In most MMORPGs, "quests" form a core gameplay element—and *EndlessHorizon* takes this to the extreme.

Officially promoted as being curated by the world’s top AI, "Primordial Ancestor," *EndlessHorizon*’s quest system offers far more than generic tasks. Quest chains, hidden objectives, and unique one-time missions abound.

Some quests even branch based on player choices, leading to divergent endings—much like a visual novel. Your journey shapes the story, not pre-set scripts.

These unique quests inevitably ramp up in difficulty. The blacksmith’s ring-retrieval quest Mysterious now held was undoubtedly one such challenge.

Yet Mysterious sensed no rising difficulty mid-quest—

The first mine level had clearly been the hardest hurdle. Even at level 5, players faced level 6 cave rats under heavy level suppression.

Clear that layer, and the second floor’s difficulty plummeted. Skeleton mobs, reliant on numbers over strength, had weaker stats than same-level foes. With Holy Light Essence in hand and no level penalty, survivors of Floor One would breeze through Floor Two.

This defied standard quest design. Unless flawed, only one explanation remained: Mysterious hadn’t hit the *second* hurdle yet.

*If this path isn’t the challenge, the boss must be.* Mysterious quickened his pace. He wasn’t scared of the gloom—but he disliked lingering in caves.

…

No monsters had appeared for a while. The eerie drafts ceased. A trace of oppressive silence hung in the air, thick with impending battle.

“…” Mysterious halted mid-thought about the boss’s ambush point.

Not a monster blocked his path—but a wall.

“No way forward?” He pressed his palm against the stone. Solid. No illusion.

As he withdrew his hand, his Holy Light Essence flared violently.

Where the light struck, a sinister black-lined magic circle materialized on the wall.

Perhaps overconfident from lacking real threats, or simply inexperienced with games, Mysterious reached toward the circle instead of retreating.

His fingers neared the glyphs—when a clawed hand shot through the circle, raking at his wrist.

Focused on the circle, Mysterious easily dodged. He yanked his arm back, flicking his Novice Sword lightly across the claw while leaping away.

Through testing, he’d learned *EndlessHorizon*’s combat nuances. Earlier, when a low-health elite rat pounced, he’d swung hard—sending both flying and taking damage.

Damage seemed tied to impact force. His real-world habit of meeting force head-on, without deflecting blows, had cost him dearly. Stats like Constitution might also factor in, but he couldn’t verify yet.

For a game touting "realism," *EndlessHorizon* excelled here. Yet data ruled—hence the elite rat taking minimal damage.

This time, his sword merely grazed the claw. No impact, no damage.

Why slash at all? Purposefully so—

**[Unclean Wraith (Mini-Boss) | Level: 12]**

**[????]**

He’d wanted to confirm if the claw belonged to a monster. The attack revealed its identity—but the result stunned him.

Per official lore, *EndlessHorizon* ranked monsters: Common, Elite, Mini-Boss, Boss, Overlord. Five tiers. Each jump drastically increased power and loot quality. Mini-Bosses and above counted as "Bosses," typically requiring teams.

The Holy Light Essence’s reaction confirmed this wraith’s link to his quest. A level 12 Mini-Boss in a sub-level-5 quest… Mysterious had thought the quest too easy. How naive.

*If it’s sealed—or only this claw is free—players might still pass…* he reasoned.

The thought triggered the magic circle’s flash. The wraith fully emerged.

Despite calling it a "claw," this was a humanoid hand—skin stretched over bone, nails several inches long.

True to its name, the Unclean Wraith was a spectral entity. Translucent, clad in tattered nun’s robes, its exposed skin corpse-pale.

*Nun’s robes… "Unclean"... Fallen?* Mysterious observed it calmly.

Not distraction. Dismissal.

As a Superbeing, Mysterious trusted his instincts absolutely—even without his former physical prowess.

A level 12 Mini-Boss meant nothing. Unless its speed exceeded his body’s limits, victory was merely a matter of time.

The wraith locked onto him. After a frozen moment, it lunged.

Mysterious sidestepped, slashing at its overextended arm. His blade passed through its misty form, tearing wisps of vapor.

**[-1]**

Damage registered—but 8 levels of suppression and the Mini-Boss’s high defense nullified it. Its HP bar flickered visible, utterly unmoved by the scratch.

As the wraith retracted its arm, Mysterious carved two more shallow cuts. **[-2]**

Missing its strike while taking three hits enraged the wraith. It swiped with its other hand, five black-traced claws tearing the air—a silent promise: *One touch, and you die.*

Though its stats dwarfed Mysterious’s, the wraith’s AI was rudimentary. Its fierce assault was all openings to him.

Dodging again, Mysterious stole another **[-2]**.

Fighting a ghost had advantages. Swinging through mist was easier than hitting solid targets. His sword efficiency soared.

The wraith attacked wildly, desperately—but never grazed Mysterious’s sleeve. He drifted like a falling leaf in a storm, swaying through the gale of claws.

At first glance, the wraith dominated—relentless, overwhelming, while Mysterious seemed seconds from collapse.

Look closer, and Mysterious controlled the dance. The wraith hadn’t landed a single blow, while Mysterious had struck over a hundred times.

Yet that advantage mocked him. A hundred points of damage meant nothing against thousands of HP. One hit from the wraith would annihilate him. The gap was absolute.

Mysterious showed no anxiety. He kept seeking openings.

To him, victory was simply within reach.