But as he wiped the blood from his weapon, he felt a shift in the air. The Frogmen boss, still standing on the outskirts of the forest, had sensed something was wrong. It let out a low, guttural croak, its eyes narrowing as it scanned the treeline.

Then, with a single barked command, the remaining 25 Frogmen under its command began to move. They were heading into the forest, and this time, the real battle would begin.

The Frogmen boss led the other 25 Frogmen toward the forest. Just as they were about to enter, they felt fear as a Frogman emerged from the forest on fire. The others moved back, holding their spears in front of them, ready to kill their own kin!

The Frogmen croaked endlessly. Even the greatest evils would feel fear in this situation. The burning Frogman cried out, croaking as it reached toward the Frogmen boss, but before it could get close, it fell to the ground, lifeless.

The Frogmen boss frowned, looking at the dark forest, the wind blowing ominously. The other Frogmen looked at each other in fear, gripping their spears tightly. What was once their home was now a trap, and they looked at it with dread.

The Frogmen and their boss entered the forest, but instead of scattering, they stayed close together. They kept glancing around as they walked, ready for anything. The Frogmen boss fumed in rage at the death of his kin, especially in his own territory!

How could a leader stay silent while watching his kin fall one by one before his eyes? Their screams would haunt him not only in his sleep but also while he was awake.

They walked and walked but found no sign of the predator. What they didn’t know was that the predator had already prepared their deaths. Cale watched them from above, hidden in the shadows. He didn’t walk or run—he crawled on all fours, with his scythe in his right hand placed on his back.

Cale was more like a predator now. He moved from tree to tree, watching them with glowing crimson eyes from the darkness. For a predator, grouping his prey could be highly disadvantageous.

The Frogmen boss sensed something behind him and turned to the spot where Cale had just been. He had felt many disturbances since entering the forest but couldn’t find the culprit. He started looking ahead again.

One Frogman, at the back of the group, kept glancing over his shoulder, unsure of what he was sensing. If even his boss brushed it off, it must have been nothing, right?

But as he looked forward, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He glanced down to see his throat had been cut cleanly. He couldn’t even let out a croak of pain before he was pulled into the shadows without anyone noticing.

One by one, two or three Frogmen disappeared. The remaining Frogmen croaked urgently, alerting their boss. They quickly took a defensive stance, forming a tight circle with only 19 Frogmen left, the boss in the center.

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After two minutes of tense waiting, Cale finally emerged from the shadows, scythe in hand, clad in dark armor. Light gleamed off the scythe, illuminating his figure.

The Frogmen raised their spears at him in fear and anger. "My, my, look at your ugly faces," Cale smiled ear to ear as he swung his scythe playfully. The Frogmen trembled, terrified by the menacing flow of his weapon.

[Information (Info):

Name: Frogmen Boss

Level (Lvl): 33

Status : Angry

Gender: Male

Difficulty: C-Rank

Species: Frogmen

Abilities: Strong body, poisonous venom, long poisonous tongue, ???

Description: Frogmen live inside this swamp Fracture. They attack with handmade spears and spit poisonous venom.

Weakness: Fire and cold]

The Frogmen boss and his remaining warriors charged at Cale, having finished sizing him up. Cale enveloped his scythe in fire and cut down two Frogmen with one swift motion.

He then engulfed his hand in flames and hurled it at the rest. They burned and croaked in agony as they retreated.

Cale emerged from the fire, cutting down one of them, while another thrust its spear at him. Cale smiled, catching the spear with his left hand and slicing the Frogman diagonally with his right.

"Only fifteen left now~" Cale grinned playfully, lifting the corpse of the Frogman and throwing it at the Frogmen boss. The boss slashed his own kin’s body in half.

"Wow~ how fierce! HAHA!" Cale mocked as he laughed at the enraged boss.

The Frogmen boss ordered the others to finish him, his pride wounded. He couldn’t afford to show weakness or lose his temper in a fight.

The remaining 15 Frogmen charged at him, but Cale ducked swiftly, placing his hand in the swamp water and freezing their bodies up to their waists. They struggled but couldn’t break free.

However, the Frogmen boss broke through easily and charged at Cale with fury. Cale grabbed a Frogman’s spear and threw it at him, but the boss shattered the rock spear with his iron one.

The Frogmen boss struck downward with his spear, and Cale raised his scythe to block. The force was so powerful that the ground beneath Cale cracked, and water splashed up.

Cale held on, his hands trembling. "Heh~" Cale looked up at the large Frogman and exhaled, his breath turning cold. But the Frogman spat poisonous venom, nullifying the freezing air.

The Frogman kicked Cale away, sending him sliding backward, though he kept his scythe steady.

The Frogmen boss charged again, and Cale met him head-on, but something was wrong—Cale’s strength seemed to vanish as he took the boss’s attacks directly.

In desperation, Cale swung his scythe, leaving a cut on the boss’s chest, but the Frogman retaliated, slashing Cale’s body diagonally and kicking him into a large tree trunk.

The Frogmen boss slowly approached Cale, who was in bad shape. His body was covered in cuts, and a large diagonal wound bled profusely. Blood dripped from his mouth as he muttered, "Shit."

The Frogman stood over him, raising its spear to thrust it into Cale’s heart.

"I won’t die today," Cale muttered, glaring coldly at the boss, who didn’t understand him. "I..I won't die today!!!" Cale shouted, his voice full of determination.

Ding!

[Trait: Monarch's Blood has been activated!] [All stats increased by 5]

A dark mark appeared under Cale’s right eye, stretching to his cheek as a dark crimson aura erupted around him, reaching toward the sky. The Frogman jumped back, terrified by the predatory energy.

Cale stood up slowly, shouting, "Take this!" as he swiped his index finger upward.

The Frogman boss didn’t understand what Cale had done—until it noticed its left arm was gone, green blood gushing out. The Frogman boss cried out in horror, staring at Cale like he was a monster.

Cale’s hair reached his shoulders, his eyes now dark and crimson, his mark glowing with crimson light. He appeared eerily calm, and his injuries healed at a terrifying speed. Within seconds, he was perfectly fine.