A deafening smash shattered the calm of Central Park. The ground quaked, and debris erupted into the air like shrapnel. Smoke and dust blanketed the battlefield, engulfing the hunters in a haze of confusion.
"Tch... what the hell was that?!" The B Rank Hunter grunted as he stumbled back from the shockwave. His ears rang, his balance shaky. He looked around wildly, squinting through the dust for his shield.
His thoughts drifted back to the red-hooded figure. That guy—claimed to be an E Rank, but there's no way that's true. No E Rank could move the way he did.
"He's gotta be a false ranker," the B Rank Hunter muttered, finally spotting his shield amid the rubble. He picked it up and turned to the nearby C Rank hunters. "Hey! Help that red hooded hunter out! He's fighting the boss alone!"
Before they could regroup, a guttural, bone-rattling roar tore through the smoke. The boss monster—a massive, stone-skinned behemoth with molten eyes—screamed with fury. Its rage sent the surrounding monsters into a frenzy. Like rabid animals, they charged at the hunters.
"Sh*t! Here they come!" the B Rank Hunter growled. "New plan! Hold these bastards off while Red Hood handles the boss! Don't let them get close!"
The C Rank hunters nodded, quickly forming defensive lines. The B Rank Hunter raised his shield and slammed it down, the sheer force of the impact sending out a concussive wave that knocked the incoming monsters off their feet. The others seized the moment, charging forward with blades drawn, finishing off the staggered creatures.
Just as the B Rank Hunter was about to check on the boss, another explosion of dust erupted in the distance. The ground trembled again, even more violently this time. He shielded his eyes and looked up.
A crimson blur streaked across the sky.
The red-hooded Hunter soared overhead like a bullet and landed square on the boss monster's back. With a vicious snarl, he drove his jagged, curved short sword—into the monster's back in a brutal flurry. The blade glowed faintly with a pulsing red aura as it ripped through the stone-like hide, spilling black blood in every direction.
The monster shrieked in agony, flailing as Xavier leapt up and brought down a devastating axe kick right between its shoulder blades. Bones cracked audibly, and the beast crashed to the ground, sending out a shockwave that tossed nearby debris into the air and flattened the grass for meters around.
"Wha... What the hell is this guy?!" the B Rank Hunter breathed out, his mouth slightly agape. He let out a dry chuckle, unable to believe what he was seeing. "This is absurd... Who even *is* under that hood?"
—
Damn... This sword is better than I thought, Xavier mused, his eyes gleaming behind the tattered red hood. [Crimson Fang] shimmered in his grip, its serrated edge still dripping with blackened blood. +25 base damage boostand [Double Piercing]? Insane. It's shredding through the boss like butter.
A low rumble caught his attention. He snapped his gaze toward the boss monster, just in time to tilt his head to the right—
WHOOSH!
A stone fist the size of a boulder whizzed past his face, missing him by inches. The force behind it stirred a harsh gust of wind that blew his hood back slightly.
Xavier twisted his body smoothly, avoiding another strike, then ducked low to evade a wide swing of the boss's arm. It roared again, lashing out in a berserker rage, but each blow met nothing but air. Xavier's movements were fluid, precise, almost dance-like.
You're strong, Xavier thought, dodging a hammering fist that cracked the ground beneath him. But I've got the edge here.
Another punch. Xavier flipped over the monster's arm, landing lightly on its shoulder. The beast reared up and swung its massive stone weapon downward in an overhead arc.
"Think again."
Xavier stepped in, Crimson Fang glowing red as he slashed upward with all his might. Steel met stone—and won. The weapon's edge exploded with energy as the 'Double Piercing' skill activated.
CRACK!
The monster's stone weapon shattered, fragments bursting outward like shrapnel. The sheer force of the parry knocked the beast backward. It stumbled, then crashed onto its back with a thunderous boom.
Its eyes widened.
All it could see was a blur of red.
Xavier was already airborne, descending at high speed, his eyes sharp and blazing with intensity.
He raised Crimson Fang above his head in a stabbing stance. A sharp hiss of air followed as he activated the skill again.
[Double Piercing.]
Two violent shockwaves erupted from the blade's tip as he plunged it straight into the monster's chest. The first wave blasted through its rocky hide, the second tore through its innards. Blood, bone, and gore exploded outward in a grotesque fountain.
The boss monster convulsed once.
Then went still.
A sharp *ding* echoed in Xavier's mind.
[System Notice] You've Defeated The Dungeon Boss: [Stoneblood Guardian]
XP Gained: 20,000
[You've Leveled Up!]
[Current Level: 26]
[Bonus Rewards unlocked New Item Acquired: [Stoneblood Ring of Defense +8]
[Stat Points Earned: +5]
He exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulder as he stepped off the monster's carcass. The battle was over.
The other monsters began to falter. Without their leader, their aggression dulled. The remaining hunters wasted no time, cutting them down in coordinated strikes. One by one, the beasts fell.
The B Rank Hunter could only stare.
"He... He really did it," he muttered, mouth dry. "Killed the boss all on his own..."
But the danger wasn't over yet.
"Behind you!" the C Rank mage shouted.
The B Rank Hunter turned—
Too slow.
A snarling monster leapt at him, jaws wide open, fangs gleaming.
I'm not gonna make it! he panicked, trying to raise his shield—
THUNK!
A single arrow pierced straight through the monster's skull midair. Blood sprayed across the grass. The beast's lifeless body flopped beside him.
He turned his head, eyes wide.
Xavier stood across the field, a sleek, black-and-silver bow in hand. He lowered it casually.
"W-Where the hell did he get a bow from?!" the B Rank Hunter blurted. "And that arrow—he didn't even draw one?!"
Xavier scanned the field, noting the last of the monsters had been dealt with. He let out a quiet breath.
"I'm heading out," he called over his shoulder.
"W-Wait! Hold on!" the B Rank Hunter shouted, taking a step forward.
But Xavier vanished in a crimson blur, disappearing into the trees.
The B Rank Hunter stood in stunned silence. He scratched his head, staring at the boss's corpse, then looked back at the empty spot where Xavier once stood.
He let out a long, defeated sigh.
"How the hell am I gonna explain *this* to the higher-ups?"