The 15th-floor boss chamber was a cavern of oppressive darkness, its air thick with the stench of damp stone and ancient decay. Bioluminescent moss flickered faintly along the walls, casting a sickly green glow that barely reached the towering figure at the chamber's center. The Stonebreaker Troll loomed, a four-meter behemoth of stone-like skin and bulging muscle, its iron club—twice Henry Gray's size—gripped in hands like boulders. Its glowing eyes burned with primal rage, the floor cracking under its weight as it took a thunderous step. Boss Identified: Stonebreaker Troll, E1 Awakening. HP: 5,000. Threat Level: High. The system's prompt was a stark warning, its silence afterward a cold reminder of the stakes.
Henry stood, his F2 Enhanced Blade steady despite the agony pulsing through his ribs. Boros's axe had clipped him, HP -20, leaving a gash that wept blood, the taste of iron thick on his tongue. His clothes were shredded, his body battered from the dungeon's relentless gauntlet—gorillas, panthers, and now this. Dash had saved him from Boros's initial strike, a battleaxe that cratered the 14th floor, but the hunters' pursuit and the stampede of beasts had pushed him to his limits. The system's gifts—Recovery, Precision Strike, Dash—kept him alive, but the troll's sheer presence dwarfed every threat he'd faced.
"Let's dance," Henry muttered, adjusting his stance, his smirk masking the fear gnawing at his gut. The troll roared, the sound shaking the chamber, and swung its club. The air screamed as Henry activated Dash, his body blurring to the side. BOOM. The club smashed the floor, sending stone shards flying, a shockwave rattling Henry's bones. Dust clouded the air, stinging his eyes, but he didn't hesitate.
He lunged, using Dash to close the distance, and slashed at the troll's leg with Precision Strike. The blade bit into its stone-like skin, chipping away a shallow gash. EXP +10. The troll barely flinched, its club sweeping in a brutal arc. Henry ducked, the wind from the swing ruffling his hair, and rolled away, his ribs screaming. He gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his side, and activated Recovery. A cool surge washed through him, sealing the gash, dulling the pain, and restoring his HP to near full. HP: 180/200.
The troll's eyes tracked him, its intelligence unnerving. It wasn't just a brute—it was calculating, each swing deliberate. Henry circled, his enhanced Agility (100) keeping him ahead, but the troll's reach was vast, its club a wall of iron. He darted in, slashing at its other leg, the blade sparking against its hide. EXP +10. The troll roared, stomping, and Henry barely Dashed away as the floor cracked beneath him.
Pain flared in his shoulder as a glancing blow caught him, the club's edge grazing his arm. HP -15. He staggered, coughing, but pushed forward, his mind racing. The troll's HP was 5,000—a mountain to chip away at with his basic blade. Precision Strike helped, but he needed an opening, a weak point. The troll swung again, and Henry used Dash to weave between its legs, slashing at its ankle. EXP +15. A trickle of dark blood oozed, a small victory.
The battle became a grueling dance of speed and endurance. Henry's Dash kept him alive, blurring through the troll's swings, but each miss shook the chamber, debris raining down. His stamina waned, his breaths ragged, but Recovery was his ace, restoring him when his HP dipped: HP -10, HP -12. He targeted joints, aiming for tendons, each strike earning EXP +10 or +15, but the troll's HP barely budged, its stone skin deflecting most blows.
Henry's mind flashed to the 14th floor—Boros's axe, the hunters' greed for his beast crystals, the stampede of beasts that had saved him. He'd used the chaos to escape, Dash carrying him through the fray, earning EXP +50 for each beast he'd cut down. The 15th-floor doors had sealed behind him, buying time, but Boros's roar—"GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!"—echoed in his memory. The hunters were close, their footsteps a faint rumble beyond the gate. He had to end this fight before they arrived.
The troll's club slammed down, and Henry rolled, the impact sending a shockwave that knocked him off balance. He sprang up, slashing at its wrist, the blade sinking deeper. EXP +20. The troll bellowed, its arm trembling, and Henry saw his chance. He Dashed onto a fallen stalactite, using it as a springboard to leap onto the troll's back. Gripping its rocky hide, he drove his sword into the base of its neck, aiming for a seam in its armor. EXP +50. Blood sprayed, the troll thrashing, but Henry held on, stabbing again.
Pain exploded in his side as the troll's elbow caught him, hurling him to the ground. HP -25. He coughed, blood splattering the stone, and activated Recovery, the warmth stabilizing him. HP: 145/200. The troll's HP was down, maybe 4,500, but it was still a titan, its rage unrelenting. Henry circled, his legs burning, his sword heavier with each swing. He needed a finishing blow, but the troll's defenses were ironclad.
A distant rumble shook the chamber—the gate. The hunters were coming, Boros's axe likely battering the iron. Henry's heart pounded, adrenaline surging. He couldn't fight the troll and Boros. He Dashed forward, feinting left, then slashed right, targeting the troll's knee. EXP +30. The beast staggered, its club swinging wildly. Henry ducked, using Dash to slide beneath it, and stabbed upward into its underbelly. EXP +50. Blood gushed, the troll's roar weakening.
The gate groaned, a metallic screech signaling its breach. Boros's voice boomed, "WHERE IS HE?" Henry gritted his teeth, his focus narrowing to the troll. One more hit. He leaped, Dash propelling him onto the troll's shoulder, and drove his sword into its eye. EXP +100. The troll screamed, collapsing, the chamber shaking as its body hit the ground. Boss Defeated: Stonebreaker Troll. Reward: +1000 EXP, +30 Skill Points, E1 Core Crystal.
A surge of energy flooded Henry, his wounds knitting, his stamina surging. You have reached Level 7, F Rank. All Stats Increased by +20. HP Increased to 250. New Skill Obtained: Iron Will, Lv.1. The new skill promised enhanced resistance to pain and mental strain, a shield for future battles. Henry absorbed the E1 Core Crystal, EXP +100, pushing his total to 5315/7000.
He panted, kneeling beside the troll's corpse, his sword dripping blood. The chamber was silent, but the gate's wreckage echoed with footsteps—Boros and his hunters, their voices sharp with fury. "He's in there!" one shouted. Henry's eyes darted to a narrow passage at the chamber's rear, its moss glow faint but promising escape.
He stood, testing Iron Will. The pain in his ribs dulled, his focus sharpening despite exhaustion. The system's rewards were his edge, but Boros's F9 strength was a storm he couldn't face head-on. Henry grabbed his bag, heavy with beast crystals, and Dashed toward the passage, his body blurring. The hunters' shouts grew louder, Boros's axe scraping the stone.
The passage twisted, descending into colder, darker depths. The air hummed, the moss's light fading, but Henry's enhanced Perception caught faint vibrations—more beasts, or worse, ahead. The system remained silent, its next quest unissued, but the dungeon's pulse was alive, its challenges unending. Henry's grin returned, tempered by caution. He was a Hunter, forged in blood, but Boros's pursuit was a reminder: power alone wasn't enough.
As he vanished into the shadows, Boros's roar echoed, "YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, RAT!" Henry didn't look back. The dungeon's depths awaited, and he'd face them on his terms, system or no.