Chapter 78: The Reckoning

Cheol Su stood before the Soul Eater, the power of his daggers faltering, his body aching with pain. But his resolve remained strong, his heart burning with defiance.

Griorg towered over him, his form a mass of shadows and darkness, his eyes gleaming with hatred.

"You will not prevail, Cheol Su," he rasped. "Your weapons are but toys in my hands." "You are but a child playing with sticks," the Giant High Orc sneered, his voice booming through the chamber. "Your daggers cannot hope to pierce my skin, let alone my soul."

Cheol Su bared his teeth, his hands trembling with the effort of holding his blades.

"We'll see about that," he muttered. "You may be big, but I'm fast, and you're not as invincible as you think." Cheol Su's body shimmered in the darkness, his Stealth skill enveloping him in a cloak of shadows.

But Griorg's eyes narrowed, his senses sharpened by the magic of the Underworld.

"Pathetic human," he growled. "Do you think your pitiful skills can hide you from me?"

With a flick of his wrist, Griorg sent out a wave of dark energy, the power rippling through the chamber like a silent thunderclap. Cheol Su's vision swam, his body throbbing with pain.

"Cheol Su," Cyprus' voice whispered in his mind. "You are growing fatigued. Your mana count is low, and your abilities are draining you."

Cheol Su gritted his teeth, his body trembling with effort. But he did not falter.

"Cyprus, buy one mana potion," he gasped.

"Purchase complete," Cyprus replied, and in an instant, the potion appeared in Cheol Su's hand. With a single gulp, Cheol Su downed the potion, his veins filling with a surge of energy.

"Now," he growled, his voice filled with determination. "Void Reaver!"

In a blaze of darkness, Cheol Su vanished, his body disappearing into the shadows. And as the echoes of Griorg's laughter faded, a terrible, unearthly howl rang out through the chamber.

Cheol Su had gone berserk. "It's now or never," Cheol Su whispered, his voice a guttural growl, as he emerged from the shadows.

In his hands, his daggers were now black as night, their blades crackling with unearthly energy.

Griorg's eyes widened in shock, his smug expression replaced by a look of genuine fear.

"What is this?" he snarled. "What power do you wield?"

"This," Cheol Su replied, his voice a cold, deadly whisper. With a howl of rage, Cheol Su lunged forward, his daggers flashing in the darkness, their blades slicing through the air like lightning.

Griorg roared, his massive fists slamming down on the ground, the chamber trembling with the force of his attack.

But Cheol Su was relentless, his Void Reaver skill allowing him to move faster than the eye could follow, his daggers piercing Griorg's flesh again and again.

"You will pay for your arrogance!" Cheol Su cried, his voice a terrible, terrible scream. Griorg's form wavered, his massive body buckling under the assault.

"No!" he roared, his voice filled with pain and rage. "I cannot be defeated! I am Griorg the Soul Eater! I am the lord of the Underworld!"

But Cheol Su was like a force of nature, his Void Reaver skill imbuing him with the strength of a demi god. With a single, powerful blow, Cheol Su's daggers plunged deep into Griorg's chest, the Boss's body shuddering with pain.

"Griorg the Soul Eater," Cheol Su snarled, his voice filled with contempt. "I am the System's liege for a reason . And you are nothing but a shadow of your former self."

Griorg let out a final, guttural scream, his body collapsing to the floor with a deafening crash. As Griorg fell, the chamber began to tremble, the walls cracking with the force of the Boss's death.

"Cyprus," Cheol Su gasped, his body shuddering with exhaustion. "Was that it? Is he really dead?"

"Griorg has been defeated," Cyprus intoned, its voice solemn and reverent. "The floor has been cleared."

Cheol Su staggered forward, his knees buckling under the weight of his fatigue. As he stumbled forward, Cheol Su felt a sudden wave of relief wash over him.

He had done it. He had beaten Griorg the Soul Eater, and cleared the first floor of the Underworld.

He had faced down the challenge of the Boss, and emerged victorious.

But the fight had taken its toll. Cheol Su's body was battered and bruised, his strength drained.

"You did it," Cyprus said, its voice warm and reassuring. "You survived the first floor." Cyprus's notification appeared in Cheol Su's vision, a series of glowing letters that hovered in the air before him.

Void Reaver: Leveled up to Level 2.

First Floor Rewards:

- The Roots of Tranquility Epic+ item

- Orc Berserker Axe Epic weapon

New Class Unlocked: Berserker.

Cheol Su's eyes widened with awe as he read the list, his heart pounding in his chest.

The Roots of Tranquility, an epic+ and powerful item that would no doubt bolster his abilities. "What's the actual use of the Root?" Cheol Su asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I suppose you're going to tell me that I'll need a rocket scientist to figure out how to use it?"

"The Root of Tranquility can be used in a variety of ways," Cyprus replied, its voice calm and measured. "Depending on your intended use, a craftsman or alchemist may be able to amplify its power, using their knowledge and skills to enhance the Root's effects."

Cheol Su� Cheol Su laughed, his expression one of amusement and annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I need a crafty nerd to help me out. Just add that to the long list of things I need to do when I get out of this pit."