Riko walked along the path toward the gate with steady steps, his clothes torn and dirty, clear traces of battle covering his body.
Despite that, his eyes were calm.
'Those skeletons were truly strong… stronger than the wolf I fought before.'
He fell silent for a moment, then continued while tightening his fist.
'But because I obtained the Soul Devour technique, my strength increased tremendously… to the point of rivaling C-rank.'
He kept walking, his inner voice becoming more resolute.
'Yes, when hunters awaken their techniques, their strength multiplies.'
'And that is the real reason I won against that powerful wolf.'
Between the trees, an old ruined palace appeared on the horizon, its walls cracked and its roof partially collapsed.
Riko stopped and stared at it.
'Is this the palace where the boss is located?'
Before he could move, ten massive skeletal wolves suddenly emerged from between the trees, their empty eyes fixed on him.
Riko looked at them with clear disgust.
"Was it you… watching me while I fought the slave skeletons?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It seems you have some intelligence. You observed me to understand my strength, didn't you?"
Then he added coldly.
"But unfortunately… with every battle, my strength increases gradually."
A system window appeared before him:
[Name: Riko Kisaragi]
[Rank: D]
[Title: Unknown]
[Level: 25]
Riko looked at the window and thought:
'Yes… I gained five levels.'
"Storage."
Two daggers appeared in his hands.
He looked at the wolves and said with deadly calm:
"Come, wolves."
The wolves charged at him all at once.
Riko moved lightly, slicing the first wolf effortlessly, its bones scattering into the air.
"Honestly… this feeling is wonderful."
A second wolf, then a third, then a fourth…
Every strike was clean, fast, and decisive.
Bones shattered, and the ground filled with debris.
Only two remained.
They stood frozen in place, as if fear had seeped into their empty bones.
Riko looked at them, his eyes glowing with a red aura, the daggers in his hands.
"Are you afraid?"
He smiled.
"Then… I'll be merciful with you."
"Storage."
The daggers disappeared.
He extended his hand forward.
"Ice King: Great King Sword."
A massive sword formed in his hand, both blade and hilt made of pure ice—solid and unmelting.
The system appeared instantly:
[Great King Sword]
[When the sword touches an opponent, they are completely frozen depending on the difference in power between the opponent and the user]
The wolves watched the sword with obvious fear.
Riko said coldly:
"Unfortunately, this is your fate."
Then he added in a calm, mocking tone:
"I thought this sword was weaker than the daggers."
He swung the sword.
A freezing wave surged forward, and the moment it touched the wolves, they froze completely, turning into statues.
Riko approached one of them and placed a single finger on it.
The ice cracked… then the bones shattered, and both wolves broke apart together.
Riko looked ahead and said confidently:
"Then… next is the boss."
He raised his gaze toward the palace, his eyes sharp, his body radiating a deadly red aura.
Inside the palace…
A massive skeleton sat upon a high throne, wearing ancient royal garments, majestic in appearance.
It sat with arrogance and pride, a gigantic sword planted in the ground beside it.
As if… waiting.
In front of the palace, Riko stood.
'This is the boss's palace.'
'It's time to defeat him.'
A red window appeared:
[The boss inside the palace is B-rank]
[Are you sure you want to enter?]
An accept button… and a reject button.
Riko looked at the system.
'I now rival C-rank… it feels like I've reached it.'
Then he hesitated for a moment.
'But if I die… who will protect my family?'
Memories flooded his mind.
'I was always the weakest.'
'At school, everyone was E-rank trainees… except me.'
'I was just an insect… not even a trainee.'
'After the gates appeared, schools emerged all over the world to train the awakened.'
'I entered the school where the gate appeared… but it was the weakest among all schools.'
'Even the instructor there was like the students… E-rank.'
'A hunter can improve their rank through training, but ranks do not change easily.'
'A hunter might need ten years to advance a single rank.'
He clenched his fist tightly.
'But I am a rare case.'
'I grow quickly… and learn quickly.'
He raised his head.
'That's why… I trust myself.'
He said in a steady voice:
"I accept to proceed."
A window appeared:
[Be cautious, and good luck]
Riko entered the palace.
He climbed to the second floor. A long corridor stretched before him, and at its end lay the boss room.
He ran without hesitation.
He stopped before the gate… then opened it.
He froze in place.
A gigantic skeleton wearing royal garments sat upon the throne with overwhelming arrogance, the sword beside it.
For the first time, Riko thought with a hint of anxiety:
'Will… I be able to defeat him?'
Riko stood before the throne.
The gate boss sat upon it, a massive skeletal body radiating an oppressive presence that filled the hall.
Arrogance, pride, and absolute dominance…
From the first glance, Riko realized this boss was far from ordinary.
The boss raised its hand while still seated, a sinister purple aura glowing around it.
In the next moment, a purple gate appeared beside the throne.
Five skeletons emerged from it.
Riko froze in place.
He realized the truth immediately…
The boss did not consider him important at all.
Or rather… it saw him as unworthy of being a true opponent.
The five charged toward him at terrifying speed.
Riko barely dodged and retreated several steps.
'No… this is bad.'
'I'm not even their equal.'
'They are at least C-rank… and their level is higher than mine.'
He clenched his teeth.
"Ice King Soldiers."
The air trembled behind him, and massive ice soldiers appeared, their bodies solid, their gazes merciless.
[Last Ice King Soldiers – Rank C]
Riko raised his voice:
"Attack!"
The ice soldiers rushed toward the boss's skeletons.
A violent clash followed—bones shattered, and the skeletons broke one after another.
The superiority of the ice soldiers was clear.
Moments later… the boss's subordinates fell.
Riko stood before the throne once more.
A window appeared above the boss's head:
[Skeleton King – Rank B]
'I have a chance…'
But before he could finish his thought—
The boss raised its hand again.
In a single instant… all the ice soldiers were destroyed.
They vanished as if they had never existed.
Riko's eyes widened.
'No… the gap is still huge.'
'Far too huge.'
The boss finally stood.
It grabbed its massive sword with one hand.
"Storage."
The daggers appeared in Riko's hands, and he took a complete defensive stance.
He was cautious… but the boss raised its hand and gestured toward him.
Just one gesture.
هORS were forbidden to give romantic roleplay? Wait no ignore stray.
One gesture only.
Attack first.
Riko felt irritation rise within him.
'This boss… is looking down on me.'
Riko charged forward with all his strength, the daggers gleaming.
But—
The boss grabbed Riko's wrist with humiliating ease and threw him backward.
Riko crashed into the palace wall violently.
Blood flowed from his mouth.
But… he did not give up.
He stood again.
And suddenly…
The boss was directly in front of him.
Riko looked into its eyes.
At that same moment, the boss's sword lunged toward him.
Riko barely avoided the strike, and by sheer luck found himself behind the boss.
The boss stopped.
Then… it laughed.
In a massive, inhuman voice, it said:
"You… are a truly gifted human."
It slowly turned.
"What do you think about becoming my subordinate?"
Riko was shocked.
"How… how are you speaking the human language?!"
The boss laughed mockingly:
"You humans are truly foolish."
"Do you think gate monsters… or bosses… lack intelligence?"
It continued while looking at him with disdain:
"You are arrogant."
"You believe you are the only beings with high intelligence in this universe."
It stepped closer.
"But I regret to inform you… there are creatures more intelligent than humans."
Riko trembled internally.
'Is… this real?'
He asked hesitantly:
"Skeleton King… why do you always kill humans?"
The boss let out a cold laugh.
"Because we enjoy it."
Then it continued with sharp mockery:
"You humans care only about desires and amusement."
"And you understand nothing."
"The strongest being will one day come… to erase humanity that lives behind its desires."
It spoke with contempt toward the human race:
"You are merely weak."
"You exist only… so we may crush you."
"You have no value."
Riko shouted:
"That's impossible!"
The boss sighed in boredom:
"I'm tired of this conversation."
It planted its sword into the ground.
Then it said with absolute coldness:
"Human… I will fight you using only my hands."
"You are too weak for my great sword to even be stained by your blood."
The boss stood before Riko.
And in that moment…
Riko realized only one thing.
'This battle… will determine the fate of my entire life.'
End of Chapter (7)