The chase
Author: Henry storm
last update2025-06-01 02:36:34

Henry stepped onto the 14th floor, his breath steady but his body aching. The fight with the gorilla-like beasts had left his muscles sore, each step a reminder of how close he’d come to breaking. He wanted to collapse, to rest, but the dungeon didn’t care about his exhaustion. Neither did the Core—or the Hunters chasing him.

A chill crawled up his neck, sharper than the damp air or the eerie silence of the stone corridors. Something was off—a heavy pressure, like a storm about to break. His grip tightened on his sword, the blade’s weight grounding him as he moved forward.

Then—BOOM!

The ground exploded behind him. Instinct kicked in, and Henry activated Dash, his body blurring backward just as a massive crater formed where he’d stood. Stone and dust erupted, the shockwave ringing in his ears like a war drum.

As the debris settled, Henry’s eyes locked onto the cause: a battleaxe buried deep in the floor, its blade wide enough to split him in two. The weapon hummed with raw power, glinting under the dungeon’s faint light.

Standing beside it was Boros.

The F9-ranked Hunter towered over the wreckage, his massive frame radiating menace. His scarred face twisted with fury, his eyes burning as he yanked the axe free with one hand, dust sliding off the jagged steel. “You,” he growled, his voice like gravel on iron.

Henry’s heart raced. Boros wasn’t just angry—he was hungry for a fight.

“Come here,” Boros said, hefting the axe onto his shoulder.

Henry didn’t wait. The axe swung, a brutal arc of steel and death. He dodged, barely, the blade whistling past his head. WHAM! The missed strike shook the floor, a fissure cracking through the stone like a wound.

He’s fast! Henry’s mind raced. Boros moved again, his massive frame a blur. Another swing. Henry ducked. A third. He pivoted left. But the fourth—

CRACK!

The axe clipped his side, sending him crashing into a stone wall. Pain exploded in his ribs, sharp and searing. He coughed, blood trickling from his lips, the taste of iron thick on his tongue. [Vitality: -20.]

For a moment, he slumped against the cracked wall, struggling to breathe. That hurt.

Footsteps echoed—multiple sets. Henry’s vision cleared, and his stomach sank. Boros wasn’t alone. Ten Hunters spread out around him, their smirks predatory, like wolves circling a wounded animal.

“Where’d they come from?” Henry muttered, his mind scrambling.

“He’s not so tough now,” one sneered, a wiry man with twin daggers eyeing Henry’s bag. “Bet it’s stuffed with Beast Crystals.”

“That’s what this is about,” Henry realized, his grip tightening on the bag. They didn’t just want him dead—they wanted his loot.

Boros pointed his axe, his voice lazy but cold. “Two options, kid. Hand over the bag, or I beat you till you do.”

Henry pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the agony in his ribs. “You guys talk too much,” he said, rolling his shoulders.

The air shifted, the Hunters’ smirks fading. One cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. “Enough games. Let’s—”

ROOOOAAAARRRR!

The dungeon shook, a deafening roar cutting through the tension. The Hunters froze as hundreds of creatures surged from the shadows—fangs, claws, glowing red eyes. These weren’t Lesser Crawlers. Some looked stronger than Boros himself.

“Shit!” a Hunter cursed, barely blocking a claw. Another screamed as a beast tackled him, his cries cut short by tearing flesh.

The dungeon had unleashed its wrath.

Henry saw his chance. While the Hunters scrambled, he moved. “He’s running!” one shouted.

Boros roared, “GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!”

Henry ignored him, activating Dash. His body blurred through the chaos, weaving between snapping jaws and slashing claws. He struck down beasts in his path, each kill fueling him. [Progress: +50 experience.] [Progress: +50 experience.] He barely registered the Core’s messages, his focus locked on one goal: the 15th floor.

If he could reach the boss and kill it, he might escape before Boros caught up.

His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted, his new speed carrying him through the carnage. He reached a massive stone door, slamming into it with his shoulder. It groaned open, then shut behind him with a thunderous thud.

Silence fell.

The air in the boss chamber was heavy, thick with the scent of damp stone and something primal. Henry’s breath hitched as a massive shape stirred in the darkness.

The 15th-floor boss loomed before him—a Stonebreaker Troll, at least four meters tall. Its stone-like skin gleamed under the dim light, muscles rippling beneath its rocky surface. In its hands, it gripped an iron club twice Henry’s size, its weight cracking the floor with every step.

[Boss Identified: Stonebreaker Troll, E1 Awakening. Vitality: 5,000. Threat Level: High.]

Henry exhaled, adjusting his stance. “Alright, big guy,” he muttered, tightening his grip on his sword. “Let’s dance.”

The troll’s eyes snapped open, glowing with primal rage. It moved, the floor splintering under its weight.

BOOM!

The battle began.

The troll swung its club, the air screaming with the force. Henry activated Dash, blurring to the side as the club smashed into the ground, sending shards of stone flying. He lunged, slashing at the troll’s leg, but his blade barely scratched its rocky hide. The beast roared, swinging again.

Henry dodged, his speed saving him, but the shockwave knocked him off balance. He rolled, barely avoiding another crushing blow. His heart pounded, adrenaline surging. This thing was a monster—stronger, tougher than anything he’d faced.

He darted in, aiming for a gap in the troll’s armor-like skin. His sword bit deeper this time, drawing a trickle of dark blood. The troll bellowed, its club sweeping wide. Henry ducked, but the edge caught his shoulder, pain flaring. [Vitality: -15.]

He gritted his teeth, activating Recovery. The cool rush sealed his wounds, his stamina surging. He moved faster, striking again and again, each hit chipping away at the beast. [Progress: +100 experience.]

The troll’s attacks grew wilder, but Henry was adapting, his movements sharper with every dodge. He wasn’t just surviving—he was fighting back.

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  • Unstoppable Force.

    At first, it was low, almost breathless. Then, it grew, rising into something amused. The sound echoed through the chamber, slicing through the tension like a blade. One of the hunters, a wiry man with twin daggers, scowled. “The hell is so funny?” Even Boros hesitated, his expression darkening. Henry wiped the blood from his mouth, shaking his head. “Ah, man. "You guys really don’t know what you’re getting into.” And the, a chime rang in his head. A system notification flashed before his eyes. You have defeated the Stonebreaker Troll.[ Level Up! All Status increased by 20][ Strength +20 | Agility +20 | Endurance +20.][ HP Fully Restored.][ Skill Gained: Domain of the Stonebreaker.][ Quest Received: Survive or Eliminate the Threat.] His body thrummed with raw energy. His wounds vanished. The ache in his muscles faded as his HP surged back to full. He flexed his fingers—his body felt lighter, his mind sharper. His muscles hummed with power, like an engine roaring to l

  • The last stand

    The dungeon trembled, as if the Stonebreaker Troll’s defeat had shaken its very core. Dust swirled like a ghostly fog, settling over the cracked chamber floor, where fissures spread like shattered glass under Henry’s boots. The aftermath of his bare-knuckled brawl was etched into the stone—trenches carved by the troll’s club, dents from his fists.The troll lay sprawled, its massive frame still, its iron club discarded beside it. One of the dungeon’s fiercest bosses, brought low by a lone F-rank Hunter. It hadn’t expected Henry to be a threat, not some “insect” who’d dared to fight back.Henry flexed his knuckles, the sting of raw power pulsing through them. It hurt, but it was the kind of pain that fueled him. The troll had felt it too—every punch, every crack in its rocky hide. He rolled his shoulders, a grin tugging at his lips. “Not bad for a nobody,” he muttered.The beast’s final roar still echoed in his ears, a mix of rage and disbelief. Its glowing yellow eyes had dimmed, its

  • The shattering clash

    The boss chamber was a pressure cooker, the air thick with the weight of the Stonebreaker Troll’s presence. Each breath Henry took felt heavy, laced with the damp scent of stone and the faint tang of his own blood. The troll loomed before him, its four-meter frame nearly brushing the cavern’s ceiling. Its rocky skin glinted in the dim dungeon light, muscles rippling like a living mountain. Its yellow eyes glowed, locked onto Henry, watching, waiting.This wasn’t a mindless beast. It was calculating, sizing him up. Waiting for him to make the first move.Henry’s grip tightened on his sword, his body taut, heart steady despite the ache in his ribs from Boros’s earlier hit. He’d faced monsters before, but this was different. This thing knew how to fight.“Alright, big guy,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders to shake off the lingering pain. “Let’s see if you’re all muscle and no brains.”He shifted his stance, then moved. [Dash] kicked in, his body blurring forward in a zigzag, unpredict

  • The chase

    Henry stepped onto the 14th floor, his breath steady but his body aching. The fight with the gorilla-like beasts had left his muscles sore, each step a reminder of how close he’d come to breaking. He wanted to collapse, to rest, but the dungeon didn’t care about his exhaustion. Neither did the Core—or the Hunters chasing him.A chill crawled up his neck, sharper than the damp air or the eerie silence of the stone corridors. Something was off—a heavy pressure, like a storm about to break. His grip tightened on his sword, the blade’s weight grounding him as he moved forward.Then—BOOM!The ground exploded behind him. Instinct kicked in, and Henry activated Dash, his body blurring backward just as a massive crater formed where he’d stood. Stone and dust erupted, the shockwave ringing in his ears like a war drum.As the debris settled, Henry’s eyes locked onto the cause: a battleaxe buried deep in the floor, its blade wide enough to split him in two. The weapon hummed with raw power, glin

  • Unseen rivalry

    Henry stood in the dim glow of the dungeon’s bioluminescent moss, his chest heaving, a grin spreading across his face. “Hell yeah,” he muttered, the thrill of survival buzzing through him.He focused inward, and a faint shimmer appeared in his mind’s eye—a status display, like something from one of Tom’s video games, but real. Too real.[Status: Henry Gray. Level: 2, Rank: F. Progress: 120/3000. Vitality: 150/150. Strength: 45. Agility: 50. Endurance: 38. Perception: 25. Skill Points: 60.]No time to overthink. He needed to be stronger, faster—now. He poured most of his skill points into raw power and speed, trusting his instincts. [Strength +40. Agility +20.] His stats surged: Strength to 85, Agility to 70.The change hit like a jolt. His muscles tightened, his body felt lighter, like he’d shed a heavy coat. His arms were steadier, his legs itching to move. He smirked. “Alright, let’s see what I can—”He took a step and nearly stumbled, his body lurching forward too fast. The sudden

  • Leveling up

    The Lesser Crawlers didn’t give Henry a moment to breathe. They weren’t waiting for him to strategize or catch his bearings—they were out for blood.He tightened his grip on his sword, the cheap blade already slick with sweat and ichor. A Crawler lunged, its jagged jaws snapping. Henry swung wildly, the blade scraping across its armored shell with a shower of sparks. The creature recoiled, stunned but alive.No time to hesitate. He stepped forward, throwing his weight into a desperate strike. The sword found a weak point—the soft joint where the Crawler’s head met its body. It sank in with a sickening crunch. The creature screeched, thrashing before collapsing in a twitching heap.[Progress: +10 experience.]One down. Four to go.The others swarmed, moving as a pack. Henry swung again, but a Crawler latched onto his leg, its claws digging into his flesh. Pain flared, sharp and hot, stealing his breath. Another slashed across his back, tearing through his jacket. Blood trickled down hi

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