The Butcher

As soon as they stepped into the dimly lit room, a cold mechanical voice echoed in their minds.

"Warning! You have entered a Zombie Boss Domain."

"New Quest Detected: Kill the Mutated Zombie Boss – The Butcher."

"Rewards: Rare Chest, Skill Book: Undying Fury."

The moment the notification disappeared, a massive green HP bar materialized above the hulking creature at the center of the room, just like in a game. The Butcher, a grotesque three-meter-tall abomination, stood before them. Its bloated body was covered in rotting flesh, and its distended stomach hung open, revealing dangling, slimy intestines. In one massive hand, it gripped a one-meter blunt steel club, its surface dented and stained with dried blood. In the other, it wielded a spiked chain, its jagged edges gleaming ominously under the dim light.

With a low, guttural growl, the Butcher suddenly swung its spiked chain toward them in a wide arc. The attack was slow but deadly, the air hissing as the weapon sliced through it.

Charvet's brown eyes narrowed. "Let's finish this quickly," he muttered. Without hesitation, he raised his sword, electricity crackling around its blade.

"Thunder Slash!"

In an instant, five streaks of lightning slashed through the air, striking the Butcher's massive frame. The room lit up for a brief moment with flashes of blue and white as the attack connected.

Joseph, Joanne, and Lyka stood frozen, stunned by the sheer speed and power of Charvet's attack. But Charvet himself frowned.

The HP bar above the Butcher's head barely dropped by 30%.

"A tank-type boss, huh?" Charvet muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

The Butcher's guttural laughter echoed through the room as it charged forward. Each stomp shook the ground, sending vibrations up their legs. Despite its massive size, it moved with terrifying force, its bloodstained club raised high, ready to crush them.

"Spread out! Don't take a direct hit!" Charvet ordered sharply, immediately jumping back.

Joanne, Joseph, and Lyka reacted instantly, darting to different sides of the room.

The club smashed into the floor, shattering the tiles upon impact. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, sending debris flying. If any of them had been a second slower, they would have been flattened.

"It's durable, but it's slow!" Joseph analyzed, his sharp eyes scanning the Butcher's movements. "If we keep moving, it won't be able to land a clean hit!"

"Then let's hit it hard before it recovers!" Joanne called out, raising her hand. Flames gathered at her fingertips, swirling violently.

"Flame Inferno!"

A pillar of fire erupted beneath the Butcher, engulfing its massive body in flames. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as the monster let out a deep, agonized roar. The HP bar finally dipped past 75%, but it was still standing strong.

Then, without warning, the Butcher swung its spiked chain wildly, aiming to catch someone off guard.

"Shit! Dodge!" Lyka yelled, flipping backward just in time to avoid being ensnared.

Joseph, however, was in a bad position. The chain lashed toward him, whistling through the air.

"Tch! Shadow Step!"

His body blurred, slipping through the incoming attack at the last second. He reappeared on the Butcher's blind side, daggers gleaming.

"Backstab!"

He slashed landing deep into the Butcher's rotting flesh, but the damage was minor.

Joanne gritted her teeth. "It's too tanky! We need to find a weak point!"

Charvet, who had been silently observing, suddenly spoke. "The open stomach."

All eyes flickered to the grotesque hanging intestines, swaying as the monster moved. It was the most exposed part of its body.

"That's it!" Lyka's green eyes gleamed as she dashed forward. With inhuman speed, she vaulted over the Butcher's swinging arm, flipped mid-air, and plunged her daggers straight into the exposed flesh.

The Butcher screamed, its HP dropping by another 10% instantly!

"It worked! That's its weak spot!" Joanne confirmed.

"Then let's focus all attacks there!" Charvet declared.

Joanne ignited another burst of fire, Joseph moved to strike the stomach from below, and Lyka prepared another lethal stab—

But the Butcher suddenly let out a deafening roar.

The spiked chain spun wildly, forcing everyone back.

Then, a notification popped up.

"Mutated Zombie Boss – The Butcher has entered Enraged Mode!"

Its muscles bulged, veins turning a deep black, and its HP bar turned crimson. The air around them grew heavier, and the beast's movements sped up drastically.

"Damn it, it's getting faster!" Joseph cursed.

"Be careful! One hit might be fatal now!" Joanne warned.

Whoosh!

The spiked chain lashed out with a vicious swing!

"Dodge!" Charvet barked.

Too late.

The chain smashed into Joseph and Lyka, sending them crashing into the wall with a sickening impact.

"Argh!" Joseph spat blood as he struggled to push himself up. His leather armor was shredded, deep gashes on his chest.

Lyka grimaced, holding her side. Blood seeped through her black outfit, her breathing ragged.

"Joseph! Lyka!" Joanne's eyes widened in panic.

Joanne gritted her teeth as she rushed to Joseph and Lyka's sides. Blood dripped from their wounds, staining the floor. The Butcher's Enraged Mode had turned the already terrifying monster into a relentless berserker.

"Joanne! Take them downstairs—NOW!" Charvet barked, his brown eyes locked onto the raging monstrosity.

Joanne hesitated. "But—!"

"GO!" Charvet's voice carried undeniable authority.

Clenching her fists, Joanne grabbed Joseph, who was groaning in pain, while Lyka staggered to her feet, clutching her side. They retreated toward the exit.

THUD!

A massive impact shook the room. The Butcher smashed the ground with its steel club, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the floor. The chains in its other hand whistled through the air as it swung blindly in rage.

Charvet sidestepped just in time, feeling the gust of wind from the devastating swing.

Charvet narrowed his eyes. The Butcher's movements were fast, but its attack patterns were now wild and reckless. It wasn't using calculated attacks anymore—it was blindly swinging, relying on its raw power. But there was a pattern.

Every time it swings its chain, there's a slight pause before the next attack. Every time it stomps in anger, it exposes its back.

Charvet exhaled, gripping his sword tightly. "Time to cut this thing down."

The Butcher roared, charging forward.

Charvet couldn't use Thunder Slash—it was still on cooldown. That meant he had to rely on Vanishing Step, Telekinetic Grip, and his pure skill.

The moment the Butcher swung, Charvet blurred—his form flickering out of sight as he reappeared to its side.

Slash!

His sword cut into the Butcher's thick flesh, but even with Advanced Swordsmanship, it wasn't enough to deal a fatal blow.

The Butcher swung its club in a counterattack!

Charvet instantly activated Telekinetic Grip, yanking the weapon just enough to disrupt the swing's trajectory. The massive steel club smashed into the ground instead of his skull, sending debris flying.

The Butcher roared in frustration, but Charvet had already moved behind it.

Charvet switched to a defensive stance, intentionally slowing his movements to lure the Butcher in. The monster, thinking it had the upper hand, lunged wildly.

Its spiked chain lashed out, a blur of rusted iron slicing through the air.

Charvet's Instinct flared—warning him just in time.

CLANG!

He twisted his body, bringing his sword up in a perfect arc. The chain wrapped around his blade, sparks flying as he used its momentum to redirect the attack—sending the weighted end slamming into the floor instead of his ribs.

The Butcher snarled.

It yanked the chain back and immediately swung its massive steel club down at Charvet's head!

Instinct kicked in.

Charvet sidestepped at the last second, the club missing him by mere inches, slamming into the floor with an impact that cracked the stone beneath them.

With a sharp turn, Charvet lunged—his blade flashing toward the Butcher's exposed side.

SLASH!

The sword bit deep into the monster's ribcage, but before Charvet could follow up—

The Butcher reacted instantly!

The chain whipped toward him from the side.

Charvet barely twisted his body, evading, but the chain's spiked tip scraped his shoulder, tearing through his armor. Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth and pressed forward.

The Butcher charged, swinging both weapons with wild, brutal force.

Charvet met its attacks head-on.

The club came down—he dodged left.

The chain snapped out—he ducked low.

He moved with precision, his Instinct guiding his every action.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sword met metal as Charvet deflected attack after attack, his Advanced Swordsmanship shining through. He wasn't just dodging—he was controlling the flow of battle.

The Butcher was fast, but Charvet was faster.

With a flick of his wrist, he redirected a club strike, using its force to spin into a counterattack—

SLASH!

A deep wound opened on the Butcher's leg, making it stumble.

Charvet saw an opening.

He pushed forward.

His sword blurred—faster, sharper, deadlier.

The Butcher swung the club with all its might, but Charvet twisted his blade, deflecting it at an angle—then countered with a rapid thrust to its chest!

BAM!

The Butcher reeled, its HP dropping to 10%.

But it wasn't done yet.

The monster let out a thunderous roar, its rage intensifying.

It swung the chain at the ceiling—then yanked it down!

Chunks of debris fell from above, forcing Charvet to leap back.

The Butcher charged again, club raised for a devastating downward strike—

Charvet reacted instantly.

He used Telekinetic Grip again—this time not to disrupt, but to yank himself forward, boosting his speed.

"Haaah!"

With every ounce of strength, Charvet drove his sword straight through the Butcher's skull.

The monster froze.

Its glowing red eyes flickered—

Then, with a final gurgling growl, the massive body collapsed, shaking the ground.

Victory!

Ding!

[System Notification]

You have defeated The Butcher (Mutated Zombie Boss)!

Rewards: Rare Chest x1, Skill Book: Undying Fury

Charvet exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on his sword as he watched the HP bar above the Butcher's head fade to zero.

His brown eyes flickered toward the rare chest lying nearby.

"Now… let's see what we got."