The phantom convulsed the instant Miko’s aria hit, its entire body seizing like someone had driven a tuning fork through its spine. Its scales rattled in chaotic, uneven waves — no longer a smooth predatory hum, but a jagged clatter that broke its rhythm entirely. It staggered sideways, limbs jerking out of sync as the vibrations forced its armor plates apart, thin seams flashing along its chest. It tried to reorient, head snapping toward her with a distorted, glitching motion, but the resonance stole its balance again and drove it to one knee. Mana bled from its joints in fractured pulses — the perfect, fleeting window for Yugi to strike.

And strike, he would. Yugi held his sword at the ready, electricity cackling around its blade sounding like a flock of chirping birds held in a single chamber. He saw the opening of the phantom's core, its downed and vulnerable form, and he launched himself toward it. The phantom’s head jerked violently as Yugi closed in, its limbs thrashing in a spasm of desperation. With a sudden, brutal sweep of its massive arm, it knocked Yugi’s sword sideways, sending sparks scattering across the forest floor. The shockwave rattled the ground beneath him, forcing him to twist midair as electricity arced from his fingers — a raw surge of energy manifesting in response to the loss of his weapon. Its massive, unblinking eyes locked on him, anticipating every micro-adjustment, but the core had already been revealed — fleeting, tantalizing, the chance of a decisive strike dangling before him. "Not happening! Get played, you dick-chopping son of a bitch!" he shouted while driving his hand toward the phantom's core.

The phantom convulsed again as Yugi surged forward, the raw energy crackling along his outstretched hand. Its massive form lurched violently, scales rattling in spasmodic waves as it tried to recoil, but the core remained exposed beneath the chaotic shudder. Limbs flailed in a desperate attempt to block, smashing against the forest floor and sending splintered debris flying, yet Yugi’s lightning-charged palm drove into the center, arcs of energy snapping across the phantom’s armor like jagged streaks of white-hot light. It let out a soundless, convulsive shudder, every muscle and plate reacting to the sudden, precise strike, but there was no time — the surge had claimed its mark. [LEVEL UP!] appeared twice for each Player, alongside:

[System Notice]

Target Defeated: Riverglass Phantom

Loot Identified:
• Phantom Core x1 – B-rank – Can be refined into mid-tier magical catalyst – 500,000 Gold
• Shattered Scales x8 – C-rank – Can be used for durable armor crafting – 120,000 Gold
• Mana Residue Crystal x3 – C-rank – Stores ambient mana for skill use – 60,000 Gold
• Shadow Tendril Fragment x1 – C-rank – Can be fused into minor skill runes – 30,000 Gold

Experience Awarded: 2,000 XP each
Quest Complete: Phantom Predator Defeated

Ah, but that wasn't all. The Players would also be receiving their first official notification of a different sort ─ something of a staple in any RPG...

[System Notice]

Loot Acquired: Phantom Scale Armor (2-Piece Set)

Head – Phantom Helm
Rarity: B-rank
Defense +18
Effect: Minor Mana Flow Enhancement – Increases mana regeneration by 3%

Torso – Phantom Chestplate
Rarity: B-rank
Defense +42
Effect: Enhanced Durability – Reduces incoming physical damage by 5%

2-Piece Set Bonus:
• Predator’s Reflex – Automatically grants a chance to nullify incoming attacks by 15% and reflect 10% of kinetic damage back at the attacker

Value: 125,000 Gold