The current final boss, [Ultimate Water Elemental], was still in a greyed-out state with its HP locked.
There were less than sixty seconds left until its full Berserk Phase was activated.
Daniel guessed that once the three phase bosses entered their berserk states, only then would the [Ultimate Water Elemental] become a valid target for attack.
Since that was the case... there was only one thing to do.
BOOOOM!
Countless bolts of divine lightning burst forth like silver serpents dancing madly across the lake’s surface, striking the water with crackling fury.
After another full round of output—
[You have slain Boss: Salamander King]
[You have slain Boss: Gargoyle Bat]
[You have slain Boss: Abyssal Shellmaw]
[Current Boss Kill Rewards: Treasure Chest x453 (Accumulated)]
The current number of treasure chests had climbed to a whopping 453.
Daniel couldn’t help but wonder—had any adventurer before him ever managed to farm this many chests from one dungeon run?
As he mulled over the thought, the countdown quietly reached its end.
And right on cue, the three phase bosses revived once more.
This time, however, something was different.
Their appearances had changed—markedly so.
Their auras grew wildly unstable, their bodies more distorted, more vicious. Their eyes gleamed blood-red with unrestrained brutality. Clearly, they had entered Berserk Mode.
Yet, surprisingly, none of them attacked.
Instead, all three turned and crawled reverently toward the [Ultimate Water Elemental], lowering their heads in subservient worship.
What happened next caught Daniel completely off guard.
The [Ultimate Water Elemental] stretched out something resembling an arm and made contact with the three berserk bosses.
As their bodies connected, the Elemental’s once-blue, semi-transparent form began to transform rapidly, turning into a deep, blood-drenched crimson.
[Final Boss: Ultimate Water Elemental (Corrupted)]
[Level: 60]
[HP: 1,000,000,000]
[Skills: Tidal Surge, Storm Vortex, Downpour Catastrophe, Reverse Current, Aqua Blade, Aqua Barrage...]
[Description: The ultimate boss that commands water-element power. The final challenge of the Challenger’s Labyrinth, possessing strength beyond human comprehension.]
[Additional Trait: Appears to have been corrupted. Its elemental nature has mutated. Now possesses 100% immunity to elemental damage. Moreover, receives 1% of its maximum HP as healing each time it takes elemental damage.]
...WHAT?!
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
His passive [Infinite Shift] allowed him to ignore 50% of enemy resistances while attacking—but even that wasn’t enough to overcome the absurdity in front of him.
A full 100% immunity to elemental damage?
Even if he halved that through penetration, it still meant a 50% resistance.
And worse—every time the boss took an elemental hit, it would actually recover 1% of its maximum HP!
Its max HP was now one billion. That meant 1% recovery was ten million.
Yet Daniel’s signature spell, [Divine Thunder Shield], could deal at most 3.8 million in raw damage.
After accounting for 50% resistance? He’d only be doing under 2 million per hit.
Meanwhile, the boss would heal 10 million HP in return.
In other words—he was literally healing the boss with every attack.
"How the hell is this fair?!"
Daniel’s eye twitched. The casual confidence on his face had disappeared.
This was bad.
He had no reliable way to deal with the [Corrupted Ultimate Water Elemental].
Sure, the boss couldn’t kill him either. But that didn’t matter.
What mattered was that he couldn’t kill it.
Every elemental attack he used would be worse than useless—actively counterproductive.
He was stuck.
The only card he had left was a long shot: trying to get lucky with [Great Fireball].
In theory, a critical strike might bypass resistances and finish the boss.
But that was a major gamble—one that could cost him a ridiculous amount of time.
And Daniel couldn’t afford to waste time.
He even started to consider whether he should activate [Time Stream] and rewind to an earlier moment in the timeline—just so he could search for a true damage skill or some kind of percentage-based attack.
As he was contemplating this desperate move, a sudden voice echoed within his mind.
[O Great Crossbridge, your devotee Alice offers her prayer—please respond.]
[I have gathered several rare skill books and now offer them as sacrifice.]
Daniel’s eyes lit up.
Alice’s offering—just in time!
...
Luminous Forest,
Inside Alice’s wooden cottage—
The elf girl knelt before a simple altar, carefully arranging the precious skill books she had collected.
She followed the rites of the sacrificial ritual with caution and reverence, her heart pounding with nervous anticipation.
This was her first time formally praying to a deity—as a devotee.
She wasn’t even sure if she’d get a response. What if he ignored her? What if she wasn’t worthy?
Yet the moment she finished reciting the final lines of the prayer, the skill books on the altar vanished in an instant.
Alice was stunned.
"That fast?!"
She had spent days gathering those books—and they were just gone?
Was it really divine intervention? Or...
Was there a chance someone had stolen them?
But before paranoia could take hold, a solemn voice rose up from the depths of her soul.
[My devotee—Alice. There is no need for such elaborate rituals. Simply prepare your offering and call my name from your heart.]
...
Back inside the Challenger’s Labyrinth—
Daniel opened his inventory, anticipation brimming.
Sure enough, ten skill books had appeared inside.
He quickly skimmed through them. The effects were all over the place. Some were flat-out ridiculous.
One of them, for example, was called [Sweet Aroma].
Its effect? It made everything you ate taste delicious and sugary.
Daniel couldn’t help but groan.
"Am I supposed to be baking pastries now?!"
But finally—finally—he found the one skill book he had been hoping for.
[Race-Specific Skill Book: Bow Specialization]
[Effect: A skill book exclusive to Elves. Upon learning it, you will gain mastery over the bow and arrow.]
Perfect!
Daniel’s eyes lit up with excitement. He immediately selected it and chose to learn the skill.
At almost the exact same moment, the [Ultimate Water Elemental (Corrupted)] finished awakening.
Its HP lock expired—and it launched its first attack!
[Aqua Barrage]!
The corrupted elemental slammed the surface of the lake with both arms.
Droplets of water gathered in midair, each one rapidly shaping into a sharp, spinning blade.
Thousands of these blades launched forward in unison, forming a terrifying rain of water-knives.
The attack was overwhelming—each blade moving at lightning speed, covering the battlefield in shimmering death.
But Daniel didn’t even flinch.
His focus was entirely locked on the skill book in his hands.
[Max out this skill?]
"Yes!" he answered instantly.
[Exclusive Skill: Master of Bow]
[Effect: Your proficiency with bows has reached a masterful level. All bow-related damage is increased by 100%.]
A slow grin stretched across Daniel’s face.
"Alright, you overgrown puddle. Time for round two."