This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

"Here I come!"

[*SWISH!*]

"Oh my lord!"

I couldn't help but voice out my sheer surprise as I somehow managed to duck under the Emperor's initial swing, his golden staff soaring above me as I felt my back hit the stone below. Immediately, I already knew that I was far from ready. The sheer speed that I'd need to go toe-to-toe with this man would be astronomical!

[GROUND POUND: 12%]

My eyes widened as an orange circle then appeared on the ground around me. Already knowing what it meant, I quickly scurried out of the thing's radius before the cast time ever ran out.

"Prepare yourself!"

[*SLAM!*]

Dust got kicked up into the air as the man slammed the butt of his staff on the ground, the stone cracking beneath him as the resulting shockwave almost lifted me off my feet. And that was me not being inside the attack too!

[*BANG!BANG!BANG!*]

Deciding that enough was enough, I began firing a few preliminary shots at the boss, my blood bullets seemingly pinging away at the Emperor's health as red began staining his golden robes.

"Hah! You have to do better than that!"

[ESSENCE OF KATTLEYNA: 4%]

My eyes widened as I immediately searched our arena for any kind of visual sign for the incoming attack, only to fail as I really didn't see any sort of indicator or where to even hide! Was this actual unavoidable damage?!

"Witness our might!"

[*SLAM!*]

I could only shield myself with my arms as the Emperor slammed the butt of his staff on the ground again, a different kind of shockwave washing over me as I felt my health tick down to below half percent. And it wasn't even the worst part too.

[STATUS: IMPERIAL FEAR]

[Moriya: Level 23]

[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 350/1200]

[HP: 100/220]

[MP: 210/210]

[0 STAT POINTS AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION]

I couldn't help but wince in confusion and frustration as something new popped up over my usual HUD. Some kind of status was inflicted on me, and I had no idea what it even did!

"Fear me!"

[*WHOOSH!*]

Suddenly, another weird wave of energy washed over me. And all of a sudden, I found myself running in the exact opposite direction of where the Emperor was standing!

[STATUS: IMPERIAL FEAR: 14 SECONDS]

I blinked as my status icon flashed, time now denoted right beside it even as I tried and failed to force my legs to move at my command. I couldn't even aim my weapons at him; my body completely under this debuff's control as I felt myself hit the invisible wall and walk in place like an idiot.

[GROUND POUND: 42%]

"I'm so dead!" I screamed out as another orange circle appeared below me. "How do I even avoid this anymore?!"

[STATUS: IMPERIAL FEAR: 2 SECONDS]

My eyes bugged out in fear as I anxiously waited for the debuff to tick down. All the while, the Emperor's cast time filled up ever so menacingly as I found myself edging towards safety.

"There!"

As soon as the status effect disappeared, I made a beeline towards the edge of the circle-

"Prepare yourself!"

[*SLAM!*]

-And just in time for him to finish casting the attack. I could only hold my breath as I quickly stood back up, already getting ready for yet another combination of his unfair attacks.

"Moriya!"

My ears perked up. A familiar voice coming from the other side of the barrier... "Guidance?!"

"I've got Shizu with me!" she yelled out, the sound of her keyboard already running at full speed even as she spoke. "Just keep him busy while I dial his numbers down a bit!"

"[Code Watcher]!"

At Shizu's added call, I returned my attention to the task at hand. The Emperor seemingly ignored the arrival of his daughter as he focused his attention on me and me alone.

"You've done well so far," he nodded in seeming approval, his staff spinning in his hands as he moved to the center of the arena. "But let's see what you're truly made of."

[KATTLEYNAN MIGHT!: 4%]

I winced as a new attack was being casted by the Emperor. Twirling his staff above him, I could only guess that this was yet another unavoidable attack as the lack of indicators clearly meant I was supposed to just stand there and take it. Now that I thought about it, why the hell was this guy even fighting like he's supposed to be a raid boss when we're just fighting one-on-one?!

"This is so unfair!"

"Well, too bad!" Guidance called out behind the safety of the wall. "This is a high-level fight, and I didn't want it to be easy!"

"Well, I'm far from being high level in the first place!" I yelled out, my pistols already shooting despite them seemingly doing no damage. "Why did this even trigger in the first place?!"

"How should I know?!" the dev cried out. "Just let me focus on this and maybe I won't have blood on my hands!"

I flinched at her words. I knew I was being unreasonable, but what else was I supposed to do in the face of utter death?!

[KATTLEYNAN MIGHT!: 83%]

Based on how slow the attack was charging, a part of me just knew that this was meant to eat through any sort of defensive shielding or ability. If it was, then I was pretty much dead the moment it hit me. I wasn't even a tank, for crying out loud! Why was I being faced with a tank buster- Wait... Don't I have something for this?!

"Now's the time!"

Remembering one of the newest [Moves] I just unlocked after that Vestygian debacle, I raised my left-hand pistol up into the air. Keeping an eye on my vitals, I've regained enough [HP] for me to use this skill and still have some left over for me to survive.

"I only hope this works," I mumbled out, carefully eyeing the cast bar in front of me just to make sure I won't overshoot it.

[KATTLEYNAN MIGHT!: 96%]

Now! "[Shroud]!"

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AN: Kindly vote so that I can get back to 2 chaps per day ^^

Also, I have a Discord server now: https://discord.gg/NZA6Jun

TWT: @ChellyArks