The glowing words flickered above the monster's head, visible only to Aldric:
> [Wave Monster: Mini-Boss]
[Monster Class: Corrupted Stalker]
[Level 7]
Aldric's stomach dropped. This thing was stronger than anything they had fought so far. Way too strong.
Beside him, Thane gripped his knife, eyes locked on the beast. His voice was low, but steady.
"Follow my lead. We can take it together."
"Together…?" Aldric whispered, almost in disbelief.
At the corner of his vision, his own status floated in faint blue letters:
> [Scavenger – Lv. 3]
Compared to this monster, he was nothing. But Thane's level was higher—much higher. Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance.
The monster crouched low, its long claws scraping against the tiled floor. A deep hiss rattled from its throat. Its glowing eyes locked on them with pure hunger.
"Eirs, stay back!" Aldric shouted, pushing his little sister against the wall.
The corrupted stalker lunged. Its body blurred with terrifying speed.
Thane met it head-on. His knife sliced across its decayed skin, spraying black liquid, but the monster barely flinched. It was like cutting into rubber.
With a roar, the stalker's claws swung down. Thane raised his knife to block, but the strike was too strong. The claws ripped through his guard and tore open his arm. Blood splashed across the floor as Thane cried out in pain.
"Thane!" Aldric shouted, his heart pounding.
Without thinking, Aldric charged. He swung his iron rod as hard as he could, smashing it against the monster's ribs. The impact made the stalker stagger—but only for a moment.
The monster snarled and turned its glowing eyes on Aldric. The way it looked at him made his skin crawl, like a predator staring at weak prey before striking.
It slashed. Aldric dove sideways, rolling across the dirty floor just as the claws shredded through a wooden shelf behind him. Shoes and splinters rained to the ground.
"Damn it!" Thane's voice rang out. Despite his wound, he charged again. His knife flashed as he rammed it deep into the monster's side.
The corrupted stalker shrieked. In rage, it swung its massive arm, striking Thane with brutal force.
BAM!
Thane's body slammed against the wall with a sickening crack before dropping in a heap. The impact rattled the shelves and sent boxes crashing down.
"Oh no… Thane!" Aldric's throat tightened, panic shaking his voice.
The monster turned back toward him. Black ichor dripped steadily from its wounds, but the glow in its eyes only burned hotter. It crouched again, muscles bulging, ready to pounce.
Aldric raised his iron rod with trembling arms. His palms were slippery with sweat, his whole body shaking. He knew the truth—he couldn't win. Dodging the first attack had been dumb luck. One hit would be enough to kill him.
He wasn't strong enough. Not yet.
Then something strange caught his eye. Inside the monster's wound—where Thane's knife was still buried—a faint light pulsed, glowing like shards of crystal hidden under its skin.
Aldric froze.
Fragment Light.
Could it be possible. He thought the fragments can only appeared when monsters were killed. But this one… it was shining inside the living beast.
His pulse quickened.
If I can see it now… does that mean I can take it?
The stalker roared and lunged.
Aldric didn't run. Instead, he dove forward—straight toward it. His hand slammed against the wound, gripping around the knife handle.
The glow answered.
A surge of light burst from the stalker's body into Aldric's palm, flooding through him like fire.
> [50% Fragment Absorbed – Corrupted Stalker]
[Strength +7]
[Kill the stalker to absorb the remaining fragment and increase your power level]
Aldric gasped as raw power ripped through his veins. His arms tightened, his breath steadied, and the crushing fear inside him dulled into something else—something sharper.
The monster staggered, weakened by the loss. But instead of retreating, it went berserk. Its claws ripped across Aldric's chest, tearing his shirt and skin. Pain flared—but the new strength blazing inside him smothered it.
Blood dripped down his chest, but Aldric bared his teeth in a snarl.
"Now it's my turn."
He swung the iron rod with everything he had. The blow cracked across the stalker's skull, making it reel backward with a shriek.
He didn't stop. Aldric swung again. And again. Each strike landed harder than the last, fueled by the stolen power. The monster tried to rise, but Aldric's fury rained down on it without pause.
Finally, with one last crushing strike, the corrupted stalker's head caved under the force. It collapsed to the floor, letting out a dying screech that faded into silence.
The system chimed in Aldric's vision:
> [Mini-Boss Defeated]
[EXP +50]
[+1 vitality]
[Monster: Corrupted Stalker]
The remaining fragment light rose from the corpse, drifting into the air. Aldric reached out instinctively. The glow sank into him, filling his body with warmth.
> [Fragment Fully Absorbed]
[Power Level Increased → Lv. 10]
Aldric staggered back, gasping for air. His shirt was soaked with blood—some of it his own, but most of it black ichor from the monster. His arms trembled as he lowered the iron rod.
Across the room, Thane groaned. He pushed himself upright with one arm, the other hanging uselessly at his side, blood dripping from the deep gash in his forearm.
"You… you killed it," Thane muttered, voice weak but filled with disbelief. His eyes flicked from the monster's corpse to Aldric, narrowing. "How? Scavenger's the weakest class. How did you managed to kill something this strong?"
Aldric swallowed hard. He didn't meet Thane's eyes. His chest felt tight with unease.
"I couldn't have done it, if not for what you did. That stab you landed—it weakened it. I just… finished it off."
Thane let out a sharp breath, then gave a strained laugh. "Hah. Guess you did follow my lead after all. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have managed it."
Aldric forced a weak smile, gripping the iron rod in his hands tighter still trying to hide the truth burning inside him.