The Boss Room

The entrance to the boss room wasn't a door. It was where the cave widened dramatically before narrowing again. Passing through that gap changed the air. Instead of the sticky humidity from the outer passage, there was a heavy scent. Not sweat or blood—but the lingering musk of beasts pressed into the stone over time. I drew a shallow breath.

The moment I scanned the room from the entrance, what caught my eye first wasn't its size but the obstacles. A natural rock formation rose in the center, flanked by thick stone pillars. Not everything was visible at once. But one thing was certain: from here, it would take only one strike. One clean finish, and this long final evaluation would be over.

Kang Hyun-woo raised his hand at the front. Oh Se-rin silently moved to his side. She'd grown quieter since earlier. Her breathing came thin and controlled. She'd used quite a few skills clearing the orcs. Even if she didn't show it outwardly, depleted mana always showed first in the breath.

Park Jun-ho tightened his grip on the shield strap. His breathing was shallow, lips pressed dry together. I checked their conditions briefly, then clenched and unclenched my own palm.

What's left… one or two uses at most.

Mana had dropped after the skills I'd used on the orcs. Miscalculate here and it ends. I hadn't simply grown stronger—I'd gained one usable blade. And that blade had limits.

Kang Hyun-woo spoke in a low voice. "This is the last one." He stepped through the entrance, sword raised. "I'm taking the boss."

Oh Se-rin answered shortly. "Got it."

Park Jun-ho swallowed. "Yeah…"

I said nothing. Instead, I moved into position. Standing directly in front of the entrance would leave my back exposed to the rock formation that blocked sightlines. That was dangerous. I angled right instead, choosing a spot that kept the central formation from blocking my view while still letting me track the overall flow.

From deep inside the room came breathing. Thud. Once. Thud. Twice. The floor trembled faintly. Then a shadow emerged from behind the rock.

An Orc Warrior. Its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠frame was different from regular orcs—broader shoulders, longer arms. Even its skin felt hardened. Leather and metal plates reinforced its back. The weapon… a great axe. Crude, but the edge was live, and the weight was undeniable.

Behind it came two more orcs, followed by one that emerged late from behind the rock formation. One Orc Warrior. Three orcs. And a swarm of goblins escorting them.

Oh Se-rin clicked her tongue. "Hey, the numbers…"

Kang Hyun-woo moved without hesitation. "Get into formation." He charged straight at the Orc Warrior.

Mana surged into his lower body and the stone floor rumbled. The charge tore through the air inside the room. Kang Hyun-woo drove his sword toward the Orc Warrior's chest.

Clang! The great axe blocked the blade. The metallic impact echoed twice across the wide chamber, bouncing off the rock formation. My ears rang for a moment.

The Orc Warrior didn't budge. Its legs were planted firmly, absorbing the full force of the charge.

"Good," Kang Hyun-woo muttered. "So you want to play."

The Orc Warrior counterattacked immediately. The great axe swung sideways. The attack was simple, which made it more dangerous. Kang Hyun-woo stepped back, then lunged forward the instant the axe passed, aiming for the inside of the swinging arm. But the Warrior didn't falter. Instead, it drove an elbow into him, exploiting the opening.

Meanwhile, the three orcs moved. Oh Se-rin immediately retreated and raised her hands.

"I'll handle the orcs."

Flames gathered at her fingertips—not arrows, but spear-like bursts of fire that flew in rapid succession. The first struck an orc's thigh, filling the air with the stench of burning flesh. The orc screamed and collapsed.

The second orc rushed from beside the rock formation. Oh Se-rin fired again, striking its eyes. Repeated hits to the head sent it staggering before it dropped.

The third orc arrived later. Oh Se-rin drew a deep breath. This time she didn't fire compressed flames all at once—she released two short bursts. The first hit the knee, the second the head. The orc fell.

"Hah…" Oh Se-rin exhaled, the sound escaping as she tried to suppress it. Her mana was completely drained from overusing her skills.

While Kang Hyun-woo and Oh Se-rin focused on the Orc Warrior and the orcs, Park Jun-ho and I handled the remaining goblins. The numbers were similar to before, but the previous battles had made them easier to clear. Park Jun-ho drew their attention while I finished them one by one.

Kang Hyun-woo was supposed to be holding the Orc Warrior. But the phrasing no longer fit. The Orc Warrior was holding him. It kept pressing with the axe, forcing Kang Hyun-woo into a defensive stance.

The Warrior brought the axe down. Crash! The floor cracked, stone fragments flying. Kang Hyun-woo dodged aside, but the Warrior yanked the axe free and immediately kicked. The weighted blow struck his waist, pushing him back a beat.

"Damn it…" Kang Hyun-woo gritted his teeth.

The Warrior didn't miss the opening. It raised the axe again—this time not a downward strike, but a diagonal sweep. Kang Hyun-woo blocked instead of dodging. Crash! He was pushed back again, heels scraping stone. Just as his balance faltered, the Warrior drove an elbow down.

Thud. Kang Hyun-woo's upper body shook.

"Hyun-woo!" Oh Se-rin called out reflexively, but she couldn't raise her hands. Accumulated mana depletion made immediate skill support impossible.

Park Jun-ho started forward with his shield to assist, then froze. The Orc Warrior's sheer size locked his body in place.

The Warrior pushed Kang Hyun-woo back and advanced another step. The moment Kang Hyun-woo's stance broke, the Warrior raised its axe. If it came down, even a block would leave him badly injured.

I moved to the Warrior's flank to help. While its attention was fixed on Kang Hyun-woo, I thrust toward its wrist. But the Warrior was faster than expected. Its elbow came down and knocked my sword aside. Metal rang and pain shot through my wrist.

Behind me, Park Jun-ho hesitated. The other monsters were cleared, yet he couldn't bring himself to join the fight against the Orc Warrior. Fear made his shield sink heavily. The Warrior's gaze flicked sideways for an instant. It wasn't trying to fight both Kang Hyun-woo and me at once—it was looking for the weakest target. That could be Park Jun-ho or Oh Se-rin. Oh Se-rin was mana-exhausted and Park Jun-ho had already broken. This was the most dangerous moment.

I pictured the red line in my mind.

Not yet. Save it for the end.

But if someone fell before the end came, the end wouldn't matter.

A red trajectory grazed the Orc Warrior's upper body. The line stretched long. The Warrior's breath, my breath, even the vibrations beneath my feet mixed into the path and wavered. I found the very end of the line, the segment with the least tremor. My sword swung. The sensation of striking the trajectory registered. But the line didn't fully sever. Twenty percent… thirty percent. Not even half. The Warrior's flesh tore shallowly. Blood sprayed, but it wasn't a fatal wound. Still, the Orc Warrior paused for a beat—not from surprise at the cut, but because the pain was unexpected.

Kang Hyun-woo didn't miss that beat.

His sword struck the Orc Warrior's shoulder, precisely at the joint. Crash! The Warrior's upper body shook. The arm holding the axe dropped. Kang Hyun-woo struck again. Flesh and muscle split deep, blood bursting forth. The Orc Warrior roared.

"Krrrrr—!"

The entire room shook. My chest vibrated. Park Jun-ho flinched and stepped back. Oh Se-rin swallowed hard.

The Orc Warrior shoved Kang Hyun-woo away violently. In return, Kang Hyun-woo was thrown far, his arm trembling from taking the blow on his shoulder. His breathing grew ragged.

Afterward, the Warrior tried to raise its axe again. But the shoulder was ruined. The arm wouldn't lift fully, and even when it did, the speed was slower. That was the weakness Kang Hyun-woo had created.

I exhaled.

What's left now… is truly one use.

This was the last. Failure meant the end.

Kang Hyun-woo blocked the Warrior's axe trajectory and was pushed back again. He scraped across the floor, two steps. The Warrior advanced. Its arm was slower, but the weight remained the same. Kang Hyun-woo clenched his teeth.

"Hey, Han Do-yoon…!"

He called my name properly for the first time. Not a command—closer to acknowledgment. The sound was strangely loud.

I nodded. "Got it."

Then I stepped forward.

I watched the Warrior's feet. When it raised the axe, the left foot planted. When it struck down, the right foot came forward. The pattern was simple. But simplicity made it predictable.

The Warrior raised its axe. The damaged shoulder prevented a full lift, so it twisted its torso to compensate. That twist was the weakness. The moment its body twisted, its center lifted briefly. I stepped in, then immediately stepped back. The Warrior's axe came down and scraped the floor. I slipped in again and grazed its thigh with my sword tip—not a deep cut, just enough to break its rhythm.

Kang Hyun-woo slashed in from the side. The Orc Warrior roared and swung its axe. Kang Hyun-woo dodged, but the blade grazed his arm, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drawing blood.

The Warrior turned again. I was already in position where its rotation would end. After the turn, it would need to raise the axe once more. The shoulder would shake again.

Now?

Not yet. I wanted the final, perfect timing. If the overall rhythm was still wavering, perfect accuracy wouldn't come. The rhythm needed to lock for a single moment. That lock usually came right after an attack finished—when the opponent transitioned from striking to resetting its stance. Movement paused briefly then.

The Orc Warrior swung its axe wide at Kang Hyun-woo. Kang Hyun-woo retreated. The axe cut through empty air. Then the Warrior tried to raise it again. The shoulder trembled. The arm didn't rise fully. Knowing that, it twisted its body harder to add force. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠In that moment, the shoulder opened. The wound Kang Hyun-woo had made gaped wider.

I drew a breath. A red trajectory formed in my mind.

The line ran exactly across the shoulder wound and up to the neck. The body stabilized, tremors decreasing. With less shaking, I could follow it. The Orc Warrior exhaled. The trajectory wavered once with that breath. I waited for the wavering to end.

And then—the instant it stopped.

The moment the trajectory appeared to freeze, my sword rode it. The sensation was different. The blade tip slid along the path, and the resistance of flesh and bone collapsed all at once. Sixty percent… seventy percent. The Orc Warrior's shoulder split deep. Its arm dropped as if about to fall off. The axe slipped from its hand and hit the ground with a heavy thud that echoed through the room.

The Warrior's eyes widened. The moment its gaze locked onto me, I stepped in and cut its throat.

The massive body twisted. "Kk…"

Breath leaked out. Knees buckled. The sound of the Orc Warrior collapsing shook the floor.

The room fell silent. Only my breathing remained. Blood dripped from the tip of my sword. My wrist trembled—not from fear, but because my mana was nearly bottomed out. That had truly been the last use.

Kang Hyun-woo let out a long breath. "…It's over."

Oh Se-rin sank to the floor, then stood again. "Hah… insane."

Park Jun-ho finally exhaled after a long moment. His arm, still holding the shield, went limp and dropped. "We… we survived…"

Kang Hyun-woo shook the blood from his sword. His gaze turned to me. He hesitated visibly, words rising to his lips before retreating. He scratched his head once.

"…Han Do-yoon." He said my name again. Then, sounding almost embarrassed, he spoke. "Thanks. We finished it well because of you."

Oh Se-rin grumbled from the side. "Hey, not bad for a Class D student." She looked at me and pursed her lips, pausing a beat. "Thanks. There, happy?"

Park Jun-ho bowed his head, looking ready to cry. "Really… thank you. I was so scared I couldn't do anything—"

"It's fine," I cut in. "It's over."

That was the best I could offer.

We left the dungeon. Passing through the entrance, the air felt different. Breathing came easier, almost light compared to inside. The instructor waited ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠outside, expression unreadable as he looked us over.

"Clear."

A short confirmation. Kang Hyun-woo nodded. Oh Se-rin nodded as well. Park Jun-ho stood silently.

Before parting, we briefly discussed the fight. Kang Hyun-woo spoke first. "Good thing I split its shoulder."

It sounded less like bragging and more like him convincing himself. I answered briefly. "That let us finish it."

Kang Hyun-woo scratched his head again. "…Yeah."

Oh Se-rin cut in. "But I was really mana-exhausted. After handling three orcs, my fingertips were shaking."

"You still took them all down."

"That's true."

Park Jun-ho spoke quietly. "Next time… if we team up again, I'll really—do better."

Kang Hyun-woo glanced at Jun-ho but didn't press further. This time he didn't push. Instead, he looked away. Even saying "thanks" earlier had been a significant shift for him.

The short conversation ended. It was time to scatter. Kang Hyun-woo spoke first. "I'm heading out. See you next time."

Oh Se-rin waved. "Hey, no—see you later."

Park Jun-ho bowed to me. "Thank you. Really."

I nodded. "Yeah."

The three of them walked away, footsteps fading down the corridor. Once I was alone, a long breath finally escaped.

Thank goodness.

That thought came first. Relief that it had ended safely. And with it came the realization of how thin the line we'd walked had been.

I clenched and unclenched my palm again, replaying the fight alone. When using the skill, the trajectory wavered. Following a wavering line required the body to keep up. My mind saw it, but my hands lagged. That gap was the difference in proficiency.

Raising accuracy… ultimately comes down to training.

And there was an even more fundamental problem.

Mana.

I'd always had little. Awakening hadn't suddenly increased it. Even compensating with efficiency, skills consumed mana in clear amounts. Using it two or three times like today left nothing. In a real fight, without that final use, it could all end.

I can't use it more than this.

That fact held me back.

I lowered my gaze, feeling the tremor in my hand on the sword hilt. I steadied my breathing and walked on. Would it be the same in the next fight? No. It couldn't stay this way. So—I needed to prepare more.