning spell. Channeling the storm's fury, he conjured a bolt of lightning that crackled with immense energy. The bolt seared through the air, striking the Draugr General with devastating force.

Simultaneously, Cade, the Archer, fired rapid arrows, each arrow carrying an explosive payload. Upon impact with the undead monstrosity, the arrows detonated in a series of fiery explosions, further ravaging the creature's already battered form.

This combination of Nash's lightning attack and Cade's explosive arrows created a relentless assault that was taking a toll on the Draugr General. The boss creature struggled to withstand the ferocity of their onslaught as its health bar steadily dwindled.

In just a matter of minutes, the formidable boss creature found itself under relentless assault from these battle-hardened veterans, causing its health to plummet rapidly.

Determined not to fall behind in the damage race, Alan directed his shotgun blasts at the creature's knee joints, delivering a devastating 300 points of damage. The force of the blasts caused the Draugr General to stumble and collapse onto one knee.

Seizing the opportunity, Alan swiftly clambered up the creature's massive arm. With unwavering resolve, he activated his [Blade Frenzy] skill, launching a rapid flurry of lethal attacks upon the creature's head. Each strike landed with precision, inflicting an average of 150 points of damage.

This concentrated assault pushed the Draugr General's health bar below the 20% mark, driving it into a frenzied state. In its fury, the creature began to swing its massive blade wildly, striking out at nearby mercenary players and inflicting substantial damage upon them. The battlefield became a chaotic and perilous battleground as the boss creature fought desperately to defend itself.

As the chaos unfolded, Gabriel the Bishop began to chant fervently, invoking a divine plea: "Lord of Light, grant your servant the blessing of your might, cleanse this place with your mercy."

As his chant reached its zenith, Gabriel unleashed a potent spell: [Holy Circle: Sanctuary]. This high-level spell created a protective area imbued with divine energy. Within the sanctuary, those allied with the caster received a substantial boost to their healing and defense, while the undead were repelled and forced away from the protected area.

However, this benevolent act had an unintended consequence. The enraged undead general turned its attention towards Alan's side, threatening his loyal NPC knights. In a matter of moments, the Draugr General struck down both champion knights with one mighty swings of its colossal blade. The two champion knights were in danger, but neither Alan's sword nor Guinevere's arrows could halt the relentless fury of the undead behemoth.

Fortunately, behind them, the legendary NPC Merlin has concluded his incantation, a frigid chill swept through the area around Alan as the wizard cast [Ice Prison], a powerful spell that momentarily immobilized the massive undead creature, leaving it defenseless and vulnerable.

In those critical seconds, all the veterans seized the opportunity. They unleashed barrage of skills and attacks upon the Draugr General, relentlessly chipping away at its remaining health. In the end, it was Alan who delivered the decisive blow with his skill [Power Strike], shattering the undead monstrosity into a myriad of lifeless pieces.

A triumphant message appeared before Alan's eyes:

[You have killed the Draugr General].

[You received 1500 XP, 1500 survival points, rank E reward]

[You received one rare box]

The fact that he had earned these rewards alongside a dozen other veterans in the intense battle was deemed highly fortunate. Alan couldn't contain his excitement as he opened the rare box, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation. Inside, he discovered a superior-level accessory:

[Name: Magic Ring]

[Type: Accessories]

[Rarity: Superior]

[Attributes: Spirit points+20]

[Effects: Magic resistance 20%, Spirit regeneration speed +20%]

[Able to Bring Outside the Game: No]

[Remarks: Just a common magic ring]

The description labeled it as a "common magic ring," but in reality, this accessory was anything but common. In the world of the Apocalypse game, acquiring accessories that enhanced spirit-related attributes was exceptionally rare. For Alan, this was a valuable find and one of the best superior-level accessories he could hope for, especially given his dire need for improved spirit-related capabilities.

With the Draugr General vanquished, the group faced the arduous task of clearing the remaining Draugr in the room. It took them several extra minutes of relentless combat, but eventually, the threat was over.

However, victory came at a cost. In the aftermath of the battle, they counted their losses: 12 Britannia knights and 2 fey warriors had fallen. Fortunately, the group of veterans remained unharmed. The coordination and expertise of these seasoned players had made defeating a B-rank boss appear surprisingly manageable.

As they caught their breath, Axel voiced the next steps, "One general down, three more to go."

Reflecting on the relatively swift battle, some among them dared to entertain the notion that they might clear the quest before nightfall. But their optimism was short-lived as they surveyed their surroundings. There were no visible doors or pathways leading anywhere.

Soon enough, the veterans realized what their next challenge was.

"Dammit, it's a puzzle challenge," Similar frustration was shown by all the players. Hope you enjoy the chapter, please dont forget to share your power stone and golden ticket

Avan