Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Morca stood up, his gaze fixed on the massive tail of the green-scaled snakeman. The once-vibrant green had turned a deep shade of black, ink-like blood oozing from the wound that refused to heal.
"This is going to be a tough fight," Morca thought, his mind racing. If he hadn't landed that sneak attack before his Blank Skill went on cooldown, this battle might have already been lost.
Shaking off his thoughts, Morca steadied his breathing. First, he needed to survive this fight. His grip tightened around his black blade as the monstrous snakeman lunged at him once more. With a clash of steel and scales, the two combatants engaged in a fierce exchange of blows.
After several intense clashes, they separated, both showing signs of wear. Morca's face bore fresh bruises, and his once-pristine clothes had been reduced to rags. However, the snakeman fared far worse. Large chunks of its flesh were missing, and out of its four arms, only one and a half remained. Desperate, the creature suddenly lunged toward the ground, swallowing a mysterious object before retreating toward the cave entrance, intent on escaping.
Morca refused to let this chance slip away. He pursued the wounded beast, slashing at it relentlessly as their cat-and-mouse chase continued. Eventually, the snakeman realized that running was futile. Turning to face Morca once again, it coiled its massive body and resumed their battle. But the tide had turned, Morca now held the upper hand. Blow after blow, he battered the creature, pushing it to the brink of collapse. Soon, the once-formidable monster could no longer move, its body quivering in exhaustion before its life finally faded away.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Morca barely had time to react before the seemingly dead snakeman lashed out one final time. With the last of its strength, it swung its massive tail, striking Morca with bone-crushing force. The impact sent him spinning through the air before he crashed headfirst into the ground. Stars exploded in his vision, his head throbbing with an unbearable pain.
Gritting his teeth, Morca forced himself to stand, his bloodied eyes locked onto the lifeless monster. He gripped his black blade tightly, steadying himself before delivering the final blow. This time, he didn't take any chances, he severed the monster's head completely, ensuring that it was truly dead. As a final measure, he dug into its head and extracted its crystal core. Unlike the usual ones, this core radiated an immense energy, far more powerful than he had ever encountered.
Satisfied that the monster was finally slain, Morca slumped against its massive corpse, pulling out a vial of healing medicine. Swallowing the bitter liquid, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. He had learned valuable lessons from this battle; always keep track of his skill cooldowns, aim for a decisive blow if he couldn't finish the enemy in one strike, never allow his opponent a chance to escape, and, most importantly, never lower his guard, even after the battle seemed won.
If he hadn't landed that sneak attack at the start, victory would have been uncertain. The snakeman might have escaped, leading to an unnecessary chase or, worse, an ambush later on. Though his win wasn't a flawless one, Morca knew that improvement was necessary. With that thought, he focused entirely on healing his wounds.
After about ten minutes, Morca felt most of his stamina return. He stood up, looking at the massive corpse one last time before storing it in his storage ring. The monster's body held valuable materials, and the object it had swallowed intrigued him.
His attention then shifted to the portal gateway that had appeared upon the monster's defeat. He took a step toward it, but then paused. A grin spread across his face as he turned in the opposite direction, sprinting past the boss room's entrance.
Outside the cave, thousands of bloodthirsty thorn wolves roamed.
"It's still too early to leave. Besides, the gate will remain open for another two hours. I need to take this chance to grind for experience points and refine my Oblivion Blade skill," he thought, his expression turning sinister.
Five minutes later, Morca emerged from the cave, his gaze locking onto the swarm of wolves. Without hesitation, he charged at them, his black blade trembling in his grip.
As he entered a battle-thirsty state, a dark aura enveloped his body. He was fully immersed in his Oblivion Blade skill, cutting through the beasts with deadly precision. Each swing of his blade reaped lives, turning the battlefield into a gruesome spectacle of blood and dismembered body parts. For the next hour and a half, Morca fought relentlessly, his system notifications flooding his mind. He was so engrossed in the battle that he barely registered them.
Finally, after causing significant carnage, Morca retreated toward the boss cave. However, this time, he was not alone, the surviving wolves gave chase, their bloodlust undiminished.
"If they're chasing me into the cave, it means something happened to their boss. They must think they have a chance now," Morca mused, a smirk playing on his lips.
He didn't care about their reasoning. As he continued his retreat, he ruthlessly slaughtered any beast that got too close. When only a minute remained before the portal gateway closed, he abandoned the remaining wolves, leaping into the portal just as they lunged after him. A few insane bloodthirsty wolves followed, their snarls echoing through the air.
A bright light enveloped them all as the portal dissipated into tiny particles, vanishing into the void of space.
---
On the other side of the dungeon, a steady metallic gateway stood. A flash of light signaled the formation of the portal, and out of it stepped Morca, his body stained with blood, his tattered clothes barely clinging to him. His grip on his black blade, Avoc, remained firm as he turned, waiting for the monsters that had pursued him.
One by one, fifteen thorn wolves emerged from the portal. But before they could react, their bodies were swallowed by the void, merging into the darkness. Not a single one survived.
Morca let out a sigh of relief, finally allowing himself to relax. As he took in his surroundings, a familiar sense of recognition washed over him. He had returned to the place he had first entered before challenging the Dx1.5 dungeon.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"I haven't even spent a full day inside the dungeon... I might have just set a new record, the fastest solo clear of a Dx1.5 dungeon."
With that thought, he sheathed his black blade and strode forward, his next adventure already forming in his mind.