~FWOOSHHHHHHH~


    The Boss lunged at them once more, its massive ws slicing the air with deadly speed.


    ~CLANGGGG!!!~


    Neron met the attack head-on, his sword shing with the creature''s ws in a shower of sparks.


    They held the position for some time with no one conceding.


    Seeing the opportunity, Legris rushed forward for a sneak attack, seizing the chance to inflict damage while it was locked with Neron.


    ~POWWWWWWWW~


    "Oof…" Legris gasped as he was sent flying by a powerful kick from the Boss'' rear leg.


    His flight was halted by the cave wall and he crashed down heavily on his side.


    In the meantime, Neron saw an opening as the Boss had faltered when he kicked Legris.


    ~SWISHHHHHHHH!!!~


    His sword sliced upwards at the Boss neck which was its weakest spot.


    GUARKKK!!!


    It let out with an angry bellow as it spurted blood.


    It quickly backed away from Neron and was now wary of him.


    Neron stood still as the beast circled him, waiting for it to strike. Knowing the weak spot hadnt been difficult for him since he could see mana.


    He had noticed that the flow of mana was weakest at the neck region.


    The beast hide was mana coated which made it stronger than the other wolves in addition to its size and speed.


    Though it was an intelligent creature, it didn''t mean it could control the mana it possessed, the mana was just an instion against attacks.


    "You''re alright?" Neron asked Legris who picked himself from where he was and came to his side.


    "Yeah. I just got the wind knocked out of me but I''m fine. I see you did some damage already."


    "Don''t be obliged not to use magic because I don''t use it," Neron ordered, tightening his grip on his sword. "This thing won''t go down easily so give it your best."


    Legris nodded, adjusting his stance as he prepared for the attack. Despite the tension between them, he trusted Neron''s instincts.


    Neron moved first, his sword shing in the dim light as he shed at the creature''s side.


    The beast howled in pain but twisted mid-air, swiping at Neron with its massive ws.


    He dodged, rolling to the side, but the force of the swipe still sent him skidding across the rough cave floor.


    For the second time, Legris tried to seize the opportunity to strike at the beast''s exposed side.


    This time his de connected but unfortunately bounced off the fur.


    It barely slowed the creature down and it now turned on him, jaws snapping to rip Legris.


    "Move!" Neron shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.


    Legris barely managed to duck as the creature''s jaws closed where his head had been a second earlier.


    He retaliated with a quick sh, but the beast was already moving again, faster than he anticipated.


    "The fur is tougher than it looks!" Legris called out, trying to draw the monster''s attention away from Neron.


    "Legris!" Neron barked, an idea forming in his mind. "When ites at you again, fall back, but leave an opening!"


    "What? Are you crazy?" Legris shouted back, narrowly avoiding another swipe of the beast''s ws.


    "Just do it!" Neron insisted, already positioning himself for the next attack.


    Legris hesitated for a fraction of a second, but he trusted Neron''s instincts more than his own doubts.


    As the beast charged at him once more, he feigned a retreat, deliberately slowing his movements.


    The beast, sensing weakness, lunged for the kill.


    In that moment, Neron moved with blinding speed. He closed the distance between himself and the creature in an instant, his sword shing as he aimed for the beast''s exposed throat.


    The de found its mark and sliced through the flesh and bone with a sickening crunch.


    GUARKKKKKKKKKKK!!!


    The creature''s momentum carried it forward, crashing to the ground with a final, desperate howl.


    It twitched once, theny still, blood pooling around its massive form.


    Legris, breathing heavily, stared at the fallen beast in disbelief. "We… we did it."


    Neron didn''t respond immediately, his eyes still locked on the creature, his chest heaving with exertion.


    "Yeah," Neron said quietly. "If you say so."


    Legris, oblivious to Neron''s inner turmoil, smiled faintly. "I told you we make a good team."


    Neron''s jaw tightened, his earlier resolve hardening into cold steel. "This is exactly why I work alone, you came close to dying more than once," he muttered, more to himself than to Legris.


    Before Legris could say anything more, the distant sound of footsteps echoed through the cave heading in their direction.


    Lira and Aldric emerged from the opening, their eyes widening as they took in the scene before them—the massive beast lying dead at Neron''s feet.


    "What the hell happened here?" Lira asked, her voice a small whisper as she approached cautiously.


    Neron sheathed his sword, his expression unreadable. "Boss Monster. We took care of it."


    Aldric knelt beside the beast, inspecting the kill with a low whistle. "Damn, this''ll fetch a good price. The core alone is worth a fortune."


    Lira nodded in agreement, her gaze flicking to Neron with respect. "You saved our hides again, Neron. We owe you."


    Neron shook his head, dismissing the gratitude with a wave of his hand. "Just take what you need and let''s get out of here. I have somewherw else to be."


    "Legris, are you alright? You''ve been awfully quiet since we arrived," Lira asked, turning to him.


    "Yes I am. Just a slight headache. Are you done harvesting the wolves parts?"


    "Yes we finished a while back. We waited for you two till we heard themotion so we came to check it out."


    Neron stepped back from the group as they chattered, his mind already far from what he had done.


    He watched them for a moment, a mixture of relief and regret swirling in his chest.


    This was exactly what he feared—getting too close and too involved with people. One misstep, and it could all end in tragedy.


    The sooner they  were back on the road, the better.


    He was already distancing himself, preparing to leave them as soon as they returned to the Guild.