******
Kaelrik instantly staggered back, coughing up a jet of blood as the attack jolted him out of his stupor.
-20 HP
A large, red negative number flashed above his head, his strength faltering.
He instinctively tried to retreat, hoping to gather his strength back, but Xylen obviously wouldn’t allow this.
In a blink, Xylen vanished from sight, reappearing beside Kaelrik and striking with his short blade like an executioner delivering the final blow.
-15 HP
Kaelrik collapsed to one knee, a sight that horrified and terrified his guards, also leaving the onlookers thunderstruck.
Yet, even broken, battered, bleeding, and on the verge of getting defeated, his rage still burned.
"I... am... going... to... become... the... sole... lord... of... this... fief!" he spat forcefully, his voice trembling with fury.
With a wild swing, his massive fists came crashing forward like wrecking balls and one directly landed squarely in Xylen’s stomach, sending him skidding backward.
Blood spurted from Xylen’s mouth, further staining his already-tattered clothes.
Kaelrik didn’t hesitate, his frenzy was already at its peak. He lunged forward, slamming Xylen to the ground and pummeling his face with relentless blows.
-35 HP
-30 HP
Xylen’s head cracked against the ground, but the abyssal glow in his eyes—dark enough to swallow all light did not waver even a bit.
Instead of panicking... he grinned, appearing like someone who had already lost their mind.
"Are you enjoying that?" Xylen asked suddenly.
’Huh?’
Kaelrik froze, his heart skipping a beat, his attack coming to an abrupt halt.
’What is he talking about?’ he wondered in his mind, staring at Xylen in a daze.
But then before he could think much, he felt something cold pressing against his ribs.
He hurriedly turned his gaze, and upon seeing what it was, terror seized him.
It was Xylen’s short blade.
With hesitation, Kaelrik tried to leap away—
But unfortunately for him, he was a second too late.
Piu!
The blade pierced his side as Xylen once again activated Infernal Wound, the effect directly stacking with the previous wound that had yet to fade.
-25 HP
-20 HP
Kaelrik’s massive frame twitched violently as thick, red blood gushed from the deep laceration, pouring like a fountain.
"No... I... can’t... die!"
He turned desperately to flee for his life, but Xylen instantly caught him by the throat.
He effortlessly lifted him off the ground with a strength that completely defied all logic, his fingers tightening around Kaelrik’s windpipe.
"You lost the moment your arrogance and desire to crush mine and everyone’s spirit stopped you from going straight for the kill," Xylen snarled, his voice colder and darker than death itself.
A chilling adrenaline surge shot through Kaelrik’s veins.
But before he could think much—
Boom!
Xylen slammed him into the ground with an earth-shattering force.
In the following second, unbearable pain exploded through Kaelrik’s body, causing every fiber of his being to scream in agony.
But Xylen wasn’t finished.
Without allowing the other party a moment to recover, Xylen lifted him again, and—
Boom!
He slammed him down again.
-25 HP
-20 HP
Kaelrik’s Health points flickered, barely holding on. His eyes blurred and an exhausted expression heavily painted his face, his body growing weak.
Bang!
Xylen slammed him against the ground once again, and...
-9 HP
Kaelrik’s HP bar turned to one digit.
With this, the once towering, ruthless, and fearsome monster—the tyrant, who had long terrorized the helpless villagers, reducing their home to ruins and despair—now lay shattered amid the wreckage, his body barely clinging to life.
"Plea... please have mercy on... on me" he rasped, blood spilling from his lips.
Xylen, however, only smirked in response, his lips curling into something dark and menacing.
"Did you have mercy on me earlier?" he asked, his voice void of emotion.
Kaelrik trembled.
"I... I am your uncle after all," he stammered weakly. "Won’t you give me a second chance?"
But Xylen’s response was already obvious.
"Never!"
He spat forcefully and in the following...
Piu!
The short blade plunged into Kaelrik’s chest—fast, sharp, and merciless.
-9 HP
Blood spurted out of his body and his eyes widened in horror.
A mix of terror, disbelief, shock, and unwillingness flickered in his eyes. Then slowly, his gaze began to fade, his eyelids drooping until finally...
Bang!
He crashed into the ground, the force alone causing a cloud of dust to rise.
A moment later...
[ Battle Log ]
[ You have slain a level 10 Boss ]
[ EXP +2,200 ]
The system notification echoed in Xylen’s mind. As he read the message, a sharp stinging sensation filled his eyes.
’Finally, he muttered, and just then...
[ Ding! Server Announcement! ]
[ Player Xylenia has achieved the first kill of a boss, jumping ranks to solo a level 10 Boss ]
[ Player Xylenia has successfully completed the first and one of the most hidden quests on the server. ]
The announcement resounded across the entire server, reaching the ears of every single player currently online.
.....
Somewhere Else...
"Just a little more! We’re close to earning the first reward for defeating a boss!"
Deep within a dense forest, a team of ten players fought desperately and relentlessly against a rampaging white fox boss.
They had been whittled down, their bodies covered in deep cuts, ghastly injuries, and bruises—whether they were melee fighters, ranged attackers, or support casters.
Yet, none of them looked discouraged.
Instead, their faces shone with excitement.
For the first time since they had stumbled upon this boss by chance, they were on the brink of victory.
"Priest! Heal!" Ragnar, a tall, blood-soaked man suddenly yelled desperately.
Hearing his command, a badly battered and exhausted but determined female priest waved her wand, casting a healing spell over him.
As soon as his HP recovered slightly, Ragnar, a popular gamer activated his footwork skill and vanished from sight, reappearing behind the boss.
With a single, decisive strike—
"Arghhh!!!"
The rampage boss let out a final, unwilling shriek before collapsing.
As soon as the players saw this, they collapsed in exhaustion, yet their eyes still gleamed with anticipation as they listened intently to the system announcing their victory.
But that wasn’t the only thing they were waiting for.
They further perked their ears, waiting for the server or global announcement, and just then, it came.
[ Ding! Server Announcement! ]
Their bodies trembled with anticipation.
This was it.
The moment they had fought so hard for—the once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
And then—
[ Player Xylenia has achieved the first kill of a boss, jumping ranks to solo a level 10 Boss ]
[ Player Xylenia has successfully completed the first and one of the most hidden quests on the server. ]
Silence.
Pin-drop, heavy, and suffocating silence.
The ten players froze, their minds completely blank.
They sat there in the ruin, staring at the notification as if their souls had been sucked from their bodies.
Finally—
"...That... that doesn’t sound like our team name," the handsome tall man, Ragnarr, who had landed the killing blow stammered.