Prove yourself (4)

The boss room floor was even stickier.

It wasn't blood.

Yet.

But the metallic scent in the air was enough to tell me it soon would be.

The giant reptile stood at the center of the chamber, black scales with bluish tones reflecting the dim light like plates of steel.

It rose from atop bones — some still had bits of flesh clinging to them.

I could see pieces of armor among the remains.

People had entered before us.

They definitely hadn't come out.

Was this what the Association had meant by "missing cases"?

The officials hadn't gone into much detail, so I figured it wasn't anything as serious as that.

The creature's breathing was deep.

So deep it rumbled through the floor like someone pounding drums underground.

''Formation.'' Jisoo said firmly.

That one word made everyone move. Just as planned.

The formation I'd shown before entering the dungeon… wasn't for the smaller monsters.

It was for this.

The boss.

Choi Doyun moved to the left flank with practiced fluidity. Sword in hand.

Song Hana took two steps back and began whispering spells with her hands clasped, eyes already fixed on me.

The porter?

Right behind her, just like we agreed.

He didn't need to do anything — just not die.

And me—

I moved up the other flank.

The spear vibrated in my hands.

My eyes were locked on the beast.

When it moved — a twitch in its limbs — the tension in the air snapped like an overstretched rope.

''Now!'' Jisoo roared, spinning his axe.

The beast lunged.

It nearly crushed Jisoo against the floor.

The veteran twisted his body at the last second, sliding and slashing at the monster's flank.

The scales didn't break… but they cracked.

''Tough skin.'' I muttered. ''But not that tough.''

Good.

Let's test that.

I dashed behind the creature.

My spear aimed for an exposed point between the cracked scales.

It failed.

The weapon bounced off like it hit stone.

The creature turned.

Its gaping mouth revealed rows of serrated teeth.

Its yellow eyes locked onto me.

It roared.

And lunged.

The tail came like a whip.

I threw my body to the side, still feeling the wind of the strike brush past my face.

It was fast.

And it wouldn't let up.

I struck.

The move wasn't pretty.

Not perfect.

But it landed.

I spun my body, let my back foot root to the ground, and thrust the spear with everything I had.

The tip scraped the same spot Jisoo had struck.

And it went in.

Not a fatal blow or anything like that.

But it went in.

The monster screamed, writhing.

[Skill "Defying the Impossible" activated.]

[User's stats have been adjusted according to the opponent faced.]

I still didn't fully understand the interval at which it activated.

But I was glad it had.

A heat surged through my body.

My muscles adjusted.

But in return, that thing was also more pissed off.

The claws came again. Both at once.

I blocked with the spear shaft, spinning my body. Barely made it.

Another roar.

Another strike.

The mouth opened. Venom.

This time, I wasn't going to dodge it.

''Buff on you.'' Hana whispered.

Time slowed down.

Or at least it felt like it.

My senses exploded.

The venom was intercepted by my spear.

The impact threw me back two meters, but Hana was unharmed.

Even so, my arm trembled.

It burned.

I hissed something. Activating the other skill.

Blood Mark.

I dragged my foot along the ground.

Something seemed to etch itself into my palms.

It hurt, but it was quick. I looked down — a circle with a line through it glowed crimson on my hands.

Thirty seconds of a buff that made me stronger against a marked enemy.

That was enough.

The spear sliced through the air.

The creature screamed again. It staggered.

Jisoo appeared with his axe, slamming it into the beast's neck.

A brutal strike that cracked the scales further.

Doyun followed right behind.

His blade tore across the flank, leaving a red line that spread across the monster's back.

The creature twisted.

Its tail swung. Almost hit Hana.

She dodged just in time, eyes wide.

''Help her!''Jisoo shouted.

The porter ran to Hana. His backpack clattered loudly.

She raised her hand.

Another buff.

It hit me head-on.

It felt like being thrown into a river of pure adrenaline.

And then...

The creature paused.

Just for a second.

But I saw it.

It was repeating patterns.

There were some variations, yes, but nothing too divergent.

Jumped twice, tail swipe, then venom spit.

Repeat.

Repeat.

And repeat again.

Jisoo saw it too.

No wonder he was the oldest and most experienced of us. The leader.

''That's it! It's got a pattern! Use it!''

He shouted the sequence quickly so Doyun and the others could hear.

Maybe for me too.

But I'd already noticed.

I moved.

The monster spat venom.

But I already knew.

A side step, slightly twisting my waist. Almost like a ballerina on tiptoes.

Dodged. Spun my body.

And drove the spear into its neck.

The thing screamed. Loud. Fierce.

But its strength was fading.

I could feel it.

We were winning.

But it wasn't over yet.

The Blood Mark burned in my palm.

Not literally.

It was almost like an invisible chain tightening around its neck with every advance I made.

And it knew.

The reptile's gaze shifted.

Its vertical pupils contracted, jaws grinding like it was chewing its own anxiety.

A low growl escaped its throat — quieter, more… restrained.

There was something there.

Not just instinct to kill, but a primitive spark of fear.

The realization that the prey wasn't just fighting back.

It was hunting.

Doyun appeared first, sliding beneath the creature like a shadow with fangs.

His blade slashed at its hind legs, forcing it to retreat.

At the same moment, Jisoo came from the opposite side.

His axe spun overhead like it was defying gravity.

Then, it struck the monster's flank, cracking more scales.

I followed right after.

Even faster.

Buffed.

Almost high.

The adrenaline burned in my veins, but it was controlled, shaped.

[Defying the Impossible] and [Blood Mark] active at the same time was like mixing gasoline with a spark.

The weapon cut like a knife through bread.

It was like it was screaming along with me.

The creature roared — not in anger.

In desperation.

Its claws slammed into the ground in one last push, trying to take off or flee or...

I don't know, do anything other than get turned to dust.

The final efforts of a cornered beast.

But we didn't give it a chance.

My feet pounded the ground.

Each step launched me forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

My body moved at the edge of what I thought was possible.

With the buffs stacked, agility was nearing 50% on the second star.

It wasn't quite flying… but it was the closest I'd ever felt.

The creature whipped its tail.

''Doyun!'' I warned.

''Saw it!'' the swordsman leapt at the perfect moment, slashing across the side of the monster's as he flew past.

I dove under the next strike and drove my spear into the creature's hind leg.

The blade slid in, ripping through even more flesh before I yanked it back out.

The muscle spasmed.

The beast stumbled.

Jisoo appeared like thunder.

His axe spun in the air, its weight combined with the almost inhuman strength he kept hidden.

The impact shattered one of the creature's front legs with a sickening crack.

With Blood Mark active, every strike of mine was somehow heavier.

The spear didn't just cut flesh — it shredded any chance the reptile had of healing.

Wounds blackened, slowly necrotizing around the edges.

The venom inside it seemed to revolt against its own body.

But then… the Mark vanished.

I felt the tether snap.

The symbol faded with a shiver.

[Blood Mark — time expired.]

Shit.

For a moment, I hesitated.

And nearly got a claw to the face.

''Careful!'' Hana shouted.

I snapped back into focus.

It was enough.

The Mark had done its job.

Now it was time to finish it.

Me, Jisoo, and Doyun rotated like a perfectly tuned engine.

One spun, one pierced, one slashed.

We'd become a deadly relay.

The creature still tried to fight back.

But its patterns were breaking.

It stumbled.

Tried to strike with its tail, but its strength was gone.

Tried to roar, but it came out hoarse. Weak.

Jisoo struck the left flank.

Doyun sliced the tendon in its front leg.

The beast crashed down hard, limbs splayed across the stone floor like a collapsing building.

Blood poured from every open wound in thick rivers.

And I…

I leapt.

Stepped onto a jagged chunk of stone.

Didn't think. Just moved.

The spear spun in my hands, perfectly balanced.

The tip glinted with dried blood and mana as it drove toward the neck.

Right between the seams of the scales.

Where Jisoo's first hit had cracked the bone.

Where all our strikes had weakened it.

The spear slid in.

No resistance.

A grotesque sound escaped the creature's throat.

A low, choking groan.

It trembled.

And then…

Stopped.

Its head slumped to the side.

Eyes, once furious, now blank and lifeless.

[Boss defeated.]

Jisoo let out a breathless laugh.

''Holy shit, kid.''

Doyun collapsed to the ground, panting.

My lungs were screaming too.

And my knees creaked.

''That was… fast.''

Hana still had her hands raised, mid-cast.

She slowly lowered them, staring at the unmoving body.

And then, as always, Luxxion chimed in.

[Mission in progress has been updated]

[Objective 1 of 4 — Complete three D-rank dungeons: 1/3.]

But I wasn't really listening.

I was still looking at the reptile's corpse.

Jisoo slowly approached me in the meantime.

''You're doing great! Keep it up and you'll end up taking my spot, kid.''

Jisoo said, dusting off his hands after sheathing his axe. 

''You mean getting old? Bad knees and afraid of stairs?''

I replied without taking my eyes off the boss. 

He ignored the comment and continued his previous speech:

''Since you're our new MVP…''

Jisoo clapped me on the shoulder, laughing.

I could feel the calluses in his hand.

''You picking the next dungeon too?''

''Already did, actually.''

''Of course you did. ''

He crossed his arms, staring at the still-steaming corpse.

''So? Gonna be harder than this one?''

''No. Probably easier.''

''Hm?''

''But that doesn't matter.''

The conversation died.

I turned slowly, wiping the spear tip on my pant leg.

That feeling of victory...

That feeling of winning without standing on the edge of death.

It was fucking incredible.

And I hoped I'd feel it again.