Chapter 5: The Boss Room-Part 1
The seven Riftwalkers stood before the second gate.
It was taller than the first. A jagged split ran down the middle, and the stone around it pulsed faintly with red cracks — like something inside had been trying to break out.
Before Ryden moved to open it, Alan stepped forward.
"Hey," he said, looking at Ryden's arm. "Careful with your right wrist. You're not exactly full form."
Levi nodded. "Healing aura needs at least a day to set fully. Hit anything wrong, it'll reopen."
Ryden smirked. "Relax, guys. My left hand's just as strong."
He stepped forward and pushed the gate.
The door creaked open, heavy and slow.
Inside was a massive chamber — darker, taller, and colder.
And standing near the center…
Was a skeleton at least fifteen feet tall.
Its body was armored in bone, its ribs reinforced with iron plates. It didn't move — but its eyes glowed bright blue. Like it was watching.
And flanking it on either side were three elite skeletons — smaller than the giant, but still twice as strong-looking as the basic ones.
Alan exhaled. "Yeah… this'll be rough."
Levi cracked his neck. "Enough talk."
He stepped forward calmly, raising his hand. Energy began to form in his palm — not fire, not lightning… something else.
A swirling sphere of compressed wind gathered, humming with pressure.
Then he threw it.
It hit one of the elite skeletons clean in the chest — and instantly collapsed in on itself.
FWOOM.
The skeleton let out a hollow screech as its entire body was sucked into the core of the wind sphere — then crushed.
Bone dust scattered into the air.
Everyone froze.
Alan blinked. "What the hell was that?"
Levi wiped his hand on his jacket like it was nothing. "Skill scroll. Picked it up in a trio run last week."
Alan raised a brow. "Without me?"
Levi smirked. "You were busy crying in the gym or something."
Alan rolled his eyes.
But there was no time to banter — the other two elites charged toward them, weapons raised and bone feet slamming against the stone.
Part 2
The two elite skeletons sprinted across the chamber floor, swords raised, eyes glowing.
Ryden stepped forward despite his bandaged arm.
He raised his sword with his left hand and slashed low, knocking the first skeleton off-balance just long enough for Min Jae-won to fire a quick flame burst into its side.
The skeleton staggered—just for a second.
Rin-ah took that moment and charged.
She spun into a rising kick that shattered the monster's ribcage and sent it flipping backwards through the air.
It tried to rise again—but Dae-hyun was already there.
He blurred behind it, silver aura active, and landed a clean punch to the skull that knocked it into a wall—where it collapsed for good.
The second elite reached Levi first.
He ducked its swing and slammed his dagger into its arm joint, twisting hard before flipping backwards.
Reika stepped in, hands glowing with flame. This time it wasn't a burst—it was controlled.
She swept both arms forward and let out a concentrated flame arc — it struck the skeleton directly, engulfing its chest in fire.
Alan dashed past her before the flames cleared and finished the job with a horizontal slash that severed its spine.
Bone cracked. The skeleton dropped.
Silence fell over the chamber again.
Then—
A massive boom shook the floor.
The giant skeleton finally moved.
It raised one arm — and in its hand was a bone club, longer than a human body, reinforced with spikes and jagged black carvings.
The weapon glowed faintly with dark energy.
Reika took a cautious step forward, eyes narrowing.
Then—
The giant raised the club and brought it straight down — directly toward her.
"REIKA—!"
Alan sprinted forward.
Just as the weapon hit the ground with earth-shaking force—
Alan grabbed her and tackled her sideways, both of them rolling across the stone floor.
Dust exploded around them.
The spot she had been standing in was now cracked, shattered — the bone club embedded deep into the stone.
Reika looked at Alan, eyes wide. "You save—"
"Watch your six," he muttered, out of breath.
End of Chapter