Devouring the Demon Eye

The Demon Eye was a monster that functioned as both a long-range damage dealer and a supporter.

A large pupil embedded at the center of its body served as its primary weapon, while the smaller eyes attached to its tentacles unleashed various curses.

The instant our gazes locked, a purple radiance flickered across the creature’s retina.

The warning had barely sounded before the light swirling around the monster’s eye surged straight forward.

The speed was so overwhelming that even my sixth sense couldn’t keep up.

I ducked low. The purple beam grazed my spine, missing me by a hair.

Had I remained still, it would have pierced straight through my heart.

“Hoo.” Nyx let out a short, appreciative gasp.

“It’s a lesser imitation of the real thing. Nothing more than a cheap copy.”

“It has to concentrate mana for a brief moment right before firing.”

The Demon Eye relied solely on those hideous eyeballs for its attacks. Maintain eye contact and you could read both the timing and direction with ease.

What did attack speed matter when I could see exactly where it was aiming?

The tentacles beneath the eye wriggled and swayed.

The small eyes glowing in five different colors emitted waves of mana.

Brilliant, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠multicolored lights wrapped around my entire body.

“What is this, a nightclub?”

“I’m fine.”

I waved the concern away.

All the debuff skills the Demon Eye had deployed shared one common trait: they targeted the mind.

The skill I had obtained in the training hall, Cold Blood, was the natural predator of any mental interference curse.

The sensation was like cold ice pressed against my skin. All the debuffs shattered and vanished at once.

The creature’s pupil flashed again.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Blue energy projectiles the size of its pupil fired at 0.3-second intervals.

Slower than the purple beam, but the wide barrage narrowed the window for evasion.

This pattern could not be dodged through movement alone.

“That’s exactly what it wants.”

I sprinted toward the thinnest section of the barrage.

The spheres were simply too large for perfect evasion. One struck my forearm.

Crack! A deep fissure ran across my gauntlet.

Most of the mana bullet’s energy had been absorbed by my thorn armor, leaving only a faint numbness in my arm.

Repeated strikes to the same spot would have been lethal.

“It can’t use the same color twice in a row.”

The Demon Eye possessed five distinct attack patterns. Once an eye beam was used, it could not be reused until every other pattern had cycled through.

The colors I needed to watch were blue and purple. I would strike during the remaining patterns.

I burst forward in a rapid sprint.

At that exact moment, red light shimmered across the Demon Eye’s retina.

I pivoted left using Cloud Flow Steps, changing direction without losing momentum.

The red energy condensed in its pupil fanned outward in a wide arc.

Though its range was shorter than the previous two patterns, the area of effect was massive.

Because I had moved the instant I saw the glow, I slipped outside the red energy wave.

“Of course I calculated it.”

Right after firing the red beam, the Demon Eye’s pupil trembled.

Not missing the narrowed gap, I activated Fierce Charge and slammed into the pupil supporting its body.

BANG! The Demon Eye froze in a stunned state.

I followed with Super Strength from my left hand, smashing the pupil, then spun 270 degrees using my right leg as the axis.

Blood Claw Technique, Third Form—Storm.

Inner power surged through my sharpened claws, carving a long gash across the creature’s pupil.

At that moment the Demon Eye flashed again.

A powerful repulsive force hurled me backward.

The shockwave sent anything within range flying fifty meters away.

“I’m fine. There’s no actual damage.”

The white light existed only to repel nearby foes. It carried no killing power, but without movement-resistance skills or items, the knockback was guaranteed.

Without that particular skill, the Demon Eye would not have earned its reputation as such a troublesome boss.

“Only one attack pattern remains.”

I rearranged my mana flow.

The ground buckled. Stone pillars erupted between the cracks, tall enough to shield my upper body.

The green ray traveled slower than the others and collided head-on with the spikes.

BOOM!

Stone shards exploded outward with a deafening blast.

“That one penetrates. The green ray is a homing type.”

The green beam flew slightly slower and in a straight line toward its target. It could not curve around obstacles.

A large eyelid slid down to cover the pupil, then lifted again.

The same purple glow as our first meeting flickered once more.

“I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just have to keep repeating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this process.”

I jerked my head to the right. The purple laser scorched the empty air where my head had been a heartbeat earlier.

“Do I really look that unstable?”

Nyx clapped a hand over her mouth in feigned surprise.

That goddess… her talent for teasing had grown considerably.

“Save the jokes until after I kill it.”

If I failed to read which light it was about to fire, the consequences would be fatal. A purple ray to the heart or head would be too much even for me.

The moment I let my guard down, I could fail the eighth-floor trial.

I ignored Nyx’s grumbling and kept my eyes fixed on the Demon Eye.

* * *

The Demon Eye continued pouring mana into its central pupil.

The eye shone with five colors. Meanwhile, the smaller eyes on its tentacles never stopped trying to corrupt my mind.

Damn it. This curse was lust?

For a fleeting moment the grotesque eye transformed into a woman who matched my ideal type perfectly.

I bit my lip. The sharp taste of blood filled my mouth.

My vision returned to normal. Thanks to Cold Blood, I recognized the illusion for what it was.

Had it been otherwise, I might have lost myself in the dreamlike contradiction.

“…It’s nothing.”

The corners of Nyx’s eyes curved with interest.

I had to finish the creature before her curiosity grew any further.

I activated every skill except magic at once.

Debuffs that lowered defense and physical stats. The moment I added Lure, a skill extracted from a Mimic’s essence, the Demon Eye’s pupil lost focus and shook wildly.

The time I bought with the chain of debuffs was roughly two seconds.

The instant the Demon Eye regained focus and its eye flashed with light—

I created distance, dodged the incoming ray, then closed the gap again with Fierce Charge.

Two seconds of stun.

Using Super Strength, I tore away a thick bundle of its tentacles.

The flow of martial techniques was flawless.

“Quaiooo!!”

The Demon Eye spread its writhing tentacles wide.

Phase two. When its life hung in the balance, it entered a berserk state that circulated mana throughout its entire body.

Lightning coiled around the tentacle bundle. Ordinary martial arts could never pierce that current.

The Blood Claw Technique consisted of four forms total. I reinforced my claws, layered the Protection of Gluttony over them, and unleashed the technique.

Mana, divine protection, and inner power wove together into a single devastating force that shredded the Demon Eye’s tentacles one by one.

From beneath my feet, blades of darkness spiraled upward and impaled the remaining tentacles.

Flash!

Light gathered in the giant pupil once more.

I never took my eyes off it even while tearing through the tentacles. I read the color flickering within its iris and responded accordingly, steadily piling damage onto the creature’s main body.

Once again purple light shimmered above the pupil. Because it attacked in tandem with the tentacles, complete evasion was impossible.

I refused to retreat. Even if I had to endure some pain, now was the time to press the assault.

“Kueioooo!”

The purple ray surged forth.

Squelch! It pierced straight through my shoulder.

The heat energy carried by the laser was so intense that the wound was instantly cauterized; not a drop of blood escaped.

It’s fine.

I can endure this!

I kept my distance and continued the brutal exchange.

“Kua……”

The Demon Eye collapsed, vomiting black blood.

Thirty minutes after entering the cavern, I had slain the labyrinth guardian.

“Phew. That was exhausting.”

“I’m serious. If I had let my guard down even once, it would have been over.”

Even when you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knew the strategy, the Demon Eye remained a difficult boss to hunt. You had to focus on the giant central eye at all times while maintaining defenses against the mental corruption from the smaller ones.

Thanks to the rewards I had gained in the tutorial, I was immune to mental attacks. An ordinary player would have needed to cover themselves head to toe in resistance items just to survive.

The purple laser fired at 0.5-second intervals was also incredibly dangerous. Facing the seventh floor’s hidden boss, the Blood-red Angler, would have felt far more relaxing by comparison.

“Then I’ll eat well.”

Essences connected to the ‘eye’ organ were resonating. The Talon Flame essence I had never obtained before my regression filled me with anticipation.

Without hesitation I fused the two essences.

It felt as if both my eyes had been seared with a hot iron. The pain was so intense a groan slipped from my lips.

“No. I’m just a little dizzy.”

When I closed my eyes and opened them again, the stabbing pain subsided.

Nyx gazed at my eyes and murmured in admiration.

“Can you see it, Goddess?”

“I can now see the flow of mana with my own eyes.”

“It’s only the basics for now.”

Thousand Eyes was barely worthy of being called a mystic eye. Still, if I continued stacking essences from various creatures upon this foundation, reaching the level of Dragon Eye or even God Eye was not impossible.

The moment the Demon Eye fell, the eighth-floor trial ended.

A new record. Only natural. No player in this era had ever defeated a Demon Eye before.

Not bad boots. I slipped them on immediately. The fit was excellent.

“Why even ask?”

I smiled faintly.