Boss Monster. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The boss monster charged at me, its grotesque teeth bared as if ready to devour me whole. My left arm was already aimed at its upper body. I could fire three arrows in quick succession, and these arrows were imbued with a sharp magical power that could pierce even ordinary steel.

I took aim and fired.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The arrows sliced through the air with a much more powerful sound than before, and I watched as they hit dead center between the monster’s eyes. But…

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The arrows fell uselessly to the ground with a metallic clatter. They couldn’t penetrate the boss monster’s tough exterior. Still, the impact wasn’t entirely ineffective. The monster flinched, as if it felt the magical shockwave that had been projected inside.

Even with just a small amount of magic, the arrows had more than double the power of regular ones. I couldn’t understand why the angels had left such a creature as a rite of passage, but at least I had achieved my goal. The monster’s movements, which had been gaining speed as it chased us, were now momentarily halted.

The boss monster seemed dazed from the shock, its body curling in on itself. I decided to take this up with Seraph later and turned to follow my companions.

Ahead, my team was running hard. Judging by the distance, they would soon be within 100 meters of safety. While it might be a close call for me, the others would definitely be safe.

As I sprinted, a strange feeling crept over me. The monster hadn’t sustained any major injuries, and it should have had enough time to recover from the shock, yet I couldn’t hear its pounding footsteps. Suddenly, I recalled the monster’s crouched posture and the way a Mankey had leapt at me in a previous battle. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard the sound of wind rushing up behind me.

Whoosh!

My worst fear was realized. The boss monster was cunning and meticulous. It knew it wouldn’t catch any of us if things continued as they were. Its crouch wasn’t a reaction to my arrows but a preparation for a massive leap.

A huge shadow loomed over the clearing, including my own body. The boss monster was looking past me at my companions ahead. Anhyun was leading, with Hanbyul and Yujeong close behind. Ansol was running hard too, but her stamina was flagging, and she had fallen behind. While the other three were safe, Ansol was in a dangerous position.

Before I could warn them, the boss monster arced through the air and landed with all its might at the rear of Anhyun’s group. The ground shook with a tremendous impact, causing Anhyun to stumble. My mind went blank at the sight, unable to process anything.

And then, a message appeared before my eyes.

『Potential Ability: Insight (Rank A+) activated. This ability allows you to see beyond the physical form and perceive the inner essence. It enables self-reflection and the detection of phenomena or abilities. A mind honed to the extreme can maintain composure even under S-rank mental contamination magic.』

…

…

…

“Phew…”

My heated mind cooled instantly. Where there had been only blankness, a calm rationality now filled my thoughts. My previously narrow perspective expanded, and I began to see what I had missed.

And then, I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

What had I been worrying about all this time? This situation was nothing. I had faced far more perilous, painful, and thrilling moments before.

I wasn’t afraid or scared. I wouldn’t overextend myself. I always set a limit and did my best within it. That was my creed when I played the first round of Hall Plain.

In Hall Plain, half-baked strength doesn’t cut it. I had seen many people with great talent and abilities die before they could fully blossom. Watching them, I vowed never to reveal my true self. I lived in the shadows so thoroughly that no one knew I was a Sword Master with only 48 points of magic. After ten years in Hall Plain, this attitude had become a kind of obsession.

I still believed it was necessary to act that way if needed. But if I did, I would be no different from my past self. The same methods would yield the same results.

I had regretted not being able to protect my brother and losing the clan lord I trusted and loved right before my eyes. I didn’t want to repeat that path and had returned to change my fate. I wanted to be different now.

In an instant, I analyzed the entire battlefield and calculated the optimal course of action. I precisely calculated the necessary magic and drew it up to find the most efficient solution. I no longer felt the need to hide my abilities to a stifling degree. If necessary, I would act. It might be troublesome if discovered, but the solution was simple: don’t get caught. I had the ability and confidence to do that now.

In less than a second, I completed my analysis. I identified Ansol’s position and confirmed her survival status. The first task was to draw the boss monster’s attention. My figure was already obscured from my companions’ view by the monster’s massive body. I gathered enough magic to pierce its hide and imbued it into my arrows. There was no need to pretend to aim; I simply pulled the string.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

The monster flinched, startled by the intense killing intent it sensed from behind. But the arrows were already targeting it at a speed far beyond its ability to react. Without a chance to respond, the three arrows embedded themselves in the monster’s chest. But there was more to come.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The magic-infused arrows exploded like bombs, easily shattering the monster’s hide. The effect was immediate.

Screeeeech!

It hurts, doesn’t it? It must. As the boss monster let out a pained scream, I sprinted forward. According to my third eye, Anhyun, Hanbyul, and Yujeong were still running, albeit unsteadily. They seemed unaware that Ansol had fallen behind. That was fine. It was actually better for me…

Wait. Anhyun stopped.

“Sol! Sol! Sol, answer me!”

Anhyun’s desperate cries reached me as he realized Ansol was missing. I thought to myself what a fool he was and increased my speed. The distance between me and the monster closed rapidly. The boss monster, still howling, saw me approaching and raised its massive right hand high. Its entire arm trembled with rage.

I had deliberately held back to avoid killing it, but it seemed the monster didn’t appreciate my mercy. It swung its hand at me with unrestrained fury. The gleaming claws came down like a reaper’s scythe, aiming to cut me down. To an ordinary person, it would have been terrifying, but to me, it was slow enough to be boring.

I pushed off the ground with one foot, bending my body parallel to the ground. The claws brushed past my face, slicing a few strands of hair that floated away in the air. But I had successfully dodged the boss monster’s attack and slipped inside its reach. It was a clean slide. And in that direction, I saw Ansol, coughing with her hands on the ground.

“Cough! Cough!”

The air was thick with dust, likely stirred up by the monster’s landing. In the past, I might have tried to comfort Ansol, but there was no time or need for that now. I quickly scooped her up into my arms, holding her like a princess. She looked up at me, startled, her voice trembling.

“Soo… Suhyun oppa…?”

“Be quiet. Let’s just get away from this thing first.”

With that, I fired three more arrows behind me as I ran. Without waiting to see the results, I dashed through the dust. The monster’s anguished cries told me my arrows had hit their mark again.

Ansol’s face was a sight to behold. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at me, as if I were her savior. Anhyun, who had been about to turn back despite Yujeong and Hanbyul’s protests, saw me emerging from the dust and gaped.

The funny thing was how expressive Anhyun’s face was as he looked at me. First, he was stunned, then relieved, and finally, he looked like he was about to cry. It was unsettling to see such a range of emotions from another guy.

Anyway, it seemed like the siblings were about to have a crying party. I thought to myself how ridiculous it was and kept running.

Then, I saw Kim Hanbyul shouting something urgently at me. A chill ran down my spine, confirming that the monster had no intention of letting us go easily. The boss monster’s tail whipped toward my back like a lashing whip. If it hit, I might be fine, but Ansol wouldn’t withstand the shock passing through my body.

Suddenly, a thought struck me—I wanted to take down this creature. Capturing the boss monster of the Hollow Plains, something no one else had managed, could earn me some recognition, maybe even a reward. But beyond that, as a player, I just wanted to defeat it. To do that, I needed to separate from Ahn Hyun and the others. I decided to take the hit head-on.

The monster’s tail lashed out, striking my back with a resounding thud. The impact was massive, reverberating through my body. It didn’t hurt, but my body would instinctively be thrown back. The force was undeniable.

I harnessed my magic to absorb the shock that had penetrated my body. The technique was inspired by the principle of “using four ounces to move a thousand pounds,” but I had adapted it to suit my needs, distributing and managing the internal force. Originally, it was a method to diffuse overwhelming impacts throughout the body, but I had found other uses for it.

I transferred the shock to Ansol, just enough for her to handle, and then propelled her forward. I directed the remaining force to the side and rolled my body. Just before we were both flung away, I whispered in Ansol’s ear.

“When you get up, run straight to the warp gate.”

Before she could respond, we were both launched into the air. I went left, and she flew towards the others. Perhaps it was my dubious luck stat kicking in, but Ansol landed right in Ahn Hyun’s arms.

I hit the ground and rolled, but quickly got back on my feet. This boss monster was on a different level from the usual creatures we encountered. Realizing I was a threat, it didn’t waste time gloating over its hit; it leaped towards me, exuding a menacing aura. It seemed I had its full attention.

Boom!

The ground shook violently with a sound like an explosion. I dodged, but my body was still rattled. The monster, frustrated that it hadn’t hit me, continued to stomp the ground where I stood.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

Oh boy.

“Oppaaaaa!”

“Hyuuuuung!”

I wanted to shout back, “Why?” but I managed to keep my mouth shut to maintain my stoic older brother image. Normally, I’d wave and smile to show I was okay, but not now. I gestured for them to run, but they didn’t budge. Finally, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Run, you idiots! Get to the warp gate!”

There was a brief commotion, and then I saw Ahn Hyun dragging a reluctant Hanbyul away. That guy. He didn’t hesitate to run when Ansol was in danger, but now he wasn’t even pretending to come back. Just as I clicked my tongue in annoyance, I had to dodge again as the monster’s foot came crashing down.

It was frustrating to be on the defensive against something not even the size of my fist, but I held back. Once the others were safe, I planned to take it down. Dust was swirling around us again, kicked up by the monster’s relentless stomping.

To clear my view, I used magic to erase my presence and slipped behind the creature. My aura vanished in an instant. The boss monster, lacking eyes, frantically searched for me, its head swiveling wildly. I watched its tic-like behavior with a bored expression before turning away.

Thankfully, Ahn Hyun had managed to get Hanbyul to the warp gate. All four of them seemed to have arrived just in time. Ahn Hyun’s hair was a mess, suggesting she had put up quite a fight. Honestly, the sight was a bit amusing.

As they reached the gate, it activated, surrounding them with a translucent barrier. The central blue orb began to pulse, signaling the start of their teleportation to the summoning chamber. Watching the soft blue light envelop them, I let out a sigh of relief. My part was mostly done.

Now, all that was left…

As the dust began to settle, I quickly dropped to the ground. I could already imagine Hanbyul’s nagging if I didn’t have a good excuse for not reaching the warp gate in time. I planned to claim the tail’s impact had been too much for me to get up.

The dust cleared, revealing the group bathed in a deepening blue light. They were slowly disappearing from the feet up, just like when they first arrived in the preparation room. Lying on the ground, I raised my upper body slightly and waved at them. It was just a gesture to say goodbye and see you later.

But then… Ahn Hyun suddenly wiped her eyes, and Yujeong collapsed, bursting into tears. Hanbyul covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking, and Ansol waved in my direction, tears streaming down her face.

What… what was this? I hadn’t meant to make them cry…