Chapter 6: The Solo Boss and the Treasure Cube.

[Hold Activated.]

Just as Barbet swung its massive body and enormous tail, Revan cast Hold with the completed Cube onto Barbet.

And the countdown began.

“Now.”

Even though it was an emergency field, a boss is still a boss.

Unlike the other rabbits, Hold only lasted 3 seconds on Barbet.

So Revan had no choice but to move much faster than when hunting regular rabbits.

Past experience!

Before the countdown ended, Revan hurriedly stabbed Barbet’s temple with his mace.

The strike connected perfectly.

Still, due to the significant level difference, Barbet barely flinched.

“Guaaah!”

[Hold Released.]

Barbet’s roar broke the Hold effect.

Revan quickly pulled back, raising his shield to create distance.

“Now.”

Barbet regenerated, and Revan immediately cast Hold again to start the fight.

Barbet’s behavior patterns were already known. He had killed it several times before.

Therefore, before Barbet moved, during the brief delay caused by its body tensing, Revan had to raise the mace on his back, sling the shield on his wrist, and activate the Cube.

[Hold Completed.]

[Please select the target for skill usage.]

“That bastard!”

[Hold Activated.]

Before Barbet could leap, Revan completed Hold safely once again, binding Barbet.

Of course, the binding only lasted about 3 seconds, but it was enough time to close in, deal precise strikes, then back off.

Past experience!

Once again, the mace exploded against Barbet’s temple.

Not by chance.

This was Revan’s chosen fighting style—called “hit them again where you just hit them”—a technique he favored.

“There’s nothing more painful than getting hit twice in the same spot!”

And of course, this method was effective.

Watching Barbet’s HP bar shrink much more than before, Revan prepared to keep his distance again.

[Hold Released.]

“Guaaah!”

The end was near.

The more the battle dragged on, the more Barbet’s stamina drained, signaling how little life it had left.

[Hold Completed.]

[Please select the target for skill usage.]

[Hold Activated.]

Past experience!

Despite its simplicity, the pattern was foolproof, and Barbet’s life was about to end.

[You have successfully hunted Barbet.]

[You have successfully achieved a Barbet Solo Kill.]

[You have successfully completed your first solo kill of a boss monster.]

[You have successfully hunted the boss monster without taking any damage.]

[Achievement ‘Barbet Solo Kill’ acquired.]

[Achievement ‘I Killed Alone’ acquired.]

[Achievement ‘Is That Just My Afterimage?’ acquired.]

[Experience gained.]

[Level Up.]

[Quest ‘Hunt the Rabbit King Barbet’ completed.]

[Quest rewards are being issued.]

[Level Up.]

A flood of notifications poured before Revan’s eyes.

More than expected.

And the unexpected appearance of notifications surprised Revan.

“Was there an achievement like this?”

Things he never saw back when he was a blunt warrior.

Come to think of it, that made sense.

As a blunt warrior with a semi-tank position, he never soloed boss raids, and even semi-tanks take some hits; he never dodged every attack of a boss.

So he never got these achievements back then.

“This feels good.”

Feeling satisfied by the unexpected haul, Revan smiled broadly.

“Check achievements.”

[Quest- Barbet Solo Kill]

[Condition: Obtainable upon solo killing the boss monster Barbet.]

[Option: Highest stat +5.]

~

[Quest- Killed Alone]

[Condition: Obtainable if you defeat a boss monster completely unaided.]

[Option: All stats +3.]

~

[Quest- Is That Just My Afterimage?]

[Condition: Obtainable if you take no damage during direct combat with a boss monster.]

[- Option: Movement speed +10% during battle.]

“Wow.”

Confirming the options of the three achievements, Revan couldn’t help but exclaim.

All stats increased by 3, plus the highest stat got an additional 5.

That was an incredible number.

Because a Warlord leveling up usually only gained at most 1 bonus stat point.

“This is seriously amazing.”

Benefits he could never have imagined as a blunt warrior.

After checking the achievement options, Revan felt like scolding his past self who had doubted the power of Hold.

“To think I once underestimated such a god skill like Hold. I was too naive, Godbix.”

At the same time, Revan didn’t forget to praise his deific throne, Rubix.

After finishing checking options, Revan shifted his gaze back to Barbet’s fallen body.

“Well then, let’s see what you’re carrying.”

Achievements are achievements, but loot is loot.

Revan placed his hand on Barbet’s blackened face, damaged by the temple attacks.

“Item looting.”

[You have acquired Barbet’s Skull.]

[You have acquired Rabbit Ear.]

[You have acquired Rabbit Foot.]

Seeing these familiar items, Revan pursed his lips.

Barbet’s Skull and Rabbit Ear were quest items related to Barbet’s hunt.

“Wow, these are hard to get, but I just got two quest items as a bonus.”

An unexpected profit.

Partly because the level gap was so large, he hadn’t bothered to accept Barbet-related quests just in case.

“And this one.”

Revan took the Rabbit Foot out from his inventory and examined it.

*To get this in one go.*

Naturally, the Rabbit Foot was an item Revan recognized.

Because it was the best item among the ones Barbet dropped.

Revan checked the item info for Rabbit Foot.

[Rabbit Foot]

[Grade: Rare, Boss.]

[Restrictions: None.]

[Options: Perception +5]

[20% increased damage to rabbit-type monsters] 

[+5% movement speed when out of combat.]

The Rabbit Foot raised Perception by an incredible 5 points and boosted usual movement speed by 5%.

Furthermore, as a boss item, it had an option that dealt extra damage to rabbit-type monsters.

“The best part is, it’s not even an equip item—you get benefits just by carrying it!”

Smiling with delight, Revan put it back into his inventory.

“Now then, let’s see the growth cube quest rewards… One new Growth Cube and Skill Cube Fragments… seven of them? And even a treasure cube I’ve never seen before.”

Revan then checked the rewards from the Growth Cube quest.

Once again, the cube fragments were scarce.

He inserted the acquired Skill Cube Fragments into empty cube slots.

Click! Click!

Like dropping coins into a piggy bank, the simple joy of placing fragments into empty slots was bittersweet.

Now the empty cube slots were filled with 13 fragments.

Since the empty cube format requires 33 fragments, he needed just 14 more to complete one Skill Cube.

“Well, shall we try the next cube opening?”

[Rubix’s Treasure Cube]

[Grade: Rare, Unique, Bound.]

[Option: Upon completing the cube, you acquire one of the treasures contained inside.]

“Confirm.”

[Treasure list#]

[Rubix’s Skill Cube Fragment]

[Rubix’s Growth Cube Fragment]

[Rubix’s Treasure Cube Fragment]

[Empty Cube Slot]

[Staff for War Mage]

[20,000]

Seeing the treasure list inside the cube, Revan’s thoughts froze for a moment.

“What? A treasure cube?”

Because despite the grand name, the quality of treasures inside seemed unusually modest.

The only thing that really caught his eye was…

“A weapon, a staff.”

The rest were unappealing.

So naturally, his gaze lingered on the staff.

“Yeah, when it comes to mages, staff. And for staff, it’s mages.”

Every class had a weapon that represented it.

Of course, mages also had wands, orbs, and other weapons besides staffs.

But for mages, the staff was a symbol with a long history.

Even Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings carried a staff.

“Sure, heavy armor is one thing, but if you carry a staff as a weapon, no one would mistake you for a tank.”

Thus, the staff had special significance to Revan.

Moreover, the cube literally said ‘Staff for War Mage’.

That meant the staff inside the cube wasn’t an ordinary weapon but a class-exclusive god-tier item.

Revan began to pray.

“Greatest of Warlords, Deific Throne Godbix. Please grant me the chance to obtain the staff.”

Before opening the cube, Revan gripped the Rabbit Foot he just acquired and sincerely prayed to his throne.

From ancient times, the Rabbit Foot has been known as a symbol of luck among hunters.

Heartbeat thumping—

His chest tightened.

Prepared, Revan began opening the Treasure Cube he obtained after advancing to War Mage for the first time.

And finally, the moment the Treasure Cube was completed!

[You have successfully matched Rubix’s Treasure Cube.]
[You have acquired the Staff for War Mage.]

“Why *”

Revan had obtained the staff.

~

Someone once said,

A Warlord is just a lucky bastard.

But Revan thought that was just the whining of losers.

Because that luck didn’t have to apply to him.

“I don’t get it. Why do they call this god-tier item a lucky bastard’s prize?”

A song naturally came to mind.

Though the probability was only 20%, Revan had pulled it off.

Confirming the notification of acquiring the staff, Revan opened his inventory with a beaming expression.

There, glowing in blue light, was the new weapon—the Staff for War Mage.

Revan didn’t hesitate and immediately pulled it out of his inventory.

But the staff’s shape was oddly off.

“Hm.”

Something about it felt too short for a staff.

And immediately after pulling it out fully, Revan had a bad premonition upon seeing the staff’s appearance.

This wasn’t a staff so much as…

“Mace?”

Yeah.

Calling it a mace suited it better.

The same mace Revan often used back when he was a blunt warrior.

Feeling uneasy, Revan checked the staff’s info.

[Staff of Strength]

[Grade: Rare, Unique, Bound.]

[Restriction: War Mage exclusive, Strength 25 or above.]

[Durability: 100/100]

[Options:]

[Physical Attack Power +25.]

“What the hell?”

Staffs were supposed to be exclusive to mages.

But the one Revan acquired had…

“Why does it have a Strength requirement…?”

A daunting Strength restriction was attached.

(Magic User Doesn’t Hide Their Power)