Pulkit placed his hands firmly on the massive stone gate, the cold surface sending a shiver through his body. As he prepared to push it open, he reflected on his efforts.
"I've made every preparation I could. My skills are upgraded to the limit, and there are no monsters left in this dungeon for me to hunt. I've even chosen the strongest centipedes I defeated to serve as my summons. They'll act as disposables to divert the boss's attention."
He glanced at his companions, Saber and Bloody. "I've also stocked up on healing potions and bought this leather armor. It's cheap, but it should provide some defense.
" Taking a deep breath, Pulkit nodded. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." With that, he pushed the gate open and stepped into the boss room.
The room was vast, its ceiling soaring high above, adorned with glowing crystals that bathed the area in a soft, ambient light.
Pulkit looked around, momentarily awestruck. "These crystals... I wish they were in the outer parts of the dungeon too." He shook his head, focusing. The room was eerily empty. "Where's the boss? Did I make a mistake? Maybe this isn't the boss room after all."
A sudden bark from Saber snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning around, Pulkit saw a liquid ball hurtling toward him. He barely managed to dodge, and the projectile hit the ground, hissing as it melted the stone. "Acid," Pulkit muttered, his eyes scanning the room.
He looked up and froze. Crawling along the ceiling was a massive centipede, its body segmented and armored, with a sinister gleam in its eyes.
Quickly, Pulkit activated his Appraisal skill:
Name: Man-Eating Centipede (Mutant)
Rank: E+
Level: 20
Skill: Mouth of Poison
Skill Description: Converts saliva into potent poison, which can be spat at enemies. Evolved from Poison Bite.
Pulkit's heart sank. "An E+ rank monster... This is my first time facing something so strong. It's probably on the verge of evolving into a D-rank."
The centipede moved with alarming speed, lunging at Pulkit. He dodged and countered with a slash of his Magic Sword skill, but his blade bounced harmlessly off its exoskeleton.
"Its shell is too hard," Pulkit realized. "I don't have the strength—or the right weapon—to pierce it."
While he strategized, the centipede turned its attention to one of Pulkit's summoned decoys. With a single strike, the summon was obliterated. "So much for that distraction," Pulkit muttered, gritting his teeth.
The centipede lunged at him again, but this time Bloody intervened. Using his Wind Breaker skill, the boar charged forward, colliding with the centipede's head.
The impact was powerful enough to pierce its exoskeleton. "Nice one, Bloody!" Pulkit cheered.
The centipede screeched in agony, thrashing wildly. Bloody's tusks were stuck in its head, and the creature slammed itself onto the ground, attempting to dislodge him. Bloody was thrown off, landing heavily and sustaining a severe injury.
Saber attacked next, but his efforts were futile against the centipede's armored body. Pulkit seized the moment to pour a D-rank healing potion on Bloody. The boar's wounds began to heal rapidly, but the centipede, now enraged, turned its attention to Saber. It struck with its tail, sending Saber flying, before charging at Pulkit and Bloody.
Pulkit, relying on his improved Swordsmanship, aimed for the centipede's eye. As the creature rushed toward him, it couldn't avoid the attack. Pulkit's blade pierced its eye, blinding it on one side. The centipede shrieked in pain and went berserk, thrashing wildly and attacking everything in its path.
One of its strikes sent Pulkit crashing into the wall. He coughed up blood, dazed from the impact.
The centipede, still in a frenzy, lunged at him again. But Bloody, now fully healed, charged once more with Wind Breaker. Blinded and disoriented, the centipede couldn't dodge. Bloody's tusks pierced deep into its head, and with a final, desperate scream, the monster collapsed, lifeless.
Notifications flooded Pulkit's vision:
[Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 18.]
[Bloody has leveled up to Level 15.]
[Saber has leveled up to Level 19.]
Pulkit's injuries began to heal slightly from the level-up. Though still in pain, he managed to regain consciousness. Summoning his strength, he bought another potion and drank it, recovering enough to stand. Bloody and Saber approached, and Pulkit patted them both. "Good work, both of you. I couldn't have done it without you."
He turned to the centipede's corpse and activated his Summoner of the Dead skill. A notification appeared:
[The monster's rank is higher than the skill. Summoning is not possible.]
Pulkit sighed, disappointed. "I was hoping to add you to my army," he muttered, glancing at the massive corpse. However, another notification quickly lifted his spirits:
[You have cleared the E-rank dungeon.]
[You are the first to do so.]
[Congratulations! You have received 1000 Achievement Points.]
[Congratulations! You have received the skill: Exoskeleton (E-rank).]
Skill Description: Hardens your body, increasing defense.
A new message followed:
[The E-rank dungeon will now collapse. Teleportation gate initiated. Please evacuate immediately.]
A glowing gate appeared in the center of the room. The walls began to shake as rocks tumbled from above. "Come on, Saber, Bloody!" Pulkit shouted, running toward the gate. The three of them dove through just as the dungeon collapsed behind them.
On the other side, Pulkit found himself back in the abandoned building where they had hidden from the giant bird earlier. As he tried to get up, he noticed a familiar shadow on the ground. Looking up, his heart skipped a beat. The bird was back, circling overhead.
This time, Pulkit gripped his sword tightly and smirked. "I won't run away. Let's settle this."