CHAPTER 6: THE BOSS FIGHT

Chapter 6: The Boss Fight

DING—

[Dungeon Boss Defeated – Pending]

[Hidden Dungeon Clear Reward Available: ???]

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10 min Ago

The air was heavy—so heavy it felt like I was breathing through water. The oppressive silence of the cavern clung to me like a second skin, broken only by the slow ripple of shadow that coiled around the massive beast before me.

The Shadowfang Dire Wolf stood tall, a predator built for darkness. Its fur shimmered with an unnatural void-black sheen, devouring the light around it. Its molten golden eyes pierced the gloom, intelligent and merciless. Every slow movement of its shoulders radiated restrained violence, like a bowstring pulled taut.

I swallowed, my throat dry.

The system chimed, cruelly calm.

[Boss Encounter: Shadowfang Dire Wolf]

[Rank: D+]

[Warning: This foe exceeds recommended solo clearance level.]

Yeah, no kidding.

The wolf’s lips curled back, revealing fangs longer than daggers. Its growl reverberated through the cavern, low and guttural, vibrating in my chest like a drumbeat.

I adjusted my grip on the sword, lowering my stance, blade angled slightly toward the beast. My breathing slowed, body coiling with tension. This wasn’t like the crawlers or the ogre. This was a hunter staring down prey—except this time, I was the prey.

The wolf moved.

A blur of black.

I barely saw the strike before it was on me.

Its paw slammed down like a hammer, claws gouging trenches into the stone where I’d been standing a heartbeat earlier. I threw myself into a roll, instincts screaming. The air whistled past my ear as its claws tore through the space I’d occupied.

Too fast.

The beast whirled, snapping its jaws with a sound like breaking stone. I raised my sword to block—

CRASH!

The impact nearly tore my arms out of their sockets. My boots slid across the cavern floor, scraping against stone as the wolf’s massive fangs clamped against the blade. My arms shook with strain, muscles screaming. Its strength was overwhelming.

Then shadows surged.

Dark tendrils whipped out from beneath its paws, writhing like snakes. They lashed at my legs, hungry to bind.

"Not today!" I spat, forcing mana into my skill.

Shadow Swap—!

In an instant, the world blurred. My body vanished, reappearing behind a jagged crystal spire at the far edge of the chamber. The wolf’s jaws snapped shut on empty air, its golden eyes narrowing as it whirled.

My lungs heaved. Sweat stung my eyes. My blade trembled faintly in my grip.

So this is the difference between fodder and a boss.

The wolf didn’t wait. It lunged again, faster this time, shadows trailing like smoke behind it. Its claws carved through the spire I’d hidden behind, shattering it like glass. Shards exploded in every direction.

I ducked low, darting under its swipe, and slashed upward with Frost Edge ignited. My sword gleamed pale blue, the blade biting deep into its foreleg.

A howl ripped through the cavern, raw and furious. Black ichor sprayed across the stone, sizzling where it landed. The wolf staggered a step but didn’t falter.

Instead, the shadows thickened.

The floor beneath me shifted, the wolf’s magic weaving the cavern into its hunting ground. Pools of darkness spread across the stone, writhing, pulling at my boots.

I cursed, wrenching myself free with a burst of mana. The wolf used that instant.

WHOOSH—

Its body blurred, vanishing into the shadows.

My pulse spiked. Where—?!

The attack came from behind.

I barely twisted in time, raising my sword to intercept the fangs that snapped at my neck. The clash rattled my bones. The wolf’s breath was hot and foul, its eyes burning with killing intent inches from mine.

With a grunt, I shoved upward, forcing it back just enough to create space. My knee drove forward, slamming into its jaw. The beast snarled, recoiling, shadows writhing more violently.

I leapt back, panting. My mana reserves were draining faster than I wanted. Shadow Swap ate through energy with every desperate dodge. Frost Edge burned with each strike. I couldn’t keep this up forever.

I needed a plan.

Eyes... joints... throat. Soft targets. Keep moving. Bait the shadows, strike when it overcommits.

The wolf growled again, pacing, golden eyes locked on me. It was cautious now, circling, testing me. Not mindless like the ogre—it was smart. A hunter.

I couldn’t let it dictate the rhythm.

I charged.

The wolf lunged to meet me, claws sweeping wide. I ducked beneath the arc, blade flashing upward. The steel tore across its chest, frost blooming across its fur.

The wolf howled, retaliating with a slam of its paw. The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, knocking me off balance. My boots skidded, and the shadows seized the chance, tendrils coiling around my ankle.

Shit—!

The wolf’s fangs descended.

Shadow Swap!

I blinked away at the last instant, reappearing behind it. My sword plunged deep into its flank, driving through muscle and bone.

The wolf roared, twisting violently, throwing me aside like a ragdoll. I crashed against the cavern wall, pain flaring white-hot across my ribs. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs.

I coughed, spitting copper. My vision swam. My sword lay a few feet away, glinting in the faint light.

The wolf advanced, shadows curling hungrily at its paws. Its wound bled freely, but its strength hadn’t faltered. If anything, its fury had doubled.

I forced myself up, staggering to my sword. My hand wrapped around the hilt, steadying despite the ache in my bones.

One chance. That’s all I needed.

I closed my eyes for a heartbeat, centering myself. My breathing slowed. My muscles remembered the countless hours of drills, of duels, of PvP battles where a single mistake meant defeat.

The wolf lunged.

I moved.

Time seemed to stretch. Its claws descended in a blur, aiming to tear me in half. My foot pivoted, weight shifting just out of its arc. My blade rose—not wide, not wild. Precise. A swordsman’s cut, clean and sharp.

Steel met flesh.

The Frost Edge ignited at the same instant, mana flaring brilliantly. The blade carved a line of ice across the wolf’s throat.

The beast’s momentum carried it past me, a strangled howl tearing free. It staggered, shadows flickering wildly as its golden eyes dimmed.

It collapsed, the sound echoing through the chamber. Shadows evaporated, retreating into nothingness.

Silence returned.

I stood there, chest heaving, sword dripping with black ichor. My arms trembled, exhaustion threatening to drop me to my knees. But I was still standing.

The system chimed.

[Boss Slain: Shadowfang Dire Wolf]

[Dungeon Cleared]

[Quest Complete: Clear a F-Rank Dungeon]

Reward: +10 Stats, 5000 SP

[Extra Reward: Hidden Dungeon Cleared]

Reward: +10 Stats, 3000 SP

Total SP: 13,300

Unallocated Stats: +20

I exhaled, a laugh bubbling up despite the ache in my ribs. "Hah... cleared."

The tension bled from my body all at once, leaving only bone-deep fatigue. I sheathed my sword and closed the system window. The glowing interface faded, leaving me alone in the dim chamber.

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The return portal shimmered open in the center of the cavern, a swirling oval of pale light.

I didn’t waste time. Limping slightly, I stepped through, the dungeon dissolving around me in a cascade of motes.

The next instant, I stood back at the entrance where it had all begun. The sky above was tinged orange with late afternoon light. Birds cried in the distance. The normal world.

I drew a slow, steady breath, savoring it.

Alive. Stronger. And with enough SP to make real progress.

But right now? I needed rest.

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STATION JUNCTION 178

The city was alive with motion as I returned. Mana cars zipped along glowing tracks, their crystal engines humming softly. High-rise towers pierced the sky, their surfaces etched with runes that shimmered like neon. The streets bustled with people,hunters, merchants, scholars in robes, even beastfolk haggling at open-air stalls.

I hailed a mana taxi, the crystalline vehicle humming as it carried me to the central train station. The building loomed massive, an architectural marvel of glass and floating glyphs. Mana orbs drifted near the ceiling, casting soft light.

Inside, the station was alive with sound, announcements echoing magically, the chatter of travelers, the rhythmic chime of departing trains.

I bought my ticket, swiping it across the rune-gate. My body felt heavy, exhaustion pulling at me like chains. By the time I found my seat and collapsed into it, sleep was already dragging me under.

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"Excuse me... you’re sitting in my seat."

A voice. Female. Clear, melodic—yet edged with annoyance.

My eyes cracked open, reluctantly.

And then I froze.

Standing before me was a girl about my age. Her hair was a cascade of pale blue silk, shimmering faintly like water under moonlight. Her eyes were crystal-clear, sharp and beautiful, like untouched glaciers. Her face was delicate, almost doll-like, yet full of life.

Recognition slammed into me.

Aurelia Miller.

One of the main characters. Future billionaire alchemist. Hidden class: Warlock, with affinities for Water and Life. In the "game," she was destined to shape entire economies with her potions, her influence reaching kingdoms.

And right now, she was glaring at me.

"Have you seen enough of my face?" she asked, voice flat, impatient.

I blinked, realizing too late that I’d been staring.

"N-No! I wasn’t—well, I mean, yes, I was, but not like that—uh, I mean—"

Her eyes narrowed in clear disinterest. She raised her ticket. "Seat 36. You’re in it."

Heat rushed to my face. "Right, sorry!" I scrambled up, sliding aside to the next seat over.

She sat gracefully, adjusting her cloak without sparing me another glance.

For twenty minutes, silence stretched between us. The rhythmic hum of the train filled the space, soothing in its constancy.

At last, my stop arrived. Quietly, I rose, shouldering my bag.

No words. No drama. I didn’t need trouble. Not with her.

Aurelia Miller’s background was too dangerous. The only daughter of Martin Miller -an SS Rank Hunter( Rank SS+), Guild Leader of Aster Hall, ranked eighth worldwide. A man infamous not only for his power, but for his daughter-con tendencies.

Mess with Aurelia, and you didn’t just poke a bear. You poked a dragon that would burn the world for her.

I slipped off the train without a backward glance.

A taxi ride later, I was back at the inn. My body ached, exhaustion gnawing at every muscle. But as I collapsed onto the bed, one thought lingered.

Today had been just the beginning.

And tomorrow... the real story would start.

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