บท 84: Treasure Found
The territory boss monster's hesitation was brief but telling. Its yellowed eyes flickered with uncertainty, its primal instincts momentarily shaken by Alex's newfound aura.
But the uncertainty was fleeting—overridden by the arrogance and aggression befitting its apex status.
With a deafening roar, it lunged forward, its massive jaws wide open, claws poised to rend, and its tail whipping through the air with devastating force.
As the monster's gaping maw closed in, Alex sidestepped with a fluid motion, his movements precise and calculated, avoiding the fatal bite by mere inches.
Capitalizing on the opening, he drove his sword upward into the vulnerable underbelly of the monster, the only place where its scaled armor did not protect. The blade sank deep, carving through muscle and sinew, leaving a dark, oozing wound that dripped toxic blood.
The monster howled in pain. Alex, holding firm, used its momentum against it. Twisting his body, he wrenched his sword free, following up with a diagonal slash that left another deep gash across its side.
The beast staggered, its enormous frame shuddering from the damage. But it was far from defeated. In a final act of retaliation, its massive tail lashed out, moving faster than Alex could react.
The impact struck him with the force of a battering ram, sending him hurtling through the air. He crashed into the marshy ground with a sickening thud, the mud and stagnant water splattering around him.
Coughing, Alex pushed himself to his feet, wiping mud from his clothes. "Not bad." he muttered, rolling his shoulders as he leveled his gaze at the towering creature. "But it's not enough anymore."
The monster snarled, its massive claws slicing through the air as it lunged forward with unrelenting aggression.
Alex met the attack head-on, raising his sword to block the monster's strike. The impact reverberated through his arms, the sheer force driving his heels deep into the muddy ground.
The two adversaries locked in a fierce contest of strength. The stalemate stretched, their forms frozen as they pushed against each other, the marshy terrain trembling beneath their feet.
Then, with a simultaneous surge of energy, both broke apart, leaping back to assess their next move.
Alex wasted no time. "<Shadow Walk>" he casted, his figure flickering like a phantom. He disappeared from sight, only to reappear at the creature's vulnerable flank.
His blade lashed out in a flurry of rapid, precise strikes, each swing calculated and relentless. The sound of metal meeting scale echoed through the swamp.
Yet, as the monster staggered and turned, its thick, armored hide bore only faint scratches where Alex's blows had landed.
Alex's eyes narrowed, frustration mingling with exhaustion. 'Even with the enhancements, my physical stats is at best evenly matched to its. Its scales are too tough—each full-strength strike only leaves dents at best. Going toe-to-toe won't break this thing.'
He stepped back, gripping his sword tighter as his mind raced for a new strategy. 'I need a weakness… something I haven't exploited yet.'
By using Insta-Move to its fullest, Alex pushed his speed to the absolute limit. His figure became a blur, darting around the territory boss monster with relentless precision.
This time, his strikes weren't random; they were calculated, each one targeting the narrow gaps in its armor-like scales.
The beast roared in agony, its massive frame shuddering with each precise blow. Dark blood streamed down its sides, pooling in the swamp below. Its movements, once swift and overpowering, grew sluggish under the mounting damage.
But Alex wasn't fooled. Wounded or not, the creature was still an apex predator, and a cornered beast was always the most dangerous.
His sharp gaze caught the opportunity he'd been waiting for. The underbelly—pale, smooth, and exposed—was its Achilles' heel. Unlike the rest of its jagged, impenetrable form, this vulnerable spot was unprotected.
Dodging a wide swipe from its claws, Alex ducked low, his body coiling like a spring as he rolled to the side, forcing the creature to reposition. His movements were deliberate, baiting the monster into a desperate, reckless attack.
The boss roared in frustration, rearing onto its hind legs. It lifted its massive body, preparing to crush him under its full weight.
'Now!' Alex's mind screamed as he darted directly beneath its towering form.
With every ounce of strength he could muster, he drove his sword upward. The blade pierced the tender underbelly with a sickening squelch, sinking deep into the soft tissue.
The creature let out an ear-splitting screech, thrashing violently as it stumbled backward, dark blood pouring from the gaping wound. Alex held firm, his grip on the hilt unwavering despite the wild movements threatening to tear the weapon from his hands.
He pushed further, carving a wide, deep slash across the monster's entire underside in a single, powerful motion.
With a final wrench, Alex yanked the blade free in a spray of blood, retreating to safety. The once-dominant territory boss crumpled, its massive body writhing in agony. Its movements, now sluggish and disoriented, betrayed its imminent defeat.
Still, its tenacity burned brightly. Even in its final moments, the monster swung its tail in one desperate, sweeping attack. Alex ducked under it, watching as the monster's momentum faltered.
With a shuddering growl, the territory boss monster collapsed, its massive body sinking into the marshy ground with a thunderous crash.
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[The Host has killed a D-rank Territory Boss Monster]
[+1000 XP and +40 SP]
==============================
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[The host has completed a Quest]
[Location-Based Quest: Tyrants of the Poison Mist Forest]
[Description: Locate and eliminate the three Territory Bosses of the Poison Mist Forest.]
[Territory Bosses Killed: 3/3]
[Reward: ???] <!>
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"Wow! Defeating this territory boss monster gave me double the XP and SP of a normal D-rank monster," Alex remarked, pleasantly surprised. 'Then again, this guy was no joke. It took everything I had to take it down. Even with Berserker activated, I was no match until I upgraded my physical stats.'
Shaking off the lingering fatigue, Alex's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Alright, let's see what rewards I got." But as he opened the menu, his excitement faded into confusion. "Huh? Why is everything still in question marks?"
Clicking on the flashing icon next to the reward section, a message popped up, revealing the reason:
[Please update the system to release rewards for Quest completion.]
"Seriously?" Alex muttered, staring at the system notification with an exasperated look. 'After all that, now it wants an update?'
Shaking his head, he decided to leave this small hiccup aside for now.
With a swift motion, he stored the territory boss monster's massive corpse into his system inventory. "I'll deal with the update later." he muttered, turning his attention to the other half of his side quest.
Alex surveyed the area, his sharp eyes analyzing the surroundings. "Based on my assumptions, the hidden treasure should be somewhere around here." he said, his gaze narrowing as he circled back to the original pool of water where the territory boss monster had emerged.
"In almost all the novels I've read, there's always some kind of valuable item where abnormal creatures like this are found. Either they're protecting it, or they've mutated because of it—maybe both." His lips curled into a faint smile. "Let's see if fiction holds true this time."
The pool of water didn't look particularly deep, barely a few meters at most. Alex, already covered in mud from the battle, didn't hesitate to start exploring it. He cautiously stepped into the pool, the cold, murky water rising around his legs as he ventured deeper.
As he reached the center, he began to sink slightly, the water level climbing higher. Taking a deep breath, Alex dived beneath the surface, his vision limited by the muddy waters. But then, just ahead, a faint light caught his eye—a shimmering purple glow, vivid even in the murkiness.
Excitement sparked within him as he swam closer. But before he could grab it, warning messages from the system began to flood his vision.
Panic welled up within Alex, but instead of retreating, he steeled his resolve. With a swift motion, he activated his system inventory, and the item disappeared in an instant, safely stored within his inventory.
One of the many advantages of the system's inventory was its ability to store items in close proximity, as long as there was no significant resistance preventing the process.
Alex felt a wave of relief as the weight of the oppressive energy lifted. He quickly resurfaced, gasping for air as he clambered out of the pool.
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