Dungeon Predator

The boss room was huge.

There were glass tubes on one side of the wall, containing artificial life forms within.

Not only that...!

The boss was located at the center of the room.

He looked it over and received a system message. 

[You have discovered Chimera Shurak.]

[You are the first to discover it.] 

"It doesn't look... like Kudal, right?" Eder said, observing the boss. 

"It's not. It's a chimera."

Shurak was more than 3 meters tall, and was a human-shaped chimera with arms and legs.

However, it possessed two heads. There was a goat and lion head attached to its neck.

It had two arms like normal, holding a single-bladed sword in its right hand and a double-bladed sword in its left. 

"Hmm. The two heads must have different abilities or skills," Kang Oh said.

"Take a look at its muscles. They're huge," Eder said.

"Mm."

Kang Oh nodded his head in agreement.

"Phew, this doesn't look easy."

Eder sighed.

"Who knows, it might be easy," Kang Oh smiled and said.

"Not likely."

"Right? So keep your guard up. Let's go."

Kang Oh and Eder approached Shurak.

Once they got close enough, Eder stepped forward. 

"I'll start."

Eder stomped on the ground.

Thud! Thud!

He cast both Rusty Sword and Ruined Ramparts, which lowered an enemy's attack power and defense respectively.

Shurak responded once Cursed Ground's Domain spread throughout the boss room.

The sleeping beast awoke, opening the eyes on its lion and goat heads!

Kuhaang!

Meeh!

The two heads made two different sounds.

Kuheoong!

Unwilling to lose, Kang Oh used Baramut's Roar, strengthening his body with Baramut's blessing.

Shurak swung downwards with its single-bladed sword. Its muscles swelled to such an extent that it seemed like they'd burst.

Zoom!

Kang Oh and Eder evaded its blade and separated.

Boom!

Shurak's sword landed in the space between Kang Oh and Eder, leaving behind a vertical cut in the ground.

'An opening!'

Shurak was left wide open as a consequence of its attack.

Kang Oh wouldn't let that opportunity go, and swung his sword from left to right.

Swish!

He slashed its forearm, causing shards of light to explode from the wound. Shurak counterattacked immediately after.

Shurak's single-blade sword, which had once been embedded in the ground, was now falling from overhead, intent on bisecting Kang Oh.

Kang Oh shielded himself with his sword.

Clang!

Its blade made contact with his sword.

"Ugh."

He was forced back, feeling the incredible force behind its blow. 

'This guy!'

Its strength was unbelievable.

Kuhang!

Its lion head roared. Shurak, using its single-bladed sword, began attacking Kang Oh with even greater ferocity.

Zoom!

Kang Oh rolled onto the floor, rather than block Shurak's blow.

"Eder. This guy's gotta be higher than level 200," Kang Oh repositioned himself and said.

"We can't beat a level 200 boss, can we?"

Eder was fighting against Shurak's left-handed sword.

He could likewise feel Shurak's immense strength. Whenever he blocked one of its blows with his shield, his body would shake from the transmitted force.

"Let's just keep going for now. If we can't manage it, then I'll use everything at my disposal, like what I did against Caraco."

Kang Oh had an S-rank item ready for Gluttony in his inventory and if need be, he could use Devil Trigger as well.

"Understood. But don't hold back for too long. It'll have been for nothing if..."

Eder couldn't finish, as Shurak's double-bladed sword came flying at him.

Clang!

Although he'd blocked its strike with his shield, he was pushed back.

"Huah!"

Kang Oh rushed forward. Shurak's single-bladed sword came flying, and Kang Oh held his sword askew.

Screech.

Its sword grazed Kang Oh's blade. Kang Oh let it slide by, causing Shurak's side to be completely defenseless.

'Now!'

Kang Oh unleashed a single, powerful attack.

Tempest Tiger!

Golden energy rose, giving rise to a tiger aura. The tiger aura then pounced on Shurak's flank.

Kuwang!

Tempest Tiger was truly a fitting title for the skill.

Shurak tottered. 

Kuah.

Meeh.

Shurak's heads shrieked.

However, Shurak wasn't a level 200 boss for nothing. It regained its bearings immediately.

Swish!

Shurak's sword, which had been focused on Eder, switched targets and attacked Kang Oh.

Not only that, but it was no ordinary attack. Its blade was coated in a blue aura, denoting the activation of a skill.

The tip of its blade came rushing towards Kang Oh's heart.

As soon as he was warned by his Hyper Intuition, he flung his body away.

Whoosh!

Shurak's blade swept through the area, and sharp ice formed wherever its sword passed through. 

"Is that an ice aura!?" Kang Oh said, looking at the frigid ground. 

Shurak continued its attack.

This time, it attacked with its single-bladed sword. Its sword glowed red. 

"No way!"

Kang Oh quickly retreated.

Boom!

Flames arose once its blade made contact with the ground.

"Ugh."

Kang Oh protected himself with his demon sword. The flames darted in and out.

"Damn it. Can it use both ice and fire auras simultaneously?"

Thud.

Shurak stomped with one of its legs, intending to crush Kang Oh.

But by doing so, its back was left completely open to Eder. He forcefully struck Shurak's thigh wit his mace. 

Bam.

Shards of light spurted out.

However, Shurak didn't pay him any mind. 

Instead, it continued to attack Kang Oh, alternating between its ice and fire swords.

Thud. Boom!

Whoosh. Bam!

Fire blazed around Kang Oh as if a bomb had exploded, and ice shards came flying at him.

Shurak attacked Kang Oh like a storm and gale.

However...!

The more it attacked, the greater Kang Oh's concentration became.

Kang Oh dodged most of Shurak's attacks by a hair's breadth. Of course, he did take some superficial damage.

[You have taken some damage from the fire.]

[You have been grazed by the ice shards.]

But that was all.

Kang Oh calmly waited for his chance in the midst of the onslaught.

In the end...!

He narrowly dodged Shurak's fire blade, got in close, and swung his sword.

Swish.

His sword slashed Shurak's leg.

Shurak tried to kick him away, but Kang Oh dodged its attack by rolling on the floor, and attacked once more.

Eder kept attacking Shurak while Kang Oh struggled.

Heavy Blow!

Shield Bash!

Slowing Curse!

Aging Curse!

Heavy Blow!

Eder wasn't capable of dealing a significant amount of damage to Shurak in a single blow.

His curses were mostly resisted by it as well.

But attack after attack accumulated, like a light shower wetting clothes, inflicting damage that couldn't be ignored.

Meeh.

The goat head cried out.

Ultimately, the Shurak returned to its original attack pattern; it attacked Kang Oh with its single-bladed sword and used its double-bladed one to attack Eder.

"Hoo, hoo."

He regained his breath once its onslaught was over.

Kang Oh didn't attempt to counterattack while he dodged its attacks.

'I have to regain some Stamina first.'

Dodging and counterattacking had caused his Stamina to drop below half, whereas Eder was completely fine.

Eder deflected Shurak's sword with his shield and continuously counterattacked with his mace.

'Good. We can do this.'

Shurak was definitely a powerful boss, but it wasn't impossibly so; it was still within the realm of possibility for them to defeat it.

However, Shurak had adopted a new attack pattern.

Kuoh!

Sparks popped out of the lion head's mouth, and a whirlwind came out of the goat head's mouth.

'This is phase two, huh.'

Kang Oh realized that the boss fight was progressing.

"Something's coming!" Kang Oh yelled.

At that moment...

Chuhwaaahk!

The lion's head unleashed lightning from its mouth, whereas the goat's head blew a whirlwind.

The lightning came straight for Kang Oh.

He shielded himself with his sword, and prepared himself for the coming impact.

However, his demon sword absorbed the lightning as if it were slurping noodles.

[Ubist has absorbed Shurak's Lightning. Satiation has increased by 0.001%.]

Shurak's lightning consisted of magic. Thus, his demon sword was able to absorb it.

However...

Eder had no such ability.

Therefore, he was swept up by the raging whirlwind.

"Uahk!"

Eder was thrown into the air and forced to make an emergency landing on his way down.

Thud!

It seemed like he'd taken quite some damage, as shards of light poured out of his body.

With Eder pushed so far away, Shurak turned around and began attacking Kang Oh.

It attacked with both its fire and ice blades once more. Of course, it used its lightning and wind spells in tandem as well.

'I can't go on like this!'

He couldn't beat Shurak with it bombarding him with fire, ice, lightning, and wind. 

Kang Oh quickly took out the S-rank Fishman-only webbed feet from his inventory and activated Gluttony.

[Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Hero of the Sea, Ghulam's Rake Guard.]

[It is an S-rank item.]

[Entering Gluttony mode.]

[For 13 minutes, the demon sword and your character's abilities are tripled.]

[You may use up to two of the consumed equipment's effects.]

[The chosen item effects are Aqua Blaster and Summon White Shark.]

Kang Oh's entire body released jet-black energy.

'Only three times?'

If Ubist consumed an A-rank item, then he would become three times stronger. He'd never consumed an AA-rank item before and had gone straight to S-rank, yet he was still only three times stronger.

It felt like such a waste!

Of course, being able to use two of the item's effects was new.

But that was all! That wasn't nearly enough for sacrificing an S-rank piece of equipment.

'Tch. I should just use BB-rank and A-rank items for Gluttony from now on.'

Using an AA-rank or S-rank item for Gluttony was such a waste. A huge waste!

Anyway, Kang Oh pointed his sword at Shurak.

Gluttony would only last 13 minutes. He had to take it down within that time.

Then...!

Kuwak!

Shurak shot lightning and wind at Kang Oh simultaneously. 

Kang Oh's demon sword began to glow.

Aqua Blaster!

Kang Oh had activated the effect of the consumed S-rank item.

Bang!

He unleashed a sky-blue, whale-shaped wave from his sword.

The Aqua Blaster consumed the lightning and wind, as if it were a whale eating fish with one giant bite.

Then...!

The sky-blue, whale-shaped wave crashed into Shurak.

Bam!

The impact caused it to wobble around; the beast had been pushed back.

It was also confused, making it completely defenseless. 

Kang Oh immediately dashed towards it and swung diagonally.

Slash!

A lengthy wound remained on Shurak's side. Kang Oh attacked the wound once more.

Stab!

Once he stabbed the wounded area, red shards of light flew into the air.

Kang Oh attacked the wound once more.

Shurak got a hold of itself around that time. It unleashed lightning and wind at Kang Oh once more.

"Not gonna work."

Kang Oh rushed towards it, running in a zigzag pattern.

The lightning and wind completely missed him.

Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor and leaped high into the air. He aimed his sword at Shurak's head.

"Die!"

Kang Oh swung downwards using the weight of his fall.

Shurak crossed its ice and fire blades and its muscles swelled.

Clang!

Its blades fell to the floor. 

As Kang Oh fell, he swung his sword, leaving a long indentation on its body like a martial arts master that inscribed letters on a cliff.

Following his descent, shards of light spilled from Shurak's body like a waterfall.

"Should I use this too...?"

Kang Oh stretched out his hand towards Shurak. A sky-blue, circular magic circle formed underneath Shurak's feet.

Summon White Shark!

It was like a scene from Jaws; a giant shark popped out of the magic circle and gnawed at Shurak's legs.

'As expected of an S-rank item's effects. They're great...'

Kang Oh charged at Shurak while it was busy dealing with the white shark, and continuously attacked.

"Wow."

Eder, who'd gotten a hold of himself, marveled at the sight.

He completely forgot that he needed to rejoin the fight, and just vacantly watched Kang Oh.

Kang Oh, whose strength was tripled by Gluttony!

Not only that, but he was using abilities he'd never seen him use before!

He was truly showing a crazy level of strength; he almost pitied Shurak.