[You have levelled up]
[You have levelled up]
[You have levelled up]
"Is that all of them?" he asked aloud, more disappointed than relieved.
[You have entered the lair of the Dungeon Boss (D-Rank)]
As the notification flashed, Raven's eyes shifted toward the end of the cave.
At the far end of the ruined cavern, beyond the burned corpses and cracked stone, the throne came into view.
If you could even call it a throne.
It was a mess of bone and scrap metal—spikes jutting out in random angles, with skulls and ribcages woven together like some crude crown.
Pieces of armour, rusted weapons, even a still-bleeding ogre's arm dangled from it. A monument not to power, but to violence.
And sitting atop it, slumped in silence, was the last one standing.
The Red Ogre Chieftain.
Raven stopped walking.
Rage and bloodlust lingered like smoke. This wasn't just another monster. This one knew exactly what had happened.
The moment Raven entered the chamber, the chieftain stirred.
Its eyes opened, two glowing slits of red.
They didn't widen in shock. They didn't flicker in fear.
They simply locked onto him.
And stayed there.
The creature rose, slowly. It didn't roar. It didn't snarl. No theatrics.
It just reached for its axe and stood.
The weapon dragged sparks along the floor, too heavy for most monsters to even lift. The chieftain lifted it with one hand. The bones in its armour clacked as it moved forward, each step shaking the floor.
Raven tilted his head slightly
"…You know, I almost feel bad."
And then the chieftain charged.
No warning. No battle cry. Just pure, boiling intent.
It moved fast, faster than something of its size should. The axe came down like a falling star, straight for Raven's head.
But he was already moving.
A single step back. Smooth. Effortless.
The blade missed him by inches and slammed into the stone, sending cracks shooting in every direction. Dust flew up around them, masking the chieftain's next swing—a horizontal sweep that could've bisected a truck.
Raven ducked under it, kicked off the ground, and shot backwards, landing lightly near the edge of the room.
"Fierce one, aren't you?"
The ogre turned toward him again. Its chest was heaving, eyes burning brighter now.
Raven raised one hand.
"Flame Lance."
The spell took shape instantly—white-hot fire wrapped in condensed aether, forming a spear of unstable magic. He hurled it without ceremony.
The lance pierced through the air and struck the chieftain straight in the side, erupting in a burst of blue flame. Fire coiled across the monster's ribs, crawling upward, devouring flesh and bone alike.
"Grghhhh!!"
It stumbled.
But it didn't fall.
The flames raged for a moment, then slowly began to die.
When the smoke cleared, the ogre was still standing. Skin charred. Armour melting. But its grip on the axe hadn't loosened.
"…Still up?" Raven muttered.
He wasn't surprised, however, mildly impressed.
There was something different here. The others fought like beasts. This one fought like something that remembered.
A second later, Raven closed the gap.
He launched forward in a blur, sword drawn, elemental energy building at the edge. Sparks danced along the blade as fire, wind, and lightning converged into a sharp hum. His first slash went for the legs, low and fast.
The ogre reacted. Axe raised.
Crack.
Too late.
The axe didn't block; it shattered.
The spatial magic laced into Raven's swing twisted reality just enough to bend metal. The haft snapped in two, and the head of the weapon clanged to the floor like a dead weight.
The chieftain roared and swung with its bare fists, catching Raven across the shoulder with a glancing blow.
He staggered back a step.
Then looked down at the torn edge of his coat.
'It actually managed to graze me a bit.'
He sounded more surprised than upset.
Then, he smiled.
And this time, he didn't hold back.
The ground split beneath him as he rushed forward again, sword glowing brighter.
The next slash went through the ogre's knee. The one after that tore into its chest. A third was sliced across its neck, deep, but not fatal.
The chieftain tried to counter, but its movements were slower now. Unsteady. Blood dripped freely onto the floor, steam rising where it touched Raven's lingering fire magic.
Raven flicked his sword to the side.
Let the magic build.
Aether swirled into his palm, mixing with lightning and flame—more controlled this time. He didn't shout the name. He didn't need to.
The blast erupted point-blank into the ogre's torso
The shockwave threw the beast back into its throne, shattering the bone structure behind it. The monster dropped to one knee, gasping.
Still not dead.
But barely clinging to life
Raven walked forward, unhurried. The ogre watched him come, breathing raggedly. Its eyes didn't hold fear.
Just refusal.
Even now, it wasn't begging for mercy. It was waiting. Hoping to land one final blow before the end.
Raven stood before it and raised his sword one last time.
"This is mercy," he said simply.
The blade came down, clean and quiet.
The chieftain's body slumped.
And it was done.
[You have slain the Dungeon Boss: Red Ogre Chieftain – level 40 (D-Rank)]
[You have levelled up] ×3
[Spatial Manipulation passive skill has levelled up]
*Spatial Manipulation (S-Rank)
Level: 2
-->Use of players' attributes can affect space. Enhances all space-related magic (New)
Raven exhaled and glanced back at the cratered battlefield behind him.
"Yeah... this gate was worth it."