REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO

The orc's body twitched.

Then it screamed.

A guttural, bone-shaking roar burst out of its throat, loud enough to rattle the very dungeon walls.

Its chest expanded, veins bulging like writhing snakes under its red skin. With a sickening crack, its height increased by at least a foot. Muscles swelled. The axe looked tiny from before due to the boss being huge.

Its eyes….

They weren't just red anymore.

They burned. Like pits of pure fury.

"What the hell…" Ronald muttered.

The pressure released by the orc's transformation was insane.

Gideon, who had been standing tall, took a step back. His boots scraped against the stone floor. He gritted his teeth.

The pressure hit him like a wave. Not enough to knock him down, but it was clear.

This was no longer the same boss.

"Did it just evolve?!" Gideon growled. "What a pain in the a*s."

The orc slammed its axe into the ground and let out another roar.

And then…

without warning…..

it lunged.

Boom!

Its massive figure lunged forward with terrifying speed.

Gideon raised his fists just in time to block a slash aimed at his head but the impact still pushed him back a few steps. Sparks flew. Ronald immediately dashed from the left, and Logan joined from the back.

No one needed words at that moment. All knew it was the last struggle of the boss. And a wounded enemy who is cornered was the most dangerous.

Logan led the charge. Ice enveloped his right fist as he clenched it with ice magic and internal energy.

He twisted low and lunged forward….target: the orc's gut.

But…

The boss turned its torso unnaturally fast for its size. It dodged at the last second.

CRACK!

A heavy fist slammed into Logan's left side.

"Ugh—!"

Logan flew back like a ragdoll, tumbling through the air before crashing into the ground with a grunt. Stones cracked beneath his impact.

Ronald's eyes twitched. "How is it so damn fast now?!"

But there was no time to think.

Before the orc could press its advantage, Ronald was already behind it. He spun his spear and jammed it straight into the back of the monster's left knee.

"Gahhh!"

The orc's leg bent involuntarily.

It stumbled.

And at that exact moment….

"Move!"

Gideon surged forward like a battering ram. His right fist burned orange-red, fire swirling around his forearm.

Bam!

His punch slammed into the orc's chest, right over the heart.

The monster was lifted clean off the ground and sent flying back.

But it didn't fall yet.

Before the monster could even descend….

"Let's try this again," Logan had already jumped in the air.

With a deep breath, he brought both palms together and thrust them down like a hammer.

Bam!

His double-palmed strike slammed into one of orc's head mid-air, accelerating its descent like a meteor crashing to earth.

Boom!

The dungeon floor shattered.

Dust erupted. A deep crater cracked beneath the monster's body.

But the boss wasn't done.

"Grraaahhhh!"

The orc pushed itself up with one arm.

Blood trickled along its broken jawline.

Its eyes locked on Ronald.

"Angry, aren't you?" Ronald mocked, spinning his body sideways just as the Minotaur hurled a jagged stone at him with deadly speed. The rock clipped his shoulder.

"Kh!" Ronald grunted, landing in a slide but staying on his feet.

"Maintain the pressure!" Gideon shouted.

Logan darted again, aiming a rapid thrust at the side of the orc's thigh.

But just then the boss jumped….straight up…and spun in midair.

Its axe came flying.

Logan blocked it with an ice wall but the sheer force sent him flying into a wall.

"Aiden!" Gideon shouted.

"I'm fine!" came the groan from the pile of rubble.

The orc didn't waste time.

It charged toward Gideon again, axe raised high.

But this time….

"Not so fast."

Boom!

A stream of fire exploded at its feet. It was Logan again.

The orc staggered….

That was all Gideon needed.

He ducked under the incoming axe and drove a brutal hook with fire straight into the boss's ribs.

Crack!

Another hook. Then an uppercut.

The orc flew back.

Ronald had recovered by then and rushed in.

"Let's see how tough your neck is!" he roared.

With a leap, he spun mid-air and delivered a crescent spear strike across the side of the orc's neck.

Blood sprayed.The monster roared in pain.

Logan appeared next, hand coated in frost.

A chunk of ice rose and enveloped the orc's left leg.

It tried to move…

But its footing slipped.

Then…

Boom!

Gideon and Ronald both struck at the same time.

One flame punch.

One lightning-fast spear thrust.

The orc reeled back, eyes unfocused.

Logan exhaled, raised both arms…

Two mid size fireballs formed in mid-air.

He hurled them with all his might.

They spun through the air, collided with the orc's chest, and….

Boom! Boom!

Exploded into twin bursts of fire and smoke.

The orc let out a final roar…

It swayed…

Then dropped to its knees.

And fell face-first.

The dungeon fell silent.

"It's finally down," Gideon said.

Everyone exhaled at once.

Ronald leaned on his spear, panting. "That… was insane."

Jessi finally relaxed, bandaging Melissa's wound. With no healer in the group, they'd have to wait until they reached one.

The dust cleared fully now.

Gideon stepped forward and placed a foot on the Minotaur's back. "This bast**d had tricks up his sleeve until the very end."

"It almost got me," he added, rubbing his neck.

Logan added. "It was smart. Too smart."

He looked at the shattered axe near the boss's hand. "A bit too advanced for a D-class boss, don't you think?"

Gideon nodded grimly. "Yeah… something's not right. They seem to be evolving."

"Evolve?" Ronald asked, frowning.

Gideon didn't answer immediately.

"We'll talk later," he muttered. "First… let's get back and have everyone healed up."

Logan turned toward Melissa's still body. "Agreed."

As he walked back, Ronald glanced at Logan's back.

"He sure is strong," he whispered to himself.

Jessi, who overheard, didn't answer.

She just stared at Logan in silence.

And Logan? Though the dungeon was cleared, he had a slight displeased look.

He could feel the spiritual energy but had no way to cultivate with it without exposing his secret.

"I need to get stronger fast. Only then I will be able to solo these dungeons." He whispered.