Chapter 13: Sand Stalker
Granger stretched his arms and legs, ignoring the fact that his barrier was sinking into the quicksand.
"Let's see what I can do."
Granger used Barrier Blink to teleport into the air.
He created multiple barriers and used Barrier Shift to move them onto the surface of the desert.
Since the maximum size of his barrier was a 3-meter radius, the range at which he could teleport his barriers was also within a 3-meter radius.
Ten barriers landed on the sand.
"Explosive Blast."
All ten red barriers exploded at once, creating a wave of destruction across the desert.
Thanks to Granger's high Intelligence stats, that series of attacks was more than enough to cause massive damage and disruption.
A loud roar echoed from deep beneath the desert. The ground trembled from the sheer power of the sound.
"That does it." Granger landed on the ground.
The sand around him started to form a massive whirlpool, pulling him toward its center.
Then, blades of sand, shaped like sharp fins, formed and rushed toward him.
"I see. So that's what wiped them out."
Granger didn't move. He simply let the sharp sand fins hit his barrier, blocking them all without issue.
The shark fin attack was the main reason so many parties were wiped out—it was devastating. But for Granger, it wasn't even an inconvenience.
Instead of escaping the whirlpool's pull, he allowed himself to be dragged into the center.
Without any resistance, he was swallowed by the sand.
Granger fell into a huge hole, landing inside a massive mouth filled with yellow, spiky teeth.
"Looks like someone needs a dentist appointment."
[Pit Devourer: Boss Level 30.]
The Pit Devourer opened its mouth wider, ready to celebrate its victory by devouring Granger completely.
But Granger allowed himself to be eaten. Once inside, past the hundreds of sharp teeth, he raised his dagger.
He slashed the Pit Devourer's insides, leaving a single but agonizing wound.
His red dagger left behind traces of poison, turning the creature's insides a deep red.
He slashed twice more, intensifying the poison's effect.
The Pit Devourer roared in pain, thrashing wildly to rid itself of the suffering. It eventually managed to spit Granger out.
Granger landed back on the desert's surface.
Now, the Pit Devourer's full form was revealed—a giant worm with massive teeth and armor-like skin. It had no eyes but could detect every movement in the sand.
"Be careful about what you put in your mouth."
The poison was slowly destroying the Pit Devourer from within.
It roared, opened its mouth, and launched hundreds of its sharp teeth toward Granger.
At the same time, shark fins made of sand surged from all directions, attacking him.
Granger dodged by teleporting with Barrier Blink.
"Isn't the poison enough to kill that toothy monster by now?"
[Unfortunately, Master, that's not how poison or any damage-over-time effects work in this world. They are dangerous, but they will always leave the enemy with at least 10% HP.]
Granger pulled out his sword and teleported toward the Pit Devourer's head.
"The dentist is here! Open wide!"
The Pit Devourer unleashed countless sharp teeth rushing toward Granger.
Granger pushed through them with the help of his barrier. He slashed his sword to slice the incoming spiky teeth.
His barrier clashed with the force of the rushing teeth. It was enough to slow his momentum but not to stop him.
Granger used Barrier Blink and teleported right at the mouth of the Pit Devourer.
Granger used Barrier Shift to teleport his barrier to the entrance of the Pit Devourer's mouth.
Granger activated Explosive Blast, causing an explosion.
The Pit Devourer roared in pain, but it was not over yet.
Granger teleported and landed on the teeth of the Pit Devourer.
"Thorn Burst."
Countless spiky roots emerged from the floor of the Pit Devourer's mouth and impaled its ceiling. The force was so overwhelming that the spikes pierced through the top of the Pit Devourer's head.
Granger filled the Pit Devourer's mouth with spiky roots, reaching down to its throat and destroying it from the inside out.
As the Pit Devourer slowly fell to the ground, its body glowed and turned into mana essence, vanishing into nothingness.
[Congratulations, you have defeated the floor boss of the 30th floor.]
[As a reward for defeating the 30th floor boss for the first time, you have received 36 stat points.]
[You have leveled up 10 times.]
[You have received 30 stat points.]
[Your stamina, HP, and MP have been replenished.]
[Congratulations, you have reached Level 30. You have received +10% barrier HP, a 1-meter radius barrier range, and 2 Barrier Special Effects.]
"That turned out way smoother than I thought."
A set of glowing equipment fell from the sky.
[You have received 5 Common Enchanted Equipment: 1 Sword, 1 Bracer, 1 Ring, 1 Necklace, and 1 Earring.]
Granger examined his newly acquired equipment.
[Name:Devourfang
Type: Enchanted Common Sword
Description:
Forged from the fang of the dreaded Pit Devourer, this blade carries the relentless hunger of the beast it came from. It whispers of the endless dunes where it lurked, waiting to swallow the unwary. The edge remains unnaturally sharp, as if still yearning to bite into flesh.
Special Effect:
Dune Cleave (Active): A sweeping slash that conjures a razor-edged wave of sand, tearing into foes with the fury of the desert. Mana cost: 1.]
[Name: Pitstalker Bracer
Type: Enchanted Common Bracer
Description:
Crafted from the resilient skin of the Pit Devourer, this bracer retains a fraction of the creature's heightened instincts, allowing the wearer to react faster to threats.
Special Effect:
Twitch Reflex (Passive) Enhances reaction time by 10%. ]
[Name: Ravenous Ring
Type: Enchanted Common Ring
Description:
Forged from the tooth of the Pit Devourer, this ring carries a fragment of the beast's relentless hunger.
Special Effect:
Ravenous Bite (Passive): Increases physical attack power by 10%.]
[Name: Voracious Core
Type: Enchanted Common Necklace
Description:
Forged from the gem core of the dreaded Pit Devourer, this necklace carries the lingering hunger of the abyss. It whispers of endless consumption, urging the wearer to never relent in battle.
Special Effect:
Gluttonous Frenzy (Passive): Each time the wearer slays an enemy, their physical attacks are empowered by 5% for the next 30 seconds, as if the Pit Devourer's insatiable hunger momentarily becomes their own. This effect stacks.]
[Name: Devourer's Pursuit
Type: Enchanted Common Earring
Description:
Forged from the gem core of the dreaded Pit Devourer, this earring carries a fragment of the beast's relentless hunger. Those who wear it inherit a fraction of its predatory instincts, sensing the weakness of their foes like a hunter stalking its prey. When locked onto an enemy, the earring emits a faint red glow.
Special Effect:
Prey's Mark (Passive): Enemies with less than 30% HP are marked by an unseen aura of doom. When pursuing a marked foe, the wearer's speed increases by 15%, ensuring the hunt never ends until the prey falls.]