Though he knew the villagers might be struggling in their own fight, it didn't matter—because his part was nearing its end.
Then he saw it.
The creature reared back, muscles coiling for a killing strike—but its balance faltered. A split-second opening and Wu Chen didn't hesitate.
In a flash, he surged forward, spearhead gleaming as it shot straight into the creature's exposed chest.
The blade sank deep. The creature let out a deafening, earth-shaking roar, its body convulsing violently as it staggered backward.
But Wu Chen gave it no mercy.
He followed through with a final, decisive lunge, driving the spear deeper and twisting it brutally—ensuring the blow was fatal.
The beast shuddered, it glowing eyes flickering as the light drained from them. Then, with a thunderous crash, it collapsed.
Silence fell.
Wu Chen stood over the fallen beast, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His body was slick with sweat, stained with blood and dirt—but he remained standing.
Then, distantly, the sounds of battle surged once more.
The other creatures, instead of retreating with the fall of their leader, became erratic—no longer coordinated, but more frenzied, Disorganized, and Wild.
That was fine by Wu Chen.
Their unity had died with their master. Now, they could be purged—one by one.
Once and for all
So Wu Chen's eyes locked onto the creature's corpse.
A faint, otherworldly glow rose from the beast's chest, swirling into a pulsating orb of dark energy. It hovered in the air, humming with raw, ominous power. Then, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[System Notification]
[You have slain: Special Mortal Creature (Level 5 Mid Tier) - "Demonic Boss"]
[ Do you wish to absorb the Special Demonic Core? - Y/N ]
Wu Chen didn't hesitate. He reached out, his hand steady despite the exhaustion weighing on him. "Absorb," he willed.
The core surged toward him, its energy flowing into his body like a torrent of power.
He felt it coursing through his veins, a strange mix of warmth and chill that left him both invigorated and unsettled, the feeling was far greater than how he felt when absorbing other demonic cores.
Just pure, volatile power.
As the energy settled within him, Wu Chen took a deep breath, his gaze lingering on the lifeless form of the creature.
The battle had been long and grueling, but he had emerged victorious—not just through strength, but through sheer will and unyielding determination.
[ Demonic Core Absorbed. ]
[ Power Level Increased (Breakthrough achieved) : Mortal 3 Mid Tier. ]
Wu Chen felt the surge of energy coursing through his veins, a tangible wave of power that made his muscles hum with newfound strength. He clenched his fists, marveling at the sensation. "The creature was so strong and its core was so potent that absorbing it pushed me directly to Mortal 3 Mid Tier, skipping the Low Tier completely " he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Any improvement in power is always welcome."
Before defeating the boss Wu Chen was a Mortal 2 Top Tier and now he has broken through to Mortal 3 Mid Tier skipping the low Tier, a lesser realm entirely.
But before he could fully process the change, another notification flickered at the edge of his consciousness. He ignored it for now—there were still creatures to deal with, and the villagers are still in danger.
Turning, Wu Chen dashed back into the fray.
With his enhanced strength, his movements that were already fluid and fast, became faster and sharper than before. Each strike of his spearhead precise and devastating.
Wu Chen became an unstoppable force.
The demonic horde crumbled before him, their savage coordination broken, their strength meaningless against his newfound might. One after another, they fell—cleaved, pierced, and swept aside.
The villagers some bloodied and battered watched in awe as he moved through the chaos like a force of nature, his every action radiating power and control.
Making their already high admiration of Wu Chen increase more.
One by one, the creatures fell, their lifeless bodies collapsing to the ground. The air thick with the stench of blood and the echoes of their dying cries.
As the last creature crumpled under his spear, the villagers erupted into cheers, their voices filled with relief and gratitude.
[ Demonic Core Absorbed. ] [ Power Level Increased: Mortal 3 Top Tier. ]
[ Demonic Core Absorbed. ] [ Power Level Stabilized: Mortal 3 Top Tier. ]
Wu Chen stood amidst the settling dust, his breath steadying as the last wisps of demonic energy curled around his fingertips. The battlefield lay silent now—a graveyard of broken creatures and splintered weapons.
The villagers emerged from the shadows of their defenses, their faces pale with exhaustion but alight with something fiercer than relief.
Reverence
Old Man Zhang shuffled forward, his gnarled hands trembling not from fear, but from the weight of words too vast for gratitude.
"You've done it again, Wu Chen," he rasped, bowing so low his forehead nearly brushed the bloodied earth. Wu Chen acted fast raising him up. "These old bones shouldn't have lived to see another dawn. Yet here we stand—because of you."
Wu Chen smiled, his expression calm. "Indeed the battle is over this time."
Simple words. But as they rippled through the crowd, shoulders straightened. Children peeked out from behind their mothers' skirts. A woman clutched her husband's arm, her tears cutting tracks through the grime on her face.
The celebration began not with cheers, but with a collective exhale—a village remembering how to breathe.
Even before the final battle the Tension had weighed heavily on Their Mind especially when the boss Creature started with the Taunts.
But now all is Over.
Their life is now theirs.
Then came the laughter, the claps on backs, the murmured prayers to ancestors.
The villagers couldn't help but jubilate, their spirits lifted by Wu Chen's strength and skill.
They know with his assurance the battle is over and even it's not, no matter what they faced, with him by their side, they felt assured and confident.
The firelight had dimmed to embers before Wu Chen finally stole a moment alone. The villagers' gratitude still hung in the air—woven into the extra blankets they'd piled on his pallet, the way the children had pressed candy and sweets into his hands before bed.
Their kindness was a balm.
The villagers had treated him with overwhelming kindness and gratitude, their hospitality a stark contrast to the brutality of the battle.
But now, alone in the quiet of the night, even though dawn will soon be approaching he remembered the notification he had ignored earlier.
So With a thought, he summoned it.