NOVPUB
Chapter 104: It’s Just A Skill Bruh
The monster’s teeth parted wide, a gaping abyss lined with serrated fangs, inches from Zayn’s face.
The corrupted soul energy swirled in its mouth, thick and reeking of rot and finality.
But Zayn didn’t flinch.
Instead, he leaned in.
And then — CRACK.
He headbutted the monster.
The force echoed like a hammer striking stone.
His horn — the jagged obsidian arc crowned in burning pink tore through the monster’s face, cleaving straight through its eye socket with a sickening squelch.
The beast howled in agony, its jaws clamping shut just a second too late as Zayn twisted his body and ripped his head back, tearing through sinew and bone alike.
The monster let go of him.
It staggered back, reeling from the pain, but Zayn wasn’t done.
He didn’t even give it a moment.
Snarling through his teeth, he grabbed the monster by the head — one hand clutching its skull like a vice.
His other hand found his sword where it had fallen nearby.
He gripped it so tight, the leather-wrapped hilt cracked under the pressure, grooves forming beneath his fingers.
Then he drove the blade into the monster’s skull.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Each thrust was fueled by the last breath of his soul energy, each stab exploding in a burst of pink light, forcing the corrupted essence back like fire scorching mold.
The monster writhed under him, claws flailing, but its strength was failing.
Zayn’s fury was all-consuming, focused and violent, like he was exorcising every cursed breath the beast had ever taken.
Then with one final scream, the blade sank deep into its head — clear to the hilt — and the monster went still.
Its body convulsed once.
Then dropped like a broken puppet.
Zayn stumbled backward, blinking through the sweat and the soul-tinged haze in his eyes.
The pink aura around him flickered like a dying flame, and the single horn slowly retracted back into his skull, leaving a faint glowing imprint where it had emerged.
He dropped to one knee.
Then to the ground entirely, breathing hard, one hand bracing against the cracked stone.
His sword clattered beside him, still vibrating faintly with the residual energy of the kill.
He was dimly aware of the others shouting his name, of feet pounding toward him, but all he could focus on was the ringing in his ears and the pulsing throb where the horn had just been.
"— ZAYN!" Kara’s voice rang out as she reached him, skidding to her knees and grabbing his shoulder.
"I’m fine," Zayn mumbled, though he didn’t sound like it. "Might just take a nap. Forever."
"You look like a crash test dummy after a hurricane," Bran said as he walked up, whistling low. "Hell of a finisher, though. You jammed that thing like a wild animal."
"I feel like a wild animal," Zayn muttered, finally rolling over to lie flat on his back. "My everything hurts."
"You’re alive. I’m calling that a win," Tobias said, coming into view with Elisse leaning on his shoulder, a blanket around her shoulders. Her face was pale, but the relief in her eyes was unmistakable.
Kara reached out and helped Zayn sit up slowly. "The boss is dead. You don’t need to keep pretending you’re invincible."
"I’m not pretending," Zayn muttered. "I just commit to the bit."
Bran, meanwhile, had jogged over to the monster’s body, already kneeling by the chest.
He grinned and shouted, "Found the core!" He held it up like a trophy. "This thing’s huge."
"No wonder the thing hit like a B-rank beast," Kara muttered, still eyeing Zayn like she was waiting for him to collapse again. "Even Tobias was surprised."
Tobias gave her a sideways glance. "Still am."
He turned back to Zayn, who was wiping his face with the edge of his sleeve and trying to sit up without groaning audibly.
"How did you do it?" Tobias asked, adjusting his glasses. "That wasn’t just strength. You were resisting its rot. That’s not normal soul energy — "
"It’s a skill bruh," Zayn said quickly, waving him off with one hand. "It’s like... you know. Unique class perks. Flashy. Scary. Incredibly painful. Ten out of ten, would not recommend."
Tobias narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "That’s not the kind of skill a swordsman should have."
"It’s a really rare skill."
"Right."
Kara arched a brow. "You’re being suspicious again."
"I almost got eaten," Zayn groaned, "and I still smell like burnt worms. Can I at least lie down without being interrogated like a criminal mastermind?"
"Zayn the secret demon prince," Bran muttered, elbowing him gently. "Has a ring to it."
"Please don’t start that rumor. I’m more of a commoner than a prince."
As the banter lightened the air, the tension that had gripped the group started to loosen, melting into laughter and breathy chuckles.
Elisse finally stepped forward, her eyes softer now, her movements more stable.
"You really scared me, you know," she said, crouching beside Zayn.
"I scare everyone," Zayn said, shooting her a tired smirk. "It’s part of the joke."
She rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead. "I meant when you got thrown halfway across the chamber."
"Well I’m glad you did use that skill," Tobias said, he wasn’t confident in beating a B-rank monster yet...
"Speak for yourself," Bran called from the corner, still prying through the boss’s remains. "I was two punches away from turning that thing into jerky."
"You were one punch away from being thrown into orbit," Kara quipped.
"Details."
Zayn groaned as he tried standing, and Kara supported him under one arm.
His knees wobbled a bit, but he stayed upright. Just barely.
"So what now?" he asked, glancing around.
The boss room had started to return to silence, the corruption draining from the walls, revealing smooth stone and faint runes beneath the rot.
The lake behind them still hadn’t returned, but the dungeon at least felt... quieter.
"Now we grab whatever loot we can, report the dungeon clear, and get some damn sleep," Tobias said, already pulling out his journal and scribbling down notes. "This whole thing needs to be documented. Especially that thing you did."
"Skill," Zayn repeated firmly. "Totally normal skill."
