The arrow hit its target, piercing deep into the thick lining that protected the main chamber of the heart. Blood began to trickle out and, with that, the fight began.

Sosiri came to life and looked at the aggressors, his shrunken eyes darting back and forth between Huay and Salein with frantic derangement. His stare eventually locked onto Huay, because she was closest.

A muscular right leg shot out from one of the stubs. The next limb to burst from Sosiri’s emaciated torso was his left arm. The final limb was his left leg. A black miasma gushed out like a river from the right shoulder socket, congealing into the rough form of an ethereal right arm closer in consistency to a gas than solid flesh.

Sosiri stood up slowly. His voice echoed endlessly throughout the chamber, and Salein continued to take shots as he went through his dialogue, the damage already beginning to accumulate. “Foolish trespassers. You dare enter my chamber? What insolence brings such folly? To attack the monarch is to attack his people. I have no choice but to protect the lifeblood of my kingdom.” What ‘kingdom’? Isn’t this just a dungeon?

Sosiri exploded into action before Huay had time to mull over the details. His strides were long and frantic. Almost before she could react, he was within striking distance.

The level ups she had accrued throughout the dungeon had given her just enough agility to narrowly sidestep the attack, but Sosiri pivoted almost instantaneously after his initial lunge and spun around for a kick to Huay’s chest.

Huay managed to brace herself with a frantically activated Golden Glow, focused on her torso, but the impact still knocked the wind out of her, forcing Huay to stumble back a few steps.

Sosiri tried to follow up with a jab to the gut, but Huay jumped back and started running. The boss chased after her with speed she couldn’t hope to match—not even with the level ups—and tried to grab her whenever he got close.

“Halfway there!” Salein shouted. The heart was already leaking like a waterfall and beating with an irregular rhythm. Not much longer. I can do this! Sosiri was unconcerned with the damage Salein had dealt; Huay’s arm was his sole focus, and he pursued it with reckless abandon.

Sosiri dove for Huay’s waist in a careless tackle, but Huay saw it coming. She reeled back and focused all of her power into her right arm. The uppercut that followed planted itself deep against Sosiri’s jaw, the Pocket Gauntlet further exacerbating the impact.

The boss’ frail body was sent flying until he crashed hard on his back with a satisfying thud. For a moment, Huay thought he was dead, but he popped back up onto his feet as though nothing had happened. She grimaced. He really is invincible…

Sosiri pounced on her once again with the same reckless tackle as before. Now confident in her punch, she wound up for another strike and took a swing.

The attack missed. It was a tiny movement on Sosiri’s part, barely more than a twitch of the neck, but it let him evade the punch. Huay’s outstretched right arm flew out over his head. He stepped forward and grabbed it at the base of her shoulder.

Huay cried out in horror as she tried to shake him off with no avail. She punched him square on the face over and over again and yet he remained unfazed. Sosiri wrapped his legs around her torso in an effort to secure leverage and started pulling. She transferred Golden Glow to her shoulder to provide more resistance, but Sosiri’s strength was overwhelming.

“Salein!” she shouted. “Salein! Help!”

“I’m almost there! Try to hold out!” The heart was pulsing with unnatural speed, and looked like it was about to collapse.

The sensation was like an eagle’s talons around her arm, the ungainly nails skewering her flesh. Huay screamed. The pain spread throughout her body like an all-consuming wildfire, and she could only howl as she felt her arm pop out of her shoulder.

“Salein!” She shrieked.

Salein shouted something back, but Huay couldn’t make out the words. The pain completely overwhelmed her senses.

Golden Glow was beginning to fade. She strained herself to keep the light intact but, between the fatigue of overusing her power and the blinding intensity of the torture, Huay simply didn’t have the strength to maintain it. After one final burst of radiance, she had no more struggle to give, and the light vanished.

Sosiri finally had her arm.

He stood upright over Huay, raised the severed limb to the ceiling in triumph, and jammed it into place on his right shoulder. He could barely glance over to Salein in preparation for his next attack before falling lifeless to the ground.

“+2645 XP.”

“Level increased to 12.”

“Level increased to 13.”

Salein ran over and said something that Huay vaguely understood as being about her arm. Huay didn’t have the strength to respond.

Salein went to her severed arm, pulled the ring off, then lifted up Huay and headed over to their gear. She took Sandiver and the backpacks, and brought Huay toward the portal, ignoring countless treasures as she walked.

After a long sigh, Salein stepped through. The dungeon was over.

Name: Huay Celashen

Level: 13

Type: Human

Titles: Lamprey

Abilities:

- Golden Glow: User can imbue parts of themselves with a powerup.

Effects:

- Accumulation: Grants the ability to see levels & Augments all status developments.

- Lamprey: User steals all XP awarded to those in the vicinity.

Certifications:

- Swordsmanship [Basic]

- Heat Resistance [Basic]

- Demolition [Basic]

- Pugilism [Novice]

- Hawkeye [Novice]

- Sound Detection [Novice]

- Hiking [Novice]

- Investigation [Novice]

- Burglary [Novice]

- Bartering [Novice]