Chương 56: Rewards and Results (1)

Jimin carefully entered the burrow with his party. It was slightly dark but still visible enough. The tunnel stretched forward. The ground beneath their feet was packed with dirt, hardened by monsters moving through it. The air inside was damp and cool. There was also a faint stench in the air and it got stronger the deeper they went. The burrow was surprisingly big enough for Jimin to have some space left over his head. Even though he was standing straight. Hmm… this burrow is quite big.

Don't tell me the boss is this big as well. Their footsteps echoed faintly. No one spoke for a few seconds. Everyone was instinctively lowering their voices to hide their presence.. They kept walking. But there were no monsters in sight. The mage girl finally whispered, "It feels kinda haunting. And this smell… Where is this boss?" Her voice sounded uneasy. Jimin glanced over his shoulder.

"Don't lose your composure, Min-ji-ssi," he said calmly.

"Let's keep walking… We might encounter it anytime. It may be an F-rank but it's a boss monster. It's stronger than any E-rank monster… Be alert, everyone." Min-ji nodded quickly, gripping her staff tighter.

"Right…" The tank was walking slightly ahead with his shield raised halfway. Even though there was no enemy visible, he was clearly ready to react to any attack.

"I would also suggest taking it slow," he said, glancing ahead, "but we only have 40 minutes of time left, before we have to report outside the Rift." Jimin nodded.

"Don't worry, Yu-jun-ssi. We can definitely pull it off." Yu-jun exhaled.

"I hope we can." Behind them, the spearman twirled his spear lightly while scanning the surroundings. He said, "But do you think it's a good idea to fight the boss now?" he asked.

"We would have to deal with it in at most 15 minutes from now." Jimin slowed his steps slightly. He's right. Time seems to be the biggest challenge for now. They had already spent a long time hunting rabbits and searching for the lair. If they dragged this fight out, they might not even have enough time to leave the Rift within the given time. Or they won't pass.. It took too long to find the boss's lair.

"You're right, Gun-woo-ssi," Jimin said after a moment.

"Let's take it up a notch…." Right at that moment, a piercing screech echoed through the tunnel. It sounded like a mixture of a rabbit's cry and a monster's roar. The sound vibrated through the burrow walls. Yuna flinched.

"Was that the boss?" Jimin's eyes sharpened instantly.

"Yeah… Speed up, guys. I'll take the lead with you, Yu-jun-ssi."

"Okay." Yu-jun immediately started running. Jimin followed beside him. Behind them, the rest of the party rushed forward as well. The roar echoed again. This time it sounded closer. After a few seconds of sprinting, the tunnel suddenly widened. They emerged into a much larger underground chamber. Everyone slowed down instinctively. At the center of that open space stood the 'Horned Rabbit King'. Five normal Horned Rabbits surrounded it like guards.

The difference between the boss and the others was obvious at a glance. Its fur was pitch black. Its eyes glowed red. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it A golden horn shot forward from its forehead, thicker and longer than any rabbit's, they had seen before. Unlike the others, it was standing upright on two legs. It was nearly five feet tall, with a round, bulky body and long claws on its front limbs. And most importantly, it looked extremely pissed.

The moment its red eyes locked onto them, it let out another furious screech. Jimin stared at it. There it is. His lips curved slightly. I have been saving 'Overtime' for this moment. A faint window flashed in his mind. [Duration: 29 minutes] It's more than enough… Overtime on. The moment he activated the skill, a surge of energy ran through his body. He felt the increase in his stats. Jimin stepped forward and spoke clearly.

"Get in position, guys. We've to end this quickly." Everyone immediately moved into formation.

"You guys focus on the boss for now," Jimin continued.

"I'll clear the mobs."

"Alright," the party answered in unison. The boss suddenly screamed again. At that signal, the five horned rabbits immediately tried to charge forward. But Jimin was faster. Two daggers shot forward immediately. The blades pierced straight through the stomach of two rabbits before they could even initiate their charge. Their bodies collapsed instantly. The remaining three rabbits froze for a split second. Then, their red eyes turned toward Jimin. Aggro acquired.

"Good," Jimin muttered. The three mobs lunged at him together. But they slammed into his barrier as usual.

"Same old formula," he murmured. His daggers flew back and w ithin seconds, all three rabbits were dead. Meanwhile,"Warcry!" Yu-jun screamed forward.. A powerful soundwave burst outward from him. The air vibrated. The Horned Rabbit King's eyes snapped toward him instantly. The skill had worked.

'Warcry' was a Taunt-type skill. It forced the boss to focus on Yu-jun. The boss crouched. Then, launched forward like a cannonball.

"Here it comes!" Yu-jun shouted. He planted his feet and raised his shield. BOOM! A massive metallic thud echoed across the chamber. Yu-jun staggered back half a step. The impact rattled his entire body. Even with Warcry's damage reduction, the impact was terrifying. Shit… Yu-jun clenched his teeth. I can't hold out for long.

"Hurry, guys!" he shouted.

"I can't block it for long." But Jimin was already done with the mobs. He said, "On it." Min-ji raised her staff. Flames gathered at its tip. At the same time, Yuna placed her hand on Min-ji's shoulder. A faint golden aura flowed from Yuna into the mage.

"Magic Damage amplification". Min-ji's spell intensified instantly.

"Flame Burst!" A condensed sphere of fire shot forward. It struck the boss directly and exploded. At the same moment,"Focused Thrust!" Gun-woo lunged forward. His spearhead glowed red as the skill activated. The spear pierced straight into the boss's side. At the same time, Jimin's daggers shot forward again. The three attacks landed almost simultaneously. The boss shrieked. But Jimin's eyes narrowed. His daggers had only barely managed to pierce through completely.

"What the hell!" he exhaled. The boss staggered but didn't fall. Its hide is tough. I need to use weight distortion and the chakram. The Horned Rabbit King suddenly pushed away from Yu-jun. Then, it jumped upward. The boss landed on the wall of the burrow. For a brief moment, it clung there like some kind of monstrous spider. Then, it pushed off. It bounced from one wall to another with incredible speed. The party looked up in shock.

"What the…" The boss suddenly launched itself downward. Straight at Yu-jun. But this time it had far more momentum. Yu-jun murmured, "Shit…!" BOOM! The impact sent Yu-jun flying backward. He slid across the ground and crashed onto his back. His shield slipped from his grip and clattered to the dirt. Gun-woo's eyes widened.

"Yu-jun!" This is bad. Jimin's mind raced. I need to stop its movement first. Jimin immediately activated 'Weight Distortion'. Controlling the weapons became way easier. He shot his two daggers forward instantly. They slammed into the boss's hind legs. The daggers easily dug deep this time. The Horned Rabbit King screamed in pain. Its legs buckled slightly. That should stop it from jumping. But the boss didn't collapse. Instead, it turned toward Min-ji and Yuna. Both girls froze for a moment. The monster charged.

Oh, no you don't. Yu-jun's shield suddenly lifted off the ground. The shield flew through the air and positioned itself directly between the boss and the two girls. At the same moment, Jimin dashed forward. He grabbed the shield mid-air and planted himself in front of them. Then he activated his barrier. The boss slammed into the shield and Jimin held out with the help of his barrier. But he was already executing his next move.

"Now!" Above the boss, his chakram spun in the air. The circular blade descended like a spinning saw. It struck the boss's neck. The blade tore through hide and flesh. The Horned Rabbit King roared. Jimin clenched his jaw. He poured as much telekinetic force as he could into the weapon. The chakram spun faster. The boss struggled violently. But its hind legs were crippled. And its charge had been halted. It couldn't escape. The blade continued cutting. The boss's roar turned into a gurgling screech.

Then, the head separated from the body. The Horned Rabbit King collapsed. Its massive body hit the ground with a heavy thud. Silence filled the chamber. For a moment, nobody moved. Then, a notification popped up. —----------------------------------------------------------------- 【The F-Rank Boss 'Horned Rabbit King' has been killed】 Reward: +70 LP Total LP: 187 —---------------------------------------------------------------- Jimin exhaled slowly. I did it. He turned toward the others and raised his hand slightly.

"We have won." But before Jimin could say anything else, another notification appeared. —---------------------------------------------- [Achievement: First Boss monster kill] Reward: 500 LP Total LP: 687 —--------------------------------------------- Jimin blinked. 500 LP? His excitement surged instantly. But then, another notification popped up. —---------------------------------------------- [Level-up] You have leveled up. You are now Rank-E, Lv.

4 —---------------------------------------------- For a moment, Jimin just stared at the system window. Then, his grin slowly widened. His heart started pounding. Hell Yeah…