"I guess this is where I meet the Boss," Damon said, taking cautious steps as he entered a different section of the dungeon.
Every step sent ripples across the murky surface. The chittering had become a single deep rumble mixed with frantic squeals.
The mold on the walls pulsed with red-tinged light, casting shifting shadows that made the tunnel feel alive.
Damon looked at his HP and MP bars.
HP: 28/100
MP: 0/50
The Rusted Dagger's durability read 6/30, the Scrap Iron Gauntlets 5/30. He had no more room for errors.
The passage opened into a vast circular chamber.
{You have entered the Heart of the Warren}
Fused rat skulls formed jagged pillars. The floor writhed under the water, thin tails twitching just beneath the surface. At the center rose a bloated mass of matted fur and pus-filled sores.
Eight rat heads sprouted from the body on long necks, each with glowing red eyes and dripping fangs. A thick braided tail of fused tails lashed behind it.
{Rat King Sovereign
HP: 200/200
Abilities:
Swarm Surge: Rat King summons rat minions to attack for him
Filth Venom Spray: Thick green cones of pus and sewage are shot in wide arcs}
"Chhyyyyyy!!"
"Chhhyyyyyy!!!"
The boss let out a piercing multi-headed screech.
All eight heads struck at once. Damon stayed in the deepest shadows along a bone pillar, Shadow Step sharpening his movements.
He kept the dagger equipped for reach and opened with Ember Spark. A weak flame flew forward.
-15
He followed with three quick dagger stabs to the nearest head,
-10
-10
-10
The head recoiled but the boss's total HP barely moved.
The Sovereign charged. One head bit his shoulder
-14 HP
Another snapped at his leg from below the water
-12 HP
Damon twisted away, but the braided tail whipped across his chest.
-18 HP
"Shit," Damon cursed trying to focus through the surges of pain.
HP: 0/100
Dackness took him.
{Health Points have been depleted}
{Respawn activated}
{5 hours of Lifespan deducted}
{HP and MP have been fully restored}
Damon reappeared in the same spot, body whole again. The Sovereign's HP bar hadn't gone down one bit. He clenched his jaw. Another five hours gone.
Damon moved immediately.
-15
Damon made three consecutive dagger strikes on the same head. He focused fire, refusing to switch weapons yet. The tail lashed again.
He dodged with Shadow Step, but a head still grazed his side.
-9 HP
He cast Minor Mend once and kept stabbing. Eight dagger hits dropped the first head. It went limp with a wet crunch.
The Sovereign roared and used its special ability: Swarm Surge. Four normal Sewer Rats (80 HP each) burst from sores on its back and splashed into the water.
Damon ignored the boss for a moment and turned to the adds.
-30 (Critical Hit)
Then eight precise dagger strikes to finish it. The other three adds closed in. One bit his thigh causing a ring of pain.
Damon finished them methodically, eight hits each, using Minor Mend once when HP dipped to 71/100.
By the time the adds were cleared, the Sovereign's HP had fallen to 165/200.
He pressed the attack, landing clean combos on a second head. Another Swarm Surge came when the sovereign reached 140 HP.
Damon cleared the new adds with the same controlled rhythm, mixing one Ember Spark attack per wave to weaken them.
Each rat still required seven or eight dagger hits or six gauntlet hits, but he stayed with the dagger to avoid any swap delay.
"Let's see if I can kill this bastard without zeroing out again," Damon said, calculating his moves.
HP: 62/100
MP: 12/50
Damon focus his attacks on one head and ten strikes later, one more fell dead. The Sovereign's movements grew wilder.
At 118/200 HP, the remaining heads swelled. The Sovereign reared back and unleashed another ability
[Filth Venom Spray]
Thick green cones of pus and sewage shot in wide arcs. Damon rolled behind a pillar, but the edge caught his arm and torso.
-16 HP initial damage plus Filth Poison debuff (-4 HP per second for 8 seconds).
"What the heck?"
The poison slowed him slightly in the deep water.
Damon gritted his teeth and kept moving. The debuff ticked mercilessly.
-4
-4
-4
Damon furiously unleashed another Ember Spark on an exposed neck
-15
MP: 7/50
A second spray clipped him.
-14 HP + another stack of poison.
Damon's HP very dropped fast.
62/100
41/100
29/100
He cast Minor Mend twice the moment he had enough MP from natural regen
+10 HP
MP: 0/50
The poison continued ticking.
Damon refused to panic. He used the bone pillars to break line of sight, Shadow Step carrying him through the gloom between sprays.
The sovereign kept spraying, but Damon kept dodging. It wasn't giving Damon any room to attack. When the Sovereign overextended after a spray, Damon closed in.
[Double Strike]
20 MP was spent sending MP back to zero.
"Let's try this."
Damon quickly equipped his Gauntlets and sent two crushing blows to a single head.
-24
-24
A second head exploded in gore. He switched back to dagger immediately after the skill.
Another Swarm Surge hit at 95 HP. The sovereign had summoned five adds this time. With no MP, Damon cleared them using only the dagger and gauntlets in turns, choosing the weapon based on distance.
Each add still took the expected hits. A deep bite during the chaos dropped him to 14/100, but he managed to finish the last rat and turned back to the boss.
At 58/200 HP, the Sovereign's body split open along the back, exposing a pulsating green Core Sac.
The braided tail lashed wildly in all directions. The remaining heads entered a frenzy, biting and spraying venom without pause. Slimy vines rose from the ground and grabbed Damon's ankles, trying to hold him for the sprays.
Damon's HP sat at 22/100 and MP at 8/50. He had one Minor Mend left in him.
+5 HP
MP: 6/50
He used it then focused everything on the exposed core.
-15
The Sovereign thrashed about in fury. A tail lash caught Damon
-22 HP
HP: 5/100
"Not again," Damon whispered.
For one terrifying second he thought another death was coming. But he slipped into the deepest shadow, Shadow Step giving him the edge to dodge the next spray.
Damon closed the distance again. He thrusted his dagger into the beast's core.
-10
He followed with three more stabs making the sac to shudder.
Damon had no MP left. He switched to gauntlets for the finish. Double Strike was on cooldown, so he hammered the beast with normal punches.
-12
-12
-12
Each hit landed solid. The core sac began to tear. The Sovereign screamed, its remaining heads convulsing. Multiple tentacles tried to drag Damon down but he kept dodging them. Another venom spray burned across his back
-15 HP + poison tick.
Damon's HP flashed to 1/100
Damon roared and drove forward. With the last of his strength he stabbed the Rusted Dagger hilt-deep into the glowing core while slamming the gauntlet down with full force.
The blade snapped and the gauntlet shattered as both durabilities reached 0. But the focused multi-hit combo ruptured the sac completely.
"Chhyyyyyyy!"
Green ichor exploded outward. The Sovereign let out a final, ear-splitting death scream then all heads went limp. The body collapsed inward, fused rats unraveling into lifeless pieces. The floor tentacles finally went.
{Congratulations Host, You have successfully cleared the F-Rank Dungeon: Rat King's Warren }
Bright system messages flashed.
{Clear Time: 2 hours 19 minutes}
(Level Up! Level Up!! Level Up!!)
{Congratulations, Host. You have attained a new Level!)
(Congratulations, Host. You have attained a new Level!)
(REWARDS)
{Bonus Reward for clearing your First Dungeon: 500 EXP + 10 Attribute Points
Bonus Reward for clearing a Dungeon within 3Hrs: 50 Gold Coins
Bonus Reward for killing your first Dungeon Boss: Weapon Enhancement Spell:
Effect: 25% Chance to improve any chosen weapon to its next Rank.
Cost: 100 MP
Cooldown: 10 Hrs
Bonus Reward for ??????: E-Rank Weapon: Lightning Guantlets: Guantlets crackling with electricity.
Effect: 85 Lightning Damage + 10% Crit Chance
Durability: 350}
"Nice," Damon smiled watching items appear by the Boss' corpse. "It would've be annoying if after all this, the bastard didn't drop anything useful."
{ Loot Drops:
- 30 EXP
- 50 Gold Coins
- F-Rank Weapon: Sovereign's Venom Fang (Dagger)
Effect: 20 Damage/Hit + Filth Poison (3 HP/sec for 5 sec)
Durability: 60
.
- F-Rank Weapon: Rat King's Hide Gloves
Effect: 18 Damage/Hit, +8% resistance to poison debuffs
Durability: 45
.
- F-Rank Mana Potions (×4): Restores 25MP each after consumption.
.
- F-Rank Health Potions (×2): Restores 30 HP each after consumption.}
Damon dropped to his knees in the now-still water as the boss dissolved. The level-up surge restored his body and flooded him with strength.
HP: 280/280
MP: 125/125
The new dagger and gloves appeared in his inventory. The thought of trying them out crossed his mind, but with the sovereign dead, there were no mobs to practice on.
He let out a long, exhausted breath, then a tired laugh.
"Even after zeroing out twice… I still bloody won."
"System get me out of here."
The exit gate shimmered open on the far wall. Fresh air seeped through. Damon stood and walked toward it. The oppressive stench of the Warren faded behind him.
{DAILY MISSIONS:
Dungeons Clear Quota: 1/1 }
One dungeon cleared. The daily quota was done. He had grown stronger, gained better gear, and survived the brutal grind.
He stepped through the gate with a grim, satisfied smile.
"I wonder if the girls are back."