Monster Hunter: Broke to Boss

CHAPTER NINE: Did He Take Them Down?

The air was thick with tension as the team of D-class hunters approached the source of the unstable energy. The team halted in front of a small opening, eyeing the swirling, unstable void that stretched open before them. It was a mysterious phenomenon, one that none of them had encountered before, and the air felt charged with danger.

Captain Alexander Draegon stood at the front, his sharp green eyes scanning the Rift. At 6'2", he was a tall, imposing figure with short-cropped dark brown hair and a chiseled jawline that hinted at his no-nonsense attitude. His combat specialization was swordsmanship, and he wielded a long, sleek blade that hummed with an ancient aura.

"I don't like this," Captain Draegon muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, instinctively ready for a fight. "There's something off about this Rift."

Beside him, Vice-Captain Nyx frowned, her piercing amber eyes flicking to the swirling Rift. Elara was young but capable—quick-witted, agile, and sharp with her blades. She was a fire mage, specializing in elemental fire magic, and her flames could incinerate enemies within seconds.

"We need to give it time," Nyx said softly, her voice steady but laced with uncertainty. "If it's unstable, it's probably just taking a moment to—"

Before she could finish, a loud, sharp crack echoed from the Rift. It sounded like a thunderclap, reverberating through the entire forest, and the team immediately went on high alert.

Nyx instinctively shoved Draegon to the ground as a sudden surge of energy poured out from the Rift, the force of it knocking several of the hunters off balance. 

Liora, panicked as she stared at the Rift; a mixture of fear and reluctance clouding her expression. "There's no way I'm going in there," she muttered, her voice tinged with disgust and fear. Her slender frame trembled slightly, and she took a hesitant step back.

The captain's eyes hardened, his mouth pressing into a thin line. "What kind of hunter are you if you're too scared to follow orders?" he snapped, his tone sharp. "You want to stay here and hide? Fine. Stay and guard the entrance. But the rest of us are going in."

Liora hesitated, her fists clenched at her sides.

With a cold nod, Draegon motioned for the remaining nine hunters to follow him. "Form up. We're going in."

The team began to enter the Rift, their steps cautious but resolute. As they descended, the air grew heavier, the darkness thick and suffocating. The temperature dropped, and the smell of decay filled their nostrils. It was like stepping into another world entirely—one that seemed to pulse with unnatural life.

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of the Rift, Leo was gasping for breath, barely clinging to consciousness. His body ached all over, his muscles bruised and battered from his battle with the massive Nightscale Crawler boss. His chest heaved with shallow breaths, blood dripping from his wounds. The acidic venom from the beast had scorched his back.

The boss, a hulking beast the size of a large truck, was a monstrous creature. Its sleek, reptilian body shimmered in the dim light, scales reflecting a menacing green hue. Its head was massive, filled with rows of sharp teeth, and its long tail flicked from side to side as it loomed over Leo. Despite the damage he had dealt, the beast was still very much alive, its eyes glinting with malice.

Leo's vision swam, and the system’s warning buzzed in his ears:

Night Hunter passive skill deactivating in 10 seconds.

"Shit," Leo cursed under his breath. He had been invisible to the beast, using the passive skill to hide and catch his breath, but the time was running out, and the beast was starting to sense his presence. 

"Just need... one more... chance," Leo gritted his teeth, struggling to stay upright.

His health was dangerously low, the blood loss nearly too much to bear. But as the seconds ticked away, he found his moment of clarity. He could use the light dagger to attack the creature’s weak spots. Leo had learned just enough about the creature’s anatomy in his brief observations. Its scales were hard, but the joints between its legs and under its chin were less protected.

With no other choice, Leo readied his dagger, preparing himself for the inevitable.

As the passive skill expired, Leo became visible to the beast. In a blur of motion, the Nightscale Crawler lunged at him, its claws tearing through the air with deadly force. Leo barely dodged in time, rolling out of the way as the beast’s attack cleaved the ground where he had just been.

His vision blurred, his senses swimming, but Leo knew he had only one shot left. He gathered all his remaining strength and lunged forward, thrusting the light dagger into the weak spot beneath the Crawler’s chin. His blow struck true.

The beast let out a deafening screech as its body convulsed, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. Leo barely had the strength to pull the dagger from the creature’s body as it dissolved into digital particles, leaving behind only a floating, multi-colored orb.

Exhausted, Leo collapsed, his body failing him as the darkness closed in around him. The orb hovered just above him, its light flickering before the system’s voice echoed in his ears:

[First mission complete.]

At that moment, the D-class team of hunters arrived at Leo’s location, their eyes scanning the area in disbelief. The Rift was now closed, but the area still hummed with unstable energy. When they saw Leo lying motionless on the ground, Draegon immediately rushed to check his pulse.

"He's still alive," Draegon said, his voice tense. "But just barely. Prepare for extraction. We need to get him back to the city, now."

Nyx knelt beside Leo, her brow furrowed as she examined him. "The Nightscale Crawlers are all gone. Did he... take them all down?"