Twenty-four Rift Hounds turned as one.
For a heartbeat, the cavern was silent except for Kade's breathing and the distant drip of water. Then the hounds *screamed*—that horrible metal-tearing sound—and charged.
Kade didn't move. Didn't run. Just raised both hands and pushed.
[FORCE CASCADE ACTIVATED]
[AMPLIFICATION: x1]
The kinetic blast erupted outward in a cone, catching the first wave of six hounds mid-leap. They slammed backward into their packmates, bodies tumbling in a chaotic mass of limbs and mandibles.
But twenty-four was too many. The formation broke apart immediately—hounds splitting left and right, circling, using pack tactics that shouldn't be possible for F-Rank creatures.
They're learning, Kade realized. Or something's controlling them.
No time to think about it. Three hounds broke from the right flank, closing fast.
Kade pivoted and thrust his left palm forward. Another pulse—more focused this time, concentrated into a spear of force. It punched through the lead hound's chest and carried through into the one behind it.
[RIFT HOUND DEFEATED x2]
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: +5]
[AMPLIFICATION: x2]
The third hound leaped for his throat.
Kade caught it—or rather, his enhanced Agility let him track the trajectory and sidestep at the last possible second. The hound's mandibles snapped closed on empty air inches from his face.
He grabbed it mid-flight—his enhanced Strength making the creature feel lighter than it should—and slammed it into the stone floor with brutal efficiency.
[RIFT HOUND DEFEATED]
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: +2]
[AMPLIFICATION: x3]
More coming from the left. Kade spun and released a wide-angle blast that caught four hounds simultaneously, scattering them like bowling pins.
[AMPLIFICATION: x4]
His power was building. Each successful use made the next one *stronger*. He could feel it—the energy responding faster, hitting harder, the feedback loop accelerating.
But the hounds were adapting too. The remaining pack—maybe fifteen left—pulled back, forming a loose semicircle. Waiting.
They're testing me, Kade thought. Seeing what I can do.
That meant intelligence. That meant this wasn't random.
[WARNING: UNUSUAL PACK BEHAVIOR DETECTED]
[PROBABILITY OF ALPHA PRESENCE: 87%]
An Alpha. The E-Rank boss. It was here, watching, directing its pack.
Kade scanned the cavern, his enhanced Perception cutting through the dim light. There—in the shadows at the back of the cavern. Something larger. Eyes that glowed brighter than the others.
The Corrupted Hound Alpha was the size of a small horse, with additional bone plating across its skull and shoulders. Mutations that pushed it beyond standard Rift Hound physiology.
It was watching him with an intelligence that made Kade's skin crawl.
Then it howled—a sound that resonated through the cavern like a physical force—and the remaining pack attacked as one.
[HOSTILE INTENT DETECTED: COORDINATED ASSAULT]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 47%]
Forty-seven percent. The odds had dropped.
Kade didn't care.
He charged forward to meet them.
***
The fight became chaos.
Kade moved through the pack like a whirlwind—his enhanced physiology letting him track multiple threats simultaneously while his power carved through anything that got close.
A hound lunged from the right. Kade's palm shot out—a focused pulse that caved in its skull.
[AMPLIFICATION: x5]
Two more from the left. A sweeping blast sent them tumbling into the cavern wall.
[AMPLIFICATION: x6]
One got through his defense and sank its mandibles into his shoulder.
Pain exploded—sharp and immediate. Kade felt the creature's teeth punch through skin, scrape against bone. Blood ran hot down his arm.
[INJURY DETECTED: MODERATE TISSUE DAMAGE]
[RECOMMENDATION: DISENGAGE]
Kade grabbed the hound by its head and *squeezed*. His enhanced Strength combined with pure adrenaline-fueled rage. The skull cracked like an eggshell.
[RIFT HOUND DEFEATED]
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: +3]
[AMPLIFICATION: x7]
Seven times amplification. One more and he'd hit the maximum.
The remaining hounds hesitated—pack numbers reduced to maybe eight or nine. They'd lost more than half their force, and fear was starting to override their Alpha's control.
The Alpha howled again—angry this time. Commanding.
The pack attacked anyway, but their formation was broken. Desperate.
Kade didn't give them a chance.
He thrust both palms forward and released everything he had—seven times amplified kinetic force that erupted like a bomb.
The blast wave caught every remaining hound simultaneously. Bodies flew backward, slammed into walls, crumpled onto stone. The sound was deafening.
[RIFT HOUND DEFEATED x9]
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: +21]
[AMPLIFICATION: x8 - MAXIMUM REACHED]
[CURRENT ESSENCE: 52/1000]
Silence fell.
Kade stood in the center of the cavern, breathing hard, blood dripping from his shoulder. Dead hounds were dissolving around him—bodies turning to mist as their essence was absorbed.
And across the cavern, the Alpha watched.
It hadn't moved. Hadn't helped its pack. Just observed.
Now it stood slowly, bone plates scraping against stone. It was massive up close—easily three hundred kilograms of mutated muscle and armor.
[CORRUPTED HOUND ALPHA - E-RANK]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: SEVERE]
[CURRENT STATUS: INJURED, AMPLIFICATION MAXIMUM, ENERGY OUTPUT LIMITED TO F-RANK PARAMETERS]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 39%]
Thirty-nine percent. Worse than before.
Kade's shoulder throbbed. His breathing was too fast. The amplification was at maximum, but he'd been limiting his output to F-Rank levels to maintain concealment.
He could release the limiters. Go full power. The x8 amplification on top of his true C-Rank capacity would probably vaporize the Alpha in one hit.
But it would also light him up like a beacon. Every scanner within five hundred meters would register a C-Rank energy signature.
And if anyone was monitoring Hollowbreak Passage—if the military had sensors, if another hunter was nearby—they'd know.
The Alpha took one step forward. Then another. Moving with predatory patience.
Kade made his decision.
"Fuck it."
He kept the limiters on.
Thirty-nine percent was still better than zero.
The Alpha charged.
***
The creature moved fast—E-Rank speed that blurred across the distance. Kade barely got his hands up in time.
The kinetic blast caught the Alpha mid-charge—x8 amplification even at limited output was still devastating. The creature's momentum stopped like it had hit a wall.
But it didn't go down.
The bone plating absorbed most of the impact. The Alpha skidded backward, claws gouging trenches in stone, but stayed upright.
[ARMORED TARGET DETECTED]
[FORCE CASCADE EFFECTIVENESS REDUCED: 60%]
The Alpha shook its head, recovering fast, and came at him again.
Kade dodged left—his enhanced Agility letting him slip past the first attack. Mandibles snapped closed where his head had been.
He countered with a focused spear of force aimed at the creature's exposed flank.
The Alpha twisted mid-attack, and the blast glanced off its shoulder plating instead of punching through.
Too armored. Too fast.
The creature spun and its tail—thick with bone growths—whipped around like a club.
Kade threw himself backward, but not fast enough. The tail caught his ribs with crushing force.
[INJURY DETECTED: FRACTURED RIBS x2]
[PAIN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED]
[COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS REDUCED: 23%]
Kade hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him. Pain screamed through his chest. Every breath felt like knives.
The Alpha didn't hesitate. It lunged, jaws wide, going for his throat.
Kade raised both hands and *pushed* with everything he had left.
The blast caught the Alpha point-blank—x8 amplification at F-Rank limitation hitting with the force of a small explosion.
The creature flew backward, slammed into the cavern wall, and *through* it—the stone cracking, chunks falling, dust billowing.
[AMPLIFICATION SEQUENCE EXPIRED: 60 SECONDS ELAPSED]
[RESET TO: x1]
No.
Kade tried to stand. His ribs screamed in protest. His shoulder was still bleeding. His vision swam.
From the dust cloud, the Alpha emerged.
Wounded now—one of its bone plates cracked, ichor leaking from its flank. But still moving. Still deadly.
[ENEMY STATUS: INJURED BUT FUNCTIONAL]
[YOUR STATUS: CRITICAL]
[RECOMMENDATION: RETREAT TO DUNGEON EXIT]
Kade laughed—a broken, bitter sound that sent fresh pain through his ribs.
"Retreat. Right. Because that's what I do."
The Alpha circled slowly, wary now. It had learned Kade was dangerous. But it could also smell blood. Sense weakness.
Kade pushed himself to his feet, swaying. His power was reset to x1 amplification. His body was damaged. He was operating on adrenaline and spite.
This was stupid. Reckless. Self-destructive.
Exactly like always.
"Come on then," Kade said quietly. "Let's finish this."
The Alpha charged one final time.
Kade didn't try to dodge. Didn't try to block.
He waited until the creature was three meters away—close enough that he could see the yellow glow of its eyes, smell the rot on its breath—and released his power.
Not at the Alpha.
At the ground beneath it.
[FORCE CASCADE: GROUND IMPACT]
The kinetic blast punched downward with concentrated force. Stone shattered. The floor beneath the Alpha *collapsed*—a sinkhole opening up instantly.
The creature's momentum carried it forward, but there was nothing beneath its feet. It dropped into the pit Kade had just created.
Kade didn't give it a chance to recover.
He thrust his hands down and released blast after blast into the hole—limited power, x1 amplification, but focused and relentless. Stone fragments, dust, debris—all crashing down on the trapped Alpha.
[AMPLIFICATION: x2]
[AMPLIFICATION: x3]
[AMPLIFICATION: x4]
Each successful hit built the power higher. The blasts got stronger. The collapse got worse.
[AMPLIFICATION: x5]
The Alpha tried to climb out, claws scraping at stone, but Kade kept hitting it—kept burying it—kept *crushing* it under tons of rock and force.
[AMPLIFICATION: x6]
One final pulse—massive, devastating, concentrated into the pit like a hammer blow.
The cavern shook. More stone fell. The pit collapsed completely.
Then silence.
Kade stood at the edge, breathing in ragged gasps, staring down at the rubble-filled hole.
Nothing moved.
[CORRUPTED HOUND ALPHA DEFEATED]
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: +87]
[TOTAL ESSENCE: 139/1000]
[BONUS REWARD: SKILL COMPREHENSION INCREASED]
[FORCE CASCADE MASTERY: 12% → 28%]
Kade's legs gave out.
He collapsed onto the stone, pain overwhelming him. His ribs were definitely broken. His shoulder was a mess. He could taste blood.
But he was alive.
And he'd just killed an E-Rank boss. Solo.
[CRITICAL INJURIES DETECTED]
[INITIATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS]
[ACCELERATED HEALING ACTIVATED]
Warmth spread through Kade's chest—different from the pain. The system was doing something, repairing damage, knitting bone.
It hurt worse than the injury itself.
Kade gritted his teeth and endured it, staring up at the cavern ceiling where bioluminescent moss cast everything in pale green light.
"One hundred thirty-nine essence," he whispered. "Eight hundred sixty-one to go."
Then he started laughing—broken, half-hysterical laughter that sent fresh pain through his healing ribs.
He'd almost died.
He'd probably have died if he'd been smart enough to run.
But he hadn't run. He never ran.
And now he was stronger.
[HEALING PROGRESS: 34%]
[ESTIMATED TIME TO COMBAT READINESS: 2.7 HOURS]
[RECOMMENDATION: REMAIN STATIONARY]
Kade closed his eyes and let the system work.
Three days until his medical deferral expired. He'd just cleared half a dungeon in one fight.
Not bad for someone who was supposed to be worthless.