Chapter 29 - Secrets Revealed

I drove my open palm into its chest repeatedly, further driving the shadowy claws resting over mine into its body.

As I pulled my hand away, the black aura surrounding my nails grew unsettled and spanned around my entire arm.

{Shadow Claw Skill has levelled up}

The shadowy silhouette of a wolf's arm hovered over mine, following the actions of my hand in response. A vivid connection between the wolf's arm and my own was strong, I moved it as if it were another limb of my own.

“Gyah—gya—aaah!” The skill hadn’t only changed in shape and size but power too, with each slash I could see the Boss’ health bar slowly dropping over time.

“Rei look out!”

The Rhaskan's wing swatted me away in a desperate attempt to stop the attacks on its body. I rolled across the floor and the shadowy claws disappeared.

A veil of flaming feathers settled over the room and moved in accordance with the Rhaskan's cries. I ran through the raining fiery blades, dodging as best I could but suffered cuts almost every other second.

My Health slowly drained away but didn’t stop me, nothing short of death would keep me back.

I held out my arms in front of my face and focused a heavy layer of aura over my body,

“Iron Body!”

With the silhouette of a Golem surrounding me, I charged through the veil with ease and leapt back up to the Rhaskan.

Last time my mana nearly dropped to zero after using it but this time…I still have more in me. Not just that but my mana is constantly replenishing, it’s hard to believe that one elixir could do all this.

“See if you’re still standing after this—”

I threw out my arms with a wide swing and slashed through its chest, leaving behind a large gash in the shape of an X. I could feel the last of my mana drain away and my skill vanish into nothing, and as I fell back to the ground my eyes glanced up at the gleaming eyes of the Rhaskan.

“No way…with everything I have, it’s still yellow?”

Its health had dropped significantly lower than before yet it was only slightly lower than half of its full amount.

My mouth hung open in disbelief.

It opened its wings around me with a frightening glare as the last of its feathers remaining on its body shuddered in a violent rage. The Rhaskan drove its beak down onto me with a powerful blow. Air pushed aside as it stabbed down over me.

Shing

A thin beam of silver stood between me and the Rhaskan's beak, keeping it at bay with a slight tremble.

I glanced over my shoulder at Liv who held out her sword to block the Boss from reaching me. She held it with only one hand while the other extended out to me.

“I’m sorry, I’ve put you in a real dangerous situation.”

Her voice seemed cold and distant but to some degree it was sincere. She wasn’t making any sense, if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be alive. How could she have put me in danger?

“Liv…what are you—”

“I haven't been honest with you, Rei.” As the monster's warm breath brushed over us, her hair flowed through the air with an elegant bounce. She glanced back at me and spoke firmly. “I am Olivia Fortis, a member of the Guild, Titans Helm.”

The youngest Gold-ranked adventurer and the newest member to one of the largest guilds, the titles only seemed to pile on. Someone as unnamed as me shouldn’t be allowed to talk to her, nonetheless, fight alongside her.

“I’ve let you get hurt, all for my own selfish reasons…I’m sorry, Rei. I’ll kill this monster now and you’ll go back home, I give you my word.” I could see it in her eyes, that she felt torn up about it.

All this time she was just the strange girl who like to keep to herself, but even someone like her keeps secrets huh? What reason would she have for pretending to be someone else, just to raid the lower floors?

Liv turned back to the enemy ahead of her and the Rhaskan pulled away. It was easily four times larger than her, she was only human after all. Yet it cowered away from her.

…

“Rei?”

I placed my hand over her shoulder and stopped her.

“I can fight my own battles.”

Her concerned eyes sharpened with anger.

“Don’t be a fool!” She snapped back. “This isn't some weak monster on the fifth floor, this is a Boss.”

Her eyebrows arched over as she raised her voice, pouring concern and anger behind every word. Emotions I didn’t even believe that she was capable of using a day ago, now suddenly they were displayed with no restraint.

My eyes remained sharp, unwavering.

She stepped back and sheathed her sword, even if she didn’t like it, I’m glad she stepped down.

I wanted to ask her a hundred questions and keep asking her more until she stopped me, but I didn’t have that luxury. I was no better after all.

It’s true that this is a Boss and I have no chance of winning in a fight. She could beat this without breaking a sweat, but if she did that then I wouldn’t be able to claim the rewards. I would have gotten nothing if I let that happen, I need to beat it on my own.

“Promise me that you won’t step in, no matter what.”

Our eyes locked for a brief moment before splitting again. She lowered her head and with a reluctant tone, she replied,

“…I give you my word.”

I nodded back and walked on ahead.

“Shadow Claw.” As I called out the skill, shadowy black paws of a wolf hovered over mine.

I don’t have much after using Iron Body but this rush I’m feeling, it’s like my mana has no limit. Uriel, do you have any idea how long this will last?

{Effect of unknown substance} - {Mana replenishment +200%}

“That will work.”

The Rhaskan flew up, without its feathers it was barely able to keep itself in the air. It remained in a struggle across the air and crashed back into the pool of water.

I dashed ahead and cleared the water in a single bound, landing in front of it.

I slashed into its body and carved out large markings with wide animalistic swings. The Rhaskan swatted at me with its blackened wings but missed.

I activated the Rush Skill and raced up its body, carving a line out of its wings as I ran. Blood sprayed out behind me I launched forwards and dove claws first.

The boss snapped at me with its beak.

“Shadow Step!” I yelled, my body disappeared behind the smoke and reappeared over its head.

My claws had disappeared and the Rhaskan span around in place. Its crispy tail feathers slammed into me with a powerful blow, which sent me flying through the air.

I crashed into the wall of the room, shaking it on impact. The subtle crunch of my sides played off like an instrument as I collided.

“Argh— not yet.” I groaned.

I pushed off from the wall and fell to my feet, a trail of mist followed behind me as I ran. The power of the rush skill was the only other sensation from pain coursing through me.

The Rhaskan extended out its head and released a terrifying cry. It spun around, throwing out its wings and releasing what last damaged feathers from its wings that it had.

They cut through the air like broken daggers.

My mana is too low, I don’t have too much left! The effects of the elixir already ran out—

As they came hurdling at my face I held out my arms to block it,

“Iron Body—”

I broke through the wave of feathers and crashed into the Rhaskan, my heavy silhouette drove itself into the bird's body and forced it back.

Its health dropped by a large chunk as I collided with it.

The glowing white aura around me faded away as the last of my mana was drained. My head grew dizzy and my balance was lost. The hazy figure of the Rhaskan shifted over me as I fell.

“Still not done, I didn’t think so.” I stared up at the battered bird, its scaly body bruised and blackened.

I stared deep into its cloudy orbed eyes, I hadn’t said anything and it wouldn’t be able to speak regardless, yet it felt as though we were communicating.

Maybe not words but…I felt something. As if I could hear its anger.

The Rhaskan and I both charged ahead.

I took the last of my strength and threw out a punch, it turned back and hit me with its tail.

My body flew into the air like a ragdoll.

Before I could reach the ground the Rhaskan snapped its beak down, over my body. The curves of its beak clamped down on my arm and back, and I felt my body slowly being split.

“Arrgh— Ahhh!!!!” I screamed out.

Liv’s hands shook, I could see her holding herself back. At my request, she couldn't do anything for me. At my request, I was forcing her to watch me suffer…

“No— I won’t stay weak! I’ll devour you…you and every monster in this dammed Tower! Now get the hell off me…”

My Chakram pierced out the top of the boss’s mouth, causing it to cry out in pain. The Rhaskan opened its mouth and the edge of my blade came out the top of its beak.

I let go and fell from its mouth, leaving my Chakram planted in it. With the free hand I had left, I grabbed hold of anything I could from its body, trying to keep myself from falling.

As the monster raged in pain, its wings and tail thrashed around and threw me off. Its gleaming eyes fell onto me and shrank.

It charged at me with its head buried its beak into the ground. I darted back and extended my arm to its face.

“Devour!”

Black mist shot out from my hand and collided with its face, exploding against its eyes like a spray of water.

The Rhaskan pulled back and shook its head, trying to remove the mist from its eyes.

As it blinked open its eyes it came face to face with one of my Chakram blades, cutting through the air at a vertical angle.

In a swift cut, the Rhaskan's neck opened up and a spray of blood followed. The remaining chunks of its health bar depleted and faded away.

The wailing cries of its pain faded out just as fast as its body fell to the ground.

“Skriya—iiyaa…”

{The Dungeon Boss has been slain}