Leon looked at the hole and tightened his grip around the sword.

Though he said he was ready, his heart was beating faster. Part of it was due to excitement, and some part due to fear. Fear of the unknown. In the last four layers, he somehow managed to survive. But anything could have happened. And now... It was time for the boss of the gate. The last and most crucial part of the mission. If he succeeded, he would take another leap. A very high leap. But if he failed... That would be the end. End of everything.

Leon walked toward it and, after steadying his thoughts for a while...

He jumped.

He landed gracefully. Unlike the last four layers, monsters didn’t emerge immediately. Leon didn’t see anything. No goblin. No jackal. No other monsters. Only silence. That felt like dread. But Leon could feel it. Someone... Or precisely something... Was watching him. As if gauging his strength, personality, and state of mind.

All his senses were screaming danger. But he tried his best to hide it. Most importantly, he was trying to concentrate. Focus on his surroundings.

And then.... He heard it.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Footsteps echoed. A figure finally emerged from the darkness.

Leon’s eyes narrowed.

The first thing he saw... were the legs. Massive. Thick as pillars, wrapped in rough hide and fur, each step leaving a faint dent in the ground.

Then...

The torso emerged. A towering, monstrous body — muscles bulging unnaturally, veins crawling beneath greenish skin like writhing serpents. Its chest was bare, broad, and scarred, adorned with crude ornaments... Bones, fangs, and a small human skull hanging like a trophy.

Then came the arms. Huge. Overwhelmingly huge. Each one looked capable of crushing a human skull with ease. Spiked gauntlets were wrapped around its forearms.

In one of these massive arms... A cleaver. Jagged. Brutal. Still wet with fresh blood that dripped slowly onto the ground.

Finally, the face.

A grotesque fusion of man and beast. A thick, wild beard covered his jaw, tangled with dirt and bone fragments. Its lips curled slightly, revealing uneven, predatory teeth.

"Seriously? An orc? Is this a mission? Or a death sentence?"

The monster moved. Even after that hulking size, it was fast. Too fast.

Leon reacted instantly.

The orc swung the cleaver while still in motion. Leon also drew his sword back and released a downward slash.

Clanggggggggg! Steel met steel. Leon felt a sudden numbness spreading across his right hand like lightning.

Whoooooooosh!

Leon’s figure shot back like a cannon, hit the wall and embedded himself into it. "Arrgh." A muffled sound escaped his lips. He felt a good number of his bones had shattered.

The very next moment, the orc was already standing there. Just in front of that crater in the wall. It raised its free hand and grabbed Leon’s face, as if it were grabbing something weightless.

It threw him like an unwanted object. Leon’s body flew away, hit the ground, bounced twice and then slid into the distance.

"Damn it. It’s too damn strong. Its whole body is packed with muscle. Is there even a single weak spot to explore?" Blood dripped from the corner of his lips as he whispered.

He pushed himself to his feet but ducked instantly.

Whoosh!

The cleaver flew past him, just a hair’s breadth away from grazing his hair.

"System?"

[Yes, Host?]

"You didn’t bring me to the wrong gate, did you?"

[Negative, Host. This is the gate you have to conquer.]

"Damn you and that person in the dream." He said that, but sprinted forward. ’He just hurled his weapon. It’s now or never.’

The orc had just thrown its cleaver at Leon. Even without a weapon, it didn’t seem to have any weakness. But when do we attack an opponent we can’t defeat head-on? When they’re armed... or when they’re not? The answer was simple.

The orc’s lips curved into a twisted smile as if it knew what Leon was planning. Leon didn’t notice that subtle change in its expression. His full focus was on finding any scope, any weakness he could exploit.

Leon reached the orc and then.....

Slash!

His sword cut through the air as he swung it hard.

The boss didn’t dodge. It clenched its monstrous fist and threw a punch.

The steel met flesh. Leon’s expression froze. The impact was so hard that he felt he had actually hit a rock with his sword.

The orc stood there like an immovable mountain. But Leon staggered back more than five steps.

Leon stared at his sword, then at his trembling hand. The sensation was still there.

The orc didn’t attack. It looked at Leon, amused as if enjoying the despair on Leon’s face.

Leon gritted his teeth and looked at the orc. His grip tightened. His veins bulged. "I don’t believe you are unbeatable."

He lunged forward again. The boss also reacted.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Leon moved from one place to another and kept attacking the orc from different angles. The boss retaliated with ease. With each blow, Leon felt the unbearable pain, the numbness spreading through his hand. But he didn’t stop. Rather, his speed continued to increase. His attacks slowly grew fiercer.

’This is my chance. My only chance. No matter what, today you are going down, you ugly piece of shit.’

Leon continued his pursuit. But all his attacks met the orc’s fists. Until one slash finally landed. It was on the orc’s shoulder. It didn’t leave any damage, though. But it was enough to boost Leon’s morale.

Leon pushed further. His knuckles turned white from the sheer pressure he was exerting. His speed increased even further. And finally, another strike landed. And this time it was in its right calf. Blood splattered. The orc’s leg shifted.

Leon froze for a moment. But then, his lips curved into a smile. "Found you. Guess you are not that well protected, are you?"

Leon rushed forward, aiming for that same spot.

He swung his sword fast.

But...

The expected scene didn’t happen.

Suddenly, the cleaver was blocking his sword, the orc holding it with a wicked smile.

"YOU WERE GETTING COCKY, WEREN’T YOU?" A hoarse voice echoed.