Chapter 338: The Boss

Words : 1048 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 338: The Boss An ancient goat. Duchess Amelia said that the very first form of the boss was supposed to be an actual goat. In fact, it was why she initially found it difficult to battle it outright, because the creature didn’t even look like a boss. Not when it found the grass more interesting than her. And not when she recognized the behavior, especially the sounds. This helped Luca create an image of the opponent based on the descriptions his mother gave. So what’s this? And in which universe did goats start looking like this?! Well, in this one apparently. She did say that the boss had evolved a lot, but its general form was still there. Then were they fighting a totally different entity right now? For when the looming doors opened, something else greeted them. Luca swallowed hard. "I don’t think that’s a goat," he whispered. Ollie, from inside Kyle’s cockpit, had already set his foot down in a silent protest. "I’m done. I want to go home," the blonde whispered in disbelief. But no one was going home. Because standing before them was the furthest thing from a goat Luca had ever seen. It was tall. Towering. Unholy. And definitely something that would make the old headmistress run for the hills. Because even he wanted to run. Coated in living, writhing bark, its body rippled like a storm of root muscle. It was humanoid, but only barely—its limbs segmented in unnatural places, twisted like snapped bone. But then you see the head, and any deals you could possibly think of would just be scrapped. A massive, horned skull, animalistic but lined with glowing amber eyes that blinked independently, like each one was thinking its own thoughts and looking at its own prey. And both didn’t sound good to them. But then you look downward, and then you see something worse, something that was really impossible to ignore. From its chest downward, roots coiled like snakes, and wisps of that tar-like corruption bled from deep within like veins carrying molten sickness. Only, what should’ve been sickness was feeding it, giving it more mass, and completing that change in its physical form. This was no goat. This has got to be a demon. That was more like it. Seriously. "..." "..." Now these guys have learned something important throughout the times they’ve had to battle. You do not wait for your opponents to finish. Not when its missing limb was threading together in real time. The fight began instantly. Xavier launched into motion first as ice blades cut into those leg roots to start. Plasma cannons were shot, boring holes into those thick and slithering roots. The goo sizzled under the intense heat while the limbs showed deep cuts, the black goo even trickling down. And for a moment, it seemed like it worked, the boss even screeching as if annoyed by this sudden disturbance. It didn’t bleat. Not anymore. But then the roots twitched. Then redoubled. And instead of pausing, it just threaded faster, and more roots from the walls were coming in as if to the rescue. Kyle gnashed his teeth as he thought about how great a training dummy this would ideally make if it weren’t trying to actively kill them. And if it stopped trying to spawn those forsaken creatures. Not only was this boss rebuilding itself by sewing itself up with roots, but it also decided to make it a family reunion by calling upon its children. The pustules that everyone had been avoiding suddenly burst with a screech from this demonic goat. Sick, wet pops echoed through the chamber as corrupted monsters spilled from the wall sacs. But instead of crowding their mechas earlier, the group was surprised to see that they had been called to assimilate with this boss. Sacrifices for fusion. And Ollie muttered something inaudible as he watched this horror. The others realized what was happening, and Luca in particular tried burning away these creatures as they tried buying time for the purification cannon. It had started charging since they were outside, and the guide was praying for it to finish before that monster managed to build its last limb. 70%. Just a few more and he’d be able to fire it. Almost there. This was why the others had been bolder with their attacks, trying to distract the boss to prolong the mutation. The women were in charge of cutting the roots from the source, while Butler Gary had been popping the pustules before the boss could call for them. Kyle coordinated with Xavier mid-movement, the two of them moving in a flanking pattern. The adjutant’s blade locked a root arm, yanking it wide. "Now!" he barked. Xavier leapt in, blade of ice extended like a lance. He drove it straight into the monster’s torso, puncturing layers of writhing roots and bone. The noise it made could’ve broken glass, but even then, Cece still managed to celebrate that slash. "YEAH!" she whooped. "Take that!" But then she realized that those two cadets looked grim, especially that white-haired lad. This feeling had been nagging Xavier for a while now. And he thought that this last attack just confirmed his guess. Something wasn’t right. Just then, Luca’s comms lit up, and his eyes widened as he announced the good news. "It’s ready! I can fire now!" "Wait." Xavier’s voice stopped everything. Luca, who was just about to fire, stopped himself from willing it. "Wh—Xavier?" Luca stammered. "Why?!" "I’ve been slashing through it the whole time," Xavier said. If one actually looked at his earlier attacks, they’d realize he’s been shredding this monster methodically. Typical weak points, limbs, joints, and even concealed points, all so he could find it. "I’ve been searching for its core." He gritted his teeth. "And?" asked the Duchess. "There isn’t one," Xavier said, his voice calm amidst his internal exasperation. "Not here at the very least." "D-29, you’re able to look for the highest concentration of spiritual energy and corruption, right?" he added, "If so, check if there’s anything concentrated here." It took a short moment, but just as expected, D-29 couldn’t find anything that stood out in the readings. Silence reigned. Then Cece’s confused voice broke through: "...So where the hell is it?"

Chapter 338: The Boss

Comments (0)