Reincarnation of the magicless Pinoy
From Zero to Hero " No Magic?,No Problem!"
Encounter 31 : Fight like a Boss
When his vision cleared, the cavern had changed. The flames from his last shot still licked the walls, but the air felt heavier—like each breath pressed molten iron into his lungs. The ground itself groaned, runes hidden in the stone flaring red as the towering beast stepped into view.
Chains dragged behind it, sparking as they scraped the rock. Each link was thicker than a man's torso, wrapped tight around its limbs, chest, and neck, their ends glowing like molten iron. Yet with every step, the chains strained and cracked, fragments snapping loose as if the monster's mere presence rejected its bindings.
The system's cold voice rang in his skull:
[Warning: Dungeon Boss – Chainbreaker, The Shackled Warden]
[Effect: Mana Suppression Field. All mana weapons weakened by 60%.]
Rolien froze. His grip on the airgun tightened. "…Tch. That's cute."
The monster roared, and the sound alone shattered the nearest pillars, boulders raining into the pit. Its claws slammed the floor, shockwaves splintering stone.
Rolien's teeth ground together. His spirit energy surged in answer, veins on his arms glowing faintly. The runes of his Hollowveilforge etched into his flesh burned with power, bracing his body against the quake. He raised the airgun, chambering a round.
BOOM! A firestone round screamed into the beast's side, detonating in a fiery burst.
The result was pitiful. The flames fizzled against the chains, the links absorbing the heat until they glowed brighter, like the monster was feeding off the blast.
System notification: notice! Elemental stone bullet that powered by mana won't work at the enemy.
Rolien cursed. "well, it's worth a try."
The beast lunged, chains snapping outward like whips. He twisted aside, spirit energy flaring in his legs as he dashed across the collapsing stone bridge. One chain tore a groove where his head had been; another came low, sweeping his feet. Rolien planted his spirit-charged arm, springing off the ground, flipping over the strike.
He landed hard, his boots cracking the stone, but his grin was sharp. "Fine then… I'll use my arms to tear your damn bindings apart."
The airgun dropped back into his left hand while his right arm swelled with Hollowveilforge energy, bone and spirit melding, veins glowing as the weaponized gauntlet of flesh took shape.
The Chainbreaker moved again, faster this time, its bound arm crashing down like a hammer. Rolien met it head-on. His Hollowveilforge arm caught the blow, sparks and blood spraying as spirit energy roared through his veins. His muscles screamed, bones creaked—but the strike held.
"Not so tough up close, huh?" Rolien snarled. With a violent twist, he redirected the beast's claw, smashing its arm into the cavern wall.
The chains clattered loose for a heartbeat—enough for Rolien to jam the airgun point-blank at the shackle and pull the trigger.
BOOM!
The shot exploded with sparks and lightning, melting through the link. One chain snapped.
The Chainbreaker howled, staggering back. But instead of weakening, its aura surged—lava split the ground beneath it as though the mountain itself answered the monster's freedom.
Rolien spat grit, glaring up at it. "…Of course breaking the chains makes you stronger." He shook blood from his arm, chambering another shot. "Figures they named you right."
Another warning flashed in his vision:
[Objective Updated: Defeat or Escape Chainbreaker.]
[Warning: Dungeon Collapse Timer – 04:12 Remaining.]
Rolien smirked through the sweat dripping down his face. "Four minutes, huh? Then I'll crush you in three."
The Hollowveilforge arm flexed, spirit energy raging like a storm in his veins. His airgun's chamber hissed, sparks crawling along the barrel despite the suppression field.
The monster tore free a second chain, molten power rising from its body like a furnace.
Rolien charged to meet it, lightning cracking from his weapon, spirit energy bursting from his flesh like a second skin.
The cavern quaked as the Chainbreaker thrashed, its molten body tearing at the restraints. Every roar shook the hidden mountain chamber, scattering dust and rock from the ceiling.
Rolien's Hollowveilforge arm glowed crimson, spirit energy crackling through him like molten veins. The countdown seared into his mind:
[03:58]
He raised his voice over the chaos. "Hawks! No flashy mana tricks—the bastard feeds on it! Use grit, steel, and timing. I'll punch through its core, you keep it pinned!"
Tessa, the Hawks' sharp-eyed leader, snapped her twin blades together and spun them once. "You heard him! We move!"
The beast's tail lashed forward.
"Brag!" Rolien barked.
The towering tank was already in motion, shield braced, greatsword strapped across his back. He slammed the massive shield into the tail, absorbing the bone-crunching impact with a grunt. "Got your cover, Captain!"
"Tessa—slice its legs, force it to shift!"
The dual-blade fighter darted in, her movements sharp and economical. Sparks flew as her curved blades slashed at the monster's ankles, each strike carving shallow cuts that made the Chainbreaker lurch in pain and fury.
"Ren—pin its vision!"
The archer loosed a volley in rapid succession, each arrow clanging off scales or biting into the beast's softer joints. His aim was merciless, each shot guiding the monster's eyes away from Rolien's approach.
"Pete, stay back!" Solis, the grizzled old wizard, growled. "You'll only fuel it!"
The fifteen-year-old rookie clenched his teeth, staff shaking in his grip. "I—I can still help!" He fired a weak burst of force magic, not enough to power the beast, just enough to push rubble away from Brag's path.
"That'll do, boy," Solis muttered, stepping up beside him. His old hands trembled, but his voice was steady. He raised his staff and called out a controlled spell—not raw mana, but a binding weave of stone and gravity, tightening around the creature's forelimb. "Focus, not power. Bind the joints!"
The beast bellowed, tearing against the spell, but the momentary pause was all Rolien needed.
He surged forward, Hollowveilforge arm blazing. Spirit energy—not mana—poured into his muscles. His airgun thundered once, the recoil jolting up his arm.
BOOM!
The round smashed into one of the chains binding the monster, shattering it in an eruption of sparks and molten fragments.
[03:22]
"Ren, keep it off me!" Rolien shouted.
Ren fired a brutal quick-shot, arrow slamming into the creature's eyelid. It howled, staggering.
Tessa darted in low, blades flashing, carving deep lines into the exposed flesh. "Open's clear, Rolien!"
"Brag, drive it down!"
The shieldbearer roared, slamming his shield against the Chainbreaker's shin, forcing its leg to buckle. The cavern boomed with the impact.
Rolien's spirit flared brighter, his body wrapped in crimson streaks of energy. He drew back his Hollowveilforge arm, stance tightening.
"Fang Rend!"
The strike tore open the beast's arm, molten blood spraying.
He spun, chaining the attack into another.
"Dragon Fang Reversal!"
He hooked the wounded limb, twisted with spirit-fueled force, and flung the creature's bulk into the cavern wall. The chains strained, cracking under the monstrous pull.
"Pete, NOW!" Rolien barked.
The rookie yelped, flinging a small fire-charged orb into the half-shattered shackle. It exploded, heat blasting across the metal. Brag charged with a thunderous roar, greatsword swung overhead—
CRACK!
The chain snapped.
The beast collapsed, one knee digging into the ground.
[02:40]
The cavern rumbled. Magma veins split across the stone floor.
Solis's voice rang, urgent. "The mountain won't hold! Captain—we finish this now!"
Rolien's Hollowveilforge arm burned white-hot. Spirit energy coiled around him like a storm. His voice cut through the chaos:
"Hawks! Hold it down! I'll break the rest!"
Tessa slashed, Ren rained arrows, Brag braced with his shield, Pete hurled small bursts to stagger it, Solis tightened the binds—
Rolien charged. Spirit energy thundered in his veins.
The Chainbreaker reared up, firestorm surging—
And Rolien leapt, fangs of spirit burning through the dark as the final clash began.
The cavern shook like a beast's ribcage, molten cracks spidering across the walls as the Chainbreaker writhed against the chains that still held. Its molten breath turned the air into a furnace, every roar threatening to bring the mountain down on top of them.
Rolien slid his airgun into its holster, the barrel still smoking. He exhaled once, slow and deliberate, then reached behind his shoulder.
Shhhk!
The katana's black-forged sheath rang as he drew the blade. The steel gleamed faintly—not with mana, but with the raw pulse of spirit energy. Crimson veins crawled along its edge, alive, hungry.
He whispered, almost reverent. "Time to bite."
His Hollowveilforge arm crackled, and the spirit flow surged. Not just into his weapon—but into every tendon, every muscle, every nerve. His body tensed, veins glowing faintly under his skin.
Hollowveilforce: Release.
The air around him warped, the spirit pressure spilling out in waves. The Hawks faltered for a breath at the sheer weight of it—Rolien's very presence had sharpened into something primal, feral, unrelenting.
"Captain's serious now," Brag muttered, bracing his shield tighter.
"Then we move with him," Tessa snapped, blades spinning into ready stance. "Ren! Blind it! Brag, lock its path! Pete, small bursts—don't overcharge! Solis, pin the arm again!"
"Understood!" they all barked back.
Ren's arrow whistled, sinking deep into the Chainbreaker's eye ridge. The monster howled, snapping its head away. Tessa dashed low, carving twin slices across the other leg to throw its balance. Brag charged the moment it buckled, shield slamming into molten scales with the sound of thunder, forcing the beast down another step.
Pete hurled a timed burst of concussive force at the broken shackle, jarring the creature's stance even more. "Got it, Captain!" he shouted, sweat pouring down his boyish face.
Solis's voice cracked like a whip as he slammed his staff into the earth. "Stone-bind—tighten!" Jagged pillars erupted, gripping the Chainbreaker's arm for precious seconds.
Rolien was already moving. His body blurred—a streak of crimson spirit light. His katana sang through the cavern air, faster, sharper, heavier than steel should allow.
He was no longer just attacking—he was flowing.
The first strike came down in a vertical arc, spirit energy exploding as it cleaved across the monster's collar.
"Dragon Fang Rebellion: Fang Rend!"
The katana bit deep, molten blood spraying. The beast shrieked.
Rolien twisted, letting Hollowveilforce coil through his legs. He vanished in a blur, reappearing at its flank.
"Dragon Fang Rebellion: Severing Maw!"
The blade carved a ruthless crescent, severing tendons and forcing the beast's massive limb to collapse under its own weight.
The Hawks followed instantly. Brag drove his shield into the falling limb, locking it down. Tessa darted atop his shield like a springboard, flipping high and slashing her twin blades across the Chainbreaker's face.
"Now, Captain!" she screamed.
Rolien surged higher, Hollowveilforce roaring in his veins. His katana blazed with crimson spirit, every swing heavier than the last, every motion faster, more precise.
"Dragon Fang Rebellion: Whirl Fang Break!"
He spun, katana cutting in a storm of overlapping arcs, tearing across the monster's exposed chest. The molten scales split, cracks of light spilling from within.
The Chainbreaker reeled, chains snapping one after the other.
[01:08]
"Rolien!" Solis shouted, voice ragged. "The core—strike the core now, or this mountain's finished!"
Rolien's feet hit the ground hard, knees bending, spirit energy seething from his Hollowveilforge arm into the katana until the blade burned like a crimson fang. His eyes narrowed, every sense sharpened by Hollowveilforce.
He leveled the blade forward, point toward the monster's pulsing chest where the core flickered faintly behind molten plates.
"Everyone—HOLD IT DOWN!"
The Hawks moved as one. Brag braced the shield at its leg, Ren's arrow pinned its other eye, Tessa slashed across its jaw to tilt its head back, Pete hurled one more blast to stagger it, and Solis's stone-bind clenched tighter than ever.
Rolien drew a long, steady breath. His spirit energy flared like wildfire, veins of light wrapping him in an aura of pure defiance.
His voice came like thunder in the cavern:
"Dragon Fang Rebellion—Twin Fang Annihilation!"
And with Hollowveilforce surging through him, Rolien dashed—faster than sound, katana gleaming—straight for the beast's heart.
Rolien had just drawn his katana, the polished blade humming faintly as spirit energy coursed along its edge. His stance sharpened, his Hollowveilforce flaring through his veins, heightening his reflexes and strength to superhuman levels. The Asher Hawks took the cue—Tessa pressed forward with her twin blades flashing, Brag held the line with his shield raised high, Ren loosed another arrow to cover the rear, while Solis and Pete cast volleys of flame and arcane bursts to keep the swarming drakes at bay.
The cavern trembled as the boss monster emerged from the shadows—a hulking wyrm-like creature with obsidian scales and a maw glowing like a forge, molten fire dripping between its jagged fangs. Its claws scraped against the stone, sparks flying with every step.
"Formation! Keep your distance—Ren, blind its eyes! Brag, wall the left flank! Tessa, with me!" Rolien barked, his tone commanding.
They moved instantly, the team flowing around his orders like water. But the monster was cunning. Instead of aiming at the veterans, its burning eyes locked on the youngest—Pete. The boy froze as the wyrm's claw reared back, a shadow blotting out the light above him.
"Pete, MOVE!" Tessa screamed, her voice cracking with panic.
The boy raised his trembling hands, a weak shield spell flickering to life—but it wouldn't hold. Not against that.
Time slowed for Rolien. His instincts screamed. He didn't think. He moved.
Spirit energy exploded from his core as he dashed forward, air cracking under the sheer force of his step. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Pete, katana crossed defensively against his body.
The wyrm's claw came down like a mountain.
BANG!
The impact slammed Rolien into the ground, stone shattering beneath his feet as his katana shrieked under the strain. Pete fell back, eyes wide, tears welling at the sight of Rolien taking the full brunt of the attack.
"R-Rolien!!"
Rolien gritted his teeth, blood spilling from his lip. His arms trembled, but his Hollowveilforce flared brighter, shrouding his body in a violent, swirling aura.
"I told you…" he growled, pushing the claw back an inch at a time, "…watch each other's backs."
The Asher Hawks regrouped instantly—Tessa slashed at the wyrm's wrist to free him, Brag shoved with his shield to push the claw away, Ren's arrow pierced into the beast's eye, and Solis unleashed a bolt of lightning that made its scales crackle with energy.
Rolien, still standing firm despite the tremor in his body, turned his head slightly toward Pete. His smirk was faint, but there.
"Don't waste your life being careless, kid. I'll take the hits you can't."
Pete's hands shook harder—not from fear this time, but from a burning resolve awakening inside him.
The wyrm roared, its molten breath washing heat across the cavern walls. Rolien barely had time to adjust his stance before the beast's tail whipped around like a steel cable.
WHAM!
The impact slammed into his side. His body flew, crashing against jagged stone. He coughed blood, ribs screaming in agony. The katana slipped from his grip, clattering against the ground.
"ROLIEEEEN!!" Tessa's voice broke, but she couldn't leave her position without dooming them all.
Rolien tried to push himself up—his arms trembled, Hollowveilforce flickering unsteady around him. His body hadn't fully recovered from tanking that first hit for Pete. The pain gnawed at him, his breath ragged. His vision blurred.
And then—darkness swelled in his mind.
Flashback.
"Cap? Captain, hey?! Sir, wake up, sir."
Rolien jolted awake, heart pounding. His eyes darted wildly—stone walls gone, the roar of a monster replaced by the muffled sound of canvas flapping in the wind. He blinked hard, confused.
A familiar face leaned over him. Marcus—his second-in-command. The man's grin was the same as ever, sharp and confident.
"What? You…?! Why? How are you—" Rolien muttered, sitting upright in disbelief.
Marcus just shook his head with a chuckle. "Still half-asleep, huh? C'mon, sir. Commander Rachel's asking for us. She's gonna brief us on the extraction."
"Extraction… for what?" Rolien asked, his voice rasping. His body felt lighter—no Hollowveilforce, no mana, no katana. Just his old self. A soldier.
"Tch, tch. Just follow me, Cap." Marcus slapped his shoulder and walked ahead toward the tent's entrance.
Rolien hesitated, then pushed himself to his feet. His boots pressed into desert sand—too real, too vivid to be a dream. He reached for the flap of the tent, his hand shaking.
When he pulled it open, the world outside blinded him with a burning sunrise. Heat rushed into his face. The sounds of rotors in the distance, chatter of soldiers, the clink of rifles.
And then it hit him. He knew this place. He wasn't just on Earth—he was back in his past.
Operation Black Hawk. Middle East.
A mission that had carved scars into his soul.
Rachel stood at the front, her voice sharp and commanding as she addressed the team:
"The terrorist group we've been hunting has moved. Intel confirms they've entered the City Hall in the capital. Heavily armed, prepared to make a statement."
Rolien's blood ran cold.
He remembered. He remembered exactly what came next.
To be continued