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Zane determined that the aggro range of Skeleton Warriors was about ten meters—a conclusion he reached after repeatedly risking his life to lure them in.

Though the battlefield was more open than before, clusters of enemies still stood close together, making it impossible to fight one without drawing others into the fray.

This was where the mobility of the Gray Wolf form truly shined. No matter how many mobs there were, he would lure them over, then keep running in circles at the rear, constantly leading them around.

Meanwhile, Starry would single out one enemy at a time, pulling them away for a duel. She would repeat this process until all were slain, before beginning the next round of combat.

If Icy Moon Slash missed, she would use Thousand Flash Steps to weave in and out of the fight, striking whenever an opportunity arose.

It all sounded simple, but in practice, it was anything but easy.

At one point, Zane moved too fast, causing two Skeleton Warriors to lose their aggro and turn toward Starry instead. Fortunately, she reacted swiftly, activating Thousand Flash Steps to exit their aggro range just in time. Otherwise, she would have met an untimely demise.

Moreover, soloing wasn’t easy either. Starry had allocated all her stat points into Dexterity, meaning she had to remain fully focused. A single moment of distraction could lead to a fatal blow.

Luckily, the two of them worked in perfect sync. As their rhythm stabilized, the occasional burst of Autumn Strike significantly boosted their leveling efficiency.¹　

…

Without realizing it, they had been grinding for a full four hours, nearly clearing out the entire floor of Skeletons.

On a side note, Zane had made a few mistakes, burning through five bottles of HP Potion (High-Grade) in the process.

Flash.

Zane leveled up to 13, while Starry was now at 86% experience toward level 14.

The drop rate for items was abysmally low—almost insultingly so. In all that time, they had only looted one piece of equipment: Decayed Bone Boots. However, judging by the stats, their efforts had been worth it.

The item’s description was as ominous as ever. But the stats were excellent—boosting both HP and Defense, with a slight increase in Dexterity. A 5% boost to Movement Speed was also a rare and valuable attribute.

Zane equipped the Gray Wolf Gauntlets. Though they provided bonuses to Dexterity and Strength, Starry didn’t lack for damage. Zane, on the other hand, needed the extra Defense more.

With the Gray Wolf Gauntlets equipped, Zane’s combat effectiveness had significantly improved. If he were to take another Heavy Slash, it likely wouldn’t be as devastating.

As for the two pieces of Decayed Bone equipment, they couldn’t equip them yet.

Saying they had cleared the entire floor wasn’t entirely accurate. Zane and Starry soon noticed that, at the very back of the area, one last enemy remained.

These stats… they are even higher than the Gray Wolf Alpha!

The warlord had clearly taken notice of them. In a deep, chilling voice, he growled, “Ignorant intruders, you will pay for your arrogance!”

It even has dialogue. No doubt about it—this is a real boss fight.

Zane and Starry exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

Zane was the first to charge in. His first priority was to apply an Armor Break effect—without it, that 40 Defense was simply too high!

Unlike the Skeleton Warriors, the boss didn’t bother to parry his attack. Instead, it dragged its massive sword along the ground, carving a deep trench as it prepared to strike.

Zane’s eyes widened as he watched the greatsword swing upward toward him. Wait—who said Heavy Slash could only be executed from an overhead stance!?

Zane was sent flying, slamming into a boulder. The impact cost him another 107 HP. He hadn’t even managed to land Venomous Claws—the level suppression was too severe. In just one exchange, he had already lost nearly half his health!

And if he couldn’t recognize the telegraph animation of the boss dragging its sword, then from his perspective, Heavy Slash might as well have been an instant-cast skill!

“Icy Moon Slash!”

The frost effect had barely begun to spread before the Skeleton Warlord shattered it with brute force!

Sensing danger, Starry forcefully planted her Shoes of Speed against the ground, using the recoil to propel herself backward.

But the Skeleton Warlord had no intention of letting her escape so easily. Retracting its greatsword, it lowered its stance and charged straight at Starry!

Unlike the sluggish charge of a Mutated Wild Boar, this was the signature skill of Knights and Swordsmen, allowing the user to dash in a designated direction and stun anything in their path.

Starry was in serious danger!

However, she remained unfazed. Activating Thousand Flash Steps, she swiftly traced an S-shaped path beneath her feet, dodging while simultaneously counterattacking with a precise slash!

Not only did she completely evade the Charge, but she also struck the warlord squarely on the back.

“Cowardly rat! Do you dare face me head-on!?” the warlord roared in fury.

“Brainless brute! Do you dare fight me from the side?” Starry shot back without hesitation.

Her taunt only further enraged the Skeleton Warlord. Dragging its greatsword, it lunged toward her in a reckless charge.

Having already witnessed this attack before, Zane quickly realized the danger. Starry, too, recognized it as the telegraph animation of Heavy Slash and instinctively leaped back. There was no way she would attempt to block—this was the kind of attack that could only be dodged!

But her Thousand Flash Steps was still on cooldown, and the gap between them was closing rapidly.

‘Get on!’ Zane shouted internally.

Without looking back, Starry jumped and landed squarely on his back.

Zane immediately activated Sprint, dashing out of the warlord’s attack range just in time. The greatsword came crashing down onto the stone wall, leaving a massive crack in its wake.

“Damn vermin!” the warlord bellowed, giving chase once more.

“Stall for cooldown! I need Thousand Flash Steps!” Starry urged.

Zane understood. With Sprint, he could just barely match the boss’ speed, making the situation relatively safe for the time being.

Suddenly, a violent gust of wind surged toward him.

‘What the—how is its Charge cooldown this short?!’ Panicked, Zane immediately downed an HP Potion.

The Charge itself didn’t do much damage, but the follow-up normal attack was a different story—he lost nearly 300 HP in an instant.

Even worse, he was stunned! A full five seconds of immobility—more than enough time for the boss to finish him off.

The boss dealt another normal attack while Zane remained stunned.

“Icy Moon Slash!”

Starry had jumped off the wolf’s back just in time to unleash her skill. This time, luck was on their side. The frost spread across the warlord’s bony frame, freezing it solid into a massive block of ice.

She followed up with another normal attack, then did something completely unexpected— She lifted Zane, wolf and all!

“Thousand Flash Steps!”

The immense weight slowed her down, and even with Thousand Flash Steps, she only managed to return to normal movement speed. But that was enough. The ice prison shattered in under two seconds, but by then, Starry had already dashed several yards away.

Just as the warlord was about to close in again, Zane finally recovered from the stun!

Starry quickly set him down and, without wasting a moment, pressed one hand against him before hopping onto his back.

The warlord’s Heavy Slash sliced through empty air.

“Aaaargh! Damn intruders, I will never let you escape!” Its enraged roar echoed through the entire Underground Passage – 1st Floor.

1. Author’s Note: By the way, Skeletons are immune to the poison damage from Venomous Claws… totally forgot to mention that. (ㄒoㄒ)

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