The Ruler's Last Breath

Rin's Sword Of Frost, covered by his freezing Mana, shone blue.

The Great Tiger was standing with its back against the cave's wall.

It growled, as if warning Rin not to get closer.

The latter simply stood in front of it, without approaching.

"I entered your den, and you're not even going to chase me out?" Rin asked.

The Great Tiger growled louder.

It noticed that Rin's sword wasn't covered in flames, but that wasn't enough to put the Beast at ease.

After all, it did not know if the human could wield fire at will.

"Come on... I know you want nothing more but to tear me to shreds right now." Rin said as he stretched his arms up towards the ceiling.

The Great Tiger stared at him.

Its remaining eye was widened to the maximum of its ability, to be able to perfectly discern Rin's body inside the darkness that reigned over the cave.

Why is the human leaving himself completely open?

The forest's ruler did not know the answer, but one thing was clear.

Its own body was getting heavier and heavier, and before long, it would be too heavy to move swiftly.

The Great Tiger decided that it would not miss its next chance.

The next time the human leaves himself open, the Beast would sink its fangs deep into its foe's neck.

"Come now, I'm not using even using fire." Rin said mockingly as he swung his sword around.

Maybe it was because the forest's ruler felt insulted.

Maybe it was because it wanted to finish things quickly.

In any case, the Beast played right into its enemy's hand as it leaped forward towards him.

Rin closed his eyes and raised his right hand.

He didn't yet have the strength the swing a sword with it, but he didn't need to.

The next second, a ball of blinding light appeared in front of Rin's palm.

The light was so bright that it lit up the cave in an instant.

Rin quickly stepped back while the Great Tiger fell to the ground, stunned.

The Beast's lone eye, which had widened to the maximum, was blinded.

[Magic Skill: Revealing Light[C]

A blinding light that will reveal true from false and real from fake.]

'It uses too much Mana to be used this way but...'

The Great Tiger growled as it struggled to stand.

Afraid of getting hit, it randomly leaped around the cave.

SLASH-

A wound appeared on the Beast's left foreleg.

Freezing Mana spread around the wound, cooling down and stiffening up the Monster's muscles.

Its right side hit the wall as it jumped away from Rin.

Trying to find the den's exit, the Great Tiger immediately tried to go along the wall.

SLASH-

But a swing from Rin's sword wounded its left back leg.

The Great Tiger immediately accelerated, but it only ran towards the deepest part of the den.

Its head hit the wall, and the next second, Mark thrust his Sword Of Frost.

It penetrated the Beast's neck.

He quickly pulled it out and stepped back.

'It probably won't be blinded for long...' Rin thought as he injured the Great Tiger's right back leg.

The Beast turned around.

With its back against the wall, it growled loudly while waving its paws randomly.

The Beast's den had become a cage.

It opened its eye, but it couldn't see a thing.

Another wound was drawn on its right foreleg.

The freezing Mana was slowly but surely limiting the Beast's mobility.

The Great Tiger could feel its body get heavier at a much faster pace than before.

'Only a couple of seconds left...' Rin thought as he put his Sword Of Frost back into its sheath.

The quiver on his back wasn't full of arrows, instead, it was filled with Items he had obtained in a previous Dungeon.

'This should penetrate its hide much more easily...' Rin thought as he swung that Item towards the Beast's side.

The Spider Queen's leg easily penetrated the Great Tiger's side.

The pain made the Beast moan loudly as it once again started leaping around the cave randomly.

By the time the Great Tiger could see again, all eight of the Spider Queen's Legs were embedded into its body.

Three on its left side, one on its right side, two on its back, one on its right foreleg and one on the side of its neck.

The Great Tiger opened its eye but it did not look at Rin at all.

Not only was its body extremely heavy, but it was also bleeding from everywhere.

The only thing that it cared about, was the den's exit.

And once it found it, it ran as fast as it could.

It was its only option to survive.

But that option was cut down a second later, when Rin's enflamed sword appeared in front of the Beast.

The Great Tiger made its last stand, but it was fruitless.

Its movements were now way too slow, due to the venom, frost and blood loss.

Rin's Sword Of Flame made its way deep into the Beast's neck.

The light that shone inside its one remaining eye quickly faded.

Rin pulled his weapon out and massive amounts of blood spurted out from the Beast's neck.

A second later, it fell to the ground.

The Great Tiger struggled to breathe because of all its injuries

Bubbles from its attempts to breathe appeared on its wounded neck.

Rin proceeded to pull out the Iron Sword and all the Spider Queen's Legs from the Great Tiger's body.

More blood left the Beast's body.

Rin stood on the other side of the cave, waiting for the Great Tiger to draw its last breath.

Finally,

[You have defeated the Great Tiger.]

[You have gained 7500 Experience Points!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated the Great Tiger!]

[You have accomplished an achievement that is extremely difficult to accomplish!]

[You have cleared the Dungeon "The Great Tiger's Den[E]"!]

[Rewards are being calculated...]

Rin chuckled as he felt power course through his body.

"Give me that Butcher Knife." He said as he took a step towards the Great Tiger's unmoving body.

'Huh?'

His legs gave out.

Rin fell to the ground.

His legs were trembling while his arms ached.

Rin breathed heavily as he struggled to turn his body so that he could face the ceiling.

'Was I this tired?' He thought.

[Your Title "Perfectionist Fighter" is proud of your performance.]

"Haha. I guess... Yeah, it was... A good fight... A good hunt..." Rin whispered.

He tried getting up, but his body refused to listen to his demands.

While the Health Potions had replenished some of his lost Health Points, his Endurance Points and Mana Points had hit an all-time low.

"Since it's that Beast's den... I doubt anything will dare enter... Right...?" Rin whispered as consciousness left his body.

Minutes later, an intruder entered that cave.