Location: Inside the Glitchy Gate (The Primeval Forest)
Date & Time: Day 7 (Unknown External Time)
The thick fog of the jungle was slowly beginning to clear. After seven days of exhausting struggle and continuous hunting, the N.D.A.I. squad entered an area where the number of trees decreased, and large, sharp rocks began to dominate the terrain.
Walking right at the back of the crowd, Rudra's mind was entangled in its own internal calculations. Seven days of rear-guard hunting had completely filled his inventory with highly valuable loot.
He now possessed over 30 fresh Essence Stones. Most of them were D-Rank, but a few high-density C-Rank stones were also included.
"The time for simply hoarding stones is over," Ruin Soul's ice-cold voice echoed in his mind. "The danger ahead is far greater than your mind can comprehend. Upgrade your weapons. Feed the energy of these stones into your dagger and armor."
Without uttering a single word, Rudra accessed his inventory. The entire squad's attention was fixed on the unknown path ahead, so no one noticed the shadow trailing silently behind them.
Rudra lightly ran his hand over his C-Rank dagger, 'Blood Crescent', and began channeling the raw mana energy of the stones into it.
A faint dark red glow appeared on the blade, and in the next micro-second, all that energy was absorbed into the metal. The dagger's weight suddenly felt much lighter than before. Its curve had become even more aggressive and razor-sharp.
[Weapon Upgraded: Blood Crescent (C+ Rank)] "The reduced weight will increase your swing speed by 20%, and its durability is now enough to slice through any normal C-Rank armor like dirt," Ruin Soul confirmed coldly.
Immediately after, Rudra focused on his 'Scavenger's Skin'. The remaining pure energy of the stones flowed into the dark fabric.
The armor became slightly thinner and lighter, yet its density increased. There was no longer any movement restriction on his body. The fabric still looked completely ordinary, but its durability was now locked to withstand extreme kinetic impacts.
The Apex Den
As they walked, the jungle abruptly ended. The squad's footsteps came to an automatic halt.
Right in front of them stood a massive cave made of pitch-black stones. Its entrance was so enormous that an entire train could pass through it easily.
A deathly silence surrounded the cave. There was a strange, suffocating heavy pressure in the air that every ordinary Dunger could physically feel in their lungs.
The N.D.A.I. Leader stepped forward. The constant combat of the past seven days had exponentially buffed his strength. His MP had grown from 90,000 to reach 120,000 MP.
The four C-Rankers standing behind him had also become Peak C-Rankers through the relentless hunting, averaging around 48,000 MP.
They looked like an unstoppable military force. The pure confidence of a B-Ranker had returned to the Leader's eyes. He tightened his grip on his Magitech sword and took his first step toward the cave's dark entrance.
And at that exact moment, the silence was shattered to pieces.
ROOOOAAARRRR!
A terrifying, ear-shattering roar erupted from the deep darkness of the cave. It shook the ground violently. The sound was so intense it felt as if a sonic bomb had detonated in the air.
Ordinary D-Rank Dungers fell to the ground screaming in pain, blood leaking from their ears.
But this sound had the worst impact on Rudra. His Awakened C-Rank senses were so sharp that this sonic wave hit his brain like a heavy hammer. A white-out began to blur his vision.
"Put on the hood! Now!" Ruin Soul's roaring voice broke through his mental paralysis.
Without thinking, Rudra pulled the hood of his upgraded 'Scavenger's Skin' over his head with trembling hands.
The moment the hood covered his head, a sudden, dead silence fell over him.
The terrifying noise, the shaking of the ground, and the atmospheric pressure outside were instantly muffled. Rudra's vision cleared, and his breathing returned to normal.
"This is no ordinary fabric," Ruin Soul explained coldly, monitoring his stabilized heart rate. "It is a C+ Grade tactical armor. It has completely blocked the sensory overload. Having sharp senses is not always a strength; sometimes the enemy can use them to blind and paralyze you. Do not take this hood down."
The King of the Forest
The sound of heavy, earth-shaking footsteps echoed from the darkness of the cave.
And then, it stepped out.
A massive, Colossal Iron-hide Bear. Its size was exactly double that of the previous ordinary bears they had faced. Its hide was pitch black, glowing with thick veins of red mana.
But the most dangerous thing about it was not its size; it was the demonic, wild intelligence reflecting in its eyes. This was no ordinary animal.
The Leader and his C-Rankers froze in their places. Tension and sweat appeared on their faces for the first time.
"What is its rank and MP?" Rudra asked from the darkness of his hood, staring intently at the giant predator.
"Rank B," Ruin Soul analyzed coldly, like a supercomputer. "And its current MP is... 180,000."
Rudra's mind rapidly calculated the numbers in microseconds.
Leader: 120,000 MP
Boss: 180,000 MP
A massive gap of 60,000 MP in power scaling. This was not going to be an ordinary fight.
"Which means..." Rudra's cold voice came from behind the mask. "This is the true Ruler of this gate."
Chapter Summary
Tactical Upgrade: Rudra upgraded his Blood Crescent and Scavenger's Skin to C+ Rank, significantly increasing his speed and sensory protection.
The Den: The squad reached a massive cave at the very edge of the jungle.
The Boss: A B-Rank Colossal Bear with 180,000 MP emerged. Its sonic roar paralyzed the D-Rankers, but Rudra's upgraded hood saved him.
Power Gap: A massive mathematical difference was established between the N.D.A.I. Leader (120k MP) and the Boss (180k MP).