The Finishing Blow and the Mine's Treasure

"Now or never!" Kael yelled, and he was the first to act.

With the speed of a phantom, he slid behind the Mine-Sweeper, his twin daggers weaving a deadly pattern of light. [Death Dance]! Dozens of consecutive stabs rained down on the exposed power core. Tiny, web-like cracks began to appear on its crystal surface.

Volt also charged forward, its upgraded power mace fully energized. It struck the core hard, and a massive electric current coursed through the machine's body, causing it to convulse and its remaining arms to swing wildly.

"Watch out!" Yanaki yelled.

One of the Mine-Sweeper's giant crusher claws, in its convulsion, swung towards Kael, who was still engrossed in his attack.

"Sylva!"

Without needing a detailed command from Yanaki, the Guardian Treant understood her intent. It didn't try to block the blow, but instead shot out its [Root Prison] vines, not to bind, but to latch onto the crusher arm and pull it off course. The claw narrowly missed Kael, slamming hard into the ground. Kael shot a quick glance at Sylva, a silent nod of gratitude. Their coordination, though temporary, was surprisingly effective.

Yanaki observed the power core. It was severely cracked, but not yet broken. It needed one final, decisive blow. Her dagger was too weak, but...

An idea sparked. "Volt, overload your mace! Channel the energy into the head but don't attack!"

Volt obeyed. The power mace in its hand began to screech as an unstable ball of electrical energy formed at its tip.

Yanaki threw her dagger straight into that ball of electricity. The system seemed to recognize this creative action. Her F-rank dagger was enveloped in a powerful layer of electrical energy, turning it into a [Temporarily Electrified Dagger].

She had no time to hesitate. She ran at full speed, stepping on the wreckage of the T-9 drill, and leaped onto the back of the staggering Mine-Sweeper.

"It's over!"

She used all her strength, plunging the electrified dagger into the center of the cracks on the power core.

It was the final straw.

A single, absolute second of silence.

BOOM!

The power core shattered into a hundred pieces in an explosion of electrical energy. The light in the Mine-Sweeper's eyes died out. The giant machine let out one last groan, a death rattle of metal, then collapsed, creating a small tremor in the cavern.

The battle was over.

The whole party panted heavily. Kael looked at Yanaki with an entirely new expression, a mixture of astonishment and admiration.

[You and your party have slain the Area Boss [Mine-Sweeper X-01].]

[You have received a large amount of EXP! You have reached Level 10!]

[Special Achievement: Defeated an enemy more than 10 levels higher. EXP and item drop rate increased.]

From the wreck of the Mine-Sweeper, a pile of glowing items dropped.

There were many valuable materials: a [Wrecked Mine-Sweeper Power Core], [Adamantite Alloy Plates], and several [High-Grade Gears]. But the most important was a metal schematic.

[You have received [Schematic: Reinforced Bark Plating (Upgrade for Wood-type Familiars - C-Rank)].]

An upgrade schematic for Sylva! This was a real treasure.

"Nice work," Kael said, walking over to the pile of loot. He kept his promise. "We split it fifty-fifty. Your team chooses first."

Yanaki was surprised by his fairness. To show goodwill, she said, "You dealt the main damage. You choose, the schematic or half the materials. We'll take the rest."

Kael looked at her for a moment, then chuckled softly. "You're more interesting than I thought, Summoner." He didn't take the schematic, as it was useless to him. He took half of the rare materials. "You saved my life back there. We're even. Consider the schematic yours."

A silent, mutual respect had formed between them.

Kael put the items in his bag. "I have my own business to attend to. This mine still has much to explore in its deeper levels." He gave a nod. "See you around, Summoner. And be careful not to get eaten by that silver wolf."

With that, Kael vanished into the darkness of the mine, as quickly as he had appeared.

Yanaki and her party now stood in the silent warehouse, surrounded by the wreckage of giant machines. Their first hunt had ended with a victory that far exceeded all expectations. She had money, materials, and a precious upgrade schematic.

She looked at the upgrade schematic for Sylva. The path forward was clear. Return to the city, to the workshop, and begin the work of "modding" her companions.

The Gear Race was still ongoing, but now, she was no longer a nameless player. She had earned the right to be a formidable contender.