CHAPTER 62: FIGHTING THE DUNGEON BOSS!

When the last wolf fell, another level-up message popped up. Still ignoring it, Leon began scanning the snow for paw prints—trying to pinpoint exactly where the alpha had gone.

But with the snowstorm worsening, the tracks could already be buried. A twinge of anxiety crept into him at the thought.

Before he could find the tracks, a strange sound caught his attention—heavy, rhythmic thuds.

It was the sound of a large, four-legged creature charging through the snow.

A bad feeling crawled over him, a sense of foreboding pressing down on his very being.

Peering through the swirling white haze, Leon spotted a shadowy figure in the distance—wolf-shaped, but different from any he had encountered before.

At first, it was only a silhouette. Then, the details emerged:

The wolf stood a meter tall at the shoulder, towering over the rest he’d fought.

Its fur was a swirling blend of gray, black, and white—a hybrid of all three wolf species in this dungeon.

"Dungeon Boss... a fuckin’ Dungeon Boss!"

Leon’s throat went dry. This wasn’t going to be easy. But unlike the last time he fought a dungeon boss, he was almost at peak condition. Defeating the alpha wolves had been manageable thanks to his Supreme Thief skill—this time, he stood a real chance.

He unsheathed his saw-like dagger, brandishing it before charging at full speed.

Retreat was not an option. He had a chance—his situation was not hopeless—so he would attack head-on.

He would give it his all.

Minutes later...

Leon stood with a strange weapon in his hands, inspecting it with interest.

His body was covered in cuts, bruises, and burns—the kind of pain that lingered like fire—but he ignored it all. His focus was locked on the weapon.

The dungeon boss, the [Hybrid Wolf], was gone—slain.

He had only ever heard of this type of weapon back on Hearth, so finding it in the wolf’s corpse was a shock.

It was built to fit over the knuckles or rest under the palm.

Entirely made of steel, four razor-sharp claws jutted outward, gleaming in the dim light.

Leon traced a finger over them, feeling the deadly sharpness of a true D-Ranked weapon.

It was designed solely for tearing through skin and muscle—perfect for close, brutal combat.

Many thieves and assassins would kill to own such a weapon.

Its attack style shared similarities with a dagger, so Leon knew he could adapt to it easily. Even better, it was dual-wielded, just like his saw-like dagger.

Excitement sparked in his chest. He hadn’t checked its name yet, but he didn’t need to—its feel told him everything.

He practiced a few swings, his excitement growing with each motion, already imagining how it would perform in real battle.

’This weapon is my specialty, alongside the dagger. A shame the Hybrid Wolf had to die... but I thank you for giving rise to these claws.’

Leon smirked at his fallen foe before muttering,

"Whatever. I need to finish off that wise gray wolf quickly so I can move on to the next dungeon."

His tone was confident, but as the memory of the fight replayed in his mind, he couldn’t help but sigh.

Minutes back...

Leon rushed toward the beast, gathering mana into his hands while infusing it into his dagger, reinforcing its strength and greatly increasing his attack power.

With his dagger ready, he waited patiently for the perfect moment to strike—when the wolf was close enough.

The wolf hybrid also charged forward to meet Leon. But it suddenly stopped, its body shifting into a low, galloping stance, before sending its sharp, nail-like claws slashing forward with swift, deadly precision—aimed straight for Leon’s face.

Leon smirked when he saw this. Instead of dodging like he normally would, he decided to try something he had never done before—defending himself head-on with his dagger.

Something inside him urged him to test his strength against the beast. He wanted to know just how strong he truly was.

With that thought, he shifted into his preferred stance, dagger firm in his grip, and swung it in a swift counter-slash aimed directly at the beast’s paw.

The best defense is a counterattack—and that was exactly what Leon intended.

Ever since stepping foot in this dungeon, killing beasts had been his thing, and he wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. There had never been a moment of hesitation in him—no second thoughts, no pity.

A normal person would hesitate, especially when taking their first life, even if it was a beast’s. They might cower in disbelief, unable to accept their fate as a killer. Some would break, taking their own lives, while others would slowly embrace the act, killing more and more until they became true cold-hearted killers—unrecognizable from their past selves.

But Leon was different. From the very start, his heart had been cold, unwavering, and without pity. Whether before or after the kill, he never felt guilt.

His heart was stone—unmoved by the blood he spilled.

Still, a question had lingered in his mind: would his heart remain this cold when it came to killing a human? With the revenge he sought, he knew such a day would come. Would he be brave then—or would he act like a coward?

Only time could answer that.

His blade closed in.

The two strikes collided.

Leon was thrown back instantly, the sheer force of the impact sending him flying fifteen meters across the snow. Pain flared in his chest, and blood spilled from his lips. His insides throbbed as though they were being torn apart.

Lifting his head, his expression darkened even further as he saw the wolf already charging toward him at full speed, unwilling to give him even a breath to recover.

The beast wanted to end it quickly—and Leon was at a serious disadvantage.

"How?" he muttered in disbelief.

The wolf was a level 15 boss beast, the peak of its tier thanks to its Boss Beast title. Leon could match its speed—only because of his skill buff—but in strength and stamina, he was lacking.

After fighting for over an hour and a half, exhaustion was creeping in. Yet... something else was wrong. He could feel it, like a part of him had been stripped away, though he couldn’t pinpoint what.

Knowing he couldn’t drag this out, he quickly steadied himself on the cold, uneven snow and rushed to meet the wolf again. This time, he had a plan—simple, practical, and one that could confuse the beast enough to give him the perfect opening to finish it.

Of course, that depended on how smart this wolf truly was. He was certain it was smarter than the wise Gray Alpha Wolf.

Mana surged to his legs, boosting his speed as he dashed forward. The wolf mirrored his pace, both of them closing the distance rapidly.

Leon didn’t even notice how easily he moved across the snowy terrain—it was as if he were running on a flat football field instead of the rough, uneven ground. The credit went to his Supreme Thief skill, Light Steps. Too bad it consumed mana.

When they were about two meters apart, both prepared to strike.

The wolf raised its paw, clearly intending to slash him. Leon knew better than to underestimate that strike—not after their first clash. His earlier blow had barely scratched it, penetrating only three centimeters beneath its thick hide.

He raised his dagger, feigning an attempt to counter the paw head-on, his face unreadable. He wanted to deceive the wolf.

But little did he know—the wolf had already read his plan.

Or had it?

The beast’s eyes narrowed, almost in amusement. Did this boy really think it was that foolish?

They both raised their weapons—the wolf lifting its paw, armed with dangerously long, razor-sharp claws, and Leon swinging his dagger toward the beast.

From their movements, it was clear they intended to clash.

But both knew this was only a facade. This was the start of something else—a deeper plan.

The gap between their attacks closed quickly, now only a meter apart. Within moments, they would collide.

Leon smirked, knowing it was time to put his plan into action.

The wolf was both amused and uncertain. It began to wonder if it had truly guessed right—because the move was so obvious it almost seemed too easy. Was this really Leon’s plan, or was it walking into a trap?

Still, the wolf decided to play along, ready to give Leon a taste of his own medicine. A

Both were calculating, and both understood the other was dangerous. Neither would hold back.

Leon suddenly pulled back his dagger mid-swing and shot past the wolf with incredible speed instead of striking.

The wolf smirked inwardly—it had predicted this from the start.

As Leon ran past, the wolf spun sharply, increasing its speed before raising its paw, aiming to slash Leon’s back open and carve a wound he would never forget.

Its claws gleamed with a killing edge, ready to tear through skin and muscle.