The northern wasteland was different.
The air felt heavier.
The ground was darker, cracked like dried lava, and strange black rocks jutted from the earth like broken teeth.
Even the wind sounded wrong.
Grik walked carefully behind Rai, gripping his massive hammer.
"I don't like this place…"
Ruun moved quietly through the rocks beside them.
His sharp eyes scanned the area constantly.
"No monsters."
"No sounds."
"That's worse."
Rai continued walking without stopping.
The system map floated faintly in his vision.
A red marker blinked in the distance.
TARGET LOCATION APPROACHING
Grik swallowed.
"Tell me again why we're hunting this thing?"
Ruun answered calmly.
"Because Rai is insane."
Grik nodded.
"Right."
They climbed over a massive ridge of broken stone.
Then suddenly—
They saw it.
A gigantic crater stretched across the wasteland.
Nearly the size of a small village.
The ground inside the crater was cracked and scorched.
And at the center…
Something enormous lay buried beneath the earth.
Only two massive black horns were visible.
Each horn was taller than a building.
Grik froze.
"Oh… hell…"
Ruun whispered quietly.
"That's not a monster."
"That's a disaster."
The ground trembled slightly.
A deep rumbling sound echoed from below.
BOOOOOM…
Grik stepped back slowly.
"Maybe we should… leave?"
Rai stepped forward.
"No."
The system appeared again.
---
QUEST TARGET CONFIRMED
Abyss Horn Behemoth
Threat Level: B-Rank
Status: Dormant
Objective: Eliminate Target
---
Rai jumped down into the crater.
Grik nearly screamed.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
But he followed anyway.
Ruun sighed and dropped down beside them.
"You two will get me killed someday."
They slowly approached the giant horns.
Up close, the creature was even bigger.
Its body was buried beneath layers of earth and stone.
But faint breathing could be heard beneath the ground.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like a mountain sleeping.
Grik whispered.
"If that thing wakes up…"
Rai walked closer.
Then he placed his hand on the ground.
The earth pulsed with dark energy.
The monster's core was below.
Rai whispered quietly.
"Found it."
But the moment he said that—
CRACK.
The ground beneath them split open.
Grik's eyes widened.
"Oh no…"
BOOOOOOOM!
The earth exploded upward.
Massive chunks of rock flew into the air as something gigantic burst from the crater.
A monstrous head emerged.
Its skin looked like black stone armor.
Glowing red cracks ran across its body like molten lava.
Its horns curved like two giant blades.
The Abyss Horn Behemoth had awakened.
The monster's glowing eyes slowly opened.
They locked onto the three tiny figures standing before it.
Grik whispered.
"…we're dead."
The Behemoth inhaled deeply.
Then released a thunderous roar.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOAR!
The shockwave blasted across the wasteland, shaking the mountains.
Far away…
Even the Outcast Settlement felt the tremor.
Back inside the crater—
Rai stood still.
His ice-blue eyes stared at the massive monster.
The system flashed once again.
---
BOSS BATTLE INITIATED
Enemy: Abyss Horn Behemoth
Difficulty: Extreme
---
The Behemoth raised one gigantic claw.
Then slammed it toward them.
BOOOOOOM!
The true battle had begun.