The jungle wasn't quiet. It crackled, hissed, and reeked of smoke, sweat, and molten regret.
Will and Abhay trudged through a narrow trail, ducking under thick vines and hopping over moss-covered stones. The air was humid. Insects buzzed. Leaves rustled like whispers in a horror movie.
"Abhay," Will said, narrowing his eyes at the object in Abhay's hand, "tell me that's not what I think it is."
Abhay unscrewed the red plastic cap. "Petrol," he said proudly.
Will groaned, pressing two fingers to his temple. "This isn't a goblin kindergarten. These are Tiger Orcs! They'll eat the fire and burp lava!"
Abhay smirked. "So dramatic."
A few moments later…
Three Tiger Orcs, each easily over seven feet tall, with muscle-packed limbs and thick tiger-striped fur, were sprinting across the jungle—engulfed in flames and screaming in a mix of rage and pain.
Abhay and Will sat calmly on a thick tree branch above, sipping on juice pouches they brought from the outside world.
"I hate you," Will muttered.
"I love you too," Abhay replied, kicking his legs like a schoolboy.
Down below, one of the Orcs face-planted into a bush and exploded. The other two ran in circles before collapsing in a burning heap. The jungle filled with the scent of roasted… something.
"Okay," Will sighed, "I take it back. Petrol works."
"Thought so," Abhay said, raising his juice pouch in a mock toast.
They spent the next hour on a rampage. And it wasn't just them—the system was clearly vibing too.
[DUBBLE KILL!]
[TRIPLE KILL!]
[RAMPAGE UNLOCKED!]
[WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?]
"Did the system just sass us?" Will asked mid-fight.
"I think it's broken again," Abhay said, smashing another Tiger Orc's knee with his gauntlet.
By the time their EXP bars glowed, the numbers were stunning.
[LEVEL UP: ABHAY — LV. 50]
[LEVEL UP: WILL — LV. 35]
After a short nap and a mango juice break, they ventured deeper into the forest until the trees began to thin. Ahead, black stone pillars marked the boss room's entrance.
A chill ran down Abhay's spine.
[WARNING: Boss Detected – Necromancer Class: Tiger Orc Lord]
[Skill Detected: Skeleton King – Soulforged Sovereign]
[Power Level: UNKNOWN]
"Will," Abhay said, gauntlet glowing faintly. "This one's different."
Will twirled his new dual daggers—sleek, grey-metallic and pulsing with faint energy. "You handle the freaky soul skeleton guy. I'll handle stripy McGrowls-a-lot."
They stepped in.
The room was a graveyard. Bones littered the ground, some human, some Orc. Smashed armor, shattered blades, and dried blood crusted the earth. A throne made of skulls loomed at the far end—and seated upon it was the Tiger Orc Lord.
He stood slowly.
Over 8 feet tall, with fur like fire-stripes and armor made of layered tiger hide and black steel, the Orc Lord gripped a jagged axe the size of Will. His eyes glowed gold. His breath misted the air, despite the heat.
Then he roared.
[Skill Activated: Skeleton King – Soulforged Sovereign]
A vortex of green energy surged from the ground.
Ten skeletons rattled to life. Bones clattered into place. Armor hovered, blades twitched—and then all of it merged.
The floor cracked.
Rising from the earth like a nightmare from hell came the Skeleton King—a towering, 10-foot monstrosity clad in green-black armor, wearing a golden crown welded to its helmet. In its hand was a 12-foot sword, thick and jagged.
Behind him, the rest of the bones came to life—forming an undead army.
"Alright," Abhay said with a sigh, "I'll go deal with the bone parade."
Will cracked his knuckles. "Don't die."
Fight Scene: Abhay vs. Skeleton King & Undead Horde
Abhay charged forward, slamming his gauntlet into the ground. The shockwave knocked back three skeletons instantly. One leapt at him—he grabbed its spine mid-air, twisted, and used it to knock two more away.
The Skeleton King raised his colossal sword and brought it down.
Abhay rolled, barely dodging the crushing blow as the floor shattered like glass. Dust blinded him, but his system assisted.
[DODGE SUCCESSFUL — COUNTER WINDOW OPEN]
Abhay leapt in, slamming his fist into the King's plated knee. It groaned, but didn't falter. In response, the King grabbed Abhay mid-strike and hurled him into a pillar.
"Okay… ow."
Skeletons swarmed him. Abhay activated Gare Shift, teleporting through them like a blur, shattering ribcages and snapping spines as he danced through the chaos.
The King raised his sword again—Abhay jumped, grabbed its shoulder, and smashed his gauntlet into the helmet, sending sparks flying.
[DAMAGE: CRITICAL — ARMOR CRACKED]
The King staggered, but summoned another wave of undead.
"Enough!"
Abhay activated Gauntlet Overdrive. His fists glowed bright blue as he exploded through the horde, bones flying in every direction.
Fight Scene: Will vs. Tiger Orc Lord
Meanwhile, Will dashed forward, blades in hand, eyes focused.
The Tiger Orc Lord roared and charged. Will ducked under the first swing, slashing at the Orc's side—but the thick fur and armor dulled the blow.
The Orc countered with a backhand that sent Will sliding back.
"Okay," Will muttered, coughing, "I felt that in my kidneys."
He activated Blink Dash, teleporting behind the Orc and landing a flurry of stabs to the hamstring. The Orc stumbled and howled in pain, swinging wildly.
Will flipped over his shoulder, spun, and embedded both daggers into the Orc's back.
The beast roared, grabbed Will by the leg, and slammed him into the ground like a ragdoll.
"Ow, ow, ow! Personal space!"
Will gritted his teeth, reversed his grip, and stabbed the Orc's hand. It let go with a snarl, and Will somersaulted away.
Then, breathing hard, he activated Phantom Rip—his daggers pulsed and became shadowy, leaving afterimages as he attacked.
He leapt, struck the Orc's neck in a cross slash—and this time, blood sprayed.
The Orc staggered.
One more strike—Will plunged both blades into the Orc's chest.
The Tiger Orc Lord growled… then collapsed.
Aftermath
The room went still.
Then…
[BOSS DEFEATED!]
[Will has acquired Skill: Skeleton King – Soulforged Sovereign]
[Abhay has acquired: Leviathan Soul (Utility Trait)]
Will blinked at the system screen, then whooped in joy. "I got the boss skill! Let's gooo!"
Abhay stared at his own reward.
"Leviathan Soul?" he muttered. "What the hell does that even do?"
[Utility Passive: Use Unknown, Just don't use it.]
Abhay quietly walked to the corner of the room and began weeping.
"I carried that fight…"
Will, now glowing with happiness, began looting the battlefield.
"Ten skeleton bones… check. Ten weapons… check. Armor pieces… check."
Abhay wiped his tears. "What are you even doing?"
"These are crafting materials," Will said proudly. "To summon the Skeleton King, I need one set of bones, armor, and weapons."
"You're telling me you can summon a death lord?"
Will grinned. "Yup. And you can… Ohh sorry you don't even know what you can do with your item."
Abhay raised his cricket bat.
Will grabbed the metal pipe.
They looked at each other… and then at the system interface.
The system screen began to slowly float away in fear.
Too late.
THWACK. CLANG. BONK.
[SYSTEM DAMAGE — PLEASE STOP ABUSE]
Abhay sighed, sitting back on a rock as the dust cleared.
"Next time," he muttered, "we get my reward first."
Will, placing the crown of the Skeleton King in his inventory, chuckled. "Sure, boss. Whatever you say."