Chapter 150: Fighting a B-rank

A few days passed.

Over the past three days, Kai had spent most of his time training with Jean, enjoying precious moments with his daughter, or venturing into the dungeon to further develop his abilities.

His routine had become somewhat repetitive, but he found himself enjoying every moment of it.

Watching Jean grow stronger as a superhuman, especially seeing the genuine excitement on her face whenever she made progress, filled him with a quiet sense of contentment.

Meanwhile, his little Elli seemed to discover something new every day. Her curiosity knew no bounds, and she never missed an opportunity to drag him along on her latest adventures, as though he were her personal companion.

His dungeon excursions, on the other hand, were proving equally fruitful.

The evidence was lying right in front of him.

SQUELCH!

The dead C-rank beast collapsed against the ground, its body thoroughly mutilated. It was the final monster standing between Kai and the dungeon’s boss.

He had entered the dungeon alone, with Adam’s permission. Surprisingly, the man hadn’t raised any objections, nor had he questioned why someone supposedly possessing S-rank abilities would bother entering such a low-ranking dungeon.

Kai wasn’t entirely sure what Adam had heard from the Chairman or what was going through his mind when Kai extended the request. Perhaps the Chairman had already explained the situation.

Or perhaps Adam simply assumed Kai was trying to make a false impression on the people tailing him.

Either way, Kai wasn’t complaining. As long as he had permission to enter dungeons and continue improving himself, he had no reason to concern himself with the details.

"All right, then. Let’s see how much I’ve grown."

Kai took a moment to catch his breath before checking his status. He needed to recover enough stamina to face the boss, especially after clearing out the remaining monsters.

He had already dealt with the entire mob population, leaving their corpses piled near the entrance. Now, only the boss remained.

"Show me my stats."

[Level: 7]

[Str: 60 → 63]

[Spd: 63 → 68]

[End: 50 → 59]

[Int: 49 → 53]

[MP: 75 → 87]

[Attribute Points: 0]

[Current Balance: 8580 SP]

[Experience Points: 2950/3500]

His attributes had improved considerably since his last assessment. However, despite the progress, he was still stuck at Level 7.

He needed another 550 experience points before he could advance, and with that advancement would come another batch of attribute points to distribute.

[Host, it is recommended to consume the Growth Pill after reaching Level 8.]

Right. The second pill.

Kai had nearly forgotten about it. Initially, he had considered giving it to Jean instead, but her development was already progressing at an astonishing rate. Unlike him, her growth didn’t appear to have any particular limitations.

Her biggest obstacle was the lack of proper control over her mana.

In fact, watching Jean train had made Kai understand something he hadn’t fully appreciated before.

He finally understood why the System had previously praised his mana manipulation abilities. Raw talent and enormous reserves meant very little if one couldn’t properly control the power within their body.

Jean was a perfect example. Despite being a prodigy, even she struggled with something that came so naturally to him.

Regardless, he could think about the pill later.

"It’s time."

Without bothering to summon a weapon beforehand, Kai made his way into the dark cavern ahead.

The interior was just as unpleasant as the rest of the dungeon. Darkness swallowed the passage, while the damp air carried the familiar stench of monsters and decaying vegetation.

Nothing particularly unusual compared to the other dungeons he had explored.

However, the magical presence lingering in the atmosphere told him everything he needed to know.

The boss was awake.

And it was waiting for him.

Kai activated his skill, World Echo, releasing a droplet of mana that spread through the surrounding space. He allowed it to travel through the darkness, sensing everything within its reach.

His perception immediately picked up a massive presence lurking deeper inside the cavern.

Kai closed his eyes, concentrating on the creature’s movements. He could sense its enormous body, its position, and the faint fluctuations of mana surrounding it.

Then, all of a sudden...

"Huh?"

It vanished.

Kai’s eyes snapped open.

His instincts screamed at him to move, and he immediately threw himself forward.

A fraction of a second later, the space he had occupied was violently claimed by something enormous.

Kai twisted around, his gaze falling upon the creature that had appeared behind him.

It was a massive beast covered in silver fur. Its powerful frame towered over him, while a pair of razor-sharp fangs protruded from its mouth. Its feline yellow eyes remained fixed on him, carrying an unmistakable predatory focus.

The sheer pressure radiating from its body was enough to put Kai’s entire nervous system on alert.

’There’s no doubt about it... B-rank.’

His expression grew serious.

Without wasting another moment, Kai summoned his Fiery Birch, the burning bow, and tightened his grip around it.

"Grrr..."

The beast lowered its massive head, its claws digging into the ground as it scraped the earth with one of its front paws.

Its yellow eyes remained fixed on Kai for a brief moment before it suddenly launched itself forward.

Kai immediately drew the string of his Fiery Birch and released a flaming arrow.

The projectile tore through the darkness, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. However, the beast showed no intention of slowing down. It continued charging straight towards him, its enormous frame all for the arrow to strike.

Then, just as the arrow was about to reach it, Kai noticed something strange.

A peculiar fluctuation of mana rippled through the creature’s body with one of its strides.

The moment it happened, the flames surrounding his arrow began to weaken. Within an instant, they had completely vanished, leaving nothing behind but an ordinary projectile that failed to reach its target.

Kai hummed in understanding.

"So that’s how it works."

His lips curled into a faint smile as he rolled to his left, narrowly avoiding the beast’s charge. The creature swept past him with enough force to stir the air, its massive body continuing several metres before it finally came to a halt.

Kai straightened and rolled his shoulders.

"So you can disturb the mana flow, huh? No wonder you managed to fool my perception earlier."

The beast turned around, its yellow eyes locking onto him once again. A low growl rumbled from its throat as it prepared to attack.

Kai dismissed his bow and summoned his sword instead.

"Let’s try something else."

He charged forward, closing the distance before the beast could make another move.

The creature responded with a ferocious roar, lunging towards him with its jaws wide open. Its fangs snapped at Kai’s arm, but he used the momentum of his approach to leap over its head, directing his sword towards its exposed eyes.

However, the beast reacted just in time.

It pulled its head back, avoiding the thrust before twisting its enormous body. Its steel-hard tail swept through the air and slammed into Kai’s side.

THUD!

"Kh!"

The impact sent him crashing towards the ground. He managed to twist his body before landing, but the force still left him coughing as he struggled to regain his footing.

Kai clutched his side and wiped his upper lip with his thumb.

"Okay, no more swords."

He got his match. And now it’s time to level up.