Chapter 19: The Battle Against the Ogre King

up from his bed, stretching his arms lazily. He looked over at Mon, who was already awake, casually drinking coffee while checking his gear.

"You're up early," Mon noted, raising an eyebrow.

Bert yawned, scratching his head. "I figured it's my turn to grind today. You already got a new skill, right? Now it's my turn to level up."

Mon smirked. "You really can't sit still, huh?"

"Hell no. Besides, we need money. Mana stones don't collect themselves."

Mon leaned back, sipping his coffee. "I'm staying home today. My body still feels sore after all that training."

Bert grinned. "So you're finally admitting that I have better stamina than you?"

Mon chuckled. "Tsk. Keep dreaming."

Bert grabbed his dual daggers and strapped them to his sides. "Anyway, I'll head out. I'll probably join a party for a quick dungeon run."

Mon nodded. "Be careful. Some hunters are worse than the monsters inside the gates."

Bert smirked as he walked to the door. "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself."

With that, he stepped out of the apartment and into the streets, ready for the next challenge.

Bert arrived at the Hunter Association Philippines (HAP) branch, scanning the mission board for available dungeon runs. Most dungeons listed were already taken, but one caught his eye—a C-Rank dungeon, Ogre's Lair.

"This should be good," he muttered, cracking his knuckles.

A party of five was gathered near the registration desk. A tall man with a greatsword, a female archer, a shield user, a robed mage, and a spear-wielding fighter. They looked at Bert as he approached.

"You looking to join?" the greatsword user asked, sizing him up.

"Yeah," Bert answered casually, resting his hand on one of his daggers.

"You sure? This isn't a walk in the park."

Bert smirked. "I can handle myself."

The leader shrugged. "Fine, just don't slow us down."

With that, the party registered and stepped into the blue-hued dungeon gate.

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Scene 3: Inside the Dungeon – Ogre's Lair

The dungeon was a dark cavern filled with the stench of blood and rotting flesh. Skulls and bones of fallen adventurers were scattered around. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.

The first wave of monsters appeared—three ogres, each standing over 10 feet tall, their muscles thick like tree trunks. Their crude weapons were stained with dried blood.

"Here they come!" the shield user shouted, raising his guard.

The battle began.

The greatsword user swung with brute force, cleaving deep into one ogre's side.

The archer fired precise shots, aiming for their eyes and weak points.

The mage chanted a fire spell, sending a fireball crashing into another ogre's chest.

Bert, however, moved like a shadow. He darted between the ogres, his dual daggers slicing through tendons and weak points.

One ogre swung a massive club at him, but Bert twisted his body, narrowly dodging it. With a single swift motion, he slashed across its throat, dealing a critical hit.

Suddenly, a system notification appeared before his eyes.

[Passive Skill Acquired: Shadow Illusion]

Effect: Every critical hit summons an illusion that lasts for 60 seconds. No summon limit.

In an instant, a shadowy clone of Bert appeared beside him, mirroring his stance.

"The hell?" Bert muttered in surprise.

The illusion moved independently, attacking the same ogre Bert had slashed. The confused monster tried to swat it away, but the illusion kept dodging, striking repeatedly like a ghostly assassin.

The team quickly wiped out the ogres, but the deeper they ventured, the stronger the enemies became.

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Scene 4: The Ogre King Appears

At the heart of the dungeon, they entered a massive chamber—the throne room of the Ogre King.

Seated on a stone throne, the Ogre King loomed over them. Standing over 15 feet tall, its muscles rippled with monstrous strength. Its blackened armor was scarred from countless battles, and in its hands was a giant warhammer large enough to crush boulders.

"ROOOOOAAARRR!!"

The sheer force of its roar shook the cavern, sending dust and debris falling from above.

"This is bad," the mage muttered, gripping his staff tightly.

The Ogre King charged like a rampaging beast. In a blink, he was already upon them.

The shield user barely blocked the first strike, but the impact sent him flying across the chamber, crashing against the wall.

The spear user lunged, aiming for its legs, but the Ogre King swatted him away like a fly.

The archer's arrows barely pierced its thick hide.

Bert, however, was already moving. With his Shadow Illusion skill active, multiple copies of himself appeared, attacking from all directions.

The Ogre King roared in frustration, swinging its warhammer wildly, but the illusions vanished and reappeared like ghosts.

Bert smirked. "You're too slow."

But suddenly, the Ogre King slammed its warhammer into the ground, sending a shockwave that shattered the stone floor. The force sent everyone flying.

Bert skidded backward, his hands trembling from the impact.

(I can't take this thing head-on. I need an opening.)

As the others struggled to get back up, Bert activated his trump card.

"DOMAIN EXPANSION – SHADOW REALM!"

Darkness swallowed the chamber. The Ogre King staggered, confused as the shadows warped and twisted around it.

Inside the domain, all enemies lost 50% of their power.

Bert, on the other hand, gained a 50% boost.

And most importantly—the Ogre King could no longer use magic abilities.

The beast roared in frustration, its strength greatly reduced.

Bert vanished into the darkness.

SLASH!

A deep cut appeared across the Ogre King's back.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

More illusions appeared, each one striking before fading into the darkness.

The Ogre King, once an unstoppable force, was now struggling.

With a final leaping strike, Bert plunged both daggers into the monster's heart.

"Die already."

The Ogre King let out a final, agonized roar before collapsing to the ground.

A system notification appeared.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Ogre King!]

[+ Large EXP Bonus]

[+ 2x Random Box Acquired]

As Bert caught his breath, the domain faded.

The team, still in shock, stared at him.

One of them finally spoke. "What… the hell are you?"

Bert only grinned, wiping the blood off his blades.

"Just a guy who likes to win."

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Scene 5: The Rewards & Exit

Back at the dungeon's exit, Bert checked his rewards.

Skill Upgrade: Shadow Illusion now summons 2 clones per critical hit

As the dungeon gate flickered behind them, the exhausted party members thanked Bert for carrying the fight.

Bert only waved them off. "It was fun."

With that, he stepped out into the streets, ready to return home and tell Mon all about his newfound power.