Lucian swayed, vision flickering at the edges.
His legs felt like dead weight, refusing to move properly.
Each breath clawed at his lungs, shallow and ragged.
Pain rippled through his body, a brutal reminder of just how close he had come to dying.
But he had no time to rest.
A heavy pressure hung in the air, thick like a storm about to break.
The cavern walls trembled, loose dust and debris raining down from above.
Something massive was coming.
Something far worse than the Abyssal Lurker.
Lucian's heart pounded violently in his chest.
"Not again…"
His grip tightened on the hilt of his Abyssal Fang Blade, knuckles turning white.
He hadn't even fully processed his last victory, and now he was about to be thrown into another fight.
Before he could even think about fighting, his gaze flicked downward.
Potions.
Materials.
Scattered across the stone floor.
Lucian gritted his teeth.
"Crap. I can't just leave this stuff behind."
He dropped into a crouch, hastily grabbing everything he could.
A dark, polished core pulsated in his palm—the Abyssal Lurker's monster core.
A set of jet-black ingots, still flickering with abyssal energy.
Potions—some faintly glowing, some swirling with darker, thicker liquid.
His arms quickly filled up, his fingers barely able to hold everything.
Then it hit him.
"Where the hell am I supposed to put all of this? My pockets?!"
His eyes darted around the cavern.
No bags. No satchels. No place to store anything.
Then—his mind clicked.
[Spatial Inventory (EX) – Grants access to a personal storage space outside of physical reality.]
Lucian froze for a second.
Right.
He had a storage ability.
He had literally forgotten he had an entire pocket dimension.
"Oh. Right."
With a deep breath, Lucian focused his mind.
Something stirred.
A sensation tugged at his consciousness, like a hidden door finally being unlocked.
And then—
A silent pressure built around him, like the air itself was being pulled toward a hidden void.
Then—reality twisted.
A tear split open before him, shadows swirling hungrily inside, devouring the light at its edges.
Lucian's breath hitched.
This wasn't just storage—it was something else entirely.
"Holy shit."
Hesitantly, he placed one of the shadow-steel ingots inside.
The moment it touched the void—
It vanished.
Lucian jerked back instinctively, watching as the rift remained open, waiting.
No weight. No resistance. No delay.
It was instantaneous.
He quickly tested it with another item, then another.
Each one disappeared into the abyssal storage, yet he could still feel them inside—like distant echoes waiting to be retrieved.
"This… is actually amazing."
His lips curled into a slight grin, excitement pushing past his exhaustion.
He hurriedly stored everything, the rift swallowing his loot effortlessly.
Finally—he had nothing left to carry.
With a mere thought, the void sealed itself shut, vanishing as if it had never existed.
Just in time.
A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the cavern.
The very ground beneath his feet trembled, small pebbles rolling across the stone.
Lucian's heart skipped a beat.
Whatever was coming—it was close.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to push past the pain, the exhaustion, the burning ache in his muscles.
He still wasn't fully recovered.
He needed something—anything—to give him an edge.
Lucian yanked a vial from his belt—one of the few things he hadn't stored.
A small, glass container, filled with a glowing blue liquid.
The Greater Stamina Potion.
Without hesitation, he popped the cork and downed it.
The moment the liquid hit his tongue—
His entire body jolted.
A sharp, electric-like rush of energy surged through his veins.
Lucian's face twisted.
"Ugh—this tastes like—"
He smacked his lips, grimacing at the weirdly familiar aftertaste.
Then—his eyes narrowed in realization.
"Wait… this is just Big Bull Energy, isn't it?!"
Lucian groaned. "I swear, this System is trolling me."
The effects hit immediately.
His breathing steadied, his fatigue lightened.
His stamina was back to full.
But—his body was still a wreck.
The cuts, the bruises, the deeper aches of battle—they were all still there.
"Alright…"
He rolled his shoulders, adjusting his grip on the Abyssal Fang Blade.
The weapon felt lighter in his hand now, as if it had been waiting for him to fully grasp its potential.
Another deep rumble.
The cavern walls shook.
The presence beyond them grew stronger, heavier, suffocating.
Lucian's pulse quickened.
He had come a long way. His skills, his power—it was different now.
Stronger. But was it enough?
"Let's do this."
———————————
Then—
The cavern quaked as a monstrous roar tore through the darkness.
The sheer force of it punched the air from his lungs.
The sheer weight of the roar pressed against his chest, making his ribs feel like they were about to crack under pressure.
Something moved in the shadows.
Something massive.
From the depths of the cavern, a shape began to take form.
The first thing Lucian saw were its eyes.
A pair of glowing crimson slits, burning through the darkness like embers in a void.
Then, the rest of its body emerged.
"...Holy hell."
The creature was colossal.
Easily three times the size of the Abyssal Lurker, its form loomed over Lucian like a living nightmare.
Thick obsidian-black armor plated its entire body, each section layered and jagged, forming a natural fortress of bone and shadow.
Spiked protrusions jutted out from its back and shoulders, pulsating with a faint, eerie glow.
A long, serpentine tail lashed behind it, slamming into the cavern floor—deep cracks spiderwebbed outward.
Its massive claws scraped against the ground, leaving behind deep grooves in the stone.
The air around it shimmered with a dark, malevolent energy.
This was no ordinary A-Rank monster.
This was an apex predator.
A tyrant among its own kind.
Lucian's legs stiffened involuntarily.
A feeling of primal terror clawed at his spine.
Then—
[Ding!] Monster Identified – Abyssal Tyrant (Rank A, Level 450)
Name: Abyssal Tyrant
Rank: A
Level: 450
[Stats:]
Strength: 12,000
Agility: 9,000
Endurance: 13,000
Magic Power: 14,000
Intelligence: 11,000
Dexterity: 10,500
Perception: 12,000
[Skills:]
[Tyrant's Dominance] – Exerts an aura of absolute authority, intimidating weaker creatures and reducing their combat effectiveness.
[Abyssal Fortitude] – Its body is nearly impervious to conventional attacks, reducing damage from both physical and magical sources.
[Darkened Regeneration] – Slowly regenerates wounds by absorbing ambient abyssal energy, making it difficult to wear down.
[Crushing Quake] – Every movement generates seismic tremors, destabilizing terrain and throwing off enemy balance.
[Predator's Instinct] – Enhances reaction speed and precision, allowing it to counter incoming attacks with lethal efficiency.
"Twelve thousand strength?!" Lucian's stomach clenched. That wasn't just stronger—it was absurd.
"I mean… yeah, it's over 9000, but what the hell is this?!"
Any sense of amusement died instantly as he stared at the stats again. His blood ran cold.
At this point, why not just call it a f**ing raid boss?
His eyes darted to his own status screen, still lingering in the corner of his vision.
Lucian Rengoku – Level 156 (C-Rank)
He swallowed hard.
The Abyssal Lurker had been just over Level 400.
And this?
Nearly 50 levels higher.
Lucian clenched his teeth, trying to rationalize the overwhelming gap.
"The Lurker was barely past 400! How is this thing so much stronger when they're the same rank?!"
And then—the realization hit him.
Ranks weren't equalizers.
Being A-Rank wasn't a fixed power level.
Some A-Ranks were weakest of their tier, scraping by at the bottom.
Others were monsters at the top of the food chain.
And this—
This was one of them.
A creature that ruled over lesser A-Ranks.
"This is what it means to be an apex predator…"
His hand trembled slightly around his sword.
This wasn't just a step above the Abyssal Lurker.
This was a different class entirely.
I barely survived the last fight… and now I have to fight this?!
From the sidelines, Ignis Aureum watched with amusement.
The golden glow of his massive eyes flickered in the darkness.
Then, he chuckled.
"Good."
Lucian's head snapped toward him.
"Good?!"
Ignis's expression remained calm, almost entertained.
"Now, fight."
Lucian's stomach twisted.
"Wait—what? No training? No strategy? You're just throwing me at this thing?!"
Ignis smirked.
"A predator does not hesitate. Either you learn… or you die."
Lucian cursed under his breath.
He didn't have time to argue.
Because at that moment—
—————
The Abyssal Tyrant lunged.
Lucian lunged, his blade a blur—
Now!
The Abyssal Fang Blade bit into the monster's obsidian armor, carving a jagged crack through its thick hide.
Dark ichor spilled, hissing as it touched the cavern floor. A solid hit—but not deep enough.
Then he saw it.
The Tyrant barely reacted.
Its crimson eyes snapped toward him, unblinking. Unimpressed.
Shit. That should've slowed it down.
Lucian barely had time to process before—
A claw blurred through the air. Too fast.
Instinct screamed. He twisted—
His blade lashed out in a desperate arc, intercepting the oncoming strike. Block it—!
Metal met raw force, a deafening clang reverberating through the cavern. The impact jolted up his arms, nearly rattling the sword from his grip.
Damn thing hits like a runaway war beast…!
But he held his ground.
Not stopping there, he pivoted low, sliding under the Tyrant's reach and slashing at its exposed flank.
The Abyssal Fang Blade bit deep, carving a second wound along its side.
A guttural snarl rumbled from the monster's throat.
That got its attention.
It moved—fast. Too fast.
Lucian barely disengaged before the Tyrant's other claw hammered down, missing him by inches and shattering the stone floor.
Boom!
The force sent cracks spiraling through the cavern walls. If that had hit—
Focus. No hesitation.
The shockwave rippled through his bones, but he gritted his teeth, rolling to the side.
He couldn't let up.
With a sharp breath, he tightened his grip on his sword and surged forward, twisting his body mid-strike. His blade tore through the air, aiming for the Tyrant's knee.
A clean hit here could slow it down. Maybe even cripple it—
But the monster reacted.
It raised its leg, avoiding the full brunt of the attack. Lucian's blade still grazed its knee joint, drawing another spill of dark ichor, but—
Not enough!
The Tyrant retaliated—a savage backhand.
Lucian braced, crossing his sword in front of him.
Here it comes—
The force slammed into him like a battering ram, sending a jolt of pain through his arms as he was hurled backward.
His vision tilted, the world spinning in a chaotic blur of stone and shadows.
No control—! Shit—!
His back hit rock. Hard. Pain exploded through his ribs.
Lucian gasped, his breath ragged. He staggered, pressing a hand to his side.
Pain flared—sharp, deep, but not fatal.
He had felt worse.
He could still move.
He had to move.
But the Abyssal Tyrant was already closing in.