In Warstar, unlike normal bosses that were always at fixed points, checkpoints in a dungeon, hidden bosses were much more random.
They could appear at almost any point inside a dungeon.
This was why from the very beginning, Noah paid attention to their surroundings, looking out for the hidden boss.
Since, he didn't see any signs of the hidden boss but just as they finally entered the checkpoint of the last and strongest boss of the Pork Labyrinth, Noah just had to find the slippery hidden boss then.
"Stop!" He called loudly. "The hidden boss is here!"
For a moment, this party of players were stunned. 'A hidden boss? Where?'
Before they could react, the taciturn Combat Mage who barely spoke since the beginning of this dungeon raid, never taking the initiative suddenly moved.
{Arcane Strike=}
Brandishing his battle lance, Noah's character used a common Combat Mage skill as his lance stabbed forward.
Arcane Strike is a common combat mage melee attack skill imbued with magic, dealing bonus arcane damage and briefly knocking back the target.
Compared to other main classes, the Combat mage is a hybrid fighter who blends melee combat with arcane magic, excelling in versatility, battlefield control, and burst damage.
They wield both battle lances and spells, seamlessly switching between close-range combat and powerful magical attacks.
As Lord Doom moved, to his party members, it almost seemed like he was stabbing empty air till his battle lance actually hit something.
As soon as Noah's attack hit, the enemy was knocked back out of his hiding spot and in this case, the enemy was the hidden boss.
Knocked back, the hidden boss could no longer remain hidden as it materialized into existence even as blood blossomed from its tiny body.
"Stealth!" Deadly Musician, the party leader called the next moment, astonished.
Stealth was a skill that could be learned by assassins and thieves, a variant class of the Blademaster main class.
And with this skill, it confirmed the identity of this tiny pig.
"It's the Slumbering Bandit!" Healing Melody, the Cleric shrieked.
Unlike the towering Pork Emperor who looked so imposing and powerful, the Slumbering Bandit didn't look like a hidden boss at all.
Rather, it looked like an intelligent Pig thief instead who scuttered around, looking for victims to rob not just of their belongings but of their lives too.
It wore black tattered robes and it had a dirty brown bag slung across it's back, the bag seemed to be holding a lot of things that it stole.
As soon as Healing Melody shrieked, this party of players could not help but panic as their gazes alternated between the tiny hidden boss and the towering Pork Emperor who already set its sight on them.
They cursed, the timing could not have been more worse.
The Pork Emperor alone was already a formidable adversary for a raid party that they were not 100% sure in defeating since it was the strongest boss in the Pork Labyrinth.
Adding the hidden boss to the equation was just overkill.
Looks could deceive. The Slumbering Bandit may look weak compared to the Pork Emperor, but having made a bit of research after being wiped out in the dungeon the first time, they knew that it was even stronger than the Pork Emperor.
"We're screwed!" Not bothering to hide her panic, Healing Melody said and her fear was infecting the others. Not all of them though.
Bam! Bam!
From the moment that the outsider in their raid party, Lord Doom found the hidden boss first and attacked it, he never stopped attacking.
Immediately after knocking back the hidden boss with the Arcane Strike skill, he quickly followed it up with 3 more rapid attacks; 2 normal attacks and a skill move.
{Empowered Slash=}
The Empowered Slash is a combat mage skill that charges the weapon with raw magic, delivering a devastating cleave that creates an energy shockwave.
By actively controlling the direction of the slash, the Empowered Slash skill can be used as a knock-up skill, knocking up a target into the sky through the energy shockwave generated by the skill.
Noah did just that, launching the Slumbering Bandit into the sky.
With that sudden rapid combo, Noah managed to establish aggro over the hidden boss even as he finally turned to pay attention to the others.
Seeing that they were stunned, watching him, he was surprised at first but noticing the gigantic Pork Emperor slugging over, he finally understood. 'They're scared'.
He still asked though. "Why are you guys just standing?"
Hearing that question, the party leader went red in embarrassment but thickening his skin up, he still explained. "We can't kill 2 bosses at the same time". Deadly Musician said.
Noah felt cold sweat fill up in his forehead. 'So honest'.
In the end, he chuckled. "Actually, we can, just let me lead".
"Huh?"
Noah was about to explain when he heard a sound, a sound so subtle he would have struggled to hear if he was not actually inside the game at this moment.
{Roll=}
Quickly rolling out of the way, he dodged just in time as a mine detonated.
Staring at the explosion, Noah was surprised. 'This is a Mechanic skill'.
'I don't remember the Slumbering Bandit having this kind of attack skill'.
It may be 11 years ago since he last played in a beginner village, leveling up in a low-level dungeon like the Pork Labyrinth but Noah had a photographic memory. He had some recollections of this boss.
Besides, dealing with the Slumbering Bandit back then gave new Warstar players a lot of trouble till they finally figured the hidden boss out. So, he did have a big impression of this specific hidden boss but still, he didn't remember this.
Quickly retreating, Noah regrouped with the other members in this party.
Landing from the sky with a thud finally, the Slumbering Bandit rose back up to its feet, looking at them with a resentful expression even as it supported its sling bag with one hand but it didn't rush to attack.
The Pork Emperor didn't rush either despite the fact that the players already entered its radar, instead taunting them.
"Time to squeal your doom!" He said in his loud rumbling voice.
This was the catchphrase of the Pork Emperor.
At this moment, the other members in this raid party paid attention to Noah after what he just did.
In truth, Deadly Musician and his companions were new to Warstar, the 11th server was their first time actively playing the video game but still, they already watched enough videos online to know a bit about the game.
This was why they could tell that what Noah just did was not normal.
The Slumbering Bandit was tiny for a reason, and it was a hidden boss to booth, making it extremely nimble and fast. It was extremely hard to land a single attack on this hidden boss, but this Combat Mage actually managed to not just land an attack but string together a combo, he was no ordinary player.
Noah noticed the way that they now looked at him and he heaved a sigh of relief. 'Saves me a lot of time and explanation'.
He went straight to the point. "If you all want to survive this encounter, listen carefully and do exactly what I say".
They listened carefully.
"But first, refresh my memory, what are the 2 classes of the Slumbering Bandit?" Noah asked shamelessly.
"..."