"So, let me get this straight," Emma said, her voice a low, controlled murmur as we stood just inside the portal, the eerie purple light of the Forest of Shadows painting strange highlights on her face. "You come in here, you fight these... shadow creatures... and this is how you get stronger."
"That's the gist of it," I confirmed, my eyes scanning the dark woods for movement.
"And what do you get out of it? Besides the bruises." Her mind was, as always, on the bottom line. The return on investment.
"Resources," I said simply. "Loot. Most of the time, it's just trash. Shadow Wolf fangs, corrupted claws, things that just vanish after a while. Sometimes, they drop a bit of... currency."
Her perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched. "These things carry wallets?"
"You'd be surprised," I said with a smirk. "But the real prize is the rare stuff. Sometimes, a stronger one will drop a potion. Something that can heal wounds in a second, or restore my energy. Those are the real assets."
I was deliberately curating the truth. I couldn't tell her about levels, stats, or experience points. That was a level of reality-breaking she wasn't ready for, and frankly, it was a secret too deep to share. But 'training' and 'loot'? That was a language a strategist could understand. Training makes the asset stronger. Loot provides tangible rewards.
"Usually, I just clear out the first few waves and leave," I explained. "It's a decent workout. But I've never really pushed deeper into the forest. The creatures get stronger the further you go."
"Show me," she said, her voice firm. There was no fear in her eyes, only a burning, analytical curiosity. She was assessing my "R&D department," and she wanted to see its full potential.
"Alright," I said, a thrill running through me. "But stay close."
We moved deeper into the spectral woods. The skeletal trees grew thicker, their branches clawing at the sky like desperate fingers. The air grew colder. The standard Shadow Wolves were now moving in larger packs, but my recent stat boosts made them trivial. I moved through them with a brutal efficiency, using simple, energy-reinforced strikes, conserving my MP and EP.
Emma was a silent observer, her eyes missing nothing. She wasn't a warrior, but she was a born strategist.
"They have a pattern," she murmured after the third pack attack. "They always try to flank. The two on the outside are a feint to draw your attention while a third one attacks from a blind spot. It's predictable."
She's a natural at this, I thought, impressed.
We came to a clearing. In the center, a large, gnarled tree pulsed with a sickly purple light. And lying at its base was a creature that made the other Shadow Wolves look like puppies. It was easily twice their size, its form less like mist and more like solid, shifting obsidian. Jagged shards of what looked like corrupted bone jutted from its back, and its eyes burned with a malevolent, intelligent red light.
"[Observe]!"
Name: Alpha Shadow Wolf (Dungeon Boss)
Level: 15
Type: Elite Magical Beast
"Well," I said, a slow grin spreading across my face. "Looks like we found the manager."
Emma instinctively took a step back, her hand gripping my arm. "Alex, that thing is different."
"It is," I agreed, stepping in front of her. "This is the kind of thing that drops the good stuff."
The Alpha let out a howl that wasn't a sound, but a wave of pure despair that washed over us. [Gamer's Mind] held firm, but I felt Emma shudder behind me. The boss was here.
It didn't lunge. It moved with a terrifying, liquid speed, circling us, its claws carving shallow furrows in the black moss.
"It's testing us," Emma whispered, her voice tight. "It's not like the others. It's intelligent."
"Then let's give it something to think about," I said, activating my [Energy Reinforcement] on my arms and chest.
It charged. I met it head-on. Its claws screeched against my reinforced chest, the impact a solid, jarring blow but not enough to break through. I absorbed the kinetic energy, my EP jumping. I tried to counter, but the Alpha was too fast, disengaging and circling again before I could land a solid hit.
"It's too quick, Alex!" Emma called out. "It only commits to an attack after you do! You're letting it set the pace!"
She was right. I was being reactive again. I needed to force the issue.
The next time it charged, I didn't wait for the impact. I activated [Power Strike], pouring MP into my fist, and unleashed it. The Alpha, expecting me to tank the hit, was caught off guard. My glowing fist crashed into its shoulder with a deafening BOOM. The creature howled in pain, its shadowy form flickering as it was thrown back.
But it wasn't down. It recovered, and the purple light from the gnarled tree behind it intensified, flowing into the Alpha. The damage I'd just done visibly healed.
"The tree!" Emma shouted. "It's healing it! You have to take out the tree!"
Of course. The classic boss fight mechanic.
"Don't have the firepower from here!" I yelled back, dodging another lightning-fast lunge. "I need to get in close!"
"Then let it come!" she replied, her voice ringing with command. "Do exactly what you did before, but aim for its leg! Cripple it!"
It was a perfect plan. The Alpha charged again. I sidestepped, letting it pass me, and swung my leg in a low, powerful kick, pouring every bit of stored EP I had into a redirected blast. The concussive force hit the creature's back leg, shattering it with a wet, snapping sound of corrupted energy.
The Alpha crashed to the ground, immobilized.
"Now!" Emma yelled.
I didn't hesitate. I sprinted past the crippled boss, my focus entirely on the pulsating, malevolent tree. I drew my fist back, channeling everything I had into one final, decisive blow.
[Power Strike]!
My fist plunged into the heart of the gnarled wood. The purple light exploded outwards in a blinding flash, and the entire tree, along with the crippled Alpha, dissolved into a shower of glittering, black particles.
The dungeon fell silent.
I stood panting in the center of the clearing, the adrenaline slowly fading. In the spot where the tree had been, a small pile of items glowed with a faint, otherworldly light.
Emma slowly walked over, her eyes wide. "The loot," she breathed.
I knelt and sorted through it. There was a small, heavy pouch that clinked with the sound of gold coins. There were two unusually large, perfectly preserved Alpha Wolf Fangs. And there were two small, crystal vials, one containing a swirling red liquid, the other a shimmering blue.
I picked up the red vial and handed it to her. "Recovery Potion," I explained, my voice still a little shaky. "Heals most wounds almost instantly."
She took the vial, her fingers tracing its smooth, cool surface. She looked from the potion in her hand, to the spot where a monster had just been, then to me. The last vestiges of the corporate heiress fell away, replaced by the calculating gaze of a queen who had just been shown the true source of her kingdom's power.
"Alright, Alex," she said, her voice filled with a new, terrifying level of ambition. "Show me how to budget for more of these."