After a short rest, Ralph suddenly burst into laughter. Ian and Asha turned toward him, both wearing puzzled expressions.
"Hah! Even if it's a so-called epic-rank beast, it still can't withstand my fists! I am Ralph, the mighty one! The man who can defend a whole nation against epic monsters with nothing but his bare hands! Hahaha!"
Asha smirked at his boast.
"Do you really think you're strong enough right now to defeat an epic-rank monster all on your own?"
Ralph's grin froze. He clenched his fists, clearly irritated.
"Hey, don't belittle me! Ian and I worked together to bring down that Volcanic Wolf! Don't talk as if I wasn't strong enough!"
Asha shook her head.
"That's not what I meant. The truth is, the wolf we fought was weakened by external factors. Normally, no one below a five-star aura could even scratch an epic-rank beast. You two defeated it with only two-star auras. Do you really think that was a full-power epic monster?"
Ralph's pride crumbled, his shoulders sagging as silence swallowed him.
Seeing this, Ian stepped forward. His voice was calm, steady, carrying an unshakable resolve.
"Don't be discouraged, Ralph. It's true—we're not yet strong enough to slay a real epic monster. But one day, we'll become so powerful that even epic and legendary beasts will fall to us with a single strike. For now, let's keep moving. We need to finish this trial first."
Those words rekindled Ralph's spirit. He let out a laugh and followed behind Ian with renewed energy.
Together, the three opened the stone door that lay behind the wolf's chamber, stepping into the second floor.
The floor swarmed with vicious lizardmen, but with Ralph and Ian now at the two-star aura level, the enemies posed little threat. They allowed Asha to take the lead in combat, giving her the chance to sharpen her skills.
Days later, they reached the boss room of the second floor. There, a deadly naga awaited—its venom infamous, its presence placing it among the rare-rank monsters. The battle was fierce, but in the middle of it Asha awakened her aura's second stage. With that breakthrough, the trio overwhelmed the naga and claimed victory.
They pressed on without rest.
The third floor greeted them with a horde of cockatrice-like monsters, bird-beasts with terrifying speed. At the center ruled a Cockatrice King, a genuine epic-rank threat. Yet by now, Ian's group had grown used to fighting as one. Their teamwork cut through the king's speed, and they brought it down swiftly.
Three months passed.
From the start of the Trial of the Caves of Terror until now, the group fought endlessly, and in doing so each of them achieved the three-star aura level. At this stage, one could finally manifest elemental power through their aura—transforming ordinary strikes into attacks infused with elemental force.
At last, they stood before the doors of the tenth floor's boss chamber. The air itself grew heavy with dread, pressing down on their hearts.
When the door creaked open, the monster awaiting them was no ordinary foe.
From the shadows stepped a towering figure clad in dark armor, carrying a blade that dripped with malice. Upon its shoulders… there was no head.
A Dullahan.
A headless knight who had claimed the lives of countless heroes across nations.
One of the legendary-rank beasts.
And it was waiting for them.