Chapter Fifteen: The Final Gauntlet
The world twisted and solidified around them, and they found themselves not in a boiler room, but in a place of eerie silence and unnatural gloom. The school's library was a place of floating books and silent, spectral entities. The air was thick with the scent of old paper and dust, and the only light came from the faint glow of the floating tomes, which cast long, dancing shadows.
[System Alert: New Gate Detected]
[Gate Rank: D-Rank]
[Monsters: Book Wraiths, Specters]
[Objective: Defeat the Gate Boss]
The new rules were in full effect. They were in a race against the clock, and the final boss was the only way out with a reward. Minwoo gripped his Scythe of the Plague, its blade pulsing with a low, menacing energy. This was the final stretch.
"Stay close," he said, his voice a low whisper. "Don't let them touch you. They're ethereal, but they still hurt."
Their first enemies were Book Wraiths, ghostly figures made of tattered pages and ink. They floated silently through the air, their long, skeletal fingers ready to tear at Minwoo's flesh. They were fast, but Minwoo's high Sense allowed him to see their movements before they happened. He dodged the first attack, a desperate swipe that passed harmlessly through his body.
He retaliated with his scythe. The blade, imbued with a strange, dark energy, sliced through the Wraith's ethereal body. The poison effect of the scythe activated, and the Wraith's form began to dissolve, its pages turning black with a sickly green ooze.
[Damage Dealt: 35 (Poison Effect Activated)]
As Minwoo fought, a new message, a quiet, almost imperceptible chime, appeared in his vision.
[Skill Proficiency: Sword Mastery (F): 15/100]
He wasn't just using his skills; he was honing them. With every parry and strike, his connection to his blade was deepening. He felt a surge of adrenaline, and his next strike was faster, more fluid than the last. He used a series of powerful, sweeping blows to defeat the remaining Wraiths, each one a step toward mastering his newfound art.
Hyejin, meanwhile, was using her Pendant of Restoration to her advantage. The passive HP and MP regeneration meant she didn't have to worry about her mana so much. She was a true support, a constant source of healing that kept him in the fight.
They fought their way through the library, a terrifying but rhythmic dance of offense and defense. Minwoo's scythe was a blur of motion, and he was hunting with an efficiency he hadn't possessed before. With every monster he defeated, his proficiency bar for Sword Mastery crept higher.
The final countdown was ticking away in his vision: [Time Remaining: 00:45:15].
They finally reached the back of the library, where the massive, imposing doors to the boss room stood. The doors were made of dark, swirling shadows, and a new message pulsed above them.
[System Alert: Gate Boss Located]
[Monster: Librarian Wraith (C-Rank)]
The rank was higher than they expected. Minwoo's cold, calculating mind felt a jolt of panic, but his body remained steady. The Scythe of the Plague was heavy in his hand, his growing Sword Mastery was a constant hum of awareness in his soul, and Hyejin was right behind him, a constant source of support. The last hour of the tutorial was almost over, and the real game was about to begin.