Location: Inside B-Rank Hell Gate (Boss Room Entrance)
Time: 05:00 PM
Date: November 26, 2025
For the past two hours, the constant hum of heavy machinery and mana-extractors had echoed outside the massive cavern. The dungeon workers had operated with surgical efficiency, extracting every rare herb, mana-crystal, and core from the fallen monsters.
A heavily armored worker removed his helmet and approached Raghav. He gave a respectful salute. "Sir, the harvest is complete."
Raghav looked ahead calmly. "Good. Pack it up."
As the workers turned to retrieve their equipment, Rudra stepped forward. The predatory hunger in his cold eyes had sharpened over the last few hours. He had been feeling the heavy, suffocating aura trapped within that cave since they arrived.
Rudra looked directly into Raghav's eyes, his voice steady and absolute. "I want to handle the boss."
Raghav studied Rudra for a moment. He saw the fire in the boy's eyes—the kind of resolve that cannot be suppressed. A faint smile touched Raghav's lips. "Fine. Let's do it."
However, before deactivating the barrier, Raghav's experienced mind took control of the situation. While Gabbar's presence was easy to hide within the HQ, exposing Rudra's dark summoning in front of a dozen workers would be a tactical blunder.
Raghav turned to the team, his voice shifting into a stern, professional command. "All workers and dungers, exit the dungeon immediately. The Boss's MP is at an extreme level. There is a high risk of a massive mana-blast upon its death. Wait outside the gate until I give the signal."
Without question, the workers packed their gear and retreated. Within minutes, the jagged, ruined forest was silent. Only Raghav, Rudra, and the deathly chill radiating from the cavern remained.
Raghav stepped forward and triggered the remote switch for the Magitech Barrier.
Fisssssss! The transparent blue and purple shield hissed as it dissolved into the air. Immediately, a terrifyingly dense aura erupted from the darkness, shaking the very ground beneath their feet.
The Predator vs. The Steel Wolf
Time: 05:10 PM
Heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the cave. A massive silhouette emerged into the light.
This was no ordinary beast. It was The Nether-Steel Lycan. Standing 12 feet tall on two legs, this wolf-like humanoid was encased in skin that looked less like fur and more like a dark metallic alloy. Blood-red mana runes glowed across its body. Its eyes burned like molten lava, and its metallic claws were as sharp as any high-grade S-Rank sword.
Rudra's mind instantly processed the data. The Nether-Steel Lycan possessed exactly 350,000 MP. This was a 200,000 MP gap over Rudra's own 150,000 MP—a chasm that could not be crossed by courage alone.
But Rudra was not alone.
He issued a silent command. His shadow expanded rapidly, and Gabbar emerged like a massive, dark tank.
Boom!
The Lycan charged with supersonic speed. Despite its heavy metallic armor, it moved like a bullet. Rudra couldn't fully dodge the trajectory, but in that fraction of a second, Gabbar stepped in like an unbreakable wall.
The Lycan's red metallic claws slammed into Gabbar's shadow-form with full force. The resulting shockwave sent rocks flying. Gabbar slid back, but he absorbed the blow completely.
Rudra seized the opening. He leaped into the air, driving the heavy B-Rank dagger in his right hand into the Lycan's right knee joint with maximum kinetic energy. Crack! The weight and mana of the blade shattered the metallic joint. In the same breath, Rudra used the old dagger in his left hand to slice deep into the newly created crack.
The Lycan let out a pained roar, swinging a massive hand at Rudra. Rudra executed a perfect backflip, narrowly escaping the strike.
For the next 20 minutes, the battle was a lethal dance. Rudra never engaged the Lycan head-on. He used Gabbar to intercept and block the primary attacks, while he struck the joints and armor weak points from the flanks. Despite the 200,000 MP deficit, Rudra's combat IQ and Gabbar's absolute loyalty brought the fight to a stalemate.
The Final Strike
Time: 05:35 PM
The Lycan's body was breaking down; its armor was leaking mana. Blinded by rage, it began firing mana-slashes into the air.
Gabbar capitalized on the chaos. He lunged forward, using his entire shadow-mass to collide with the 12-foot beast. Gabbar pinned the Lycan's arms to the ground with his massive claws, locking it in place.
This was the final window.
Rudra sprinted forward, using Gabbar's shoulder as a platform to launch himself into the air. He gripped the heavy B-Rank dagger with both hands. Gravity and his entire 150,000 MP were concentrated into the tip of the blade.
He descended like a guillotine, driving the dagger directly into the center of the Lycan's chest, where the red runes glowed brightest—the mana core.
Crunch! The dagger tore through the metallic chest plate and buried itself into the core. The Lycan let out one final, ear-shattering scream. Red light exploded from its chest, then everything went silent. The glowing runes flickered and died.
The 350,000 MP shadow of death now lay on the ground like a lifeless stone.
Industrial Aftermath
Time: 05:45 PM
Rudra breathed heavily, pulling the dagger from the Lycan's chest. With a mental flick, he sent Gabbar back into his shadow.
Raghav, who had observed the fight from a distance, walked over. He looked at Rudra with a new level of respect. He pulled a communication device from his jacket. "All clear. Move in."
Within minutes, the workers and machinery returned. When they saw the 12-foot metallic Lycan, they froze in shock. They couldn't fathom how an experienced A-Ranker and a recruit had neutralized such a horror without a single scratch on them.
Without asking questions, they resumed their industrial work. Using mana-cranes and extreme-tension chains, they hoisted the Lycan's massive body and loaded it into the largest transport truck. This carcass was a multi-million dollar treasure for Garud Vajra's R&D and forge departments.
Once the work was finished, the team exited the gate.
Evening was setting in. The dungers and workers climbed into their respective vehicles. Raghav and Rudra returned to the matte-black SUV. Raghav ignited the engine, and the heavy armored convoy left the B-Rank Hell Gate behind, heading straight back to the Garud Vajra HQ.
Chapter Summary
The Challenge: Rudra chooses to fight the B-Rank Boss, the Nether-Steel Lycan (350,000 MP), despite a 200k MP disadvantage.
Tactical Secrecy: Raghav clears the dungeon of workers to allow Rudra to use Gabbar without being compromised.
The Combat: A high-tier display of synergy between Rudra and Gabbar. Rudra uses Gabbar as a shield/tank while focusing on precision strikes to the boss's joints and mana core.
Victory: Rudra successfully kills the boss using the heavy B-Rank dagger, proving his combat IQ and power.
The Return: The convoy returns to HQ with the boss's carcass, a highly valuable resource for the guild.