Shun POV:

“Spy.”

I loosened the black tie and undid the top buttons of the white shirt.

“Hawkeye.”

Despite the increase in Filkruj’s output, he had no intention of reaching for his broadsword. This wasn’t a damn game where monsters only utilised certain weapons or skills at certain HP thresholds. Some could choose to follow that pattern due to pride, but they didn’t have to.

So why would a Boss Monster of Filkruj’s intellect refuse to use their own weapon?

Patience.

He was waiting for something. Whatever it was, it had to be the reason for the Dungeon System referring to the monster as Awakened.

‘Does Filkruj... have an ability?’

It was plausible.

I dashed in right when Aiden retreated. If the Profession was changed with Retsu active, then the banners marking the end of the Domain also changed. For Spy, the top half of a white silhouette held two pistols in a crossed motion on the black canvas.

Our positions reversed, and I slipped past a fist that tore through the air. Filkruj’s hands blurred, but mine did the same.

“You don’t learn.”

Currents of air bolstered my raised guard to the limit. The monster’s strike would have blasted through it but was forced to stop mid-motion. I slid back from the force and examined the tight Ki Ropes, locking Filkruj’s limbs in place.

The Domain drastically empowered Gadgets.

Aiden moved in. His spear thrusted forward at full force, shaking the entire Boss Room. Filkruj’s HP dropped, but Aiden wasn’t done yet. A pink spear spun around his fingers before another flurry struck the Boss Monster.

He jumped, and Phoebe fell from the sky to the ground; a single sword swing lacerated Filkruj’s defences, sliced open his stomach, and brought him to one knee.

“!”

A pistol pressed against the Sentri King’s forehead. In front of Death, he kneeled. However, Death had reached the limit of souls to spare.

“I learn very quickly, actually.”

*Bang*

‘!’

Filkruj... avoided it. He avoided enough of the Ki Bullet for it to only graze past his temple, but the damage dealt brought his HP to the last quarter.

‘Good. Very good.’

Renewed rationality searched for an exit. The darkness showed it the way; every step caused its cheeks to rise. Growth was right there. Improvement banged on the door.

So I... let it in again.

“Everyone, please get back now!!”

I ignored the rare desperation in Katherine’s voice; I couldn’t hear the deep care or gentleness stretching out toward me. Filkruj’s Ki exploded, and I ascended through Monz—

‘?’

Something wet fell into my eyes. The liquid turned the world into a red mist: haziness that distorted the way the light reflected.

‘??’

Beneath the scarlet clouds, an abdomen was caved in. The impact responsible for this result embedded the body into a thick wall gravity couldn’t dislodge it from.

‘Ugh...’

Blood spewed out of my mouth and nose. By the time I found the strength to raise my head, Gerard’s empowered fist collided against Filkruj’s. The two forces summoned violent winds. Shockwaves fractured the surrounding columns before bypassing his entire Jibang Armour Set.

Gerard shot through several walls, and the Boss Room shook.

‘Kill. Kill. Kill.’

Spectres from the past assaulted my mind. There was only one way forward. There was only one way for this all to end. I... rested a hand over my face in an attempt to stabilise the fragmented.

‘Improve. I... need to grow STRONGE—‘

A pink ponytail swayed behind a beautiful figure. The woman released her... Ki? Distortion warped the world, blackening it in some areas while discolouring it in others.

‘Keuk...’

I could no longer hear my heartbeat, and the pulse became harder to feel. A masterful display of swordsmanship smashed Filkruj around, forcing him to reach for his sword several times. He chose the helmet instead when the world darkened.

‘Phoebe?...’

A pink blur spun; her blade danced at a rhythm Filkruj couldn’t contend with. It would change. Slow and fast: a tempo that brought the Boss Monster to both knees before the clouds swept over.

Phoebe pressed her forehead against mine.

‘Ugh!!’

A piercing pain tore through my chest when the darkness faded. It showed me Phoebe laying in a pool of her own blood.

Then Aiden appeared.

His Ki… some kind of... different colour. The force he emitted dominated the entire space. The realm he stood in made Filkruj retreat before a single finger pointed forward.

“This is what it means to explode.”

“YOUR HIGHNESS!!!”

A black curtain fell over my eyes, but this time, I ripped it away. Whatever Filkruj had hit me with, it prevented me from switching Professions. He knew that Spy heightened my senses, so the crippling pain would also leave me helpless.

Filkruj baited me.

‘?...’

The entire Boss Room was reconstructed. Blood poured out of the severe wounds scattered over Filkruj’s body, and Aiden fell to the ground.

“This human...”

“Keuk...”

Every shake of my head only served to remind me of the immense pain I was in. However, I didn’t care. Water coiled around the fallen party members, shooting them back to a safe location when a Sentri Guardian’s muscular frame crashed through multiple columns.

“Katherine...”

How could Sentri Guardians keep her busy?

No.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Filkruj was smart. He must have used a technique to empower them as the Sentri King in a similar way Dibla empowered Sentri Guardians as a Sentri Gladiator. Despite his fight with Phoebe and Aiden, he still didn’t use his sword.

Either it was the requirement for his ability to activate or... Filkruj was doing exactly what I do: suppressing himself in order to find a way to improve.

“It will be okay, Shun.”

The light curvature of Katherine’s eyes accentuated the pureness within. Her lips rose; they transmitted her intentions toward me, asking that I stay away.

But she knew my answer.

That was why the water clinging to my body barely healed the injuries I suffered from.

“KATHERINE!!!”

Katherine’s eyes reflected more of the light before she turned her head back to Filkruj. I tried to rip her consideration away. I tried to tear off the gentleness holding me in place, but the damage... This damn damage rendered me helpless.

When I fought Dibla, I was already in Shinobi. I didn’t need to account for the slight stamina drain when switching Professions. However, the more fatal the wound, the more careful I had to be.

What was slight could turn into the difference between life or death under the right conditions. If I had disregarded Filkruj’s technique and forced Shinobi or Wizard to activate, I would have either passed out right away at best, fell into a coma, or died at worst.

This was another reason why the Water Ki Nature was so valuable. Converting Ki to Elemental Ki required such a minuscule amount of stamina; there was no point mentioning it. You could be at death’s door and still wouldn’t feel its effect.

Every ability required Ki and Stamina to use, no matter how small the cost was. It was also almost guaranteed that an ability’s Stamina Cost wouldn’t be less than Elemental Conversion’s Cost.

“It’s not your time yet, Princess.”

“!!”

Filkruj had just stepped past a focused Katherine before she could react.

“Shinobi...”

The restraints faded the same moment that happened. Katherine’s healing was enough for me to avoid the worst-case scenario, so I switched without hesitation.

“Ri—“

“Too slow, Dungeon Maniac.”

A fist smashed my body into the ground. I felt the muscles go limp and saw blood splash everywhere. My eyes rested on the hazy image of Katherine till my consciousness began to fade.

***

Katherine POV:

“Enough!”

The falling elbow crashed against my open palm. I threw Filkruj back toward his throne and stepped in front of Shun.

“Your opponent is me.”

A release of Ki induced the entire space to tremble. Fragments rose from the bedrock. Indents lined the remaining columns and brought about the narrowing of my eyes.

If not for the empowered Sentri Guardians restricting my movements, I would have been able to move sooner. The damage inflicted on those important to me would have never happened.

“Tsk, tsk. You’re not the one I want, Princess.”

“Why do you keep addressing me as Princess?”

Filkruj’s bright yellow irises held a deep desire that he succumbed to. It was a desire he justified under the guise of benefitting his species when his intentions began and ended with himself. A king who had lost his way. A king endorsed with the grandeur of becoming something greater than what was allotted to him.

My heart ached for those under such a selfish rule.

“How pitiful. You don’t even know what you are.”

“Mind games will not change the outcome of this battle, Filkruj.”

The smooth skin between my eyebrows creased. Filkruj was approaching Boukyaku, but my concern lay elsewhere.

‘Thank God.’

The party members behind me were safe and in a stable condition. Barriers of water surrounded their bodies, protecting them from the battle that would soon ensue.

“Worry not, Princess. For I will make that enormous power within you my own.”

There was no time to ponder over Filkruj’s words. His strikes were redirected before the blade of my foot cracked into his chin, shooting him through a column. We flickered around the Boss Room, ripping it apart every time we clashed.

I directed the battle away from my party members, but Filkruj rejected the invitation for a clean exchange. He confined my movements to a smaller area, forcing me to be even more conscious of their safety when a hardened fist sank into my ribs.

‘...’

An unfamiliar static bounced from nerve to nerve. I bit my lip, unable to stop the water from distorting my vision for a few seconds.

‘It hurts.’

Filkruj’s cheeks rose to form a smile twisted with disagreeable pleasure. Our speed increased, but his shameless act of targeting my friends made me lose ground. This was the only way Filkruj could acquire an advantage in combat, since every exchange ended with his HP falling.

A shin removed the guard from its position. Knuckles perforated the exposed Ki Armour of my stomach, launching me through several columns.

‘!’

Fingers coiled around my neck before I could react. The pressure was not concerning until my head caved in the ground with a loud explosion. I tried to break free from Filkruj’s grip when his eyes swept over my body again.

“Perhaps I should defile you first before taking what’s mine?”

“That mouth of yours is filthy.”

A giant water hand ripped his arm away. It dragged the struggling Filkruj back, giving me space to rise to my feet. The water split into several arms that locked his limbs in place and lifted the Boss Monster up into the air.

I splayed my hand, encouraging currents to rush high above my head. It took on a lifelike form of a tribal woman’s upper body, holding a gigantic spear. Filkruj’s yellow eyes enlarged at the weapon’s thrust. It drilled holes in his Ki Armour, then tore through his protected body.

His HP dropped, and then it plummeted every time the spear flashed forward. His body trembled in an attempt to break free until a roar enabled him to shatter the restraints. I wasted no time in shooting toward Filkruj, but he sprinted in the direction of his broadsword instead.

He reached his destination before I did, and a wave of innumerable swords banded together to form a whiter Ki. This was Sword Ki, but Filkruj’s new presence was worrying.

‘A Sword Master?’

I raised my guard, and the tribal woman covered me when a flash of Sword Ki shred the water apart. It blasted me backwards, and his lips parted.

“Sentri Style: Sentri King Healing.”

Filkruj’s HP rose at a rapid rate while my hair fell around me.

“You have been taught well, Princess.”

“Of course I have. My master is not someone who takes training a disciple lightly. He treats us with care and love. He desires for us to grow not only physically but mentally and spiritually. He is a man that I hold close to my heart.”

A lecherous gaze swept over every inch of my body several times.

“Your master has incredible self-control.”

“How uncouth!”

Monster or not, Filkruj chose to forgo manners in order to entertain such filthy dialogue. It unsettled me.

“Take it as a compliment, Princess. Beauty like yours can either be appreciated or ravished. I prefer the latter.”

“There is only one man allowed to touch me, so it would be wise to wipe away those sick desires of yours.”

A short chuckle weighed down on the air with an unpleasant tone. The monster’s bright eyes curved toward the ceiling before he spoke again.

“Ah. Such one-sided love.”

The broadsword Filkruj held was created from the Sentri Style. He had chosen not to materialise it, differentiating himself from all other Sentri. Thus, there were benefits he sought to acquire, and his Sword Techniques completed this theory.

Arcs of Sword Ki whistled through the air. Though my guard was raised, the swords within penetrated my Ki Armour, causing several cuts to appear across my body.

‘I am defending correctly, but my Ki Stage is the problem.’

Sword Ki was a part of Zane’s curriculum that only I had the honour of learning first. When my older brother was taught, Zane omitted this information from the syllabus in order to not overwhelm Lyon.

The circumstances were different at the time as well. I could use Ki while Lyon could not.

Another wave of Sword Ki sliced through everything in its path. Filkruj combined Sentri Blur in conjunction with Sword Ki, hastening the speed of the arcs rushing toward me from all angles. A part of my dress was shredded into pieces from the assault.

“That’s much better. Reveal some more for me, Princess. Then I’ll take what’s mine.”

My eyes fell, then dived toward the exposure of my lower left leg. The fair skin greeted the world with displeasure that crinkled my brow.

‘...’

“Sentri Style: Ultimate Sentri Blur.”

I continued to parry and counter the Blur, but Filkruj never targeted my face. His perverted desire aimed for the body, ripping away the fabrics that soon floated into my vision before falling to the destroyed earth.

A faint breeze rejected the bare thighs beginning to show. A left arm was visible against my will while only my bosom was left untouched.

“...This dress was a precious birthday gift from my master.”

I bit my lip. Hands balled into fists that trembled, but Filkruj’s relentless flurry forced me to defend again. I could feel emotions somehow slipping out of my control. I could feel something else rearing its head whenever my blood splashed the ground around me.

Filkruj won more of the exchanges until a shockwave of Ki embedded his frame deep within the wall.

“Keuk...?”

“...How dare you!”

Light blonde hair rose with the flare of Ki.

“HOW DARE YOU!!”

Pure blue eyes narrowed; emotions climbed beyond anger and entered a territory unbecoming of my character.

“THIS DRESS IS PRECIOUS TO ME!!!”

An eruption of Ki decimated the entire area. The rage bubbled and boiled. It accompanied thousands of lifelike water serpents that appeared behind me, eager to rip this lowly monster to shreds.

“Hm? It still hasn’t appeared yet despite being pushed so far?”

Filkruj cracked his neck when the serpents pounced on their prey. A Sword Blitz transitioned into a Sword Break. The arcs of Ki broke apart before rejoining again with double the power.

I splayed my hand toward him, unafraid of the strength he held. Waves of water monsters rushed in, but a Sword Swipe segmented the cratered area with flickering horizontal lines. Sword Ki coiled around the glowing broadsword before Filkruj’s hand swiped to the side.

Hundreds of barriers engaged the technique empowered by all previous sword swipes before it.

‘!!’

Its range expanded, and a flash of light ripped away the defence I had crafted. Droplets of blood were added to the puddle by my feet.

I wobbled.

Filkruj grabbed me by the neck, tilting my head toward his searching face.

‘Master...’

My vision blurred from the tears that rolled down my cheeks.

“Should I steal your first kiss too?”

*Snap*

My gaze fell on an armoured arm, flying through the air. It crashed against the ground before the Awakened Sentri King coughed up blood.

“Yo—“

A burst of Ki snapped the monster’s head back and removed the body from my presence. It buried the Sentri deep within the wall when a purple window stamped itself in my vision.

[A King has descended.]