Lucas stood at the entrance of the final chamber.
The massive door had closed behind him.
Dark fog covered the ground.
At the far end of the chamber, the figure sitting on the throne slowly stood.
Lucas could feel the pressure coming from it.
This was the final boss.
A C-Rank monster.
The last obstacle between him and D-Rank.
Lucas took a slow breath.
He opened his status.
[STATUS]
Name: Lucas
Level: 30
Rank: E
Class: None
Ability: Boost Breaker
Hidden Ability: Time Manipulation
Lucas stared at the screen.
Then a new notification appeared.
[BOOST BREAKER]
[New Ability Detected]
[Appraisal]
Lucas froze.
“Appraisal?”
Another window appeared.
[APPRAISAL]
[Allows the user to identify information about targets.]
[Current Appraisal Range: Two Ranks Above User]
[Information Available:]
[Target Rank]
[Target Level]
Lucas stared at the notification.
He hadn’t expected this.
Appraisal wasn’t supposed to appear yet.
Not at E-Rank.
Not even close.
In his first life, Lucas hadn’t awakened Appraisal until much later.
And even then, it had taken years of growth before he could use it effectively.
But now Boost Breaker had given it to him.
At E-Rank.
Lucas frowned.
“Another anomaly.”
He already knew his regression had changed things.
Boost Breaker had developed differently this time.
Impact Break had awakened earlier.
His advancement had happened much faster.
Time Manipulation had awakened.
And now Appraisal had appeared.
Lucas didn’t know why.
But he wasn’t going to complain.
He looked toward the figure standing in the darkness.
“Appraisal.”
His eyes focused on the monster.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then information appeared.
[APPRAISAL SUCCESSFUL]
[Target: Unknown]
[Rank: C]
[Level: 75]
Lucas’s expression changed.
“Level 75.”
He had expected the boss to be powerful.
But seeing the exact number made the difference clear.
The mid-boss had been D-Rank Level 100.
This creature was C-Rank Level 75.
That was because rank mattered.
A higher rank represented a completely different level of awakened power.
An F-Rank Level 10 could lose to an E-Rank Level 7.
An E-Rank Level 14 could lose to a D-Rank Level 9.
A D-Rank Level 21 could lose to a C-Rank Level 13.
A C-Rank Level 25 could lose to a B-Rank Level 17.
A B-Rank Level 20 could lose to an A-Rank Level 10.
And even within the same rank, differences in ability, control, experience, and talent could completely change a battle.
Level mattered.
But rank mattered more.
That was why Lucas couldn’t look at the boss’s Level 75 and assume it was simply weaker than the Level 100 mid-boss.
The boss was C-Rank.
Lucas was E-Rank.
There were two entire ranks between them.
And yet Lucas smiled.
He had known this was coming.
He had been preparing for it since he entered the dungeon.
Lucas looked at his new ability.
[APPRAISAL]
[Current Range: Two Ranks Above]
[Current User Rank: E]
[Maximum Appraisal Range: C-Rank]
Lucas understood.
He could see information on targets up to two ranks above himself.
That meant C-Rank was currently the highest rank he could appraise.
But he still didn’t understand why Boost Breaker had given him this ability so early.
In his first life, Appraisal had taken much longer.
He had never received abilities this quickly.
Lucas stared at the system.
“Why are you changing?”
No answer came.
The system simply displayed his abilities.
[BOOST BREAKER]
[Current Rank: E]
[Abilities]
[Basic Enhancement]
[Strength Enhancement]
[Speed Enhancement]
[Break Limit]
[Impact Break]
[Appraisal]
[Quest System: Active]
Lucas closed the window.
He didn’t have time to think about it.
The boss stepped forward.
The pressure in the chamber intensified.
Lucas activated Appraisal again.
[APPRAISAL]
[Target: Unknown]
[Rank: C]
[Level: 75]
[Status: Healthy]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
Lucas narrowed his eyes.
“Healthy.”
That was important.
The boss hadn’t taken any damage.
Lucas was entering this fight at a disadvantage.
He had already fought through the entire dungeon.
He had fought multiple D-Rank monsters.
He had defeated a D-Rank Level 100 mid-boss.
His shoulder was injured.
His energy wasn’t at full capacity.
And the boss was completely fresh.
Lucas took another breath.
He couldn’t afford to fight this like a normal battle.
He needed to use everything he had learned.
The boss suddenly moved.
Lucas activated Speed Enhancement.
He barely avoided the first attack.
The weapon struck the ground beside him.
Lucas immediately countered.
Impact Break.
His fist struck the boss’s side.
The attack connected.
But the boss barely moved.
Lucas’s eyes narrowed.
“Just like I thought.”
The difference was enormous.
The boss turned toward him.
Lucas stepped backward.
The creature raised its weapon.
Lucas activated Break Limit.
Power surged through his body.
His muscles tightened.
His breathing became heavier.
The boss charged.
Lucas charged too.
He didn’t have a choice.
If he stayed defensive, the boss would eventually overwhelm him.
Their distance disappeared.
The boss swung.
Lucas ducked.
He stepped inside the attack.
Impact Break.
His fist struck the boss’s chest.
The creature staggered slightly.
Lucas immediately followed with another strike.
Strength Enhancement.
Another Impact Break.
The boss finally took a step backward.
Lucas’s eyes widened.
“It worked.”
The boss slowly looked down at its chest.
Then back at Lucas.
For the first time, its expression changed.
It had recognized him as a threat.
Lucas smiled.
“Good.”
The boss tightened its grip on its weapon.
Lucas lowered his stance.
He knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
But he had defeated impossible opponents before.
And this time, he had something he didn’t have in his first life.
He knew exactly what Boost Breaker was capable of becoming.
He just had to survive long enough to reach it.
The boss disappeared from Lucas’s sight.
Lucas’s eyes widened.
“Where—”
He sensed movement behind him.
He turned.
The C-Rank Level 75 boss was already there.
Its weapon was raised above his head.
Lucas activated Speed Enhancement.
But he was too slow.
The weapon began descending toward him.