SWNOVELXO Chapter 10: Chapter 10 – The Last Guardian
8:10 AM – The First True Boss Fight Continues
The Chained Behemoth towered over them, its massive frame bound by thick, rusted chains that clanked with each movement. Its grayish, leathery skin was scarred with deep cracks, pulsating with some eldritch energy beneath.
Its eyes burned a dull blue, filled with mindless rage.
And yet, despite its size, despite its unearthly weight, it was fast.
[System Notice: Named Monster – Chained Behemoth]
[Rank: C+]
"The last guardian of a forgotten ruin. It knows no master. It fights only to destroy."
Tae-sik gritted his teeth, stepping forward as he activated Berserker's Rage.
Do-yoon struggled back to his feet, his shield arm trembling from the impact of being thrown earlier. Seok-hoon was already circling the monster, looking for an opening.
Ji-hye crouched low, daggers twirling in her fingers, her breathing sharp and controlled.
And Kyung-min?
He was at the very back, watching everything.
Waiting.
He had activated False Visage moments before. His appearance had shifted slightly, making him unimportant in the monster's perception. It had given them a brief opening.
But a brief opening wasn't enough to kill this thing.
8:12 AM – The Fight Begins in Earnest
Tae-sik moved first.
With a roar, he swung his massive makeshift weapon—a warped metal pipe, reinforced with scavenged plating. The impact crashed against the Behemoth's leg, causing it to stumble slightly.
Ji-hye appeared like a blur, her daggers slashing along its side.
The creature howled, but its skin was too thick.
"Shit!" she hissed. "It's barely cutting—"
Seok-hoon leapt in next. His blade gleamed, slashing toward the Behemoth's neck— but it jerked its head away, the edge scraping harmlessly against its hardened flesh.
Do-yoon slammed his shield into the ground, activating his Warden class defensive stance.
[Warden's Bulwark – Defensive Power Increased]
The Behemoth swung its chained fist down.
BOOM!
The shockwave cracked the concrete beneath them.
Do-yoon barely managed to hold his ground, his feet digging into the dirt.
The fight was already wearing them down.
8:15 AM – The Behemoth's Counterattack
The chains that bound the Behemoth suddenly shifted.
With a guttural snarl, the monster lashed out— the chains whipping through the air like living serpents.
One struck Tae-sik directly in the side.
CRACK.
He crashed into a nearby pillar, coughing blood.
Ji-hye barely managed to flip away, but the chain grazed her thigh, leaving a deep gash.
Seok-hoon blocked with his sword—but was knocked back violently.
Kyung-min?
He wasn't even considered a target.
And that was his advantage.
8:17 AM – Kyung-min Uses His New Skill
[Soul Archive Updated]
[New Recorded Entity: Wretch] (D-Rank, Mutated Predator)
[Death Echo Available: Twisting Reflex (E-Rank, Agility Boost)]
Kyung-min's eyes narrowed.
He activated Twisting Reflex.
A brief surge of unnatural flexibility coursed through his body.
He moved.
Faster than before—dodging through the rubble, weaving behind the Behemoth.
"I can't attack it head-on. But I can do something else."
He knelt down.
And activated Spectral Insight.
8:18 AM – Spectral Insight: The Behemoth's Past
The world shifted.
The air warped, and a vision took shape in his mind.
🔹 The Behemoth was once a guardian. A protector.
🔹 Something sealed it here. The chains weren't to restrain it—they were part of a ritual.
🔹 It wasn't supposed to be in this timeline.
🔹 It was summoned by something… or someone.
The vision snapped away.
Kyung-min gasped, his breath shaky.
"The system didn't create this thing. Something else is pulling strings."
But who?
Or what?
He didn't have time to dwell on it.
Because the Behemoth was moving again.
8:20 AM – The Final Plan
Tae-sik spat blood. "We're not winning like this."
Seok-hoon wiped sweat from his forehead. "What's the plan?"
Ji-hye grimaced, clutching her bleeding leg. "We need to disable it."
Kyung-min took a deep breath.
And then he spoke.
"Its chains are the key."
They all turned to look at him.
"What?" Do-yoon frowned.
Kyung-min pointed at the rusted chains. "They aren't just holding it back. They're also part of a binding ritual. They were put there for a reason."
Tae-sik stared at him.
Seok-hoon scowled. "And how the hell do you know that?"
Kyung-min didn't answer.
He just stared at them.
Because the disgust was there.
Seok-hoon didn't say it outright. But Kyung-min saw the look.
"You're useless. You don't fight, and you still get rewards."
That wasn't a problem.
Not yet.
8:25 AM – The Kill
They followed the plan.
🔹 Ji-hye used her Windstalker agility to distract the Behemoth.
🔹 Tae-sik and Seok-hoon focused all attacks on the chains.
🔹 Do-yoon held the line, taking every attack the monster threw at them.
The chains began to weaken.
[System Notice: Chain Integrity Falling – 40%]
Tae-sik roared. "HIT IT AGAIN!"
[System Notice: Chain Integrity Falling – 10%]
Seok-hoon delivered the final slash.
[System Notice: Chained Behemoth – Binding Seal Broken]
The monster froze.
For the first time…
Its eyes cleared.
It stared at them.
And then—it collapsed.
[System Notice: Named Monster Slain]
[EXP +250] [Gold +300]
[Rare Item Dropped: Guardian's Shackles]
[Skill Fragment Acquired – ???]
Silence.
Then—
Tae-sik laughed, his body slumping. "Holy shit…"
Ji-hye sighed. "That… was too much."
Kyung-min just stared at the corpse.
Because something felt wrong.
"We weren't supposed to kill this thing. It was never meant to be our enemy in the first place."