Chapter 355: Defeating The Boss, The Girls Have Grown Very Strong!

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"Now!"

Riven called out as he caught the King’s sword between both palms and held it in place. Daniela and Label immediately leaped from behind him, having waited for the opening he had created.

They had already consumed several stat-boosting tonics, and the energy rushing through their bodies strengthened their speed, reflexes, and power. Without wasting a second, both girls launched their attacks.

Daniela dashed along the flat side of the enormous sword and swung her favorite dagger forward. She unleashed dozens of stabbing and thrusting motions, aiming at the cracks Riven had created across the King’s armor.

Each attack was combined with Dice Thrust for greater effect, causing the strength of her blows to change constantly. Several strikes pierced through the armor and shattered the bones hidden underneath. The higher her luck grew, the less common were dice rolls below 5.

Meanwhile, Label attacked with her Psychic Power, which she had trained and incorporated into the Ninjutsu she had learned from Kagehisa and his ninjas. Invisible force wrapped around the King’s arms and restricted his movements while several explosive potions flew from her hands and detonated against his exposed joints.

Lastly, her powerful metallic hair extended around her like dozens of sharp wires. It moved according to her will, piercing the skeleton’s damaged body from every direction and tearing apart what remained of his armor.

"G-GAAAHHHH! AAHH...! AT... LONG LAST... PEACE... AND QUIET..."

The giant skeleton could no longer hold itself together. Cracks covered their skull as the crimson flames inside their eye sockets began fading. The Broken King released one final groan before his knees struck the ground.

BOOOMMM!!!

Then his skull and the rest of his body exploded into countless pieces, scattering bones, armor fragments, and pieces of his broken crown across the grasslands. The undead soldiers surrounding them froze in place before collapsing alongside their fallen king.

"It’s done...!" Daniela sighed in relief as she watched the last pieces of the Broken King fall across the grass. She lowered her dagger and stretched her tired arms, unable to hide her smile. "Wow! That felt nice."

"You still weakened him too much for us. We could’ve taken him on our own, Riven..." Label sighed, crossing her arms as she looked at the scattered bones. She had been stuttering less and less lately, especially whenever she focused on fighting or alchemy. Even so, a small trace of frustration remained in her voice. She had wanted to test the full extent of her new strength.

"Well done!" Riven smiled and stepped between them, placing an arm around each girl’s shoulders. He patted their heads with his large hands, making both of them blush a little. Daniela looked proud of herself, while Label tried to turn her face away and pretend she was not pleased by the praise. "And you’re right, I guess I could’ve let you take them down on your own but we’re in a hurry." He said while he continued patting Label’s head as if she were a child.

"D-Don’t pat my head. I’m not a kid, Riven..." Label complained, although she made no real effort to push his hand away.

"Don’t listen to Label, it’s thanks to you that we won...!" Daniela added. She glanced toward the enormous sword the Broken King had left behind and knew that neither of them could have stopped its attacks as easily as Riven had.

"Nah, you’ve both grown fairly strong," Riven said. "This victory came from your effort, too. Your timing was good, and neither of you hesitated when I gave the signal." He removed his hands from their heads and looked toward the path leading deeper into the dungeon. "Next time, I’ll let you take on the next boss by yourselves. How about that?"

"Sure!" Daniela nodded, eager to prove herself. She twirled her dagger between her fingers before returning it to its sheath. "I’ll do it! I’ve learned two new Skills called ’Multi-Hit Attack’ and ’Acrobatic Assault’! I think I can use them well with what you’ve taught me. If I combine them with Dice Thrust, I should be able to attack from several angles before the enemy can react."

Riven had spent some of his spare time teaching Daniela martial arts, and she had begun to grasp Ki control much better. Instead of relying only on her dagger Skills, she was learning how to reinforce her body and take full advantage of her high speed and movement. Her footwork had improved the most, allowing her to change direction in the middle of an attack without losing balance.

"Alright, good." Riven nodded, satisfied with her progress. He then turned toward the other girl. "And what about you, Label?"

"Ah..." Label’s eyes gleamed as her aura surged for a moment, blazing around her body like green alchemical flames. Several metallic strands of hair rose behind her, reacting to the sudden increase in energy. She looked at the notification in front of her, then smiled with growing excitement. "My Class just Ranked Up to C Rank...! It says I’m a Great Alchemist now. I also received new recipes and better control over my Alchemy Flames."

"Nice, then we’re advancing steadily." Riven nodded. Daniela congratulated Label and leaned closer, hugging her. Seeing their excitement, Riven smiled again. They still had another floor to conquer, but both girls had clearly become stronger.

"Alright..." Riven expanded his shadows across the battlefield and quickly stored away the scattered materials, broken weapons, and remains that might still be useful. Once everything disappeared within the darkness, he turned toward the stairs leading underground. "Let’s move. The second floor is where things are going to get challenging..."

"Don’t forget the loot, though!" Daniela called out before he could leave. She was carrying a massive black weapon with both hands, struggling slightly beneath its size. Curses and phantom energy flowed from its blade, revealing it as the Broken King’s Cursed Axe. Despite its appearance, Daniela held it toward him with an excited smile. "It’s SSS Rank! Why not use it?"

Riven took the weapon and examined its damaged edge for a moment. The curse inside it immediately tried to crawl into his hand, but his body suppressed it without effort. "Sure."

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