The Sniktura Raid inside the Arta Secret Base is divided into three major phases.

The first phase begins with all MP sealed, and the goal is to restore the laboratory equipment.

During this time, Sniktura fights using only basic attacks and passive abilities. The standard strategy here is simple: just endure.

Well, technically, it's possible to kill Sniktura during this phase.

That is, if every party member’s gear and passive setup are so well-optimized that they can deal damage to a Grade One monster without using MP.

Anyway.

Once the lab is restored, the second phase begins.

At this point, ranged dealers can start to land even a sliver of damage on Sniktura as their MP slowly regenerates...

The most important thing here is to hold Sniktura in the central zone.

Only then can you stop it from casting skills.

Granted, we already made a major mistake during this part of the raid...

Anyway.

The third and final phase is simple.

As you slowly whittle down its HP, its second passive, [Final Radiance], activates—triggering its berserk mode. From there, all you need to do is survive.

[Final Radiance] grants a massive physical stat boost until the fight ends, but its HP also drops steadily over time depending on how long it lasts.

So just surviving guarantees victory.

And now—

“M-My mana’s coming back!”

“Same with divine power!”

There’s no phase in the Sniktura raid where everyone’s resources recover like this.

After all, Sniktura isn’t even the main boss of Arta Secret Base.

Once you defeat Sniktura, accept the chain quest, defeat the boss on Doomsday Island, and return to the lab, you’re given two choices:

Collect your reward and end it there.

Or challenge Arta himself—transformed into a mechanical beast—as the true final boss.

If you pick the latter, the raid restarts right here in this lab, and the field effect that appears at the very end of that raid... is this one:

“Field Effect – Core of the Earth activated.”

“The root of the land grants all powers.”

“All character resources are fixed at 100%.”

The MP that had been locked at zero from holding Sniktura in the center shoots back to full.

No—“shoots back” isn’t quite the right term.

“Character has cast [Giant Form].”

My suppressed body swells with power, but there’s no sensation of MP draining at all.

It’s the field effect.

Locked at 100%.

Which means resources will never decrease—no matter what you use.

“Character has used [Savage Outburst].”

“Temporarily increases character’s Threat Level by 3x; physical stats increase proportional to threat.”

I enlarge my form and let out a roar—and only then does Sniktura’s gaze finally lock squarely onto me.

Up until now, its aggro had been bouncing around.

Makes sense—Grade One monsters always have high aggro thresholds.

“......Ugh. Creepy.”

As I meet Sniktura’s gaze—its own skill-use enabled again—my heart tightens in my chest.

'Can I endure this?'

That question doesn’t even cross my mind.

What I need right now isn’t doubt.

“Sven Parab! Heal Beleg!”

“Y-Yes...!”

“Everyone else fall back! Elwen, that means you too!”

“Me...?”

“Cancel [Elementalization] and pull back to cast [Focused Shot]!”

“Understood...!”

“Everyone except Elwen, use all your defensive abilities—don’t hold back!”

This is why a clear chain of command is critical.

Even though I shouted orders without detailed explanations, the team moved into formation like we’d rehearsed it.

“Elwen Fornaci di Tersia has cast [Focused Shot].”

Elwen was the keystone of this plan.

After all, she’s the very reason I was able to make such a reckless gamble in the first place.

“While focusing, all incoming damage is absorbed using Soul Power.”

With the added bonus of unlimited MP, Elwen becomes untouchable during the raid.

But even so, I made her fall back for a simple reason:

Stun, confusion, knockback... even if damage is absorbed, there are still ways to break her focus.

Ssssshhh—

Maybe overwhelmed by its own sudden surge of strength, Sniktura pauses to assess the situation... then finally starts to move.

It begins lightly—

“Sniktura has cast [Seed of Destruction].”

“Random character within range is struck with an unavoidable blow.”

The same basic attack that had turned Beleg into a corpse in one hit.

But this time, the difference is clear.

At our level, every explorer is packing at least one defensive skill.

“Arua Raven casts 3rd-grade support magic [Mana Barrier].”

“Meland Kaislan casts [Defensive Stance].”

“Riris Marone casts 4th-grade summoning magic [Anti-Magic Stone].”

“All characters within range gain resistance to—”

Even the same punch hits differently if you’re prepared for it.

“Ghhak...!”

“Kaislan!”

“I-I’m fine...”

Granted, even so, a basic hit from a Grade One monster still packs a serious punch.

But—

“Sven Parab casts [Prayer of Protection].”

“30% of damage taken is converted to divine power.”

“Sven Parab casts [Springwater of the Rising Moon].”

“Summons a totem that emits periodic healing waves.”

“Sven Parab casts [Mass Heal]...”

Call him a Paladin or a Cleric—doesn’t matter. With infinite divine power, he might as well ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) be a high priest.

The real problem was me, standing on the front lines.

“Sniktura has cast [Venom Spray].”

Showered in poison with no immunity bonuses left.

“Sniktura has cast [Form Shift].”

It bulks up instantly and closes the distance, making spacing tactics useless.

“Sniktura has cast [Life Leech].”

“Siphons HP from all characters within range.”

Sometimes it even morphs into other Grade One monsters and uses their skills.

“Sniktura has cast [Will of the Undying].”

“Temporarily increases natural HP regen by +1,000.”

From the looks of it, all the HP we chipped away has already been fully restored. Sickening.

But even so—I keep my focus sharp and my eyes blazing.

'As expected.'

Just one shot.

“Elwen Fornaci di Tersia is casting [Focused Shot].”

This entire fight hinges on landing one perfect hit.

***

[Focused Shot].

An active skill obtainable by absorbing the essence of the 4th-grade monster Ritcannon.

In truth, it’s not an “endgame” skill.

There are better versions with similar effects among higher-grade essences.

[Focused Shot] is more of a stepping stone. Something you use temporarily before obtaining that skill.

But it’s like shopping with infinite money—you don’t worry about efficiency.

'With infinite MP, who cares about skill tier?'

Well, that only applies to raw damage.

What matters is the time it takes to get there...

How long must she charge to one-shot a Grade One monster?

Honestly, I can’t say.

I’ve seen every kind of battle you can imagine in this game, but I’ve never encountered a situation like this.

'Well, whatever.'

Just gather as much as possible.

And if it doesn’t work—then it was never going to work in the first place.

“Elwen Fornaci di Tersia is casting [Focused Shot].”

She mustn’t fire too soon.

The entire point of this plan is to stop its passive—[Final Radiance]—from activating.

If we fail to kill it in a single blow and it enters berserk mode, in this tight space, we’re all dead.

So...

“UAAAAAAAARGHHH!”

Hold.

Hold as long as I can—no, with everything I’ve got.

“Sniktura has cast [Execution].”

“Elwen Fornaci di Tersia is casting [Focused Shot].”

Block what I can.

“Block successful.”

“Aegis Barrier absorbs all incoming damage.”

Take the rest head-on.

“Sniktura has cast [Fatal Poisoning].”

“Character HP is below 40%. Poison effects are quadrupled.”

“Elwen Fornaci di Tersia is casting [Focused Shot].”

Even skills I normally avoid using—ones with terrible efficiency or synergy—I throw them out without hesitation.

“Character has cast [Transcendence].”

“Next skill will be enhanced.”

“Character has cast [Soul Dive].”

“80% of max Soul Power is drained. Natural regen increases significantly.”

Granted, the regen boost isn’t that impressive.

Not tiny, but considering the penalty, you’re better off skipping it.

At least until you get that skill that gets stronger the lower your Soul Power is.

But now... 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

'MP’s infinite—so why not?'

No time to split hairs.

If I want to survive, I’ve got to use everything—every last—

“...Huh?”

Suddenly, everything went dark.

And I don’t mean metaphorically.

“......”

Not only was it pitch black—there was no sound.

As if my hearing had been completely cut off.

What... what just happened?

It didn’t take long to figure out.

Because I could see it—

Thin, glowing red threads glowing in the darkness.

“Son of a...”

Those red threads stretched in every direction, connecting to hunched monsters lurking in the shadows.

All of them creatures I had deep history with.

Ogre. Voll-Herchan. Deep Sea Giant. Storm Gush...

That messy one over there—was that the synthetic essence I created on B1F?

Looks like parts of two monsters are fused together...

Anyway.

That wasn’t the important part.

What mattered was—I knew exactly what this effect was.

A skill from a Grade One monster. Cryptid.

An RNG nightmare on par with the “Knight of Hate” from the Crimson Fortress, who could randomly de-level you.

“Sniktura has cast [Harbinger of Corruption].”

“One of your essences will soon be permanently corrupted.”

You’ve gotta be kidding me.

'It uses this skill now?!'

“A corrupted essence will become unusable for 180 days and cannot be removed afterward.”

For a moment, my mind went blank. But I forced myself to focus—look on the bright side.

At least, I’m better off than most.

Almost all of my essences are endgame quality, meant to last for life.

All except one.

'Please—not Storm Gush...'