[Wind Blade Dispel (Blue): Summon a large number of wind blades to scatter surrounding enemies. The summoned blades scale with mental strength.]
From the BOSS's demonstration earlier, it was obvious this was an extremely effective skill, especially against assassins.
Ethan's lips curled into a satisfied grin. Not bad at all. Another skill that suits me perfectly.
With a loud snap, he slapped the skill book between his palms and absorbed its contents directly. A stream of knowledge poured into his mind, filling him with a fresh surge of power.
Yet even as the skill settled into his consciousness, Ethan frowned in thought. Strange… why haven't I come across a single Beastmaster-exclusive skill so far?
Every ability he had picked up relied on mental strength or general application. It wasn't that he was dissatisfied—far from it, in fact. It felt as if fate itself was handing him a set of tools tailored precisely to his style. But a nagging thought lingered: Isn't this a little too convenient?
Still, he pushed the doubt aside. There would be time to worry about that later. What mattered now was progress. Unfortunately, the last boss wasn't at platinum level, so there were limits to the rewards.
Ethan pressed forward.
Not long after, his companion, the Anti-Bone Boy, stumbled upon a new wild monster. This time, it was a golden-bodied boa constrictor. Unlike the massive Windblade Python from before, this serpent was far smaller, resembling the ordinary snakes Ethan remembered from his previous life.
The Anti-Bone Boy, having learned painful lessons from the earlier dungeon encounters, approached with much more caution. No longer arrogant, he crept forward silently, waiting for the perfect moment.
When the serpent's head tilted away, the Anti-Bone Boy lunged, jaws wide.
The two creatures clashed. Their fangs locked, a violent struggle erupting in an instant.
But this time, something was different.
The Anti-Bone Boy's jaws, usually capable of crushing through anything, failed to pierce the golden serpent's defense. Its metallic scales deflected the bite entirely.
Instead, the serpent retaliated with frightening speed. It whipped around and sank its fangs into the Anti-Bone Boy's forelimb.
Bang!
With a sickening crack, the serpent's teeth punctured through the armor-like shell that the Anti-Bone Boy prided himself on.
The shock of pain made him roar, staggering backward. He flung the serpent aside, forcing its head away from his wounded leg.
Even so, it became clear—the golden snake was no pushover. Unlike previous foes, this one matched the Anti-Bone Boy's strength head-on.
Ethan's eyes narrowed as he watched. His companion's foreleg was torn open, covered in a row of dense bite marks. Just looking at it made Ethan's skin crawl.
So… this creature specializes in both defense and offense. Its metallic nature explains the resilience.
The thought sparked another. Such a material would be perfect for feeding to the Queen Bee. Still, in battle terms, it posed a dangerous challenge.
The obvious counter was fire. Against metallic defense, flame would devastate. But Ethan and his beasts didn't have such abilities at their disposal.
Rustling sounds rose from the undergrowth.
One snake was bad enough. Now, countless golden serpents slithered out, circling around the Anti-Bone Boy.
They were surrounded.
What now? Ethan thought grimly.
The Anti-Bone Boy responded with surprising ingenuity. He seized the snake still clamped in his jaws, gripped its tail, and began to whirl it around like a whip. The serpent became a living weapon, lashing through the air with frightening force.
This wild tactic accomplished two things at once: it prevented the snake in his mouth from continuing its assault, and it created a spinning barrier that kept the others at bay.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each strike against an approaching serpent rang like clashing swords. Their metallic bodies sparked against the makeshift whip.
Still, it couldn't hold them all back. Fortunately, Ethan's other beast, Da Dao Zai, was close by. Though his blade couldn't cut through the golden snakes' scales outright, he swung with brutal precision, knocking aside every serpent that dared draw near.
The standoff dragged on. Neither side could gain the upper hand.
Then came the breakthrough.
One smaller serpent lunged recklessly, its mouth wide. Da Dao Zai's blade slashed at just the right angle—straight through the open jaw.
In an instant, the golden snake split in half, its body severed like a cucumber sliced clean.
It writhed for only a few seconds before going limp, utterly lifeless.
At that moment, the weakness was revealed.
Their scales might have been indestructible, but the soft flesh inside their mouths was vulnerable.
With renewed vigor, Da Dao Zai focused his strikes at the serpents' gaping maws, while the Anti-Bone Boy pinned and tore with renewed ferocity. Together, they dismantled their enemies one by one.
Finally, with a thunderous bite and crushing stomp, the Anti-Bone Boy ripped apart the last serpent, its golden body falling in two.
The battle ended at last.
Despite their victory, the toll was heavy. The Anti-Bone Boy's body was riddled with tooth marks, his shell scarred and cracked. Fortunately, consuming the decomposed corpses restored some of his strength. His combat instincts had clearly grown sharper.
Ethan gave a small nod. Good. Experience like this can't be gained anywhere else.
Still, his companion's instinctive desire to retreat toward the familiar Windblade Python revealed lingering trauma from the brutal fight.
Ethan chuckled darkly and kicked the Anti-Bone Boy in the stomach. "You coward, stop sulking. We keep moving forward."
A week slipped by in the dungeon.
Meanwhile, outside, the instructor from Ravenshade University, Charles, led three exhausted students out.
These were the same students the guard captain had described as being on a "vacation trip." Now, however, they looked nothing like carefree youths.
The two boys wore tattered clothes, their faces haggard, eyes sunken from sleepless nights. The girl, once immaculately dressed with perfect makeup, looked disheveled, her face streaked with dirt and scratches. The dungeon had stripped them of every trace of vanity.
The guard captain greeted them warmly. "Instructor Charles, you've returned. How did the mission go this time?"
Charles sighed, shaking his head. "Hopeless. The moment they encountered wild monsters, they panicked and broke formation. It's a miracle none of them were seriously injured. Still… at least they managed to destroy a dozen snake nests."
Though his words carried criticism, a hint of pride tugged at his lips.
The captain's eyebrows rose. "A dozen nests? That's hundreds of wild monsters slain! Isn't that already an impressive achievement? Back when I was their age, I could barely handle first-rank missions."
Charles's smile widened smugly. "Hmph, impressive? Hardly. Compared to what I expect, they're the worst class I've ever trained."
Despite the harsh words, the pride in his voice betrayed him.
With pleasantries exchanged, Charles prepared to depart. "We'll be on our way now."
But just as the captain nodded, a figure caught his eye.
Ethan emerged from the dungeon.
Unlike the battered students, his clothes were spotless, his posture confident, his presence commanding. The stark contrast was enough to make the surrounding guards blink in disbelief.
He walked straight toward the captain, offering a faint smile.
"Thanks for lending me the City Return Scroll. Here's something for your trouble."
He tossed a dark-gold ranked gauntlet into the captain's hands, then turned and left without another word.
The entire group froze.
"W-wait…" One of the guards stammered, staring after Ethan's fading figure. "Captain Li… who was that young man just now?"
The question lingered in the air, heavy with awe.
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