Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: New Boss, Strong
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[New Boss, Strong.]
[Boss, We Follow.]
A message indicating successful rapport appeared, and the Lycus swarmed right up behind Dun.
Dun looked back at the Lycus crowding behind him with bewildered eyes.
They’re smart enough for this to happen, huh. It was a bit fascinating.
“I’m not taking you guys in.”
[New Boss, We’ll Protect and Follow You to the End.]
The Lycus stood steadfastly by Dun’s side, wagging their tails vigorously.
[These guys…]
Lycurin staggered closer to Dun, dripping blood. No wonder it was the area boss monster—it had already recovered somewhat from its severe internal injuries in that short time.
[I’ll kill you all!!]
Lycurin’s eyes filled with murderous intent as flames erupted from its body. It was an eerie blend of black and red fire.
The black-mingled flames reached even its sharp claws.
Lycurin slashed at the air with its claws, leaving burning claw marks.
The fiery claws struck Dun at an eye-defying speed. The contagion and heat of the black flames were on another level from ordinary fire. The surrounding rocks and dirt caught fire, turning the area into a sea of flames.
The Lycus clustered around Dun were shredded by Lycurin’s fiery claws or began burning in the intense blaze.
[Heat Poison spreads. 5% HP decreases every 30 seconds.]
A massive inferno rose as if to swallow Dun, soon enveloping his entire body.
[MISS]
[MISS]
The stat difference was too vast for him to take any damage, but it was so hot that he sweated profusely.
The problem was that his clothes had all burned away.
Dun pressed his forehead, staring at his now bare body.
With his outfit ruined, Rihaowel would kill him. Should he slap some leaves on and head back?
[Sweat pours heavily. Stamina decreases.]
Exhausted, Dun flopped down right there.
He’d moved around too much today. He should’ve just smashed everything without holding back.
[Got him!]
Mistaking Dun’s exhausted collapse for defeat, Lycurin excitedly charged at him.
It placed its front paw on Dun’s stomach, seemingly reveling in its superiority, so Dun just crossed his arms and stayed still for a moment.
“Wearing Lycus fur would make you die of heat…”
Especially since it was made of flames.
At the small mutter, Lycurin flinched in panic.
[He’s still holding out…]
It opened its mouth to snap Dun’s neck, but realizing that wouldn’t work, it raised its claws instead.
Yet even the claw attacks felt refreshing to Dun.
[What in the world is your body made of?!]
Dun gazed at the boss monster, Lycurin, flailing and attacking beside his lying form.
It changed stances to attack, whipped up sandstorms to attack, stomped massive footprints into the ground to attack, and put on a flame show to attack.
It was attacking diligently, but unfortunately, not a single point of Dun’s HP was scratched.
Instead, Lycurin was starting to stagger slightly, perhaps from the strain of spamming its ultimate moves.
“Status window.”
[Boss Monster] Lycurin
Level: 324
Race: Lycus
HP: 4430/30,000
MP: 145/10,000
[Skills]
[Slash lv.max], [Bite lv.max], [Murderous Intent lv.max], [Lion’s Roar lv.max], [Den Finder lv.max], [Cave Maker lv.max], [Terror Rule lv.1], [Hellfire lv.6], [Flame Claw lv.max](, )[Stealth lv.9]
Dun scanned through Lycurin’s skills. Quite a few were tempting. Skills like ‘Den Finder’ or ‘Cave Maker,’ for instance.
If used well, they could create something pretty useful… It was a thought sparked by the Lycus that had briefly acknowledged him as their boss earlier.
“Lycurin.”
Yelp!
As Dun abruptly sat up, Lycurin, mid-spam of ‘Hellfire,’ flinched and shrank back. It let out a pathetically weak yelp, seemed deeply embarrassed, and unleashed more skills at Dun.
It felt like being in a sauna. The sweltering heat kept coming. Dun wiped away the sweat pouring like rain.
“Stay still for a sec. I’ve got a question.”
He clamped shut Lycurin’s mouth, which kept spewing fire. Lycurin’s eyes widened—it hadn’t expected its jaws to close so easily.
The flames it couldn’t release backed up into its body. Smoke billowed fiercely from its sealed lips.
[While I’m attacking, closing my mouth like that…!]
[Critical! Boss Monster Lycurin has been defeated!]
“No, hey! What do you do dying on me! Don’t die! Hold on!”
He grabbed at the vanishing Lycurin and pleaded, but it was already gone.
He hadn’t meant to kill it—a counterattack must’ve landed. Having inhaled its own flames, Lycurin dropped a pile of items.
Dun’s eyes gleamed at the heap of loot.
“Please, just one debuff item…”
He wasn’t even hoping for high-end stuff like that sticky thread. Anything to weaken his power a bit would make him thrilled.
[Unique] Flame Spirit’s Tear
[Legendary] ???
[Epic] Lycurin’s Fur
[Epic] Lycurin’s Claw
Contrary to Dun’s hopes, only fire-related items dropped. Given the monster’s nature, debuffs were unlikely, but seeing it confirmed still brought disappointment.
“Legendary?”
Lycurin was indeed strong enough to drop a Legendary.
But why was the item name like this?
The question marks hid its true nature.
Dun picked up the Legendary book and examined it. As his hand touched the thick tome, it emitted a brilliant glow.
“Oh ho.”
Dun felt a spark of hope again.
[Analyzing user’s disposition.]
The intense light enveloped Dun and lingered.
[Registering custom skill to the skillbook.]
Text engraved itself onto the book alongside the notification.
[Legendary] Monster Domination
A skillbook with both passive and active traits. Using it grants a high chance to acquire the ‘Monster Domination’ skill. Applicable only to creatures classified as monsters. Domination method varies by rapport type.
Dominated monsters can use the skill user’s language.
[Would you like to learn ‘Monster Domination’?]
“Custom skill?”
Jackpot. Freely commanding monsters of all sorts could overcome his stamina limits to some extent.
Not the weakening skill or item he wanted, but still useful.
If he’d had this earlier, he could’ve tamed Lycurin instead of killing it… Getting it only after the fact stung.
It was a real shame.
Without hesitation, Dun agreed to learn it, acquiring the new ‘Domination’ skill. A cool sensation filled one corner of his mind.
[Rapport count with monsters meets conditions.]
[Level up.]
Probably from all the raptor with monsters lately—his level rose right after getting the skill.
He wanted to test it, but no live Lycus remained. They’d all burned up, leaving only items behind from Lycurin’s attack.
Out of habit, Dun reached for his pocket, then awkwardly clasped his hands behind his back at the absence of pants.
“How many days until these guys respawn?”
Normally, after a wipeout, monsters reappear after a while. Respawn times varied by type.
To check when Lycurin would return, Dun wandered the cave for a bit.
The Lycus den was pitch black overall. They had vision that pierced the dark, allowing life without light, but Dun didn’t.
Deeper in, light faded entirely; he groped the walls blindly. On the way in, fearing he’d get lost, he’d smeared glowing Orec blood on the walls.
Following the straight wall, he found a right turn.
“!”
Dozens of yellow eyes gleamed around the corner.
[Lycus Pups’ Room]
The system map labeled the area Dun entered.
Grrrrowl…
Higher-pitched voices unlike the earlier Lycus. Childish cries filled the chamber.
Not Lycurin’s room, so he turned to leave, but curiosity about his new skill drew him toward the cluster of yellow eyes.
Rawr!
As expected, the wary pups lunged, snapping at his flesh.
Dun groped, grabbed a pup, pulled it close, and slowly stroked its head. The pup in his arms gnawed furiously at his fingers as its “attack.”
“Monster Domination.”
[[Monster Domination] activates.]
Dun placed his hand on the pup’s head and softly invoked the skill. Mana flowed from him into the pup.
[Rapport with monster successful!]
[Under skill’s influence, Lycus pup will follow you.]
Kiiing…
The pup that had been savagely biting his finger spat it out and tentatively licked it with its tiny tongue, as if apologetic.
“Hold on a sec.”
The successful pup growled threateningly at the attacking others and started biting them.
Dun tried to intervene but, seeing nothing, flailed at empty air.
All he saw were yellow eyes darting chaotically. Worried his fighting pup would get beaten to death, he tried to shield it but gave up. Instead, he spammed his new skill.
[[Monster Domination] activates.]
[[Monster Domination] activates.]
[[Monster Domination] activates.]
Each use brought a successful rapport notification.
“You guys fighting is chaotic.”
The bright yellow eyes turned to Dun.
[Twoo…]
[Twoo… two…]
Grrr, grrr.
The pups rubbed against Dun, calling him “Boss” in clumsy speech.
It felt odd. Before, it was like their own language, but now he understood it as if it were his own.
Must be the skill’s effect.
“No messing around—line up single file.”
At Dun’s command, the pups scrambled into a neat line. The yellow eyes aligned perfectly.
“Good. Light up the area a bit.”
Fwoosh!
The pups opened their mouths in unison, spewing fire everywhere. The surroundings turned into a blaze instantly.
“Wait, stop, stop!”
The pups clamped their mouths shut simultaneously. They obeyed perfectly—Dun liked that.
Their flames clung to the surroundings, illuminating everything. Dun surveyed the cave interior and searched for torch material.
Conveniently, human-made weapons were piled in the distance. The humans who’d faced Lycus were elites, so all leftovers bore ‘Epic’ marks.
Dun thriftily inventoried everything, then grabbed a spear-like weapon to make a torch.
He wedged a flammable, long-burning monster corpse onto the blade, lit it from the pups’ fire, and transferred the flame.
“Now I can see. Much better.”
Dun finally got a good look at the pups lined up before him.
Bright yellow eyes, short flame fur. Pup-sized, about half his forearm length. Unhatched Lycus eggs dotted the area too.
“Do you guys know who Lycurin is?”
At Lycurin’s name, the pups trembled in unison, glancing nervously.
Pledging to Dun meant betraying Lycurin—they were as good as dead to it.
The pups huddled and sobbed.
But Dun mistook their fear of the dead ex-boss for missing it, and tried his best to soothe the whiny pups.
“Uh… hey, hey. Don’t cry. Um. Lycurin will revive soon, so I’ll let you see it. Okay?”
At that, the pups wailed even louder in terror.
Dun scratched his head awkwardly and stood.
“I’m gonna find Lycurin’s revival room. Wanna come?”
Kiii! Kiii!
The pups freaked, clinging to the wall corners.
“Fine if not.”
Fair enough—dragging them to the dead ex-boss’s room was cruel? Having failed to comfort them, Dun clicked his tongue and left the pups’ room.
Terrified of Lycurin yet hating to be apart from Dun more than death, the pups whimpered and cautiously trailed after him.
[Twoo-two…]
[Twoo-moo…]
It felt like being marched to the execution grounds.