bookcurios Chapter 88 Time Guardians
Chapter 88 Time Guardians
"I'm ready."
Looking at the results of my efforts over the past month, I said in a low voice.
I have made thorough preparations to defeat the Boss and have dismantled the camp.
"The Time Guardian is indeed a formidable opponent."
This is a mid-tier, third-level monster, which appears relatively weak physically. However, its true strength lies not in its physical form, but in its affinity with time. After all, the strength of most boss monsters is determined by their mana and physical strength, but some special monsters are considered to be of a higher level due to their unique characteristics.
The Time Guardian is one of them. If ranked in the conventional way, it should be a mid-level tier 3 monster, but due to its unique characteristics, it is ranked as a low-level tier 4 monster.
'However, with proper preparation, dealing with it isn't too difficult.'
I collected pebbles while walking around, and I made arrows from them. I did a final check before starting.
I carefully checked my equipment, making sure everything was ready. Artifacts, potions, and supplies were all crucial for the upcoming battle. Now, reflecting on the path I'd traveled since I first arrived here, it felt like an eternity.
My body is fully rested, I even took a shower and feel refreshed. Everything is arranged, all that's left is to face the Boss.
Emerging from the woods, I merged into the shadows, activating [Shadow].
Today is a cloudy and rainy day, despite yesterday being scorching hot. Based on my observation, this weather will continue for another day.
I cautiously ventured deeper into the woods, wary of my surroundings. As the final test drew near, the tension intensified.
There shouldn't be too many monsters left.
Over the past month, my goal has been not only to improve myself, but also to gradually eliminate the monsters in this place.
I delayed my exploration, but since I'm good at stealth and ranged attacks, clearing out these monsters wasn't difficult for me, even alone.
Therefore, I am certain that no monsters will stand in my way when I face the Time Guardians.
rustle
As I ventured deeper, the shadows followed me closely, providing a reassuring sense of concealment.
Just as I expected, I eventually arrived at the center of the forest, where the Boss was waiting. I didn't encounter any other monsters there.
A chill ran down my spine; the Boss's eerie presence sent shivers down my spine. Its flickering form made it difficult to lock onto its target, highlighting its ability to manipulate time.
"It's coming."
Da da da
The rain continued to fall, creating a somber atmosphere, perfectly suited to the impending decisive battle.
I cautiously stepped forward, preparing to face the guardian of time.
My senses were heightened, every muscle ready for the impending battle that would determine my fate in the Forest of Time.
The first phase should be relatively easy.
I thought to myself, prepare my bow, and keep my eyes fixed on the Boss monster in front of me.
The Time Guardian stood before me; it was a creature that defied convention.
Its form constantly flickers and changes, and its ethereal appearance reveals its profound connection to the manipulation of time.
This monster looked like an ancient and mysterious being, its outline indistinct, its edges seemingly dissipating into the surrounding air. Its form appeared to be constantly changing, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact shape.
In fact, I later learned that the Time Guardians were the ancestors of the Eternal Ghosts and the Time Changers. They were monsters that dwelled in this place.
Therefore, the Time Guardian possesses the characteristics of both of them.
Its color is a combination of the blue of the eternal ghost and the silver of the time changer, reflecting the ever-changing nature of time itself.
These hues intertwine and swirl together, like a vortex.
The Time Guardian emits a faint light, which, as sunlight filters through the clouds and refracts through the crystal, creates a mysterious atmosphere.
"What a wonderful sight."
I muttered to myself, admiring its form while preparing for the upcoming showdown.
Keen Eyes
Activating the skill, I felt magic power enter my eyes, and my gaze focused on the boss in front of me.
This skill was supposed to reveal the Boss's weakness, but because it was low-level, the effect was not ideal. Even so, my gaze remained fixed on the Boss, and my [Perception & Insight] ability was also at work.
I observed the monster and combined the information from the game with my observations.
I remained hidden in the shadows, and the Boss made no reaction.
"call……"
I took a deep breath, drew an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, and stared intently at the shimmering Time Guardian.
My heartbeat gradually calmed down. Facing the upcoming duel, I am a hunter, and a hunter cannot lose his composure.
I carefully aimed, determined the Boss's distorted shape, and released the bowstring.
Whoosh!
The arrow streaked through the air, striking the Time Guardian precisely.
However, the arrows did not make the expected impact sound; they seemed to have slowed down. The Boss's manipulation of time altered the trajectory of the arrows.
The arrow lost speed, and the Time Guardian's form shifted slightly, allowing the arrow to pass through it harmlessly.
"As expected, it wasn't that easy."
I muttered to myself, quickly picked up the next arrow, and prepared to fire again.
'Time manipulation itself alters speed, direction, and position.'
I adjusted my aim, anticipating the boss's time manipulation abilities. I needed to predict where it would be, not where it was currently located.
The Boss hasn't even fully awakened yet, and its natural form is already very difficult to deal with.
I imbued the arrow with green mana, giving it power. Since green mana is the most stable form of mana, it was my best choice.
Whoosh! Bang!
The arrow was shot out and flew towards the Time Guardian. This time, I saw its form sway slightly, and it hit the target successfully on the first try.
Through my eyes, I can see green threads forming in front of me, connecting my position to that of the Boss.
Roar!
But before I could even celebrate, the Boss retaliated, unleashing a distorted wave of time towards me. The attack was incredibly fast, accelerating almost instantaneously.
[Speed]
Swoosh
I activated my skill, quickly dodged, and felt a disturbance in the air as the ripples brushed past me.
The power of the Time Guardian is considerable; I cannot underestimate it.
However, the first arrow is the most important. When I trained with the Time Changer, I tried to find a way to counter its shape-shifting, and I found one.
My green mana negated the monster's transformation, marking it as not having escaped the "real" part of this dimension.
Thanks to this, from the moment my first arrow hit its mark, the rest of the challenge became much easier.
Swoosh swoosh
I continued shooting arrows, each shot carefully calculated based on the Boss's possible location and its ability to change over time.
My eyes kept moving around the space, observing every slight fluctuation in the environment.
This is a habit I developed in this ever-changing space, and I've also learned a lesson from it.
Never be absolutely certain about anything; always be prepared for change.
At this point, the shadows were almost useless, which I had anticipated. The boss has a strong sense of mana. It has been able to locate me easily ever since I started using mana attacks.
Therefore, instead of moving through the shadows, I activated the [Swift] skill and moved along the forest, constantly changing my position.
Da da da
The sound of rain and my footsteps on the mud echoed in my ears; the battle had only just begun, and this was merely the initial clash.
Roar!
The Time Guardian shouted and began throwing a pile of stones at me.
Whoosh! Boom! Boom!
Thanks to its ability to manipulate time, the stone's speed increased, causing the time intervals for me to dodge to become shorter.
However, my skill [Swiftness] came in handy, and I moved quickly across the field, dodging the stones flying towards me.
Bang, crack
"what……"
Even so, I couldn't avoid every attack. A stone hit my leg, and I couldn't help but let out a painful groan. My body trembled violently from the pain, and I almost fell.
'My bone is broken.'
I immediately assessed the injury.
click
Without hesitation, I bit down on the pill I had hidden in my mouth, the one I had prepared specifically for this situation.
As I felt the medicine enter my mouth, I forced myself to move, and I could feel a series of arrows shooting towards me.
Just as I was adapting to it, the Time Guardian was also adapting to my attacks, able to clearly see my movements thanks to its unique eyes.
However, all of this was within my expectations.
It should be soon.
Just then, the Time Guardian seemed to gradually adapt to my strategy, and a new variable suddenly appeared in the environment.
'They've arrived.'
In this place, the unstable gravity suddenly changed, altering the trajectories of the raindrops, my arrows, and the stones thrown at me.
As raindrops defied gravity and fell downwards or upwards, I paused to observe and adapt to the change. I had studied this place and prepared for this attack, and now I was finally seeing its effects.
I adjusted my aim and, using this strange gravity, launched my arrow at an unconventional angle.
In my mind, I only needed to imagine the trajectory of the arrow based on observation and simulate the process of battle.
Swoosh
The arrows bent and twisted, flying along strange paths created by the distortion of gravity.
Therefore, the Time Guardians have difficulty predicting and dodging these unpredictable shots.
Whizzing
My arrow struck its target, and the Time Guardian roared in agony, its form becoming increasingly unstable. Each strike weakened the creature, green liquid dripping from its wounds.
Roar!
In its rage, the Time Guardian unleashed a tremendous roar that shook the very fabric of space.
Swoosh
I was thrown out by the aftershock, felt my body being pushed aside, and at the same time saw a strange barrier covering the place where the Time Guardian was.
The second phase has begun.