Kieran focused on the massive creature before him, gripping his daggers tightly. The boss hovered in the dungeon like a dark entity, swinging its colossal shadowy arms as it prepared to attack. Kieran took a deep breath and vanished into the shadows. Using Shadow Step, he suddenly appeared behind the creature, but the boss quickly changed direction and lunged at him with a giant claw.

  "This thing is much faster than I thought!" Kieran muttered. At the last moment, he rolled to the side and slashed with his daggers. Shadow Rain!

  Daggers made of black energy rained down from the sky, embedding themselves in the creature's body. However, instead of crying out in pain, the monster seemed to gain strength and slammed its shadowy arms to the ground, creating a powerful shockwave. Kieran was thrown backward and managed to stop himself by crashing into a pillar.

  The team captain shouted, "Be careful! Don't underestimate it!"

  Kieran gritted his teeth and got back on his feet. His shadow abilities felt stronger than ever, but this boss was no ordinary creature. Raising his hands, he gathered the shadows once more.

  "I WILL DESTROY YOU!" he yelled, unleashing all his power. Suddenly, the shadows around him spread like a wild hurricane, engulfing the entire dungeon in darkness. A cold and oppressive force filled the area, causing his teammates to retreat in fear. Their eyes widened, and their breath caught.

  The wizard girl dropped to her knees, trembling as she whispered, "W-what... what kind of power is this?"

  The team captain also stared at Kieran in disbelief. "Is this guy... a monster?!"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Kieran stepped forward, fists clenched with shadows swirling around him, growing stronger with every movement. The boss charged with a deafening roar. Kieran used Shadow Step to leap onto the creature in the blink of an eye, slashing his daggers with all his might.

  The creature, flowing like a shadow, quickly shaped its body to evade Kieran’s attack and struck him with a massive punch. Kieran was sent flying but managed to land on his feet, breathing heavily as the shadows flickered around him like sparks.

  "Shadow Claw!" he shouted, plunging one of his daggers into the darkness. Suddenly, massive shadowy claws erupted from the ground, ensnaring the boss. The creature roared in fury and tried to break free from the entangling shadows.

  Kieran pressed on with his assault. Using Shadow Clone, he created three shadowy duplicates and commanded them to attack the boss from different angles. The real Kieran blended in with his clones and lunged for the creature's weak point.

  However, the boss was clever. With a swift motion, it shaped a spear from the shadows and obliterated Kieran's clones, launching itself at him. Kieran narrowly dodged using Shadow Step, but the spear grazed his arm, sending a searing pain through his body.

  "Damn... this creature is no ordinary boss!"

  The boss swung its shadowy arms toward Kieran, shattering the ground beneath him. Kieran knew he needed to devise a plan as he quickly retreated. He gathered the shadows once more and squinted his eyes.

  "It's time to end this!"

  Shadow Storm!

  In an instant, all the shadows in the dungeon began swirling around Kieran like a vortex. The surroundings transformed into a dark hell, restricting the creature's movements. Kieran charged forward, plunging his daggers into the boss's chest and concentrating all the shadows into a single point before detonating them.

  The boss let out a deafening scream. Its body quaked, began to crack, and ultimately collapsed into a massive explosion of shadows. Kieran staggered back, breathless, sensing that the battle was over.

  His teammates stared at him in horror. They knelt on the ground, trembling in the presence of the immense dark power Kieran had wielded. He was no longer just an F-rank hunter.

  He was the sovereign of the dungeon.

  The battle had ended.