part 18

Tom prepared for the wolf dungeon he was about to enter; it was an intermediate-level dungeon.

The monsters there were called Black Feather Wolves, and Tom had bought a guide for 40 points.

Black Feather

Description: Black Feather is a ferocious wolf beast that roams dark caves and forests, with jet-black fur and glowing red eyes. It is slightly larger than a normal wolf and has the ability to disappear into the shadows.

Abilities:

Quick Attacks: It moves incredibly fast, and most people don't notice it until it is close to its prey.Howl of Fear: Its howl strikes fear into its enemies, immobilizing them against their will.

Legend: It is said to be a species with the rare blood of a shadow-ruling beast from another world.

Tom noticed that the guide contained much more information this time, which was useful. However, he also saw that this monster had more abilities, which would make it more challenging to deal with.

Tom headed to the market to buy a new katana. His current katana was on the verge of falling apart due to goblin poison and had been badly damaged in previous battles.

After wandering the market for two hours, Tom found a katana that fit his hand. The katana wasn't a special weapon; it was forged from a metal resembling iron, which he thought was an inexpensive yet high-quality material for fighting monsters in this world.

He paid 5 points to the seller for the katana and set off toward the dungeon.

Tom arrived at the dungeon and noticed that there were people with higher-level equipment compared to the goblin dungeon. However, unlike before, they weren't looking for a team.

Tom understood this; who would trust someone they had just met in such a dangerous dungeon?

He entered the dungeon quietly, ensuring no one would notice.

The dungeon was a large cave, divided into many paths. Tom chose one of the paths and continued walking through the dark cave. After taking another step, he sensed something.

He quickly took two steps back and swung his sword forward, hearing a monster scream in pain.

Realizing it had failed, the monster tried to retreat into the shadows. But Tom, having read about it in the monster guide, knew exactly what to do. He didn't give it a chance.

He used the Quick Slash technique. Although he could only make two slashes at the beginner level, it was still quite effective.

The monster's head was severed. Tom approached it and examined the fallen items.

Wolf Essence: Collect 10, and it turns into an essence that increases vitality, strength, and speed.

Tom realized this essence functioned similarly to the goblin essence, but it would likely give a bigger boost to his stats.

He continued fighting, getting more accustomed to the monsters. Thanks to the increased sensory aid of his Monster Eye, he could sense them before they got too close.

Normally, this dungeon would have been a nightmare for others, as they would constantly panic and fear being assassinated by wolves. But for Tom, with his enhanced stats, it was easy to adapt.

Suddenly, Tom felt something fast coming toward him. He hurriedly backed away, suffering only a slight wound.

Tom realized he had finally encountered a traveling boss.

Blackfeather

Description: Blackfeather is a mutated version of the Black Feather. It has purer blood, which boosts its speed significantly.

Skills:

Quick Attacks: Moves incredibly fast, and most people don't notice it until they are close to their prey.Howl of Fear: Its howl strikes fear into its enemies, immobilizing them against their will.

Tom knew that boss-type monsters' stats could be seen since his encounter with the goblin dungeon.

He dodged just in time and swung his katana backward. The monster turned into shadows and fled.

For the next three hours, Tom and the monster fought. Tom was covered in claw and scratch marks. His body was flooded with adrenaline, and anyone watching from a distance would have assumed the monster was winning.

But right now, Tom was actually in control. He was so used to the monster's movements that he could predict its actions after just two moves.

His heightened senses, thanks to his adrenaline ability, were an additional help.

When the monster attacked again, Tom dodged and countered. The monster turned into shadows once more.

Tom immediately executed four quick slashes to its back right side. The monster was wounded, and Tom rushed toward it.

The monster was about to turn into a shadow again, but then it realized Tom had a fatal opening. Seizing the opportunity, it stopped retreating and attacked Tom.

Tom did nothing as the beast's claw reached for his heart through the opening. But just as it was about to strike, the earring in Tom's right ear glowed and absorbed the beast's attack.

The monster's head exploded.

Tom had to admit it had been a tough fight. Without the Amethyst Earring, he would have had to deal with the monster for at least another two hours.

Tom approached the monster and inspected his achievements, finding two items:

Darkfeather Essence: Increases speed by chance.Feather Boots: Adds +15 to speed.

Tom was thrilled to finally get a new pair of boots and immediately swapped out his old ones.

These boots felt like they were made from wolf fur, and his feet felt warm and cozy. Tom decided to use the black fur extract.

Speed: 34 + 9 + 15 = 58

With the new speed statistic, Tom felt much faster. He now believed that if he fought the Black Wolf again, he could defeat it much faster. After a short rest, he decided to search for the dungeon boss room.