Kill or Be Killed

The Wraith-hound lunged at them.

Noah reacted instantly, parrying the attack with a swift motion before shouting out, "Support me now, you idiot!" His grip tightened around his sword as he braced himself, the force of the clash still vibrated through his arms.

Lucas pulled out the weapon he had specially prepared for this raid—the High B-grade sword, Obsidian Fang. Its dark blade gleamed under the dim torchlight, a faint, purple glow was being emitted by the sword.

A notification flickered before Lucas as he sprinted into action.

[Skill: Agility (lv.1) has been activated.]

With a burst of speed, Lucas launched himself at the Wraith-hound, slicing through its strong flesh, The beasts two heads howled in pain, their cry for help reverberated throughout the chamber.

Lucas signaled Noah with a sharp nod, and Noah immediately followed up, landing precise strikes that kept the Wraith-hound staggered.

Above the creature's two heads, its HP bar flickered, steadily draining with each blow Noah dealt.

As the Wraith-hound's HP dropped to half, Lucas positioned himself, gripping his sword tightly, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Noah unleashed a flurry of precise slashes before stepping back, locking eyes with Lucas and giving a sharp nod.

Lucas exhaled. His sword pulsed with a bright purple glow as raw energy surged through it.

A translucent blue panel flickered before him—

[Skill: Sword Aura (lv.1) has been activated.]

With a burst of speed, Lucas lunged forward, his blade leaving a streak of purple light in its trail, His blade cleaved through the air with brutal precision.

The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber.

"A critical strike!", Noah exclaimed.

The Wraith-hound let out a final, bloodcurdling shriek before collapsing onto the ground. Its body trembled before cracks of bright purple light spread across its form. In the next moment, its entire figure shattered like fragile glass, bursting into countless shimmering fragments that floated into the air. The glowing particles flickered for a moment—then slowly faded into nothingness.

Then, a familiar message flickered before them.

[You have defeated the Wraith-hound.]

Then, a few more messages flickered before them.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

Noah scratched his head, frowning in confusion. "How did we level up three times? That fight was way too easy."

Lucas pointed at their swords, "I think Its because of these OP swords. Otherwise, it would be a tough battle"

Noah stopped scratching his head, his expression turning thoughtful. "Yeah, that might be it... But if I remember correctly, weren't Wraith-hounds only supposed to appear in dungeons meant for level 10 players?"

Lucas froze. "...Wait, you're right."

If a Wraith-hound had spawned here… that meant something far worse could be lurking deeper in the dungeon.

With their unexpected level-ups, both Noah and Lucas had stacked 9 stat points each.

Noah turned to Lucas. "Distribute your points into Attack, Defense, and Perception. We'll need all the advantages we can get."

Lucas nodded, already pulling up his status window.

Noah swiftly raised two fingers and swiped left.

"Menu, open."

A translucent blue interface appeared before him, its soft glow casting a faint light on his face. He browsed through the menu, navigating to the Shop tab.

His eyes scanned the Skills Section, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he selected [Eir's Grace]—a costly, high-tier skill capable of restoring all party members to full health while cleansing every debuff.

Noah tapped on it.

[You do not have enough Gold. You require 298 more gold.]

He exhaled sharply. Without a second thought, he selected the loan option, watching as his balance dropped further into debt.

Lucas shot him a skeptical look. "You took out a loan? That better be worth it."

Noah smirked. "Trust me, if we want to survive whatever's ahead, this skill is going to be vital."

Noah closed the menu with a flick of his fingers, the translucent interface vanishing in an instant. He exhaled, gripping his sword tightly as he turned to Lucas.

"Alright, let's keep moving. If a Wraith-hound spawned here, something much worse could be waiting deeper in."

Lucas nodded, adjusting his grip on Obsidian Fang. "Yeah, and I'd rather not run into it unprepared."

The two pressed forward, their footsteps echoing through the dimly lit dungeon. Shadows danced along the uneven walls as the flickering torchlight barely illuminated the vast chamber.

Ahead, the passage stretched into pure darkness—no torches, no light. Only silence.

Then, the air shifted.

A deep, guttural howl rumbled from the darkness ahead. A pair of glowing red eyes blinked into existence, followed by another. And another.

Noah's muscles tensed. "Damn it... we've got company."

Three figures stepped into the light—Wraith-hounds.

Only this time, they were different. Their forms pulsed with a dark crimson glow, their bodies larger, more menacing. These weren't ordinary Wraith-hounds.

[Wraith-hounds (Elite Variants)]

Level: ???

Lucas cursed under his breath. "Great. Stronger ones."

Noah raised his sword, his mind racing. He had just spent everything on Eir's Grace. They couldn't afford to lose here.

The Wraith-hounds lunged.

"Lucas, formation B!", yelled Noah.

Without hesitation, Lucas shifted, flanking to the right as Noah charged straight in. Their blades gleamed under the dim light, ready for battle.

But just as they were about to engage—

BOOM!

A sudden explosion of light erupted from behind them.

Noah and Lucas looked behind.

A bright flare lit up the dungeon, forcing Noah and Lucas to shield their eyes. The Wraith-hounds recoiled, snarling as the sudden light burned their shadowy forms.

Then—

"There they are! Engage!"

Noah's heart sank as saw the a small group of the Strike team.

A group of five players stormed into the chamber, each one clad in high-tier armor, weapons glowing with enchantments. At the front, a warrior with a massive battle-axe pointed straight at Noah and Lucas. His armor bore the insignia of the Azure Fangs, a notorious guild known for hunting down independent players.

The warrior's lips curled into a smirk. "Kill them both and take their loot. Make sure to take their skills."

Lucas went pale. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

The Wraith-hounds growled on one side. 

The Azure Fangs strike team advanced from the other.

They were trapped.

Lucas and Noah knew they had no choice but to fight.

Noah tightened his grip on his sword. "Lucas, I'll handle the Wraith-hounds—you take the players. If we get surrounded, we're dead."

Lucas gave a sharp nod. "Got it. But those guys—" He shot a glance at the Azure Fangs strike team. "They're not just here for loot. They want something else."

Noah's thoughts raced. Take their skills. What the hell did that mean?

There was no time to think.

Noah and Lucas stood with their backs pressed together, gripping their weapons tightly. The glow of their enchanted swords cast eerie reflections on the dungeon walls.

They decided to use every skill, every ounce of strength—whatever it took to survive.

A blue notification window flickered into existence before them—

[Skill: Agility (lv.1) has been activated.]

[Skill: Sword Aura (lv.1) has been activated.]

A Wraith-hound lunged. Noah's body reacted before his mind could process it, his enhanced agility kicking in. He sidestepped with unnatural speed, his blade already slashing. Steel met flesh, carving through the beast's spectral body. The creature shrieked, its crimson aura flickering like a dying flame.

Three Azure Fangs players charged at Lucas, blades glinting with malice. One swung for his head—a feint. The real attack came from the side, a rogue trying to drive a dagger into his ribs.

"Too slow."

Lucas exhaled sharply. His sword hummed with power as he spun—

[Skill: Sweeping Slash (Lv.1) activated.]

His blade carved a perfect arc, cutting through flesh and armor alike. The impact sent the three attackers staggering back, clutching fresh wounds. A second later, another blue screen appeared—

[Debuff: Weakness applied – Attack Power reduced to 20%, Defense reduced to 30%.]

Before they could recover, Lucas moved swiftly.

[Skill: Sweeping Slash (Lv.1) activated.]

In a single, fluid motion. Steel met flesh. The three players barely had time to react before their bodies shattered like glass, purple light bursting from within. Their remains dissolved into fading particles, erased from existence.

Silence fell.

The warrior holding the battle axe stood frozen, disbelief in his eyes.

Lucas flicked the blood off his blade, locking eyes with the battle-axe wielder. 

"You're next."