- Close Call

I hid within the trees and brush right before the opening where the boss lay asleep after its little temper-tantrum. I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and now seemed like the best chance I would get. I darted out from the woodline with my shortsword in hand and I thrust it at the boss. However the blade barely even left a scratch and I had now awoken the monster.

'He must have high physical resistance. Let's see how he handles some thunder!' I jumped back and cast lightning at the same spot I had attempted to stab as the boss was getting up. He froze in place for a split second but continued to rise. The part had charred a bit but no serious damage was done.

'This things vitality is through the roof!' It then squealed louder than I had expected and charged at me. I planned on jumping to the side and striking at the same spot once more but all of a sudden the boars speed increased and I was hit as I tried to jump out of the way. I flew and slid a couple of feet before regaining my balance as the dust scattered in the wind.

[Hp -73]

'I can't afford to take many more hits.' I flew in the air to perform my reckless charge at the point I had weakened earlier. I plummeted towards the earth at an incredible speed as I thrust my sword forward.

*SHICK*

'It broke through!' But before I could get too excited I was slung off of its body.

[Hp -11]

I got up and charged directly at its side at full speed before it could turn to face me and I cast [Dark Slash] at the spot I had been attacking this entire fight. A huge gash was left in its place as I was finally starting to do some real damage. I cast [Electric Field] to slow down the beast even if it was just by a little. Every moment counted.

I unleashed a fury of blows all aimed at the open wound. More and more damage was done before the boar could hit me. It started heating up so I had to back off and observe from a distance. "It's...steaming." The temperature around the boss had risen considerably as it hurt just to stand next to it. I started darting around, trying to confuse the boar as I feinted attacks one after another until I got a clean shot at its open wound.

I cast the last spell I could until my mana regened a bit more in a minute or two. My [Dark Slash] seemed to be quite effective as the gash only became bigger and went deeper. Blood was oozing out but it would dry up before hitting the ground. 'I need to stall for time.' I started taunting the boar and dodging its attacks at a safe distance while also mixing in a few feints here and there trying to preserve my stamina.

'Finally!' I charged at it head-on in the boar seemed to like the idea as it had also started charging at me. I then jumped and flew high into the air directly in front of the sun so he would be temporarily blinded. I descended to its side and cast my final [Dark Slash] making sure that all the stolen damage was converted into stamina.

This slash seemed to cause a critical amount of damage as the boss seemed to struggle to walk around now. 'A little more work and I can make its innards into a temporary blender.' I Started stabbing into its side over and over until I finally broke into its stomach where the steaming acid leaked out onto its skin.

It squealed in pain as it sizzled and even more steam rose into the air. The temperature started decreasing and the super red color of its skin started becoming fainter. 'That must've been a skill similar to a beserker state. It must require a lot of stamina.' I kept ripping open its stomach even wider. Slice after slice. Stab after stab as it squealed and heavily snorted. Its end was inevitable at this point.

[You've received 612 exp and 1 skill point for killing Dungeon Boss Red Skinned Boar.]

[LEVEL UP]

Strength, Agility, Dexterity, and Vitality have all increased by 2. Intelligence has increased by 3. You've received 4 attribute points. You've received 1 skill point.

[QUEST COMPLETED]

You've completed [Slay 20 Dungeon Boars and the Dungeon Boss] You've received 1,250 exp, 3 attribute points, and 10 silver.

I unequipped my shortsword as I examined what the boss had dropped. It was a hide that could be used for crafting, at least that's what the window said that popped up. I put it in my inventory and walked away from the mess I had made. The hill was covered in blood, craters, torn down trees, chunks of meat, and some burnt grass from the weird skill the Boss used.

'Stats'

[STATS]

Name: Sphar (Rank 1 Basic Mage)

Species: Nyre (1st evolution)

Level: 12 (1,531/2,873)

Hp: 101/185

Stamina: 11/39

Mana: 8/130

Strength- 31[+]

Agility- 36[+]

Dexterity- 31[+]

Intelligence- 48[+]

Vitality- 31[+]

Attribute Points: 15

Condition: Exhausted/Proud

I allocated my 15 extra attribute points evenly into Strength, Dexterity, and Vitality, raising the three to 36 as I entered the tree line and flew to the top of a tree where I would lay for the next couple hours. 'It seems every time I kill the boss of a dungeon I get a skill point. So the only consistent way to get skill points is to kill dungeon bosses and level up. Quests don't always give them sadly. I would much rather get skill points than money.'

[Noted]

'That wasn't a direct question or even a question at all yet you responded.' I was once again met with dead silence. 'Whatever.' I layed back and rested on top of the tree as the sun's rays were hitting me, warming me as the cold winds wrapped around me trying to achieve the opposite. The two forces colliding over my aching body acted as a very relaxing treatment.

'I still can't believe how strong that boss was compared to the normal mobs of this dungeon. I'll need to remember that boss is always exponentially stronger than its subordinates. I didn't realize it in the slime dungeon but I'll be sure to never forget now. If I would've tried to fight that thing before level 10 I wouldn't have lasted a minute.' I let my thoughts drift away as I relished in my hard-earned victory.

---------

I got up several hours later as the sun was setting and nightfall approached once more. I got up from my nap and went to go check the road once more and to my surprise. "TRACKS! and there are hooves!" 'The hooves are traveling to the left which is the way passing back by the goblin village I slaughtered a couple of days ago.'

I then started walking down the road to slowly catch up to whoever was traveling down this familiar path I had wandered for nearly a week. The moon was hidden behind the cloud-covered sky so it was particularly dark tonight, more so than usual giving me the advantage as I can see clearly in both the dark and the light.

'I still need to hit level 15 before going into a city but it's reassuring to know this is the way to somewhere and that this wasn't an old abandoned path. The rain constantly erases the tracks that once lay on this dirt ridden ground.'

I continued my jolly walk while reminiscing on the memories I had made in the dungeons I had explored so far. Then I remembered the memories I had tried to shove to the back of my mind, resurfacing broke the tension of the water that represented my consciousness as anger and sadness washed over me once more. 'I need to get a hold of my own emotions.' Revenge is what drove me forward but it didn't have to consume my every thought.

"The day will come."