The Gnoll Captain towered over the corpses of its fallen kin, gripping its massive battle axe with a firm, predatory stance. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Alex, glinting with a mix of intelligence and malice.
This wasn't just another mindless monster. The aura radiating from the Gnoll Captain was thick with danger, far more oppressive than the E-rank creatures he had fought so far.
Alicia's voice cut through his thoughts, calm yet laced with intrigue. "I didn't expect to see a mid-boss in an E-rank dungeon. Huh… my disciple, I think we came at the best time. This wasn't a complete waste after all."
Alex shot her a brief glance, confused by her wording. 'Best time?' But there was no time to question her—right now, only one thing mattered: this was a mid-boss, a monster stronger than its underlings but not quite the dungeon's final guardian.
In the games and fantasy stories he knew, mid-bosses often meant better rewards.
The Gnoll Captain exhaled, its breath ragged and beastly. Then, it let out a deafening roar, the sheer force of its voice shaking loose dust from the cavern walls. The deep, guttural sound wasn't just for intimidation—it was a declaration of dominance.
Then, it charged.
The ground trembled beneath its thundering footsteps as it lunged forward with terrifying speed, swinging its massive battle axe in a downward arc meant to split Alex in half.
Alex's eyes narrowed. He had mere seconds to react.
Alex remained unfazed. He had already prepared for this. As the monster lunged, he extended his hand forward. He was physically exhausted, having fought relentlessly until now, relying mostly on his sword.
Tired and unwilling to exert himself any further, he had planned to end things swiftly and efficiently by casting
A deep black spear materialized in his grasp, its form shifting and pulsating with energy. In an instant, it vanished into the void—only to reappear right in front of the charging Gnoll Captain.
The monster had no time to react. The spear tore through its stomach, creating a gaping hole as a surge of violent energy erupted from within. The sheer force sent the massive creature crashing backward, its body skidding violently across the rocky cavern floor.
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[The Host has killed a D rank Mid-Boss Monster]
[+500 XP and +20 SP]
==============================
"Did I overdo it?" he muttered, watching as the monster's blood and entrails splattered across the ground.
The mid-boss died a brutal, almost pitiful death. One would expect an intense battle, yet before it could even react, it was already dead.
Alicia blinked, staring at the gruesome aftermath with a mixture of amusement and intrigue.
"That was… well, rather anticlimactic." Aurora mused.
The path ahead was straightforward, leading to a vast corridor that stretched toward a massive gate at the end. The gate emanated a dangerous aura, its oppressive presence screaming a clear warning: Do Not Enter.
"So, that's the entrance to the boss room." Alex muttered, his gaze fixed on the towering doors. He then turned to Alicia. "Master, do we just open the door and enter?"
Alicia nodded.
"What can I expect inside? A massive boss monster? Or will I be fighting a group of monsters?" Alex asked.
"It depends," Alicia explained. "There can be a single boss monster, or it might have its minions. In high-ranked dungeons, there are usually multiple bosses. Since this is an E-rank dungeon and judging by its theme of bipedal monsters, there should only be one."
She then added, "But in this particular case, the boss monster should be around C-rank."
Alex frowned, both confused and intrigued. 'A dungeon having a boss two ranks higher… is that normal?' he wondered.
Before he could voice his thoughts, Alicia continued, "There's something else you should be aware of before we enter. Once you enter a boss room, you won't be able to leave until you either defeat the boss and all the monsters inside or use a teleportation artifact. So it's literally do or die."
Alex visibly tensed at that revelation. However, recalling his training, he reassured himself. A C-rank monster shouldn't be an issue for him now. And even if it turned out to be a challenge, his master was right beside him.
Alex then finally asked, sensing something off in Alicia's words earlier. "Master, what did you meant by 'this dungeon in particular'?"
Alicia's expression remained calm, yet there was a hint of seriousness in her tone. "This dungeon appears to be on the verge of a Dungeon Breakout."
"Dungeon Breakout?" Alex echoed, unfamiliar with the term.
Alicia turned to him. "This might be your first time entering a dungeon, so you wouldn't know. When a dungeon is left uncleared or untouched for too long, the monsters inside begin to overflow, eventually breaking through into the outside world."
Alex's brows furrowed at the revelation.
Aurora chimed in. "I was thinking the same. That would explain why an E-rank dungeon has a mid-boss in the first place—especially one at D-rank—and a final boss of C-rank. As the dungeon festers over time, its mana grows unstable, causing stronger monsters to manifest. If left unchecked, this dungeon would have eventually risen in rank."
Rather than rushing in recklessly, he reached out to Aurora telepathically. 'Can you check what's inside?'
Much to his disappointment, she replied, 'I can't. The door is enforced with a mana barrier preventing me from entering. You'd either have to break through it or enter directly.'
Alex sighed. 'So we're going in blind, huh?'
After taking a deep breath, Alex steeled himself and stepped forward. His hands pressed against the massive doors, and with a firm push, they groaned open, revealing the unknown beyond. The moment they crossed the threshold, a deep thud echoed behind them.
Alex flinched slightly as the doors slammed shut on their own. He turned his head but found no handle, no visible way to reopen them. A one-way entrance—just as Alicia had warned.
The chamber before them was vast and eerily empty. The barren ground stretched endlessly, devoid of obstacles or cover. Towering walls encased the space, vanishing into darkness above, their true height indiscernible. It felt like stepping into a coliseum built for monsters.
Then, Alex felt it—a presence.
His gaze snapped forward, locking onto a pair of piercing, predatory eyes.
The boss monster.
It stood motionless, watching him with eerie patience. A Hobgoblin.
Larger and more refined than the goblins he had fought earlier, it wasn't grotesquely massive but had a lean, wiry frame. Its deep, grayish-green skin was marked with intricate patterns that pulsed faintly.
Its sclera glowed a sickly yellow, void of irises, making its gaze all the more unnerving. Though a head shorter than Alex, its posture radiated raw strength—muscles taut with coiled power, ready to strike.
In its hand, a short sword gleamed under the dim light, well-maintained and unmistakably an artifact.
Then, without warning, the strange markings on its body began to pulse brighter.
Alex's instincts screamed danger.
Above them, the air crackled.
Dark storm clouds formed out of nothingness, twisting and surging with volatile lightning. The room, once eerily silent, now thrummed with the charge of impending destruction.
The Hobgoblin grinned—a sharp, knowing grin.
A massive bolt of lightning descended from above.