He punched—his eyes widening as he was shocked at the results.
First, the chicken’s so-called hard body felt like tofu—soft, spongy, and yielding under the pressure of his fist. It was like punching into a weak, sagging pillow. His hand drove in with full force, burying itself deep into the creature’s torso. A hollow crater the size of his fist formed instantly, and then—
Red-hot blood erupted like a broken water pump, spraying with violent force. The bones didn’t even resist. They cracked like brittle sticks—splintered and crushed—making way for Leon’s punch like they weren’t even there.
The once unbreakable skeletal structure of a mutated beast now felt like dry broomsticks under his knuckles.
’Is this power of mana?!’
The chicken let out a harrowing cry—its voice hoarse and torn, like metal scraping metal. The beast’s intestines spilled out, hanging grotesquely as if someone had dumped out its contents for an auction show. It was a gruesome sight—ugly, revolting, even horrifying.
But to Leon... it was the sweetest sight of all.
Six hours ago, this very creature had him running like a scared child, and now—now—it was nothing but a bloody, broken mess at his feet.
The other two boss beasts froze in place. Shock gripped them. Now they understood the bad premonition they’d felt earlier. This human... was stronger than them—despite being an entire level below. Unbelievable!
They exchanged mental signals immediately. They had to work together—there was no other way. At any normal time, they would’ve turned and fled without hesitation, but this was a death match. There was no turning back.
If they ran without killing Leon, they would pay the price of violating the unspoken rule: Fight to the death.
They even started questioning if this was the same boy from earlier. This couldn’t be the same weakling who once ran from their presence. It just didn’t add up. How could someone grow this strong, this fast?
Their pride was now dust. That sense of superiority was gone.
What terrified them more was that even now, even together, they doubted they could win.
How could this be possible?
They were boss beasts—superior mutated creatures with stats far beyond regular monsters. In fact, they were on par with peak-level 6 beasts that weren’t bosses. On top of that, they had unique boss skills—ones that increased their stats by a huge margin!
Wait! Their skills...!
Their eyes bulged. Why hadn’t they used their skills already? They looked at each other and realized—
Leon had manipulated them.
From the beginning, his presence, his aura, his ruthless speed and killing intent—it all worked together to scare them out of their senses. He’d made them see him as a god of death, and in that fear... they forgot their own abilities.
’Clever bastard...’ they thought.
It had worked... until now.
With their minds cleared, they quickly activated their skills.
Meanwhile, Leon checked the HP bar of the boss beast he just annihilated, and what he saw almost made his eyes pop out.
MUTATED CHICKEN (RED)
(Collective Boss Chicken)
"F*ck! How the heck did my attack power jump so high? I just one-shotted a boss beast... is Mana this powerful!?"
He was stunned—but more than anything, he was excited.
Even the System had acknowledged it as a Critical Strike.
’If Mana alone could unleash this kind of power right from the start... then just how terrifying will I become as I grow stronger? No—right now, with what I’ve just achieved, I can face an Qi Absorption Realm cultivator head-on! Among all those cultivators sent to hunt me down... only that Baron’s son might give me trouble.’
But this wasn’t the time to marvel.
Leon’s instincts screamed: Move!
He surged forward—Mana surging through his legs as his body became a blur.
His eyes locked onto the remaining two bosses.
Must finish them before they—
They had activated their skills.
’Did they see through me? No! I acted cool... intimidating. My plan was flawless... Maybe it just didn’t work.’
He clenched his teeth. He had to think. Fast.
After everything he’d gone through in this dungeon, the last thing he’d do now was underestimate his enemies.
These weren’t normal chickens.
These were mutated, berserk, and armed with life-draining abilities. Even a single peck could end his life.
His instincts roared louder than ever.
He twisted his body just in time as a sneak attack flew at his back. He ducked low, the wind from the massive beak slicing inches above his head.
His counter was immediate.
He punched—fast, ruthless, precise—his Mana-powered fist shattering the attacking boss chicken’s chest before it could retreat.
At the same moment, he rolled sideways, just barely avoiding the beak of the second chicken as it came crashing down where his head had been.
The momentum of that beak smashed straight into its own comrade.
The collision obliterated the already injured boss beast—its body torn apart in an instant.
Only one chicken remained.
Leon exhaled slowly, sweat trickling from his brow.
’A second later and I’d be dead right now...’
The last remaining chicken boss snarled with rage. It turned to stare at its fallen comrade—a disappointed, shattered, lifeless corpse lying in pieces.
Rage boiled inside it.
Its berserk mode had dulled its mind, and now it realized... it had killed its own brother.
Its scream shook the field—furious, wild, and almost human in emotion. Its rage flared even more when it saw the smug expression on Leon’s face.
His grin was wide, confident, and irritating.
Its power spiked—its feathers bristling as waves of heat radiated from its body. Its rage began to transform into pure violence, its strength growing with every heartbeat.
It didn’t care about the outcome anymore.
Far off, the group of lesser chickens under its control trembled.
The chicken had now taken over the subordinates of the second dead boss. But instead of feeling stronger, it felt a deep sorrow.
’After everything we did... why am I the one who gets to watch them die?’
It couldn’t let their deaths be in vain.
Leon was too smart—far too smart—to rely on brute force alone.
He moved like he knew when attacks were coming before they even happened.
It needed a different approach.
The beast’s eyes narrowed.
If it could smile, it would have.
Let’s turn up the heat.