The fight dragged on, growing more violent with every exchange.
Habek's breathing turned heavy, sweat and blood mixing as he continued to trade blows with the Soul Warrior.
His arms ached from blocking its strikes, each clash sending numbing pain through his bones. The undead monster showed no sign of slowing down.
If this continued, they would all die here.
Habek clicked his tongue and reached for his wrist.
A dull glow spread from the magic bracelet wrapped around his arm.
[Body Enchanting Bracelet, Mid Grade]
A bracelet infused with a body enchanting spell. Temporarily increases the user's battle power by 50 percent.
"I have no choice," he muttered.
Mana surged through the bracelet and flooded into his body. Power exploded inside his limbs, his muscles tightening as his aura flared outward.
His battle power rose sharply.
"Support me," Habek shouted. "Now."
The remaining team members reacted instantly.
Mages poured everything they had into their spells. Fire, lightning, and wind slammed into the Soul Warrior, slowing its movements. Archers focused their shots on its joints and eye sockets, forcing it to stagger.
Habek moved.
Faster than before.
He slipped past the Soul Warrior's blade and struck deep, his sword carving straight through its chest.
Cracks spread across the undead armor like shattered glass.
The Soul Warrior roared and swung wildly, but Habek did not retreat. He pressed forward, each strike heavier than the last.
"DIEE" he growled.
With a final shout, Habek drove his sword down, splitting the Soul Warrior from shoulder to waist.
The green flames in its eyes flickered, then went out.
The massive body froze.
Then it began to crumble.
Dark mana scattered into the air as the Soul Warrior's form collapsed, its bones turning to dust.
As an elite monster born from dungeon mana crystals, it had no permanent body. Once defeated, it could not remain.
A soft glow remained where it had fallen.
Floating in the air was a dark, translucent orb.
Habek reached out and caught it.
The Soul Orb.
A rare treasure formed from the souls of tens of thousands of living beings, condensed into a single object. Pure mana swirled inside it, dense and terrifying.
The battlefield fell silent.
Of the fifteen who entered Bone Valley, several lay dead. Others were badly injured, struggling just to stand.
Habek closed his fist around the Soul Orb and exhaled slowly.
The mission was complete.
The cost, however, had been far higher than he expected.
Habek gave the order to retreat.
The remaining team members moved in silence, packing up what little they could. No one spoke. There was nothing left to say.
They looked less like victorious adventurers and more like refugees fleeing a battlefield. Armor was shattered, clothes torn and soaked with blood.
One man dragged himself forward with a missing arm, his face pale and twisted in pain. Another leaned heavily on a broken spear, barely able to walk.
Half of the team was dead.
The bodies were left behind in Bone Valley, scattered among the broken bones and darkened ground. No one had the strength to retrieve them.
Habek stood at the front, his expression grim. He did not look back.
With slow, uneven steps, the survivors began their return, carrying their wounds, their losses, and the heavy silence that followed them out of the valley.
But Habek's mind was in turmoil.
How was he supposed to explain these losses? The guild had poured enormous resources into this mission, and now almost everything was gone. Half the team was dead. The rest were barely alive.
Just as they were moving away from Bone Valley, a sharp cracking sound echoed behind them, followed by a burst of killing intent.
Habek turned around.
Two of his remaining team members collapsed to the ground. One had his eye cleanly cut open, blood pouring down his face. The other fell without a sound, already dead.
The survivors reacted instantly, forming a defensive circle. Their eyes were fixed on a shadowy figure standing in the darkness, hatred burning in its gaze.
Habek stared at the figure, rage flooding his chest.
"You bastard," he shouted coldly. "Who the hell are you? Why did you kill my subordinates?"
The shadow figure did not answer.
In the next moment, it vanished.
Habek's heart skipped. "Where did it go?"
Before anyone could react, another body dropped to the ground.
Habek turned and saw one of his subordinates lying still, blood gushing from her body.
"Fight!" Habek roared.
The remaining members attacked at once, swinging weapons and casting spells in every direction. But it was useless. The shadow moved faster than the eye could follow.
One by one, his men fell.
Screams echoed briefly before being cut short.
Habek charged forward, pouring all his remaining strength into a single strike. The shadow appeared in front of him for an instant, then slipped past.
Pain exploded through Habek's body.
His right arm fell to the ground.
"Ahhh!" Habek screamed, staggering back, blood spraying from the severed limb.
Clutching his wound, he glared at the shadow figure. "Who are you?" he gasped.
The figure finally spoke, voice calm and cold.
"I am the Ghost of the Underworld."
"A.K.A TGOU."
Habek's eyes widened in shock.
He had never heard of such a person. That was what terrified him most.
Grinding his teeth, he forced out the words. "We have no grudge. Spare me. I will compensate you. Whatever you want."
The shadow did not respond.
It walked toward him slowly, a knife gleaming faintly in its hand.
Habek panicked. "If you kill me, my life crystal will shatter. My guild will seal the dungeon and hunt you down. You will die for sure."
The shadow did not stop.
Habek suddenly began to laugh, his sanity slipping. "You will die worse than me."
The shadow pulled out a scroll.
When Habek saw it, his pupils shrank.
A flash of light.
A single clean slash.
Habek's head fell to the ground, shock and resentment frozen in his eyes.
At the same moment, in the Black Snake Guild headquarters in the capital, deep underground, a chamber filled with magic artifacts and treasures stood silent.
Rows of life crystals floated in the air.
One of them shattered.
The person in charge froze, then ran in panic toward the vice president's office.
The door burst open. "Vice President, Habek's life crystal has shattered."
The vice president rushed to the underground chamber. When he saw the broken crystal, his face twisted with rage.
"Seal the entire Soul Valley Dungeon," he roared.
"Find the murderer and bring them to me."
Above ground, adventurers near the dungeon entrance were thrown into chaos as the dungeon was sealed and investigation preparations began.
Meanwhile, the shadow figure calmly looted everything from the fallen Black Snake members.
With the Soul Orb in one hand, she activated a scroll with the other.
[Magic Escape Scroll, High Grade]
A single use scroll that instantly teleports the user to a random location within ten kilometers.
Light enveloped her.
In a forest near Dungeon Town, the shadow figure appeared.
She removed her dark disguise.
Beneath the black fabric was a beautiful young girl.
---
Author's Note
If you're enjoying 'Manga Store Owner System' so far, please consider leaving an honest five-star review and adding it to your collection.
Before the end of this month , I hope to reach at least 10 reviews.
Thank you very much for your support