Chapter 37: Steel 1 Boss

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Steel 1 BossAfter devouring several dead worms in a single bite, the colossal creature let out a guttural roar that made the air tremble. Its mouth was as wide as a cart, adorned with a vortex of jagged fangs. On either side, two curved pincers formed a menacing clamp. Unlike its lesser kin, its segmented body was covered in a grayish-black armor, not yellowish, gleaming faintly under the harsh desert sun as if forged from molten steel. Lian, with his swollen face, stared at the monster almost with gratitude, while Seline’s green eyes shimmered with fear, her hand pressed against her aching ribs. "Here it is, the boss has finally arrived," the man said with a giant smile on his face. His gray eyes oozed confidence. "I was getting tired of killing those useless weak worms." "Oh," he added, casting a sidelong glance at the two kids before turning back to the monster. "My name is Freddy, nice to meet you." The monster had no eyes, but it stared directly in their direction. Its mouth kept moving, as if finishing digesting the worms it had eaten moments before. "Stay back," the man stepped forward, his sword aimed at the monster’s mouth. "This is not something for beginners." Seline huffed, gritting her teeth in pain. "Let’s see what you can do, then. We won’t help you even if you beg on your knees!" Lian, on the other hand, merely stared at the monster, lost in thought. The last time he had been in a Gate, they had to defeat the boss to exit. But Patrick had told him that during phase two of a Gate, it was enough to kill a third of the monsters to leave. Now, assuming they were in phase one, what was the solution to get out? Kill the boss or at least a third of the monsters? Judging by the destruction the three of them had unleashed, Lian was certain they had already defeated a third of the monsters. But there was no sign of an exit portal. The only thing to do was take down the boss, but even that might not be the right solution. After all, if they were truly in an unstable Gate, as Patrick had said, there was no way to exit or enter. And if someone could enter by a stroke of luck—or misfortune, in this case—the same could not be said for exiting. "What a mess..." Lian thought, rubbing his temples, ignoring the problem for now. "Let’s focus on the monster in front of us... after all, we need to take it down to even try to escape." Before Freddy could make his move, the worm moved. The sand exploded around it as it dove beneath the surface, leaving only a wave of dust spreading toward them. Freddy didn’t flinch. "Trying to catch me off guard, huh?" he said, planting his sword into the sand to sense the vibrations. "You’re pretty fast—" Before Freddy could react, the sand beneath him erupted. The worm emerged with terrifying speed, its pincers snapping open toward him. Freddy reacted instantly, leaping to the side with surprising agility. Using his sword to deflect the blow, the swordsman managed to gain distance while preparing for a counterattack. A blade of air shot from his sword, striking the worm’s side and carving a gash in its armor. The monster let out a piercing hiss but didn’t slow down, turning with unnatural speed for its size. "Tch, you’re tough!" the man shouted with a smile, ready to receive the next blow. He didn’t wait for the monster to come to him but actively charged toward it, his movements fueled by a reckless confidence that bordered on madness. Drawing his sword back, Freddy prepared another attack. The runes began to glow green as the monster’s pincers closed in on him. "Take this!" He swung the sword, the runes glowing brighter. With a fluid motion, he struck one of the pincers, aiming for the joint where it connected to the body. The blade sank in, and a spurt of black blood sprayed onto the sand, but the pincer jerked suddenly, trying to grab him. Freddy rolled away just in time. The monster’s pincers caught the hem of his clothes, tearing them clean off. "Damn beast!" he cursed, springing back to his feet. "It’s faster than I thought!" Lian and Seline stood dozens of meters away, watching the scene with grim expressions. They were too weak to join in; they’d be killed by the monster before they could even react. After all, the same thing had happened against Freddy, Iron 5. Against a Steel 1 monster, it would be even worse. The two exchanged a glance, their feelings of weakness painfully real. They had to get stronger, and fast. Lian was one step away from advancing to Bronze 2, but it would still be useless. He had no artifacts at his disposal, and his damage output would be so negligible as to be insignificant. Maybe if he could achieve 100% precision... Meanwhile, the battle between Freddy and the Steel 1 worm raged on without respite. Freddy was strong, but he couldn’t last forever. The monster’s strength far surpassed his, and its raw speed outclassed him. He could manage the fight not only because he was smaller and more agile but also because of the artifact he wielded. The worm dove back into the sand, emerging seconds later with a loud roar, right beneath Freddy’s position. But the man had anticipated this move; it wasn’t the first time it had done this. The pincers snapped open toward Freddy, but with a quick step backward, he successfully dodged the attack. However, unexpectedly, the monster executed a new strike, one its kin had never used before. The worm’s tail whipped toward Freddy with incredible speed. He only managed to raise his sword in front of him, trying to cushion the blow. Freddy was sent flying through the air, rolling across the sand for several meters before stopping and springing back up. He couldn’t afford to stay down. "Damn it..." he hissed, his smile cracking for the first time. His hand wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, a stark reminder that even he wasn’t invincible. The monster kept zigzagging, trying to snap at Freddy, but the human was agile, dodging its strikes and landing dozens of slashes on the worm’s massive body. Despite the wounds, the worm didn’t seem weaker. Blood poured in rivers from its battered body as the clash between the two continued. Lian watched the fight with wide eyes. He hadn’t thought a Knight could be this cool. But as he observed the scene, he couldn’t help but notice a detail. The blood. The blood didn’t stay on the sand; it was being absorbed... something was strange, but Lian didn’t know what. "Lian," suddenly, Seline’s voice rang in the boy’s ears. "Can I ask you something?" Lian turned abruptly, intrigued. "Sure, go ahead." "I don’t mean to pry, but why do you only use one magic formula? You always use the fireball spell. You’re almost Bronze 2; you should experiment with other spells." Seline’s question was fair, but Lian couldn’t exactly use formulas. They were just a way to mask the fact that he didn’t need to recite anything. "Well—" Just as he was about to respond, realization hit him like a bolt from the blue. Damn it, why didn’t I think of that before?! She’s right!