The Galeb Duhr roared as lightning crackled inside its shattered chest crystal. Its massive stone body trembled, pieces of glowing green gem breaking loose and crashing onto the jagged cave floor.
With a furious growl, the monster thrust one of its enormous arms inward, trying to grab Seung-hoo straight out of its chest.
Seung-hoo reacted instantly.
He planted one foot against the Galeb Duhr's cracked torso and caught its wrist with one arm. Stone scraped against his forearm as sparks of electricity danced between them. With his other hand, he tightened his grip around the glowing blade embedded in the monster's core.
The heat and pressure were overwhelming. The Galeb Duhr's body radiated burning energy, and every movement sent tremors through Seung-hoo's bones.
"Ghh—!"
The Galeb Duhr raised its other arm and seized him around the torso.
Before anyone could react, it flung him across the chamber like a broken doll.
"Seung-hoo!" Kim shouted.
Seung-hoo slammed into the jagged cave wall with a deafening crash. Sharp rocks scraped against his back as he slid down, landing hard on one knee beside his team. Dust and small fragments of stone rained down around him.
For a brief moment, everything went quiet except for the echo of the Galeb Duhr's grinding roar.
Seung-hoo coughed and pushed himself up, gripping his sword tightly.
Seo-yeon stared at him in disbelief.
"Wait—wait—wait! You're that strong?" she said, her eyes wide. "Your speed and strength… they rival A-rank. Even S-rank!"
Hyun-wu's jaw hung open. "Since when could an F-ranker do that?"
Kim looked between Seung-hoo and the towering Galeb Duhr. "You've been hiding this the whole time…"
Seung-hoo didn't answer.
"Not now!" he shouted. "Focus!"
The Galeb Duhr stomped forward again, dragging its cracked body across the stone floor. The crystals embedded in its torso pulsed weakly, flickering with unstable green light.
Seung-hoo bent his knees and dashed forward.
The monster lifted one massive foot and tried to crush him beneath it. The stone limb slammed into the ground with explosive force, sending cracks racing outward across the cave floor.
Seung-hoo twisted aside at the last second.
The heat from the creature's body washed over him as he slid beneath its shadow. Without stopping, he swung his sword upward.
The glowing blade cut straight into the Galeb Duhr's leg.
A deep fracture split across the stone limb. Green light leaked from inside like molten veins.
The Galeb Duhr let out a thunderous roar and staggered backward.
Hyun-wu raised his shield, ready to rush in, but Seung-hoo lifted one hand.
"Stay back!"
The Galeb Duhr tried to take another step.
Its damaged leg gave out.
With a heavy crash, the monster dropped to one knee, shaking the entire chamber. Crystals fell from its body and shattered on the jagged stone floor, each break causing the glow in its chest to dim even further.
It struggled to stand.
Stone arms pressed against the ground, but without one leg, it couldn't rise.
Seung-hoo slowly walked toward it.
Each step echoed loudly in the chamber.
The Galeb Duhr's massive head lowered slightly, its glowing eyes flickering as cracks spread across its rocky face. The once-powerful chest crystal now pulsed weakly, fractured and unstable.
Seung-hoo stopped a few steps away and looked up at it.
"…You got defeated this way," he whispered to himself, his voice low and steady. "Just not by me."
Lightning faintly crackled around his sword as he adjusted his grip.
Behind him, Seo-yeon whispered, "What is he planning?"
Seung-hoo took a deep breath.
He shifted his stance, planting his feet firmly into the uneven stone. Slowly, he raised his sword and held it like a spear, the blade pointed directly at the glowing core in the Galeb Duhr's chest.
The air vibrated.
The Galeb Duhr lifted one arm, trying to block him, but its movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. Cracks continued spreading across its torso as more crystals fell away.
Seung-hoo pulled his arm back.
Lightning gathered around the blade once more, wrapping it in brilliant yellow arcs that lit up the jagged cave walls.
Hyun-wu held his breath.
Kim tightened his grip on his staff.
Seo-yeon stared without blinking.
Seung-hoo's eyes locked onto the core.
With a powerful shout, he hurled the sword forward.
The glowing blade flew through the air like a bolt of thunder.
It struck the Galeb Duhr's chest crystal dead center.
A blinding flash erupted.
Cracks exploded outward from the point of impact, splitting the core apart in a web of light. Shards of green crystal burst from its chest and scattered across the chamber like falling stars.
The Galeb Duhr's body froze mid-motion.
Its massive arms trembled.
The glow inside its chest faded rapidly as the energy sustaining it collapsed inward, lightning still rippling through its fractured stone form while dust and crystal fragments filled the air and the towering figure loomed in front of Seung-hoo
locked in place, the cave trembling from the force of the blow as the echoes of impact continued to ring through the jagged chamber.
Then, a mechanical shim rings out
______________________________________________________
|[ Ding! System Active ]|
|[ Individual Successfully Defeated The Boss Of The Rift ]|
|[ Boss Dropped An A rank Item ]|
|[ Crystal Spear ]|
--This weapon has the ability to nullify any breath attacks from elemental monsters--
______________________________________________________
Seung-hoo stared at the crystal spear lying on the cracked stone floor in front of him.
The weapon shimmered faintly, its surface formed from translucent green and yellow crystal that pulsed with soft light. Tiny sparks of mana danced along its shaft, as if the spear itself were still alive from the battle. The broken fragments of the Galeb Duhr's core were scattered around it like fallen glass.
He slowly stepped forward and reached out.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the spear, a warm current ran up his arm, settling into his chest. The weapon felt strangely light despite its size, balanced perfectly in his grip.
Seung-hoo glanced back at the window floating before him, then down at the spear again.
"So… it's an A-rank spear that can nullify any elemental breath," he muttered quietly to himself.
Before he could say anything else, hurried footsteps echoed behind him.
"SEUNG-HOO!"
Hyun-wu ran up first and threw an arm around Seung-hoo's shoulders so hard that he nearly stumbled.
"I can't believe it," Hyun-wu laughed loudly. "An F-rank with that much power? You were insane back there!"
Seung-hoo winced. "Hyun-wu… you're choking me."
Kim and Seo-yeon reached them a second later.
Seo-yeon crossed her arms, staring straight at Seung-hoo with narrowed eyes.
"You better have an explanation about what you just did there."
Kim raised a hand calmly. "Relax, Seo-yeon. He defeated it. That's what matters right now."
Seo-yeon turned toward him. "That's not the point. Did you see how fast he moved? That strength? That attack just now?"
Hyun-wu laughed again and tightened his grip around Seung-hoo's shoulders.
"Come on, just look at his face. How can you nag him so much?"
He reached up and pinched Seung-hoo's cheek playfully.
"Look at him. He looks more confused than we are."
"Hey—stop that," Seung-hoo protested, trying to pull away. "You're embarrassing me in front of a lady."
For a second, the cave went quiet.
Then—
"…A lady?" Kim repeated.
Seo-yeon blinked. "Did he just call me a lady?"
Hyun-wu burst out laughing. "Ohooo? Did you hear that? He called you a lady!"
Kim covered his mouth, chuckling. "That means you're beautiful, Seo-yeon."
Seo-yeon's face twitched between annoyance and disbelief.
"W-What kind of logic is that?!"
Hyun-wu pointed at Seung-hoo. "See? Even he knows. He said it himself."
Seo-yeon scoffed, but a faint flush crept up her cheeks.
"Tch… you idiots."
Seung-hoo looked away awkwardly, gripping the crystal spear tighter.
"I just meant… you know… respect."
Hyun-wu laughed harder. "Sure, sure. Respect."
Kim shook his head with a smile. "Didn't expect you to be so polite in the middle of a boss room."
Seo-yeon crossed her arms, trying to hide her expression.
"You're all annoying."
But despite her words, the tension in the cave finally eased. The jagged walls no longer felt as suffocating, and the echo of laughter mixed with the fading hum of mana from the fallen Galeb Duhr.
Out of nowhere, a massive stone door appeared in front of them.
It rose directly from the jagged cave floor with a deep grinding sound, as if the cave itself had shaped it from solid rock. Dust rained down from the sharp ceiling, and faint cracks spread outward from the base of the door. Ancient symbols glowed faintly across its surface, pulsing with quiet mana.
At the center of the door were three hollowed-out slots, each shaped exactly like the yellow crystals they had collected.
Everyone tensed immediately.
Hyun-wu lifted his shield. "Another mechanism?"
Seo-yeon stepped forward slightly, daggers ready. "This Rift really doesn't want us to leave peacefully."
Kim adjusted his grip on his staff. "That door wasn't here a second ago…"
Only Seung-hoo remained calm.
He stared at the door with an expression that suggested he already knew what it was for.
"Kim," Seung-hoo said, holding out his hand, "give me the three crystals."
Kim blinked. "Huh? What do you need them for exactly?"
Still confused, Kim reached into his pockets and pulled out the glowing yellow crystals. He tossed them to Seung-hoo one by one.
"Here! Don't blame me if something explodes."
Seung-hoo caught them easily. The crystals vibrated faintly in his palms, reacting to the door's presence.
He walked forward alone.
"Wait—are you sure about this?" Seo-yeon called out.
Seung-hoo stopped in front of the door and placed his hand against its cold surface. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the glowing lines carved into the stone brightened.
He lifted the first crystal and pressed it into the left slot.
Click.
The second crystal followed.
Click.
Then the third.
The instant the final crystal locked into place, the entire chamber began to shake.
"What's happening?!" Hyun-wu shouted as the ground trembled beneath his feet.
The door started to glow from within, light spilling out through its cracks. A low humming sound filled the cave, growing louder and louder until it felt like it was vibrating inside their chests.
Then the door vanished.
Not shattered.
Not broken.
It dissolved into countless particles of light.
Darkness swallowed the chamber.
For several seconds, there was nothing—no sound, no light, no movement.
Then a glow appeared at the center of the room.
A massive circular magic seal spread across the floor, formed from layered rings of glowing symbols. The light slowly rotated, casting shifting shadows across the jagged cave walls.
Within the large circle, a second, smaller circle appeared. It pulsed brighter and brighter, as if something beneath it was awakening.
The ground at the center cracked open.
A deep rumbling echoed from below.
From the opening, something began to rise.
---END OF VOLUME 1---