Chapter Twelve: The Core Guardian
The damp, putrid air of the boiler room hung heavy around them. Minwoo stood panting, his broadsword dripping into the murky water. The third ghoul had fallen, and a temporary silence had settled over the dungeon. But it wasn't the silence of victory. The Gate's energy still pulsed with a dark, malevolent thrum.
[System Alert: All Remnant Monsters Purged]
[Objective: Defeat the Gate Boss]
[Awaiting Party: Enter the Core Chamber]
"The boss," Minwoo said, his voice a low growl. The system message appeared for both of them, a chilling finality to the trial. It was a choice: fight or flee.
Hyejin, meanwhile, was staring at her own status window, her eyes wide with a mix of terror and awe. A new message had just appeared, glowing with a soft, green light.
[System Message: Level Up!]
[Level: 2]
[Experience: 37.5/200]
[Stat Points: 5]
She was no longer a Level 1 student. She was a Level 2 hunter. "I... I leveled up," she whispered, her voice full of disbelief. "You didn't get all the points."
Minwoo nodded, a flicker of grim satisfaction in his eyes. The new system was working. They were both getting stronger. "That's how a party works," he replied. "We share the experience. Now, we have to share the risk. The boss is in the Core Chamber. We can leave now, or we can fight. If we fight, we get the full reward."
"What's the full reward?" she asked, her gaze flicking between him and the ominous message.
"A better magic core, a higher chance of a rare item, and more experience," he said, his voice firm. "We need this. The weak will be culled, remember?"
Hyejin looked at her own new status window. She had 5 stat points. She had her skill and her staff. He had a weapon and a plan. The fear was still there, but a new, quiet determination began to form in her eyes. "Okay," she said, her voice stronger this time. "Let's fight."
He nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. He opened his own status window and allocated his 5 new points. He needed to be faster and stronger.
[Stats]
Strength: 8 (+2 from Stat Points)
Agility: 9 (+3 from Stat Points)
Intelligence: 11
Vitality: 11
Sense: 16
[Stat Points: 0]
He turned to Hyejin. "Allocate your points. Put some into Intelligence for more MP, and some into Vitality. You need to be able to take a hit so you can keep me in the fight."
She nodded, and with a focused look, she followed his instructions. She put three points into Intelligence and two into Vitality. Her MP and her health pool grew, making her a more resilient support.
"Let's go," Minwoo said, and they moved toward the pulsing message, their footfalls splashing in the stagnant water. They found a large metal door, rusted shut, but the system message was their key. The door slid open with a groan of metal on metal, revealing a large, circular chamber.
The room was vast, with a single, massive boiler at its center. The air was thick and hot, and a dark, pulsing orb of energy—the true Gate Core—hovered above the boiler. And standing between them and the core was the boss. It was a D-Rank Rotten Behemoth, a massive, grotesque version of the ghouls they had fought. Its skin was a sickly gray, and its muscles bulged with unnatural strength.
"Get back!" Minwoo commanded, his mind racing. He was a Level 3 with a clumsy sword, facing a monster far beyond their rank. He knew he had to be smart. This wasn't a fight he could win with brute force. His eyes flickered to his Echo of Light skill icon, the divine power a foreign, resentful burden in his soul. He knew he could only use it once. A single, desperate strike that would leave him utterly drained and vulnerable.
The Behemoth let out a deafening roar and charged. Minwoo dodged, his new Agility making his movements almost fluid. He used his sword to parry the monster's first blow, a brutal attack that would have shattered his bones moments ago.
"Now!" he yelled. He had to end this quickly. The monster was a massive target. He would have to risk it all. He dodged another attack and slammed his sword into the Behemoth's torso, a desperate, glancing blow.
[Damage Dealt: 15]
The damage was pathetic. The monster retaliated, its sharp, rotting claws swiping at him. He was thrown back, his HP dropping dramatically.
[Health: -50 HP]
[HP: 51/101]
"Heal me!" he screamed.
Hyejin, her hands shaking, focused all her new power into her skill. A strong, green light pulsed from her palm, and she sent it to Minwoo. The light was brighter this time, the healing more effective. Her new Intelligence and Vitality were paying off.
[Health Restored: 15 HP]
He scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. He had to use it now. The Behemoth was slow, but its attacks were devastating. He had to hit its weak point again. He dodged the monster's next attack, a brutal stomp that cracked the concrete floor. He saw his chance. The monster's head was exposed.
He activated his skill, a desperate plea to a power he did not understand. The Echo of Light flared, a ghostly blade of pure light materializing around his sword. He felt half of his MP drain away in an instant, leaving him empty and cold. He lunged, his entire body a single, desperate motion. The blade of light sliced through the monster's thick skull, and the Behemoth froze, its eyes wide with a silent, final agony before its massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash.
[System Message: D-Rank Rotten Behemoth defeated.]
[Objective Complete: Defeat the Gate Boss]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
His body was flooded with a warm, restorative energy. He had leveled up twice. And the true reward was his. A new message appeared, and in the center of the room, a large, glowing chest materialized beside the now-inert Gate Core. They had defeated the boss. They had survived. And the real game had just begun.