I stared at the massive, motionless body for a brief moment before shifting my gaze toward another direction, sensing an overwhelming presence where the monster I had sin once stood.

  The forest y in ruin—trees shattered, toppled, and scorched, forming a clear path of destruction. This devastation was the result of the battle that had just taken pce. But beyond the wreckage, another creature stood—the same species, yet distinctly different from its fallen partner.

  As its gaze fell upon the lifeless body of its companion, an intense, suffocating aura radiated from it. Unlike before, when it had treated the fight as little more than a skirmish, this time was different. Now, its fury had reached its peak, and the air around it crackled with rage.

  Its overwhelming presence was so intense that I was momentarily caught off guard. I could feel it—its body was different now.

  "I see… you're going all out, huh?" I muttered.

  The monster was undergoing a transformation. Its once dark hide was now turning a steely gray, a clear sign that it was activating its ability to harden its body like solid steel. At the same time, its muscles swelled to their limit, expanding its already massive form even further.

  "It grew by at least a foot… Is this strengthening magic? Or an intrinsic ability?" I pondered, observing the changes closely.

  The transformation was unnatural—magical, even—defying any logical expnation. But one thing was certain: this reinforcement was meant to make its body even tougher than before, enhancing its already formidable durability.

  Thud! Thud!

  Each step it took sent tremors through the ground, as if an earthquake had struck. Slowly but steadily, the monster advanced, closing the distance between us.

  Now, we stood face to face in a tense standoff. Its only thought was clear—vengeance for its fallen companion.

  The monster lowered itself into a stance reminiscent of a charging bull, clearly preparing to ram me just as it had before.

  But I had already studied their attack patterns. I had seen this stance multiple times, and I knew exactly what was coming.

  Fssh

  Steam-like smoke burst from its nostrils.

  Move.

  In an instant, the monster accelerated, charging forward like a speeding train. Its movement had improved slightly, but to me, it was still slow. I stood ready, my Dragon’s Breath prepared to fire the moment it came within range.

  Just before it could reach me, I unleashed my attack.

  BOOM!

  The bst struck its target head-on like a missile, erupting in a fiery explosion. But to my shock, the monster didn’t even flinch. It took no damage, showed no hesitation, and continued barreling toward me without losing momentum.

  My cooldown hadn’t reset yet, leaving me with no choice—I braced myself to dodge.

  Pain surged through my entire body—my previous injuries had yet to heal—but I gritted my teeth and pushed through it, moving swiftly to evade my opponent’s charge.

  BOOM!

  A massive explosion erupted as the monster collided with a giant boulder, reducing it to dust.

  "So its raw power has increased too… I’d better avoid getting hit by that. I haven’t even recovered from my previous wounds."

  I clenched my fists, frustration creeping in.

  "Not only has it become stronger, but its body is even tougher now… My attacks aren’t affecting it at all. What am I supposed to do?"

  The monster had fully unleashed its rage, attacking with reckless abandon. My once-effective strikes now seemed useless.

  THUD! THUD! THUD!

  Heavy footsteps echoed through the battlefield.

  "What?! It’s already repositioned for another charge? This is insane!"

  There was no time to dwell on my frustration. The beast was already closing in fast. Thankfully, I could still move nimbly enough to dodge its attack.

  CLANG!

  Seizing an opening, I struck from its exposed side—only to be met with an impenetrable surface.

  "Tch… how hard is this thing?" I grumbled, irritation growing.

  ?

  one hour passed

  ?

  The battle had become a grueling test of endurance. All I could do was unleash my Dragon’s Breath whenever I managed to create some distance, and seize any opening to strike with my cws when dodging its relentless charges.

  For the monster, its only means of attack was ramming me with its massive body, over and over again.

  The battlefield had been reduced to utter devastation—scorched earth, shattered trees, and deep craters marked the intensity of our fight.

  "Haa… Haa… How troublesome… Why… won’t… you… just… go… down… already?!" I gasped for breath between every word, exhaustion weighing heavily on me.

  But I wasn’t the only one feeling the strain. The monster, too, must have been growing weary from repeating the same attacks endlessly.

  "I bet… it’s only a matter of seconds before your hardening ability wears off… There’s no way you can keep that up forever… heh," I sneered, forcing a grin despite my fatigue.

  Moments after I spoke, the monster’s color gradually returned to its original shade, signaling that its hardening ability had finally worn off.

  Yet, despite losing its enhanced defense, the beast still took the same stance, preparing to charge once more. Even in a weakened state, it refused to surrender.

  I couldn’t help but admire its resilience—it was just as unyielding as its fallen companion.

  "Heh… both you and your partner are worthy of my respect… so be proud," I murmured.

  "I suppose this will be our final battle… It’s sted long enough, and I must admit—I enjoyed fighting both of you. If I die here, at least I can take pride in knowing I gave it my all."

  I may not have the heart of a true warrior, but if I must fall, then dying in battle—having fought with everything I had—seems like a honorable and fitting end.

  CHARGE!

  Both of us lunged forward, rushing toward each other with unwavering determination.

  As we closed the distance, I leaped straight into the monster’s path. Its massive tusks tore into my flesh, and though I was small enough to slip between the gaps, the sharp edges still sshed across my body. The sheer impact of our collision rattled my bones—several of them cracked under the force.

  But I endured the pain, focusing all my strength on my attack. With precision, I drove my sharp cws deep into the monster boar’s right eye at the exact moment our bodies made contact. The force of our combined momentum drove my strike even deeper, and in an instant, a gush of blood erupted from the wound.

  It all happened in the blink of an eye.

  Yet, even with its eye pierced, the monster did not stop—it continued charging forward, undeterred. In the distance, I spotted a mountain wall fast approaching. It was clear—the beast intended to ram me straight into it, crushing me upon impact.

  "That’s dangerous…" I muttered, blood spilling from my mouth.

  But I refused to give up. There was still time before we collided.

  Whoosh!

  I wrenched my arm free from its ruined eye, causing another burst of blood to spray out. Without hesitation, I prepared my Dragon’s Breath, aiming to unleash it directly inside the exposed socket—hoping to end this fight by detonating its skull from within.

  BOOM!