It was a reckless, desperate gamble. Lucas leaned forward slightly. This was the moment.
The Helios party unleashed a blinding cascade of power. The warrior's shield erupted in a concussive blast, a mage summoned a miniature meteor, and Evelyn's own sword glowed with an energy that seemed to cut the air itself. The combined force slammed into the left Sentinel. Its health bar vanished in an instant.
But they were a fraction of a second too late to stop the other Sentinel. The regeneration beam fired one last time.
However, something different happened. The massive burst of raw energy didn't just fail to kill the guardians; it overloaded them. The runes on both Sentinels began to glow an angry, unstable red. The ground began to tremble violently. The waterfall behind them ceased its flow, the water hanging in the air for a suspended moment before crashing down.
A new, colossal health bar appeared in every player's vision, stretching across the sky above the grotto.
[Awakened Grotto Guardian | Level 20 (World Boss)]
The two Stone Sentinels crumbled into dust. From the now-dry cave mouth behind them, a single, house-sized stone hand smashed through the rock face. It was followed by another, and then a massive, monolithic head, its eyes burning with a malevolent, crimson light. The true guardian of the Sunken Grotto had been awakened.
The Helios party stared in horror. Their mana was gone. Their ultimate skills were on cooldown. They were exhausted, demoralized, and now trapped in a sealed arena with a World Boss they had no hope of defeating.
This was the opportunity Lucas had been waiting for.
The Awakened Grotto Guardian pulled itself free from the rock, its colossal form blocking the sky. It let out a low, grinding roar that vibrated in their very bones. The Helios party, exhausted and out of options, scrambled into a desperate defensive formation. Panic was a palpable scent in the air.
This was the moment.
Lucas Thorne stepped out from the shadows of the ruins, Kael trotting calmly at his side. He didn't run or shout. He simply walked into the clearing, his expression one of unnerving calm, as if he were observing a mildly interesting simulation.
The contrast was stark. The best-equipped party on the server was in a state of terror, while the lone "Tamer Trash" looked completely unfazed.
Evelyn's head snapped in his direction, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fury. "You!"
Lucas stopped a safe distance away, his gaze sweeping over their depleted health and mana bars. He addressed Evelyn, but his voice was loud and clear enough for her entire party to hear.
"Your ultimates are on cooldown," he stated, his tone flat and analytical. "Your mages are out of mana. Your warrior's shield skill is thirty seconds from being ready. You have, by my calculation, a zero percent chance of survival."
His cold, factual assessment was more damning than any insult.
"What do you want, bottom-feeder?" Evelyn shot back, her pride lashing out from a corner of desperation. "Here to loot our corpses?"
"That is one potential outcome," Lucas replied smoothly, meeting her glare without flinching. "But I have a counter-proposal. One that results in you leaving this grotto alive."
He let the silence hang for a moment, the Golem's heavy, grinding footsteps providing a terrifying rhythm.
"I want two things," he continued, his voice precise, like a lawyer reading a contract. "First, we cooperate. You will provide the firepower, and I will provide the strategy to get past this... new problem and acquire the Sunpetals."
He paused, then delivered his masterstroke.
"Second, and more importantly, your guild, Helios, will owe me a debt. One single, formal, no-questions-asked favor. I will call it in when I choose, for whatever purpose I deem necessary."
He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto Evelyn's. The cold, ruthless strategist she had only glimpsed before was now on full display.
"Agree to these terms, and I'll get you out of this. Refuse... and I'll be happy to harvest the Sunpetals from your bodies after the Golem is finished."
The members of Helios looked from the terrifying Golem to their leader, their faces pale. The choice was hers. The Golem raised a fist the size of a boulder, preparing to strike.
Evelyn stared at Lucas, her expression a mask of fury and humiliation. He had her trapped. He had won.
"...Fine," she bit out, the word tasting like poison. "You have a deal, Lucas. Now get us out of here."