Bob is The Winner

The creature didn't stand idly by. With a deep, guttural growl, it lunged at him, claws gleaming. Bob dodged the first strike and quickly countered, delivering a slash across the creature's exposed shoulder. His sword pierced its flesh but barely left a scratch on the powerful beast.

[-20 HP]

Bob winced as the creature's claws lightly grazed his shoulder, a sharp pain reminding him he would have to keep his guard even tighter. He quickly recovered, shifting into a defensive stance and watching the creature's every move.

The creature snarled, its claws faintly glowing with a red hue. Without warning, it struck downward, sending a wave of blood-red energy along the ground. Bob barely managed to leap aside, the wave narrowly missing him and leaving a scorched trail on the tunnel floor.

Bob dashed forward, dodging the creature's next strike. With a quick spin, he aimed his sword at its knee, trying to sever a tendon and limit its mobility. The blade hit its target, and this time he felt it bite deeper, black ichor seeping from the wound.

[45 watchers admire your precision]

The creature roared in fury, swinging its arm back with terrifying speed. Bob tried to dodge, but the creature's claw struck his side, knocking the wind out of him.

[-90 HP]

Bob's eyes widened when he saw how much HP he lost.

He staggered, feeling the sharp burn of the wound, but forced himself to keep going. The creature turned, its red eyes narrowing as it raised a claw and began gathering a sphere of dark energy. Bob's eyes widened; he didn't have time to dodge in the usual way.

Thinking quickly, he activated the Shadow Cloak. A wave of mana coursed through him, and his form melted into the shadows, becoming intangible just as the dark sphere flew forward. It barely missed him, colliding with the wall behind him and leaving a smoking crater.

Bob assumed he might have died if it had hit him.

Bob allowed himself a moment to catch his breath, his invisibility cloaking him from the creature's sight. He repositioned himself, silently circling behind it, feeling the cool touch of the Shadow Cloak's fabric on his skin. The material was cold to the touch, grounding him and giving him confidence. He raised his sword, carefully aiming for a vulnerable spot between the creature's shoulder blades.

With a swift, silent strike, he drove his blade deep into its back. The creature let out a tortured howl and began frantically thrashing, searching for the attacker.

[-55 HP]

Its wild movements hit him in the shoulder. He fell to the ground, pain shooting through his back.

The creature's eyes immediately fixed on the place where the loud sound had come from.

His three minutes of invisibility had ended.

The creature's dark energy flared, and its claws lengthened, covered in jagged red flames. The tunnel shook as it rose to its full height, and Bob felt the heavy aura intensify, pressing down on him until he struggled to breathe.

He stood up, wiping blood from his mouth. "This isn't over," he muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

The creature charged, the ground shaking beneath its weight. Bob sidestepped at the last moment, slashing his sword with full force into its side, leaving a jagged gash that oozed black ichor. But the creature barely flinched and lunged at him with those fiery claws.

He managed to block the hit with his sword, but the impact reverberated through his arms, sending a wave of pain through his muscles.

[-25 HP]

Bob was losing ground, the creature's relentless assault giving him barely any time to react. It was clear he couldn't keep dodging forever. He needed to end this quickly—but using Charge meant he'd only have one shot, and if he failed, he'd be too weak to continue.

The creature prepared itself and gathered another dark orb in its clawed hand. Bob took a deep breath, preparing himself. If he timed it right, he could use Charge to break through its attack and finish it off.

As the creature released the orb, Bob dashed forward, focusing all his strength into his right arm. His muscles strained, his vision blurred slightly from the effort. He felt his entire body begin to shake as he pushed past his limits, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.

"Now!" he shouted, driving his fist, empowered by Charge, straight into the creature's chest. The impact released a shockwave that echoed through the tunnel, the force so intense it cracked the stone walls and sent rubble falling from the ceiling.

The creature let out one final, agonized scream as Bob's fist drove deep into its chest, shattering its core. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, covering Bob as the monster staggered, then finally dissolved into a thick, dark mist that hung heavily in the air before dispersing.

The world spun around him, his limbs shaking uncontrollably as the effects of Charge took their toll. He stumbled, his legs barely holding him. His vision blurred, and every inch of his body felt like it was on fire.

From the monster's body came a small swirl of black blood that was directed at the blood-red gem that was in the crown.

[Congratulations! you killed the Mini Boss: Shadow Warp]

[+2500 XP]

[+10,000 coins]

Suddenly there was a loud clapping that seemed to come from somewhere.

[30 watchers applaud you]

[23 watchers give you respect and praise your performance]

[35 watchers donated coins]

[+5000 coins]

'Hehe, your first enemy who could use magic and had decent skill. Anyway, good job,' Remo praised Bob.

As expected, Addak appeared. Addak looked at Bob and also started clapping heavily, causing small pressure waves.

"Congratulations, Bob Keazamur, you have exceeded everyone's expectations," said a complimentary Addak.

"Anyway, here's a little gift that should help you. Drink it," said Addak and tossed Bob a small bottle that contained a pale red liquid that glowed a little.

Bob didn't hesitate. He drank the liquid, and a strange warmth rushed through his entire body. After a while, he was completely cured. Well, his HP was restored, but the side effects from the Charge remained, which was not good.

'That's some kind of healing potion, if you haven't noticed,' said Remo.

When Addak saw that Bob was healed, he smiled as if to say something that made him very happy.

"Let's talk about your reward. I'll give you two choices," Addak said.

"1 is...