Chương 7: Boss

Ch 7 - Boss The three students tensed as they saw the monster drawing closer. Yuyan scurried behind Evan, using him as a shield. He pried Yuyan's hand off his sleeve and shot her a glare.

"I'm not your knight in shining armor," Evan said.

"You killed that thing once. I believe in you!" Yuyan said, still refusing to move away. Marcus readied his knife, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. Evan narrowed his eyes as he assessed the monster. It was slowly moving toward them, and the closer it got, the clearer his view became. Those glowing eyes weren't exactly locked onto them. No. The wolf was staring at the small pot lying near Marcus's feet.

"Marcus! Throw the pot away!" Evan shouted. Marcus blinked but quickly followed the order. He flung the pot to the side, and the wolf's head followed its trajectory. As the scent of the lure spread through the wind, the wolf lunged after it. It clamped its jaws around the pot and began chewing on it like a dog toy. Its long tongue slipped into the pot's interior, trying to lick up the remains of the lure sticking to it.

"Now!" Evan shouted as he charged forward, his blade flashing. He could only hope the three short blades would be enough. Harlan had explained that they were forged from special materials used by Awakeners, making them far stronger than ordinary weapons. If he was right, they should be able to pierce a monster's tough hide. His eyes locked onto the monster's. If they could blind the wolf, it would make defeating it much easier. Shockingly, a figure blurred past him.

Moving at great speed, Yuyan lunged toward the wolf.

"Aaaaaaaarrrghhh!" With a battle cry, she drove her knife straight into the wolf's neck. A moment later, Marcus slammed his own knife into the monster's skull.

"Die, you bastard! Die!" Marcus yelled. Evan watched with wide eyes, unable to believe these two teenagers were acting so boldly. He quickly shook off his astonishment and joined the attack, slashing at the monster's torso. Under their combined assault, the wolf soon collapsed to the ground.

"That was... weirdly easy," Evan said between heavy breaths as he stared at the monster's corpse.

"The lure has a temporary sedative effect when consumed by the wolves," Yuyan said between breaths, wiping the sweat from her temple.

"That thing was too high to even feel pain," Marcus said as he wiped the blood from his hands.

"Why are these things so easy to kill for B-rank monsters?" Evan muttered, nudging the carcass with his foot. The creature had been taken down by three unawakened teenagers. For a B-rank monster, it seemed downright pathetic.

"Did you forget everything we've been learning?" Yuyan asked, rolling her eyes.

"Six-Eyed Wolves can barely be considered B-rank when they're alone. They're a nightmare when they're in a pack, though." Marcus nodded.

"Crazily smart when they work together."

"Then can't Awakeners just dump these lures around to make them easy to kill?" Evan asked. The creature hadn't even fought back as they stabbed and slashed it to death.

"Won't work. If you try to drug all of them, they just become rabid after the sedative wears off," Yuyan said.

"Ooh! I remember that one time Junhao blasted a hundred of them into pieces with a single move. So cool." She sighed dreamily.

"What she's trying to say is that unless you've got a large area-of-effect skill, it's too dangerous and not worth the effort," Marcus said.

"And most lower-rank Awakeners don't have those skills," Evan added.

"Bingo."

"Really, only weaklings and civilians like us would think of using lures against these dumb wolves," Yuyan said.

"An S-rank like Junhao can just pow! And kapow!" Evan let Yuyan's fangirl rambling go in one ear and out the other. Instead, his attention shifted to the sound of footsteps approaching from afar. A moment later, Harlan stepped out of the forest. His bushy brows rose as he saw the wolf corpse lying on the ground and the blood-soaked hands of the three students.

"You guys okay?" Harlan asked.

"We're fine, Mister!" Marcus said.

"And look, we finished the lure!" Marcus then handed the tightly wrapped bag to Harlan, who examined it in his hand and nodded.

"Good. I found the wolves' nest. They're all hiding inside a big cave."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, Mister?" Yuyan asked. Evan looked at Harlan. The success of their mission, and thus their survival, depended on Harlan managing to draw all the wolves toward the boss. Once the boss was weakened, Harlan would deal the final blow.

"Don't worry. I've actually done this before," Harlan said with a grin, though it soon shifted into a frown.

"Though I have to warn you, something has been bothering me about this dungeon."

"Besides it being about to collapse on our heads?" Evan asked.

"Besides that," Harlan said.

"So far, this dungeon has been rather welcoming to us." Evan would very much disagree with that. He had almost died twice since being sucked into this place.

"We've only encountered lone wolves, and most of them were hiding in their nest. Even the pixies have been unusually withdrawn as well. Something about this feels wrong. Since this is an irregular dungeon, I'm afraid the boss might not be what we're expecting," Harlan said. That wasn't an unreasonable concern. If the web novels he'd read had taught him anything, it was that irregular dungeons loved saving the worst for last.

"But it's not as if we can do anything except challenge the boss," Evan said.

"There's no sign of rescuers anywhere."

"You're right," Harlan said.

"That's why I want you three to keep your distance and let me handle it. As long as you stay hidden, the boss won't notice you. And if I get killed, run away and don't look back."

"Mister..." Yuyan said softly. Marcus pursed his lips and nodded.

"Yes, sir." Evan only nodded. There was no point pretending to be heroic and swearing they wouldn't abandon Harlan. In this dungeon, they were barely more than walking sacks of meat. If they tried to help, they would only become a burden, forcing Harlan to split his attention between fighting the boss and protecting them. Still, if Harlan died, Evan doubted it would matter. The three of them would be dead soon enough anyway. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

With the lure in hand, Harlan headed back toward the Six-Eyed Wolves' nest while the three students hunkered down in a safe spot within the forest, some distance from the open field that marked the boss arena. They waited in silence for what felt like a long stretch of time, not daring to speak or move too much, afraid even the slightest sound might draw the attention of passing monsters.

"Awooooo! Auuuuuu! Owooooo!" The three students snapped their heads up at the loud howls echoing in the distance. On the far side of the open field, Harlan burst out of the forest and sprinted forward. The lure bag in his hand hung half open, its contents lit by a small flame. A stream of smoke drifted behind him, carried by the wind and spreading its strong odor everywhere. A massive pack of Six-Eyed Wolves chased after him in a frenzy.

As Harlan neared the enormous tree rising from the center of the open field, he hurled the lure high into the air. It struck the middle of the trunk. The makeshift leaf bag burst apart on impact, scattering the lure across the bark. Harlan dashed away, putting more distance between himself, the tree, and the wolf pack. The wolves didn't follow. Instead, they lunged at the tree. Some climbed the trunk, driving their sharp claws into the bark to reach the spots where the lure had stuck.

Their long tongues swept across the substance while others snapped at the pieces carried away by the wind. The more they consumed, the more frenzied they became. They scraped, bit, and chewed at the tree in their desperate attempt to get more. More and more wolves climbed the trunk, sinking their claws and teeth into the wood. Bit by bit, the thick bark was torn apart and chewed through.

"It's working!" Yuyan whispered excitedly. The wolves continued their rampage against the tree. A few moments later, the boss finally reacted. Shhk! The massive tree shook as if something within had finally awakened. The wolves lost their footing and crashed to the ground. Before they could recover, a volley of massive needles burst from the canopy, striking into the fallen pack. Thud! Thud! Thud! The projectiles tore through the pack, punching through fur and flesh alike.

Then a figure rose above the sea of leaves. The boss had arrived. Its body dwarfed the other pixies, standing taller than a grown man, yet its limbs were unnaturally thin and elongated, like a puppet stretched beyond its limits. Beneath its semi-translucent skin, dark veins pulsed with a sickly glow. Four pairs of ragged, translucent wings unfurled from its back. Though they looked as fragile as wet paper, each beat stirred powerful gusts through the surrounding canopy.

Like the other pixies, its face was almost human, yet unmistakably wrong. Enormous black eyes consumed nearly half its face, while an impossibly wide smile exposed row upon row of tightly packed, needle-like teeth. The pixie waved a hand. Sharp needles burst from the tree trunk and shot toward the wolves. Some were struck and pierced straight through. Despite seeing their packmates skewered, the Six-Eyed Wolves showed no sign of fear.

If anything, the sight of their favorite prey only drove them further into a frenzy. Some leaped over the spikes that had sprouted across the bark and lunged at the flying pixie. It dodged their attacks, but more and more wolves climbed the tree and hurled themselves at it, trying to drag it down. Thanks to its agility, the pixie avoided many of their attempts, but the wolves were relentless. Eventually, one managed to latch onto its lower body.

The pixie swatted the wolf away with its long arm, but another immediately took its place, this one clinging to its back. It bit into one of the pixie's wings, causing it to lose control of its flight. The wolves seized the opportunity. More leaped onto the pixie, latching onto every part of its body.

"Eeeeeee-KEEEEEE!" The pixie unleashed a powerful gust of wind from its body, shaking off the wolves clinging to it. Sadly, it was already too late. The wolves had torn and gnawed at its wings, stripping away the agility that had kept it alive. Unable to maintain its height, the pixie descended from the canopy and could do little more than hover a few feet above the ground. Driven into a frenzy by the lure, the remaining wolves attacked with even greater ferocity.

They lunged at the pixie from every direction, snapping their jaws and raking it with their claws whenever they managed to get close. The pixie retaliated with another barrage of needles. Wolves collapsed in rapid succession, their bodies torn apart and riddled with holes. Yet the survivors did not falter. Even after more than half the pack had been slaughtered, they kept throwing themselves at their prey with reckless abandon. The clearing had become a slaughterhouse. Corpses littered the ground.

Blood stained the grass. Countless needles jutted from the earth like a field of iron thorns. The pixie had paid a heavy price as well. Deep gashes crisscrossed its body, and chunks of flesh were missing where the wolves had torn into it. Two of its wings had been ripped away entirely, while the remaining ones hung tattered and riddled with holes. At last, the pixie let out a shrill screech. The sickly glow beneath its skin flared brighter as it gathered what little strength remained. Evan's eyes widened.

The countless needles scattered across the battlefield began to tremble. Then they moved. Crack! Crack! Crack! With a deafening chorus of splintering sounds, the needles swelled into massive spikes and surged upward from the ground. The remaining wolves had no chance to evade. The spikes burst through their bodies, impaling them where they stood.

"Kekekekekeke!" The pixie's laughter echoed across the clearing as the last wolves hung skewered upon the towering spikes, their corpses swaying like grisly decorations. Then a blur shot across Evan's vision. Harlan moved. The Awakener dashed forward with explosive speed. His large hand tightened around the hilt of his broadsword, and in a single fluid motion, he swung at the pixie's neck. Whoosh! The blade sliced clean through. The pixie's head separated from its body and spun through the air.

The crazed smile remained frozen on its face. A moment later, it struck the ground with a muffled thud. Yet the body refused to fall. It remained standing where it was, swaying slightly despite its missing head, as though it had not yet realized it had been beheaded.

"Is it dead?" Evan muttered. His eyes remained fixed on the floating corpse. After everything they had witnessed inside this cursed Rift, it was hard to believe the boss had fallen so easily. Could it really be over? Could they finally leave? For a brief moment, another thought surfaced. Would he even receive any rewards when he hadn't been the one to kill the boss? Evan pushed the thought aside. Surviving was already more than he could have hoped for. Harlan apparently wasn't convinced the fight was over either.

The Awakener lunged forward again and drove his sword into the pixie's torso. With a powerful upward slash, he nearly split the creature in half. This time the body collapsed. Before it could hit the ground, it broke apart into countless motes of glittering dust that scattered across the clearing.

"We did it!" Marcus cheered.

"Great job, mister!" Yuyan shouted. The three students emerged from their hiding place and approached Harlan. Meanwhile, the Awakener scanned the battlefield, searching for any surviving monsters.

"... But where's the portal?" Evan asked.

"The boss is dead, right?" Or would the System automatically teleport them out? Maybe they had to wait until Harlan collected his reward for clearing the Rift.

"We'll need to burn the tree first, I believe," Harlan said. He reached into a pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a red crystal. His expression turned slightly disappointed.

"Here I was hoping I could use this to enhance my sword, but I guess it can't be helped." Evan's gaze fell on the crystal in Harlan's hand. It was roughly the size of his index finger and shaped like an uneven shard. Deep crimson light swirled within its translucent core, resembling molten lava trapped beneath glass. Faint tongues of orange and gold flickered through the crystal's interior, pulsing like a tiny heartbeat.

"Ignara!" Harlan shouted. He hurled the crystal toward the massive tree. For a brief instant, intricate symbols flared across the crimson shard, glowing like molten runes. Then the crystal burst apart. BOOM! A torrent of fire erupted outward. The flames struck the tree and spread across its bark like a living thing. Within seconds, the entire trunk was engulfed. Fire raced up the towering bark, devouring branches and leaves alike. Waves of heat washed over Evan's face, forcing him to shield his eyes. Grrrrrrrkkkk!

The burning tree suddenly shuddered. Evan froze. The massive trunk groaned as deep cracks spread across its surface. Chunks of bark split apart and fell away. The entire tree twisted violently, as though something buried within it was trying to break free. GRAAAAAAK! A deafening crack echoed across the clearing. The trunk split down the middle. What Evan had thought was solid wood peeled apart like flesh opening around a wound.

A pair of enormous arms tore free from the sides of the trunk, each formed from twisted roots and thick bark. The ground trembled as colossal, root-like legs ripped themselves from beneath the earth. The monster tree rose. Its canopy shifted and folded inward, forming a grotesque crown above a massive wooden head. Two hollow cavities opened within the bark, glowing like furnaces behind a cracked wooden mask. Evan felt his stomach drop.