[14th Everdusk, 2103], CGA Branch, Dyna Crest Country — Test Dungeon.
The boss charged at me, his skeletal steed thundering across the tight dungeon corridor. I barely managed to dodge the incoming blow—but what came next caught me completely off guard.
A razor-sharp gust of wind sliced across my cheek like an invisible blade.
{-14 HP}
"Argh!" I hissed, clutching the fresh wound. A system notification flashed in front of me, and my eye twitched as it cheerfully explained what just happened.
[System has detected the boss using two passive skills:
"Oh, fantastic. Just rub some salt on it while you're at it." I glared at the system screen, which promptly vanished like it had done its job.
The only small mercy in this situation was the limited space of the dungeon. The horse's mobility was severely restricted, making it harder for the boss to close the distance. If we'd been fighting in an open field, I'd already be a corpse.
"Alright, go cause chaos for his bony speedster," I ordered my two skeletons, who'd been standing beside me like clueless bodyguards.
At my command, the boneheads lurched into action. The boss had already turned his steed toward me again, preparing to charge—but this time, my summons intercepted him.
To my surprise, their speed had increased after the recent stat boost. They managed to reach the horse and began attacking its skeletal body, forcing it to stumble and move erratically.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to dismount the boss.
With a wide slash, the knight effortlessly decapitated both skeletons in a single swing. Still, it was enough for me to make my move.
[Shadow Bolt] [Bone Fang Strike]
I fired off two spells in quick succession. The Bone Fang raced forward first, aimed directly at the boss, while the Shadow Bolt followed behind.
As expected, the knight blocked the fang with ease—his eyes locked on the glowing projectile. But that was just bait.
The real attack was the bolt behind it—almost invisible in the dungeon's dim lighting. He didn't even notice it wasn't aimed at him.
Instead, the Shadow Bolt struck the horse square in the head.
BOOM!
The impact sent the steed crashing to the ground. The boss rolled off, hitting the floor with a grunt of surprise.
"You dirty, cowardly trickster! How dare you harm my companion!" he roared, standing tall. "Today, I'll show you the true terror of a Storm Knight of the La###en House!"
I didn't even have time to react before he swung his blade—from meters away.
A blade of wind shot out from his slash, hurtling toward me. My instincts screamed, and I dropped to the ground just in time. The slash passed over me with a howl, carving a line into the stone wall behind.
I was about to sigh in relief… when a sharp pain lanced through my shoulder.
{-57 HP}
Blood splattered the floor as I stumbled back, gripping my arm. The pain was intense—but not enough to drop me. Not anymore.
'That hurt… but I've felt worse,' I thought grimly. My memories from my past life were still surfacing, and with them came the tolerance to pain and torment far greater than this.
'What the hell kind of Tier 0 boss is this? This is way too powerful... unless he's pretending to be lower level. No, if that were true, I'd already be dead.'
The knight's distorted voice echoed once more.
"Oi, devil-worshiper, how was my little gift? Enjoyed it? Don't worry, I'll carve another mark straight into your chest next time."
His steed groaned, attempting to rise again. Its skull was cracked, bone splintered, but it was still standing—barely.
The knight jumped back onto its back, raising his sword high for one final charge.
I checked their health bars—his HP was nearly full, just a minor dent. But the horse was barely holding on, sitting around 20–30% health.
"Aren't you underestimating me a bit too much?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes.
No reply. Either he couldn't hear me or didn't care.
The moment he lunged forward, I braced myself. My grip on my weapon tightened as I launched my counterattack.
[Shadow Leap] [Power Strike]
I blinked from my position in an instant—reappearing directly in front of his mount.
My blade cleaved through the horse's ribcage and even scraped against the knight's armor. He reacted just in time, twisting and leaping off to the side. He avoided a fatal blow.
But the horse?
It wasn't so lucky.
With a sickening crunch, the steed was cleaved clean in half—its body collapsing in a pile of shattered bone and dust.
One problem down.
The bleeding in my shoulder had slowed, but the stinging pain remained. I could barely move my arm, but I didn't have the luxury to rest.
"RRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!!"
The knight's anguished howl echoed through the chamber as he stared at the corpse of his mount.
"You filthy heathens! First you killed my lord, and now you take my steed again?! I swear—I'll hunt every last one of you down and rip your bodies apart with my bare hands!"
Fury ignited in his eyes as he abandoned the fallen horse and charged at me with reckless abandon.
He was completely berserk now—wild swings, no defense, no strategy.
But that was exactly what I was waiting for.
With my speed advantage and his mind clouded by rage, I could dodge and even land counters. His strikes were fast, but now… predictable.
The real battle had only just begun.
And now began the worst part—
The real pain.
The slow, grinding, attrition-style battle where my HP would be chipped away piece by piece. And I knew… this was going to take a while.
My blade glowed as I stepped forward.
The final round was underway.
—To be continued—