Chapter 26 – Dungeon Floor Boss : Ape

Chapter 26 - Dungeon Floor Boss : Ape

Boss Floor – Dungeon Middle Level

After descending a spiraling stairway for several minutes, the path opened into a massive subterranean cavern—the boss room.

The moment I stepped in, the creature revealed itself.

A towering figure, 4.2 meters tall, loomed ahead. Its frame was thick with muscle, its arms wreathed in smoldering flame.
The Emberclaw Ape.
The Dungeon’s Middle-Level Boss.

Staring up at it, Paul grinned slightly.

“This seems like a good exercise.”

With a sharp motion, he drew his sword from the scabbard with his right hand. He gave a quick tug at his shield, checking its lock, then tapped at his exo-armor—ensuring every piece was firmly secured. On his left wrist, a pack of rune-infused cards slid into place, each sealed with [Ice] magic.

Renya, standing behind him, narrowed her eyes and drew her dagger.

“Are you sure, Prince?”

Paul gave a final nod, his voice calm but certain.

“Yeah… I’m sure.”

Without another word, he dashed forward.

The Emberclaw Ape let out a thunderous bellow.

“AAAAAAAaaa—!!”
Its voice echoed like an avalanche. It didn’t charge.
It waited.

As Paul closed in, the monster struck.

Its massive right fist came down in a brutal arc—fast and precise for its size.

But Paul reacted instantly.

With a stomp of his left foot, he redirected his sprint—veering sharply to the right. The ape’s fist slammed into the stone floor where he’d been a moment before, sending shockwaves through the cavern.

Still moving with momentum, Paul planted his right foot firmly into the ground, channeling all his force into a diagonal leap to the left.
His body twisted mid-air—a spinning blade in motion.

Before the rotation finished, he extended his sword arm outward, body tilted horizontally. The blade shimmered under the dim, flickering light.

And just as he passed beneath the raised arm of the Emberclaw Ape—

Slash! Slash!

Two rapid cuts sliced into the monster’s right bicep, clean and deep—severing muscle and spraying embers and blood into the air.

“AAAAAA!!”

The Emberclaw Ape let out a furious, agonized roar, the sound reverberating through the stone cavern like a war drum.

Blinded by pain and rage, the beast swung its injured arm backward in a wild, savage arc—reckless and brutal.

But Paul was already gone.

With a powerful push from his left foot, he dashed to the beast’s rear-right. In one fluid motion, he launched into a spinning leap—his body twisting mid-air as he circled behind the towering creature.

His sword, already drawn and laid across his left forearm, was perfectly aligned.

Slash! Slash! Slash—!

Mid-spin, Paul unleashed a flurry of horizontal cuts, his blade carving deep into the lower back of the Emberclaw Ape. Each slash dug into muscle and sinew—from right to left—splattering blood and igniting small bursts of steam as steel met heat.

The monster screamed again.

“AAAAAAaaa…!”

It twisted sharply to the right, trying to locate its attacker. Rage consumed its expression as both of its massive hands rose high into the air in a furious motion.

But Paul had already seen the signs.

As soon as the creature’s roar began, he stopped his spin mid-air—and instinctively launched himself backward in a tight aerial somersault, evading the incoming blow.

While still mid-jump, Paul flicked a rune-tag upward behind him—an [Ice] sigil glowing faintly at its center.
Spinning through the air, he glanced at the Emberclaw Ape below and murmured softly,

“Certainly…”

And then—

Boom..!
The Emberclaw Ape slammed both of its massive hands into the ground in a devastating downward strike.
[Flame Slam]

A fiery shockwave exploded in a 3-meter radius. The cavern shook. Stone cracked beneath the impact. Flames burst outward, rippling across the ground in a blazing wave. The air rippled with heat.

But Paul was already a step ahead.

High above the inferno, the rune-tag he’d tossed ignited

Crack..!
Frost crystallized midair, forming an angled ice platform, suspended like a gleaming blade in the sky.

With impeccable timing, Paul ended his spin and planted his foot onto the frozen step.

In the same heartbeat, he carved a glowing [Weight] rune into the icy surface with a burst of mana.

Fwwmp…
The rune flared to life, stabilizing the platform instantly.

Despite the momentum of his flight, the platform held firm. It anchored his weight, stopping his movement in a crouched, sideways stance. The ice groaned slightly but didn’t give.

Paul narrowed his body, shifting into a launch-ready posture.

And then—

Swoosh..!

He burst forward, a blur of speed and purpose, cutting through the heat like a cold, unstoppable arrow.

While launching toward the Emberclaw Ape’s head, Paul gripped his sword tightly in his right hand and unleashed a sharp, horizontal slash—aimed straight for the monster’s thick neck.

But the beast noticed him.

Its eyes locked onto the approaching blur, and with primal instinct, it raised its right arm in a desperate upward arc, shielding its vulnerable throat.

Clang..!

Steel met flame-hardened flesh. Sparks scattered as the blade clashed against the Emberclaw Ape’s toughened arm, the force of the impact halting Paul’s momentum in midair.

Undeterred, Paul landed both feet on the raised arm—balancing himself effortlessly on the monster’s forearm like a warrior dancer atop a collapsing bridge.

“So that’s how it is, huh,”
Paul muttered, his voice calm amidst the chaos.

In the next heartbeat, the monster swung again—this time a wild backhand from its other hand.

Paul reacted instantly.

He kicked off the raised arm, flipping backward—

“WHOOSH!”
—just narrowly dodging the massive swipe.

Mid-spin, he flung another [Ice] rune-paper behind him, embedding it into the air with perfect precision.

The Emberclaw Ape, fully turning now to face Paul midair, let out a deep, guttural roar—

“AAAAaaaarghh!!”
—and launched a brutal left hook toward Paul’s airborne form.

But Paul was ready.

As the rune activated, an icy platform formed beneath him—angled for evasive mobility.

Swoosh..!
Paul kicked off the frozen foothold, twisting his body to the front-right. The Ape’s punch swept through the air just a hair’s breadth away, tearing through the space Paul had occupied just moments ago.

The air howled from the sheer force—but Paul had already slipped through it like a ghost.

The beast growled, spinning to track him again. As it raised its right hand to shield its face from a presumed overhead strike, Paul’s eyes narrowed.

He smirked.

“Now…” he whispered.

Rotating his body forward, Paul assessed the monster’s stance in a heartbeat. In a smooth motion, he tossed another [Ice] rune ahead—this time behind the creature—before planting his left foot against the Ape’s exposed clavicle.

With a powerful push, Paul vaulted over the raised arm—soaring clean above the Ape’s blocked vision and bypassing its defenses entirely.

Realizing too late that Paul had moved behind it, the Emberclaw Ape let out a panicked roar—

“AAAAAAaaa…!”
—and spun in place, trying to grab him with both massive hands.

But Paul was already there.

He landed lightly atop the glowing [Ice] rune behind the monster’s head—feet steady, his balance unshaken. The [Weight] rune activated instantly, anchoring him firmly to the ice platform.

With a powerful leap, Paul shot toward the Emberclaw Ape’s head, his sword aimed straight for the creature’s ear.

Thrust—!
The blade pierced cleanly into the Ape’s ear canal with a sharp, jarring impact.

Before the beast could react, Paul twisted his body midair—spinning left to dodge the massive hand that tried to swat him away.
The Ape’s palm struck the sword still embedded in its ear—

Slab!
—driving the blade even deeper into its skull.

A moment of stillness.

Then, with a low, guttural groan, the massive Emberclaw Ape collapsed, lifeless.

Boom..!
Its gigantic body slammed into the cave floor, sending a tremor through the ground.

Paul landed gracefully, knees bent, one hand touching the ground to balance the momentum. Victory was his.

From the edge of the room, Kruger, Greta, and Renya broke into applause.

Kruger clapped heartily.

“Impressive, Prince!”

Greta followed with a bright smile.

“Prince, you're so cool!”

Renya, her arms crossed, offered a more neutral remark—but her eyes betrayed a glimmer of admiration.

“Right…”

Still catching his breath, Paul chuckled at their praise. With a sheepish grin, he scratched the back of his head.

“Hahahah… just defeated this thing. It’s nothing, really.”

Renya sighed and shook her head, half amused and half exasperated.

“Prince… you’re truly unbelievable. Honestly, you've gone beyond what even a full Class C adventurer party can handle. It’s like you’ve forgotten how dangerous these monsters are.”

Kruger, leaning against a boulder, smirked.

“You took down that Emberclaw Ape like it was a training dummy. Normally it takes a full party, a good strategy, and even then, things can go sideways. But you? You made it look easy.”

Greta adjusted the tension on her bow and nodded.

“Not that surprising though. The Prince has power, technique, and great instincts. Even solo, he’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Paul raised an eyebrow, digesting their words.

“Ho… is that so?”

He paused for a moment, then asked with genuine curiosity,

“So… how do most people even defeat that thing alone?”

Renya, now idly sharpening her nails with a dagger, glanced at the disappearing corpse of the Ape.

“If we’re talking melee or ranged fighters, they’d need full mastery of intermediate-level skills. As for magic users—at least one advanced spell. Anything less and it’s suicide.”

Paul nodded slowly.

“I see… sounds tough.”

Then, noticing the faint shimmer ahead, he turned his attention toward the forming treasure chest.

“Well, let’s put that aside for now. Let’s see what we got.”

He walked toward the treasure, his steps steady.

“Okay…”
Renya replied as she followed behind, with Kruger and Greta right beside her.

When Paul was in front of the treasure chest that had appeared, he immediately opened it. The contents were:

Burning Claws

Smoldering Hide

High-Level Magic Core (Medium Quality)

As Paul took the High-Level Magic Core (Medium Quality), he lifted it and rotated his body with it still in the air, saying, "Finally, I can make it..." and laughed, "Hahahaha!"

Seeing Paul so happy, Kruger and Greta were confused and exchanged looks, turning to Renya for an explanation. Renya, seeing Kruger and Greta looking at her, simply shook her head and gestured with an "I don't know" expression.