CHAPTER 117: SIDE QUEST COMPLETED

His shoulder ached fiercely where the beast had bitten him, and the remnants of his shattered mana shield still shimmered faintly around him like dust in the air. The monstrous dog was circling him again, snarling lowly, its single grotesque fang dripping with a mixture of saliva and blood. Its glowing red eyes were filled with rage, and each step it took felt like a countdown to Alex’s doom.

He clenched his fists, heart racing. The mana shield had failed. His Pinpoint Inflicting hadn’t even slowed the creature. And while the Telekinetic Push had bought him a few precious seconds, it wasn’t nearly strong enough to be used again as a real defense.

He had no choice. His abilities were still too weak to deal meaningful damage. He needed to switch tactics. Fast.

His thoughts raced.

Abilities won’t work. Mana’s low. Can’t stall this thing forever...

Then it struck him.

Weapons. Maybe I need a weapon.

Without hesitation, Alex brought up his inventory. A glowing blue interface blinked into existence before him. He scrolled through the few items he had. Food. A basic healing elixir. A broken mana crystal.

And then, there.

His gleam of hope.

Dragonclaw Razor – Tier: Rare

Description: Forged from the claw of a fire wyrm and dipped in nightroot venom. Causes XP depletion on contact. Not fatal—but devastating to stamina and strength.

Alex’s eyes lit up.

"XP depletion..."

That meant it wouldn’t just hurt. It would weaken the creature’s very foundation, the source of its strength.

A plan began to form in his mind. A risky one. A very risky one. But it was the only real shot he had.

The behemoth dog snarled again and began to charge toward him, its large limbs kicking up dirt as it closed the distance in a blur. Alex didn’t wait.

He braced himself, heart thundering in his ears. As the beast lunged, jaw wide open, Alex pushed off the ground in a sudden, desperate leap.

Time seemed to slow for a second.

He soared upward, twisting in midair as the beast passed beneath him, and in that moment, Alex drew the Dragonclaw Razor from his belt and drove it downward.

The dagger plunged into the dog’s eye with a wet, sickening squelch.

The effect was immediate.

The behemoth let out an ear-piercing howl that shook the very walls of the compound. It thrashed violently, slamming into the building beside them as its head swung from side to side, the dagger still lodged in its eye socket. Alex hit the ground hard and rolled away, breath catching in his throat.

He looked up just in time to see the beast stumble back, legs wobbling. It locked eyes with him, one eye glowing with fury, the other running thick with dark blood. The killing intent that radiated from it was suffocating. So intense that for a split second, Alex couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

His limbs went stiff.

Is this what it feels like to be prey?

The beast began to advance again.

But then it stopped.

The fang stopped dripping. The red in its eyes dimmed slightly. It staggered, limbs twitching. Its breathing became uneven, raspy. It let out another growl, but this time it was weaker, strained.

The poison was working.

Alex exhaled slowly as the killing aura faded, inch by inch, like the sun rising over the night. The beast tried to snarl again, but its voice broke midway into a cough. Its steps became labored, uneven.

And then it collapsed onto its side, legs shaking violently.

Alex rose slowly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Looks like you’re not so unstoppable after all."

With the behemoth weakened, he knew now was the time to press the advantage. His skills might actually work now. He raised his hand again, focusing, and activated Pinpoint Inflicting once more.

This time, the result was instantaneous.

The beast howled in agony, its entire body convulsing as the invisible energy tore through its nervous system. It slammed its head into the ground, clawed at the dirt, and let out a series of anguished whimpers as it tried to fight off the pain.

Alex didn’t wait.

Summoning his remaining mana reserves, he conjured a mana sword, a shimmering blade forged from condensed energy, glowing with a pale violet hue. He charged forward and began to strike.

One slash, across the shoulder.

Another—down the spine.

A third and fourth, crisscrossing deep gashes into its hind legs.

He didn’t stop. Every slash flowed into the next, faster, sharper, more controlled—like a storm that had found its rhythm. Each strike carved deeper, painting the ground in streaks of blood and thick, black ichor. The beast’s snarls turned to strained cries, its howls losing their strength with every hit. Its massive body began to shake, muscles twitching involuntarily, limbs buckling under the relentless assault until finally, it stopped moving.

Silence.

The dog’s massive body gave one final shake and then lay still, motionless.

Alex stood in place, chest heaving, the mana sword flickering unsteadily in his grip like it was seconds from vanishing. For a moment, he held on, just barely, then his legs gave out, and he dropped to one knee, the weight of it all crashing down at once. Every inch of his body screamed in protest.

His shoulder throbbed with the deep, pulsing pain of the beast’s bite, and his muscles felt like they’d been wrung dry. His lungs burned, each breath shallow and ragged, as the fading rush of adrenaline left him hollow and spent.

But he’d done it.

The system pinged with a familiar melodic chime.

Quest Complete: Defeat the Behemoth One-Fanged Dog

Reward Unlocked: 1x Primordial Key

A second notification followed immediately.

Bonus Reward: Cursed Ash Class Synergy Activated

Because you have defeated a behemoth using strategic poisoning and dark damage, you have obtained:

New Weapon: Ashborne Blade

Description: A cursed sword forged from the ashes of corrupted beasts. Inflicts shadow burn and scales with dark affinity.

Alex stared at the message, eyes wide.

The interface blinked again.

+50xp