Boom! BOOM!
"Boss…"
"Team Leader…"
The whole team cried out as they heard the loud explosion that shook the entire area, even affecting the zone they were in.
"The Infernal Feral King is too strong… It overwhelmed the Boss," White Emperor muttered, his body trembling.
"I'll go take off his head!" Kenny roared as she lunged toward the Infernal Feral King, but then—snap!—Angel Michael stepped forward and pointed his staff at her.
[Lightning Chain]
Chains, shaped like twisted bolts of lightning, tore out from the ground and wrapped around her limbs, freezing her in place.
"Free me! Let me go! Let me go teach that bastard a lesson!" Kenny screamed, struggling wildly, but then her sister stepped forward.
"Kenny, what happened to you? This isn't like you. You're always calm and collected… you always look at the full picture. But now? You're acting out of pure anger. What happened to you?"
Taiwo looked her twin dead in the eyes, her voice gentle but firm. Kenny remained silent. And then—the tears came, rolling down her cheeks like rivers breaking a dam. She looked around and realized… everyone else wasn't panicking. No one even looked particularly shaken.
"You guys… You're not even…"
"I know how you feel, Kenny. But only if you'd just stay calm and check the party chat," Taiwo said quietly, gesturing to the air.
Kenny quickly pulled up her system interface.
"Man like Malik." His name was still there. Which meant…
"He's still alive…" Kenny's eyes brightened as she turned to the battlefield—but the only figure she could see was the towering form of the Infernal Feral King.
"But… where on Earth is he?"
---
"That tricky bastard… he used that disappearing trick again," the Infernal Feral King growled. "Seems like the skill cooldown ended. I could've just withered his HP away instead of wasting time channeling such a grand attack."
He sighed, gripping his weapon tighter, his face dark with frustration. It irked him deeply that he hadn't gotten to kill Malik the way he imagined. Malik had slipped into stealth mode before the attack landed, but what truly puzzled the boss was how Malik had managed to exit the attack's range that quickly.
That could only mean one thing…
The Level 20 Boss Monster suddenly sensed danger from behind. But before he could swing his Greatsword, a punch exploded against his face.
<
-800 Damage <
"It's just as I thought… his agility got boosted again. What? I… I can't move?!"
The Infernal Feral King's eyes widened. His body refused to respond after the punch landed. Malik vanished immediately, and before the King could even blink, another strike smashed into his jaw.
-900 Damage <
And then came a barrage.
Punch after punch. One to the ribs, two to the jaw, three to the back. Malik darted in and out like a ghost. The stealth made him invisible between strikes, and the stunning effect of Iron Fist made sure he was gone before the boss could recover.
In less than one minute, the Infernal Feral King's HP had dropped to 8,500… a little over 50%.
The beast roared, shaking the dungeon walls, as it forcefully dispelled the stun and slashed his sword at Malik's last known location. Malik activated stealth again—but both his Stealth Mode and Agility Boost were seconds from ending.
But those seconds… were all he needed.
Malik poured every drop of energy he had left into his fists and sprinted toward the Infernal Feral King.
Then—he jumped.
He launched high into the air just as both stealth and agility boost ended. But he didn't need them anymore.
His fists twisted in the air, transforming into claws crackling with spiritual energy.
"RENDING CLAW STRIKE!!"
He screamed, and two massive black slashes tore through the air, crossing into an X-shaped arc that descended upon the Infernal Feral King like judgment from the heavens.
'This tricky bastard had another trick up his sleeve!' the Infernal Feral King snarled in his mind.
BOOM!
The technique landed clean, sending the massive boss flying like a meteor. It crashed into its throne as numbers floated over its head—
-300 -300 -300
"The claw technique is insane… To think it shaved off almost 10% of his HP," Malik muttered, breathing hard as he landed on the ground.
But then—his eyes flickered to his stat window, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
SE: 300 / 1000
"My spiritual energy… it's almost gone from just that one move. I can only do this one more time. If I try again without enough energy, I'll collapse."
---
"You sure surprised me, human," the Infernal Feral King said as he rose to his feet, his breathing ragged. His HP had steadied at 50%, while Malik's had recovered back to 80%.
"The name's Gorthok. I'm from the proud Thok race. What's your name?"
"My name… Man. Man like Malik," Malik replied calmly, eyes locked onto Gorthok, unwavering.
"Man like Malik… I feel like you're the reason my lair was transported away from the Feral Temple to this godforsaken dungeon. My rank and level were dropped because of you."
"Did you trigger a quest or something?"
"Yeah. I think I destroyed the Feral Cave," Malik said, not thinking much of it.
"You destroyed a Feral Cave?! Those can only be found in top-tier cities by heaven-defying players… So you're one of them, huh? A true heaven-defier."
Gorthok's tone grew grave.
"You are worthy… to witness 50% of my true power, Man like Malik."
The moment he spoke, the very air in the dungeon shifted. Gorthok's aura erupted like a volcano—violent, scorching, alive. The Greatsword in his hand grew longer, wider, pulsing with raw heat. Parts of his dark body ignited in flame, and his eyes now shone like blazing suns.
'Is this monster crazy?! How is this only 50%?!' Malik screamed inwardly as he braced himself for the madness to come.