004. Survival
At first, nothing appeared to change. The creature stood tall, yanking the arrow out with a grunt, clearly unfazed. But then, Kael noticed something—something subtle yet telling.
The regenerative flow that had once sealed its injuries in mere seconds now slowed to a crawl, struggling to patch up the pierced muscle and torn flesh.
Its breathing grew heavier, its massive shoulders rising and falling in strained rhythm. The ogre's movements, once thunderous and fluid, began to show signs of drag—as though each motion required more effort than the last.
Kael's hand darted toward his system interface, his fingers dancing over the translucent screen as he brought up the ogre's system stats. Lines of glowing text flickered into place. He scanned them quickly—and his eyes widened.
[Battle Ogre – Lv. 25 – Sub-Boss]
HP: 450 / 600
Ogre Blood Regen: Impaired (Poisoned)
Killmark: Reon, Gorran, Leira, Zareth
Adaptive Reflex: Enhanced
Status Effect: Venom-Tipped Wound (Gradual HP Decay – 4 HP/sec)
Regeneration Efficiency: -60%]
The ogre let out a deep, guttural growl that rumbled through its chest like distant thunder. Its massive frame twisted slowly, sinewy muscles straining beneath mottled grey skin as it turned its glare toward Rin—the one responsible for slowing its movements with that poisoned arrow. Its bloodshot eyes narrowed, locking onto her with focused, murderous intent.
Though the venom coursing through its veins had dulled its speed, it was still a monster born of brute force and terrifying mobility. Even hampered, its raw power and sheer stride meant it could close distances in a blink—faster than any of them could hope to outrun or intercept.
Kael's heart lurched as he saw the subtle shift in its stance. Its legs bent slightly, torso leaning forward—like a predator winding up for the kill. A glint of deadly purpose burning in its gaze like a flare just before detonation.
"Hey, hey, hey. Quick, aim at its heart before it makes a move!" Kael stammered, panic leaking into his voice.
Rin staggered backward, her breath catching in her throat as she quickly dropped to one knee, yanking open the small pouch of vials at her waist. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pulled another arrow from her quiver and reached for the next vial, the sticky contents glinting in the dim dungeon light.
But Kael could already see it—she wasn't going to make it in time. The ogre's limbs were coiled and ready to lunge. Seconds, that was all they had.
Reon and the others immediately caught on to the shift. The ogre's movements, though sluggish, had turned predatory—locked onto Rin with razor focus. Whatever she had done to weaken it had worked, and now it wanted her blood.
Reon moved before anyone else. In a blur of motion, he surged forward, closing the gap between them and the ogre with terrifying speed. His blade was already ignited, flames coiling around the steel like a living serpent. With both hands gripping the hilt, he let out a sharp exhale and swung upward in a powerful arc.
The slash exploded with a blinding flash, sending a wide shockwave of fire crashing into the ogre's chest. The creature reeled back, scales scorched and body staggered from the force of the blow.
Leira wasn't far behind. She twisted through the air, channeling a dark, pulsing energy into her twin blades. With a fierce cry, she launched them forward—both spinning like deadly chakrams as they streaked through the air, trailing a ghostly black mist before embedding deep into the ogre's torso.
Zareth raised his staff high, arcane runes flaring to life along its length. He chanted quickly, his voice echoing as energy surged into his palm. A brilliant orb of pure magic formed, its glow bathing the cavern walls in ethereal light. With a final word, he hurled it forward—the orb whistling as it expanded mid-air, then burst into a massive explosion upon impact with the ogre, sending shards of radiant energy crackling in every direction.
The group landed around the beast in staggered positions, each panting heavily. Their faces were pale with exhaustion, but they had slowed the creature.
And then came Gorran, charging with a roar that echoed across the dungeon.
He threw his entire body behind a thunderous punch straight to the ogre's gut. But the monster absorbed the hit like it was nothing. With a snarl, it grabbed Gorran by the face, hoisted him into the air, and slammed him into the stone ground with a bone-shaking crash. Dust exploded from the crater his body made, and silence followed for a breath.
Somehow—against all odds—Gorran survived, barely.
But while the others had bought them precious seconds, Rin had finished preparing.
Crouched in the shadows, she had already coated the next arrow with the vial's contents. Her bow was drawn, arrow nocked and steady. Her eyes were locked on the ogre, calculating its every movement. The wind responded once more to her call, swirling gently around her as she took aim at the monster's heart.
Kael's pulse raced.
He watched the situation unfold, each heartbeat ticking like a countdown. There were only two outcomes—either Rin let the arrow fly in time and struck the target clean, or the ogre would reach her first and all would be lost.
He didn't have the luxury of watching and hoping.
Without hesitation, Kael pulled up the system interface. The translucent menu flickered open before him, casting a soft glow across his face. His finger hovered above the skill selection.
He couldn't risk leaving it to fate.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
«Narrative Points Earned: +10»
«Reason: Deviation from scripted timeline detected»
«Skill Tree Unlocked: Anchor Path – Tier 1»
Usable against beasts up to Level 15
Available Skills:
• «Pierce Line» – Your next strike goes through armor for 1 hit〔5 narrative points〕
• «Lure Step» – Draw enemy aggro toward you for 5 sec〔3 narrative points〕
• «Instinct Flash» – Auto-dodge 1 close-range attack〔8 narrative points〕
• «Mark Weakpoint» – Highlight enemy weak spot (10 sec cooldown)〔6 narrative points〕
•«Split Throw» – Curve-throw an item toward target»〔4 narrative points〕
Locked Skills – Tier 3 Required (For use on Level 100+ foes)
• «Zone Rewrite» – Change small terrain area (illusion trap, slow field, etc.)〔600 cipher/ 800 narrative points〕
• «Absolute Feint» – Evade even unavoidable attacks once〔150 cipher points〕
• «Command Rewrite» – Force enemy to repeat last move〔180 cipher points〕
• «Second Life» – Survive fatal damage with 1 HP (once per battle)〔300 cipher points〕
•«Shadow Feint» – Create a brief afterimage to dodge one non-magical attack〔250 cipher points〕
•«Beast Control» – Command one weaker beast〔100 cipher points/ 150 narrative points〕
•«Rewind Step» – Undo one movement (3 sec max)〔250 cipher points〕
«Narrative Points: +10»
«Cipher Points: 0»
«Progress to Tier 2: 08%»]
"One of these have to come in handy" he stared at the Skills but he wasn't sure he could use any of them yet. "Tsk!"
Kael raised his head, eyes locked on the ogre—and then it was gone.
A blinding blur of motion tore across the battlefield. One moment it was lumbering, the next it vanished from its spot like a bullet breaking the sound barrier. The sheer force of its sudden movement sent a gust ripping through the dungeon, scattering dust and embers in every direction.
Reon and the others barely moved. Their bodies, worn and drained from the last assault, couldn't react fast enough. Breathless and bleeding, they could only watch—powerless—placing all their hopes now on Rin... and Kael.
But Kael didn't wait.
Before his mind could even register the danger, his body moved—fueled by raw instinct. His boots scraped against stone as he leapt toward Rin, diving with everything he had left. He reached her just in time, arms wrapping tightly around her waist as he yanked her back with a desperate burst of strength.
The ogre crashed down a split second later, landing where she had been with the force of a meteor. The ground exploded beneath its feet, stone cracking outward like shattered glass. Dust and energy blasted around them in a violent shockwave.
But now, the attack meant for Rin was aimed at Kael.
Time slowed.
He turned mid-air, angling himself to shield her completely. His arms flew up to guard his head, bracing for the worst. A nervous, bitter smile tugged at the edge of his lips.
"This is going to hurt."
And then the impact hit.
It wasn't like the other blows. It was like being slammed by a boulder made of raw fury. The wind was knocked out of him instantly, and his body hit the ground like a ragdoll—yet something strange happened.
His arms peeled slowly away from his face. His eyes opened wide, he was still breathing. Not a single bone broken.
"What?!"
A glowing screen materialized before him.
[System Notification]
–8 Narrative Points
Skill Activated: "Instinct Flash"
→ Auto-dodged one close-range attack
A rush of air passed over him. In that instant, as fate wavered on a knife's edge, Rin released the arrow.
She had remained focused even as the ogre descended upon them. Now, with only a few paces separating her from the target, the arrow streamed forward—no hesitation, no wind guiding it this time, just precision and desperation.
The shot pierced clean through the ogre's chest, embedding deep into its heart.
The ogre's momentum faltered, its limbs beginning to lock. It staggered, trembling violently. Then, as if seized by an unseen force, it froze—towering motionless before Kael like a grotesque statue.
Steam hissed from its open wounds, and black blood trickled down from the puncture over its heart.
Still unsure, he reached into the pouch at his belt and pulled out the third vial. For good measure—for absolute certainty—he coated an arrowhead with the remaining contents and stabbed it directly into the ogre's lungs.
There was no resistance and then, finally, Kael exhaled. A ragged, shaken breath.
He fell back onto one knee, wiping blood and dust from his cheek.
"We did it."