Nox arrived at the nick of time. He had never been so grateful for arriving in time because in front of him, a terrible sight was about to unfold. --- [Dreadfiend Tyrant - Legendary Lv1] HP: 100,000 Skills: Absorption Core, Earth Sovereign, Seismic Rupture, Titan’s Grip, Earthen Reinforcement, Adaptive Predation, Monolithic Regeneration, Cataclysm Hammer, Worldshatter Tremor, Abyssal Devour, Ruinous Rebirth, Primordial Fortitude, Tyrant’s Dominion, Rewind. --- Nox barely had time to pay attention to the boss monster’s system panel; his gaze settled on one of the arms of the boss monster where Blazy was locked in an iron grip. The Emberhawk’s eyes burned with desperation as it tried to free itself from the cruel crush of the enemy. Its entire body was engulfed by flames as it tried to burn the arm of the beast. However, it seemed to have no effect. On the contrary, the boss monster seemed to be absorbing the orange flames, and in return, its presence grew more powerful as if it was getting stronger with each passing moment. Unbeknownst to Nox, the progress of the monster was slowly rising, a result of the Absorption Core skill. It allowed the boss monster to absorb all types of attacks and energy into something akin to a monster core. At that moment, Blazy’s terrified eyes pleaded for rescue as the creature’s dark, sinewy limbs coiled around her. The beast roared, a sound that shook the very air, and began to tighten its grip. It brought Blazy close to its mouth, razor-sharp teeth gleaming dangerously. Nox didn’t need to be told what would happen. He immediately sprang into motion. Swoosh! "Not on my watch!" he roared internally as adrenaline surged through him. FWISH! SWOOSH! Nox closed the distance in the blink of an eye. In one fluid motion, he lunged toward the beast’s arms that held Blazy captive. Oblivion Edge flashed in the dim light as he slashed at the creature’s grip. CRACK! With a precise and savage strike, Nox’s legendary-rank dagger sank into the arm of the monster. Blazy, who had finally noticed Nox’s presence, was filled with joy and couldn’t help but cry out as the creature’s hold weakened. Seizing the chance, Nox gripped Blazy and pulled with all his might. In that heartbeat, Blazy was freed from the monstrous clutches. The hawk tumbled backward, its body momentarily suspended in mid-air before it managed to fly into the relative safety of the distance. Astralus, who had been trying to fight the monster from a distance to free Blazy, was filled with relief as she flew and hovered around Blazy as if to make sure he was fine. Back on the ground, the beast became enraged by Nox’s interference. It bellowed and slashed down furiously with its seismic claws. Its eyes burned with a hungry gleam, anticipation evident as it waited for the attack to connect. Nox knew that boss monsters were no ordinary foes. So, instead of intercepting the attack, he wisely pushed himself backward several meters—just beyond the monster’s reach. BOOM! The weapon smashed into the ground with terrifying force, leaving a crater over 20 meters deep. Shards of rock and debris flew everywhere. Nox’s face twisted as he imagined his fate if he hadn’t distanced himself. "What even is the rank of those weapons?" Nox’s eyes gleamed with avaricious light. After successfully distancing himself, he tapped into his mana reserves, stepped forward, and extended his hand. It had been a long time since he had used this skill. "Shadow Oblivion!" he declared in a deep, resonant voice. From his fingertips erupted a concentrated beam of pure, inky darkness—an attack that obliterated everything in its path. SHOOOOSH! The beam struck the beast squarely in the chest. BOOM! For a split second, it seemed as if time itself halted; the boss monster staggered, its hide rippling as dark energy hungrily devoured it. But then something unexpected happened. Nox’s eyes contracted to pin size. The monstrous boss absorbed the dark energy like a bottomless pit, its body convulsing before surging with newfound strength. Its muscles swelled, its eyes glowed with even fiercer intensity, and the surrounding air vibrated with the raw power of the energy it had consumed. "Damn, what the fuck is this?" Nox was pissed as he saw this. [Be careful, there’s something weird about this monster,] Blazy reported telepathically. The Emberhawk had regained a bit of stamina and returned to fight alongside its master. Blazy didn’t flee—it wanted revenge! "Weird...?" Nox mumbled to himself. Slightly dazed, he turned his gaze back to the monster’s system panel. As if it could read minds, the beast was upon Nox in an instant, giving him no respite. Nox activated Runic Dominion just in time, and blood-red runes flared to life around him, glowing ominously. CRACK! Razor-sharp spikes of congealed blood erupted from the runes, shooting toward the monstrous fiend. The attacks slashed, pierced, and tore into its reinforced hide. SPLAT! A crimson spear impaled one of the beast’s arms. CRUNCH! Another burst of energy shattered a chunk of its corrupted flesh. The creature roared, its four arms flailing wildly. It swatted at the crimson onslaught, but the relentless barrage continued. BOOM! A massive limb swung, sending a shockwave that blasted Nox’s attacks apart. The boss monster roared as it charged in with its twin earthforged hammers raised high. Nox skidded backward, dazed. Something wasn’t right. "Why is it so easy? Isn’t this a boss-ranked monster?" Nox’s confusion deepened. All his attacks had landed, even if they hadn’t dealt significant damage. "Let’s see," Nox narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the mountain of muscle charging at him, weapons swinging menacingly. Barbarian Strength! A surge of power flooded Nox’s body. His muscles swelled, veins bulged, and his aura blazed crimson. +600 Strength. For five minutes, he was unstoppable. "Now!" Nox roared, charging to meet the monster head-on. They collided in the middle, and then all hell broke loose. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 BANG! BANG! BANG! GWHOOSH! SLAM! CRASH! Continue reading at freewebnovel At close proximity, the two engaged in a brutal brawl. Fists, claws, blades, flesh—it was a bloody, one-sided fight, with Nox surprisingly dominating. Each strike was thunder; each clash, an explosion. The air trembled with the force of their battle. From an observer’s perspective, Nox seemed to be winning. But that was wrong. If one studied the fight closely, they would notice the boss monster’s wicked smirk and its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. Whoosh! A fist crashed into the beast’s ribs. SLAM! Oblivion Edge cut through thick hide. A crack resounded as dark ichor sprayed and bones shattered. The fiend staggered, exposing an opening. "This is it!" Nox leaped forward to strike. Everything slowed. His eyes locked onto the target. One swing. SWOOSH! SLAM! CRUNCH! Oblivion Edge sank deep into the creature’s skull. The beast lurched. Its head tilted. Then—THUD. It collapsed. Blood sprayed in a gruesome arc. Silence. Nox landed softly, but he wasn’t relieved. Confusion filled his eyes. "This can’t be... Don’t tell me the beast is dead?"