The boss did not waste a single heartbeat.

  The moment I shifted my stance, the moment my fingers tightened around the branch, he moved. There was no charge or loud battle cry—just a blur. One second he stood across the tent, his cloak settling behind him like a calm shadow, and the next, he was in front of me.

  His long blade sliced through the air with surgical precision, the steel singing as it cut toward my neck. There was no time to dodge, no space to roll, and no opening to slip through.

  I raised the branch instinctively, angling it just enough to intercept the strike.

  The impact exploded through the tent like a cannon shot. The vibration traveled from the branch straight into my arms, rattling my bones and nearly forcing my fingers open. My knees buckled slightly under the sheer force of it.

  For half a second, I thought that was it. I thought the branch would shatter, snap clean in two, and send fragments of wood flying into my face. I squeezed my eyes shut on reflex.

  Then—silence.

  Instead of a snap or splintering wood, there was only the faint hum of resistance. I opened my eyes slowly. The enchanted branch was still intact. It wasn't cracked or chipped; it had endured.

  My breath caught in my throat.

  The boss’s eyes narrowed slightly, showing calculation rather than anger or panic. That was what his expression said.

  I did not wait. The moment our weapons separated, I dashed back, boots scraping against the tent floor as I created distance. His blade followed immediately, slicing horizontally in a follow-up attack so fast that the air itself seemed to lag behind it. The tip grazed past my chest by inches.

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  He pivoted smoothly, his cloak twisting behind him as if even the fabric obeyed his control.

  “You are faster than the reports suggested,” he said calmly.

  “Yeah?” I shot back, forcing steadiness into my voice. “You’re stronger than I’d like.”

  He did not respond with words. He raised his empty hand.

  Mana gathered around his palm, swirling tight and controlled, forming a compressed distortion that made the air shimmer violently.

  [Wind Blast]

  The spell activated instantly. A concussive force slammed toward me like an invisible battering ram. There was no chant or delay, just pure output.

  I braced instinctively, digging my heel into the ground and angling the branch defensively across my body.

  The blast hit. The pressure knocked the breath from my lungs and shoved me backward several steps, boots scraping and vision shaking. But I did not hit the wall. Instead, the wind tore past me, smashing into the side of the tent. Tables flipped, maps were shredded into spinning fragments, and chairs splintered. Crates burst apart as if struck by a giant’s fist.

  Wood cracked. Canvas strained. The entire interior turned into rubble in seconds as debris rained down around us.

  He lowered his hand calmly.

  I exhaled slowly, forcing my heartbeat to slow even as adrenaline burned through my veins like liquid fire.

  That thought steadied me. Because this time, I was not alone; I had a Rank A monster waiting for my command. The weight of that soul pulsed inside me, heavy and powerful, like a chained beast waiting for release.

  I lifted my hand.

  “Reanimate,” I whispered, my voice low but filled with intent.

  The ground beneath us cracked, and a deep rumble rolled through the tent floor. Beside me, the Elf Giant slowly began crawling out from the earth. Massive fingers tore through the ground, dirt cascading off his armored frame as his enormous head emerged.

  The boss’s gaze flicked to the rising figure for only a fraction of a second.

  He understood immediately. He wasn't going to wait, and he certainly wasn't going to give me the courtesy of completing my only real opportunity to kill him.

  His free hand dipped into his cloak. A flick of his wrist. Metal flashed.

  Several sharp kunai shot toward me in a deadly spread, cutting through the air with ruthless precision as the Elf Giant continued to rise beside me.

  , will the giant arise fast enough for the plan? I really hope it does…