Xavier took slow, measured breaths as he navigated through the ruined streets of the dungeon, his newfound subordinate, Razer, trailing closely behind. It had been a few hours since he'd acquired the ghoul-like creature, and in that time, he had slowly begun to understand the mechanics behind his skill, Ruler's Supremacy. The bond between master and subordinate granted him a level of shared awareness, allowing him to instinctively command Razer without spoken words. But there was more to explore, more to test.
The two of them had begun practicing joint exercises against the hordes of monsters still roaming the dungeon. Hob Goblins were the most persistent threat. They moved in coordinated packs, their intelligence slightly higher than the average low-level dungeon monster, but it still wasn't enough to match the duo.
---
A Hob Goblin Raider lunged at Razer from behind, its jagged blade poised for a fatal strike. Xavier reacted instantly, drawing back the string of Phantom Requiem, his newly acquired bow. A crimson glow emanated from the arrow, its status effect activating as he released it. The arrow whistled through the air, embedding itself into the goblin's exposed throat.
[Critical Hit!]
The goblin choked on its own blood before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The status effect of the bow activated once more, amplifying the damage dealt to the vital area.
Razer, unaffected by the death surrounding him, let out a deafening screech. His body flickered like a shadow, appearing behind another group of Hob Goblins. His claws elongated, dripping with a dark, viscous substance before he slashed through their ranks in a flurry of relentless brutality. The monsters barely had time to react before they were torn apart, their lifeless bodies hitting the ground in quick succession.
---
Xavier took a moment to glance at his system screen. The familiar red and black hues of the interface appeared before him, but before he could check his stats, a sudden notification popped up.
[Ding! You have leveled up!]
[Current Level: 20]
Xavier's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, I didn't even do anything though…" he muttered. His gaze shifted toward Razer, who had just finished off the last remaining goblin. A realization dawned upon him.
Ruler's Supremacy allows shared EXP gain from subordinates.
A grin stretched across his face. This was game-changing. He could level up just by letting his subordinates fight. That meant his progression would accelerate significantly.
But then another thought crept into his mind—should he acquire more subordinates while he was here? Perhaps the Hob Goblins? No, he needed something stronger. If he wanted the best possible advantage, he needed subordinates with real power.
Scratching his head, he mentally ran through the list of monsters he had encountered so far. Most of them were either too weak to be worth the effort or weren't suited for his evolving strategy. If he wanted something stronger, then there was only one logical choice.
The Dungeon Boss.
Xavier's expression hardened. If there was one place in this dungeon where the boss could be, it would have to be the abandoned Empire State Building. He had sensed a monstrous presence radiating from the structure for a while now. His Perception stat had grown enough to allow him to feel out the auras of powerful entities, and this one was unlike anything else in the dungeon.
His eyes flickered toward Razer, who was still indulging himself in the corpses of the fallen goblins. Xavier wrinkled his nose in mild disgust. "Well, he is a ghoul…" he muttered under his breath.
But now wasn't the time for distractions. He turned back toward the looming structure in the distance. Even from here, the aura seeping from it was suffocating.
Gripping Phantom Requiem tightly, he took a deep breath.
"Let's do this."
And with that, he stepped forward toward the heart of the dungeon, toward the inevitable confrontation that awaited him inside.