The clearing fell silent, save for the sound of Ethan's own breathing. He stood over a carpet of dissolving wolf corpses, his dagger dripping blood that steamed in the moonlight.
But the silence shattered as a roar ripped through the night—deep, guttural, and furious.
From the shadows stepped the Alpha.
It was massive, easily twice the size of the others. Its fur gleamed silver-black, its muscles rippled like coiled springs, and crimson eyes burned with savage intelligence. Each breath it exhaled misted white in the cool air, carrying the iron tang of blood.
Boss Monster Detected: Alpha Wolf.[Level: 10][Abilities: Savage Bite, Pack Commander's Aura, Blood Frenzy.][Threat: Extreme.]
Ethan's grip tightened on the rusty dagger. His heart thundered, but his grin widened.
"This… this is it. The ultimate test."
The Alpha Strikes
The Alpha moved like a blur, a mountain of fur and fury crashing toward him. Ethan barely raised his dagger before the beast slammed into him like a battering ram.
CRACK!
He flew backward, crashing through bushes and slamming against a tree. Pain erupted through his ribs, white-hot and suffocating. His HP bar plummeted.
-40 HP![HP: 120/160 → 80/160]
Ethan spat blood, coughing, but forced himself to his feet. His regeneration ticked sluggishly, patching wounds too slowly to matter.
"Damn… its raw strength is ridiculous."
The Alpha snarled, lips peeling back to reveal fangs longer than Ethan's fingers. With another thunderous roar, it charged again.
A Desperate Counter
This time Ethan rolled aside, the beast's claws gouging trenches in the earth where he'd stood. He slashed wildly with the dagger as it passed, the blade scraping across the Alpha's hide and drawing a shallow line of red.
The wolf barely flinched.
Ethan's mind raced. If I fight it like I did the pack, I'll die. I need more.
Ding![Battle Pressure Detected.][Skill "Basic Slash" has begun evolving.]
His dagger glowed faintly as energy surged through his arm. Ethan's eyes widened.
He swung.
A crescent arc of light tore through the night, slamming into the Alpha's flank. Blood sprayed, the beast staggering for the first time.
Critical Hit! -60 HP (Alpha Wolf).
The monster howled in fury, eyes glowing brighter, aura intensifying.
[Alpha Wolf has activated Blood Frenzy! Strength +50%, Speed +30%.]
The clearing itself seemed to tremble as the beast's killing intent washed over Ethan.
He gritted his teeth, every nerve screaming at him to run. Instead, he roared back.
"COME ON!"
Blood and Fire
The battle raged.
The Alpha's claws slashed, tearing through trees like paper. Ethan ducked and weaved, leather armor shredded by near misses. Every time he landed a hit, notifications rang in his ears:
Basic Slash dealt -55 HP!
Rusty Dagger durability decreased (7/10).
Minor Regeneration restored +5 HP.
But every strike from the Alpha was devastating. A glancing blow sent Ethan skidding across the dirt, bones aching, blood soaking his armor.
His HP bar flashed dangerously.
[HP: 40/160.]
The Alpha loomed, ready to finish it.
Breaking Limits
Ethan's vision blurred, the world spinning. He could feel life slipping away. But in that abyss, the System's voice rang out.
Ding![Host is in critical condition.][Unique Trait Activated: Infinite Growth.][Temporary Evolution Path Unlocked—Emergency Adaptation.]
A new surge of energy flooded his veins, burning hot and wild. His dagger blazed with light, its rust flaking away to reveal gleaming steel.
Weapon Upgrade: Rusty Dagger → Steel Fang Dagger.[Attack +15. Durability 50/50.]
Ethan's eyes snapped open, blazing with renewed fire.
The Alpha lunged, jaws wide. Ethan didn't dodge. Instead, he charged straight in.
With a roar, he drove the newly evolved dagger upward, piercing straight through the wolf's open maw and into its skull.
The beast convulsed, thrashing, blood spraying in torrents. Ethan screamed, pushing with every ounce of strength.
The dagger tore through bone.
SPLURCH!
The Alpha's body went rigid—then collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Victory
Ding![Boss Slain: Alpha Wolf (Lv.10).][Experience +500.][Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!]
Light burst from Ethan's body as his level skyrocketed. His wounds closed, his strength multiplied, and his heart pounded like a war drum.
Level: 12
HP: 280/280
MP: 150/150
Strength: 40
Agility: 38
Vitality: 35
Free Stat Points: 20
He dropped to his knees, panting, drenched in blood—his own and the Alpha's. But a manic grin stretched across his face.
"I… I actually did it. I killed a level 10 boss at level 5."
His laughter echoed through the night, wild and unrestrained.
The Alpha's Legacy
From the Alpha's corpse, two items materialized in beams of light.
Alpha Wolf Fang (Rare Weapon): Attack +25, Bleed Effect.Skill Book: Beast Howl (AoE Debuff, lowers enemy morale by 20%).
Ethan's hand trembled as he picked them up. His rusty beginnings were already behind him.
But even greater than the loot was the realization burning in his chest:
With infinite growth, no enemy—no matter how strong—could stop him.
He looked to the horizon, where the moon hung like a silver crown.
"This is just the beginning. The whole world is my hunting ground."