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The instant the monster lunged at Taiwo, something shifted—its HP suddenly plummeted from 1500 to 750, and its once-fluid movements turned sluggish, like a puppet in water. Taiwo's eyes widened as she narrowly escaped its claws, stumbling back just in time. Before the creature could recover, Young Star's sword cleaved down from the side like a guillotine, sending a fresh wave of -200 damage across its head.
Everyone's gaze snapped toward Malik, who remained motionless at the back, a knowing smile dancing across his lips.
"What did he do?"
"Is this the reason he's so confident?"
"Who's this guy exactly?"
"Brother Isiaka is really awesome..."
Then his voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Playtime is over."
It was calm, yet it slammed into their hearts like thunder. One by one, they rose from the ground like warriors reborn, weapons gripped with new purpose.
"Lightning Spear!"
Angel Michael's staff pulsed with electric light as a spear of condensed lightning shot forward, exploding on impact.
-620!
The weakened monster let out a distorted scream before disintegrating into particles, leaving behind a pile of loot. Not wasting the momentum, Taiwo took a deep breath and spun her staff.
"Flame Burst!"
A wall of fire erupted in front of her, sweeping across the tunnel like a wave of death. Two Gnarl-Rats were incinerated on the spot, their shrieks cut short.
"This is incredible!" she whispered, eyes blazing with adrenaline as she weaved her staff for another spell.
Kenny was next to move.
"I must not lag behind!"
She shot forward like a cannonball, charging straight at a Gnarl-Rat that had circled behind Tipa. Her Greatsword gleamed as it arced through the air in a deadly crescent. The strike landed clean, severing the monster from shoulder to gut. One hit. One kill.
Meanwhile, White Emperor stood like a fortress, tanking three monsters at once with unshakable form. His HP steadily climbed, Big Nurse pouring heal after heal into him with surgical timing. Behind him, Slicer danced between monsters like a shadow, blades flashing with ruthless grace.
"Keep moving," Malik commanded calmly, arms crossed as he watched the onslaught unfold. The common monsters didn't stand a chance against their revived fury.
One by one, the team pushed forward, mowing down everything in their path. Malik casually followed behind, scooping up all the drops like a merchant at harvest.
If only Dungeons gave EXP, he thought. This would've been the perfect power-levelling zone.
Eventually, they reached a cavern where five tunnels branched off into darkness. Everyone came to a halt.
"There were only three paths in normal mode. Now there are five," Taiwo noted aloud, brows furrowed.
"Which one should we follow, Party Leader?" Kenny asked, her tone deferential. No one missed the respect in her voice—but who could blame her?
Even those who'd just met Malik today had already witnessed enough to know he wasn't ordinary. Angel Michael, once his senior, now looked at him differently.
"A miraculous encounter, indeed," he murmured.
"We go straight," Malik said, chuckling lightly as he pointed to the center tunnel. There was no hesitation. White Emperor and Tipa took point immediately, and the rest of the team followed without question.
They didn't need explanations anymore. Malik had already proven himself.
But just a few steps into the new tunnel, a low growl echoed through the darkness.
New enemies emerged—tall, hunched beasts with elongated arms and jagged claws dragging across the ground. Their eyes glowed crimson, filled with a hunger that promised death.
[Feral Hollow] [Lv. 12 Common Monster]
HP: 1500
Even with the debuffs from Malik's title, these things felt... heavy.
"Don't fluster," Malik's voice remained steady. "They're slow. Use that. Kenny, charge ahead. MTs, intercept anything that slips past. Taiwo and Young Star, support Tipa. Angel Michael, Slicer—pair up with White Emperor. I'll guard the Healer."
Without question, they moved.
Kenny let out a sharp breath and activated Charge. She became a blur of motion, rocketing toward the nearest Hollow. The beast roared and lifted its claws—but Kenny was faster. Her Greatsword swept across in a brutal diagonal slash, lopping off its arms in one fluid motion. Black blood spattered across her armor.
But she didn't have time to celebrate.
Two more Hollows launched at her from behind—snarling, vicious, precise. She swung her Greatsword just in time to block, but the impact threw her backward, slamming her into the stone floor.
-300
Thirty percent of her HP gone in a blink.
The monsters pounced again—but this time, something surged through her body.
A warm wave. Healing light.
"This is..." she muttered, wide-eyed, as her health bar shot back to full.
Her grip tightened around the hilt.
"BERSERK MODE!"
The words erupted from her throat like a battle cry as her aura flared violently. Her Greatsword ignited with a golden hue, her muscles bulged, and her eyes glowed with feral fury.
The air seemed to tremble.
The monsters lunged—but to Kenny, they were moving in slow motion.
"DIE!"
She swung.
-500
-500
-700
-900
The numbers floated above the monsters' heads like falling leaves. Her strikes came without pause, each hit more brutal than the last. The monsters screamed, flailed—but nothing could stop her.
One fell. Then another. Then another.
Five dead in under twenty seconds.
"Sister Kenny is insane..."
"She's this powerful?" White Emperor's voice cracked in awe, his eyes blazing.
"Go back her up," Malik said coolly, still not moving an inch. "Berserk won't last forever."
The team sprang forward like hounds released from a chain. Malik's words had barely faded before spells and swords filled the tunnel with chaos.
Slash!
Flame Burst!
Lightning Spear!
Hollows exploded into particles, one after another, the team cutting through them like paper. Kenny's Berserk finally wore off—her aura dimming, her strength fading—but she didn't slow down. Because now, she wasn't alone.
And Malik? He simply walked behind them, gathering loot with calm precision. Not a single spell. Not a single attack. Just a quiet smile and a pair of steady hands.
But no one was complaining.
He was allowing them to grow.
"What a Party Leader..." someone muttered.
Finally, the tunnel opened up again. A white glow bathed the area.
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Malik pressed No without hesitation.
"We can't barge in unprepared."
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A glowing timer appeared in the sky, counting down from twenty minutes.
Malik turned toward the team with a grin.
"Alright. Time to sort out the drops."
He reached into his inventory and began pulling out loot like a magician unveiling treasure. The others gathered around, eyes gleaming with anticipation.