The doors slammed shut behind Ryuuto, sealing him inside the massive chamber.
At the center of the room stood a hulking figure, its silhouette barely illuminated by flickering torches.
Then, the system revealed its name.
[Bloodfang Hobgoblin - Corrupted Variant] (Hostile: Black Name Tag)
HP: ???
Ryuuto's stomach dropped.
A black name tag.
That meant this thing wasn't just strong—it was stupidly strong.
---
The hobgoblin moved first.
A blur of red eyes and monstrous muscle closed the distance in an instant.
Ryuuto barely raised his shield in time—
CRACK!
The impact rattled his bones. His shield absorbed most of the force, but he still got launched across the chamber, skidding across the stone floor.
"Ow."
His HP bar had plummeted from one hit.
"Okay. First impressions? This boss is a cheating bastard."
---
Ryuuto pushed himself up, eyes narrowing as he focused on the hobgoblin's movements.
Boss fights always had patterns.
He just had to find it.
The hobgoblin roared and charged again—same movement, same speed.
Ryuuto braced his shield, but this time, instead of taking the hit head-on, he angled his body—
The monster's claws scraped off the shield's edge, sending sparks flying as Ryuuto sidestepped.
His sword lashed out—a counterattack to the ribs!
CLANG.
The blade barely left a scratch.
Ryuuto grimaced. "Great. It has armor-like skin."
---
If slashing didn't work, he had to find another way.
The hobgoblin lifted its claws for another swing.
Ryuuto's mind raced. "Think—where's the weak spot?"
The moment the monster attacked, he rolled low, avoiding the claws completely.
That's when he saw it—the knees.
Unarmored.
A soft target.
With a sudden burst of speed, he slammed his shield into the hobgoblin's leg.
[Basic Shield Bash (Lv. 7) Activated!]
The impact made the monster stagger—just long enough for Ryuuto to slash at its Achilles tendon.
The hobgoblin snarled, **stumbling for the first time.**
"*Hell yeah!*"
---
Now that he had some control, Ryuuto looked around for any usable terrain.
The chamber was filled with rubble—broken pillars, loose stones, even hanging chains from the ceiling.
His eyes flicked to the torches along the walls.
A crazy idea formed.
"Time to get creative."
The hobgoblin recovered and lunged again—this time, faster.
Ryuuto led it toward a pillar, baiting it into a predictable attack pattern.
As expected, the monster swung too wide—its claws embedded into the stone.
"Gotcha."
Before it could rip its arm free, Ryuuto grabbed a torch from the wall and threw it onto the monster's fur.
WHOOSH!
The dry patches ignited instantly.
The hobgoblin shrieked in rage, thrashing wildly.
[New Status Effect Applied: Burning (Moderate)]
---
Despite the fire, the hobgoblin still moved—erratic and unpredictable.
It abandoned its previous attack pattern.
"Shit."
The boss switched to a berserk state, flailing in all directions.
Ryuuto got clipped by a backhand—
His vision blurred. His HP bar dipped into critical red.
"One more hit and I'm dead."
He stumbled, barely staying on his feet.
The hobgoblin lunged—its burning form a streak of death.
---
"If I can't beat it conventionally… I'll just cheese it."
Ryuuto's eyes flicked toward the hanging chains.
The moment the hobgoblin leaped at him, Ryuuto dove to the side, rolling into position.
At the same time—
He swung his sword at the chains.
SNAP!
The massive iron links came loose, crashing down onto the monster.
BANG!
The hobgoblin was slammed into the ground, momentarily pinned beneath the weight.
"NOW!"
Ryuuto rushed forward, raising his sword—
[Critical Hit!]
The blade pierced through the hobgoblin's exposed throat.
---
The monster convulsed, screeching… then finally went still.
Ryuuto gasped for breath, his whole body aching.
He did it.
He beat the boss.
But before he could celebrate—
His vision darkened.
---
SYSTEM MESSAGE
[Trial Complete.]
[Player Status: Unconscious.]
[Initiating Reincarnation Process…]
---
Ryuuto's last thought before losing consciousness?
"I better not wake up as a slime."
[End of Chapter]