As soon as he increased his toughness, Zenis decided to test the technique on the first two monsters that appeared in front of him. The fact that the creatures charged at him made things easy.

  Zenis felt the power accumulating, and when he let it explode, the Spear pierced the head of the first target with ease. Still, changing the direction of the attack to hit the other had been rough. The second attack only passed by the side of the second monster’s face and just scratched it. Fortunately, he didn’t have to move that much to adjust the final hit and kill the beast.

  (You obtained 50 experience points.)

  (You obtained 50 experience points.)

  (You created the skill Lethal Charged Strike.)

  (Lethal Charged Strike: A simple but powerful technique that can let you cause insane amounts of damage instantly with three lightning fast strikes. Each level increases the power of each hit by five percent.)

  Zenis was a bit taken aback by what he saw–his palms were stained a vibrant shade of red. It was a vivid reminder of the effort they had put into the technique. His fingers trembled slightly from the intense exertion, and tiny beads of sweat added to the sight. The warmth left from the battle still lingered…

  Zenis couldn’t help but feel proud of his red hands, as it symbolized his determination and hard work. With confidence, he was prepared to face any future obstacles on his martial journey.

  “This much I can endure, so it is fine,” Zenis thought after he closed his hands. “So, this is how is to be a mortal again… interesting.”

  After using the technique in the next fight, Zenis confirmed that the skills that he used would receive half of the experience that he had obtained, so Lethal Charged Strike soon would become a lot stronger. It looked like Zenis could ignore his strength for a while and focus on the other parameters. Increasing his Toughness with five more points will make him able to use the skill without any issue and after that, he was planning to increase his ways of attacking with the spear.

  Before that could happen, though, Zenis saw a large chamber ahead… It seemed that he reached the bottom of the dungeon after just two hours.

  “It should be about time for those two to wake up… they will have one hour to go to the village and gather some help,” Zenis thought. “Meaning, I have half an hour to deal with whatever is beyond here and then more than half an hour to with all my might.”

  That should be enough time… a dungeon of that level shouldn’t have a very powerful guardian beast or boss. Zenis felt that eating some parts of the creature might also help him get stronger, but since his knowledge had been sealed, that was only his instinct telling him that.

  In the heart of the dungeon, a round boss chamber awaited him, bathed in the glow of torchlight. The flickering flames illuminated the stone walls, revealing a fearsome sight. There stood a giant horned rabbit, larger and more powerful than any ordinary monster that Zenis faced there. Its once-cute appearance had transformed into something menacing. Coarse, patchy fur covered its muscular body while curved horns protruded from its head, giving it a menacing look.

  The boss’ eyes burned with a crimson hue, displaying eerie intelligence. Its elongated ears twitched, capturing every sound. Long, sharp claws extended from its paws, ready to strike. Jagged teeth formed a menacing grin, showing its deadly capabilities. The mutant horned rabbit was a creature born of experimentation, a reminder of the dangers that lurked within the dungeon.

  In the chamber’s torchlight, the creature appeared both terrifying and tragic, a formidable challenge for those brave enough to face it.

  Zenis was a bit surprised to see a boss like that and he got even more surprised when the creature suddenly opened its mouth and fired some acid spheres. It seemed like a mix of magic and gastric juice. Either way, Zenis jumped to the side and avoided the projectile, only to see the part of the wall that was hit by it melting for a few seconds.

  “That will hurt if I get hit by it. If I get hit, that is, it,” Zenis thought and then lowered his stance while pointing his spear at the monster.

  The monster ignored the challenge and began to fire more acid spheres toward Zenis, but soon he dashed to the side and began to circle around the beast. The monster kept using the barrage of acid spheres at him, and eventually, they started to get closer.

  When the last attack almost hit him, Zenis jumped and then threw his spear at the creature. The beast grunted in pain when the weapon pierced the fur in its face and it groaned in pain when Zenis kicked the butt of the weapon and made the wound deeper.

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  Zenis almost followed it with a kick, but he realized that he couldn’t do it… it was a bit disheartening, but he didn’t mind it for long. He just pulled his spear while moving it to the side and making the beast flinch in pain. Even in that situation, the beast swung its claws at Zenis and while he blocked them, the attack pushed him backward and the eyes of the beast glinted… it found another way of dealing with Zenis.

  Zenis jumped backward and frowned while looking at the beast. It was smart enough to enjoy itself, and even to realize some things in the middle of the battle, but not smart enough to understand that Zenis wasn’t someone that easy to deal with.

  “I feel offended that you are seeing me like this,” Zenis furrowed his eyebrows.

  The boss let out a fierce roar and charged at Zenis with claws outstretched. Zenis stood his ground, gripping his spear tightly. With swift movements, he blocked each attack with his spear, deflecting the claws with precision. The clash of metal against claws echoed in the chamber as Zenis defended himself. Despite the boss’s relentless assault, Zenis remained focused and resolute, using his skill to fend off the onslaught.

  Still, the beast was heavier and probably had more strength as well, so Zenis was pushed backward with relative ease. Despite the situation, he just studied the monster’s moves with calm eyes.

  When the beast ran out of patience and raised its frontal legs to attack with a big one, Zenis swung his spear from one side to the other and hit the back legs of the beast and made them bleed. The monster grunted in pain while blood gushed from the wound, but still attacked Zenis, who rolled on the ground and avoided the direct hit.

  Zenis soon got up and saw the monster firing acid spheres again. He imagined that the monster would do that since its legs were wounded and that would decrease its mobility. Still, he avoided them all, since the monster also had a hard time turning around.

  When the beast forced itself to move, more blood poured from the wounds in its legs and then flinched. With astonishing agility, Zenis leaped into the air, spear in hand. His body contorted like a whip, generating tremendous force. He unleashed the spear, propelling it towards the boss with remarkable speed. The weapon struck its target with a resounding impact, momentarily halting the boss’s movements.

  Before the monster could recover, Zenis landed and approached the beast and grabbed his spear before using Lethal Charged Strike on the wound on the face of the beast. The assault stopped the beast moving for good.

  (You obtained 4000 experience points)

  (Level Up! You obtained five status points.)

  (Level Up! You obtained five status points.)

  The boss fell on the ground lifeless, and then Zenis recovered his spear. He wondered why the creature gave him so much experience when it wasn’t that strong. Zenis looked around for anything else in the dungeon, like a core or something, but he didn’t find a single thing. The dungeon was simpler than he thought.

  “Well, let’s see what this creature has that it is so special,” Zenis thought and then began to dismantle the body of the monster.

  The fight didn’t even last five minutes, but dismantling the monster took the good part of one hour. Still, at least Zenis was able to separate everything, and then he began to smell the parts.

  “The insides are useless since they came in contact with the acid that this thing produces, but the bones smell like magic power. The monster’s claws were born from the bones and they were tougher,” Zenis thought. “I can make a good soup out of them that should help with fatigue and improve my training. The meat isn’t any special, nor the fur, not the claws, but there is a lot of magic power in the heart. This thing doesn’t look like it was producing the monsters, so I wonder why its hearts feels like a magic core.”

  Zenis’ instincts told him that the magic core was supposed to be the essence of the creature’s magical prowess, containing potent energies that can be harnessed for various purposes. It is highly sought after by magic users, alchemists, and adventurers, as it can be used to create powerful spells, enchantments, or magical artifacts.

  Extracting a magic core from a monster requires skill and caution, as it is often protected by the creature’s formidable defenses. Once obtained, the magic core can be utilized in various ways, such as absorbing its energy for personal use, studying it to unlock arcane knowledge, or infusing it into objects to imbue them with magical properties. He couldn’t quite recall or feel that a heart was supposed to be the core. Regardless, he decided to eat it.

  Its taste was foreign and unsettling. Almost immediately, a wave of discomfort washed over him. His face contorted, revealing a mixture of surprise and agony. The piece of flesh seemed to resist digestion, causing his stomach to churn with unease.

  As moments passed, Zenis felt a surge of intense pain coursing through his body. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he clutched his abdomen, the discomfort escalating. The boss’ hear seemed to possess an otherworldly nature, and its influence on Zenis was evident.

  His movements became sluggish, as if a heavy weight had been placed upon his limbs. Breathing became labored, each inhale bringing with it a sharp twinge of pain. The once confident and composed Zenis now appeared vulnerable, overcome by the adverse effects of the consumed flesh.

  Visions of the boss’s power and ferocity flashed through Zenis’s mind, further unsettling his already weakened state. His muscles trembled, and his grip on his spear loosened. It felt as though the boss’s essence was seeping into his very being, challenging his endurance and mental fortitude… but he passed out.