Dungeon Boss
The deepest part of the dungeon. What could be waiting there? No matter what hypotheses I came up with, only one thought kept flooding my mind.
Dungeon boss. Naturally, the end of a dungeon should have a boss worthy of it.
Then what was that Skeleton Knight on the first floor? That was like a hidden boss. Something you could only reach by finding the secret path. That's why there weren't any typical rewards. Of course, the Soul Stone itself was the biggest prize for me, but there were no flashy items or treasures like you'd expect.
So where the hell are those? The answer was right here.
The moment I reached the fifth underground floor, a revolting stench greeted me. It smelled like dogs. The entire fifth floor reeked of beasts. And with it came the sound of beasts.
"Woof! Woof!"
Gnoll lv. 35
Green eyes glowing in the darkness glared at me. The body beneath its dog-like head was covered in coarse brown fur.
What the hell is that? Level 35?
My first impression upon encountering a Gnoll was simple. It looked like a mangy wild dog stretched vertically—pretty pathetic.
But it was higher level than me?
Chiron☆ lv. 31
I'd just broken level 30 after wiping out those Wanderers on the second floor. The idea that this pathetic monster was treated as stronger than me grated on my nerves.
I knew levels weren't everything when it came to strength. But it still bugged me! I couldn't accept it being higher level than me!
I charged straight at the Gnoll.
Slash!
Seeing its head roll across the floor, I finally let out a satisfied laugh.
'Now that's more like it!'
"Clack clack!"
I passed the Gnoll, which had found its fitting place, and reached the fifth floor proper. The layout of the underground fifth floor was completely different from everything before.
The first floor had a big open hole in the center. The second was standard. The third and fourth were tangled mazes. But the fifth? Just one long, wide corridor stretching out endlessly. No decorations. Nothing but that corridor, so long you couldn't see the end. And Gnolls wandering here and there.
I was certain. The real dungeon boss was here!
I easily dispatched the Gnolls placed like signposts and arrived at the end of the fifth-floor corridor. Sure enough, there was a massive door standing alone.
The boss is inside. Bet it'll drop some insane items. And I'll snag the last key too.
Brimming with anticipation, I opened the door.
Thud!
The heavy door swung open with a deep boom. A cold, heavy silence hung in the room. And in the center, as if waiting for me, sat a massive something on a chair.
A shabby wooden chair. Sitting on it was a Gnoll. A pretty big one.
"...A guest has arrived."
As the Gnoll rose from the chair, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on me. This... is a boss monster? Totally different from the others. My body heated up under the aura only a true powerhouse could emit.
Unlike the regular Gnolls I'd fought, this one had glossy golden fur. And a Soul Stone embedded in its chest. My now-dormant Craving skill felt like it could activate any second.
Craving has been triggered!
Skill activation canceled due to item effect.
Yeah, no, I didn't actually want it to trigger.
Satisfied as Craving obediently backed off, I stepped forward.
'Hey! You know where this goes, right!'
"Clack clack!"
I held out the two keys in my hand—the ones for the door in the Skeleton Knight's room. The dungeon boss answered.
"Hoh... You've gathered them all somehow."
The boss, who had looked bored until a moment ago, eyed me with curiosity at the sight of the keys.
"Are you a Star chaser?"
Was it asking if I'd received the Unknown God's blessing?
'You bet!'
"Clack clack!"
I puffed out my chest proudly. The dungeon boss watched me quietly, then lifted and shook something.
"Then this must be what you're after."
Something silver jingled in its hand with every movement. Finally! The last key!
The second I saw the key in the dungeon boss's hand, I yanked out a rib bone.
Extracts one bone from your body and hurls it forward.
A brand-new skill. At a glance, the boss was a close-range type like me. We were still at a distance. First strike wins!
I immediately hurled the rib bone and activated the skill.
'Bone Throw!'
Whoosh!
The bone flew with a sharp whistle. Pretty damn useful. It had enough power to slice through most monsters in one hit.
But the boss wasn't "most monsters."
"You thought this puny thing could kill me?"
It casually blocked my thrown bone with its hand. Guess it wasn't even enough for a poke. As disappointment set in, the enemy's info suddenly popped up in front of me.
Ding!
Does touching it with my bone count as contact? Well, it is technically part of my body.
I hurriedly checked the status window.
Dynasty's Guardian☆ lv. 45
Current Status: Expectant
Level 45?? I'd never seen a number that high. The highest I'd faced were barely over 30.
The boss is over 45? This is total balance-breaking bullshit! If this were a game, the forums would be flooded with complaints. No wonder it didn't seem pushover-ish!
But wait. Expectant? What the hell does that mean?
As I puzzled over its status, it spoke.
"Now it's my turn."
The Dynasty's Guardian rolled its shoulders, eyes gleaming. Cold sweat dripped down my back. We didn't have to follow those rules. This wasn't a turn-based game.
But the Guardian ignored my thoughts, kicking off the ground and charging me. Fast! Faster than any enemy I'd faced.
'Dodge!'
Roll!
I desperately activated Dodge and tumbled away. As I rolled, its sharp claws whistled over my head. My neck nearly got severed. A chill ran down my spine.
"Hoh... Dodging that. Not bad."
I brushed off the praise that didn't feel good at all and thought. How do I beat the Guardian? Speed-wise, I'm outmatched. What about power?
Strength temporarily increased.
I activated the Ring of Strength on my finger. My power should be way up now. But it had a time limit.
Dramatically increases wearer's strength for a set time.
Duration: 10 min
Cooldown: 1 hr
Ten minutes. Finish it all in ten.
'Hatred Charge!'
Shield first, I barreled toward it.
Bam!
The Guardian toppled backward from the hit. I let out a triumphant cry.
'It's working!'
"Clack clack!"
I rained blows on the staggering Guardian as it rolled on the ground.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Guh...!"
The Dynasty's Guardian groaned in pain. A small doubt crept in as it took the hits without resistance.
Why was this so easy? With that speed from before, it could've dodged.
"Have you ever wondered how many years I've been trapped here?"
As I pondered, the Guardian asked me. Trapped? Why bring that up now? Isn't a dungeon boss born here? Since the dungeon formed, right? At least hundreds, maybe thousands of years. It must've waited that long for an opponent.
So what? I raised my bone without a second thought. Time to end it. Damage was stacked enough. As I swung for the neck...
"If the dungeon's ruler dies, who do you think takes its place next?"
The Guardian spat something ominous. Before I could respond, it grinned wickedly.
"If I die, you'll become the new ruler of this dungeon."
'...What?'
"...Clack?"
I clacked my jaw in disbelief. But as if confirming it, the Guardian burst into booming laughter.
"Kahahahaha!! Farewell! I'm finally free of this damn dungeon!"
Shit! Can't stop now. The bone was already arcing toward its neck. If it connected, I'd be bound to this dungeon as its slave forever.
'Skill! Use a skill!'
A brilliant idea hit me. Every skill activation so far had one thing in common: the feeling of my body moving against my will. In this situation, maybe a skill could force a trajectory change?
'...Spinning Slash!'
The hand holding the bone twisted in the opposite direction. Success!
But relief was short-lived.
"Not a chance!"
The Guardian, reading my move, jerked its head away. Movement too fast to track.
You crazy bastard! You could've dodged from the start!
Its neck entered my range again. Too close this time. Before I could skill up, the bone smashed into its neck.
Crack!
Its defense was higher than expected—the bone shattered on impact.
No! My bone!
Before I could mourn my rib, which had shared joy and sorrow with me, an unwelcome sound rang out.
Ding!
The Guardian's decapitated corpse wore a satisfied smile. I stood there awkwardly in front of it, staring blankly as I finally checked the message.
I just kept staring ahead.
"......"
Fallen Knight. Becomes the dungeon boss.