The cave had gone silent.
Dust slowly settled in the air as the last of the Stoneclaw Trolls collapsed to the ground. Their massive bodies lay scattered across the battlefield, cracks still glowing faintly from the damage of shadow burns.
Aariz stood still in the center.
Breathing steady.
Eyes calm.
"Finally," he muttered.
Replica responded immediately.
"All minor enemies eliminated."
Aariz wiped a bit of dust from his sleeve.
"Then only one thing is left."
His gaze shifted forward.
At the end of the cave—
A massive stone door stood silently.
The Boss Room.
Before moving, Aariz turned around.
"First…"
He walked toward the fallen monsters.
"Let's collect everything."
One by one, he extracted the glowing mana stones from the corpses.
Blue.
Green.
Some slightly brighter than others.
Each one pulsed faintly with energy.
"Not bad for a C-Rank gate," Aariz said.
Replica confirmed:
"Estimated total value: High."
Aariz opened his system interface.
A dark void-like storage appeared.
"The vault."
He dropped the stones in one by one.
Each disappeared into the system space.
"Done."
He stood up and looked toward the stone door again.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"No distractions now."
He walked forward.
The moment he pushed the door—
It opened slowly with a deep grinding sound.
Inside—
A massive chamber revealed itself.
The air felt heavier.
Denser.
Then—
A loud, deep breath echoed.
Aariz stepped inside.
The door closed behind him.
And then he saw it.
A giant troll.
But this one…
Was different.
Much larger.
Nearly four meters tall.
Its body was thicker, harder—completely covered in dense stone armor.
Its chest slightly hunched forward.
As if—
Protecting something.
Replica spoke.
"Boss confirmed. Variant: Stoneclaw Titan."
The troll opened its glowing eyes.
Then roared.
The entire cave shook.
Aariz didn't react emotionally.
He stepped forward calmly.
"Let's finish this."
He moved first.
Fast.
He dashed forward and jumped high.
His sword swung downward with full force—
CLANG!
The sound echoed sharply.
Aariz landed and slid back slightly.
His eyes narrowed.
"No damage…"
Not even a scratch.
The troll slowly turned its head toward him.
Then swung its massive arm.
Aariz jumped back just in time.
The ground shattered where he had stood.
He attacked again.
Left slash.
Right slash.
Thrust.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Nothing.
His blade couldn't pierce its armor.
"Tch."
Aariz clicked his tongue.
"This is annoying."
The troll roared and charged.
Aariz dodged sideways.
Its massive body crashed into the wall, shaking the cave.
He attacked again—
Still nothing.
No damage.
No opening.
No weakness visible.
For the first time—
The fight stalled.
Replica spoke calmly.
"Observe carefully."
Aariz paused.
His eyes sharpened.
He stopped attacking.
Instead—
He watched.
The troll stood upright again.
But its arms—
Were positioned slightly inward.
Guarding its chest.
Replica continued:
"He is protecting a specific area."
Aariz's gaze focused.
"…Chest."
Replica added:
"Probability: Weak point located there."
Aariz glanced slightly upward.
"Why are you telling me like this?"
His voice was calm but slightly annoyed.
"Don't you already know everything?"
Replica paused.
"…Well."
Aariz narrowed his eyes.
"Well what?"
Replica didn't answer clearly.
"…Continue the fight."
Aariz exhaled slightly.
"Whatever."
He stepped forward again.
"Let's end this."
This time—
He didn't attack blindly.
He ran directly toward the front.
The troll roared and raised its arms.
Aariz activated—
"Dark Slash."
A massive shadow wave shot forward.
The troll reacted instantly.
It crossed its arms—
And blocked it.
Perfectly.
Shadow energy exploded across its defense.
Dust filled the air.
But—
That was exactly what Aariz wanted.
Before the dust settled—
He moved.
Faster than before.
He dashed straight through the fading smoke.
The troll's vision was blocked for just a moment.
Enough.
Aariz slipped past its guard—
And thrust his blade forward.
Directly into its chest.
CRACK.
Something broke.
Not armor.
Something inside.
The troll let out a massive roar of pain.
Aariz's eyes widened slightly.
Inside the cracked chest—
A glowing crystal appeared.
Bright green.
Pulsating.
Replica confirmed:
"That is the core."
Aariz smirked faintly.
"Found it."
He jumped back instantly.
The troll went berserk.
It slammed both fists into the ground.
Shockwaves exploded outward.
Aariz barely dodged.
"That thing is angry now."
Replica replied:
"Expected behavior."
The fight changed.
The troll was faster now.
More aggressive.
It swung wildly.
Aariz dodged, stepped, moved—
Precise.
Efficient.
He analyzed every movement.
Then—
He repeated the strategy.
Front attack.
"Dark Slash!"
The troll blocked again.
Just like before.
Aariz moved through the smoke again—
But this time—
The troll anticipated it.
Its massive arm swung instantly.
Aariz raised his sword to block—
CRACK.
The blade shattered.
Time slowed.
Aariz stared at the broken weapon in his hand.
"…F*ck."
He jumped back quickly.
The troll roared again, stepping forward.
Aariz looked at his empty hand.
"No weapon…"
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Replica spoke.
"Fool."
Aariz frowned slightly.
"…What?"
"You still have your hands."
Aariz blinked once.
Then—
"…Oh."
A brief pause.
"I forgot."
Replica's tone turned slightly sarcastic.
"Is that really the thing you forgot?"
Aariz said nothing.
He simply looked at the monster.
Then—
He ran forward.
Replica continued:
"Hey. Don't ignore me."
No response.
Aariz moved faster.
The troll attacked again.
Aariz dodged under its arm.
No weapon.
No defense.
Just movement.
He jumped.
Straight toward the troll's chest.
The troll tried to grab him—
Too slow.
Aariz reached the cracked opening.
He didn't hesitate.
He plunged his hand inside.
Directly toward the glowing crystal.
The heat.
The pressure.
The energy—
It burned his skin.
But he didn't stop.
His fingers wrapped around the core.
The troll let out a deafening scream.
Its entire body shook violently.
Aariz tightened his grip.
Replica warned:
"High energy reaction detected."
Aariz replied coldly—
"Shut up."
Then—
He pulled.
CRACK.
The crystal tore free.
For a split second—
Everything went silent.
Then—
The troll froze.
Its body stopped moving.
Its glowing eyes dimmed.
And then—
It collapsed.
Slowly.
Heavily.
Like a mountain falling.
Aariz landed on the ground, still holding the crystal in his hand.
Breathing slightly heavier now.
His hand was burned.
But his face—
Calm.
Cold.
Unshaken.
Replica spoke quietly.
"Boss defeated."
System messages appeared rapidly.
[Boss Cleared][Massive Experience Gained][Level Up][Level Up]
Aariz looked at the glowing core in his hand.
"…So this was the weak point."
Replica responded:
"Yes."
Aariz crushed the crystal slightly.
"Good."
He turned toward the exit.
"This gate is done."
He began walking out slowly.
Behind him—
The massive body of the Stoneclaw Titan turned to dust.
As Aariz exited the gate—
The sunlight hit his face.
He adjusted his hoodie slightly.
His hand still slightly burned.
But his eyes—
Sharper than ever.
"Level 50…" he murmured.
"Just wait."
Because now—
He wasn't just getting stronger to survive.
He had a goal.
A reason.
A promise.
And nothing—
Would stop him