After a while, Merrick finally spoke up. "If you want to say something, just say it. I can't afford to zone out right now." Aiden cut straight to the point. "Figure something out and get me close to those Lord-level bosses. I know how to take them down." "That's a joke. I can't even handle those beasts myself and you…" He stopped mid-sentence as something suddenly clicked for him. I think back to that Lord-level 100 Corrupted boss that dropped dead out of nowhere in the Dragon Mountain Range. And honestly… yeah, I guess he really can. Merrick snapped. "Oh, come on. You're trying to steal the boss again, aren't you? You totally are, right? Right?" His voice carried that frustrated desperation, and the whole thing dragged him back to the fear that had once crushed him on the Dragon Mountain Range. I've been busting my ass all day, and in the end, that Redmaw still goes down by someone else's hands. The kicker is, after it's all over, I'm supposed to thank him! Who the hell does free labor like that? "Relax, this isn't stealing. It's more like rescuing people from a dire situation, and yeah, it's incredibly risky. I've got way too much on my plate already." Aiden said seriously. "Besides, I'm not even taking the boss you're fighting. Why are you freaking out?" "Uh… yeah, that actually kinda makes sense." Merrick rubbed his chin, eyes widening as if a lightbulb just went off. Yeah, he's not even stealing my boss, so why should I freak out! And honestly, he's right. Whoever takes down a Lord-level boss right now is doing something huge. Merrick, being a born-and-bred NPC, couldn't just stand by and watch these eerie creatures run amok. "Alright, spill it. Where are you? Give me your location and I'll blast a path for you through the stars!" "Coordinates are…" Aiden shot back his position without missing a beat. "On my way! Let's go!" Almost immediately, Aiden heard heavy thuds echoing from a distance. About a minute later, a shirtless, muscle-bound older man dropped from the sky, slamming down with such force that the ground cracked beneath him.Sure enough… against an endless army of eerie creatures, even Merrick has to pull out his ace. "Stick your head over here, I'll throw a few buffs on you." Merrick didn't waste a second and started chanting right away. Before long, Aiden was wrapped in a full-on power-up. "So, who are we hitting first?" Merrick clenched his fists hard, the joints cracking. Being in this state seemed to crank up his irritability like crazy, like he'd been pumped full of some kind of steroid. "Hit whoever's low on health." Aiden shrugged. "Perfect. Hop on." Merrick half-squatted. "Hop on?" Aiden blinked. "Onto my back, obviously. How else am I supposed to carry you over there?" Merrick said like it was the most natural thing in the world. "What about the portal? Didn't you just drop Gray near the Inferno Dragon last time?" Aiden groaned, facepalming mentally. I'm a grown man, and I'm supposed to crawl on some old guy's back? How humiliating is that! "Uh, that's a sorcerer-only move. And right now…" Merrick flexed his bicep, letting it show off a little. "I get it." Aiden sucked in a sharp breath. "But seriously, can't you just clear a path so I can rush over?" Just piggyback me, huh? "You and I don't move at the same speed." Merrick's voice dropped low. "Enough. Quit dragging your feet. I'm a top‑ranked powerhouse and I'm already lowering myself to play your personal tank, so what exactly are you complaining about? The boss fight is what matters. Move. Every extra minute we stall means more people die." "Yeah…" For a Lord-level 100 boss, fine, I'll ride. Aiden paused for a second, then jumped up. "Wait… don't you dare hop on my head! What, am I your personal human steed now?" "Merrick, don't sweat the small stuff." "Whatever…" Merrick didn't bother arguing. He leapt up like a lion and slammed down, shredding the nearby eerie creatures into clouds of blood. "Alright, time to let these creatures feel the heat of our combo attack."… "Kill!" "Kill these creatures!" On the battlefield, the screams and war cries tore through the air. Blood boiled, and smoke from burning corpses and fires curled up into the sky, a relentless storm of chaos. The defending army clashed with countless eerie creatures, fighting with a madness that left the ground littered with wreckage. By now, the battle lines had completely fallen apart. Most of the soldiers were dead. Those still standing were all wounded. Shield bearers raised their heavy shields, forming a wall of flesh with their bodies, absorbing wave after wave of attacks without faltering. Behind them, archers loosed arrow after arrow, and the chants of mages drifted over the battlefield. Colors of magic flashed brilliantly, only to be swallowed by black torrents of destruction moments later.There were too many eerie creatures, and their attacks were unstoppable. They felt neither fatigue nor pain, no fear at all. They were pure killing machines. As long as they could move, nothing in sight would survive.