Katzu recognized the second phase of the battle as soon as the crimson light engulfed the monster's body.
Imagine your sister starting to play a game that you're interested in, and you see how she's handling the battle like a beginner, surprisingly quickly.
—Ah! It's getting more difficult. Hold on, sister!
[ Blood Blooming Guardian] roared, spreading its petals so wide that the air hummed like a storm.
His movements became faster and more erratic, and the root strikes rained down, leaving no room for rest.
I could barely keep up with the circles I was running, dodging the deadly thorns, but my health bar was dropping too fast.
—Katzu… I can't do this! He's too…
I breathed out hoarsely as I jumped over another root. But imagine my surprise when I heard my brother's rough tone interrupt me.
For the first time, I heard a steely note in his voice, something I only heard when he was fully focused.
—Shut up! You haven't lost yet. Listen carefully!
I swallowed and tensed, waiting for a clue as the ground rumbled around me.
—He has a weakness. Do you see the center of the flower when it opens? There's a glowing core, blue like a crystal. This is his vulnerability.
—The core?.. I see it! It flashes... but how do I get there?
— The dagger and your skills. When the petals open, you have a split second to stab into the center. If you hit it, the damage will increase by thirty percent. Even one or two precise strikes can change the course of a battle.
Believe my eyes widened at the information, wouldn't yours? The thought was crazy, but there was no other choice.
—Thirty percent... Okay. Let's try...
The monster opened the flower again, and a cloud of poisonous spores sprayed out. I darted to the side, hiding behind the stems, but my eyes were fixed on the blue glow inside. It was like a beacon calling to a ship.
—Now!
I lunged forward, my heart racing. The dagger flashed through the air, and for a moment, time seemed to slow down. The blade sliced through the open petals, grazing the glowing core.
[Critical Strike! Vulnerability Found.]
[Damage +30%.]
The monster roared, recoiling. The petals closed, and the ground beneath us trembled.
—Yes!That's it, Disava! You've done it!
But the joy lasted only a second. The guardian became even more enraged, and his attacks became chaotic and frenzied, as if he had lost control.
The air around me began to grow heavy. I noticed thick clouds of fog, filled with poisonous spores, creeping out from under the roots of the [Bloody Blooming Guardian].
They spread across the clearing, slowly but surely enveloping the entire area.
Instinctively, I took a step back and immediately felt my lungs burning, as if they had been filled with hot smoke.
[ Attention: Minor poisoning ]
—Damn it!
I coughed and jumped even further away, but it only got worse: the further away from the boss, the denser the fog. Katzu wanted to shout something, but it was already clear.
—If I only run along the edge, I'll suffocate. The spores make long-range combat pointless. So the game itself is pushing me closer... to him.
As if to confirm my guess, the area around the boss itself remained cleaner: the clouds of poison spread outwards, but the air near the giant was surprisingly clear.
Clutching the dagger in my hands, fear raged within me, but now it didn't hold me back; instead, it fueled my excitement.
—Good... Then we play close.
I rushed forward, activating the [Running] skill, hitting its bark, quickly rolled back, and again with a sharp jerk cut through the roots
I moved in jerks, like an arrow that flew out and came back.
The boss growled, swinging his massive vines, but my speed allowed me to slip between the blows, barely touching the edge of the spikes.
When the bud closed, I didn't take any risks. Instead, I delivered quick stabs to the monster's roots and sides, gradually depleting its life.
But as the massive flower opened, revealing a radiant blue core, there was no room for hesitation.
—Now!
I exclaimed to myself, as if I could hear my brother's guidance, even though Katzu remained silent, his fists clenched. With a powerful swing, I thrust my blade into the glowing center with all my fury.
[Critical damage! The weak point has been hit.]
The monster howled so that a tremor ran through the ground. Bright blue sparks flashed in its core, and the health bar fell sharply by another ten percent.
—Yes! I've understood your rhythm, the creature...
I went on the attack again with a dash, a blow and a rebound. Every movement of mine became more precise, and my body, faster.
The skill [Running] seemed to live inside, helping to anticipate every moment.
Kattsu finally spoke, but his voice was different, no longer anxious, but proud:
—You understood it yourself, Disa... Without my words. This is your fight.
I was very happy to hear praise from my brother. Now I finally had a goal to see this through. Katzu, sitting in his room, was barely able to contain his emotions.
He was practically jumping up and down, holding the phone to his ear and listening to his sister's breaths, her muffled shouts, and the roar of battle through the speaker.
—She... damn, she's really learning on the fly...
He muttered, and couldn't help adding louder, almost boastfully:
—Hey, do you hear me, little sister? Remember this as a pro-gamer's trick!
His voice took on a gambler's excitement, the familiar confidence of someone who's spent thousands of hours gaming:
—Wait for him to use [Bloodthorn] or [Roots]. At that moment, he's vulnerable for a brief moment. Activate [Running] and rush in from the side or behind. Deliver two or three quick dagger strikes, followed by a [Thorned Strike]. Then retreat while you're still under the effects of your acceleration. Got it?
Disava nodded curtly, even forgetting that her brother couldn't see her. She gripped her dagger tighter and focused.
The monster roared, and a forest of spikes erupted from its body. The ground trembled. It was at that moment that I lunged forward.
My body moved faster than my thoughts, and [Running] seemed to guide me along the perfect trajectory. I dodged the flying roots and struck three times!
The blade cut through the woody flesh, leaving deep wounds. After completing the combo, I channeled [Thorny Strike]. The heavy sound of flesh being cut merged with the boss's furious roar.
— Yes! Keep going!
But I didn't stop there. While the acceleration was still active, I managed to run away, hiding behind the ferns. And there, as my brother had suggested, I activated [Fragrance of the Petals].
A subtle sweet scent filled the air. The interface screen flashed:
[Effect: Target's defense is reduced by 15%.]
My dagger seemed to penetrate deeper, leaving brighter marks, and the boss's health bar was draining significantly faster.
[Blood Blooming Guardian] roared, the vines flailing wildly, uprooting the ground around it.
But now it was losing its former grandeur. Its steps were less sure, its movements sharp but chaotic.
—You're almost there! Just a little more! Wait for the moment when it opens its petals again and reveals its core! Only there, do you understand?
I was breathing heavily, my fingers white-knuckled around the dagger. Her heart was beating like a drum.
— I got it this time I'm going to finish it.
I could feel the air thickening around me, as if the forest of ferns was holding its breath. The [Blood Blooming Guardian] opened its petals again, revealing a pulsating blue core.
This was my chance! I clenched my teeth, tightened my grip on the dagger, and stabbed with all my might.
The metal entered the flesh, but at the same moment, there was a dry crack.
The blade, her faithful [ Self-Made Dagger], could not withstand the tension and broke right in her hands.
—Damn it!
I gasped, throwing away the useless shard. Immediately, my brother's worried voice came through the phone:
—Sis, don't panic! Think quickly!
But I was no longer listening to Katzu's words. I knew if I took a second too long, the monster would regain its rhythm and strangle her with its roots.
A memory of recent battles came to mind, of her fighting still without weapons and punching [Pink Predator] with her fist. Her fists were stronger than any steel back then.
—If the dagger's broken... then I'll have to strike myself!
Disava darted around the boss, forcing him to turn after her. The massive body turned with difficulty, creaking with wooden joints, slowing down with each turn.
Every moment, every saved breath, was time won.
—Yes, that's it! You're leading him, you're breaking him! Come on, little sister!
And then the moment arrived! The petals opened again, and the blue core shone with a vulnerable light. Without hesitation, the girl lunged forward with a fierce рывок, ducked under the root's attack, and slammed her fist into the monster's blue core with all her might.
The impact was so powerful that my joints ached from the recoil, and my knuckles cracked. But the core flared up, illuminating the clearing with a bright glow.
— Grrrrraaaaaah!!!
The monster roared, and its cry echoed through the forest. The petals fluttered, and its body shuddered before disintegrating into a cloud of crimson sparks. I staggered back and fell to my knees.
Tears and laughter mixed, my breath coming in spurts. I watched my broken dagger dissolve along with the boss's fading body.
— He... faded into nothingness.
—You did it, little sister. You killed him.
But at that moment, the clear, ringing voice of the system sounded over the clearing.
[ Achievement received: "One Against the Thorns" ]
[ Condition: Defeat the Blood Blossoming Guardian without the help of a party. ]
[ Reward: +10% to poison resistance (passive bonus forever). ]
[ Additional: special profile frame in the character menu •intertwined thorns with a scarlet bud• ]
[ Your health has been automatically restored ]
— Wow... Did I do that?
— You didn't just do it, you destroyed it single-handedly! Sis, that's a rare achievement!
The system didn't hesitate to continue. Green lines of rewards began to appear before my eyes.
[ Unique materials obtained (only from solo kills): ]
[Crimson Dagger-Budding Flower] (Rare Dagger)
[Damage: 12-18]
[Effect: Every 4th attack inflicts "Bleed" for 5 seconds.]
[Bonus: +3% to attack speed.]
Description: "To survive a battle with a predatory flower is to gain its fury."
[Crimson Guardian Seed] (Special Item)
[Can be planted in a personal hideout.]
[Over time, an ornamental plant grows, which occasionally "weeps with scarlet petals" and is used in alchemy or sold for a high price.]
[ Skill acquired (low chance, 5%): [Thorny Barrier] (Active) Lvl. 1 ]
Creates a wreath of thorns around the character for 8 seconds.
Enemies that attack with melee weapons take damage in return.
I opened my palm in disbelief, and a new dagger appeared in the air, thin and with a scarlet blade that looked like it was made of a thorn-edged petal. It glowed with a soft but dangerous light.
—Is this... mine?
—This is your trophy, and that flower seed... eh, you're lucky. It costs like half the equipment of a top guild. You really got the rarest drop!
At that moment, the screen flashed again.
[Since you have defeated the boss of the location, your level can be raised. ]
[ Your level has been improved: 2 → 6 Lvl. ]
[ Congratulations, you can now enter the city of novice heroes — Iacreumor. ]
The system's words resonated in my heart with a force greater than any fanfare. The light of the upgrade flooded my entire body, and for the first time in those excruciating hours, I felt not fatigue but pride.
—Six... I've reached level six!
—Now I see you're not just a player, but a true fighter. Welcome to the game, little sister.
I stood proudly, clutching my new scarlet dagger. Behind me, the protected clearing where the [Blood Blooming Guardian] had once raged was fading away. Ahead, the walls of the city of Iacreumor shimmered on the horizon.