Nitish quickly led his team behind a large boulder situated far away from the boss.
"We'll have to take down those twelve rats first. As long as they're around, fighting the boss is impossible," Nitish said to his teammates, thinking aloud.
They all pulled up the boss information screen.
Stuart (Level 3) – Special Elite BossHP: 8000/8000Silver Rat (Level 3) – EliteHP: 1200/1200
"How are we supposed to defeat this boss?" one of the party members asked anxiously.
"Yeah, Boss, how do we even begin this fight? How are we going to separate the rats? If we charge in all at once, we're finished!"
"Don't worry. I have a plan," Nitish replied calmly.
He led the team toward a distant rock formation, and everyone positioned themselves behind the boulders.Each member glanced at Nitish, confused. What kind of plan did their leader have this time?
By now, they had all realized one thing—Nitish never made promises he couldn't keep.
After battling several monsters on their way here, each party member had at least two bronze-ranked weapons or items. Nitish had distributed everything equally among the team.
"Now, just watch," Nitish said as he picked up a small stone and aimed at one of the Silver Rats near the boss.
Seeing what he was about to do, panic spread across the faces of his teammates.
"BOSS!" they shouted, but before they could stop him, Nitish had already tossed the stone at a Silver Rat sitting off to the side.
Now the party was truly shaken. Nitish had just provoked a Silver Rat. Surely, the rest of them would notice and attack—and they'd all die a dog's death.
However, what happened next left everyone except Nitish wide-eyed in disbelief.
As the stone struck the Silver Rat, it looked around in confusion, unsure of what had just happened. Instead of charging at them in rage, it started walking alone in the party's direction—still completely unaware of their presence.
"Boss... what's going on?" Iron Bear asked, puzzled. "Why isn't that rat coming at us in a rage? Why does it look so confused, like it's trying to find us?"
"It's simple," Nitish said with a smirk. "A monster won't become aggressive unless you either deal it direct damage or enter its line of sight. Since that stone was small and barely did any damage, it doesn't even realize we're here."
As soon as the Silver Rat wandered away from its group and began looking around in confusion, Nitish instructed the team's Summoner to summon a small fire spirit and use it to distract the rat.
Following his leader's command, the Summoner did exactly that. The fire spirit lured the rat away from the boss and led it to a safer distance. Once the rat was isolated, Nitish and his team ambushed it without hesitation.
In just a few moments, they had taken it down with ease. That was one less rat guarding the boss.
After allowing the team to rest for a minute, Nitish repeated the same tactic—distracting another rat and picking it off one by one.
In this manner, they continued the strategy until, within a short time, all twelve Silver Rats had been eliminated without Stuart even realizing it. One by one, his guards had vanished before he could notice a thing.
Nitish turned to his team, his expression serious.
"Alright, everyone, listen carefully. From this point on, I'll be guiding every step. Don't take a single move without my command. This isn't child's play—it's a dungeon boss. One mistake, and you're dead. If that happens, the responsibility will be yours, not mine."
He looked toward one of his teammates.
"Aaryan, stay at the back and provide us with full support. Here, take this."
Nitish handed him a skill book—something they had just obtained from one of the defeated Silver Rats. By sheer luck, it was a skill specifically designed for Cursemancers. The name of the skill was Black Whip.
[Black Whip (Level 0) – Magic Skill]Requirement: Usable by CursemancersDescription: Allows the user to strike with a black whip that deals continuous dark damage and stuns the enemy for 2 seconds. Has a 13% chance to weaken the enemy's defense.Cooldown: 1 minute 30 seconds
This skill was a huge advantage for the team. With Aaryan's help, they could now reduce Stuart's health much faster.
"Boss... before we head into the fight, there's something I want to say," said Iron Bear, turning to face Nitish.
"What is it?" Nitish asked, puzzled.
But suddenly, Iron Bear stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug.
"I used to be a nobody... a useless Guardian Knight who couldn't even level up. But after meeting you, I found courage. I don't know whether we'll win this fight or not. But what I do know is that even if I lose a hundred times... if I'm losing by your side, I'll accept it."
Hearing those words, everyone in the party fell silent—shocked and unexpectedly moved. Especially Nitish.
"Oh come on, man! What are you saying?" Nitish laughed, trying to brush off the emotion. "Don't worry—we're definitely going to clear this dungeon. And stop calling yourself a loser. You're not. You helped me when everyone else mocked me for being just a Level 1 player."
Nitish was deeply touched by Iron Bear's words. But what he didn't realize was—he wasn't the only one. The rest of the team felt just as emotional.
It was obvious that, just like Nitish, the rest of the team came from ordinary families. Reaching this far into a dungeon without the support of any guild was no small achievement for them. And above all, they had a remarkable leader.
Nitish wasn't biased in the slightest—he had divided the dungeon loot equally among everyone. In fact, he had kept the least amount of gear for himself and shared the majority with his teammates.
"BOYS! ENOUGH REST! LET'S MOVE OUT!" Nitish called out in a firm, commanding tone.
But everyone knew the truth—he only used that voice to hide his emotions.
Following Nitish's command, the team quickly got into formation and advanced toward the boss.
At the front was Iron Bear, the team's impenetrable shield. Behind him marched their beloved Berserker, White Jade. After Jade came Sparky, the healer, followed by the Summoner, Blue Gem. Bringing up the rear were Nitish and Aaryan.
Without hesitation, they launched a surprise attack on Stuart.
The moment Stuart noticed them, his instincts kicked in, and he charged forward—his first target: Bear.
FWOOOOooooooooshhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
With great effort, Bear barely dodged the incoming strike and immediately retaliated with a heavy blow from his shield.
"DISTRACT!" Bear shouted, activating his skill to keep Stuart's focus locked onto him.
Watching Bear dodge and fight with such precision, Nitish couldn't help but feel impressed.
"I knew it—Bear isn't just some average player. The talent he has..." Nitish felt both proud and fired up.
SLAAAAAAAAAASHHHHHHHH!
As soon as Bear drew Stuart's attention, Jade stepped in and landed a clean hit with his massive two-handed sword. Stuart, however, kept his focus entirely on Bear.
Everyone worked together, using coordinated teamwork to keep the boss under control. While none of them matched Bear's talent, their overall performance pleased Nitish.
But after taking repeated damage, Stuart became agitated. He began shifting his attacks toward the rest of the team. Unlike Bear, the others had neither a sturdy shield nor the agility to dodge effectively. The damage piled up fast.
Sparky, their healer, was under tremendous pressure—he couldn't keep up with the incoming damage and was struggling to maintain the team's health.
Nitish noticed it immediately. Sparky wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
Without wasting another second, Nitish drew his sword.
SWOOOOOOOssssshhshhhhhhhhhhhh!
"About time, rodent! Now you're done for—the boss has finally joined the fight," Jade shouted, gaining a surge of confidence at the sight of Nitish entering the battlefield.
-60 HP, -62 HP, -66 HP, -122 HP
The damage numbers that popped up from Nitish's attacks left his teammates in awe.
"BOSS, ARE YOU SOME KIND OF HACKER OR WHAT?!" Jade cried out, frustrated. "I've pumped so many points into Strength, and I'm barely managing 50 damage… But you, with that tiny sword of yours, are tearing this boss apart like it's nothing! Unbelievable!"
It was as if Jade had lost all faith in the laws of this world.
Despite hearing Jade's outburst, Nitish didn't stop attacking. He already knew what had happened—after taking such massive damage, Stuart's full attention was now locked onto him.
"LOOK OVER HERE, YOU RAT!" Bear shouted, activating his Distract skill again to pull Stuart's focus back toward him.
"Good job, Bear," Nitish said, a smile forming on his face.
After a few more moments of intense battle, Stuart suddenly lifted his tail—sharp spikes began protruding from it.
Nitish's expression hardened. He immediately ordered his team to fall back.
There was a flicker of tension in his eyes.
This was one of Stuart's most dangerous abilities: Tail Spikes.
The Tail Spikes skill allowed Stuart to launch deadly spikes from his tail. Each spike dealt such devastating damage that even a fully-armored knight could lose 60% of their health in one hit.
"GUYS! IT'S TIME FOR FORMATION—NOW!"
At Nitish's command, everyone instantly snapped into a straight-line formation. Bear, as always, took the front.
Before Stuart could unleash the spike barrage, Bear slammed his shield into the ground. In an instant, the shield expanded several times its normal size.
This was his ultimate skill—Grand Defend.
For a knight, Grand Defend was nothing short of a dream ability. It reduced all incoming damage by nearly 90% for 10 seconds.
The moment the spikes hit Bear's shield, only a fraction of the damage came through. But even that 10% was so intense that any ordinary knight would've buckled under pressure.
As Bear absorbed the impact, Sparky kept him alive with continuous healing.
Within seconds, Stuart's spike attack ended. And right after, Nitish and the rest of the team surged forward again.
They unleashed every skill they had, bombarding Stuart with relentless force and steadily draining his health.
Before long, the boss's HP had dropped to around 30%.
Sensing danger, Stuart let out a sudden roar and lunged violently toward Bear with terrifying speed.
Nitish's eyes narrowed. His expression was dead serious.
"AARYAN!" Nitish shouted, issuing a sharp command.
This was it—Stuart was about to unleash another one of his deadly skills: Death Jump.
A single use of this move meant certain death. Whoever Stuart landed on would have their head torn off in one brutal strike. No escape. No second chances.
But Nitish had already accounted for this. As part of his pre-battle strategy, he had prepared Aaryan for this exact moment.
Right on cue, Aaryan activated Black Whip, and the dark energy lashed out, halting Stuart mid-air and disrupting the attack before it could land.
Seeing this, the rest of the party felt a wave of relief rush through them—and immediately resumed their assault with renewed fury.
Within moments, Stuart's health dropped to 15%.
Then suddenly—his eyes turned blood red.
His size doubled.
Berserk Mode.
Stuart had now entered his final phase—and with it, he activated his last and most devastating skill.
CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!
Stuart let out a blood-curdling scream and launched himself at Nitish using Body Smash—a massive area-of-effect skill capable of inflicting catastrophic damage not just to Nitish, but to the entire team.
Panic swept through the party.
Nitish had never warned them about this skill. Which meant... he likely didn't know about it either.
And if their leader didn't have a counter—then there was no way he could survive what was coming.
But just before impact, everything around Nitish changed.
The atmosphere darkened. A strange, fiery energy began crackling around his sword.
A mysterious power surged through him.
"Perfect timing..." Nitish muttered coldly.
"DRACONIC STRIKE!"
BOOOOOOOOOM!
The moment Nitish's sword connected with Stuart's body, a shockwave blasted through the battlefield. Stuart was sent flying several meters back.
The hit had dealt a whopping 350 damage.
Everyone—except Aaryan—stood frozen, unable to breathe. None of them had ever seen Nitish use Draconic Strike before. The sheer power of the blow left them stunned beyond words.
"Wait… Aaryan, Boss is human, right?" one of them asked, wide-eyed.
"I'm not even sure anymore," Aaryan laughed nervously.
"STOP TALKING NONSENSE AND ATTACK!" Nitish shouted, breaking their awe. "This isn't a picnic!"
Immediately, everyone turned their focus back to Stuart.
Even in his berserk rage mode, the tide had shifted. Nitish's Draconic Strike had given him a massive boost, and now the team was dishing out serious damage.
And then, finally—
CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!
With one last dying scream, Stuart collapsed and died. His massive body exploded on impact, sending debris and mist flying everywhere.
A glowing notification appeared in front of them:
Smight's Party has defeated Stuart (Level 3) Boss!First Boss Kill of the Dungeon – Loot increased by 2xFirst Hell Mode Boss Kill of the Dungeon – Loot increased by 2xTotal Loot Quality Increased by 4x
After reading the system messages, smiles spread across everyone's faces, wide enough to reach their ears. They looked at one another as if they had just conquered the entire world.
"WE DID IT!" they all shouted in unison, jumping in pure, unfiltered joy.
For all of them, this victory meant everything. It wasn't just a boss kill—it was a milestone. However, as soon as their eyes fell on their leader, Nitish, they paused—confused.
Unlike them, Nitish wasn't jumping in celebration. He was simply sitting quietly on the ground, his gaze distant but glowing with a strange spark. As if, after a long time, he'd finally been given the space to just breathe... and think.
No one disturbed him.
The team stood in silence, watching their leader quietly soak in the moment.
"Our boss looks like a happy little kid, doesn't he?" Blue Gem chuckled.
After a few minutes, Nitish stood up and immediately got to work collecting the loot. They couldn't afford to linger in the dungeon for long.
While looting, Nitish carefully reviewed each item that dropped. Among the piles were bronze-tier materials, a few forging items, and plenty of minor rewards. But only a handful of things actually made Nitish smile.
Even as he gathered the loot, not a single teammate moved to take anything for themselves. It was their way of showing respect—within their party, it was an unspoken rule: only the leader loots, and the leader distributes.
Besides, Nitish had more than earned their trust. He had always divided rewards fairly without keeping much for himself.
As he collected the last few items, Nitish's eyes landed on two exceptional things.
The first was a sword—an Iron-ranked weapon, surprisingly powerful despite its tier.And the second… was something far more mysterious—a stone tablet, ordinary in appearance, but etched with strange, unfamiliar alphabets.
Nitish's curiosity sparked.
Once he finished collecting everything, he quickly made a list of the most valuable loot they had obtained.
➤ Ashen Sword [Mysterious – Iron Rank] (Level 5 Required)Attack Power: 150Attack Speed: 121
[Active Skill – Ash Cut]:Allows the user to strike so swiftly that the attack becomes invisible to the naked eye.Deals bonus damage based on the amount of Ashen Mana consumed.Cooldown: 45 seconds
[Passive Skill – Burned Ash Mark]:Deals increased damage to frozen enemies. Each successful attack builds Ashen Mana, stacking up to 5 times.
➤ Elven Stone [Unknown Item]No description available.
➤ [Forging Recipe] Golden Breastplate (Bronze Rank)Level Requirement: 1Defense: 50Vitality: +30
[Active Skill – Smear Defense]:Emits a protective and restorative aura.Reduces incoming damage by 20% and restores 10 HP per second.Cooldown: 80 seconds
[Passive Skill – Healing Pinch]:Enhances health and stamina regeneration over time.
➤ [Potion Recipe] Basic Healing PotionInstantly restores 50 HP and grants an additional 15 HP per second for 5 seconds.
Nitish looked over the items he had received and felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Choosing Hell Mode for this dungeon had been a calculated risk. His goal had been simple—obtain both a potion recipe and a forging recipe. That alone would have made the entire run worthwhile.
But to his surprise, he had also acquired the mysterious Ashen Sword—a rare and powerful weapon far beyond what he'd expected—and a cryptic Elven Stone, whose use remained a mystery.
After dividing up the loot and giving each teammate gear suited to their roles, Nitish stood and addressed them.
"Alright, it's time we head out."
The group nodded, still glowing with pride. The dungeon was behind them—but the real shock was yet to come.
Because Nitish knew the moment they stepped out… and the world found out they had cleared the dungeon's Hell Mode this quickly—
That's when the real chaos would begin.