There!


    In the middle of the battlefield, something began to move beneath the ground. The sand bulged upward, forming a massive, elongated mound as though something enormous was burrowing just beneath the surface.


    Panic erupted as everyone''s fears came to life.


    And then—it appeared.


    Another monster! A Massive Desert Worm!


    A colossal dune worm emerged from the sands. Its segmented body was covered in thick, armored tes that resembled sandstone. Its gaping maw was lined with countless rows of razor-sharp teeth, ready to devour anything in its path. Along its sides, jagged ridges and spikes made the creature look even more menacing.


    As swallowed hard as the image came into focus on the live broadcast.


    Seriously, this was another nightmare.


    [Epic-grade Sandscourge Devourer Lv. 265]


    "So, this is exactly what you mentioned earlier, Edrik. Two Dungeon Bosses?" As muttered, his tone heavy.


    "Let''s hope this is thest one," Edrik replied.


    "But the Lord already looks exhausted…" As murmured, his mind racing as he imagined the worst-case scenario.


    The Dune Worm moved with terrifying speed,unching its massive body into the air before mming down onto the Dune Bastion. Another violent tremor shook the entire city, but this time, the unthinkable happened—part of the city wall began to crack!


    The weary warriors hesitated, pulling back momentarily, as if regrouping to strategize against this new, monstrous threat.


    Meanwhile, hundreds of other monsters continued their relentless assault from all directions, shing with the turrets that kept firing, as well as the Saharan Soldiers scattered across the battlefield.


    And Lord Kareem?


    He hovered in the air, clearly avoiding the Dune Worm as it rampaged dangerously close to the city wall, its massive body thrashing with destructive force.


    The camera focused on Lord Kareem, who remained motionless in mid-air.


    Was he exhausted? Or had he given up?


    As could clearly see the desperate expressions of those watching the live broadcast. For them, this might as well be the apocalypse. A city as grand and powerful as this, reduced to ruins if the Dune Bastion fell and the rampaging monster reached the heart of the city.


    The broadcast ryed more grim news: reinforcements would arrive in 20 minutes.


    20 minutes?! As''s chest tightened. By then, the city would already be in ruins!


    But then, something unexpected happened.


    Kareem''s body was suddenly enveloped in a brilliant white energy, giving the floating warrior an almost ethereal appearance.


    Wait… why did As feel something familiar about this?


    The energy surrounding Kareem grew brighter and more intense. The sheer force of it seemed almost overwhelming, prompting the camera to pull back as the light engulfed his entire figure. Kareem was no longer visible—just a radiant, blinding form.


    And then—


    A deafening roar ripped through the battlefield!


    What was that?!


    Where Kareem had been moments ago, a massive figure now emerged from within the radiant light. It resembled a beast with four legs, but it was farrger than any ordinary creature, with two pairs of expansive wings stretching out majestically.


    Then, the light began to fade, revealing the creature fully.


    A lion?! But with two majestic wings… and three flowing, fox-like tails?


    It was a spectral beast, its form both powerful and otherworldly. The creature had a muscr, regal lion''s body, glowing, ethereal eagle wings, and three fox tails radiating ghostly energy. Its form shimmered with spectral energy.


    "Kareem… transformed into this beast?" As murmured.


    "It''s simr…" Edrik muttered softly, ncing at As.


    Both of them understood immediately. This transformation was eerily simr to what had happened to Soren, the Lord As had faced in his first battle.


    "Eryndralis," the waiter said.


    "What''s that?" As asked, curious.


    "This is the spirit form of Lord Kareem. He merged with the spirit beasts'' power, bing one with it and taking its form. This form is called Eryndralis."


    "What a unique name," As remarked. "But it looks pretty cool too."


    The faces of those watching the live broadcast shifted once more, their eyes lighting up with renewed hope. For the second time, a glimmer of victory seemed possible.


    The spectral beast, majestic and awe-inspiring, pped its powerful wings. The lion with wings and three fox tails unleashed a massive cannon-like wave of energy from its mouth. Each beat of its wings sent spectral fox-like creatures hurtling toward the Dune Worm, striking it relentlessly.


    The Dune Worm writhed violently, its massive body convulsing as patches of its skin began to glow an ominous red.


    "Wait…" As muttered. "It''s not going to blow itself up, is it?"


    Suddenly, the live broadcast blurred, the screen struggling to focus, and the air itself seemed to shimmer with heat.


    "What''s going on?" As asked, but the answer was obvious. The temperature in the café spiked as if the very air was on fire. The worm''s heat was radiating across the battlefield, even reaching into the city itself.


    "Oh damn," As muttered. Even he, ustomed to the heat, could feel the sweltering wave of difort. ncing around, he noticed others in the café fanning themselves, some rushing to grab cold drinks tobat the oppressive heat.


    And Morganna?


    She sat quietly, staring at her ice cream. It had melted almost instantly, leaving her with a soupy mess in her ss. Her eyes narrowed, her expression shifting to a t, unreadable stare.


    The Spectral Beast continued its relentless assault, its mighty wings beating fiercely as it fired glowing cannon-like sts at the Dune Worm, each shot hitting with devastating force as if attempting to burn the creature alive.


    Dozens of spectral foxesunched from the beast''s wings, mming into the worm repeatedly.


    Despite this, the Dune Worm writhed violently, thrashing its massive body and asionally mming against the Dune Bastion, sending tremors across the battlefield.


    Would this strategy work?


    Everyone watching held their breath, enduring the sweltering heat that had grown unbearable. The café''s air conditioning was no match for the oppressive temperature, and the heat only intensified as the battle dragged on.


    The battlefield itself was a chaotic mess of sandstorms, explosions, and scorching waves of heat.


    Then—gradually—the Dune Worm began to slow.


    The moment stretched on, feeling unbearably long and intense. Perhaps it wasn''t truly that long, but in situations like this, every second felt like an eternity as everyone anxiously awaited a victorious oue.


    Finally, the Dune Worm''s massive, once-indomitable body stilled, its wild thrashinging to an end. It stoppedpletely, with smoke rising from its thick, armored hide.


    The once-imposing creaturey motionless, its scorched and battered form a silent testament to the brutal battle.


    Was it over? Had the worm finally been burned from the inside out?


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though a lingering sense of unease remained. They silently prayed this would truly be the final Dungeon Boss they had to face.


    As moments passed, the battle against the remaining hundreds of monsters continued, with turrets, cannons, and Saharan Soldiers working tirelessly to eliminate the stragglers.


    Finally, the announcement came:


    The broadcast screen flickered, and the voice of an announcer, steady but charged with emotion, filled the airwaves.@@novelbin@@


    "Attention, citizens of the Vemar City, Saharan Empire!"


    The camera panned across the smoldering battlefield, showing the defeated forms of the Dune Godzi and the Dune Worm.


    "Both Dungeon Bosses have been defeated! The threat to our great city has been neutralized!"


    The camera zoomed in on Lord Kareem, still floating in mid-air, already transformed back to his original form.


    "This victory belongs to the brave defenders of the Dune Bastion and to the Saharan Soldiers who stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds. But above all—today, we owe our survival to Lord Kareem, a Rank-4 Sentinel, who led us to triumph!"


    The screen disyed an image of Kareem raising his greatsword.


    "The nightmare has ended. Our city stands tall! Let this day remind us of our strength, our resilience, and the heroes who walk among us!"


    A wave of celebration swept through the city. It wasn''t the jubnt kind of joy but rather a collective feeling of exhaustion and overwhelming relief.


    The nightmare had finally ended.


    ***


    (Author''s Note:)


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