Chapter 41: Inferno Within the Circle
Ryan, quick as a flash, yanked the Boss back into position. The girls flanking him, sensing his intention, immediately paused their attacks to let him re-establish aggro.
Seconds ticked by as Ryan steadied the Boss. Once he was sure the aggro was stable, the team resumed their assault, slowly grinding down its health bar.
The Boss’s health plummeted fast. Before it had the chance to trigger a second curse or teleport again, they’d already shaved off more than 2,000 points—bringing it dangerously close to the 60% threshold.
"Everyone, heads up. It’s about to enter Phase Two," Ryan warned, eyes fixed on the Vein of Torment’s rapidly shrinking health.
The moment its HP hit 60%, the Vein of Torment let out a guttural roar.
"Mortals, you shall join me in the abyss of torment!"
Purple flames erupted beneath its feet, splashing violently onto the ground. Wherever they touched, the floor scorched black, marking danger zones. Ryan, standing closest, took the brunt of the damage.
It wasn’t lethal—just 30 points per tick—but every scorched patch dealt its own 30 damage. The numbers stacked quickly, threatening to overwhelm him.
He took a sharp step back, dragging the Boss a few yards away from the flames. Once outside the affected area, the burning stopped—but the danger hadn’t passed.
The Boss didn’t just unleash a single wave. Every few seconds, more purple fire splashed outward, layering the ground with patches of flame. Each pulse shimmered with a dark aura, a clear warning to steer clear.
Ryan tightened his grip on the Boss’s movements, keeping it within a safe radius. He couldn’t afford to move it too far from the purple circles. If the Boss drifted too far from its scorched zones, small skeletons would start rising from each one. Enough of those would snowball into a team wipe.