The Young Master in the Shadows

Chapter 267: Boss Battle (1)

“We should split up!” Tom suddenly suggested after 20 Minutes of aimless running.

The group had finally managed to outpace that guy by escaping through the narrowest paths they could find. That thing was having difficulty moving because of its size which had grown 3 times after devouring a lot of poor skeletons. It could only move now after turning into a slug and squeezing through the tunnels. It was advancing relatively slowly but from the creepy sound in the darkness behind them, they knew that it was still following them!

Thankfully, after the lich king got eaten, all of the skeletons got deactivated, so the tunnels were now empty again! They just had to be careful not to step on any sharp bones.

“I will go right on the next fork… you guys go left…” Tom explained to Zoe.

Due to the darkness of the tunnels, an intersection would only be visible a few feet before they reach it. So he made sure to make things clear.

“Don’t listen to him!” Alex suddenly screamed, “He knows where the exit of this floor is. He is planning to head there by himself!” she explained. She knew this because 10 Minutes ago, she received a ‘Talisman Massage’ from Victor, giving her the map and telling her to meet him on the fifth floor if she was still alive!

Although she was still hesitant to meet Victor fearing his punishment because of the toy’s incident. She knew that he was probably the only one who could kill this thing. She has witnessed his power and shrewdness firsthand in the spider dungeon!

Alex had already noticed how Tom was slowly guiding them toward the exit for the last 10 minutes. She was sure he has the mp too!

“Really?” Zoe, who noticed Tom’s reaction earlier, asked, forcing him to quickly hide his annoyance.

“I have no idea where the exit is! How could I?” Tom said, hiding the fact that the whimsical system had already given him the map of this place.

“Splitting up is logical…” Zoe said after some thinking. That thing had slowed down, but they were getting tired, and it would catch up with them sooner or later as they would never be able to sleep or rest.

And even if Tom knew where the exit was, which she had a hunch he did, as long as Isphigar followed him, she could just stay here and find a way to kill that thing from behind…. No, she would not risk getting trapped!

“Let’s do it! But I will go to the right!” she declared finally just as they reached the next fork in the tunnels. She didn’t wait for Tom to say anything as she went right, giving Tom who began to curse silently, no other choice but to go left with his group.

The system had warned him not to divulge anything about having the map after all!

…

“Shit! That asshole!”

It took Zoe five minutes to begin cursing loudly. Uncle Falcon had warned her to stop with this vulgar language as it was not fit for a lady, but at the moment she couldn’t help it.

The monster had chosen to go after her and Alex who seemed to have also followed her… Why did it go after them and not the bigger group? What kind of bad luck was this?

“We will split up at the next intersection…” she said, she had the strangest hunch that the monster was purposefully following Alex. She needed to get away from this jinx!

“No need! I know where the exit is… ” Alex said. She didn’t want to stay alone. “Just follow me, we can leave this floor safely!”

“Really? How did you know?” Zoe asked, squinting her eyes.

“Ah… an…. It is my navigation skill!” Alex lied, “Now turn left!” she said, turning to the left.

Zoe frowned, then decided to follow. She didn’t want to end up trapped at a dead end with that thing behind her, and with Alex, she can always escape if things went wrong.

…

In another tunnel On the other side of the fork, Tom moving stopped after realizing that Isphigar stopped following him.

“F*CK!” he cursed.

“Is everything alright?” Peter asked as he glanced at the empty corridor behind him. He was worried about Zoe. Although she was not his type as he didn’t like tomboyish girls, she was his classmate after all, and she saved his life earlier.

“Ah….Yes….Just need to collect my thoughts,” Tom said as he closed his eyes.

“System, is there another exit?” he asked as he began to examine the map in his mind. Zoe went through the only tunnel leading to the exit, and if he followed now, that thing might turn and attack him!

“Ah! That’s right” Tom quickly opened his eyes wide and smirked. He never thought of that!

“Follow me!” he said to his entourage as turned around and began to run.

“Why are we going back?” One girl asked as she followed. She was still shaking after the earlier encounter.

“You will see!” Tom answered mysteriously while trying his best to appear charming. The system, although had a sharp tongue, really treated him well!

…

In the safe zone on the top floor, Isabella frowned as she watched ‘Victor’ walk into the safe zone with two stranger girls and the twins. One of them seemed to be missing a hand, but she was not sure which as she couldn’t tell them apart. Thankfully both of them survived.

“Mina, what happened?” Mr.Gold ran quickly to check on Mina’s hand as the still-shocked schoolmates watched from afar. This was the first dungeon raid for most of them, and now they were scarred for life!

“We had an accident…” ‘Victor’ said.

“Where is Lin? Didn’t she meet up with you?” Elma, the girl who was with Lin and Mr. Gold asked, still shocked after witnessing Tristan’s ugly death.

“She said she will search for the other students…” Mina said.

“But…. what if the nutcracker got to her?” Elma asked, Making Mr. Gold frown and ‘Victor’ shiver and involuntarily yelp as if that name reminded him of a very horrific scene.

“Oh….” the twins didn’t know how to answer that.

“Did you meet with it?” Mr.Gold, who noticed how ‘Victor’ reacted, asked.

Teacher Isabella, also tuned in. Mr. Gold had already told her about Tristan… Was this nutcracker real? She wondered.

“Yes… we saw it work from afar… More than 40 players died under its hands downstairs… Thankfully they were all bad players and not anyone from the academy….” Mina said, carefully controlling her expression…. The fake Victor’s expression was genuine though, she had seen him work… she wanted to forget, but she couldn't… how could she. He warned her that she would suffer the same fate if she acted badly again. He made her sign a contract too!

“How did you escape?” Elma asked.

“We got lucky as it was after some very strong players…” Mana replied this time. “Those poor guys didn’t have a chance… I can still hear their desperate screams when I close my eyes!” she said as she tried her best to appear frightened.

“How can you leave Lin alone there!” Mr.Gold looked at Victor and scolded, “ Lin your fiancée, isn’t she?”

“Ahh… I couldn’t stop her…” Victor replied as ‘he’ quickly took out his tent, placed it in a corner then went into it not wanting to argue any further. “I need to rest!” ‘he’ explained in a frightened voice.

“Mr.Gold… When we met that thing…. The young master stood in front of us to protect us… don’t be hard on him!” Mana said as she quickly followed Victor inside the tent.

Mina and the two other girls also followed under the shocked eyes of the students…. This tent was meant for one or two occupants max!

“Pervert!” Isabella spat as she stood up.

“Where are you going?” Mr. Gold, who was frowning, asked.

“I will go down!” she said. “I need to find the rest of the students!” She lied, she just was worried about Tom and was going.

“Be careful… Return as soon as you locate any!” Mr.Gold, who knew that he couldn’t stop her, said after hesitation for a moment. This dungeon had just turned into an S rank, they should follow the protocol and protect the students while waiting for help that would definitely come.

Thankfully, Victor had given them the energy bars that solved their need for food! Although a little eccentric, Mr. Gold felt that Victor was a good young man.

“Ahhh….” a lewd sound shattered the serious atmosphere seconds later, it came from the tent.

Damn that pervert.

…

Alex and Zoe were utterly exhausted when they reached the stairway and Isphigar who seemed a little annoyed after eating most of the skeletons began to pick up his speed again because the tunnel had widened near the exit.

The escaping girls had no other choice but to run as if their life depended on it!....No wait, Their life did depend on it!

They quickly climbed the stairway as Isphigar who had turned into a snake behind them hit the door and then shattered into smoke before reassembling into a slug and squeezing behind them.

It took them exactly one minute to run their way up the stairs and into the bright garden. They stood there in shock for mere seconds as their eyes adjusted to the brightness.

“Oh, Zoe!” Victor, who was waiting there while relaxing on a sunlounger said as he sat up.

“Victor… Run… It is after us!” Zoe said, pausing for a second to catch her breath as Alex, who totally ignored Victor and kept running into the distance until she tripped and fell…

“Is it here?” Victor asked in shock as he stood up abruptly, nearly stumbling.

“Yes!” Zoe said as she began to run again, “How did you….”

“Quickly follow me! This area has a trap that I set! I was trying to act as a decoy to lure it in!” he said, grabbing the exhaust Zoe’s soft hand and quickly dragging her and began to run, totally ignoring Alex who he purposefully stunned and left on the ground.

Zoe didn’t know why she couldn't resist Victor’s hand as he dragged her, maybe because she was tired.

It took them a few seconds to reach an area far away that had been camouflaged. From here, they would have time to escape if their plan failed.

“Young master!” Alex pleaded as the black fog began to appear at the ominous stairway gate.

Seconds later a delicate hand grabbed her and pulled her into hiding, it was Lin who was hiding to the side.

“It is coming…. “ Zoe said as she swallowed and stepped back.

“Yes… It is time for revenge!” Victor said.

“Wait… Cousin, did you also meet that boss before?” Zoe asked.

“What boss? This was a trap meant for the nutcracker!” Victor said, “Isn’t it the one running after you?”

“Ah? The nutcracker? What nutcracker? No… I was getting followed by a monster who had just eaten the Boss of the dungeon! I think it is the last boss!” Zoe said as she wondered if she should continue running… Victor’s hand, which didn't let go of hers, stopped her though.

“What? Bosses can’t leave their chambers!” Victor said… this was something he had been pondering about for a while now, and he had a theory.

“I am not sure… ” Zoe said as she just realized that what he said was true. This was taught in the academy. Could it be that this thing was not the boss? she frowned as she watched the slug that slowly crawled from the stairway. Its appearance was not clear in the tunnels because of the darkness, but here, she could see it clearly. It was a slug made out of bloody jelly with all kinds of floating skulls filling its innards while howling in pain.

Victor frowned as he gripped Zoe’s hand hard, “Prepare!” He said, “Although it is not the Nutcracker, my trap should be able to finish it off!” he added as he pondered waiting until the monster crawled onto a set position.

“NOW,” he shouted, making Lin activate a talisman.

KABOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooOOM

Zoe, who didn’t expect this, flinched from the giant explosion and was about to fall to the ground in shock, but Victor’s strong hands quickly hugged her. “Sorry, I should have warned you!” he said as he softly hugged her while eyeing the smoke that slowly began to drift away moments later.

“Confirmed Visual! The enemy is still standing!” Lily’s voice came from above the trees… “Run!” she said as her voice trailed away. She was already on the move using the network of ropes she prepared beforehand.

Victor didn’t wait to see the results for himself, he quickly carried the still-shocked Zoe like a princess and began to move away. Lin did the same with Alex, except that she dragged her like a garbage bag.

Seconds later a giant frog landed on the spit where Victor and the girls were seconds earlier and began to look around with its ominous flaring angry eyes.

It was injured, not because of the bomb, but because of the tree twigs that Victor had purposefully sharpened using the green goo and a place all around. He had watched later how things from this dungeon could hurt it!

Too bad the damage didn’t seem to be that effective.

“What the hell is that thing?” Lin asked as they ran.

“I have no idea! Your driver, Alex, saw it first!” Zoe replied, “Watch out! It's going to jump again!” she yelled as she watched the monster begin to flex its muscles.

Victor didn’t flinch as he took out a talisman and then activated it before ducking with Zoe in his hands.

Kaboom!

Another explosion sounded, but this time it was way softer as it only caused the floor below the giant frog to collapse and it to fall into a lake of green goo! Nine trees around the pit toppled over seconds later trapping it.

“Agagagaga Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” the monster shrieked in pain for the first time since its awakening.

“Did we get it?” Alex the jinx asked.

“No!” Lily replied from above, “It is unaffected!” she added, making Victor who had stood up and resumed his running frown, that sound was surely a sound of pain…

“Put me down!” Zoe finally said as they reached a clearing. She was blushing slightly.

“Oh…. Sorry! Just bear with me for a minute or two…” Victor said as he continued to run across the clearing until he reached another camouflaged area where he gently put her down behind a tree.

Lin casually threw Alex to the floor while glaring slightly at the blushing Zoe.

“Is there another trap here too?” Zoe, who was trying hard to hide her blush, asked as she noticed the crate in the middle of the clearing.

“Yes… This was meant for the Nutcracker! Damn it…. Hopefully, that thing won’t attack us from the back,” he began to talk nonsense as he used his binoculars to observe the monster that had turned into a black fog in the shape of a snake and was slowly crawling out of the green goo and passing through openings between the toppled tree trunks like smoke.

It appeared to be unaffected, but Victor realized that it lost all of the bones and skulls that were filling it. This smoke was not physical at all.

Damn it, the soul poison, his best trump card, wouldn’t work against such enemies.

What is the origin of this thing? He wondered as he prepared to activate the last trap.