[Aiden's POV]
The chamber seems to filled with ominous air. All the floor had given similar feeling but something about this one was different — it felt more alive.
"Be careful; this isn't going to be as easy as it looks," I warned Thane. He just nodded with his skeletal head.
For the first time, he didn't answer with a quip. As we took a few steps in, suddenly, the gate shut behind us. The blue screen appeared and confirmed my suspicion.
[You can only leave the dungeon after defeating the Boss]
Focusing my senses to the full, I stepped forward with Thane floating a step behind me. The vision of the chamber become clearer.
It was empty with no sign of any monster; the pillars seemed like they were holding the weight of the whole dungeon.
The most prominent structure was a staircase made of fused skulls and gravestones, leading up to a throne carved from numerous gravestones, coffins, and ossified crowns.
There, seated on the throne, was a being; not quite a monster, neither fully skeletal nor fully flesh. The Being's legs shifted between smoke and solid form; its upper torso was draped in garments that appeared regal.
The aura emanating from it was the same as the sensation I felt when entering. Soon my eyes locked with twin violet-black lights in place of pupils. My step halted unconsciously.
If not for being a Primarch, I would probably have cowered. Thane wasn't doing any better, floating slightly behind me at an angle. He shifted further behind my back.
"Welcome to this humble place," the being spoke, and inwardly I was screaming.
There was no way a boss monster from a beginner dungeon should be able to speak. Just what the hell kind of dungeon is this? Insight Eye provided the details immediately.
[Name: The Lord of the Thirtieth Step/???]
[Rank: Grandmaster (locked)]
[Threat: Very High; advice to not engage recklessly]
"Emotional State?" I mentally asked the system.
[Emotional State: Intrigued & Amused]
"Hel-.."
Before I could utter even one word, my instincts flared up. My body moved on its own in response to the threat. I barely dodged sideways when I noticed a slab whizz past me, embedding itself in the gate behind.
"You have some nice reflexes; no wonder you cleared most of the dungeon alone before summoning that bag of bones hiding behind you." The final boss spoke.
"Any advice, System?" I mentally asked before I proceeded ahead.
[There is no other way, you have to fight him head-on, Host. Be careful]
Taking my silence as fear, the boss spoke again: "If you are thinking, 'How can I speak even after being trapped in this weak place?'"
"It's because just as I said, I am trapped here. That's also why the condition to clear this dungeon is to reach the final gate, not enter it."
"What were you thinking? Well, it doesn't matter; the only way you can go out is by dying. But know this, you were strong; not many of your level could clear this dungeon with such little help."
The final boss remarked, confident that I won't fight back or stood no chance of winning.
'Well, I thought I would get to fight a stronger master-rank monster. Not a Grandmaster-rank who could talk properly, I thought as I readied myself for the fight.
"Do you only give sermons sitting on the bones, or do you actually fight?" I taunted, the first time addressing the boss.
"Snap out of it, Thane. I thought you chased power, and here the power is delivering itself. Just assist like you have done before; leave everything else to me."
I pumped Thane, who seemed more fearful than I thought. However, I was in no position to ask the reason behind it.
"You got a mouth on you for being so weak. Let's see how long that bravado lasts," the boss spoke with an angry voice.
My body glowed faintly as I activated all my sigils at once for the first time. Followed by the three skills, I kept the Overdrive Fist inactive for now, waiting for the chance to get a good hit.
In the next moment, multiple stone slabs, fragments of gravestones, flew at me at a speed similar to before. However, this time I was ready; the Absolute Read helped me with the trajectories of the slabs.
I pushed forward through the barrage of stone slabs. Just as I took a few leaps toward the throne, corroded chains appeared from the ground, trying to bind me in place.
Dodging the chains, I moved to the side. I also had to continue tanking the attack so that Thane could try to immobilize the boss, and then I could strike. That was our common strategy of clearing the floors.
Touching the slabs, I confirmed that it was okay to touch. I grabbed the slabs on the ground and threw them with my full strength, targeting the boss on the throne.
"Insolence, attacking me with my own gravestones." The enraged boss spoke as he defended himself with newly conjured thick and large gravestones.
'So, he can defend himself with that too,' I noted down.
Moving ahead, I glanced at Thane; he nodded slightly in response. I pushed more mana into my legs, as I sprinted toward the boss. I ducked and sidestepped, avoiding the rain of slabs.
Using the staircase, I jumped high, reaching slightly above the boss's seated position. "Now!" I screamed.
Bones jutted from the ground, surrounding the throne and boss. Several bones impaled the throne, destabilizing its structure. I charged my punch and activated Overdrive Fist, ready to strike.
"You think such weak bones could hold me down. I am lord of ##@$@; bones are nothing but a plaything for me." The boss screamed as bones imploded.
My fist barely grazed his shoulder, where a deep impression appeared, before I jumped back to below the throne. I heard some incomprehensible words from his mouth, but I shoved it aside for now.
"You little twerps managed to wound me a little. You really pack quite the punch; now I understand how you one-shot the monsters." The boss spoke, half amused and half angry.
Thane followed with his attack to try and debuff him a little. The aura around the boss weakened a bit; however, the next second it returned to normal.
The boss finally rose from his throne as he spoke, "Your idea may have been good to use an Undead against the monster above. But it won't work against me," he proudly declared.
'Of course, I know that. 'I wasn't aiming for it,' I spoke mentally.
The stone slabs stopped and disappeared, but the next moment, orbs made from black substance appeared, aimed straight at me.
Coating my fist with 'Nullification,' I evaded some and met with some head-on, erasing them in air. I had to use my ability sparingly because currently it was the most mana-draining weapon in my arsenal.
"That fist again—you are indeed very interesting," the boss spoke as he jumped down from his position.
"If you only use fist then don't worry before sitting on that throne, I also fought using fist." He spoke with a grin on his half skeletal face. His both arms become covered with layer of the same black substance.
He lunged at me, the Absolute Read helping me with his trajectory. I ducked and threw a punch at him, which he also evaded.
He probably didn't know it yet, but facing me head-on was his first mistake in his overconfidence.
We exchanged attacks, evading and countering, sometimes barely grazing each other. I was waiting for the cooldown of Overdrive Fist to attack aggressively, just few more seconds.
While fighting, I tried to steer him to face the throne. As soon as the cooldown lifted, I only moved my eye towards Thane.
The next second, chains made from a mixture of bones and corroded steel erupted from the ground, binding the hands and torso of Boss in place.
Getting the golden chance, I used Overdrive Fist and delivered a full-powered punch to his face before he could free himself.
The punch landed perfectly on his skeletal jaw, causing a crack as he flew back.
He slammed into the pillar behind. As he removed himself, his eyes seemed to change. This time he was truly engaged.
"Enough of you insects, just die already," he roared as monsters from lower floors started appearing beside us.
Noticing the increasing number, I made a decision. While facing the boss, I spoke aloud, "Hold down these monsters, Thane, and leave this half-dead skeleton to me."
My entire body had begun aching from constant use of all the sigils. Ignoring the pain, I raised my fist and spoke to the boss, "Let's finish this."