DOOMSDAY LEDGER

Chapter 10: Mini Boss

That roar wasn't the sound of a dog asking for food. It was the sound of a meat grinder mixed with the screams of tormented souls. The Mutated Hound, or let's call it the Hell Hound, stood as tall as an adult cow in the middle of the cracked asphalt road. Its red, skinless muscles twitched, dripping green slime that sizzled when it touched the ground.

"Rico," Elian called softly without taking his eyes off the monster. "Did you ever watch a tutorial video on how to tame a mad dog?"

"Yeah," Rico replied, his voice shaking violently beside Elian. "It said don't look it in the eyes, don't run, and pray it's full."

"Well, the problem is it looks like it's on a diet and we're the main course," Elian retorted. He gripped his iron pipe, which was still sparking with residual electricity.

The System on Elian's retina provided data that made his stomach churn.

[Warning: Level Difference Too High]

[Suggestion: Run]

"Cowardly system," Elian cursed. "Run where? Inside the store? Our instant noodle wall will be breached like a cracker."

The Hell Hound let out a low growl, lowering its head, ready to charge. Its tail, a long, fleshless bone, lashed out, shattering the rearview mirror of a nearby car.

"El, I'm the Tank, right?" Rico suddenly asked. He pounded his chest, protected by the cracked wooden cutting board and gossip magazines. "A Tank's job is to take the hit, right?"

"Don't be crazy, Ric. Your armor is just paper and wood."

"Too late, Boss. I already peed my pants a little, so I might as well get soaked!"

Rico yelled loudly, slamming his wrench against a nearby street lamp pole. Clang-clang-clang! The sharp sound broke the tension.

"Hey! Ugly dog! Come here! I have a bone for you! My spine!" Rico shouted recklessly.

The provocation worked. The Hell Hound roared and charged. Its speed was absurd for a creature that size. In the blink of an eye, the twenty-meter distance was closed.

"Rico! Look out!"

Rico didn't dodge. Instead, he braced himself, crossing his arms over his chest.

CRASH!

The collision sounded like a motorcycle hitting a brick wall. Rico's body was sent flying three meters backward, landing in a tumble on the wet asphalt. The cutting board on his chest shattered into pieces. The magazines wrapped around his arms were torn and scattered, the front pages of soap opera stars now covered in mud.

"Rico!" Elian yelled in panic.

"Still... ugh... still alive!" Rico's voice was hoarse from his supine position. He tried to get up, but his legs were wobbly. "Damn... that felt like getting hit by a semi-truck."

The Hell Hound didn't pause. It turned, ready to tear apart the helpless Rico. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and a throat that emitted a faint green glow.

[Warning: Acid Attack Detected]

"Don't even think about it!"

Elian ran to intercept. He channeled all the Mana he had into his legs—a sudden experiment to increase speed.

[Improvised Skill: Speed Burst (Mana Intensive)]

Elian's body shot forward. He leaped and landed squarely on the monster's back.

"Take this ride!" Elian shouted.

He plunged his iron pipe into the monster's back, right between the protruding vertebrae.

STAB!

The pipe stuck, but not deep. The monster's muscles were too tough.

The Hell Hound roared in fury, shaking its body wildly like a rodeo bull. Elian was tossed around, his hands gripping the iron pipe tightly so as not to be thrown off.

"Static Shock! Full Power!"

Elian channeled electricity.

Zraaaaat!

Blue light enveloped the monster's body. The Hell Hound howled in pain, its legs convulsing. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air.

[Critical Hit! -45 HP]

[Boss HP: 455/500]

"Only forty-five?!" Elian stared at the enemy's HP bar, which had barely decreased. "Hey, that's cheating! Its skin is too thick!"

The monster, despite the pain, was not paralyzed. It only grew angrier. It dropped its body sideways, intending to crush Elian against the asphalt.

Elian instinctively released his grip and jumped back. He rolled on the asphalt, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the half-ton giant body.

The Hell Hound quickly got up. Its yellow eyes were now fully focused on Elian. Pure vengeance.

"Okay, I'm the target now," Elian muttered, catching his breath. His Mana had dropped drastically. Only 30 points left. "Ric, can you still move?"

Rico was already standing, though staggering. He picked up his wrench. "I can, El. But my armor is gone. One more hit, and I'm mashed potatoes."

The monster opened its mouth again. This time not to bite. Green fluid sprayed from its mouth like a fire hose.

"Run!"

Elian and Rico jumped in opposite directions.

The green fluid hit the sedan behind them.

Hiss!

A terrifying sizzling sound was heard as the car hood metal melted like butter on a hot pan. White smoke with a pungent chemical smell stung their noses.

"Insane! Is that spit or acid?!" Rico screamed in horror. "If that hits my face, my modeling career is over!"

"You're a parking attendant, not a model!" Elian shot back. He racked his brain. Ordinary physical attacks wouldn't work. Low-level electricity just tickled it. He needed high voltage. Very high.

Elian's eyes landed on a small electrical substation on the side of the road, right in front of the pharmacy shophouse. The substation was damaged, and its large cables were frayed, their ends submerged in a wide puddle of rainwater.

"Ric!" Elian called. "Lure it to the puddle in front of that substation!"

"You want to electrocute it with the substation? The power's out, idiot!"

"I am the electricity! I just need the cables to spread the current evenly!" Elian explained. "Lure it! I need to prepare!"

"Okay! For the safety of my handsome face!"

Rico ran, limping this time, toward the puddle. He waved his wrench.

"Hey, Ugly Dog! Over here! My meat is tough, but nutritious! Contains MSG!"

The Hell Hound, whose brain was probably ruined by the virus, was provoked again. It chased Rico, its claws scratching the asphalt, creating sparks.

Elian took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the energy core in his chest. He was no longer just channeling electricity. He had to condense it. Like a battery forced into a short circuit.

[Warning: Mana Overcharge]

[Risk: Body Tissue Damage]

"I don't care," Elian hissed.

Rico reached the middle of the puddle. The monster leaped at him. Rico dropped to the mud just as the monster landed on him, all four legs sinking into the water.

"Now, El! I'm pinned!" Rico screamed from beneath the monster's belly.

Elian ran. He wasn't holding the iron pipe anymore. Both his hands glowed bright blue, blindingly so. He leaped toward the broken substation cable dangling into the puddle.

Elian grabbed the large copper cable with his bare hands.

"Eat this electricity bill!"

Elian didn't electrocute the monster directly. He electrocuted the substation cable, using the leaky underground cable network and the puddle as a giant conductor.

BOOM!

An explosion of white light erupted from the puddle.

The water in the puddle instantly boiled. Hot steam billowed up.

The Hell Hound let out a long howl—a howl that turned into a desperate shriek. Thousands of volts of electricity (amplified by Elian's Mana through the substation) coursed through its wet legs, roasting its internal organs, boiling its blood.

The monster's body stiffened, shaking violently at high speed. Black smoke poured from its eyes, nose, and ears.

"DIE!" Elian screamed, enduring the burning pain in his hands. He kept pumping Mana until the last drop.

[Mana: 5... 2... 0]

The final explosion.

CRACK!

The monster was thrown sideways, falling with a stiff thud like a stone statue. Its red skin was now charred black.

Rico, who was also in the puddle, convulsed slightly. But thanks to Elian's passive skill (and perhaps insane luck), the electric current seemed to avoid Rico's body and focused on the monster. Or maybe it was because Rico was wearing the stolen rubber boots from the pharmacy that Elian only just noticed.

Silence.

The rain started again, cooling the smoking asphalt.

Elian fell to his knees, breathless. His vision was blurry. His hands were smoking and trembling uncontrollably.

"Ric..." Elian called weakly. "Are you still alive?"

From behind the monster's charred body, a trembling thumbs-up emerged.

"My hair..." Rico's voice was hoarse. "Is my hair an afro now, El?"

Elian laughed, a laugh that ended in a cough. "It looks like fried broccoli."

A golden light emerged from the Hell Hound's corpse. A small green crystal ball rolled out of its scorched mouth. And above Elian's head, system notifications celebrated wildly.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Mini Boss Defeated: Mutated Hound]

[XP Gained: +200]

[Level Up! Elian reached Level 3!]

[Mana Status: Depleted (Requires Rest)]

[Item Drop: Beast Core (Level 1) - Mutant Energy Core]

Rico crawled out of the muddy puddle. His face was black with smoke, his long hair standing straight up like a hedgehog. He stared at the monster's corpse, then looked at Elian.

"Did we... did we just kill the sachet version of Godzilla?" Rico asked in disbelief.

"The lite version," Elian corrected, trying to stand up with Rico's help. "Let's go back. Mr. Hendra must be hysterical by now."

They limped back to Cosmo Mart. The instant noodle cardboard fortress door opened slightly. Mr. Hendra's and Lina's eyes peered out of the gap, wide with shock.

"You..." Mr. Hendra stammered as he opened the barricade door for them. "Are you even human?"

"We're priority customers, Sir," Rico replied casually, collapsing onto the cold store floor.

As Elian stepped inside the store, a different system voice, more majestic and echoing, sounded in his ears. Not just a text notification, but a voice that seemed to announce a new era.

[Congratulations! Territorial Threat Cleared]

[Conditions Met: Leader (Elian) + Physical Base (Store) + Boss Victory]

The store floor suddenly vibrated gently. Dust was swept away by a wind that came from nowhere. Blue light scanned the entire store room, from the cashier to the back warehouse.

[Activating Base Building Protocol...]

[Location: Cosmo Mart Branch 404]

[Status: Converted to Safe Zone Level 1]

Ding!

A new interface panel appeared before Elian's eyes, floating above the cashier counter.

=== BASE STATUS: COSMO MART ===

Level: 1

Owner: Elian (Tier 1 - Intern Cashier)

Population: 4/10

Structural Integrity: 60% (Needs Repair)

Electricity: Manual (Elian-Link) Upgrade Available

Features Unlocked:

1. Safe Barrier (Lv 1): Prevents zombie spawn within a 10-meter radius.

2. Recovery Room: The warehouse area now provides 2x faster HP/Stamina regeneration effect when sleeping.

3. Basic Crafting Table: The cashier counter can be used to create simple items.

"Wow..." Elian gaped. "Our store... our store is a real base."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Hendra approached, unable to see the screen, of course.

"Sir," Elian turned to his manager with a wide smile despite his bruised face. "You don't have to worry about audits anymore. This store just got ISO certification from the Apocalypse."

Elian picked up the green Beast Core he had collected earlier. He placed it on the cashier counter. The System reacted immediately.

[Material Detected: Beast Core]

[Option: Use as Automatic Generator Resource (Duration: 24 Hours)?]

"Yes," Elian replied.

The crystal ball glowed brightly, then absorbed into the cash register machine. The next second, the store lights came on steadily. The refrigerator hummed softly. The air conditioner began blowing cool, fresh air again. And most importantly, Elian no longer felt the energy drain from his chest.

"The power's on!" Lina exclaimed happily, jumping up and down. "The AC is working!"

"Hallelujah!" Mr. Hendra prostrated himself on the floor in gratitude. "My ice cream is safe!"

Rico, still lying on the floor, raised his hand for help. "Guys, is anyone going to help me? My spine feels like it was just used by an elephant playing stilts."

Elian laughed in relief. He walked over to Rico, extending his hand to help his friend stand up.

"Come on, Tank. Our night shift is finally over," Elian said.

"And my salary?" Rico asked, wincing as he stood.

"Your salary is that you're still alive to see tomorrow's sun," Elian replied.

Outside, the rain finally stopped. The morning sun truly began to shine, illuminating the streets full of corpses and the carcass of the giant, charred monster.

This was the first morning in the new world. They had survived the first night. But Elian knew that with the System now fully active and the Base established, the real challenge was just beginning. Level 1 was only the start of this apocalypse ledger.