[You have fused with Elite Red Wolf Lv.45]
[You have lost 8 levels]
[You have lost 24 Generic Stat Points]
[You have lost 40 Class-specific Stat Points]
[New Trait Gained: Predator's Instinct (Passive) ]
[New Trait Gained: Crimson Hunger (Passive) ]
[New Trait Gained: Pack Memory (Passive) ]
[New Trait Gained: Steel Rend (Active) ]
Lucien stumbled back, his legs nearly giving out. The messages blazed across his vision, each word hitting him like a physical blow. His head spun as he tried to process what he was seeing.
So many traits from one monster. His body felt hollow, drained—yet something new stirred beneath his ribs. Power coiled in his gut like a sleeping beast, waiting to wake.
Lucien's eyes sharpened.
Heat exploded from his severed wrist. Pain shot up his arm like lightning, and he doubled over, clutching the stump. His vision blurred.
Blood poured from the wound—but not blood. Crimson muscle twisted and writhed, flowing like liquid metal before hardening into flesh and bone. A new hand bloomed from the stump, complete and whole. Crimson stripes wrapped around the skin like war paint, ending in razor-sharp steel claws that gleamed under the dim light.
Lucien's breath caught. Pale laughter spilled from his lips as he watched his other hand transform. The flesh thickened, bones stretched, and his fingers grew into deadly talons.
He scraped them together. Sparks flew, lighting his face with orange fire.
His grin split wide, and then Lucien lunged.
These wolves loved to wait. They stood there, proud and sure, convinced they'd already won. That arrogance had always worked against them. Today, their overconfidence would feed him the FP he needed.
As he prepared to charge, ice ran down his spine. Something was wrong. He could sense it—feel it in ways he never could before.
[Predator Instincts has detected killing intent from 2m radius]
His eyes went wide. He spun around just as white claws raked across his face, sending him spinning through the air before he crashed into the ground.
[You have lost 119 Health Points]
[You have gained +100 Health Points]
[You have exhausted Fusion: Greater Healing Potion]
Lucien glared at the Dungeon Boss through the haze of pain. Confusion and dismay churned in his chest, but his face stayed stone-cold. How had the beast gotten so close? Stealth was the only answer that made sense.
Which only made him angrier. The White Steel Wolf was already stronger than him—did it really need invisibility too? The world felt rigged against him.
Lucien clicked his tongue, the sound sharp with irritation.
The Boss Wolf watched him from across the chamber as he dragged himself to his feet. No rage burned in those pale eyes, no hunger or haste. Just cold certainty. That calm confidence made it far more dangerous than any snarling beast.
Lucien straightened and locked eyes with the creature. Then he shot forward.
The wolf didn't even blink. As Lucien closed the distance, one massive paw swept out and batted him aside like he was nothing more than an annoying fly.
Lucien's body slammed into a stone pillar. He crumpled to the ground, groaning as he forced himself back up.
[You have lost 78 Health Points]
Frustration crawled through his veins like poison.
He'd thought the fusion would change everything. Losing levels for the power of a level 45 monster should have evened the odds against the Dungeon Boss. Instead, what little chance he'd had before seemed to have vanished completely.
He was slower now. His strength felt like a shadow of what it used to be. He didn't even know if he could reach the Dungeon Boss with any element of surprise. Everything had gotten so much worse.
Despite it all, Lucien was grinning.
He stood there, beaten and bloodied, smiling with pure satisfaction.
'I'm happy it's not boring. Looks like there's no way I'm surviving this. I'm going to die... but why the hell am I so happy about it?'
[Passive Trait: Pack Memory is in effect. You have 15% - 30% chance of learning a certain Trait from your foe]
Lucien stared at the message, his face blank. That was promising—it could flip the fight at any moment. But it wasn't reliable. He couldn't count on it to defeat the Dungeon Boss.
He flexed his steel claws and studied the Wolf standing across from him. The beast watched him with chilling calm, as if nothing in the world mattered. No passion, no drive—everything was just a nuisance to it. Even this fight was beneath its notice.
It reminded him of himself.
Lucien met the monster's gaze and spoke with bold confidence.
"You're so sure of yourself, aren't you? But I'll tell you something today. I'm going to kill you and make you wish you'd tried harder."
White Steel lifted its chin higher. Its condescending stare climbed to new heights, red light glowing wickedly in its eyes.
Lucien moved—but not toward the monster. He darted away from it. The beast was superior in every way, so his only hope was to find something, anything, that could help him.
The hall stretched wide, filled with towering pillars. While he wanted to use the environment to his advantage, White Steel's Stealth skill could turn it against him just as easily.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't try.
He glanced back at the Dungeon Boss. One moment it stood there, watching. The next... gone.
[Predator Instincts has detected killing intent from 5m radius]
Lucien spun and crossed his arms over his face. The Wolf's claws came down like a falling mountain. Sparks exploded as steel met steel, and the force drove him to one knee.
But he used the moment. Lucien surged forward, diving low toward the monster's chest. His fist buried deep into its ribs.
Air exploded outward, but the beast barely flinched. It looked down at him with cold malice burning in its eyes.
Desperate to keep his opening, Lucien shouted.
Small flames sparked to life on both claws. He drove his other hand into the Wolf's chest, and this time the impact roared with power as fire erupted around his fist.
The wolf stumbled back, actually staggered.
Lucien stared at his hands. The fireball had lost its shape, but flames still danced across his claws like he was a living torch.
For the first time, something shifted in how White Steel looked at him. The monster snarled, a dangerous sound that spoke of real threat.
Lucien's grin stretched wide, surprise and joy flooding through him.
"Ah... now this is starting to feel right."