Each breath Henry took felt denser, weighted down by the overwhelming presence of the massive creature before him.
The Stonebreaker Troll loomed in the dim dungeon light, its colossal form nearly scraping the cavern's ceiling. Its rock-like skin glowed faintly, its stone-textured muscles shifting beneath the surface as it moved. The beast exuded raw, destructive power, its very existence radiating the unyielding force of the dungeon itself.
Yet, it was still.
It hadn't moved yet.
Its beady, glowing yellow eyes locked onto Henry, watching. Calculating.
It was waiting.
Waiting for him to make the first move.
Henry tightened his grip on his sword. Every inch of his body remained taut, his heartbeat steady despite the sheer difference in size between him and his opponent. He had faced plenty of creatures in the dungeon before, but nothing quite like this.
This wasn't some mindless monster acting on pure instinct.
It knew how to fight.
"Alright, big guy," Henry muttered under his breath, rolling his shoulders. The familiar ache from his earlier injuries flared up for a moment before fading into the background of his adrenaline-fueled focus. He cracked his neck, eyes never leaving the troll. "Let's see if you're all muscle and no brains."
His foot shifted.
Then—
He vanished.
Dash activated, launching Henry forward in a burst of speed. His body blurred, weaving left, then right, zigzagging unpredictably as he closed the distance between himself and the towering beast.
His sword flashed in the dim glow of the chamber.
Aiming for the troll's knee joint—
BOOM!
The ground detonated.
A deafening shockwave blasted outward as the troll stomped down, the sheer force splintering the chamber floor. Cracks spiderwebbed outward in all directions, large chunks of stone breaking apart from the impact.
Henry barely had time to react. He flipped backward, the concussive force slamming against his chest like a battering ram. His vision blurred momentarily as he landed in a crouch, his heart hammering.
Holy shit, it's fast.
He had expected a sluggish behemoth, something slow and lumbering due to its size. But that stomp—it was too quick, too precise.
One hit. That was all it would take.
He couldn't afford to get hit.
"Alright," Henry exhaled, forcing a smirk onto his lips despite the tightness in his ribs. "No problem. I just need to—"
The club swung.
Henry moved.
A second swing.
He ducked, the iron weapon whistling past his ear.
A third.
He leaped sideways, rolling across the fractured stone. Each strike the troll unleashed carved trenches into the chamber, dust and debris erupting into the air like a sandstorm.
It wasn't just fast.
It was relentless.
Henry weaved between the attacks, his Dash ability working overtime to keep him ahead of the troll's strikes. But he could feel it—the growing exhaustion, the strain in his limbs.
Then,
The fourth attack.
It was faster.
Henry had no time to dodge.
His instincts screamed at him to block.
His sword came up—
CLANG!
A deafening explosion of metal against metal rang through the chamber.
For a single frozen moment—
Henry felt it.
A shudder through his weapon.
Then it landed with a CRACK sound.
His world seemed to slow down.
His sword shattered.
The impact was unreal. The sheer force behind the troll's attack sent a shockwave rippling down the blade, splitting it apart instantly. Fractured metal snapped violently, shards spinning through the air before clattering uselessly onto the ground.
Henry barely registered the half of the weapon still in his grip.
The other half, lay several feet away on the broken stone floor.
"...Oh."
Silence stretched between them.
The troll stared.
Henry stared back.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved. The tension in the chamber was almost comedic.
Then Henry let out a slow whistle. "Huh. That's new."
The troll let out a deep, rumbling growl—unamused.
Henry sighed, rolling his shoulders as he tossed the now-useless hilt to the side.
"Well," he muttered, "there goes my warranty."
Then the troll charged.
"Whoa—HEY! Let's talk about this!"
Henry barely twisted out of the way as the iron club came crashing down again, demolishing the floor where he had stood just a heartbeat ago. Dust and shattered stone erupted into the air, forcing him to shield his face as he sprinted backward.
His mind raced.
No weapon.
A massive, pissed-off troll.
And his ribs were still screaming from Boros' earlier attack.
He needed power.
He needed more power.
His eyes flicked to his status screen.
Skill Points Available: 200.
His fingers twitched.
Alright. No time to hesitate.
With a single mental command, he dumped most of his available skill points into Strength.
The effect was instantaneous.
A surge of raw energy flooded his body, molten heat spreading through his limbs like wildfire. Every muscle in his frame tensed and expanded, his veins pulsing with newfound strength. His skin tingled, his nerves buzzing, as if his entire being had been supercharged in an instant.
It felt incredible.
Henry grinned.
"Oh, hell yeah."
The troll lunged.
Henry met it head-on.
Their collision sent a shockwave tearing through the chamber, the sheer force of their clash sending cracks splintering outward from their point of impact.
For the first time,
The troll stumbled.
Henry's bare fist had collided with its armored body.
And left a dent.
The beast let out a startled grunt, its massive frame staggering backward.
Henry stared at his own hand.
Electricity seemed to dance through his veins, the sheer power humming beneath his skin. The impact had felt like nothing—no pain, no recoil. Only strength.
His grin widened.
"Holy shit," he breathed. "I just punched a walking mountain… and it actually felt good."
The troll, however, was not amused.
It roared, the sound shaking the very walls of the chamber. Rage flickered in its glowing eyes as it raised its club once more.
Henry cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders as he took a step forward.
His muscles felt lighter. His movements sharper.
This fight had just changed.
He had power now.
He wasn't running anymore.
He was fighting back.
Henry smirked. "Come on, ugly."
He braced himself.
"Let's see what you've got."