Nitish and Aaryan had now reached the southern region of Pink Blossom Town.
This area was known as Pink South Valley—a peaceful and scenic stretch filled with rolling plains, scattered caves, and a cozy little village tucked in between.
As they stepped into the village, they found themselves in a quaint marketplace lined with wooden stalls and small, charming houses built entirely out of timber.The inhabitants?Dwarves.
Yes—this was a Dwarven village.
Dwarves, though short in stature, were known as master craftsmen, engineers, and forgers of the highest order. Their skills were revered across all corners of Celestial Domain.
Nitish and Aaryan strolled through the market, soaking in the calm and the warm, cheerful chatter that filled the air. The peace of this place brought a soft smile to their faces.
"Bro, look at that girl. Cute, right?" Aaryan whispered, nudging Nitish.
"Bro… that's a dwarf, man," Nitish rolled his eyes."She barely reaches your waist. Show some shame."
"So what if she's short? She's still beautiful! Look at her!"
"Shut up," Nitish groaned.He was officially done with Aaryan's nonsense.
Aaryan wasn't done yet.
"But seriously, why are we even here? And you— you made me dump all my stat points into Intelligence and Stamina, and now you're speed-walking like we're on a marathon!"
Nitish shot him a glare.
"I swear, it's like I'm out on a date with my girlfriend. You've been whining non-stop."
"Tch," Aaryan clicked his tongue.
Soon, they stopped outside a modest shop with a hanging wooden sign.Nitish stepped forward.
"Sir, do you have any smoke bombs?" he asked the shopkeeper politely.
The dwarf behind the counter looked up, his tone a little gruff.
"I got everything. How many do ya want?"
"O–Uncl—" Aaryan was just about to curse the shopkeeper for being rude, but Nitish cut him off with a sharp glance.
"Calm down."
He then turned back to the dwarf and flashed a cheeky smile.
"Uncle, I need ten smoke bombs.Since I'm buying in bulk… how about a little discount?" Nitish slipped into full-on Indian-aunty bargaining mode.
The dwarf scoffed, but then chuckled.
"You slick little thing... Fine, fine. Usually, I sell two for 7 copper coins. For you, I'll throw in 10 for just 30 copper. That's a good deal. Take it or leave it."
"Deal," Nitish nodded, handing over the coins and collecting the bombs.
As they walked away, Aaryan huffed.
"Seriously, bro? Why'd you stop me? That uncle was rude as hell to you."
"Come on, man. That's just how dwarves are," Nitish said with a chuckle."Their tone might sound a bit rude, but they're honest and warm at heart. Didn't you see how easily he gave us a discount the moment I asked?"
Aaryan was still a little irritated, but deep down, he understood Nitish was right. So, he let it go and stayed quiet.
After a long walk past the village center, the two finally reached the far end of the village—where the rhythmic clanging of hammer on metal rang loud, and the heat of molten iron filled the air.
They were now standing in front of a forging hut—a sturdy, smoke-covered structure where the village's greatest legend lived.
A Grandmaster Forger.
A man of renown known throughout the valley and beyond.
Mr. Blackstone.
And right there in front of them, Blackstone himself was working on a blade, hammering it with precise, powerful strokes.
The moment Aaryan saw him, he lit up like a kid in a candy shop.
"Hello sir! It's an honor to meet you—I'm Aaryan, and this is my friend Nitish!" he said eagerly.
But Blackstone didn't even glance up.He continued working, his focus unwavering.
Aaryan's face dropped like a rejected puppy.
"Seriously, does no one in this village know how to greet people?" he thought miserably.
But while Aaryan sulked, Nitish's eyes sparkled.
"Don't disturb him. Just stand next to me," Nitish scolded, stepping forward with quiet respect.
The two stood there silently, watching.
Five minutes passed.Ten…Twenty…
And finally, without even looking directly at them, Blackstone spoke in his deep, gravelly voice.
"You two have been standing there for a while. What do you want?"
Nitish smiled.
"Nothing much, sir. I'm just really interested in forging. So I've been watching and trying to learn from you."
Blackstone paused.
Those words clearly struck something inside him.
"Huh? Really? You were watching me to learn?" he asked, surprised.
"Of course, sir. I even have this…" Nitish said with a confident grin as he pulled a thick, heavy book from his bag and held it up.
The Titan Book of Forging.
The moment Blackstone saw the cover, his hammer slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a loud clang.
His eyes nearly popped out of his face.
"W-W-Wha—"
"Waffles~?" Aaryan offered helpfully.
"Shut up, idiot! Not Waffles!" Nitish hissed.
"W-Where did you get that book!?" Blackstone cried, rushing forward and grabbing it with trembling hands, examining it with the reverence of someone holding a sacred relic.
Nitish smiled calmly.
"That's not important. What matters is… will you teach me forging?"
Nitish knew Blackstone's biggest weakness—his love for mentoring new forgers.He had trained many in the past, and nothing thrilled him more than passing on his knowledge to someone with real passion.
And now, standing in front of him was a young boy holding the Titan Book of Forging.
Blackstone burst into loud, hearty laughter.
"Hah! You've got guts, kid. Fine, I'll teach you. But first… you'll have to prove yourself!"
He was smiling now—clearly intrigued, clearly impressed.
Notification:Congratulations! Quest 'Becoming An Apprentice' has started!Objective: Defeat Captain Boulder in the nearby caves.Time Limit:4 Hours
Nitish stared at the pop-up in disbelief.
"Well, there it is. Just great," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face."That damn guide mentioned the quest… but not the freakin' time limit. Now how the hell am I supposed to take down Captain Boulder in just four hours?"
With no time to waste, Nitish and Aaryan began heading toward the southern caves.
"Hey bro, who exactly is Captain Boulder?" Aaryan asked, trying to keep pace.
"Boss of the trolls around here. Word is, he's hoarding some treasure deep in those caves. Blackstone probably chose him as my test because a real forger needs to know how to survive a battlefield too."
"Nice! Then I'm sure you'll make short work of him."
Nitish gave him a look.
"Short work? Bro, we're more likely to get flattened. He's a Level 9 Elite, fast as hell, hits like a truck, and don't even get me started on that axe of his."
"Wait, what? How do you know all this?" Aaryan narrowed his eyes.
Nitish paused for a beat.
"…Too many questions, my friend."
"Aye aye, Smight the beta tester strikes again," Aaryan muttered with a nervous chuckle.
After a tense walk, they reached the gaping mouth of the cave—and Aaryan froze. His face drained of color as his eyes locked on the behemoth within.
"T-t-that's… Captain Boulder?!"
Standing deep within the cave, illuminated by faint shafts of sunlight piercing through the rocks, was a towering troll-like creature clad in armor forged from rough iron ore. In his hand, he gripped a massive battle-axe that could cleave a man in two.
Nitish smirked at Aaryan's reaction.
"Yup. That's our guy."
"HOW are we supposed to beat that?!" Aaryan whispered, panic setting in.
Nitish stepped forward calmly.
"Listen, you stand a little inside the entrance. Keep casting Dark Shot. Don't stop. If you get the curse to land, it'll help a ton. Throw in some normal attacks when you can."
"R-right. Got it. You sure about this?"
"Not at all," Nitish muttered, before letting out a slow breath and stepping into the cave.
CAPTAIN BOULDERElite Troll BossLevel: 9HP: 29,000 / 29,000
Nitish's heart pounded as he drew his blade.
Let's hope this works…
As soon as Boulder spotted him, the beast roared with primal rage and charged, the cave shaking under its weight.
"RAAAWWWRRR!"
"Oh no. This was a mistake—THIS WAS A MISTAKE!" Nitish shouted as Boulder closed the distance at terrifying speed.
"AARYAN, RUN!!"
Before Nitish could reposition, the troll brought its colossal axe down.
CLANG!
Nitish just barely raised his sword in time, activating Parry—the force of the impact sent him flying backward. He slammed into the cave wall with a bone-jarring CRACK!
"AAARGHHH!!"
Blood trickled from his mouth as pain shot through his body. His vision blurred, and for a moment, the edges of his world went dark.
Aaryan's scream pierced through the chaos.
"NITISH!!!"
He had never seen his friend in this bad a state. The sheer force of Boulder's attack had nearly crushed him. And now the beast was stomping forward again, ready to finish the job.
Aaryan's hands trembled.
RAAAAAA!!!
Captain Boulder let out a deafening roar and lunged forward with terrifying speed. Nitish, barely holding on, activated his Defensive Blade and dodged to the side. But the beast's relentless strikes forced all three charges of the skill to trigger in just two seconds.
CLANG! SHNK! CLANG!
Nitish slashed back quickly in retaliation—
–10 HP, –20 HP, –20 HP, –20 HP, –38 HP
"Shit… That's barely a scratch."
Stress mounted in his chest. 29,000 HP. That was Boulder's total. And if the troll was regenerating even 1% HP every five seconds, that was nearly 290 HP restored in moments. Nitish's current output couldn't even counter that.
Suddenly, a puff of black smoke soared past Nitish and struck Boulder in the chest.
–50 HP
A Dark Shot—Aaryan's magic.
Nitish's eyes lit up.
"Magic works! He's weak to it!"
Aaryan had landed a clean hit, and more importantly, distracted the beast. Nitish seized the opening and launched another flurry of strikes. But even after 15 minutes, they had only whittled Boulder's health down to 95%.
Then it happened.
Boulder raised his colossal axe and spun it violently through the air. A low rumble filled the cave as the ground beneath their feet cracked.
"Oh no—he's casting something!"
TERRACE SHAKE!
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The earth split.
Nitish was thrown like a ragdoll across the cave and slammed into a jagged wall. Aaryan, too, was caught in the shockwave and collapsed nearby.
Nitish coughed up blood.
"Only 5% HP left... One more hit and I'm dead…"
His limbs trembled. His vision blurred. And above all, his mind whispered defeat.
"Is it over? Am I just going to respawn back in Pink Blossom Town? I failed… again? Like always?"
But just then—
"DON'T GIVE UP, NITISH!"
Aaryan's voice thundered through the cave, echoing off the stone.
"YOU'RE STRONGER THAN THIS! YOU GAVE ME HOPE! YOU'RE MY HERO, BRO! PLEASE—GET UP!"
Nitish's bloodshot eyes widened.
The trembling stopped. The despair in his heart began to melt, replaced by a blazing ember.
"I can't give up... I won't give up!"
His body screamed in pain, but he gritted his teeth and stood.
And then—something awakened.
His sword—once gleaming silver—was now cloaked in a dark, pulsating black aura.
The air grew heavier.
Even Captain Boulder paused, staring at Nitish with what could only be described as… fear.
The aura expanded around Nitish like a storm ready to break loose.
He didn't hesitate.
Nitish charged forward—his blackened sword slicing through the air—and struck.
SLASH!
BOOOOM!!
Boulder let out a monstrous scream as he was sent flying back, crashing into a cave wall with earth-shaking force.
–200 HP
The sheer power of that one strike left Aaryan speechless.
"What the hell…?"
He checked Nitish's status—expecting to see some absurd boost in level.
But instead...
LEVEL: 0
"W-What? ZERO?! How is that possible?! He was level 3 just a moment ago!!"
Something wasn't right.
And you, dear reader, might be asking the same question. The answer?
TABOO SKILL: DRACONIC STRIKE!Nitish had made his choice.
In that final moment between life and death, he had sacrificed all his levels—burning them away to awaken a forgotten power: the might of the dragons. The only way to defeat Captain Boulder… was to transcend.
"So this… is Draconic Strike?"
Nitish whispered to himself, his voice trembling.A strange warmth pulsed through his veins. His grip tightened around his sword, and his once-fatigued body now felt like it was overflowing with energy.
Meanwhile, Boulder let out another earth-shaking roar and charged at him like a raging bull.
BOOM!
SWOOOOOOSHHHH!!
But this time… Nitish didn't panic.He casually stepped to the side—dodging the massive axe with graceful ease—and smiled.
Aaryan watched from behind with wide, terrified eyes.
"W-What the hell?! Wasn't his level just reset to zero?! Then… why does he look even stronger than before?!"
A glowing system message hovered beside Nitish:
[TABOO SKILL: DRACONIC STRIKE – Tier 5 (Activated)]
Draconic Body Gained
All attributes increased by 100% for 1 minute
Basic attack now deals 150% damage
Ignores all defense skills or armor
Each level up now requires 2x EXP, but grants +1 bonus level worth of attribute points
Additional +2 attribute points every 5 levels
Cooldown: 5 minutes
Nitish's eyes were sharp. His stance calm. His presence… monstrous.
He darted forward, slicing at Boulder with movements too fast to be followed.
Dodge. Slash. Dodge. Parry. Slash.
Every motion was clean. Precise. Effortless.
"I can see all of his movements… like they're in slow motion. This skill—it's like it's unlocked something in my brain."
Nitish began to wonder.
"Are there hidden attributes in this game? Like Focus? Combat Clarity? This feels unreal…"
Meanwhile, Aaryan stayed at range, firing Dark Shots and minor spells. Occasionally, the Weakness effect would trigger, lowering Boulder's defenses even more and letting Nitish strike deeper.
The tide of the battle had changed.
Boulder's HP: 29000 → 17000 → 9000…
But then…
Suddenly, Boulder's eyes turned blood red.
"W-wait—what's happening?!"
The massive troll doubled in size, veins bulging and muscles rippling like boulders themselves. His axe, once too large to lift with one hand, now swung like a twig.
Berserk Mode Activated
"NITISH!! HE'S FASTER!!" Aaryan screamed.
Nitish gritted his teeth and charged.
With a Draconic Strike, he slammed Boulder back, knocking the elite into a wall with a blast of shockwave and dust.
BOOOM!!!
–200 HP!
Aaryan was in awe. His friend—a so-called level 0—was throwing around an elite like a toy.
But then… something changed again.
Boulder's body stilled.
His eyes—those glowing red orbs—began to pulse.
Mana surged.
"W-What is he doing now?" Nitish whispered.
The air grew heavy. Static. Violent.
"AARYAN! GET OUT OF THERE!!"
It was too late.
Boulder raised his axe skyward and roared.
SKILL ACTIVATED: BELLOWING RAGE
A finishing move. Once cast, it targets one opponent and deals a fatal, rage-infused blow. 90% mortality rate.
Aaryan's body froze.
His legs gave out.
His mouth trembled, and his hands went limp.
"I-I can't dodge that… I can't block it… I…"
He closed his eyes.
"This is it. I'm done."