Dungeon Boss

He made his way toward the mountain housing the teleportation portal. Fortunately, he had familiarized himself with the dungeon's layout, sparing him from wasting precious time in search of the platform.

Dante encountered a variety of monsters along the way: small slimes, King slimes, Goblins, Rock Worms, Gnomes... These creatures were common in the dungeon, and if he wanted to encounter different ones, he would have to thoroughly explore it. However, Founding Goblins were relatively easy to find, mainly concentrated in their settlements, which made them Dante's primary targets.

He also got a chance to test his new skill, Invigorate. After an extended period of hunting, his body grew tired. Using the skill on himself felt like he just had a comfortable sleep. Though the effects were slightly diminished without the mask, they were still quite beneficial. The downside was that it cost him 25 points of Energy.

Dante reached level 12 and decided to allocate his stat points into Endurance, aiming to enhance his capacity for using Invigorate.

Dante summoned his Status Screen.

STATUS SCREEN:

Player: Dante (Human)

Health: 100/100

Energy: 130/130

Level: 12 (673/6,200)

Stat Points: 0

Skills:

Concentration(+50%)

Invigorate(+50%)

Attributes:

Strength: 8

Defense: 1

Vitality: 1

Endurance: 3

Agility: 3

Intelligence: 1

Allocating 2 points to Endurance, Dante saw his Energy level rise to 130. As he glanced at the experience points needed for the next level, he understood he had to keep hunting monsters relentlessly. With determination in his eyes, he gazed at the setting sun, resolving to conquer the dungeon.

Along his path, Dante killed any monsters that dared cross his way, his sights firmly set on the impending battle with the dungeon's boss.

***

Having spent nearly two hours walking the dungeon and killing monsters, Dante made sure to collect their cores, diligently storing them in his inventory. With this relentless effort, he levelup to level 13, allocating the stat point to Defense.

Standing before the levitating stone on the teleportation platform, Dante took a deep breath, prepared for the moment he had eagerly anticipated.

His goblin-acquired dagger, now worn from numerous encounters, had succumbed. Thankfully, with the activation of his Concentration skill, Dante found he could proficiently wield various weapons. This, however, still required a bit of training.

Having gathered information about the dungeon boss, which was reported to be a two-headed ogre, Dante took a deep breath to brace himself for his first solo fight with a dungeon boss. Extending his hand to touch the stone's surface, Dante's expression turned resolute as he tightened his grip, causing the levitating stone to shatter.

***

Swish!

A white light formed, illuminating a dark corridor as Dante emerged.

Dante strode through the corridor, unfazed by the puddles underneath his feet. His footsteps reverberated through the dark passage, steady and heavy. There was no hint of hesitation, only a sense of unwavering determination.

Before him stood a colossal door, standing at least ten meters tall. Dante's body tensed with anticipation. Placing his hand upon the stone door, he felt its immense weight. With a deliberate push, the door creaked open, the grinding of stone reverberating.

Thud!

The door swung wide, revealing what lay beyond.

"Grrr!" Dante's senses were instantly assaulted by the low growl that reverberated in the chamber. He raised his gaze, meeting the intense, bloodthirsty stare of the creature before him. Two heads and four eyes, each gleaming menacingly, its nostrils flared, and its teeth grinding against one another.

In the chamber stood a colossal monster, towering at nearly three meters in height and spanning a meter in width. It gripped a club that was nearly half the size of it's own body.

This was a Two-Headed Ogre.

Renowned for their immense strength and formidable combat prowess, even a full squad of 1-star Holders would find themselves hard-pressed against this monster if they weren't cautious.

The Two-Headed Ogre stood still, its two heads locked onto Dante with an intense, menacing gaze. Feeling the bloodlust in the air, Dante felt not fear, but a surge of excitement. Just a day ago, he'd had to bow his head before Lucius and the others. Now, armed with newfound strength, he met the gaze of a Two-Headed Ogre unwaveringly.

Opting for a sword rather than a dagger, Dante raised it before his face, his body crouched low in preparation for the oncoming battle.

"Roar!" The Ogre's dual voices thundered in unison, their echoes resounding within the chamber. With each heavy step, the Ogre closed the distance to Dante, brandishing its massive club high.

Eyes cold and unyielding, Dante too let out a fierce battle cry, simultaneously activating his Concentration skill. With swift determination, he lunged towards the oncoming monster

Crash!

The club thundered into the floor, sending a shower of stone shards in every direction. Dante, sidestepping to the side, swiftly wielded his sword to shield himself from the debris. But a piercing sensation of being watched bore into him. Glancing back at the monster, he found its second head locked onto him, the club already hurtling towards his chest.

In a hurry, Dante thrust his sword up to counter the blow. Yet, the sheer power behind the strike sent him flying through the air. He crashed to the ground and tumbled several times, finally using his other hand to steady himself.

"Ptuh!"

Health: 74/100

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Dante grimly checked his health status.

"Twenty-six points in just one hit..." Dante mused.

Brushing dirt from his face, he wasted no time and charged back into the Ogre. Although it was his first time facing a monster of such immense size and strength, Dante refused to be discouraged. He pressed on, determined to kill the monster.

As the two-headed ogre swung its club horizontally, Dante seized the opening and slid beneath, delivering an upward slash. A deep gash appeared on the hand that gripped the club.

Enraged by the slash wound on its hand, the two-headed ogre stamped its feet in fury as Dante maneuvered below.

Bang!

Dante skillfully rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, some stone debris grazed his shoulder, drawing blood. He quickly put some distance between himself and the enraged creature. With his skill on cooldown, Dante retrieved a bow from his inventory, one of the tactics he'd discovered earlier when he needed to do a long-range hunt. So far, it had proven to be quite effective.

Nocking an arrow on the bow, Dante closed one eye, his focus unwavering on the approaching two-headed ogre.

'I'm lucky if I manage to hit its eyes,' Dante thought, fingers steady on the string.

Whoosh!

The arrow was propelled with force. The two-headed ogre, sensing the threat, raised its club to block. However, another arrow followed, finding its mark in the creature's shoulder.

"Roar!" The two-headed ogre bellowed in pain, but it picked up its pace, closing the distance between it and Dante. But Dante had already achieved his goal of stalling for a few precious seconds. He quickly activated his skill, Concentration, and shifted his weapon back to a sword.

His focus was stretched to its limits or even beyond that, and recalling his past mistake, Dante keenly observed the movements of the two-headed ogre's eyes.

With its immense size, the ogre presented numerous openings that Dante could exploit. He took precise aim and wounds kept accumulating on the ogre.

As Dante sidestepped another attack, he swiftly maneuvered behind the ogre and he felt that sensation once more. Ready for it this time, Dante bent his knees and leaped.

Swoosh!

The club swished through the air beneath him as Dante thrust his sword while still mid-air.

Sphhhlt!

Dante's sword thrust successfully pierced one of the two-headed ogre's eyes. After landing, he quickly retreated while casting his support skill, Invigorate, on himself.

"I did it!" Dante shouted inwardly as the two-headed ogre thrashed about, clutching its wounded eye. Its crazy movements kept Dante at bay, which gave him a much-needed breather.

After a while, the two-headed ogre decided to unleash its agony upon the one who had caused it.

The ogre roared once more and charged at Dante.

Empowered by the effects of Invigorate, Dante felt a surge of energy, as if he could keep fighting for another hour. He raised his sword and met the charging monster head-on.

***

Outside the dungeon, at the park where the dungeon portal stood, only 40 minutes had passed.

Some of the holders who were planning to enter the abandoned train station dungeon had gathered here, unable to access their intended destination due to the ongoing investigation.

They had also heard rumors of someone attempting to conquer an F-class dungeon alone, which had drawn their attention. Conversations buzzed among them, the majority being young and newly awakened holders. Those aged 20 and above likely possessed D-class potential at most, seeking their livelihoods in an F-class dungeon.

Among the crowd were ordinary individuals—attendants of holders, dungeon staff, and guild agents seeking to recruit new talent.

One such figure was Manny, a guild agent hailing from an unknown guild. He possessed a lean physique, with oversized round glasses perched on his nose bridge, and face painted with freckles. His suit appeared more like a coat due to its large size.

In a word, Manny exuded an air of passivity.

He had come here in search of potential guild members, but thus far, no one had shown any interest. Manny had been stationed here since morning, and just as he contemplated leaving, whispers reached his ears about someone attempting a solo dungeon conquest.

Intrigued, Manny decided to linger for another hour, eager to witness this interesting endeavor.

"I truly hope he succeeds." Manny silently cheered for the brave soul.

"If he pulls it off, he's got the skills of a three-star, at least."

"He's definitely smurfing."

"Haha!"

Manny turned towards the source of their laughter, his gaze falling on their uniforms. Memories of a particular school and thinking how his guild fared against them, caused him to smile wryly.

"I heard his name is Eka. I wonder if he's already in a guild," Manny pondered, though he knew the likelihood of someone joining their guild was slim. Even an F-rated potential holder might not give them a second glance.

"But if he really pulls this off..." Manny's eyes scanned the area, observing ordinary individuals in suits engaging in professional conversations with holders.