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Chapter 6 - 5 - Battle in the Old Hall

The air inside the old hall was suffocating, every breath pressing against Arkan's lungs. The stench of rotting wood and ancient dust mixed with the electric tang of ozone, bleeding from the dimensional rift that pulsed behind Dr. Armand. Purple light throbbed across the cracks like veins of living energy crawling through the air.

Arkan raised his sword, his chest heaving. His body trembled, yet every muscle was strung taut, ready to spring. Every inhale felt wrong—like another force was tugging on his breath, trying to choke him before the battle even began.

At the center of the hall, Dr. Armand stood wreathed in his own aura. A slow whirlpool of darkness coiled around him, staining the floor in shifting violet shadows. Symbols of light crawled from his neck down to his wrists, writhing like serpents—like a dragon of purple fire etched into his skin. His eyes burned, fixed on Arkan with the heat of an open furnace.

"At last," he said. His voice echoed unnaturally, human tones layered with an alien hum. "I've been waiting for you… OSBO's anomaly."

Arkan swallowed hard. "Why… why are you all after me!?" His voice cracked, but the resolve in his stance never wavered.

Dr. Armand smiled, a blade-thin curl of his lips. Even that gesture rippled with pressure, the floor and walls groaning beneath waves of dark energy. Without warning, his hand lashed out—chains of black-violet shadow burst into the air, whirling like serpents spun from lightning-fast malice.

Arkan's system flared.

[Dash Lv.1 Activated]

He vanished sideways in a blur. The chains slammed into the floor where he'd stood, detonating rotten wood and choking dust into the air. Arkan caught a glimpse of his blade—blue steel gleaming under the violet glow—before he reset his footing.

[HP -40]

[Arkan: 330 / 370]

Dr. Armand's figure blurred, moving almost too fast to track. His left hand twisted, birthing a vortex of shadow overhead, descending to crush him. Arkan leapt, twisting midair, sword carving through the vortex. A violent spray of violet sparks tore through the wall, cracks spiderwebbing outward.

[Enemy HP -50]

[Dr. Armand: 820 / 1000]

"He's… too fast," Arkan muttered under his breath, trembling but sharp-eyed. He inhaled, reading the rhythm of his enemy's attacks. Blue system-light flickered across his vision, painting glowing weak points on the storm of chains that filled the room.

[Appraisal Active]

Target: Dr. Armand

Level: ???

Primary Skills: Shadow Domain, Parasite Rune

Status: OSBO interference detected — Power reduced to 60%

Arkan bit down on his lip. Even weakened, Armand's strength was leagues beyond him. The chains shredded the hall, splintering pillars and splitting the floor with every strike.

Dr. Armand's laughter rolled across the chamber, deep and resonant like death's echo. "Pathetic. You're only delaying the inevitable, little human."

Arkan staggered back, lungs burning, sweat dripping from his jaw. His sword trembled in his grip, but his eyes stayed locked on the enemy.

Then the system screamed—

[Special Event Triggered: Survival Instinct]

All stats +200% for 60 seconds!

Blue fire erupted across his body. Pain vanished. His exhaustion dissolved. Every fiber of muscle thrummed with new strength. His eyes sharpened, reading Armand's movements as clearly as words on a page.

Without a word, Arkan surged forward.

Slash. Slash. Slash.

His blade tore through the air, shredding shadow chains in a storm of sparks. Violet flares exploded against the cracked walls, bursting through shattered windows. Blue and purple collided, painting the hall in blinding flashes.

[Critical Hit! -150 HP]

[Critical Hit! -200 HP]

Dr. Armand grunted, thrusting up his left arm. A shield of spinning darkness whirled into existence. Arkan leapt high, twisting in midair, funneling system energy into his blade until it blazed. He brought it down like judgment.

The shield shattered. Shards of violet scattered like glass.

Arkan landed hard, dust spilling around his boots. His chest heaved, but his gaze burned steady. He saw the opening—Dr. Armand's focus narrowing to one point, his defense split for just an instant.

"Now or never…"

With a roar, Arkan hurled himself forward. His blade cleaved down, plunging into Dr. Armand's chest. Blue light exploded outward, colliding with the dark aura. The entire hall convulsed as shockwaves ripped through it, tearing windows from their frames and hurling rotten wood into the air.

"HAAAAA!!"

Dr. Armand staggered, cracks crawling across his body like shattering obsidian. His glare blazed even as his form splintered apart.

"You've only delayed OSBO's collapse," he rasped. "The permanent domain will soon be born. When it comes… there will be no place for you, anomaly."

His body disintegrated, dissolving into violet smoke sucked back into the dying rift. The hall trembled with the aftershocks, the air saturated with his fading power.

Arkan dropped to his knees, gasping. His sword hummed hot in his grip, the glow of newly unlocked power resonating in his inventory.

[Boss Quest: Domain Clear]

Rewards:

— Skill Acquired: Shadow Bind

— Weapon Upgrade: Beginner's Sword Lv.3

— Level +1 → 3

— Wooden Chest * Added

— EXP +100

— Balance +75.5 USD

[Host defeated foreign entity]

+200 EXP

[Event Bonus: Survival Instinct fully utilized]

+500 EXP

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

Arkan lifted his blade, its new aura pulsing dark and alive. The hall stank of dust, charred wood, and lingering shadow, but his spirit blazed hotter than ever.

Dr. Armand's last words echoed in his skull.

"The permanent domain will be born…"

Arkan's grip tightened. This fight was only the beginning.

He rose on shaking legs, the system interface flickering before his eyes as he pulled up his status screen.

[Host: Mile Arkan]

• Level: 5

• EXP: 15 / 750

• HP: 370 / 370

• MP: 150 / 150

• Strength: 19 (+)

• Agility: 15 (+)

• Intelligence: 12 (+)

• Vitality: 17 (+)

Unspent Points: 10

Balance: 106.0 USD

Arkan exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. His world had already shifted. And from this moment on—there was no turning back.

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