Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Werewolf Dungeon Boss

The dungeon air smelled like blood.

Fresh blood.

Monster blood.

Human blood.

Kael stood near the entrance of the Dungeon Core chamber, breathing slowly as the gigantic werewolf stared directly at him from across the cavern. The creature’s crimson eyes glowed faintly within the darkness while thick black mana rolled off its body like smoke.

Behind Kael, Charlotte remained frozen.

The pressure radiating from the monster was overwhelming.

And Kael understood immediately—

This was not a normal dungeon boss.

The academy had classified the dungeon as E-rank.

That had already been proven false the moment they encountered mana-enhanced wolves earlier in the cave system. But this monster standing before the Dungeon Core was even worse than that.

Its mana fluctuations were dangerously close to C-rank territory.

Kael slowly tightened his grip around his daggers.

This was bad.

Not impossible.

But bad.

The strain from the previous battles was already starting to affect him.

His muscles burned beneath the training weights strapped around his arms and legs. His mana reserves had dropped lower than he liked admitting, especially after repeatedly using the First Form inside narrow corridors.

Still—

He wasn’t collapsing yet.

And there was only one reason for that.

{Infinite Adaptation}.

Ever since the demon seed inside him awakened, the skill had evolved alongside his body. Every injury, every strain, every near-death situation forced his body to adapt little by little.

It wasn’t instant regeneration.

It wasn’t immortality.

But it allowed him to survive situations that should have overwhelmed someone at his current rank.

Kael exhaled slowly.

"I really need to stop fighting things stronger than me," he muttered quietly.

The werewolf suddenly moved.

Fast.

Far too fast for its size.

The ground beneath its feet shattered as it lunged across the cavern like a cannonball.

Kael’s eyes widened slightly.

Flash Step.

Mana burst beneath his feet.

His body vanished sideways just as enormous claws tore through the space where his head had been moments earlier.

BOOM!

The impact alone cracked the stone floor.

Charlotte stumbled backward from the shockwave.

The werewolf didn’t stop moving.

It twisted immediately, monstrous reflexes allowing it to continue attacking without losing momentum. Its claws descended toward Kael again.

Kael shifted backward instinctively.

Too slow.

The claws grazed across his shoulder and chest.

Pain exploded through his body.

Blood sprayed across the cavern floor.

Kael skidded backward several meters before forcing himself to stabilize.

His breathing became uneven.

The wound wasn’t fatal.

But it was deep enough.

The werewolf grinned.

Actually grinned.

Kael frowned immediately.

Intelligent.

Again.

That was becoming a very dangerous pattern in this world.

The monster rushed him again.

Kael abandoned defense completely.

He enhanced his body with mana and charged forward instead, drawing both daggers in reverse grip.

If he fought cautiously, he would lose.

The werewolf swung downward.

CLANG!

Kael crossed both daggers against its claws, the impact nearly tearing his arms apart from sheer force. The ground beneath him cracked instantly.

Too strong.

Kael disappeared into shadows immediately.

"Shadow Step."

His body emerged behind the werewolf.

He drove one dagger toward its shoulder.

THUK!

The blade pierced flesh.

The werewolf roared violently and swung backward without even looking.

Kael barely ducked beneath the strike before twisting around another claw attack.

Fast.

Too fast.

The monster fought like an experienced warrior instead of a beast.

Kael retreated several steps, breathing harder now.

Blood dripped steadily down his chest.

The wound burned.

But even now—

{Infinite Adaptation} was already working.

He could feel his body slowly adjusting to the werewolf’s speed and strength.

Tiny improvements.

Tiny reactions.

The werewolf attacked again.

Kael met it head-on.

The cavern erupted into chaos.

Claws collided against daggers repeatedly, sparks exploding across the darkness. Kael used Flash Step constantly, repositioning around the creature while searching for openings.

The werewolf adapted quickly.

Every time Kael disappeared, the creature reacted faster.

Its instincts were monstrous.

Several more exchanges followed.

Kael slashed across its ribs.

The werewolf tore open the side of his jacket.

Kael stabbed toward its neck.

The monster blocked with its forearm before slamming its elbow into his stomach.

Kael coughed blood.

The impact launched him backward.

He crashed across the stone floor before immediately rolling sideways.

A massive claw smashed into the ground where his head had been.

Kael breathed heavily.

His mana was dropping rapidly now.

Using enhancement, Flash Step, and Shadow Step continuously was draining him faster than expected.

And the extra training weights attached to his body were becoming harder to ignore.

Normally they improved his combat growth.

Right now they felt like chains.

The werewolf slowly circled him.

Watching.

Waiting.

Almost enjoying itself.

Kael wiped blood from his mouth.

This was the first opponent since the demon in Velcrest City that genuinely made him feel pressured.

Not because the monster was unbeatable—

But because Kael wasn’t strong enough yet.

The realization irritated him.

In the game, progression had been simple.

Levels.

Stats.

Abilities.

But reality was different.

Pain was real.

Death was very real.

The werewolf suddenly vanished from sight.

Kael’s instincts screamed.

He twisted instantly—

Too late.

A claw strike broke through his defense completely and slammed directly into his chest.

CRACK!

Kael felt several ribs fracture immediately.

Blood exploded from his mouth as the force launched him backward through the cavern.

Charlotte’s eyes widened in horror.

"Kael!!"

Her scream echoed throughout the chamber.

Kael crashed violently against a rock formation before falling to one knee.

Pain shot through his entire body.

His vision blurred briefly.

The werewolf slowly turned toward Charlotte.

And Kael’s expression changed immediately.

"Idiot," he muttered.

Fear made people stupid.

Charlotte froze the moment the monster looked at her.

Wrong move.

Predators targeted weakness instinctively.

The werewolf lunged toward her.

Charlotte panicked completely.

She stumbled backward while trying to form a spell, but her mana control collapsed under pressure.

Too slow.

The monster would reach her in seconds.

Kael forced himself upright.

His broken ribs screamed in protest.

Mana surged violently through his legs.

Flash Step.

The world blurred.

Kael appeared directly beneath the werewolf mid-charge.

Without hesitation—

He stomped hard onto its foot.

BOOM!

The sudden interruption disrupted the creature’s balance for half a second.

More than enough.

Kael drove one dagger upward into the monster’s chest while the other slashed toward its neck.

Blood exploded outward.

The werewolf roared furiously.

Kael twisted away instantly—

But the creature’s tail slammed into his side like a steel whip.

CRACK!

Kael’s body flew across the cavern again.

This time he smashed directly through a stone pillar before tumbling violently across the floor.

Charlotte gasped.

"Kael!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Dust filled the air.

For several seconds—

Nothing moved.

Then Kael slowly pushed himself upward from the rubble.

Blood covered half his face now.

One of his daggers had snapped during impact.

His breathing was ragged.

But his eyes remained calm.

Cold.

Focused.

The werewolf stared at him carefully now.

Not arrogantly anymore.

Cautiously.

Because despite everything—

The human in front of it still refused to die.

Kael spat blood onto the ground.

His body hurt everywhere.

Several ribs were definitely broken now.

His mana reserves were nearly exhausted.

And the worst part—

He could feel the demonic mana inside him reacting to the pressure.

Hungry.

Violent.

The same feeling from Velcrest City.

Kael frowned slightly.

No.

Not here.

Not in front of academy observers.

If Stella or the others noticed demonic mana erupting from him inside the dungeon, things would become complicated immediately.

The werewolf crouched low again, preparing another charge.

Charlotte looked terrified.

But this time—

She stepped forward anyway.

A trembling magic circle formed near her hand.

"I-I can distract it—"

"No."

Kael interrupted her instantly.

Charlotte froze.

Kael slowly stood upright while adjusting his grip on the remaining dagger.

"You’ll die."

His tone remained completely calm.

Charlotte bit her lip.

She hated that he was right.

Kael inhaled deeply.

Then slowly—

He reached toward the straps attached to his arms.

Click.

One weight dropped onto the stone floor.

BOOM.

The entire cavern shook slightly from the impact.

Charlotte’s eyes widened.

Heavy.

Far heavier than normal training equipment should have been.

Kael removed the second one.

Then the leg weights.

Each impact cracked the ground beneath them.

The werewolf instinctively stepped backward.

Kael rolled his shoulders slowly.

The sudden lightness almost made him lose balance for a moment.

His body felt unbelievably faster.

The pressure restraining his movements disappeared instantly.

Charlotte stared at him in shock.

"You fought like that while wearing those...?"

Kael ignored the question.

Instead—

He lowered himself into stance again.

Moonlight-like mana slowly gathered around the edge of his dagger.

The atmosphere inside the cavern changed immediately.

Even the werewolf sensed it.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

For the first time since entering the dungeon—

He looked genuinely dangerous.

"Let’s finish this," he said quietly.

And then he vanished.