The energy pulse was now a physical hammer blow against Renji's eardrums, vibrating with an unbearable intensity. He stood alone in the vast, glittering cavern, facing an entity that mocked the scale of his recent victory.
The terrifying pulse emanated from the Gashadokuro, a colossal, bone-white skeleton that towered over thirty feet. Its massive form eclipsed the cavern's weak light, casting a hungry shadow. The creature's 'heartbeat' was the deafening clatter of collective soul-wrath, a continuous, unbearable physical pain to any living thing.
[Warning: Immediate threat. Hostile Entity, Gashadokuro (B-Rank), detected. User is advised to withdraw immediately.]
Withdraw? Renji fought for a shallow breath, a dry scoff escaping his lips. I'm the only one who survived the last Gate. I am the Monarch of Shadows. I came here for strength. I'm not leaving until I get this soul.
"So… you are the one who dares to stand?" The Gashadokuro spoke without a mouth; the sound was a deep, hollow vibration that resonated in Renji's very bones, laced with the thousand screams of the forgotten.
"You feel the hunger of the forgotten. Do you think your flesh can satisfy the emptiness left by the world's neglect?"
Renji drew the Obsidian Greatsword from his Inventory.
"I'm not here to satisfy anything," Renji gasped, his voice tight with the effort of fighting the oppressive aura. "I'm here to take what you have."
The Gashadokuro gave no quarter. It swung a massive, skeletal fist, an impact designed to crush bedrock at Renji. He barely managed to react, ducking and rolling sideways as the fist slammed into the stone floor, sending a violent, sickening tremor throughout the entire dungeon.
Renji used the momentum of his escape to launch himself upward, channeling every ounce of his new Strength into the Obsidian Greatsword. He aimed for the Gashadokuro's shinbone.
[Skill Activated: Bone Grasp (Tier 5)]
The sword connected, but it shrieked against the Gashadokuro's ancient, hardened bone and bounced off. The brutal recoil whipped Renji backward, his arms screaming in sharp protest.
[User has sustained Blunt Trauma to the arms. Vitality: 85%. Caution: Physical damage insufficient. Target bone density exceeds weapon current attack value.]
The Gashadokuro answered with a dry, grating chuckle.
"Foolish living thing! You cannot touch me! I am the rage of the endless grave! You are just soft meat!"
Renji knew he had to protect his mind first. He didn't hesitate.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Pulse (Tier 3)]
A deep, vivid violet energy flared out, instantly shielding him from the crushing, oppressive aura. Renji could finally draw a deep, ragged breath, but his defense only enraged the Gashadokuro.
The colossal skeleton roared, and its entire form pulsed with raw, dark psychic energy. A wave of overwhelming psychic hunger washed over Renji, completely bypassing his new physical barrier.
"You attempt to protect your worthless spirit? I will consume it! I will feast on the memory of your warmth!"
Renji felt the energy tear at his mind, clawing violently at his most precious memories of his mom. He gritted his teeth, the pain sharp enough to make him stumble and expose his position. The Gashadokuro didn't miss the chance. It brought the flat of its colossal hand down in a vicious, crushing slap.
The impact slammed Renji against the cavern wall with such catastrophic force that a massive web of cracks radiated from the point of contact. Blood instantly bloomed across his white hoodie.
[User sustained Massive Blunt Damage. Ribs fractured. Internal bleeding initiated. Vitality: 45%.]
Renji collapsed, spitting up blood. He could feel the broken bone digging into his side, but he refused to let stop.
'No, I'm not stopping. Not here. Not yet! I need this power to protect the world and love one's. The world is coming apart. If I fall here, the lies, the secrets, the world, Hikari—they all shatter!'
Ignoring the searing, ragged pain, he forced himself to his feet.
The Gashadokuro witnessed his impossible defiance and raised its fists high, ready to end the pathetic challenge.
"You have spirit, little man. But spirit is just a final meal for the void! Die and feed the anger!"
Renji stood tall, the Obsidian Greatsword slightly wavering in his injured hand. It's not the body I have to kill. It's the soul that holds it together. Drain it, and the vessel will collapse. He needed a single, perfect moment.
"Whisper! Time Dilation!" he commanded mentally.
A brief, cold B-Rank aura, the chilling energy of his Shadow Servant flared out and snapped back. For a single, critical heartbeat, the world around the Gashadokuro fell into suspended animation.
The colossal fists remained frozen, suspended mid-air.
Renji, moving at his true, maximum B-Rank Speed stat, pushed off the ground. He screamed from the agony in his broken ribs, but he ran straight up the wall, using the cracked stone as leverage. He sprinted along the Boss's massive arm, reaching its shoulder in three terrifying seconds of vertical motion.
He swung the Obsidian Greatsword high, channeling the last of his energy into the black blade. Ignoring the massive skull, he plunged the sword straight into the center of the Boss's chest, the glowing, pulsating core of its collected rage.
"Arise!" Renji roared.
The instant the sword pierced the core, the Gashadokuro let out a scream of utter, crushing despair that violently shook the entire Gate, forcing the very cave ceiling to crack and shower dust.
The towering skeleton began to disintegrate, its body crumbling into piles of black, ancient dust. From the crumbling ribcage, a chaotic, vast green energy streamed out, flowing not into the air, but directly into Renji's sword and then into his body.
[Soul Extraction Successful!]
[Skill Unlocked: Soul Harvest (A passive skill. User now gains a small percentage of vitality and mana upon the defeat of any entity.)]
[Target Soul Acquired: Gashadokuro (B-Rank)]
[B-Rank Shadow Extraction Initiated. Warning: High probability of failure due to current health status.]
Renji staggered back, watching the gigantic soul energy solidify into a dark, spectral figure. It was the enormous, looming silhouette of the skeleton itself, now clad in shifting shadow armor.
"Kneel," Renji commanded, his voice hoarse, weak from injury but heavy with absolute authority.
The massive, terrifying figure of the Shadow Gashadokuro instantly sank to one knee before its new Monarch.
[New Servant Acquired: Shadow Gashadokuro]
[Rank: B]
[Vitality restored to 60% due to Soul Harvest.]
[Wounds still critical. Recommend immediate use of recovery items.]
Renji looked down at his blood-soaked body. He was alive. He was stronger. He had just claimed the hardest soul of his life.
System Notification |
|---|
[LEVEL UP!] |
| [LEVEL UP!] |
| [LEVEL UP!] |
| (...11 more Level Ups displayed quickly...) |
| [LEVEL 29 \rightarrow LEVEL 42] |
A massive surge of energy floods the Renji's body.
A close-up of Renji's face. The pain and blood are still visible, but a sharp, clean light erases the cuts and cleans the blood, symbolizing the Vitality Restoration. The B-Rank light surrounding him shatters like glass as his rank violently changes.
| System Notification |
|---|
| [New Rank Achieved: A-Rank Hunter] |
| The System has registered the User's overwhelming power increase and successful B-Rank Boss solo. |
| Status Effect: All base Stats have increased by 10 points. |
| [STR: 29 (+25) \rightarrow 54] |
| [AGI: 29 (+30) \rightarrow 59] |
| [VIT: 42 (+58) \rightarrow 100] |
A wide shot of Renji standing tall, fully healed, his white hoddie shimmering with shadow mana. The Shadow Gashadokuro and the Venerated Knight stand flank him, reinforcing his status. The text box dominates the frame, establishing his final title.
| System Notification |
|---|
| [Condition Met: Defeated an A-Rank Human Antagonist (Hoshino) & Successfully Extracted B-Rank Soul (Gashadokuro) in a Single Gate.] |
| [New Title Acquired: The Blood-Forged Monarch] |