Rover stood alone in front of the beast—a towering chimera with three molten heads and lava-like flesh that pulsed with fiery heat. His fists clenched, body broken, yet unwavering. No power. No magic. Just instinct, speed, and unyielding rage.
He dashed forward, a blur of movement. His punch landed on the chimera's leg with bone-breaking force. A sickening crack echoed through the chamber—his hand was shattered. But Rover didn't flinch. Blood streamed down his arm, his knuckles split open, but he struck again. And again.
The others—guild members from Red Wolf and Azure Fang—watched in stunned silence. His body was already battered from the earlier War Cry, but he moved with pure determination. Cain's stared, wide-eyed. "He's... still going?"
Yoon Ara gritted her teeth and slowly stood up, defying the pressure of the beast's aura. "What are we doing just watching?! Let's help him!" she shouted.
Juno, still recovering, rose beside her. "You're right. He's buying us time with everything he's got. Time to return the favor."
"Anna!" Yoon barked. "Heal Cain and buff everyone—especially Rover!"
Anna, trembling but determined, wiped her tears and started chanting, channeling what little mana she had left.
"Backline mages!" Juno roared. "Pour everything you've got into slowing this thing down!"
The mages responded, their water spells crashing into the chimera, attempting to cool its molten body. Juno charged with lightning surging through his polearm, Yoon danced like a storm, slicing with her dimensional blade, and Cain returned with burning gauntlets, even though they were barely holding together.
But amidst the team's comeback, the chimera roared again—a third War Cry.
This one was worse.
Even Juno and Yoon, who resisted it earlier, dropped to their knees, ears ringing, blood dripping from noses. The A to E ranks collapsed or cried out, overwhelmed by sheer pressure.
Except one.
Rover.
He didn't flinch. He didn't fall.
His broken fists clenched tighter, blood dripping from his fingertips, bones grinding inside his arms—but he kept punching. Eyes red, nose bleeding, his body screamed in pain—but his will screamed louder.
"I don't care... if I break..." he muttered.
Then, something changed.
His veins bulged. His legs hardened. The ground beneath him cracked from the pressure. A storm of raw strength surged from his body—not magic, not skill, just will.
And he moved.
With godlike speed, he vanished and appeared at the chimera's side—his fists a blur. Every strike sent shockwaves. Each punch carved deep marks into the creature's flesh. The air shook. The temperature dropped, not from magic, but from the sheer violence of his blows.
Rover screamed, "Before you kill me—I'll make you bleed, you damn monster!!"
In his mind, he raged.
You… the voice inside me… if you won't give me power, I'll crush this thing myself! I don't need you! I've trained every second, every day for 20 years! I won't let people die anymore! I am strong because I made myself strong!
His eyes bled, his body broken, but still he punched.
One final blow.
He roared, slamming his crushed fist into the chimera's middle head. The impact was like thunder. The chamber shook. A wave of pressure erupted across the dungeon—so powerful that even hunters on Floor 36 felt it.
The chimera's molten body shattered. The beast let out a final death shriek as its heads collapsed, its body disintegrating into fragments of lava and ash.
Silence.
Then—cheers. Screams of disbelief. Relief.
Yoon Ara and Juno rushed to gather the squad, some unconscious, others barely able to stand.
"Call for back-up," Juno said, his voice shaking. "We need medical evac—Floor 36 squad, now."
The backup squad from Floor 36 arrived in haste, weapons ready—only to freeze at the sight before them.
The monstrous chimera lay motionless, shattered into molten pieces. And standing atop its mangled, steaming head… was him.
Blood dripping from his broken body.
Eyes closed.
Unconscious.
But standing.
"Wait… isn't that—?" one of the hunters stammered. "Isn't that the guy who took down the Calamity Dragon…?"
Gasps rippled through the backup squad.
"No way…"
"That's him. That's really him... Rover Cheon."
Whispers turned into murmurs of awe.
Two monsters, two victories—no powers.
Yoon Ara stepped forward quickly, eyes sharp, voice firm but hushed. "Please," she said. "Keep what you saw to yourselves."
The hunters glanced at each other.
Yoon continued, "He saved us. All of us. But I don't want him to be dragged into another mess… like what happened after the Calamity Dragon. He doesn't need the agency breathing down his neck again."
Her voice trembled—not from fear, but from respect.
"Don't report what he did. Let the credit fall to us. Just this once."
One of the hunters from Floor 36, a seasoned warrior with a scar across his eye, nodded solemnly. "Alright, Guild Leader. We owe him that much. You have our word."
Juno stepped beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We protect our own. Even if he isn't in a guild... we owe him everything."
The Floor 36 hunters saluted. "Understood."
Yoon climbed the shattered remains of the chimera, gently lifting Rover onto her back. Despite how light he felt in her arms, she knew—this man carried a weight heavier than any of them could imagine.
As they descended into the lower levels and returned to the surface, the truth was buried with the dust and blood of the double dungeon.
Official report: Red Wolf and Azure Fang eliminated the chimera threat.
The real story: A lone, unawakened man saved them all with nothing but fists, fury, and an unbreakable will.
And as the world remained blind to the legend still growing in the shadows, those who witnessed it would never forget.
To be continue...