Junichi's order snapped through the sudden silence, breaking the paralysis that had gripped part of the group. The Rokurokubi was frozen, its empty gaze still fixed on Yuki, who stood motionless, her expression neutral once more. It was an unexpected opportunity, a reprieve snatched from the brink of disaster.
Misaki, already beside Goro, sobbed but desperately applied bandages to the bloody stump, trying to stem the hemorrhage with a fierce determination born of despair. Daichi still y unconscious. But the others... the others reacted to Junichi's command.
Kenta's rage, interrupted in his suicidal charge, transformed into fierce concentration.“Power Strike!”He roared, bringing his sword down with all his might on the boss's immobile body. The impact resonated heavily.HP: 120/350
Haru, quick as lightning, took advantage of the boss's immobility to circle around and repeatedly stab his daggers into what seemed like weak points in the kimono.HP: 95/350
Renji activated his 'Minor Stealth', melting into the shadows near the wall, then surged behind the boss. 'Sneak Attack'! His dagger sank deep.HP: 60/350
Aiko, her face pale but determined, channeled her energy.“Arcane Bolt!”A sphere of pure energy struck the boss square in the chest.HP: 52/350
Junichi, after his shout, had already loosed an arrow with 'Precise Shot', quickly followed by another.HP: 35/350
“Last quarter! Almost done!”Kenta yelled, seeing the numbers in his mind.
The boss seemed to flinch. The emptiness in its eyes began to fade, repced by a glimmer of fury and pain. The neck started to undute faster, as if the creature struggled to break free from the invisible hold restraining it.
“FINISH IT!”Junichi screamed.
Kenta, Renji, and Haru threw themselves at the main body with a final burst of desperate attacks. Sword, daggers, everything they had. Aiko unched one st bolt. Junichi loosed a final arrow.
HP: 0/350
A long, hoarse groan, almost a sigh of spite, escaped the Rokurokubi's floating face. The grotesque smile flickered, distorted, then faded. The long serpentine neck fell heavily to the floor, inert. The immobile body slumped slightly, then, like the Spectral Monkey and Shadow Serpent before it, the Rokurokubi's entire form began to dissolve. It didn't dissipate into smoke or light, but seemed to crumble, turning into a fine bck dust that settled gently on the floor before vanishing completely, leaving behind only the persistent, sickening smell of moldy floral perfume and... two small, glittering objects where the body had stood.
XP Gained: +250The notification imposed itself on the minds of all active participants in the battle. For those already at level 5, the XP seemed to accumute without triggering a new level-up, confirming the floor's cap. However, for Daichi and Yuki, who had remained at level 2, the massive influx of XP triggered a rapid series of mental notifications.
Daichi, regaining consciousness amidst the chaos, felt his mark pulse intensely.Level Up! Level 3 Reached!Level Up! Level 4 Reached!Level Up! Level 5 Reached!Skill Acquired: Minor SynthesisMinor Synthesis: Allows combining simple found materials to create basic items (e.g., smoke bombs, rudimentary poultices, mild irritants). Quality and success depend on his mental state (SPR).He looked at his hand, stunned, fear momentarily repced by astonishment. A creation skill? Him?
Yuki, meanwhile, received the same level notifications, culminating with:Level Up! Level 5 Reached!Skill Acquired: Weakening CurseWeakening Curse: Temporarily reduces a statistic (e.g., STR or AGI) of an enemy target.Her expression remained perfectly neutral, as if these rapid level-ups and the acquisition of a new dark skill were unimportant.
A dead silence fell upon the room, broken only by Goro's groans and Misaki's sobs. They had won. They had defeated the first floor's boss. The entire group, except for the mutited Goro, had reached level 5.
The relief was an immense wave, so powerful it nearly knocked them off their feet. Kenta let out a hoarse cry, half triumph, half exhaustion, before leaning on his sword, panting. Haru leaned against a wall, closing his eyes for a moment. Aiko and Junichi lowered their weapons, their shoulders slumping under the weight of the released tension.
But the relief was short-lived, immediately repced by harsh reality. Their gazes converged on Goro, lying in a growing pool of blood. Misaki was still crying but desperately trying to use her 'Light Heal' on the gaping wound. A faint green glow emanated from her hands, seeming to slightly slow the bleeding and ease Goro's pain, but the skill was clearly insufficient to close such a mutition.“It’s... it’s not enough!”She sobbed.“He’s losing too much blood!”
“Kenta! Haru! Tear strips of cloth from your clothes! We need a tourniquet, quick!”Junichi ordered, regaining control despite the shock. He knelt beside Goro, ignoring the throbbing pain in his own leg injured by the monkey.“Goro, hang in there! We’ll stop it!”He applied direct pressure to the artery while Kenta and Haru complied, their hands trembling.
Renji, also exhausted, forced himself to remain lucid. His gaze shifted from the gruesome scene around Goro to Yuki. The girl had withdrawn to the side as soon as the boss was defeated, her expression back to perfectly neutral. She stared at the floor, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
That look...Renji thought, the memory of the interaction striking him again.It wasn't a coincidence. She did something. Something that terrified that monster. What is she hiding? And why?He made a mental note to keep an even closer eye on the silent Warlock. Her secrets could be as dangerous as the monsters of the Abyss.
Meanwhile, Aiko had approached the spot where the boss had dissipated.“Look! The loot!”She picked up the two items. The first was a simple ring, made of a dark, cold metal, with a small bck gem embedded that seemed to absorb light. The second was a crystal pulsing with faint dark energy, warm to the touch.“A ring... and some kind of essence?”
Junichi briefly looked up from the tourniquet he was tightening on Goro's stump.“Keep them, Aiko. We pool them for now. We'll figure out what they do or who needs them most ter. Goro is the priority.”Aiko nodded and carefully pocketed the items. Immediate survival took precedence over loot distribution.
