Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

Eylis glanced at Ren briefly before walking away.

Once again, Ren was alone beneath the warmth of the campfire. He took a deep breath, feeling the damp, slightly musty but oddly fresh air.

Ren had struggled to live in the big city, where he had never truly breathed in clean air.

He took another deep breath, letting himself be immersed in the damp, musty scent that somehow felt so pure.

How strange.

A dark, cold dungeon filled with lurking dangers... but at the very least, he could breathe without choking on exhaust fumes or dust.

Unlike that city.

Where every breath was torture. Where the smell of chemicals and fabric dust from the textile factories clung to his skin, seeping into his lungs, suffocating him.

He closed his eyes, savoring this rare moment.

"Maybe this isn't so bad..."

But that peace lasted only a fleeting moment.

Just as Ren was lost in his thoughts, a faint sound came from behind.

Footsteps. Slow, deliberate, but firm.

Someone was approaching.

He opened his eyes, his body instinctively tensing.

The coldness of the dungeon suddenly grew sharper than ever.

"Hey... Prince... care for a little chat...?"

The voice, cold and menacing like an echo from the depths of an abyss, tightened around Ren's every breath.

...

"I hope we've all rested well enough," Copper stood before a dark room, his gleaming sword reflecting the light.

"I'm glad no one perished during the exploration. We've all gained something. By now, everyone's probably reached at least Level 2 or higher."

His eyes swept quickly over the group.

His deep voice was calm but resonated clearly in each person's mind.

"We will defeat this floor's Mini Boss and enter the treasure room," Copper smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on Tarek and his subordinates.

Tarek crossed his arms, his face relaxing stiffly. He said nothing, but his narrowed eyes were sharp as blades. One corner of his mouth curled up, though it was unclear if it was mockery or caution.

As if understanding Tarek's thoughts, Copper emphasized,

"Whatever the boss drops, it's up for grabs—finders keepers. Same goes for the treasure room... whoever gets there first, gets first pick..."

A low chuckle escaped one of Tarek's men but was quickly silenced when Tarek raised his hand.

Finally, Tarek spoke, his voice low and carrying an unmistakable threat:

"Hah... simple rules."

He tilted his head, his twisted smile widening.

"Just hope no one... trips on their way to the treasure."

Scholar, who had been silent as usual, suddenly spoke up:

"To ensure no one makes any foolish mistakes... like last time." He glanced at Tarek as he spoke.

Tarek's crooked smile remained, but the corner of his eye twitched.

Unbothered by the reaction, Scholar continued,

"I'll give a brief rundown of the Mini Boss. It resembles the rat-type Kobolds we've been facing. Its HP bar is a bit higher... about three full bars."

At this, everyone's expressions shifted slightly.

Three HP bars...

That meant it had three times the health of a normal Kobold.

Facing a single rat-like Kobold was already tough, let alone fighting a monster with triple the health.

Several people unconsciously gripped their weapons tighter. Others exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting silent tension.

But no one backed down.

Their levels and base stats had improved after the long battles.

Tarek appeared the most confident, having reached Level 4, with his subordinates all at Level 2.

To him, this wasn't a challenge.

It was an opportunity.

Tarek glanced at Scholar, his tone playful but devoid of warmth:

"This will be easy."

Perhaps the only one lacking confidence was Ren.

He was still stuck at Level 1.

Everyone else had grown stronger, but he remained in the same spot.

Ren had tried. He gripped his weapon tightly and fought. But every time he swung his spear, he felt clumsy and slow, as if his body didn't belong to him.

He couldn't even use the most basic spear skill: Snake Bite.

Ren kept losing focus or failing to get into the right stance.

He remembered Kirito's teaching.

A skill activates when the user gets into the correct stance.

For skilled players, they could trigger skills without the stance or system assistance.

Ren looked at Eylis and Copper.

They could do that.

They fought fluidly, naturally, as if the instinct to battle was ingrained in every fiber of their being.

But he couldn't.

Amidst the strong, he was nothing more than weak prey waiting to be cast aside.

While Ren hesitated, the others moved toward the boss's location.

"Everyone, I have only one more thing to say... Survive," Copper's eyes gleamed strangely.

With that, he charged toward the boss.

The boss appeared as a warrior rat, its filthy, damp black fur bristling as its wild eyes locked onto the intruders.

It swung its battle axe as soon as it spotted Copper, but the attack was too slow for his speed.

With swift, precise movements, Copper ducked beneath the axe, its blade narrowly missing his face.

He didn't hesitate, slicing his sword across the boss's shoulder in a sharp, calculated motion. Every movement was cold and precise, as if everything had been pre-planned.

The boss's massive figure, drenched in filth and shadow, radiated menace.

Its blood-red eyes burned with wild rage, making the air around them feel heavy. Each step it took shook the ground beneath.

It was furious.

Enraged by the provocation, its attacks became more frenzied. But Tarek's men's sturdy shields blocked every strike.

Not wanting to be outdone, Tarek followed Copper closely. In contrast to Copper's cold, calculated movements, Tarek's were wild and chaotic.

Each axe swing slowly but steadily chipped away at the boss's HP bar.

While Copper and Tarek competed against the boss, the others were no less fierce.

Eylis swiftly moved to the left, her sword flashing as she targeted the monster's weak points.

Ren stood still, gripping his spear, but his eyes were lost in the chaos around him.

He knew what he had to do, but fear and pressure made his muscles tense up.

All he could do was watch as the others fought like wild beasts, while he felt like a loser in this battle.

Scholar meticulously observed the boss's movements, his sharp eyes analyzing every shift.

"Exactly like the beta version," a confident smirk appeared on Scholar's face.

He stopped attacking, simply watching the boss's actions, as if everything was going according to his expectations.

After a pause, he glanced at the fighters, hesitating before speaking:

"Attack the unarmored spots for critical hits. In three more turns, it'll use its area slash skill."

Scholar continued giving orders with decisive authority. He could even see...

He paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the fighters. Hesitant but still speaking: 

"Just attack the spots without armor to deal critical damage. After three more turns, it'll use its sweeping slash skill." 

Scholar kept issuing commands, his tone decisive. He could even see the weak points in each of the monster's axe swings, knowing precisely when to strike. 

Exactly as Scholar predicted, the monster used its skill after three turns. Its two hands gripped the axe tightly. 

Sensing danger, the boss suddenly lashed its tail behind, clearing the area around it like a whirlwind. 

The blade of its axe gleamed in the darkness, and everyone knew that a terrifying sweeping slash was about to occur. 

The boss's body shot forward like an arrow, roaring as it swung its axe wildly, each strike carving deep gashes into the ground. 

Everyone was prepared. The tankers quickly moved to shield their teammates, raising their shields to protect the weaker ones. 

Eylis and Copper also moved into battle positions, ready to counterattack. Thanks to Scholar's guidance, no one was caught in the deadly sweeping slash. 

Ren watched each of the boss's strikes gouge deep marks into the ground. He knew he had to act, but his body felt frozen in the face of such danger. 

In truth, a part of him couldn't stop worrying that he might not have the strength to face this boss. 

The boss's HP slowly decreased, and soon only half of its final bar remained. 

Copper took the lead, followed closely by Tarek. 

They both charged forward at a speed no one could match. 

A flash of light. 

Both of them activated their skills simultaneously. 

Copper's swift sword, as fast as lightning, plunged deep into the boss's chest. It pierced through the armor-like skin and thick fur, causing it to writhe in pain, swinging its axe in retaliation. 

But its axe was blocked by the tankers. 

Tarek struck wildly at the rat's head. 

"Die... Die. Die and spit out your loot for me. Filthy rodent." 

The boss's HP slowly dropped, each stab making it writhe in pain. 

It seemed like every attack from Copper and Tarek was meant to be the final blow of this battle. 

Yet it still lived, and that only heightened the tension. 

"Die!" Tarek roared, his voice heavy with hatred. 

Each slash was not only revenge for what the boss had done but also retribution for the pain he had endured throughout the fight. 

The boss, its eyes wild, swung its axe furiously, but its attack hit only air. One of the strikes connected but merely scratched the warriors. Its final blows were nothing more than feeble resistance. 

At last, it collapsed and shattered into polygonal pixels.