Chapter 33 – End of the Final Boss
Leon's eyes drifted back to the towering gate at the end of the corridor. Massive, silent, and ancient—it loomed like the final page of a long, violent Chapter. His curiosity had been sated. The strange girl, the corpses, the hidden truths of this dungeon—most of it had revealed itself to him.
But one thing remained.
The boss.
He could feel it now—something heavy beyond the gate. Not just in terms of power, but presence. The weight of purpose. The anchor of the dungeon's existence.
His hand shifted to his side.
'I want to finish this.'
Not for glory.
Not even for loot.
Just... to end it.
He hadn't slept in over a day. His body felt light with mana, but heavy with time. The mental toll was creeping in—just enough for him to notice. It was time to leave this place behind.
He turned to Liora.
"I'm going," he said plainly, voice low but firm. "To kill the boss."
Her eyes widened—just for a second. The reaction was small, but clear. As if she hadn't expected someone to state it so casually. Or maybe she hadn't expected anyone to actually try.
But then, just as quickly, she straightened.
"...Can I come?"
Leon blinked.
Liora looked up at him, expression neutral but her tone honest. "I can still fight for a bit. Even like this."
She rested a hand gently on her wounded side. The blood had dried there, dark and crusted, but it was clear she'd taken the hit hard. Still, her gaze didn't falter.
He respected that.
But—
"No."
His answer came without hesitation.
Leon shook his head slightly. "Stay here and rest. You've made it this far. No point pushing your luck now."
For a moment, she looked conflicted. But only briefly.
"...Alright."
She exhaled, and this time the relief on her face wasn't subtle. Her shoulders slackened ever so slightly. She didn't want to die—not after coming this far. Not when her body had already been pushed past its edge.
And yet—somewhere behind her composed expression, another emotion surfaced.
Gratitude.
'She thinks I refused out of kindness.'
That wasn't wrong... but it wasn't the whole truth, either.
He had no intention of sharing this final fight. Not the glory. Not the loot. Not the class advancement it would trigger.
Still, if she wanted to see it as compassion...
'Let her.'
As she nodded once more, Leon felt a small weight lift off his chest.
'Good. If she'd insisted... I'd have had to stop her.'
And that would've wasted time.
He turned toward the gate and stepped forward.
His hand pressed against its surface—cool, cracked stone layered with dormant mana.
A slow grind echoed through the corridor as the massive doors began to open, ancient gears shifting behind the walls with a tired groan.
Before the gap widened enough to pass through, Leon paused.
He turned his head slightly.
"Stay safe, Liora," he said.
Her eyes widened again.
The use of her first name caught her off guard.
Leon didn't wait for a reply.
He stepped through the gate, disappearing into the shadows of the final room—alone, focused, and unshaken.
The gate closed behind him with a deep, echoing rumble.
Leon took a slow step forward, his boots clicking softly on the obsidian floor. The chamber was vast—far larger than any other he'd seen in the dungeon. The air was different here. Thicker. Charged.
Mana clung to the walls like mist, making the air shimmer faintly. Cracks in the stone ceiling allowed narrow shafts of ethereal blue light to beam through, illuminating the arena-like space in solemn tones.
He exhaled.
'This is it. The true end.'
Every sense in his body sharpened as he scanned the area. No movement yet. But something was definitely here.
He could feel it.
His pulse remained steady.
Not because he wasn't afraid—but because he was ready.
'Let's see what kind of beast they locked behind all this.'
Just then, a faint tremor passed beneath his feet. Dust rose from the far side of the chamber. A breath.
Then—
A second tremor.
The stone gate sealed shut behind him with a groan of ancient weight, and silence blanketed the chamber ahead—heavy, stale, and expectant.
Leon took slow, measured steps into the boss room.
Then he saw it.
At the far end of the chamber stood a massive wolf, easily twice the size of any he'd encountered before. Its fur rippled with power—crimson flames licking across its left flank, and jagged bolts of blue lightning sparking along the right. Two enormous heads rested atop its broad shoulders, both bearing jaws lined with serrated fangs and eyes that shimmered like stormfire.
Its presence was undeniable. The mana in the air thickened immediately.
The beast hadn't even moved yet.
'So that's the boss.'
As if on cue, both heads stirred—eyes snapping open, luminous and full of ancient rage. The one crowned in fire let out a low growl that rumbled across the floor, while the lightning-headed one exhaled with a crackling hiss that sparked across the stone.
Flames lit the air.
Lightning danced across the ground.
Yet—
Leon narrowed his gaze.
'...It's strong. No question.'
But even as he watched the elemental chaos whirl around the creature, something nagged at him.
'Still... only half the pressure that thing in the throne room gave off.'
The realization left a dull note of disappointment in his chest. He had expected something devastating. Something equal to or worse than the obsidian monster that had shattered his bones and tested his soul.
This... wasn't it.
'Big. Loud. Mean. But not terrifying.'
Still, the beast wasn't idle.
It advanced now, each clawed step cracking the floor beneath it. Both heads locked eyes on him—sizing him up.
Leon's silver eyes gleamed.
'Don't bother, mutt. You're not the hunter here.'
Without a word, he reached into his storage.
A familiar weight settled into his palm.
The ice spear, which was still holding up.
It gleamed with residual runes, cold mist trailing from its tip like a divine relic pulled from a frozen shrine. Even cracked and half-spent, it pulsed with elemental hunger.
As soon as the spear appeared—
The wolf reacted.
Both heads snarled in unison. Mana surged violently. It sensed the spear's danger, remembered perhaps what that kind of pressure meant.
Then it charged.
Fast.
Faster than a creature that size should've been able to move. A storm of lightning bolts and fireballs erupted from both sides of its body, surging toward Leon in a spiral of destructive force.
But Leon was already moving.
With a flick of will, adept-rank mana surged through his limbs. Wind curled around him like a loyal phantom. His form blurred, dancing between streaks of flame and arcs of voltage with perfect grace.
His heart barely quickened.
'Too slow.'
Every strike missed by meters.
Every blast scorched only air.
And as he ran, he focused.
Wind gathered.
Condensing around the shaft of the spear, wrapping it in layers of pressurized momentum. It began to hum—a low, sharp sound like the promise of judgment.
The spear trembled in his hands.
It wasn't as strong as it had been during the throne room fight. But it was still potent—still enough.
Enough for this.
Leon skidded to a halt.
His feet grounded. His eyes locked onto the charging wolf.
And then—
He threw.
The spear left his fingers like a meteor.
Wind screamed.
Air cracked apart behind it.
And the beast had no time to react.
Neither head could dodge. Neither claw could parry.
Because the moment the spear struck—
It obliterated both heads in a single, deafening explosion.
The twin necks burst like ruptured pipes of flesh and flame. The massive body convulsed once, then collapsed in a smoking heap before it even had the chance to cry out.
And the spear didn't stop.
It hurtled across the chamber and smashed into the far wall with a thunderous blast, embedding itself so deep the wall fractured outward in a web of shattered stone.
A shockwave echoed back through the entire corridor.
Outside, Liora flinched as dust trickled from the ceiling. Her wide eyes locked onto the door.
'What in the world... was that?' she thought.
Back inside the chamber—
Leon exhaled.
Calm. Focused.
His gaze lingered on the motionless corpse.
'Done.'
But he didn't relax.
Not yet.
Because in dungeons like this—
Victory was only the beginning
Chapter 34: Dungeon Clear
Chapter 34 – Dungeon Clear
Leon stood still for a moment, staring down at the collapsed corpse of the twin-headed wolf. Both of its necks were torn wide open, mangled beyond recognition—smoking from the lingering energy of his now-broken spear. Even its limbs still twitched faintly as the last remnants of its mana dissipated into the air.
He exhaled through his nose and moved forward.
The battle was over.
First, he reached down and searched the remains. His hand brushed over thick fur and scorched hide until he felt it—dense, pulsing faintly with residual energy. He dug carefully and pulled free a massive mana core, nearly the size of his palm and filled with streaks of fire and lightning.
'Not bad.'
He placed it in his inventory without ceremony.
But he didn't stop there.
This was a boss.
And bosses had loot.
He crouched again and started checking deeper—claws, chest cavity, organs already cooling from the kill. It didn't take long before his fingers brushed against something harder, smoother.
A faint hum followed.
Leon pulled it out slowly.
A stone. Pale gray. Inscribed with faint, jagged runic markings etched in a dull yellow.
The moment he held it, a message floated in the air:
[Skill Rune – Lightning Bolt (Common Rank)]
He blinked once.
Then frowned.
'...Seriously?'
A common ranked rune?
After all that?
It wasn't even the cool kind of disappointment—it was the quiet, mundane kind that just left a flat taste in the back of his throat. Still, he didn't toss it aside. A skill was a skill.
And lightning, even if basic, had potential.
He slipped the rune into his storage space alongside the beast's corpse and core.
Then, his eyes flicked to the back of the room.
Where the treasure chest waited.
It wasn't as massive as the vault chest from before, but it had weight. Design. Presence. And more importantly, hope.
Leon approached slowly, letting a thin weave of wind twist around his hand. Just in case.
He circled it once. No traps. No runic wards.
He guided the wind toward the latch, clicked it open, and then carefully lifted the lid.
Inside—
No platinum.
No mountain of metal wealth.
Instead, lying alone in the center, cushioned in velvet—
A sheathed sword.
Its scabbard was a deep charcoal gray, marked with elegant silver vines. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, and the guard had a faint curve like a crescent moon.
Leon reached in and lifted it carefully.
It felt... light. Balanced.
As he unsheathed the blade partway, a clean glint of steel caught the faint light. Sharp. Beautiful. Efficient.
Then, as if on cue—
[Item Acquired: Crescent Fang – Uncommon Rank Sword]
He tilted his head.
Not quite what he expected.
But not bad either.
Leon looked at the blade in his hands for a moment longer, then slid it back into the scabbard with a soft click.
'Looks like I won't need to buy a new weapon for a while.'
He turned slowly, surveying the chamber one last time. It was time to leave.
But something told him his story inside this dungeon wasn't over just yet.
The soft click of the sword sliding back into its sheath echoed faintly across the silent chamber. Leon stood still for a moment, his silver eyes scanning the room one last time. The twin-headed beast lay lifeless, the last challenge conquered, and the treasure claimed.
Then—
A sudden ripple shimmered in the air ahead.
A circular, sky-blue portal unfurled just a few meters in front of him—its surface swirling gently like the surface of a lake, laced with runes that pulsed in sync with his heartbeat.
Leon didn't move.
Instead, he observed it calmly.
'So this is the exit.'
And elsewhere—
In a corridor beyond the gate, another portal appeared.
Liora, seated against the stone wall and still clutching her injured side, opened her eyes at the sudden glow. The light washed over her like a second sunrise, and for a moment she simply stared.
Then she exhaled.
Deeply.
Her body slackened against the wall, her head tilting back in quiet relief.
'Thank the stars... I'm alive.'
But even as relief flooded her veins, dread lingered in the back of her mind.
It hadn't even been a minute since the boy—the strange, half-naked, terrifyingly strong boy—entered the boss chamber.
And it was over.
Just like that.
The explosion, the flash, the utter finality of it all—it had shaken her.
'What kind of monster is he...?'
But she didn't dwell on it.
With the portal shining beside her, she pulled herself upright and limped toward it, teeth gritted through the pain. She hesitated only for a moment—then stepped inside.
Warmth enveloped her instantly.
Everything changed.
She was no longer in the dungeon.
She stood in an ethereal space of endless stars, where time felt suspended and energy hummed with ancient intelligence. A quiet presence—massive and unknowable—welcomed her.
A glowing prompt formed before her eyes.
[Lesser System Link Established]
Her breath caught.
Then—
[Class Awakening: Complete]
[Class Rank: B]
Liora's eyes widened.
Her pulse raced.
She didn't even see the name of the class yet—but the rank alone made her heart skip. B-rank. Not C. Not D. But B.
She'd done it.
Even with injuries. Even without defeating the boss.
She stepped forward into the light that beckoned her from beyond.
And when she emerged—
Sunlight struck her face.
Cool wind greeted her skin.
She stood once more in the open clearing where the dungeon gate had been placed, the portal closing silently behind her like a dream evaporating.
Around her stood soldiers and robed mages bearing the kingdom's crest—watchful, quiet, alert. The lingering tension of the dungeon's earlier surge still hung in the air.
But they weren't alone.
Not far ahead, arms folded and expression cold, stood a woman clad in deep violet armor.
Commander Seraphine Vael.
Liora's eyes flicked to her in recognition—confused, but respectful.
'Why is she still here?'
She didn't ask, of course.
The answer was likely simple: damage control. Dungeon instability. A potential break.
A commander's duty.
Liora exhaled again and looked around once more.
But there was no sign of the little boy beside her.
No silver hair. No strange eyes.
She hadn't seen him enter with the other students—so to her, he had simply... vanished.
Just another mystery.
A terrifying one.
But one she'd keep quietly to herself—for now.
Liora didn't get far.
She took only a few careful steps toward the treeline, hoping to quietly slip away before anyone noticed—before questions came.
But that hope died instantly.
A pair of guards stepped directly into her path, their halberds crossing before her like a gate.
"Halt."
Liora froze.
She looked up slowly, eyes narrowing beneath her hood. "...What now?"
"You emerged from the portal with such odds," the taller guard said sternly. "Identify yourself. What class did you awaken to? Who defeated the boss?"
More voices joined in behind them. Other officials. Mages. Curious soldiers gathering nearby. A few scribes even lifted enchanted quills, ready to record anything she said.
Liora's pulse quickened.
She didn't want to answer. She didn't want attention.
But escape wasn't an option now.
So she schooled her face into neutrality, tilted her chin slightly, and replied:
"I don't know who defeated the boss."
There was a brief pause.
The guards exchanged glances.
"I was injured and resting near the gate," Liora continued, her voice even. "A portal opened in front of me—suddenly. I assumed the dungeon was cleared and stepped through."
Technically true.
Just...not the whole truth.
She kept her tone flat, her gaze cool. Revealing too much now would only draw suspicion. And the last thing she needed was someone tracing her identity—or questioning the boy.
Because she still didn't know what he was. Only that he was dangerous. Strong. And that she owed him her life.
Unnoticed by most, a third figure stood quietly nearby.
Not a guard.
Not a mage.
Commander Seraphine Vael.
She had listened to every word.
Her violet gaze remained fixed on Liora, sharp and unreadable.
Inside, however, her mind was racing.
'So someone did survive. But not the boss... not alone.'
Her eyes shifted subtly toward the dungeon gate.
'Then Leon is still inside.'
Not a single flicker of doubt crossed her mind.
If Liora had made it out injured and confused—then Leon, her precious disciple, was still deep in that trial.
Still inside.
Likely to come out soon.
Seraphine exhaled slowly.
She didn't speak.
She didn't step forward.
But deep in her chest, a quiet hope sparked.
'Come on, Leon...'
'Be the next one out.'